Exploring Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon 🇬🇧

We're BACK! This time we're exploring Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon! Thank you to Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for having us, we had a brilliant time!
www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/...
#shakespeare #stratford #stratforduponavon
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Hello! We are Joel & Lia. We post videos every week, all about British culture, British accents and the English language! We live in London and love sharing our top travel tips in the UK and abroad. As well as being best friends we share a passion for language, different accents and all things British. With past and future trips to the USA, lots of our content is American vs British.
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[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

If you'd like to tip us to help support the running of our channel (but please don't feel obliged): www.ko-fi.com/thosetwobrits

[@joemalick]

I swear you two should work for the UK tourism board! I really appreciate the way you explain things and show us around, it makes me want to visit every time you’re out and about, so thanks! ❤️❤️❤️

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks so much Joe! Maybe one day we will be haha

[@KunnuKumar-be9ju]

​. I have a request and a beseech from both of u. Gd morning madm.and sir. Joel wood. Plz read very carefully. 1. Make a video on oxford university press. 2. Survey of english usage. It is a research center of english grammar language. It is inside UCL university college London. Grammar is made in this center.. 3. Take interview of famous grammar man Raymond murphy how he writes books. Does he read any book as guide for writing books. Plzzz make a video

[@arealphoney]

I watched this delightful display of innocent enthusiasm with growing dismay. You LOVE the works of Shakespeare, and so do I. I have loved those plays since i first started reading them abd learning to recite sections by heart, nearly seventy years ago. But from my first reading of a biography. When I was about 13, I befan to doubt that the man from Stratford, who left his older wife and three little children, and went to London to join a company of players, actually was the author of the plays published under his name. I questioned. YOU are forbidden to question, just as, in Shakespeare's day, you would have been forbidden to be Atheist, or Catholic, or Republican. You MUST NOT ask questions about where the Stratford man got his knowledge. When you visit Stratford-upon-Avon and pay for your ticket to the house proudly proclaimed as the Birthplace of William Shakespeare, you are not supposed to know the the central section was a single little house, possibly a butcher's shop, that the building to the right is brick, nut refaced, and that two more buildings to the left were acquired in the 19th century. What you are seeing is a Victorian building that has an old core, but probably no relation to Shakespeare or his family. Anne Hathaway's cottage DID at some date belong to some Hathaways. But not hers. In the 1700s, the great David Garrick visited Stratford, and found the monumebt in the church. Nothing else. Every other association with William Shakespeare, either as son of a local glove- maker, husband and father, or as the renowned Elizabethan playwright, is BOGUS. There IS ONLY the memorial, with its very strange insciption, and the gravestone with a piece of doggetel vetse that could have been written by any tradesman. David Garrick, with the local Mayor and Parish Priest, staged a Shakespeare festival, from which grew the tourist industry that you see today. You cannot trust the publicity of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. You must not be taken in, any more than you believe that the Ministry for Magic can be entered via those red telephone boxes at Westminster,. JUST ONE EXAMPLE- Some years ago, a portrait of a handsome man came up for auction. A gallery in the US owned a copy that purpirted to be Shakespeare. But they had discoveted that the baldness was an iverpaint and ut was almoat certainly an image of a certain Sir Thomas Overbury, and that sevaral versions of his portrait existed. However, the Skaespeare Birthplace Trust were offered the chance to purchase one of these paintings, presented under the name of Shakespeare. They were TOLD by historians and art historians that it was OVERBURY. No doubt. But it was a much handsomer, classier portrait that the known painting, engraving and monument.... and there was SOME evidence, based on the fraudulent adding of a bald skull to another, discounted picture .... thete was indeed UNRELUABLE evidence that the image was Shakespeare. So the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has promoted THAT image ever since, AND it is this portrait of Sir Thomas Ovetbury that YOU show at the beginning if your video, taken in by a BLATANT DECEIT by the Trust, whose integrity you are supposed to trust. I will just tell you one thing about that portrait. Overbury wears a collar of Spanish reticular needle lace. That collar is his display of enormous wealth. In modern terms, it cost as much as a Lamborghini. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust KNOW that in publishing thst image as Sgakespeare, they are promiting a lie. But we would LIKE to think of the writer of Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and the Sonnets, as handsome, wouldnt we? And the bald man with the foxy face of the Chandos portrait, just doesn't quite fill the role.

[@arealphoney]

Just to add to my longish comment. 1. I do not belueve that the Stratford man was the poet. I belueve he was the broker and publishrr for the author. 2. Regardless of MY opinion, rwi issues remain 2.1 Students are nit taught that thete is doubt. This is suppressed and stydents who doubt are riduculed. Tgis us poor scgolarship. 2.2. Even if the Stratfors man was indeed the pkaywright as many chose to believe, the whole tourist industru at Stratford upon Avon is built on a series of bogus claims about the man Shakespeare and his family's association with the five properties owned by the Trust. The entire town benefits from this industry- cafes, bars, b&bs, fast food chains, hotels, brothels, transport, the church, retail stores, the huge soyuvenir industry, bookshops and the theatres. Apoligies for my typing. My sight is poor.

[@ameliajones6557]

I have lived in stratford my whole life and have never been into the actual home, i walk past it at least once a day and now feel fulfilled like i know what it looks like 🤣

[@MsTrain69]

I like that you are exploring your own country. I’m sure it will make you love it all the more. Even better that you share the experience with all of us. 🥰

[@catherinereeves5707]

Thank you Joel and Lia, for just being there. I am a young minded 67 years old, and have been pretty isolated, for the last few years, with 5 surgeries, 2 complete knee , an ablation of the heart, a septoplasty, and finally my back surgery 2 weeks ago. I thank you for being there, so, I can vicariously travel, and live my life through you.. You two are lovely. And I would be proud to have you both as my grandchildren. I'm from California, born and bred, and you have brought happiness to my life. Thank you again. Love, Catherine

[@katheryns1219]

Fascinating!!! I can't wait to visit myself one day. I'm in the state of Oregon, USA where I just came back from a retreat for women veterans. There were a dozen of us, and I directed one of the events, which I called Shakespeare's Shrews. I started by reciting Williams' speech from Henry V ("But if the cause be not good..."), which showed how well Shakespeare portrayed the common soldier. Then I passed around a bag of little papers each containing a Shakespeare insult. The women would read the quote once and then again. Hilarity ensued. Especially when we used southern accents, which blend well with Elizabethan poetry and prose. One of the favorites: "Is there no military policy how virgins might blow up men?" from All's Well That Ends Well. Another from the same play which the mother of a teenager read, "You do me most insupportable vexation." She said that she would certainly use this at home. Anyway, thanks for the video.

[@evancortez2]

I was there a couple years ago and my favorite part of the Shakespeare house were the actors doing Shakespeare in the back yard, I loved it, they were so British

[@WilkosGaMes]

Stratford such a great place to visit. It’s clean, the people are nice. If anyone is wanting to visit Stratford I’d highly recommend it. Since I work there now I’m wanting to move already. Great video guys.

[@rominaramos6050]

I loved this video! I've always wanted to know more of England and these series r gonna be great so glad you're able to get the series back on, with my 2 have Brits! Xoxo 🍾🍾🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@natew1844]

7:55 "Very open plan!" haha love this! Looks like a fun experience

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Hahaha 😂

[@beverlydust5381]

Thanks for showing us Shakespeare's birth place, very interesting history lesson and architecture and educational as well. Like the things you got at the gift shop.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Jack_Stafford]

LOVE this kind of content! Places that I dream of but probably will never be able to go to, but can live vicariously through my internet friends! Legendary!

[@bobbilynnsmith5146]

Well that was a lovely tour, thank you! My community does a Shakespeare play every summer on a outdoor stage. XO from Colorado

[@passingthroughtime3033]

Yes show more UK. Thanks 👍🏻👍🏻

[@jennierod81]

I love “Billy Shakes” as my high school English teacher called him 😄 Thank you for the video!

[@munss7391]

Looks like a bright Seattle day!!

[@kellieroth1710]

Absolutely LOVED this! I'm a huge Shakespeare fan!!!

[@graywing521]

Condolences to all Brits - and non-Brits - who adored QE2. Well done, to her and to all of you. 😪

[@yeshayaamichai1512]

Loved it! I've missed the "Those Two Brits" tours of the UK.

[@LABdk]

One day I will pilgrimage there! I work with scent and recreating the scents for ideas, objects and themes within scripts. I’ve created 30+ scents based on Shakespeare. Loved this episode

[@thirdonetoo1212]

That was lovely , and the information fascinating. Thank-you for taking us along.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks so much!

[@yvonnewiggins4209]

Thank you for your really lovely video of your visit to my home town!

[@oles1272]

Thanks! Missed the videos like this one.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Aw glad you enjoyed it!

[@nour_osman]

I thoroughly enjoyed this!! Thank you 🤩💖

[@maureenboyle1926]

Thank you it was great. Love history.

[@charlottemalone1962]

Still think you should do Shakespeare with that beautiful voice, Joel!

[@emblogslife]

Oooh we are going here in 3 weeks! lovely!

[@sherrimclaughlin-ryan2501]

i loved that! we would love to see you do more things like this. Jane Austins perhaps

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Great idea!

[@jasthe3rd]

I love the new intro, much better, nice and personal but still on brand :)

[@ellieh.205]

The first Shakespeare play I ever saw was at an all girls school in Japan. They did “Kiss Me Kate”… couldn’t understand most of it except what came out as “Kiss me cat”. Came to love Shakespeare though 💕

[@blackstonefinn3775]

Hi guys!!! Love Shakespeare! This is so great! ❤ wonderful that his birthplace has been so well preserved. Just discovered this channel (been watching your other Two Brits for awhile). Can you guys talk more about your time at RADA and what that was like?

[@lisatowan4536]

So glad to see you in Stratford-upon-Avon. I studied there in the 90's and even met and chatted with Prince Charles at Shakespeare's birthplace. It was a lovely place to live.

[@Bessie66]

Awww just come across your video. We go to Stratford every year but unable to do the tourist places due to having dogs - so Thankyou for this ❤. Another subscriber btw👍

[@michaelmullard4292]

Ah, fantastic episode of Those Two Brits UK! Marvelous tour! What a cool place. Keep writing, Joel!

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks so much Michael! 💙

[@pegpeg5496]

I went there in the mid 80's. It looks the same.

[@lieferic9]

The highlight for me was the Hamlet Burger at the Billy Shakes Stand.

[@faithhudson4576]

YES!!! I love Shakespeare and The UK has so much History....keep these going!! ❤️ 🇬🇧 ❤️

[@TBNTX]

Joel & Lia: If you've seen "West Side Story", it is a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet". I particularly like Spielberg's 2021 movie. To me, it's perfect. Note: I visited Stratford Upon Avon in the late 80s, and I have a rubbing from Shakespeare's grave-cap at the Holy Trinity Church. Subsequently, I'm told that I should have been arrested, but I have it nevertheless.

[@danielmkubacki]

Cool Joel and Lia.

[@catherineavakian5833]

This is so interesting! Thanks!!

[@perriannesimkhovitch1127]

Ashland Oregon suddenly comes to mind

[@migi5374]

Great day Clouds, Coffee, & Exploring. Great idea for postcards!

[@Angie_King_Bens_Grandma]

Great info about a Great Man. Thanks guys! Fun video!!💕💕💕💕

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks so much for watching Angie!

[@michaelhurley3171]

I've been there and I was surprised to see Homer Simpson there! It was a great trip to the UK from America. Homer was in a video presentation about Shakespeare.

[@laurataylor8717]

I went to Stratford upon Avon on a school trip in high school. I am only realizing now the corners that were cut by our chaperones. They basically showed us the outside of the house and then we went to the gift shop. All that way and we never went inside!!

[@Brooksie603]

Yes! Great intro!

[@jennierod81]

Much Ado is my favorite play

[@harpsi8]

So much fun watching Stratford through your eyes. Rich&2 carnivorous kitties 🥩🍗🍖🐈🐈‍⬛🥓🇺🇲

[@JohnandCaraRetiredTravellers]

Absolutely love this video! Please do more like this, as an American truly enjoy seeing the UK. ~Cara 😊

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks so much Cara! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jooliedaley]

Yes!!! Totally loved this and all the quirky historical facts about the time period ☺️👏🏼

[@hollydriscoll8315]

I love this!!!!

[@dalemoore8582]

I really enjoyed this video! Please do more like this!

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks so much Dale!

[@rileyreed2230]

Loved it, I’ve missed the UK travel videos. Loved hearing about the history, I had no idea that beds were a sign of how much wealth you had. Super excited for more videos, this is going on my list of things to do when I eventually can take a trip to England!!! 🙌☺️🇬🇧❤️

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah it's crazy that beds meant so much back then!

[@socoroko1]

I went to Shakespeare's birthplace years ago. One of the things I thought was so interesting was a harness type apparatus in the kitchen to put a child. It enabled them to be able to move around in a circle in the kitchen area with mom, but prevent them from wandering into the large open fireplace where the cooking happened. Picturing his mother in there making dinners with children around her stuck with me as all moms can relate.

[@stinajones9847]

Wonderful video!! We are booked to visit on Wed with a group cause our American selves were too scared to attempt driving in the UK lol. Looks so beautiful!

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Ooo have an amazing time!

[@performingartseducator]

I’ve watched you for years and thought that this tour would never happen. I went there in 2002. A lot has changed. Also, I never saw post about why the Joel and Lia brand ended. This channel is nice. I’ll miss the other channel but I’m glad that you’re doing more tours in your own country. I was waiting for this tour for a long time.

[@susanschanz8695]

It was a cloudy AND rainy day when I visited 4 years ago.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Not a lot has changed then!!

[@ameliamangham4460]

This is gonna sound like the strangest comment ever but I’m an artist and I’m drawing in a blank book I bought from the gift shop here and I’m drawing things from my visit and I’m drawing a page full of those bronze plates for the plays but I only had 10 images and 12 spaces on the page and yours is the only video with up close shots of them so I could fill the last two spots! ( all other videos only had blurry shots) so thanks very helpful haha

[@supergran62]

Than’s for the reminder of a great visit.

[@80sGamerLady]

Haha Lia. You are like me. I must smell everything. It helps my memory!

[@kimviolet7292]

I love this, we are Canadian and met a couple from Stratford-Upon -Avon, it exciting to see the town!

[@daphne0123]

Loved this intro best!

[@27jegs]

That was great fun. When I was in high school I thought about becoming a Shakespearian actress. Always wanted to play Lady Macbeth. Never happened 😟.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Awww maybe one day haha!

[@Jeffhowardmeade]

For the better. She doesn't even get a proper death scene.

[@donniebrooks21]

Loved that you went there. Would love to sometime and love these Old English towns.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks Donnie! It was such a lovely town!

[@ania5038]

I want to go there someday looks so gorgeous!!!

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

It’s so beautiful!

[@judykeown]

Awww I’ve been there. Decades ago though.

[@EricaGamet]

Same! I stayed in Stratford for a couple of days during my UK solo trip in '97. Stayed in an amazing B&B and toured all the Shakespeare-related stuff. Then saw a show at the RSC. Such a lovely little town (village?)...

[@dlcalbaugh]

I really liked the voiceovers while showing the things from the Shakespeare museum. It was informative. Maybe you can do that on your other channel when you start traveling.

[@carolyn279]

Loved this video! Well done!

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks so much!

[@myrtleholly2016]

Awesome video! Love that place! I admire how you made the information so easy to relate to.

[@sherrimartin1057]

Loved this video !

[@rhysedwards3221]

My hometown👍

[@ghostlyMostly1]

Love the slight changes in format. I can see you two doing a tourism tv program.

[@shawna620]

So happy to see this video! Wondered if you two were still making these. Love Shakespeare & my favorite play is Much Ado about Nothing! I like your postcards! Visiting there is on my bucket list.

[@robertschwartz4810]

Wonderfully interesting video!

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kandipiatkowski8589]

I visited there in 2016, and it was really quiet too, but we didn't get there until about 630pm, 30 minutes after all the shops closed.

[@elbow7991]

So cool! Thanks for sharing. ❤️

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@nicoleglances1485]

Really, really loved this video! Thank you for sharing! If I could I'd hit the like button multiple times 😂

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@beatlejeff65]

Been there, done that!

[@tejida815]

Great voiceovers. Nice touch.

[@ashleybohrer5109]

New but I love your historical stuff! You both always are so interested so it makes us want to watch 😊 Thanks! We'll be in London at the end of the month! Hubby's birthday is Shakespeare's bday lol

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Thanks so much Ashley!! Hope you have an amazing time in London!

[@johnhelwig8745]

Welcome Back! I joined this channel when it first started in early 2020. Had to dig towards the bottom of my subscriber list to find you. Any plans to do some unique tours like Wookie Hole, Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway or kayak the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and canal?

[@AnonYmous-qq2vo]

Can’t wait to see Anne hathaways house, I loved her in the devil wears Prada!

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

haha!

[@reality1958]

Wish I was there

[@venugopalan1945]

Dear Vlogr, which camera u r using? Remarkable quality and clarity.

[@cmtaylor531]

❤️

[@perriannesimkhovitch1127]

I think I caught the second half of Othello after crashing the Curan Theater area of San Francisco in the early seventies

[@cjhansen6618]

William Shakespeare is my 12 great uncle on my mom's side. I have some friends here in Southern Utah who are direct decendants of William Shakespeare's. Infact their last name is Shakespeare. My favorite play is Romeo and Juliet. My favorite adaptions of the play are the 1968 movie and West Side Story both the Original and the current one.

[@Jeffhowardmeade]

You must be descended through his sister Joan Hart, who is the only child of John and Mary Shakespeare whose line survives. William had two daughters who lived to adulthood: Susannah Hall and Judith Quiney. His son Hamnet died at age 11. Susannah had one daughter and Judith three children, though Judith's all died before adulthood. Shakespeare's sole surviving grandchild married twice, events becoming Lady Barnard, but never had children. Thus Shakespeare's family line died out in 1673, and he has no living descendants.

[@cjhansen6618]

@@Jeffhowardmeade that would explain why I have friends who have the last name Shakespeare. And they say they are related to William Shakespeare. He must have had Uncles from his dad for my friends to have the same last name and be related.

[@Jeffhowardmeade]

@@cjhansen6618 Richard Shakespeare, William's grandfather, had another son with living descendants (one of whom is a baronet). They might be descended from him. Shakespeare is a common enough name in the English Midlands. The first man in England to receive a Covid vaccine was 81 year-old William Shakespeare of Coventry. A toddler named Jane Shaxpeare downed in a mill pond in 1569. An adult named William Shakespeare drowned in the River Avon in the mid-16th Century (it was a common way to go). A John Shakespeare was a metal smith who made bits and bobs for King James. Your friends are not descended directly from William Shakespeare the poet. None of his grandchildren were named Shakespeare, save his first grandson who died in infancy, and his name was Shakespeare Quiney.

[@cjhansen6618]

@@Jeffhowardmeade they told me they are related to the poet/playwright in some way shape or form. If it's not his direct line.

[@Jeffhowardmeade]

@@cjhansen6618 That is entirely possible, if they are descended from Richard Shakespeare. How is the Utah Shakespeare Festival doing? Did they ever solve their noise problem?

[@timmystauffer9094]

Next time you two need a trip and are up with Lia could you explore Derbyshire? (maybe green space too) Lia is West midlands and Derbyshire should be East midlands, maybe sot so out a the way.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Yeah sounds great! We’d love to do all the UK

[@timmystauffer9094]

@@ThoseTwoBritsUK I'd love to see Derbyshire from the J&L POV. If you're up to it Back Tor and Lost Lad but maybe not in snow.

[@LurkerSmurf]

You're probably going to cover this in the Hathaway House video, but the only thing I remember from going there in the 80's was that Shakespeare willed his wife his "second-best bed". The town has been upgraded since then almost into an amusement park.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Oh wow we didn’t learn that! Haha

[@Jeffhowardmeade]

Anne Shakespeare was entitled to a third of her husband's estate by "dower right". This meant she could live in his house, receive a third of his rents and tithes, and when she died it would revert to Shakespeare's heir, his daughter Susannah. There has been some speculation that the "best bed" was one reserved for guests, such as Queen Henrietta Maria, whom Susannah hosted at Shakespeare's old house in 1643. The "second-best bed" was therefore the one Shakespeare and Anne used. Of course there is no way to know for certain.

[@Bessie66]

Have you been to the Christmas shop opposite?

[@rominaramos6050]

Hi guys, not sure how to message you, but since you stated you liked the Qeuen and the monarchy, my thoughts r with you and there will be a lot happening these days xoxo take care xoxo

[@johannahislope2036]

I’ve been there before

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I once lived in an apartment building and I couldn’t always remember my flat number. 2B or not 2B?

[@ebonyeyes1986]

Pretty place but wasn't really taught Shakespeare at school. Burns, absolutely and to me there's no comparison although I know burns admired Shakespeare, Shakespeare doesn't have a song that's played worldwide in different languages on 1 day. Plus we have burns day.

[@Scout-nn4vb]

Were you there a fortnight?

[@lisamacdonald9375]

Cool video! I wonder if there are any Shakespeare’s left? Running around in 2022 with that surname? lol! Hunt them down 🇬🇧

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Apparently there are no direct descendants of William Shakespeare!!

[@Jeffhowardmeade]

The first man (and second person) in England to receive a Covid vaccine was 81 year-old William Shakespeare, of Coventry. The name was and is common in the region.

[@KawaTony1964]

Ha - I thought you were talking about Anne Hathaway the actress. I was wondering why she had a house in the UK.

[@charleykim5215]

“She’s the Man” is not like Twelfth Night, it IS Twelfth Night. Even all of the characters’ names are directly from the play.

[@ThoseTwoBritsUK]

Haha yeah copy pasted!!

[@Jack-fs2im]

The Lion King is MacBeth