Yeoman Warders in the Tower of London – A londoni Tower őrei – VIDEÓS LECKE

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