Guy Fawkes can be a confusing figure for Americans. Perhaps best known on this side of the pond since V for Vendetta and Anonymous co-opted his mask, in England he's a notorious traitor who was involved in a plot to blow up the House of Lords in the 17th century. And yet, he has his own holiday — Guy Fawkes Night — which, despite the reasoning, seems a bit counterintuitive.
Regardless, Fawkes is an important figure in British history, and now, as any British historical figure should aspire to, his parents' home at the time of his birth may soon become a pub.
A building in York that is presumed to be where Fawkes' parents lived when he was born in 1570 — and has a plaque to help prove it — has been empty since the British home furnishing chain Cath Kidston left a couple years ago. However, drinks company Pivovar and the Thornbridge Brewery are reportedly planning to turn the premises into a 210-seat, Fawkes-named pub.
Set to be called the Fawkes and the Tiger, the pub was granted an alcohol license during a city council meeting on Monday, the BBC reports. However, the city was apparently worried that, like Fawkes himself, the pub could bring in troublemakers. "We don't set out to attract the lowest common denominator," Pivovar owner Jamie Hawksworth reportedly assured everyone. "Our drinks prices aren't cheap — we go for quality and lower quantities, rather than high volume."
However, the Fawkes and the Tiger could have a bigger issue on its hands. According to The Drinks Business, another pub just around the corner already claims to be the location where Fawkes was born. The Guy Fawkes Inn describes itself as "a medieval inn in York that stands in the shadow of York Minster, the very birthplace of the notorious plotter, Guy Fawkes."
Having two pubs both claiming Guy Fawkes' birth as their own could potentially cause a lot of mayhem… which is probably the kind of thing Guy Fawkes would have wanted. Fitting.
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