At approximately 6:01, James May quotes from Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Passing of Arthur" from Idylls of the King: "The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfills himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world."
James May, along with contributors Lucy Brown and Peter, explores and rates various British squash and cordial drinks. The video touches on the cultural differences regarding air conditioning, the history of squash, and personal preferences for different flavors, ultimately ranking them.
The quote James May uses, "The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfills himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world," is from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Passing of Arthur." It appears near the end of the poem, as King Arthur is being taken away to Avalon.
The lines reflect a theme of transition and the inevitable progression of time and change. It suggests that as new eras and customs emerge, they replace the old, which is a natural and, in Tennyson's view, divinely ordained process. The idea is that stagnation can be detrimental, and the constant evolution prevents traditions from becoming outdated or harmful. In the context of the video, James May uses it to introduce a new flavor of squash, signifying a shift from established favorites to something novel.
