Monday, October 4, 2004

100 years ago: Why do people always laugh when a man loses his hat, asked the writer who was a compelled convert to the "hatless brigade" at Bridlington. While enjoying the stiff breeze and watching the rough sea from the pier-head, a sudden gust took his straw hat into the water at the entrance to the harbour, to the ill-disguised amusement of a large number of strollers, who engaged in speculation as to whether the incoming tide would eventually bring the hat to land or not. Some sea-urchins, in whom the instinct of rescue - or salvage - was as strong as their Yorkshire accent, demanded of the bereaved owner of the hat, "What will 'ee gie us if we ger un," and on promise of sixpence vigorous measures were instituted to recover the floating headgear. One small wader with knickerbockers rolled high found the water too deep, and recourse was had to weighted fishing lines, which were cast with such accuracy that in spite of the elusive nature of the "catch" it was ultimately coaxed within reach and secured. Needless to say, the article had lost its utility as a covering for the head.

50 years ago: A reader living near Clifton Green told Mr Nobody that, looking up from her breakfast table the other morning, she saw a grey squirrel. Although squirrels were a common enough sight in wooded countryside, this is the first time he had heard of one invading an urban garden. In his younger days, the columnist remembered pine woods surrounding his house were full of attractive red squirrels, and he even succeeded in taming one, but they were a rare sight indeed in the town.

25 years ago: The pick-your-own army never rests, according to Pressman. Strawberries and raspberries he could understand, but picking your own onions almost brought tears to the columnist's eyes just thinking about it. Local farms were cashing in on the DIY fruit and vegetable market by starting to throw open their fields to onion pickers. One farmer reported that people often filled four stone sacks to see them through the winter, with one woman picking enough to last her for the next nine months.

Updated: 11:57 Saturday, October 02, 2004