Lundi limerick #99

Glossop is windy and wild

but lately the weather’s been mild

they blamed global warming

for storms not conforming

Nat Nutter* just sat back and smiled

 

Glossop is a market town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) east of Manchester, 24 miles (39 km) northwest of Sheffield and 32 miles (51 km) north of the county town, Matlock, near Derbyshire’s borders with Cheshire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. It is between 150 and 300 metres (492 and 984 ft) above mean sea level, and lies just outside the Peak District National Park. It probably dates from the 7th century.

Architecturally, the area is dominated by buildings constructed of the local sandstone. There remain two significant former cotton mills and the Dinting railway viaduct. Glossop has transport links to Manchester, making the area popular for commuters.

*‘The Gnat Hole Wood, Glossop,  is very pleasant in the Summer time when there are no gnats about. The small stream of water that runs through the wood at one place forms a small pool; this was known as Old Nat Nutter’s Porridge Kettle. She had the reputation of being a witch and fortune teller and used this pool for unholy practices and incantations. She was a bogey to children.’ [Glossop Advertiser, 1913]*

 

 

 

Lundi limerick #98

Hinckley has just disappeared

a phenomenon really quite weird

‘twas the aliens did it

have they zapped or just hid it

they stood around, clapped and then cheered

 

Now, don’t worry,  this isn’t a major catastrophe at Hinkley Point. We haven’t had a nuclear meltdown in Somerset. No, this is Hinckley, a market town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. (Think Bosworth Field and the Wars of the Roses). Hinckley is the second largest town in the administrative county of Leicestershire, after Loughborough.

Hinckley is about midway between the cities of Leicester and Coventry and has a history going back to Anglo-Saxon times; the name Hinckley is Anglo Saxon: “Hinck” is someone’s name and “ley” is a meadow.  By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Hinckley was quite a large village, and grew over the following 200 years into a small market town—a market was first recorded there in 1311. There is evidence of an Anglo Saxon church – the remnants of an Anglo Saxon sun-dial being visible on the diagonal buttress on the south-east corner of the chancel.

Such a pity that the aliens didn’t appreciate it!

 

 

Lundi limerick #97

A lassie from Ilkley who swore

that she lived with a wolf on the moor

said there’s nowt wrong with that

or not wearing a hat

a traditional life’s such a bore

 

Habitation in Ilkley dates from the Mesolithic period, from about 11,000 BC onwards. It is in one of the most beautiful areas of the United Kingdom, The Yorkshire Dales, alongside the River Wharfe. You can read more about the town here.

lkley Moor is part of Rombalds Moor, the moorland between Ilkley and Keighley (pronounced Keethly) in West Yorkshire, England. The moor, which rises to 402 m (1,319 ft) above sea level, is well known as the inspiration for the Yorkshire “county anthem” On Ilkla Moor Baht ‘at (dialect for ‘on Ilkley Moor without a hat’).

 

 

 

 

Lundi limerick #96

Do you fancy a home in Joys Green

it is small and incredibly clean

No school and no shop

no post or bus stop

Not good if your child is a teen

The village, shown above,  still has its own playground and a small football pitch. The Joys Green community centre is also still situated within the old primary school grounds and meetings regarding the local area are often either held there or at the Memorial Hall in the adjoining village of Lydbrook.

 

Lundi limerick #95

I really don’t know how I feel

about a young lady from Keele

her past is a mystery

she majored in history

whilst riding a Catherine wheel

 

During the middle ages, Keele was a major route from the North-West to London for laden packhorses and caravans alike. Keele Preceptory was granted to the Knights Templar sometime between 1168-69 by King Henry II. The Knights Templars, a military order and later rivals Knights Hospitallers, would charge incoming traffic to pass through their lands. This would supplement rental income from farming tenants.

Keele lies about four miles away from where I was born and has a Motorway service station, built in 1963, which was a veritable metropolis compared to anything we had seen before.

 

 

 

 

Lundi limerick #94

In Leicester a man of renown

wore nothing but khaki and brown

He always seemed drunk

on his head wore a skunk

which he thought was a beautiful crown

 

Leicester features prominently in the news at the moment, being one of the areas in the UK that has had a significant increase in cases of Covid-19 cases and, as a result, has not had any easing of lockdown regulations.

At the end of the War of the Roses, King Richard III was buried in Leicester’s Greyfriars Church a Franciscan Friary and Church which was demolished after its dissolution in 1538. The site of that church is now covered by more modern buildings and a car park. There was a legend his corpse had been cast into the river, while some historians argued his tomb and remains were destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. However, in September 2012, an archaeological investigation of the car park revealed a skeleton which DNA testing helped verify to be related to two descendants of Richard III’s sister. It was concluded that the skeleton was that of Richard III because of the DNA evidence and the shape of the spine. In 2015 Richard III was reburied in pride of place near the high altar in Leicester Cathedral. Perhaps Richard is the subject of my limerick?

 

Lundi limerick #93

A small Cornish village called Maker

has neither a priest nor a baker

It does have pub

but ay there’s the rub

for everyone there is a Quaker

 

The village exists but is not, and never has been, predominantly Quaker

You can learn a little about the village here.

Although not all Quakers (also known as Friends) are teetotal, many do practice abstinence. It is a fascinating religion and, indeed, some choose to lead a Quaker way of life but are non-theist.

Members of the various Quaker movements are all generally united by their belief in the ability of each human being to experientially access the light within, or “that of God in every one”.

I know that at least one of my readers is a Friend.

 

 

 

 

Lundi limerick #92

Knickers in Norwich are said

to be orange, or yellow, or red

No wives ever roam

when the soldiers come home

you will find they are waiting in bed

 

Over recent weeks I have given a brief description of where the town is, what it’s famous for, and other trivia associated with the place. This week you’re not getting that. Tough! You’ll have to look up wikipedia on this link! 

Instead, a brief explanation of the verse above:

During the Second World War servicemen were allowed to send Forces Mail home free of charge but they were restricted in what they could write. They could not say where they were (most did not know anyway!), what they were doing, and they were mostly only allowed to send a pre formatted and part pre printed military postal form. This meant they had to be brief in what they wrote.

This led to a much used shorthand to impart what they wanted to say.  Many will know of the acronym SWALK which meant “sealed with a loving kiss”. Other acronyms can be found here. 

NORWICH was (K)nickers off ready when I come home!

 

 

 

Lundi limerick #91

Mary who hailed from Over

pursued lots of boys through the clover

She caught them quite fast

and married the last

a lad that they called the wild rover

 

Over, is a large village in Cambridgeshire, that is destined to become bigger and bigger as it becomes more of a satellite of Cambridge and Huntingdon. It has a population approaching 3,000.

Its roots are in the 17^th century when the Great Fen in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk was drained in the 1630s.

Over is mentioned in the poem “The Old Vicarage, Grantchester“, by Rupert Brooke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lundi limerick #90

Penny from Poole in Dorset

was found up a tree in her corset

but where was her dress?

it was anyone’s guess

perhaps it was lost as a forfeit

 

Poole was a wealthy trading port and by the early 18th century had more ships trading with North America than any other English port. The resulting prosperity supported much of the development which now characterises the Old Town where there are many Georgian mansions and terraced housing.

Poole has a Sheriff, created by the town’s charter of 1568. The post is one of only 16 in England and Wales. Currently the post is held by a lady. Perhaps she may be able to solve the mystery of the missing dress!