25th March
Leasing the White Bread Meadows
The Whitebread Meadow Auction in Bourne. Source: LincsOnLine
The Monday after Palm Sunday (today in 2024), is the traditional date for the Leasing of the White Bread Meadow at Bourne in Lincolnshire. Two boys would be selected to race up and down a 100-yard road in the town while bidding to lease the large White Bread field took place. If the boys returned between bids, the auction for the meadow would end. If not, the boys would begin their race again, which made it somewhat of an open-ended affair. The auction would supply its participants with free gin, in order to keep the bidding enthusiastic and generous. In past years the auction was restricted to farmers but these days anyone can join in, with proceeds going to charity. It always had a philanthropic aspect: the event was instituted by Richard Clay who stipulated the auction in his will in 1770 as a means of raising bread for the poor of the Eastgate area of Bourne.
The event fell into abeyance but was revived in the 1990s, taking on more of the appearance of a spring folk festival. Instead of boys, volunteer middle-aged men, dressed in colourful vegetation-inspired costumes, make the run. As in former days, it all concludes in the pub afterwards with a meal of bread, cheese, onions and beer. Because of March’s unpredictable weather, however, the auction is more often than not moved to a more clement weekend in April.
The unpredictable temperatures of early spring are captured vividly in two pieces of late March weatherlore rhymes:-
‘In like a lion, out like a lamb,’
and:-
‘March comes in with adders’ heads
And goes out with peacocks’ tails.’
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Misdirection in Chester
A somewhat chilly short stay in Chester began with a smooth Monday afternoon direct rail journey. The interminable Manchester apartment expansion eventually gave way to a pleasant backdrop of sheep and cow pastures as the train looped into the Cheshire countryside. Arriving promptly, we trundled our cases to the lift where a woman selfishly pressed the button to ascend alone, leaving us to wait…
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Katzenmusik am Eastgate
Ein junges Mädchen steht am Eingang des Eastgate in Berlin-Marzahn und spielt auf der Geige. Es klingt aber eher wie Katzenmusik, nichts für feine Musikerohren. Trotz allem, Mut hat sie so in der Öffentlichkeit zu spielen. Das verdient Respekt.
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flickr
eastgate shopping centre, basildon
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Eastgate House, Rochester
Finally managed to get inside on my third visit to Rochester!
Older than the Restoration House, with parts dating from the Tudor period and others from the seventeenth century. Eastgate House features in Dickens's Pickwick Papers and the Mystery of Edwin Drood.
It has some fine plasterwork, and some original painted wall decoration:
It is, as my Dad would say, 'very nooky'!
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Whoever first gave human!AU Aziraphale the surname of “Eastgate” deserves a medal.
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Live Review: LA Priest at Yes in Manchester 02 October 2023
Words: Andy Hughes
Fair play to him, I’m pretty certain that Sam Eastgate a.k.a. LA Priest is the first person I’ve ever seen start a show from backstage, walking in through the on stage door of the pink room at YES on Monday evening literally playing the guitar. Sure, I’d experienced Mark E. Smith of The Fall starting a show from backstage too, but his likely long-suffering band had already…
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Tulsa past and present: Eastland Mall #tulsa #oklahoma #tulsaoklahoma #eastlandmall #eastgatemetroplex
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