I have been doing some intensive research into the history of the humble bicycle.
I came across some very interesting references in the archives of the Dorset Council.
One of the most famous attractions in Dorset is the river Piddle, and it was in the village of Little Piddle straddling this waterway that Mr and Mrs Broodingstock lived in the 14th century.
[Mrs Broodingstock, by the way, was the original owner of the `Great Guzunder` or `Thunder Pot` now on proud display in Little Piddle Museum. The item was reputedly used by Charles the First (1625-49).]
Anyway, in the records it is revealed that Mrs B was not entirely happy with Mr B, he being a less than ardent fellow, and told him “ Be thou on thine bike, m’ lad!”.
As the first bicycle wasn’t to be invented for about 500 years Mr B was slightly puzzled and eventually ended up in an asylum, spending the rest of his days going round and round in circles with a puzzled expression on his face.
We must now leap forward those 500 years to when the Hobby Horse was first introduced into society. A good effort of course but improvements were needed.
Ernest and Pierre Micheaux in 1861 introduced the pedals and cranks that we are familiar with today. They’d heard of the Broodingstocks and, inspired by the really uncomfortable and ‘imposing’ saddle, named their invention the Boner Deflator, afterwards mis-translated to Boneshaker, when their invention arrived on our shores.
The rest, as they say, is history.
NB I came across another interesting fact about Little Piddle during my research.
Daniel Defoe (Author of Robinson Crusoe) mentioned `Little Piddle` in a deleted chapter of his book published in the 1700s `A Tour Thro` The Whole Island Of Great Britain`
The chapter was deleted from the first publication on the advice from Defoe`s Lawyers.
[Hat tip to zzippster]
.
(You’ve had a lot of advice about deletion, Peabrain. I wish you’d take it. Lo,TG Ed)
Stumble It!
12 Comments
well what can I say .. very informative indeed
I wonder what the beer tastes like from them there parts??
http://www.dorsetpiddlebrewery.co.uk/beers.php
There are sooo many sites and businesses that take advantage of the river Piddle and associated villages ….. so very British. It’s very pretty round there as well ……..
it looks gorgeous …. and I love the way we Brits are barking mad lol …..
Tsk! Speak for yourself 70s, i’m as sane as the random rabbit!
GW and we all know what they say about him!!!!
Actually we don’t ALL know ……..
I’ll let GW fill you in ……
That sounds like a threat ……. oh dear …..
I don’t think GW has a threatening bone in his body
That’s very funny ….. tee hee heeeeeee
[silently *sniggering*]
NO! I don’t do threatening, i’m more of a:
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uvula
I have my eyes closed I can’t see this !!
Spookily today I heard of someone who had their uvula removed to stop them snoring ….. who would have thunk it!
I’m not sure about there, but here to ‘piddle’ means to pee. Given that I’ve always maintained that beer is pee-water, I guess to have a piddle brewery is quite fair and accurate.
How can you tell beer is not my beverage of choice?
I’m not even sure I’m Canadian.
Oh… btw… good job on the research DP. Is there some reason why, if you can put this much effort into learning about the history of the humble bicycle, you can’t just put on your thinking cap and figure out where the fraccers doll has gone?
Sheesh. Some people are just idle.
It’s the same here Fraccy. There is a river Piddle though and various villages that include the name hence the childish humour [not from me of course - I'm a bastion of good taste and intellectual prowess] …..
I’ve been over to Fraccers and demanded that the naughty doll returns ….. don’t worry ….. it’ll be fine …… probably ……..
And of course you’ll never get any childish humour (sorry, is it humor in Canadiia too) from the Wizard.
We don’t use ‘that’ spelling here GW ….. stiff upper lip old chap, stiff upper lip ……
Nor do we. The proper spelling of humoUr is no laughing matter here in Canadialand.
Canadialand is VERY civilised. I’ve always said so ……….
That’s outCanadialandish language Sir!
They’res a Llama in the house you know!
He’s browsing on the edge of the cliff actually …..
I have no idea where she gets that stubborn trait. Imagine that? Me being such a soft-spoken kind-hearted person and all. She must take after Mr. Frac.
Mr Frac is a brute!!!!!?! …. just let me sort him out!!!! …. *bristles* …… errrr, how tall is he BTW? … strong? ….. erm, actually, I think I might be busy …….
Hope the search for the Fraccers doll is continuing apace Fracas, thought this was quite helpful:
Isn’t it common knowledge that for really nasty curses, you should use three Brussels sprouts harvested on a new moon night by a one-eyed virgin? What are they teaching you in school nowadays? Broccoli is for amateurs.
posted by Fruny at 6:38 AM on November 27, 2006
I don’t think it was a curse at all… she just ran away… but let me see if I understand this:
I’m supposed to find some guy who’s never had sex and ask him to harvest three Brussels sprouts on a new moon night?
And then what?
And honestly… I don’t think Brussels sprouts grow in Fracskatchewan…
A cycloptic man Fraccy ….. attention to detail is paramount …… apparently ……
roflmaopmpaktd
Poor, poor naive daddy papersurfer…
You’ll have to help me with the ‘pmpaktd’ …. if you think I’m old enough that is of course …..
And I shall… but goodness, we’ve been cluttering your post with comments. I’m sure you’d rather we stopped that… must be getting expensive to pay the cleaning staff these last couple of days…
I’ll post you something special about it at the fraccy blog… maybe… or maybe I’ll leave you in bewilderment, imagining all kinds of things it could be…
oh wait… that’s John. *chuckles…*
Bewilderment is my default mode …… ho hum
Has John C ever been to Brussels? and does he know what roflmaopmpaktd means? If he does, can you ask him to write to Kate, she seems a little confused?
So many questions …… and no answers ….. shame really ……
Brussels, no.
Up til the second ‘O’, I was with ya, GW. After that…coulda been barnyard love for all I know. Lost in translation, I guess.
I’m still trying to figure out how removing a vulva prevents snoring.
Too busy to sleep I suppose ….. searching, searching, searching …….. tee hee
So much to say! Maybe there will be more than 76 comments today, where do I start? Err, in the next comment I think…….
You are the bicycle expert after all GW …….. I hope I’ll learn something useful …… [I live in hope .... ho hum]
Not an expert but here’s someone who ‘nose’ one:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12072009/58/tour-de-france-blazin-saddles-nose-marmande.html
OK this is my neck of the woods we are talking about here. I can confirm that there is indeed a River Piddle – and the villages along the Piddle valley are called Piddlehinton and Piddletrenthide.
Apparently the prudish Victorians changed the name to Puddle – hence Puddletown which is further down the valley and Tolpuddle (famous for the martyrs) but it was changed back to Piddle in the ’50s. Other villages in the area are Affpuddle, Briantspuddle and Turners Puddle.
You are welcome to visit but please bring your wellies….
I knew he wasn’t taking the p***,
If he wern’t so ugly i’d give him a k***,
I partied in Piddlehinton,
‘Knew’ a young lady from Frinton,
There’s also confusion ’bout D***.
http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/visiting/1256.asp
Wouldn’t dream of dissing you, gw….
Or k****** i’m guessing, i’m just wishing….
I knew some people in Diss when I was at college …. father’s job was weighing mangle wurzels or something …… it might have been sugar beet actually ……
I knew you’d pop round to put me right young Diane. You are a font …… probably fed from the Piddle ….. tee hee …….
Please bring your w ……!!!!! … oh, wEllies …… phew
LOL… I read that, “You are welcome to visit but please bring your willies….”
I thought to myself, “Yes, that makes sense… how else to guarantee the authenticity of the name?”
And I see once posted, that a certain other chap was thinking the same thing. I think… since it appears I’m thinking on the same path as he… that I require a lengthy lie-down (and perhaps a good wine).
I’ll join you ……. shove over ….. *nudge*
Is there room for 3?
I can use the floor, I usually do…….when Nooter’s out the way…
There is also a Piddle in Worcestershire. One of Buff’s ancestresses was born in North Piddle. She was a Callow – hmmm – wonders.
Oh, thought for the day; ‘No man is truly married until he understands every word his wife is not saying.’
Is that the Simon Callow branch? …. and that thought will haunt me all day as the TG is being very quiet ….. oh dear, I wonder what I’ve done? ….. or didn’t done?
Watch those shins……………..
Strangely, they are blood free at the moment ….. something’s afoot!!!!
Arial? Helvetica?
Wisdom Diane, wisdom ….. [I had a holiday job when I was at Goldsmiths' arranging typefaces on acetate for a printing company - way way before computers did the job for you - those were the days when tweezers ruled the world]
They still do in my bathroom.
For my eyebrows before you ask….
Same here. For my ears, nostrils, forehead, lips and uvula before you ask …….
uvula!! ouch! gag reflex! OUCH! (got my upper case back!) but STILL don’t know my Uvula from my elbow!
Odd things happen at a certain age ….. tee hee
Holy moly! You have a hairy uvula? Things are worse than I thought! No wonder you wear a box on your head
DP is that a typo and should I not ask searching questions???
Oh yes, that reminds me – the holey mole, I’d quite forgotten about that ….. tee hee.
I don’t think so 70’s – I drive a Volvo as well …. [spell check ....... yep, fine ...... and 'post']
Did he say he drives a Vulva???
I think it was a ‘ovlov’ ?
I for one know how to drive a Vulva, and no matter where I go that sucker’s always on the right side of the road!
Ok, enough of s** and asterisks,(but Hey! what’ wrong with sex and asterisks) let’s do bikes!
‘This is a tough profession,’ said Anquetil, ‘and we’re not in it for pleasure; it is hard and dangerous; we risk our health for many reasons. I consider myself a professional: I do my job, just like anyone going to an office or a factory.’
His career spanned 16 years and his great successes came in the big Tours: first Frenchman to win the Giro D’Italia, 1960; five Tours de France and the Giro-Tour double, 1964; Spanish Vuelta, 1963;………………..
We’re really going to do bikes now are we? ….. I’d better get a notebook ………
I remain confused – I read the post then down through the comments and I’m still wondering what on earth its all about???
Maybe my brain is addled!!!
I think it’s to do with being barking Kate, ask Nooter…….
Don’t worry Kate, I think that someone has put something in the water ….. oooooo, I fancy a chocolate hobnob ………
All makes perfect sense to me, im< bou% 7dIFISH
I think it’s going very well ……
You island people have a delightful way of naming places over there. Little Piddle, Piddlehinton…they roll trippingly off my tongue.
[We used to have a place here called Sexmoan, until people got prudish and changed it to Sismuan. Boo.]
Now my chances of coming up with the right question is even better in the bicycle history category on Jeopardy. Thanks to you, DaddyP.
Are we an island people? I suppose we are …… hang on …… I thought you were as well??….. anyway …. when you win, a small percentage would be gratefully received and spent on the TG ……. naturally …..
You’re partially right; I’m an island person…part of a people…in a place where it’s almost always warm most parts of the year. Tropical thingy stuff, ya know. [We NEVER have frost or snow...just the occasional hailstorm that never lasts more than a few seconds.]
I’m partially right!!!!! I think I’d better bookmark these comments ……. *preens*
Sexmoan???? SEXMOAN????? Has John C heard of this place????
SEXMOAN!!!
No more, alas. Now it’s just Sismuan.
Oops, a friend told me the correct name is Sasmuan, not Sismuan. Sorry. [Can't forget the area's previous name, though.]
In Fracskatchewan, they still haven’t caught on to some of the names, so you can still get find Plenty of Climax if you Holdfast. Now don’t get too Smiley or raise an Eyebrow or anything… but some might even Elbow you when you talk about what can be found at Wood Mountain. They say *some* things are just Biggar there.
(Don’t tell John… he’s bound to make some kind of racy joke about it all though…)
Luckily John is watching the Space Shuttle ….. or was that earlier? I forget ……. Climax!!?! … I didn’t see that coming …….
*sniggering*
GW: Never been to Sexmoan.
Frac: I’m outta my league in your pressence, ma’am.
DP: Climax was a group from the 80s. About the time Lisa Lisa sang Head to Toe. Pearl necklaces were the rage.
Another font ….. I’m welling up here …..
Yeah, but you’ll never get your hands on the Scratch and Sniff font!
I’m holdin’ out releasin’ it…when the nuclear winter hits, there’s only so much to keep me warm, not enough for everyone else.
Oooo – your previous comment has just reminded me – I recorded ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ the other night ….. must watch it ……..
I’m not painting or piercing you, so don’t get any ideas.
Ooh, i’m thinking of rolling trippingly off your toungue Lizza, excuse me while I have a lie down!!!!!
Hush, GW! WE don’t want our shins getting kicked here.
I say chaps ….. this has all taken a strange turn …. wasn’t I talking about bicycles ….. I think I was anyway …… I’d better check …….
BTW GW, don’t forget Littlehampton …… just sayin’
First time I’ve ever been called a chap. Trying it on for size…feels strange.
It’s British for ‘guys’ ….. it doesn’t negate wobbly bits ……
Oh, I have lots of those…the wobbly bits. All in the wrong places though. *sigh*
Gotta ride them bicycles a lot more.
Excellent – back on subject ….. saddle sore?
British guys who live near Littlehampton are keen on wobbly bits Lizza, and women who *sigh* apparently, think I read it on Wiki……
Could be worth a a shin-kickinng though….
You’re beginning to stutter GW …….
He needs a good lie down. Do give him some helpful tips. No shin-kicking from you, though.
Regarding your provocative saddle sore remark, I swear I had a rejoinder at the tip of my tongue. But my little pussy needed some attention, so I forgot what it was I was going to say.
Ahhh ……. sweet …… whiskers and everything …….
Was I stutteringing before? Can you wait a while? I’ve got to catch a Phillippino pussy…
…this I gotta hear explained.
You’ll be lucky …….
…dang skippy!
Congratulations JohnC – you are responsible [I think] for the most commented DP post ever – you have won a signed photograph of Daddy Papersurfer wearing nothing but a tiara and smoking a cigar in a very unusual fashion …….
How do you figure this is the most commented DP post?
I think I would have noticed going past 100 before ……. but not necessarily ……. are you saying you don’t want the photograph? – tee hee
Only if you stuff it in your bellybutton and still manage to blow smoke rings during the photoshoot.
I’m thankful for the people along the Piddle who piddled around and proposed a pedal powered Piddle people product. Thankful because it, propelled itself into posterity with the pinnacle being a pricey piston powered Piddle people plaything.
That’s an awful lot of ‘pee’s’ Jamie ….. and when I say “awful” I mean it ….. tee hee
I’ve been told I’m full of pee before… maybe a little vinegar, too… after awhile it has nowhere to go and just comes out. Sorry to have left “pee’s” all over your page.
I’m used to it … with Nooter an all ……..