Red Nose Road Toll
The front page story reminded me of the historical precedent for hocking in Brentford :" In the Brentford accounts for the Whitsuntide ale 1624 the gains are thus stated Imprimis cleared by the pigeon holes £4 19s 6d by hocking £7 3s 7d by riffeling £2 0s 0d by vicualling £8 0s 2d £22 2s 9d The hock or hoch tyde was held on Monday and Tuesday fortnight after Easter Monday for men and Tuesday for women when they stretched a rope across the road intercepted all passengers and made them pay tribute which was to be applied to pious uses Riffeling means raffling The vicualling was the Whitsun ales"The Councillors might find it more profitable to stretch the rope across the A4 (citing customary practice ?).Still a few weeks to Hock Tuesday......
Tim Henderson ● 4526d0 Comments