Two and a half times round the world - with a barrow!

Yesterday I came across one of those news items that used to be in the category of "And finally ...." It was a small piece about the British Library publishing local newspapers on-line. Not all that many perhaps, but all from the 19th century.

The nearest to Winteringham was the series under the general title of the Hull Packet ... which I reckon is a pretty good play on words for a paper of Victorian times and earlier. Anyway, as a search was free, I had a quick gander to see if the word "Winteringham" might crop up, and sure enough it did, though folks have to remember that Winteringham can refer to people, other places, and both in the case of Grimsby. Plus of course a few still spelt Wintringham without the 'e', even for our village.

At £9.99 for up to 200 page views in seven days, the cost of a few researches wasn't bad, so I invested and searched. Naturally I drew a dud for a start! Looking up a page of adverts, up popped Winteringham the Sailmaker at Grimsby!

But it wasn't long before some real gems were found. A race between Winterton coal carts from the Bay Horse to Waterside, with a bit of skulduggery for good measure, and admonishment from the Bellman with threats of prosecution! Then on more or less the same stretch of road, a bit of an accident to one of the leading lights of the village! A few crimes, some youthful larking about, a 15 year old boy absconding from his master because he was overworked, and the apprehension of an escaped female prisoner from Kirton Lindsey gaol, all good stuff. So far though, I think my favourite is of the man who walked seven miles every day bar Sundays with his barrow for 30 years ... and all with the same barrow he started with. Now I make that the equivalent of pushing a barrow round the world 2½ times! Perhaps the story poses more questions than it answers, but what a story - eh?

I can't wait to get back to more of the same. Who knows what gems will turn up. Oh "turn up" ... that reminds me of turnips! We had a couple of enormous ones in the village in the 1860s you know!

Right - back to those papers!