Charleton 1720

stonemuse

Good blog at http://charltonaverage.blogspot.com/ which includes the brilliant quote below reagrding the Charlton Horn Fair at Charlton Park. I used to go to it every year when I lived in Charlton and didn't realise it was still going.

Daniel Defoe (author of Robin Crusoe) had this to say in the 1720's:

"Charleton, a village famous, or rather infamous for the yearly collected rabble of mad-people, at Horn-Fair; the rudeness of which I cannot but think, is such as ought to be suppressed, and indeed in a civiliz'd well govern'd nation, it may well be said to be unsufferable. The mob indeed at that time take all kinds of liberties, and the women are especially impudent for that day; as if it was a day that justify'd the giving themselves a loose to all manner of indecency and immodesty, without any reproach, or without suffering the censure which such behaviour would deserve at another time."

Henry Irving

Things were so much better in the old days. People had more respect blah, blah, blah.

AFKABartram

Indecent women living in Charlton ? Things don't seem to change :-)

stonemuse

I particularly like the 'collected rabble of mad-people' !

Curb_It

yes to both counts - mad people and indecent woman.... sounds like a normal night in charleton

PassItToLeaburn

If Robinson Crusoe is anything to go by then Defoe was just about the most boring bloke ever to walk the Earth anyway.

Never struggled with a book like I did with that - about 200 pages of missing 'e's and 'y's for 'i's all about dear old Robinson discovering crop rotation. By the time he finally saw another person I wanted the cannibals to eat him!

stonemuse

[cite]Posted By: PassItToLeaburn[/cite]... I wanted the cannibals to eat him!

lol

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: PassItToLeaburn[/cite]If Robinson Crusoe is anything to go by then Defoe was just about the most boring bloke ever to walk the Earth anyway.

Never struggled with a book like I did with that - about 200 pages of missing 'e's and 'y's for 'i's all about dear old Robinson discovering crop rotation. By the time he finally saw another person I wanted the cannibals to eat him!

How did you get on with War & Peace ........?

Goonerhater

Cancer Ward by the Russian geezer now thats a thriller !

PassItToLeaburn

I'm saving that one for my retirement!

LenGlover

He's leaving Friday

Who is? Robinson Crusoe

bingaddick

Is that back when Charlton was in the county of Kent? Are you reading this Scally??!!!

Oggy Red

lol Bing!

stonemuse

Found the 2nd section of Defoe's letter:

The introduction of this rude assembly, or the occasion of it, I can meet with very little account of, in antiquity; and I rather recommend it to the publick justice to be suppress'd, as a nusance and offence to all sober people, than to spend any time to enquire into its original.

bigstemarra

I remember seeing this a few years back and it made me laugh - it's good to see that some things don't ever change!

I disagree with the second part of his letter - I think it is a proud tradition of the area!

stonemuse

Fully agreed :-)

DA9

[cite]Posted By: Curb_It[/cite]yes to both counts - mad people and indecent woman.... sounds like a normal night in charleton

Only when your out & about on the beer :-)