October's London Fog

[Carol]

Hi Carol

No, I'm not from Kent, but I understand it's always been a beautiful county (the garden of England). Do they still have that man of Kent/Kentish man thing going on there?

Hi Robert,

Kent is a lovely county. When I was young there was quite a bit of friendly rivalry about being a Man/Maid of Kent or a Kentish Man/Maid. In those days everyone born to the west of the River Medway was a Kentish Man or Maid and everyone born to the east was a Man or Maid of Kent. I say 'in those days' because I recently read that there is another criteria going the rounds. (I probably read it last summer in a magazine when we were on holiday in England). According to this it would mean that I am now a Kentish Maid and NOT a Maid of Kent! Which upsets me no end. I mean - me a Kentish Maid! No way! (Did I say something at the start of this paragraph about 'friendly' rivalry? Forget it! This is serious!).

Carol

[Robert]

Hi Carol

Yes, I thought I remembered that it used to get a bit heated. I think there is a slightly similar thing down in Cornwall, with those born on the wrong side of the Tamar being 'furriners.'

[Archaic]

The Color of Victorian Pea-Soup

Hi guys. The first time I ate yellow peas was in an Indian restaurant, so I thought yellow peas might be more common in the UK.

> So do you think they ate yellow peas in England in Victorian times, and named the dense London fog after yellow pea soup because it was a sulphurous yellow hue?

For some reason deep green pea-souper fog seems even scarier! Like being slimed.

Cheers,
Archaic

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Carol

Yes, I thought I remembered that it used to get a bit heated. I think there is a slightly similar thing down in Cornwall, with those born on the wrong side of the Tamar being 'furriners.'

Janners vrom Plymouth an' the rest be emmets!

Dave

[Bridewell]

Hi Carol,

The November 1962 pea souper was the last one I can remember.

I was living in Enfield in November 1962 and I have no memory of this at all. Perhaps we 'northerners' were spared on that occasion.

Regards, Bridewell.

[Archaic]

"Pea-Soupers" & Descriptions of Victorian London Fog

Apparently Pease Porridge, the Medieval dish enshrined in the old nursery rhyme, was usually made with dried split yellow peas, and I saw many Victorian pea soup recipes made with yellow peas, so perhaps "Pea-Souper Fogs" really were named after the yellow variety?

Lee Jackson's superb site VictorianLondon.org has a whole page devoted to Fog. All the descriptions are from the mid-19th Century, and they make for diverse & interesting reading. The descriptions & excerpts are taken from one of his E-books called 'Daily Life In Victorian London' which you can read online in its entirety for just a couple of bucks.

For those of you who haven't already discovered Lee's website, it's really a gem and well worth checking out (and donating to!)

Victorian Fog- 19th C. Descriptions: http://www.victorianlondon.org/weather/fog.htm

Best regards,
Archaic

[Cogidubnus]

This may convey some of the pea-souper atmosphere:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzle...ed/3476243852/

Dave

[Robert]

Catch me when you can, Misty Lusk.

[Carol]

Hi Carol,



I was living in Enfield in November 1962 and I have no memory of this at all. Perhaps we 'northerners' were spared on that occasion.

Regards, Bridewell.

Hi Bridewell,

Can you remember 'your' last pea souper? Was it later than 1962?

You lot up in Enfield were probably too posh to have a pea souper at any rate.

Carol

[Cogidubnus]

Up in Enfield they certainly wouldn't entertain pea-soupers...just the occasional light consommé mists!

Dave

[Bridewell]

Enfield

Up in Enfield they certainly wouldn't entertain pea-soupers...just the occasional light consommé mists!

Dave

We moved from Enfield to Harrow on 1st January 1963. All can remember of that winter is snow!

Talking of Enfield, how did Cadosch (supposedly) get away with claiming back train fares from Enfield when he attended the Chapman inquest?

Regards, Colin.

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Colin

We moved from Enfield to Harrow on 1st January 1963. All can remember of that winter is snow!

Talking of Enfield, how did Cadosch (supposedly) get away with claiming back train fares from Enfield when he attended the Chapman inquest?

Yes god do I remember that snow...it went on for ever...didn't the Thames freeze at one point? I know part of the sea did at Brighton!

Re Cadosch, perhaps he came back off his holiday?

Dave