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Great Dunmow: ancient flitch town. Competition for free bacon.

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Adam Funk

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Jul 29, 2005, 8:37:43 AM7/29/05
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Last week I saw a sign in Essex for "Great Dunmow | ancient flitch town".
I'd never heard of a "flitch" so I looked it up.


http://www.touruk.co.uk/essex/great_dunmow.htm

--> It is well known for the Dunmow Flitch Trials, actually
--> started in Little Dunmow around 1120, held every four years,
--> and married couples, who can prove they have not quarrelled
--> for a year are given a side of bacon a "flitch".


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dunmow

--> Great Dunmow is a town in Essex, England. Originally the
--> site of a Roman settlement on Stane Street, the town thrived
--> during the Middle Ages. Many buildings survive from this
--> period, including a sixteenth century town hall.
-->
--> The town is famous for is four-yearly ritual of the flitch
--> trials, in which couples must convince a jury of six local
--> bachelors and six local maidens that they have never wished
--> themselves un-wed for a year and a day. If successful the
--> couple are paraded through the high street and receive a flitch
--> of bacon. The last flitch trials were held in the town in
--> the summer of 2004. The next trials will be in 2008.

Leo

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Jul 30, 2005, 2:02:50 PM7/30/05
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I guess I'll have to represent ARK since there seems to be a lack of
suitably qualified contenders around here. IYKWIM.

TomH

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Jul 31, 2005, 1:39:13 AM7/31/05
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On 30 Jul 2005 11:02:50 -0700, "Leo" <laza...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Uh, Leo, they said FLITCH, not FELTCH.

I'm sure many here are OK with the flitch.
I mean, BACON, duh!


Feltch, not so much.


--
TomH [ antonomasia <at> gmail <dot>com ]

Leo

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Jul 31, 2005, 2:00:31 AM7/31/05
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TomH wrote:
> On 30 Jul 2005 11:02:50 -0700, "Leo" <laza...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Adam Funk wrote:

snip

> >> --> The town is famous for is four-yearly ritual of the flitch
> >> --> trials, in which couples must convince a jury of six local
> >> --> bachelors and six local maidens that they have never wished
> >> --> themselves un-wed for a year and a day. If successful the
> >> --> couple are paraded through the high street and receive a flitch
> >> --> of bacon. The last flitch trials were held in the town in
> >> --> the summer of 2004. The next trials will be in 2008.
> >
> >I guess I'll have to represent ARK since there seems to be a lack of
> >suitably qualified contenders around here. IYKWIM.
>
> Uh, Leo, they said FLITCH, not FELTCH.
>

So they are holding auditions in Chevy Chase too?

TomH

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Aug 1, 2005, 2:00:07 AM8/1/05
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On 30 Jul 2005 23:00:31 -0700, "Leo" <laza...@gmail.com>
wrote:

I don't know that they favor feltching
in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Or that Chevy Chase favors
feltching at all.

Does his wife know that you are feltching Chevy Chase?

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