Thursday 24 February 2011

Ride A Cock Horse.

Greetings.  In my previous posting I announced that is was the four year anniversary of the birth of my blog.  To celebrate such a momentous occasion,  I had a contest that would include a suitably English prize for the winner.  The winner would be the first person who could answer this question : "I have lived in a place that is mentioned in a nursery rhyme.  The first person to correctly identify the nursery rhyme I am referring too, will win that suitably English prize."
I think it's been established that I didn't live in a shoe, a clock, a hill with neighbours named Jack and Jill, or lived on a wall with some dude named Humpty Dumpty.   I can also tell you I have never met Old Mother Goose,  Old Mother Hubbard, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, Little Boy Blue, Jack Be Nimble, Little Jack Horner, Old King Cole, Little Miss Muffet or Wee Willie Winkie.  No, in fact, 'Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary'.



Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
To see a fine lady upon a white horse
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
She shall have music wherever she goes


So, there you go.  The answer is that I lived in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, when I was eight years old.  I didn't live there that long, but I recall one memorable time.  It was the day of the 'egg and spoon' race at school.  The bigger, older chap on the same team as me, who was waiting for his turn, tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'you'd better win the race or I shall slap you!'  Charming.  Anyway, I won the egg and spoon race and my claim to fame is that I have, right up to this day, never lost an egg and spoon race.  I knew you would be impressed.  Actually and not one to self-promote, here is a posting about this awesome sport, Ever Watched An 'Egg And Spoon' Race?
And I know you might come up with some ridiculous innuendo for the poem.  Something like, 'ride a horse cock'.  


Anyway, before I forget what I'm doing and you get so bloody bored you move on to one of those really interesting, must-read blogs, I think it's time to announce the winner who was the first to correctly identify the nursery rhyme that mentioned the place I lived in.  Thus congratulations to the winner, the blogger at Raining Acorns  which is a cleverly written and varied blog.  Well worth a read, if you have not already done so.  
Very well done.  Below are the prizes.   I decided to send two.




The above is a book of some of the nearby villages, just a few miles from my home.  The Peak District is a national park.




And here is a book of the town I live in, Leek, Staffordshire, England.  I would like to add this is indeed a book of old photographs and the clothing styles have changed.  I would like to further add that I moved to Leek because I always wanted to live in a town named after an onion.


And in conclusion, I wish to thank you for your participation and your very kind, thoughtful congratulations as I reached a milestone in my blogging career.  With respect and kindness, Gary.

37 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Raining Acorns!

    Great prizes, Gary :)

    Relieved to hear, the fashions have changed considerably over the years..

    You should be mighty proud of your 'claim to fame' good sir :) Knowing me, I would have got the spoon lodged up my nose!

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  2. When I made that suggestion I thought the correct answer had already been guessed and I was wrong! Maybe I should have read all of the comments first. Luckily for me I know the fabulous Peak District already. Well done Raining Acorns.
    Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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  3. Hi Wendy,
    Yes indeed, congratulations Raining Acorns!
    I think they were suitably fine prizes and thanks for thinking so :-)
    Yes the fashions have changed. So much so, I got some very strange looks when I went out dressed that way on the streets of Leek. Then again, maybe the strange looks had nothing to do with my clothes! :-)
    I'm undefeated in the egg and spoon race. And a spoon up your nose? Now that would be a fashion statement and a nightmare through the scanner at the airport :-)
    Thanks Wendy.
    In kindness and a practice egg and spoon, your way, Gary :-)

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  4. Hi bazza,
    Yes, Raining Acorns had come up with the correct answer before you dropped by.
    The Peak District is an awesome place and I love visiting there :-)
    Cheers bazza.
    In kindness, Gary.

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  5. Uh, nope... I never woulda got that one. lol. What exactly is a cock horse anyway? Hey, I think I learned something today!! :)

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  6. Hi Pk Hrezo,
    Hmmmm...well, I know I could, heaven forbid, come up with some rude and crude meaning, but being such a gentleman, maybe the following might make it clearer. Probably not :-)

    'It is not clear whether ‘cock-horse’ was originally the name of a plaything, as it appears to have been by 1577, or whether the phrase ‘on (a-)cock-horse’ merely meant in a position (as e.g. on the knee) which was likened to that of being on horseback. The transferred sense evidently referred to the elation of a child in such a position.'

    Take care eh :-)

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  7. Hi Y'all,

    I must head over to read Raining Acorns. I am happy to learn that nursery rhymes are still read and remembered.

    BrownDog's Momma

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  8. Riding a cock horse is already a scary proposition Gary so I won't consider taking up the proposed innuendo further...

    You made me smile in a few places there. And they all sound like nice neighbourhood to be in. Not the least the onion place.

    Congratulations my friend for four years of happy blogging. Well done to Raining Acorns for winning your fabulous prizes.

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  9. Yay to Raining Acorns!!!!! I would never have guessed!!! Banbury is such a cute name!!!!

    And Yay for winning and continuing to completely ACE the egg and spoon race!!! Yay!!!!!!

    :-)

    Off I go for some tea and crumpets now! Thank you so much for such a fun giveaway!! Take care
    x

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  10. Interesting!

    Congrats Raining Acorns, :-)

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  11. Yay! Raining Acorns, and Bazza for guessing, but not saying. Now with the gifts you've selected Gary,you should know that the correct answer to your trivia question was 'leak'ed and I took a 'peek'. MOAN........that was weak, eh?

    Have a wonderful week Gary, and Congrats again on an amazing four years!

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  12. Oh cool! I've been to Banbury Castle, where the Fiennes family come from. Since at the time of my visit I had a fierce teenage crush on Joseph Fiennes, I couldn't concentrate on much but I did notice it was a lovely town.

    Jai

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  13. Hi Gary,
    So, you used to live in Banbury eh? I used to go through there quite a lot when I lived with my parents and we used to visit the Cotswolds regularly (it was on the way). A lovely little town.
    As for never having lost an egg and spoon race, I can also make that claim, mind you, that`s only because I have never been in an egg and spoon race! ;)
    With kindness my friend,
    J
    Follow me at HEDGELAND TALES

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  14. Dear Gary,
    Well, I knew that all along, of course.
    Anyway, congrats once again on your four years of posting. And I'm not even bored yet!
    With Very Best Wishes,
    David.

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  15. Howdy browndogcbr,
    Yeah, please do check out Raining Acorns site :-)
    'Hickory dickory dog' n' stuff eh :-)
    Y'all have a nice weekend.
    Kind wishes, Gary

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  16. Oh, I am so late in responding with delighted thanks. The prizes are indeed wonderful, and I cannot wait to receive them. I have been to the Peak District and long to go back. I didn't know there was a town called Leek. What do the Welsh think of that, I wonder?

    Thank you again, so very much, and congratulations on your 4 year anniversary.

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  17. Hi Grandpa,
    For sure, my friend, we wouldn't want to go down the old innuendo route :-) I sure wouldn't want to imply anything in reference to a 'cock' or a 'horse'. Oh no, not me! :-)
    Glad I made you smile in a few places on my posting. Yes, Leek and my fascination with onions....
    And thank you for the congratulations on my reaching my four year anniversary. And yes indeed, well done to Raining Acorns :-)
    Here's wishing you a peaceful and positive weekend.
    In kindness and a bag of leeks, your way, Gary :-)

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  18. Hi Kelly,
    Aha dude. Strangely enough, it was you and your warped sense of humour (humor) that made me point out what you may well have pointed out.
    Thank you for congratulating the winner :-)
    Kind wishes and a horse cock, your way, Gary :-)

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  19. Hi Old Kitty,
    Absolutely! Yay to Raining Acorns :-)
    Yes, isn't Banbury a cute name.
    Yes me, shy and humble me, undefeated egg and spoon champion of the world, or at least Banbury!:-)
    Off for some 'pigs in a blanket' and some 'spotted dick'! :-)
    Thank you for participating in my contest. Much appreciated. Have a lovely weekend.
    In kindness and a box of Tetley, your way, Gary
    x

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  20. Hi Misha,
    Ah yes, very interesting. At this rate, my blog may actually start becoming known! :-)
    Thanks for passing on the congratulations to Raining Acorns.
    Here's wishing you a wonderful weekend.
    In kindness, Gary :-)

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  21. Hi THE SNEE,
    Ah yes, Rebecca. I reckon congratulations to anyone who even bothered reading my posting! :-)
    What's this? Something about taking a 'peak' when you 'leeked'?
    Yikes n' stuff! :-)
    Thanks Rebecca for the congrats and may you and your loved ones, have a most peaceful, positive week.
    Kind wishes, Gary :-)

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  22. Hi Jai Joshi,
    Well you've told me something that I didn't know. I reckon, the way things are going, Joseph Fiennes will be begging you for your autograph. Oh yeah, Banbury is a lovely place
    :-)
    Have a great weekend.
    Kind wishes, Gary.

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  23. Hi John,
    Yes, I lived there for only about a year. I do recall what a lovely town it is and the beautiful surrounding countryside.
    John, you haven't lived until you've been involved in an egg and spoon race! :-)
    Here's wishing you a most peaceful weekend.
    In kindness, Gary :-)

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  24. Dear David,
    Of course you did :-)
    Thank you for the congrats on the four year anniversary of my shy and humble blog. So glad to know that I have not completely bored you into a fit of uncontrollable hysterics!
    Most awesome wishes, your way, Gary.

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  25. Hi Raining Acorns,
    I do so hope you like your prizes. Seems that one of the books will be a nice reminder of the time you spent in the Peak District :-)
    Yes, Leek aka 'Queen of the Moorlands' and a favourite haunt of J.R.R Tolkien. Apparently, Leek was his inspiration for 'middle earth'. This does not surprise me! :-)
    And the Welsh probably want to keep their national onion all to themselves :-)
    You are most welcome and thanks for the congratulations on my four year anniversary.
    Oh and I posted off your prizes, today, Friday, via air mail. With a little luck, you will receive them before the end of the year :-)
    Have a lovely weekend.
    In kindness, Gary.

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  26. Congratulations to Raining Acorns!
    I caught up a bit here ... looks like I missed some fun! It snowed a foot here today... If we rode horses instead of using cars... I wouldn't have had to shovel so much snow today!

    Your prizes are wonderful and very generous! Congrats to the winner!
    *Maria

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  27. Congratulations to Raining Acorns!

    I'll have to read your post on Egg and Spoon races, as I've never watched one.

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  28. Hi Maria,
    Thank you for passing on your congratulations to Raining Acorns :-)
    Yes indeed, a horse in such snowy conditions would certainly eliminate the need for a shovel.
    Thank you for liking my prizes. Here's hoping they don't take too long to get to their destination. Haven't got a lot of faith in the postal system! :-)
    Hope you have a most calm and peaceful weekend.
    In kindness, Gary :-)

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  29. Hi The Golden Eagle,
    Thank you for passing on your congratulations to Raining Acorns.
    And congratulations to you for passing the 400 'followers' mark.
    Of course, shy and humble me, is not in the least bit jealous! :-)
    Oh yikes! If you do check that 'egg and spoon' posting, me thinks you will be none the wiser.
    Have a good weekend.
    In kindness, Gary :-)

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  30. Hi Joylene,
    Why not. After all, it's not the only place I've lived in that's mentioned in a nursery rhyme.
    Yeah, that's right, I used to live near 'Goosey goosey gander', but lets keep that a secret! :-)

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  31. Hi Gary .. great post .. love the connections .. but more importantly well done on 4 years - that's some doing!!

    Egg and spoon racing .. nightmare! I suspect my claim to fame is never finishing one!

    Banbury is a lovely area of the world .. and Leek must near where the metal 'detectist' discovered the hoard of gold recently .. I have to say I've never selected to live in a place because of it's name!! Actually a house number yes - number 13 ...

    Anyway I'm popping over to Raining Acorns .. sounds like my sort of blog ..

    Happy week .. cheers Hilary

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  32. Gary, well I'm certainly happy for you, showing up that bully and winning the "egg in the spoon" race. YEAH!!!!!!Don't you just hate bullies....ok I'm NOT going there.....I do think I have some 'deep issues' to deal with..lol. You are so giving, I'm just loving this blogging community, I mean it really is a wonderful community!Awww...I'm getting all 'verklempt'.... I just love the photo of the statue representing the "cock horse", and that is where I will leave it. I'm so desiring to travel to jolly old England, I've always wanted to visit this historical country. O bye the way, I hope you have room for when I visit you...... I'll cook! Truly a fun posting....I'm 'feelin the Love'....later...

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  33. I missed your contest completely. My mother used say that nursery rhyme to us all the time. I'm a new fan, but I'm already a fan of "RA". ;-)

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  34. Hi Hilary,
    Thank you very much for your kind words. And thanks for noting I have somehow managed to keep this shy and humble blog going for four years :-)
    Yes indeed, the egg and spoon race is not all it's cracked up to be.
    Banbury is indeed in a lovely part of the world. Leek is about thirty miles north of where the 'hoard' was discovered.
    Aha,I've heard of folks buying homes based on the number.
    Raining Acorns is a very interesting variety blog. I admire those who do variety.
    Happy week and happy writing to you.
    In kindness, Gary :-)

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  35. Hi The Manic Chef
    Ah, the dude behind me, at the 'egg and spoon race', was in the next heat, but was on the same team as me. Actually, he didn't really bother me. But, he certainly gave me the motivation to win :-)
    That's what so great about the blogging community. Once you get past, the self obsessed and self promoting ones, you note a lot of truly decent folks out there in blogland :-)
    Ah yes, the cock horse...moving on...:-)
    Jolly old England is quite a neat place with loads of history n'stuff. Hmmmm...a celebrity chef at my place. What a great idea!
    Thanks for thinking this was a fun posting and gosh, I can just sense the love in blogland :-)
    Have a peaceful and positive week.
    Kind wishes eh, Gary :-)

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  36. Hi Heidi,
    I'm sorry you missed my 'eagerly awaited' contest.
    It's a pretty cool nursery rhyme:-) I used to like reciting 'Humpty Dumpty, the greatest 'off-the-wall' comedian, ever!
    And I had the great pleasure of linking into your blog via Raining Acorns :-)
    Have an awesome week and thank you.
    Kind wishes, Gary.

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I do try to comment back to each commenter individually. However, I might have to shorten my replies or give a group thank you. That way, I can spend more time commenting on your blogs. Thank you and peace, my friend.