December 2023 Speaker
Our December speaker was Mike Stringer from Limebrook Maldon u3a. He got a warm reception but the temperature dropped a bit during his talk about the fabled Frost Fairs which took place on the often frozen River Thames in times gone by.
Mike set the historical scene and described the various activities which took place, from racing, archery, roasting meat on a spit above a fire (not the most sensible thing to do on the ice) to copious drinking in 'fuddling tents' (also not wise as the ice was pretty uneven to walk on when you were 'fuddled')
You could even get a barbers haircut or have a pair of shoes made.
Unfortunately, the river could thaw rapidly at any time, and there were various stories about accidents.
The very last Frost Fair was held in 1814 between Blackfriars Bridge and London Bridge when Londoners descended onto the Thames and tradesmen of all types set up booths to sell their wares, and pedlars circulated through the crowd. It lasted 4 days and there was the usual jollities including eating, playing games and, of course, drinking.