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Each Lady Day, the Hampshire village of Tichborne hands out bags of flour to the\xa0 locals - a tradition that began on 25th March, 1150 after Lady Marbella Tichborne, on her death-bed, suggested distributing a \u2018Tichborne Dole\u2019 to the needy.\xa0\nIt\u2019s far from the only quaint charity event still going strong in England. In the Kentish village of Biddenden each Easter Monday, locals indulge in \u2018Biddenden cakes\u2019, bearing the effigy of the Biddenden Maids - conjoined twins who also left behind an annual dole for the deserving poor. And in Hallaton, Leicestershire, villagers still participate in a chaotic rugby-like game, but with more ale and definitely more hare pies.\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider what such kooky festivities tell us about mediaeval attitudes to women and the poor; recall what happened when \u2018vagabonds\u2019 dared to take advantage of these handouts; and stumble upon a new book proposal for Danny Wallace\u2026\xa0\nFurther Reading:\n\u2022 \u2018The Tichborne Dole\u2019 (Historic UK, 2015): https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Tichborne-Dole/\n\u2022 \u2018The Strange Story of the Biddenden Maids\u2019 (A London Inheritance, 2021): https://alondoninheritance.com/cycling-around-britain/the-strange-story-of-the-biddenden-maids/\n\u2022 \u2018Custom of charity of Tichbourne dole - bags of flour given to local people\u2019 (British Path\xe9, 1928): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jV30X294hA\nThis episode first premiered in 2022, for members of \U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\U0001f334 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!\n\xa0\nWe'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors\n\xa0\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.\n\n\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices