Mad as a hatter's.....

.....audience?! Yes I would, based upon my previous wafflings, guess you were expecting to be told about how the well known phrase came about [for anyone who is interested it was due to the mercury in the felt causing poisoning for the workers over time and resulting in dementia], but this time it is to do with a recent tale I have read about in Nigel Cawthorne's The Strange Laws of Old England [ a charity shop treat from our recent hol].

Now I will freely admit that on occasion I have been a little startled when I've seen what people choose to wear or not to wear, but I would hope that I would regain my composure fairly quickly. In recent years the fashion for the chaps wearing their trews at half mast actually made me want to take the poor fellows by the hand and lead them into safety in Marks and Spencer where I could remedy the "problem" for them with the purchase of a belt! However, I have over time come to find the penguin style of walking they have to adopt in order to stop their trews from falling to their ankles highly amusing and I, for one, am extremely grateful that they are actually wearing undergarments. I have no issue with people going commando yet I really do not wish to see the evidence as they bend over in the shops thank ye! Would you honestly be afraid of one of these though?!

No thought not! Apparently this was not always the case.....

In 1797 the London haberdasher, John Hetherington, decided to debut his newly designed top hat on a drive through London. Strangely it provoked a rather unforeseen reaction- people booed and women fainted. The poor chap was arrested and charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of the King's peace, in particular: "appearing on the public highway wearing upon his head a tall structure having a shining lustre and calculated to frighten time people". To add insult to injury he was fined the enormous sum of £50. Perhaps I should be more wary at weddings from now on!

Arilx