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51 REASONS FOR MARK STEEL TO BE IN SPALDING

Introduction

The comedian Mark Steel has a radio show called, rather unimaginatively, “Mark Steel’s in Town”. Despite this unimaginative title it is a rather wonderful show where he extracts various odd and unusual facts about the town, its history and its people and views them through a humorous lens in what turns out to be a flare of comedy genius. In addition to the radio shows he also does additional stage shows and I was lucky enough to see him perform one in Spalding.


Spalding did not get the full treatment and enjoy a broadcast, unlike the Boston with its fancy stump attracting former pop stars to its priesthood and right wing politicians. Boston never even managed a bypass like Spalding, perhaps that is half the problem, making Spalding easier to avoid.


I do feel Spalding deserves the full Mark Steel treatment and with this in mind I offer 51 facets of Spalding’s life and history in the hope that I may entice this to happen. If not I hope it informs and entertains (but obviously not to the ability of the great man himself).


So Starting Daily from 17th January 2025 you will get 51 consecutive posts, some short, some long on such wide subjects as:

Going Down Below

Umbrellas

William Booth

White Whilley

The Sleepy Watchman

BBQ 67

The Last Duel

A Great Thunderstorm of 1842

The Great Fire of Spalding 1715 and 1870

Chatterton Water Tower

Earthquakes

George Shepherd

Tulipan

May Day Statutes

Sheddy's

The theiving Dr. Richard Bentley

King Hussain's breakfast

Mrs Proctor's Band

The Hand that Came Out of the Darkness

Hemp Fair

Agricultural Labour in 1867

The Drunkest Town in Lincolnshire

Poor Roads

Foul Beef

Nazi Beams leading to the Bombing of Spalding

UFO's

Skulls under the Bar of the Lincoln Arms

The Late Great Jason Toomer

Jack Cooper's rendering

The Opening of the Railway

The Fountain of Controversy

The Bank of Misogyny

Dan Morgan - the man that outsold Bert Weedon

Captain John Perry - the Saviour of London

The last Gibetting

The Hayley Bros and their connection to The Monkees

The Mutiny of Spalding Fire Brigade

The Ship Weather Vane

Election Day Riots

Spalding's First Bicycle Accident

Tulip Parade Protest

An Old Description of Spalding

Did Cricket Originate in Spalding?

George Gilbert Scott's unusual building

Spalding's equivalent to Hooters

The Sale of the Isolation Hospital for £35

One of Lincolnshire's First Cinemas


And Finally a detailed analysis of Spalding's Great Geranium Scandal.


I hope you enjoy! With luck perhaps Mark Steel will enjoy too!



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