THIS line-up at the start of an Edwardian walking match at Worth Village isn’t meant to be funny, but always raises a laugh.
Such competitions were a popular feature of Yorkshire galas during ‘the walking fever’, a temporary phenomenon which saw some Keighley pedestrians trying to walk to Morecambe and back over a weekend!
A typical walking match at Keighley Gala in 1903 was routed via Steeton, Silsden and Addingham to Ilkley, then back for a final lap round the gala field.
Naturally, prizes went to the first three contestants to reach the finishing post, but publicans additionally gave bottles of whisky and boxes of cigars to such as the 12th walker through Silsden and “the first married man” to finish, which must have contributed some robust fun to the event, to say nothing of some possible marking time in Silsden!
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