Alnwick Fair

[goldplanet2001]

Alnwick Fair was an annual event which attempted to recreate times past with various costumed displays and sideshows. It was discontinued in 2007.

One of the most popular events was the wench-ducking, which often drew a bit of a crowd. Girls and women (usually volunteers but not always), were given a "show trial" and then secured with velco straps into a ducking stool operated by several fellows. The women were then spectacularly ducked into a skip full of cold water, such display bringing cheers and alughter from the assembled multitude.

Some women were regulars to this event, enjoying the effect of their participation on the crowd, but some were "pressed" into the stool...

Perhaps Alnwick Fair will be resurrected again sometime, perhaps not.

[goldplanet2001]

Here, Emma Anderson is ducked in 2004...

[goldplanet2001]

The most famous person to be ducked is controversial artist Stella Vine, who is a native of Alnwick...

Interviewed in 2004 she said....

With her beloved maternal grandmother now living in a home near Alnwick, Stella yearns to come North again. “I would love to be able to buy 11 Percy Terrace, the home I grew up in with my grandmother in Alnwick. And I've said as soon as this show is over I'll paint something for the Bailiffgate Museum. I've always wanted to do the ducking stool at Alnwick Fair, but perhaps that might be a bit too dark.”

[susansusan]

Hey- good thread! I'm a fan of Alnwick- went to the last few, until it finished. There are a few pictures and vids around the web- maybe start a video thread too. Originally it was a costumed event, where people would be in costume then get ducked in costume. In the last years, it was more about recruting voulunteers, then given them a costume to change into for the ducking.

And, lets get this right--- its DUCKING , not DUNKING.

[barbossa]

I like it as dunking:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunking

Dunking

As torture

In a trial by ordeal, supposed witches were immersed into a vat of water or pond, and taken out after some time, thus and given the opportunity to confess. This process was usually repeated until the victim drowned or gave up and confessed, leading to them being executed in another way, usually hanging or, more rarely, burning. Also, if they had their hands/feet tied, they would be left under water. If they floated they were guilty of witchcraft, if they sank they were innocent but would have usually drowned anyway.

and

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/dunk

1dunk Listen to audio/ˈdʌŋk/ verb
dunks; dunked; dunk·ing
1 [+ obj] a : to dip (food) quickly into a liquid (such as coffee or milk) while eating
▪ I like to dunk my doughnut in my coffee.
b chiefly US : to push (someone or something) under water or other liquid for a short amount of time
▪ She dunked him while they were swimming. ▪ He dunked the ladle into the soup.
2 basketball : to jump high in the air and push (the ball) down through the basket [+ obj]
▪ He dunked the ball. [no obj] ▪ He could dunk when he was 16.

[susansusan]

I'm wondering if this clip is alnwick Fair?

https://forum.oneclickchicks.com/show...0&postcount=46