LICENSED TO KISS.

Northern Advocate, 5 June 1912, Page 3

LICENSED TO KISS.

Just when England is beginning to pride itself on its progress of modernity, Hungerford, on the borders of Berkshire and Wiltshire, slipped back into the centures because it was Hockney Tuesday. Unless you have lived Through Hockney Tuesday you can have no conception of what it means. It needs strong nerves and a stronger constitution thoroughly to enter into the spirit of : ancient times. At eight o'clock the town crier, in grey and scarlet, with brass buttons, comes out of the town hall and blows three notes on the ancient horn given by John.o' Gaunt, and that is the signal for two tutti-men to emerge from the constable's house with staves tipped with flowers —daffodil-J, primroses, and . tulips, surmounted by an orange. ' It is their business to go forth and kiss the damsels of the town, irrespective of age or beauty, according to custom. Mr James Blake and Mr Anthony Eowsher were the tutti-men on this particular day. Mr Blake was sixty years old, Mr Bowsher was younger, but both of them kissed vigorously from eight o'clock until seven in the evening, with a break for dinner. Tradition decrees that they shall be liberal with oranges and pennies. Iherefore, having kissed'a maid, they gave her an orange as a solace, and they hurled oranges among the crowd of urchins who followed them about all day. It was a perfect orgy of kissing. They knocked at doors, and little high-pitched shrieks floated out into the street, showing how nobly the tutti-men were doing their duty. They went to the workhouse and kissed all the old ladies, including Ann Benson, who is ninety-nine years old, they went to the laundry with their floral staves. Up and down for five miles they wandered, from house to house, kissing, kissing, kissing, kissing, until at the time of thee sunset there were no more left to kiss. They wanted to start again, but that was against the ancient law.