I want my money back! I thought this was going to be about chastity belts.

I've never heard of that before - wold love to know the history/tradition behind it. Don't know whether it happens in this country - I live near a few bridges and have never seen it.

 

Not connected I know but I love the pictures and tradition of folk leaving stuff behind that waterfall (name escapes me) ...........might be Mother Shipton or something like that - intriguing.

 

When I was young and we had an outside toilet we used to have a horseshoe on the door - nearly everyone in the street did. My mum has kept it - she found it the other day and put it on her shed - it was from one of her grandmas horses ( not a wealthy family don't get the wrong idea) I think the horses pulled a cart for totting or something like that .

 

I love quirky old traditions.

Suzybean's idea would work, if we remember to throw the duplicate keys into the river.

We had a few horseshoes, but even to this day the same two racing plates are under the driver and passenger seats of our car. This has been a continuing tradition for a few decades.

The padlocks on bridges is very recent - more about this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tra...-crossing-point.html

 

The horseshoe on doors is a very old tradition and some people think it brings good luck. But the two ends have to be pointing upwards as if they are pointing downwards then they think it brings bad luck.

 

You are right about Mother Shipton. I found this:

Mother Shiptons cave. This is not a deep cave, more an opening in the rock. Its not somewhere you need a lamp to see into! This is supposedly the place where mother shipton was born, and lived.

Next to the cave is the wishing well. This is a natural spring, with a pool sunk into the rock. People put in their hand (and sometimes money) and make a wish.

Next to the wishing well is the petrifying well. This is a waterfall, where the water contains large amounts of disolved limestone. As the water flows over the waterfall, the limestone comes out of solution, and will cause any porous objects to form stone. Pieces of clothing, teddies, and similar objects are usually hung underneath the waterfall, to be petrified. They are then sold in the shop at mother shiptons. In order that the rock doesn't get any bigger, it has to be regularly cleaned -- a wet and unpleasant job!

Mother Shiptons Cave

 

oh god, that's creepy as hell

I've never heard of that, that's very interesting!

I've heard of the padlocks in France - not seen any in this country and boo hiss to the Italians for removing them 

Did they say why they'd done it? I loved looking at them all across a bridge in Paris recently, even took my photo with them

agree Saz

http://weburbanist.com/2011/12...ritains-money-trees/

 

Coin trees.

I've never been to Rome, but apparently it is a very old bridge and they were concerned about the weight of attached metal.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl...bridge?newsfeed=true

 

 

Errr, me too. Just shows where our minds are Suzy!!

Chastity Belt Oh say, gentle maiden, may I be your lover Condemn me no longer to moan and to weep Struck down like a hawk, I lie wounded and bleeding Oh let down your drawbridge, I'll enter your keep Enter your keep nonie nonie, enter your keep nonie nonie Let down your drawbridge, I'll enter your keep Alas gentle errant, I am not a maiden I'm married to Sir Oswald, that cunning old Celt He's gone to wars for twelve months or longer And he's taken the key to my chastity belt Chastity belt nonie nonie, chastity belt nonie nonie Taken the key to my chastity belt Fear not gentle lady for I know a locksmith To his shop we will go, on his door we will knock And try to avail us of his technical knowledge And see if he's able to unpick your lock Unpick your lock nonie nonie, unpick your lock nonie nonie See if he's able to unpick your lock Alas sir and madam, to help I'm unable My technical knowledge is to no avail I can't find the secret to your combination For the cunning old bastard has fitted a Yale Fitted a Yale nonie nonie, fitted a Yale nonie none The cunning old bastard has fitted a Yale I come from the wars with dire news of disaster A terrible mishap I have to confide As my ship was a passing the Straits of Gibraltar I carelessly dropped the key over the side Over the side nonie nonie, over the side nonie nonie Carelessly dropped the key over the side Alas and alack I am locked up forever Then up spoke the page boy "Leave it to me" If you will allow me to enter your chamber I'll open it up with me duplicate key Duplicate key nonie nonie, duplicate key nonie nonie Open it up with me duplicate key

I've heard of both the love padlocks and the Mother Shipton thing. 

 

I don't understand why people find the bears(ornaments) at Mother Shiptons creepy?  It's just 'stuff' that has been hung there and because of a natural thing they have been made to look like they are stone.

 

I'm going to insist Mr Cinds hangs me there when I die. 

Joe  you Bawdy 

It was by request from them southerners.

ahhh shame  

Just all those bears swinging there - by what looks like a noose

It does look creepy. But, then again I'm not one for shrine type things. The first time I went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem I had to be peeled out of the (supposed) tomb where Christ was laid out by my dad and 3 Orthodox Monks. I was about 8 years old and the Monks thought I was having a spiritual moment, but my dad realised I was being creeped out. I've stupidly been back there about 5 times and got the heebiejeebies on every single occasion, but have  had less dramatic and disrespectful reactions.

 

Those petrified teddy bears would have me in retreat mode.

 

They are now from one side of the Rhine to the other.