Mrs. Bradshaw's Handbook

[Tonyblack]

"Frites" is the common vernacular in France for fried potato chips, so it is indeed a fish and chips joke.
"Tracklements" is not a common word in the UK - I expect it was more so around the turn of the 19th Century.
I've never heard of First Class passengers' servants being carried in the guards' van, but I think it's likely, although one would hope they'd pay for a Third Class seat for them at least.
Winkles are quite small and come in curled shells. The pin was used to pull the winkle out from its shell. It always amuses me that so many Brits thing that the French eating snails is disgusting, yet they'll happily chow down on stuff that looks like snot.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

When I was young we used to go down to the shore, which was a few minutes walk away to get the Buckies as they are known in Scotland (Winkles). we always would find an old paint can washed ashore or simlar then build a fire, throw the can on and burn it clean fill it with sea water then boil it to make sure, then go and get the can put the Buckies in with the sea water boil them, then out with the trusty pin. Big Dave and Stanley had nothing on us.

 

[=Tamar]

Winkles are quite small and come in curled shells. The pin was used to pull the winkle out from its shell. It always amuses me that so many Brits thing that the French eating snails is disgusting, yet they'll happily chow down on stuff that looks like snot.

Ah, but winkles are ocean-related, and Britain was proud of anything ocean-related.

 

[Molokov]

I'm fairly sure that Terry didn't actually *write* Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook - by that point, he knew his time was limited so he probably limited himself to writing the novels. I'm sure he contributed, of course, but I think the prose was mostly written by Isobel Pearson of the Discworld Emporium. They also provided all the art - whether that was by Peter Dennis or by the Emporium team of Bernard and Ian.

I'd heard of tracklements and the idea of eating winkles with a pin (and I don't eat shellfish at all...) but I suspect I'd actually heard both those words from Pratchett books over the years and looked them up at the time.

Para Mountain is referred to in Moving Pictures - it's one of the clickies companies, named, obviously, after the nearby mountain (and, yes, of course, referring to Paramount Studios in Roundworld). But this is probably the first time it's been illustrated.

I do think Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook is a wonderful spin-off that everyone show have, as it adds a lot of richness to the Discworld post-Raising Steam and covers various areas of the Sto Plains (and beyond) that we rarely visit in the actual novels.

 

[RathDarkblade]

Para Mountain is referred to in Moving Pictures - it's one of the clickies companies, named, obviously, after the nearby mountain (and, yes, of course, referring to Paramount Studios in Roundworld). But this is probably the first time it's been illustrated.

Oh! *puzzled* OK, then. It's been a long long time since I read MP. Maybe that should be my next book on the list (again...)

I do think Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook is a wonderful spin-off that everyone show have, as it adds a lot of richness to the Discworld post-Raising Steam and covers various areas of the Sto Plains (and beyond) that we rarely visit in the actual novels.

I agree. There's something delightful in every entry in Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook. If you've read the books (and let's face it - if you haven't, why are you here? ), then I'm sure you'll enjoy MBH.

I'm surprised TP didn't write this. The "sound" of the book (i.e. the language used, etc.) is quite old-fashioned. Did he, at least, get to proof-read or approve a copy before it rolled off the presses?

By the way, I came across that word again -- "slumpie". I've always wondered: how would you pronounce it? Is it "slumpy" (as in "slump", what you would do after eating one) or "slum pie" (a pastry made in substandard housing)?

 

[Tonyblack]

Ah, but winkles are ocean-related, and Britain was proud of anything ocean-related.

Yes, depressingly so.

 

[Tonyblack]

By the way, I came across that word again -- "slumpie". I've always wondered: how would you pronounce it? Is it "slumpy" (as in "slump", what you would do after eating one) or "slum pie" (a pastry made in substandard housing)?

As served at DW events in Wincanton, home of the Discworld Emporium, it's pronounced "Slumpy". The Wow-wow Sauce I was served with my vegetarian sausages, with disappointingly bland.

 

[Molokov]

I do love the introduction of the Effing Forest and its key fauna, the Effing Great Tit. Oh what laughs they must have had writing that

 

[RathDarkblade]

*L* And the Friends of the Effing Forest, represented by Evande Trellis. (Mrs.)