On Mon, 17 May 2004 00:25:07 +0100, this interesting one arrived from
"Douglas" :

In the County of Kent, England, (known as the 'The Garden of England'
because of its many fecund orchards and its balmy summer weather so
suitable for growing hops and hard fruits such as apples), the hop-pickers
families including the women and children from the London slums used to
gather at harvest time, lived in tents and made some much needed wages.

This brings back memories! For my sins, a badly blotted copy book,
instead of returning to Scotland for the summer vac I had to spend
from May to October '59 in Kent at the home of my professor compiling
an inventory of very dry manuscripts and publications dealing with the
Late Middle Ages.....I thought I was in for one hell of a time. Thanks
to an old grocery delivery bike it was one of the best summers I have
ever experienced. Social, economic and demographic change was in full
swing but the beer, cider, grub, scenery and people (females) well
what can one say.

Todd