The Nottingham Goose Fair goes back to the feast of Matthew the Apostle, first celebrated in Nottingham during the 11th century. Eventually, the feast became a livestock market, but by the 18th century it was mostly foodstuffs including cheese, many tons of which were sold at the fair each year. A poor harvest in 1766 led to fears of food shortages. The fair began on this date in that year, and an unusually large quantity of cheese was for sale at inflated prices, around twice that recorded at Coventry just a week earlier. The English public was anxious to keep foodstuffs in their local area. Sometimes merchants were overpowered and forced to sell their goods at pre-shortage rates. After several Lincolnshire merchants purchased a large quantity of cheese, indending to sell it in their county, they were surrounded by a group of "rude lads" who demanded the merchants instead share it out in Nottingham. Violence rose and rioters looted cheese throughout Nottingham. Shop windows were broken and hundreds of cheese wheels were thrown and rolled down the streets, The mayor of Nottingham, Robie Swann, tried to restore order, but was knocked over by a rolling cheese wheel. Nottingham authorities requested military support, and the British Army's 1st Regiment of Light Dragoons and the Nottinghamshire Militia were deployed Troops fired into the rioting crowds, injuring several and killing William Eggleston of Car Colston, a farmer who may have been protecting his own wares, having been mistaken for a looter. Violence continued for several days until the military restored order. Other riots in England in late 1766 were caused by foodstuff shortages and increasing food prices. The 250th anniversary of the riot was marked in 2016 by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Mohammed Saghir, in conjunction with a local cheese shop. Credits: https://w.wiki/FWy$ A short spin today, on Maryann's advice. A beautiful afternoon with dramatic clouds in the distance. West Cliff pretty as ever. Strong headwind on CA-1 north. I turned around just past Wilder Ranch. I stopped at CVS on Mission for an errand. First time I've taken a bike into CVS in many years. Not since the downtown store banned me for bring a bike into the store. I never went to that location again.