A Goose's Gander — Stop 1
George Meets George Lawton
George the Goose was picking at the grass outside a rather posh building called Marle House when he heard a horse and carriage pull into the driveway.
Illustration by children of Micklehurst All Saints
A lady ran out of the house and a very smartly dressed man jumped out of the carriage.
“We won, we won!” he shouted excitedly, “Look - a gold medal for weaving in the Great Exhibition in London and the best news is that Queen Victoria has asked us to provide the flannel for her petticoats.”
“Oh George,” said the lady, “how lucky we are in Mossley to have all the ingredients for such fine flannel – quality wool, urine collected in lant jars and marle clay from Micklehurst.”
“Aha,” the goose thought, “this man must be the famous George Lawton who sells flannel all round the world – what an honour to meet him.”
In Micklehurst urine was collected by the mills for scouring wool.
Lant jars were kept outside the back door and collected by the lant cart. In exchange donors were given a bolt of lant flannel.