Graeme Cole
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graemecole.bsky.social
Graeme Cole
@graemecole.bsky.social
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graemecole.bsky.social
Even though after you finish playing it and look away, everything looks green.
November 4, 2025 at 9:36 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
To be fair to them, that was quick.
A street name sign for Blenheim Road, now spelt correctly. A street name sign for Blenheim Road, now spelt correctly.
June 26, 2025 at 8:39 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
It's thinner and further away enough to make the difference. I've found a photo I took of the same clock two years ago, and it would have been stopped then. You can see the difference in the shadows.
February 18, 2025 at 11:42 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
Wait what - William Hickman, creator of Henley Sauce, was also one of the publishers of the 1838 guidebook ("A Guide to Henley-upon-Thames and its Vicinity") that inspired the whole quest to revive this lost sauce? And he was also Henley's postmaster?

Google Books: www.google.co.uk/books/editio...
One of the front pages of the book "A Guide to Henley-upon-Thames and its Vicinity". The title is displayed inside a drawing of an arched doorway, captioned "Door-way, at Fawley Court". At the bottom it reads "Henley-on-Thames: printed and sold by Hickman and Kinch." Page 108 of the guide to Henley. It shows an announcement by the Henley Post Office detailing when letters and newspapers are delivered, and by what time outbound letters must be dropped off. It ends "By order of the Surveyor, W. HICKMAN, Post-Master." Page 111 of the 1838 guide to Henley. It's an advert for Henley Sauce, beginning with the now-familiar words "HENLEY SAUCE, for Fish, Steaks, Game, Graves, &c. Price 1s. 6d. per Bottle. This delicious Sauce needs but a trial to recommend itself, and is one of general utility, being equally adapted for fish, steaks, game, made dishes, hashes, cold meats, enriching gravies, &c." There follows a poem which begins: "Say, why should trifles all our praise engross? Rise, honest Muse, and sing of Henley Sauce. Pleas'd Henley echoes thro' her verdant bounds, And classic Oxford loud applause resounds." It goes on for another 18 lines, and ends: "These now must yield - or in the palate fall, For Henley Sauce surpasses each and all." Below that is a long horizontal dash, and below that, at the bottom of the page, are the words "ESSENCE OF ANCHOVIES, PICKLES, &c."
January 20, 2025 at 11:44 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
Back to William Hickman... fishmonger Charles Norton (of whom Essence of Anchovies could be had) might have been his brother-in-law(?). He handled Hickman's accounts when he died in 1851.

(Oxford Univ. & City Herald, 18 Oct 1817; Windsor & Eton Express, 15 Mar 1851; Reading Mercury, 22 Mar 1851)
Newspaper announcement in the 18th October 1817 edition of the Oxford University and City Herald, entitled "City and County Intelligence." Relevant paragraph reads "On Wednesday se'nnight was married, at Henley, in this county, by the Rev. H. F. Fell, Mr. Charles Norton, fishmonger, of London, to Miss Elizabeth Hickman, of Henley." Death announcements in the 15th March 1851 edition of the Windsor and Eton Express. Relevant entry reads "On the 7th inst., at Henley-on-Thames, greatly respected, Mr. William Hickman, aged 58." Announcement in the 22nd March 1851 edition of the Reading Mercury. "HENLEY-ON-THAMES. MR. WILLIAM HICKMAN, Deceased. - The Executors of the late Mr Hickman request all Persons having any Claim on his Estate, will send in their accounts to Mr. Charles Norton, of Henley, forthwith; and all Persons Indebted to the Firm of Hickman and Kinch, are requested to pay the same to Mr Kinch, without delay. - March 20th, 1851."
January 20, 2025 at 10:36 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
By 1845, a certain double-act of chemists from Worcester had skipped the poetry and were now boasting in the newspapers about how much more popular their sauce was than the others, and that everyone else was trying to copy them.

(Morning Herald (London), 23 Apr 1845)
Old newspaper advert. "LEA and PERRINS' WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE is pronounced by connoisseurs to be "The only Good Sauce" for enriching gravies, or as a zest for fish, curries, soups, game, steaks, cold meat, &c., and its rapidly increasing sale has induced the proprietors to open a warehouse in London. The very general and decided approbation bestowed on this Sauce having encouraged imitations, the proprietors have adopted Betts's Patent Metallic Capsules, on which are embossed the words, "Lea and Perrins' Worcestershire Sauce," as a means of protection. - Sold wholesale, retail and for exportation, by the proprietors, Vere-street, Oxford-street; Crosse and Blackwell, Soho-square; Barclay and Sons, Farringdon-street; Metcalfe and Co., Southampton-row; and by venders of sauces generally."
January 20, 2025 at 8:31 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
Found this from 1838. Perhaps there was a trend at the time of writing a location-specific poem about the sauce you were selling?

(Reading Mercury, 24 Feb 1838)
An advert for "Goodman's Vale of White Horse Sauce", in the form of a very long poem which begins: "Dear is the Vendor's native town, (Though cheap this product of his skill,) There Alfred(1) battled for his Crown, And grav'd his White Horse on our hill. Our hill, of pic-nic spots the chief, Where fair ones, couch'd on flowery moss, Enjoy our matchless Vale-fed beef, Married to Goodman's Matchless Sauce." It continues in the same vein for five more stanzas, accumulating no fewer than six footnotes explaining various references, of which the first is "(1) King Alfred defeated the Danes on the White Horse Hill and carved the Saxon Standard on it, a White Horse. N. B. He was born at Wantage." After all that, we have the advert "This Sauce is highly recommended by the Nobility and Gentry for Fish, Cold Meat, Rump Steaks, Game, Wild Fowl, Enriching Gravies &c. Prepared and sold wholesale and retail by T. GOODMAN, Grocer and Tea Dealer, Uffington, near Faringdon, Berks. - May be had of all respectable Sauce Vendors in the Kingdom."
January 20, 2025 at 8:13 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
We find from that last article that it was in a "brittle" container. If only someone had designed them a new bottle!

And that's all I've found out. Henley Sauce existed in 1823; the only ingredient the BBC article says was in it might not have been; and I've found no mention of pepper or cayenne.
A close-up of the bottle someone has designed without knowing what goes in it. It features a shield-shaped sticker with a stylised H in the middle of it, and the words "pepper & cayenne" written around it. At the top are the words "The Henley Sauce Co." and "The Original Since 1838" (which, of course, it isn't).
January 20, 2025 at 7:52 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
Results for Henley Sauce go quiet after 1836. The only later mention I can find in the British Newspaper Archive is this 1840 report about the Post Office, having recently introduced the Penny Post, explaining that you can't send "the celebrated Henley sauce" with it.

(Reading Mercury, 28 Mar 1840)
Old newspaper advert headed "POST OFFICE". After an announcement about changes to post delivery arrangements to Reading, it reads "We understand the letters here have rather more than doubled since the establishment of the penny post. Among the departures during the past week for 3 bouquets of violets, cases with spectacles and razors, and a large envelope closely filled with small salading. It was asked to convey a bottle of the celebrated Henley sauce per post, but as the Postmaster could not with safety take charge of so brittle an article, the expectant parties were necessitated to await for the arrival of the delicious article, a few days by the slow vehicle of a country carrier."
January 20, 2025 at 7:45 PM
graemecole.bsky.social
1836. He's diversified and he's going on about Essence of Anchovies again. But here, and in the 1823 advert, Essence of Anchovies is described as a separate thing for sale. It *might* have been in the sauce - who knows - but I don't think the ad says so.

(Reading Mercury, 16 May 1836)
Another old newspaper advert. "SUMMER BEVERAGE, prepared by HICKMAN and STAPLEDON, Druggists, Post Office, HENLEY. - SODAIC POWDERS, for making twelve glasses of Soda Water, price Eightpence. GINGER BEER POWDERS, for making twelve glasses of Ginger Beer, price One Shilling. SEIDLITZ POWDERS, for making twelve glasses, price One Shilling. SCHWEPPE'S SODA WATER, as advertised. None other kept. Seven Shillings per Dozen. SCHWEPPE'S LEMONADE, Eight Shillings per Dozen. Three Shillings allowed for Bottles when returned. Also, Finest Carbonate of Sida, 2s. per lb. - White Windsor Soap, 1s. 6d. per lb.; Brown ditto, 2s. per lb. - Fragrant Lavender Water, 6d., 1s. and 2s. per bottle - Eau de Cologne, 9d., 1s. 3d., and 2s. 6d. per bottle. A long newspaper advert listing some "Summer Beverage", includi HENLEY SAUCE and ESSENCE of ANCHOVIES, One Shilling and Sixpence per bottle." Below is a little drawing of a hand with a finger pointing to the words "Twining's Genuine Teas".
January 20, 2025 at 7:40 PM