BOBBATH Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Looking thru some (very) old Speedway stars from the mid sixties does anyone know why Dave Lanning invariably referred to Swindon as being in moonraker country e.g. as in for example "Edinburgh's visit to deepest moonraker country, yielded another home win at the Abbey Stadium". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Google Swindon Life...The Legend Of The Moonrakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Panda Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Proper Moonraker country is round the lagoon by Portland in Dorset by Chessil Beach...............John Masefield's book Moonraker was based on a true story of the Pirates that roamed the coast in that area........... RP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted October 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 Thanx guys, always learn something new on this site-and there was me thinking it was something to do with Dave Lanning's hyperbole and related to the Moonraker brand of margarine!!-is that still around BTW?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 Proper Moonraker country is round the lagoon by Portland in Dorset by Chessil Beach...............John Masefield's book Moonraker was based on a true story of the Pirates that roamed the coast in that area........... RP A very, very good read. I certainly enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
van wolfswinkel Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) Oooh are...by that Crammer Pond in Devoizes, them there smugglers raked thye moon...even Swindon Town were known as The Moonrakers/Railwaymen /Robins many years ago! "Oi cant read oi cant write that don't really matter, oi comes from Wiltshirre and oi can droive a tractor." Edited October 22, 2015 by haydon hat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 For what it's worth: It originates from an old legend. A couple of centuries ago, on a moonlit night, two men from the village of Bishops Canning in Wiltshire were busy carrying home smuggled brandy or moonshine in the back of a hay cart. As they passed the village pond, they heard the sound of an approaching excise man. Thinking quickly, they dumped the barrels into the pond, and began raking the surface of the water with their hay-rakes. “What in the world are you two up to?” asked the excise man. “We are raking for cheese”, replied one of the men. “Can’t you see one?” added the other, pointing to the reflection of the moon. The excise man burst out laughing, and hurried off back to tell his colleagues that he had seen two drunken country bumpkins who thought that the reflection of the moon was a cheese. After he had gone, the two men used their rakes to retrieve the brandy and continued on their way. Since then, Wiltshire people have been known as ‘Moonrakers’. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Panda Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 A very, very good read. I certainly enjoyed it. I had to read it for English 'O'level................ For what it's worth: It originates from an old legend. A couple of centuries ago, on a moonlit night, two men from the village of Bishops Canning in Wiltshire were busy carrying home smuggled brandy or moonshine in the back of a hay cart. As they passed the village pond, they heard the sound of an approaching excise man. Thinking quickly, they dumped the barrels into the pond, and began raking the surface of the water with their hay-rakes. “What in the world are you two up to?” asked the excise man. “We are raking for cheese”, replied one of the men. “Can’t you see one?” added the other, pointing to the reflection of the moon. The excise man burst out laughing, and hurried off back to tell his colleagues that he had seen two drunken country bumpkins who thought that the reflection of the moon was a cheese. After he had gone, the two men used their rakes to retrieve the brandy and continued on their way. Since then, Wiltshire people have been known as ‘Moonrakers’. Interesting that there are different outlooks on this..............I never knew this........... RP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 I thought Moonraker country was in the Brazilian jungle, or maybe in outer space... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted October 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Thank you all for the erudite explanations re Moonraker country- the only Moonraker I knew was Sir Hugo Drax!!(who he I hear you all ask) So-is there still Moonraker margarine?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted October 24, 2015 Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Thank you all for the erudite explanations re Moonraker country- the only Moonraker I knew was Sir Hugo Drax!!(who he I hear you all ask) So-is there still Moonraker margarine?? Wasn't he in the James Bond book of the same name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted October 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Yup he was the bad guy in the James Bond book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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