Quote:
Originally Posted by dave  A bear garden was a place where the legal minds of the country went to thrash out ideas and make new laws. |
But surely a place best left where it belongs. ( In history books )
And not to be endorsed by this Site.
Am i being to sensitive. ?
Bear Gardens SE1 On the site of Bear Alley there stood one of Southwark's most popular entertainment attractions - that of bear baiting; the macabre spectacle that drew men and women from miles around. As gory as it might have been, the sport allured droves of spectators from all over London and from all walks of life.
Bear baiting around Bankside began in the 1540's as an alternative nice little earner to line the pockets of the racketeers who ran the unvirtuous establishments which once graced these parts. It all started when a bill was passed by Parliament to abolish the 'stewhouses', or brothels as we know them, and led by Henry VIII the members actually promoted the instigation of bear baiting arenas. Henry was an enthusiastic sports spectator and with his first experience of baiting he became rivetted to the blood-thirsty contest. So enthralled was he with the sport that he ordered his henchman to bring him an assortment of the finest grizzly animals to be had. It happened that the servant returned with specimens that His Majesty would be pleased to show in any circle, and as a result the man was appointed Yeoman of His Majesty's Bears.
The arena which occupied the site of the Alley was a circular construction surrounded by fencing to protect the spectators who gathered around the perimeter. Against the force of hundreds of bodies it was not unusual for this fencing to give way, leaving the spectators exposed to the vicious beasts, which all too often resulted in tragic consequences. With the entertainment about to begin, the bear was led out and tethered to a stake, already handicapped through the common practice of filing down the teeth. As the tension mounted and the crescendo of shouts from the crowd reached a peak several snarling bloodhounds or mastiffs were set loose from their kennels to snap and tear while the restricted bear could do little in defence other than rear up on its hind legs. Frequently the tether was too weak or the bear was too strong and the real fun started when the wild animal broke loose.
Bear baiting steadily diminished in popularity towards the end of the 17th century and the proprietors found it increasingly more difficult to attract sufficient spectators to support the events. The Bear Gardens closed down in about 1682 but the sport continued in other parts of the City and was not declared illegal until 1835.
The approximate site of the Bear Gardens arena is estimated to have been a few yards north of Park Street, where the Alley opens out into a small square. A little further to the north were the out buildings where the bears were caged, and the gnashing dogs made ready for the bloody fight. Also around the site would have been the houses of those associated with the running of the arena - the promoter and livestock handlers.
On the corner of Park Street is the Shakespeare Globe Museum with its entrance in Bear Gardens. Exhibits on view are models of some of London's early theatres together with other models depicting Shakespearean history, and upstairs is a functional reproduction of a 17th century playhouse. The Georgian warehouse housing the Museum faces onto a street of attractive cobble stones, but this is the extent of the pleasing picture which is marred by disused buildings boarded up with corrugated iron sheets.
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), and BF came up with the Bear Garden. Him having the twisted mind that he does, I strongly suspect that he knew that people would point out the "apparent" spelling mistake from time to time, and was amused by it. 
