By definition an urban legend is an often lurid story or anecdote that is based on hearsay and widely circulated as true. You can never be totally certain that one of these accounts is authentic but to be considered an urban legend the tale must have its foundations based on fact – you can’t just make something up, wholesale, and call it an urban legend. So then what are your favourite urban legends??? Both with regard to (i) horse racing and (ii) the wider world. Mine would be: (i) It was the annual Breeders Cup jamboree and Barrington Hills was about to walk through the ‘Owners and Trainer’s' gate to gain entry. He is abruptly stopped by a filly security guard, who is as wide as she is tall, and told there is no admittance without the relevant pass. ‘Do you know who I am?!?’, thunders Barrington, ‘I’m the legendary English racehorse trainer, Barry Hills’. ‘Honey’, responds the security guard, ‘I don’t care if you’re Beverley Hills you ain’t going through that gate without a pass’. After a string of profanities Barrington tersely turned on his heels and returned to his hotel to get his documentation. (ii) One Saturday old boy John Prescott’s phone rings. It’s a tabloid newspaper who tell him that tomorrow they will be publishing a story detailing an affair he had and asks for a comment. Brusquely, Prescott gives a ‘potty mouthed’ response. He then calls for the Fragrant Pauline before hesitantly breaking the news of his relationship with another MP. He concludes by saying this is the first time he has been unfaithful and that it will never happen again. The Fragrant Pauline storms from the room amid an atmosphere of animosity and enmity. By the following morning the Fragrant Pauline has calmed down a notch or two but still silence reigns in 'Prescott Towers' as the Sunday papers pop through the letterbox and fall on the old mat. And the headline – ‘John Prescott had affair with his Secretary’.
I don’t eat Haribo sweets as I was told years ago by a woman i used to work with that when she was in her previous employment at Haribo the blokes on the ‘shop’ floor used to, shall we say pleasure themselves into the produce!
There is a massive urban legend in Australia that's stood the test of time for better than a hundred years, and still has people questioning it's validity. It's centered around what's known as Lasseter's Reef. Harold Lasseter claimed in 1929 or 30 that many years before, at age 17, to have found a reef of gold of an amazing size. It was somewhere in the middle of Australia, thousands of miles from any capital city. His problem was that he'd lost the exact location of the discovery. He said he knew roughly where it was but needed an expedition to relocate it. During the depression he managed to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the task. The trek would fall apart due to infighting. The expedition would cost Lasseter his life. Lasseter claimed that the reef was 7 miles long, 4 to 7 feet high, 12 feet wide and was filled with gold. More than a dozen large expeditions have since sought the great treasure, but all have failed. The reef is said to be 1100 ks west of Alice Springs and in a direct like towards Kalgoorlie in WA. If anyone wants to mount another search, please cut me in for 10% for tipping you off.
That the 'home' countries and the Republic of Ireland have the best supporters. What about Argentina, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands and various African countries.
I was waiting for someone to say Mr Henderson being the forum’s favourite trainer! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more…
Anything trained by Willie and ridden by Ruby being a cert (especially at this time of year). Plenty of short-priced ones turned over.
Hardly an urban legend, but in my large, extended family it was an oft repeated line that my grandfather (my dad's dad) had played in goal for Plymouth Argyle at around the time of WW1 It seemed feasible to me as my dad was also a goalie in a local league side, and also that in both world wars, with a shortage of players, clubs took additional players wherever they could find them. Grandad, although being a Lancastrian, married a girl from Plymouth - the circumstances of his courtship are unknown, although he was in the Royal Marines, and could possible have been stationed down there. My brother took it upon himself to contact Argyle and sadly, they reported back that they had no record of his having played for them. Sometimes these stories are better NOT being proved or unproved! (I'm so glad it was a proper club and not a rubbish one like Sheff U or Man.ure ) And as for YOU Barney, surely you are an urbane legend already!
I was told that story about the ring doughnuts from a local bakery, 40+ years ago. They've shut down now, so it could have been true.
