|
|
Post by supermum29 on Jul 31, 2009 17:57:38 GMT 1
Did you know......... Alexandre Dumas was inspired to write his classic novel The Man in the Iron Mask after experiencing a rather unfortunate event whilst attending a swingers S&M party. Feeling 'adventurous' he agreed to don a gimp mask - in those days constructed from iron. Disaster ensued however, when the blonde madame who locked the padlock on the mask lost the key, leaving Dumas trapped in the iron mask until his mate could get to B&Q to buy a pair of bolt croppers.  |
|
|
|
Post by Shakey on Aug 1, 2009 14:34:52 GMT 1
If I'm not mistaken the mask was actually made of black velvet cloth.
so a pair of scissors and not a key would have sufficed.
But maybe all the scissors were being used elsewhere at this fetish bash !!
Shakey
|
|
|
|
Post by Live/Wire Admin on Aug 2, 2009 15:03:41 GMT 1
I didn't know B&Q was around then... Wow. !
|
|
|
|
Post by supermum29 on Aug 4, 2009 18:59:39 GMT 1
Yes it was- although it is a little known fact. At that time diy was a relatively new pastime and the favoured retailer was Do It All - closely followed by Homebase. As for the scissors am i correct in thinking that the best place to purchase them at the time was marks and spencer?
|
|
|
|
Post by Shakey on Aug 4, 2009 19:26:11 GMT 1
The book is set in the mid eighteenth century.
Apart from North Lincolnshire (The only part of England to come out of Barter at that time) it was a case of two pigs for a pair of scissors,
But, this was France so Snails and Frogs were, as is still the case now, the currency, and everything was bought at the boulangerie and the piscine.
typically 3 pints of stella artois and an impressionist painting would have purchased a pair of scissors...........Ou la la !!
Spend the time to dispute that one if you dare, but just remember, as Daz reminded me at the weekend...............................
It doesn't rain on my planet
Shakey
|
|
|
|
Post by Kimmy! on Aug 5, 2009 0:55:39 GMT 1
Eddie is right. The dates and also the areas really don't match up for this particular "legend" to be true. Alexandre Dumas died in 1870 in France and his inspiration for The Man In The Iron mask came from and was an elaboration of the claim made by the philosopher, Voltaire which was that the prisoner wore a mask made of iron instead of the black velvet cloth. There are several "suspects" that can be linked as to the true identity of the prisoner but Voltaire suspected that it was the illigitimate brother of Louis XIV, Dumas's adaptation portrays the prisoner as Louis's twin. You can all blame my teenage love of philoshophy and classic litterature for me knowing this. Also, M&S wasn't formed until 1884 in Leeds (if I'm not mistaken the recent ads on TV featuring Twiggy telling the history of the company are to celebrate its 125th Anniversary  ) and B&Q didn't open until the 1960's or was it 70's? Sorry supermum.  |
|
|
|
Post by Live/Wire Admin on Aug 5, 2009 12:06:12 GMT 1
After Woolworths then... Sure it wasnt Woolies.?
|
|
|
|
Post by Shakey on Aug 5, 2009 18:48:42 GMT 1
we could even ask twiggy, she was around in the victorian era by the looks of it !! LOL
Ed
|
|
