Bristol`s history is packed with peculiar customs and curious characters.This book explains why the vicar in one church goes on an annual trek to peer down a manhole; why captains of industry sing an eighteen-verse song in memory of Queen Elizabeth I; and how the Flower of Bristol got its name.You will meet some unusual contraptions, like the bed with in-built exercise equipment, or the thrashing machine for naughty boys. You will also discover why a public clock still runs to Bristol time.This compendium of the weird and wonderful will surprise even those Bristolians who thought they really knew their city.