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03/08/2003: "Onions!"

I remember that when I was a little boy I used to see French men riding bicycles adorned with onions for sale. Every year, they would invade Britain, from their onion ranches in Brittany. Apparently, this happened from Napoleonic times, right up to the mid-seventies and was ended by high charges for cargo at the docks. I never met one of these onion-toting frogs but their existence always puzzled me. Where did they live?
Where did they store their onions?
Were their onions better than ours?
Was life that bad in France that cycling around Britain, adorned with onions was preferable?
How many onions could safely adorn a bicycle and still allow manouverability?
Were they on a commission?
Was it the European Commission?
I do recall that these particular frogs were actually accepted as a natural part of things and I can't help thinking that it was inspired genius to be able to blend in to the British way of life whilst draped with a multitude of onions and wobbling down the road on an old bike!
I take my Beret off to you, Mon Sewers!