A-Z Challenge 2018 - British Rivers: 'P'

At this stage of the Challenge it's time to mind my Ps and Qs. 

In East Devon when a visit by Queen Victoria was planned the names of some places where changed to '_____puddle', presumably to save her blushes.

In Dorset next to a church at Alton Pancras a small stream has its source.

River Piddle at Alton Pancras

Piddle in Old English simply means 'marsh' of 'fen".

The course of the Piddle takes it south/south east to Wareham where together with the River Frome it exits into Poole Harbour.

Afpuddle  is one of the small villages in East Dorset, situated in the heart of " Hardy's country " and on the banks of the little River Piddle, from which it derives its name.

Afpuddle on the River Piddle

An advert called Paradise for Sale inspired Ogden Nash to write this poem.

Had I the shillings, pounds and pence,

I'd pull up stakes and hie me hence,

I'd buy that small mixed farm in Dorset

Which has an inglenook and faucet--

Kiddles Farm, Piddletrenthide,

In the valley of the River Piddle.

I'd quit these vehement environs

Of diesel fumes and horn and sirens,

This manic, fulminating ruction

Of demolition and construction

For Kiddles Farm, Piddletrenthide,

In the valley of the River Piddle.

yes, quit for quietude seraphic

Con Edison's embrangled traffic,

To sit reflecting that the skylark,

Which once was Shelley's now is my lark,

At Kiddles Farm, Piddletrenthide,

In the valley of the River Piddle.

I'm sure the gods could not but bless

The man who lives at that address,

And revenue agents would wash their hands

And cease to forward their demands

To Kiddle Farm, Piddletrenthide,

In the valley of the River Piddle.

Oh, the fiddles I'd fiddle,

The riddles I'd riddle,

The skittles I'd scatter,

The winks I would tiddle!

Then, hey diddle diddle diddle!

I'll jump from the griddle

And live out my days

To the end from the middle

On Kiddles Farm, Piddletrenthide

In the valley of the River Piddle.

For those of you with a musical bent you may sing along with this at  Ogden Nash Paradise for Sale - Lewin 4

The village of Piddletrenthide is mentioned in the Domesday Book as an estate on the River Piddle assessed at thirty (trent) hides.

If you are a movie buff I'll bet you didn't know that the African Queen was shot in part on the River Piddle when they used the reeds at the river mouth for where Bogart pulled the Queen along.

 The river passes next to the garden of a pub at Piddletrenthide just the place to stop at - no comment needed.

Photo attributions:

• River Piddle at Alton Pancras: 30 December 2008 ex geograph.org.uk by Nigel Mykura - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence
• Afpuddle on the River Piddle: c1903 Newberry Publications, published by Raphael Tuck & Sons - Public Domain
• Sign for the Piddle Inn: 4 October 2008 ex geograph.org.uk by Trish Steel - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence