1766 was a bad year for farmers.
Dozens of food riots broke out across England where goods were seized by force.
On of them shouts: How much now you rogue in grain?
Also famous were its excellent cheese.
The locals became angry at the excessive price because it put the cheese beyond their reach.
The lads threatened the traders that they could not take the cheese away until the town was served first.
Eventually violence broke out, and the mob started looting hundreds of wheels of cheese and rolled them away.
A farmer shows a goose to a potential buyer at the Nottingham Goose Fair.
Some people armed themselves and set up roadblocks on the city streets to prevent merchants from carrying away cheeses.
Only after the detained lads were released that the crowd retreated.
The next morning, Nottingham authorities brought in cavalry and infantry units to help restore peace.
The crowd eventually dispersed, but the riots became infectious and spread to neighbouring towns.
Near Derby some rioters gathered to destroy a warehouse but was prevented.
Near Trent, another group of people tried to burn a windmill down.
There were serious outbreaks in Devon, Cornwall, Gloucester, Bristol, Derby, Birmingham, and Norwich.
The Nottingham cheese riot remains as a bizarre footnote in the complicated history of this remarkable island.
The venue was also shifted from the Old Market Square in the city centre to the Forest Recreation Ground.
