"they put the pig on the wall to watch the band go by. A story I have heard about nearby villages in Yorkshire, and in the Forest of Dean"
.,,.,.
Oh, but taint no story, but tis true in the Vorest, Mr R. My late wife Valerie did come from Lower Soudley in the Vorest of Dean, where er vather Donald Godwin was a Vree Vorester and a miner as ever was and worked in Waterloo Pit as pit-pony boy when e were just 14, and her Uncle Ivor Hopkins did tell er that when e were a lad e did see that pig on that wall is very self, as Ruardean Colliery Band did goo by, just up there in next village o Ruspidge!...

And er Uncle Ivor's vather did goo to prison vor the bear*, zo e did know what e did talk of...

~M~


*see section
    1.1 Who killed the bears?

in -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruardean

tho not surprisingly the version in Soudley was not identical: an Italian, only one bear, & prison not fines.
Folklore lives...