River Cottage

Jim!! Lol. So a bit like putting sixpence in a handbag when you give it as a gift - or paying a token price when someone gives you knives or scissors as a gift then. Makes sense.

If you were the only woman trading there you would have shown up too. Jim seems to have noticed you at the abattoir.  Always having worked in 'men's world' type jobs, I find it is difficult to hide because everyone remembers you.

I thought a token price for knives or scissors was so it was 'bought' and the friendship wasn't cut, but not heard of the handbag. Otherwise don't know the origin of luck money.

Yes to the pay-for-the-gift theory. The money in the purse is so you always have money in your purse. So a luck thing I guess.

ooo I just remembered a purse given to me when I was a child. It had a sixpence sealed inside a thick clear plastic square sewn around the edges and sewn into the seam ... so even the manufacturers were doing it then