Template:Did you know nominations/Dorking

Dorking

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Dorking, England

• ... that Dorking, England was the home town of six Mayflower Pilgrims, including Williams Mullins and his daughter Priscilla Alden?
  Source 1: "Dorking was home to SIX Mayflower pilgrims" Mayflower 400
  Source 2: "William Mullins was born about 1572 to John and Joan (Bridger) Mullins of Dorking, Surrey, England... William brought his wife Alice and children Priscilla and Joseph on the Mayflower..." Mayflower History: William Mullins
  Source 3: "Priscilla Mullins was born probably near Guildford or Dorking, co. Surrey, England, to William Mullins. She came on the Mayflower to Plymouth in 1620 with her father, brother Joseph, and mother or step-mother Alice. Her entire family, herself excepted, died the first winter. She was shortly thereafter, in 1622 or 1623, married to John Alden, the Mayflower's cooper, who had decided to remain at Plymouth rather than return to England with the ship." Mayflower History: Priscilla Mullins
  • ALT1:... that six Mayflower Pilgrims were originally from Dorking, England, including Williams Mullins and his daughter Priscilla Alden?
    Source 1: "Dorking was home to SIX Mayflower pilgrims" Mayflower 400
    Source 2: "William Mullins was born about 1572 to John and Joan (Bridger) Mullins of Dorking, Surrey, England... William brought his wife Alice and children Priscilla and Joseph on the Mayflower..." Mayflower History: William Mullins
    Source 3: "Priscilla Mullins was born probably near Guildford or Dorking, co. Surrey, England, to William Mullins. She came on the Mayflower to Plymouth in 1620 with her father, brother Joseph, and mother or step-mother Alice. Her entire family, herself excepted, died the first winter. She was shortly thereafter, in 1622 or 1623, married to John Alden, the Mayflower's cooper, who had decided to remain at Plymouth rather than return to England with the ship." Mayflower History: Priscilla Mullins
  • ALT2:... that Williams Mullins' house in Dorking is the only surviving English home of a Mayflower Pilgrim?
    Source 1: "William Mullins’ house on West Street, near to Dorking Museum, is the only surviving home of a Pilgrim Father. This impressive building dates from between 1568 and 1610. Mullins bought it with a mortgage in 1612, and then sold it in 1619." Dorking Museum: William Mullins
    Source 2: "The Mullins’ house on West Street, near to Dorking Museum, is thought to be the only surviving home of a Pilgrim Father. This impressive building dates from between 1568 and 1610." Mayflower 400

Improved to Good Article status by Mertbiol (talk). Self-nominated at 09:41, 13 February 2021 (UTC).

• alt3 ... that Dorking was first referenced in the Domesday Book of 1086? Cbl62 (talk) 19:57, 13 February 2021 (UTC)
• alt4 ... that a museum dedicated to the history of Dorking was established in 1976? Cbl62 (talk) 19:57, 13 February 2021 (UTC)

The Dorking Cockerel

• alt5 ... that Dorking, once the target of Nazi incendiary bombs, has more recently been the target of yarn bombing directed at its large metal cockerel (pictured)? Cbl62 (talk) 19:57, 13 February 2021 (UTC)

• • ALT6 ... that the town of Dorking, England has a 10 ft-high statue of a five-toed cockerel (pictured) which is a frequent target of yarn bombers?
    Source 1: "Standing at 10 ft tall, the silver landmark is now celebrating its tenth year" "The Cockerel, with its distinctive fifth toe, has origins which trace back to Roman times" Surrey Live: As the Dorking Cockerel celebrates its 10th birthday we ask why is it there?
    Source 2: Surrey Live: Dorking cockerel gets in Diamond Jubilee spirit
    Source 3: Dorking Cockerel gets traffic cone on head - guerrilla knitters, not students, to blame
    
  • ALT7 ... that the 10 ft-high statue of a five-toed cockerel in Dorking, England (pictured) is a frequent target of yarn bombers?
    Source 1: "Standing at 10 ft tall, the silver landmark is now celebrating its tenth year" "The Cockerel, with its distinctive fifth toe, has origins which trace back to Roman times" Surrey Live: As the Dorking Cockerel celebrates its 10th birthday we ask why is it there?
    Source 2: Surrey Live: Dorking cockerel gets in Diamond Jubilee spirit
    Source 3: Dorking Cockerel gets traffic cone on head - guerrilla knitters, not students, to blame
    Mertbiol (talk) 23:34, 13 February 2021 (UTC)

I will review this. I am familiar with the town ... I may have even taken a couple of the photos used in the article ;) Bear with me, as the review will take a little while. Hassocks5489 (Floreat Hova!) 00:07, 14 February 2021 (UTC)

• The article was promoted to GA status on 12th February.
• This is a very long and detailed article which covers everything I would expect from an article on a British town. I can also confirm that nothing significant in Dorking's history has been missed.
• No issues with neutrality or writing style.
• Substantial bibliography with plenty of good-quality reliable sources, mostly books. I am familiar with several of the books and can vouch for their suitability.
• I have spot-checked a number of the online sources. No issues noted with regard to copyvio/close paraphrasing, incorrect interpretation of sources or similar.
• Online sources have been proactively archived – excellent!
• Images ... both suggested images on this nomination were taken from geograph.org.uk and therefore are suitably licensed. Both are used in the article, and look very good at the thumbnail size.
• Hooks ... I will divide the seven suggested hooks into three categories.
  • Original/ALT1/ALT2: all concerned with the Pilgrims. The original and ALT1 are fully supported in the article. ALT2 is mentioned only in a footnote: ideally this fact should be mentioned in the article itself (I think it is significant enough to warrant a mention in the body of the article, although I'm not sure where it would fit). If a Pilgrims-related hook is chosen by the promoter, ALT1 would be my preference.
  • ALT3/ALT4: unfortunately these hooks are not interesting enough. Very many British towns and villages were first mentioned in the Domesday Book, and many towns and villages have their own local history museum.
  • ALT5/ALT6/ALT7: the Dorking Cockerel is the best angle for a hook, in my view. As a unique breed commemorated in that wonderful statue on the roundabout, it is interesting enough; but the yarn-bombing aspect (which I wasn't aware of) makes for a particulary compelling hook. The sources are from various local newspapers which are fine to use as sources. The three hooks are quite similar, but the best and most concise is ALT7. I would suggest delinking cockerel, though, to put the focus on Dorking as the target article.

• This article is good to go and ideally should be showcased in the (pictured) slot. I strongly recommend ALT7 and the Cockerel picture. Hassocks5489 (Floreat Hova!) 02:11, 14 February 2021 (UTC)

I agree that the 10-foot cockerel makes for a strong hook. However, I would suggest further modifying alt7 to delink yarn bombing as that concept is so intriguing that it may well draw most of the views away from Dorking. Cbl62 (talk) 03:01, 14 February 2021 (UTC)

FWIW, alts 5 and 6 were inspired by my inner Beavis and Butt-Head, and while it made me chuckle, I agree the 10-foot cock makes for a better hook. Cbl62 (talk) 03:07, 14 February 2021 (UTC)

Thanks very much @Hassocks5489: and Cbl62 (talk · contribs). I'm looking forward to seeing this DYK appear on the main page!! Mertbiol (talk) 08:06, 14 February 2021 (UTC)

Just wondering whether "10-ft tall" would be better than "10-ft high" to describe the size of the cockerel statue? I will leave this for others with more experience to decide. (This is my first DYK.) Mertbiol (talk) 08:45, 14 February 2021 (UTC)