Some national treasures are grand in scale, some national treasures are small but perfectly formed. The Westoe Netty on the other hand was a urinal that once resided near a railway embankment on Tyneside. It was immortalised in a 1972 painting by artist Bob Olley (click the link to see the picture itself - Well it has amused me!).
Originally built in 1890 the Local authority decided to demolish the the urinal 10 years ago, but Mr Olley and friends salvaged it. It was then stored in a council depot at South Shields. After a failed plan to re-erect the netty in the town centre, Beamish Industrial Museum in County Durham stepped in. There will be a strict ban on using it.
The Geordie expression netty (toilet) is said to derived from Roman slang on Hadrian's Wall (no idea whether this is true).
04 April 2007
03 April 2007
Happy (belated) blog birthday Tyger
Tygerland celebrated its birthday on Sunday. Happy birthday, albeit belatedly, from the Poor Mouth. Perhaps that joint party with jelly, cakes AND the Birdy song for next year (the whisky and hookers would be frowned on by the not-wife!).
Seriously, Tygerland is a damned good read - I would highly recommend a visit
Seriously, Tygerland is a damned good read - I would highly recommend a visit
02 April 2007
Oswald Mosley: Fascist, but kind to animals
This curious item appears in today's Guardian . Mosely may have had no qualms at being called a fascist or an anti-semite but the merest suggestion that he mistreated animals, would bring a storm of protest. Records released into the National Archive today show he wrote furious letters demanding an apology, after magistrates chided him for neglecting the pigs at his Wiltshire farm.The former leader of the British Union of Fascists (who had had spent three years interned as a threat to national security) was charged in1945 with over-crowding and under-feeding his pigs. Although magistrates threw out the case without hearing Mosley's defence. He had been anxious to prove his pigs suffered from a worms infestation which gave them their emaciated appearance, and had expert witnesses to support him. Mosley flew into a rage when the chairman told him: "The bench do not consider the prosecution has proved its case. We do, however, consider you should have been fully aware of the state in which the pigs were, and should have taken earlier steps to see they were properly cared for and better housed."
The Daily Herald described the reaction: "Striding towards the bespectacled, elderly Colonel Kingsmill, the former fascist leader shouted: 'Am I to be subject to stricture because of your observations, against which I have no right of appeal?'" Soon afterwards, he fired off letters to the Home Office and lord chancellor. The file released by the National Archive contains a brief response explaining the home secretary had no power in the matter.
Now we are one
When I started the Poor Mouth last year I didn't really know how long I would last before I got tired and gave up - It seems I've been going on a bit longer than I expected.
But there probably would not have been a blog were it not for Redwine who encouraged me to start blogging in the first place. I am grateful to Elasticwaistbandlady for her support, injections of humour and her frequent comments, Steve Bates , Roland Dodds at But I am a Liberal who was the second blogger to link to the Poor Mouth.
I might have given up after a couple of months but for the visitors and links that came through Bloggers4Labour, Renegade Eye and Sonia-Belle (the last two prove that opposites attract).
Thanks to Siv, Bryan, Beakerin, Tyger , Snowflake, Gert of MadMusingsofMe, who knows what I look like and where I work! Peteris who is a highly talented guy and geat to chat with, Siani , who I've known almost as long as I've had internet access, The Fotis (one of whom knows what I look like and where I live), Roger whose nature photgraphs are wonderful (and make me green with envy at his talent!).
Sorry if I have missed anyone out. I am grateful to everyone who has linked to the Poor Mouth and to everyone who has left (nice) comments over the last year.
But there probably would not have been a blog were it not for Redwine who encouraged me to start blogging in the first place. I am grateful to Elasticwaistbandlady for her support, injections of humour and her frequent comments, Steve Bates , Roland Dodds at But I am a Liberal who was the second blogger to link to the Poor Mouth.
I might have given up after a couple of months but for the visitors and links that came through Bloggers4Labour, Renegade Eye and Sonia-Belle (the last two prove that opposites attract).
Thanks to Siv, Bryan, Beakerin, Tyger , Snowflake, Gert of MadMusingsofMe, who knows what I look like and where I work! Peteris who is a highly talented guy and geat to chat with, Siani , who I've known almost as long as I've had internet access, The Fotis (one of whom knows what I look like and where I live), Roger whose nature photgraphs are wonderful (and make me green with envy at his talent!).
Sorry if I have missed anyone out. I am grateful to everyone who has linked to the Poor Mouth and to everyone who has left (nice) comments over the last year.
01 April 2007
Festival of the Trees 10
The 10th edition of Festival of the Trees is now at Roger B's Words and Pictures. Needless to say it includes plenty of excellent posts about trees and tree related matters. My post about the Black Poplars at a local nature reserve is among them (not that I think it's excellent - it's just among a lot of excellent posts!).
The Festival is well worth a visit if you have an interest in trees or if they give you wood...
more favourites: Blondie - Maria
You can't ask for a better comeback single. I was delighted when it went to number 1 here in the UK
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)