Pumped up

Monday August 9th 2021

Burton Fleming, East Riding of Yorkshire.

Boss level village pump.

The Cat On The Hat

Sunday 8th August 2021

The hat on the Filey Post box has been changed for August and celebrates several events during the coming months.

....... National Chocolate Milkshake Day??? 

Arthur, Roger & Now Linda

Monday 1st August 2021

North of Thornwick Bay

Another memorial seat on the East Coast, this one is just to the North of Thornwick Bay on the path towards Bempton.

The seat appears to cater specifically for midgets, which is a kind thought by someone.

Most probably constructed by converting a style left over from part of a previous coastal path (erosion means that clifftop paths around here are in an almost constant state of inland relocation).

It provides a nice view for the shortarses to enjoy without having to dangle their legs. 

Can You Dig It?

Friday 23rd July 2021

Richmond Castle North Yorkshire

As a seat of local government and judiciary, Richmond Castle is comparatively well preserved when compared to similar fortifications which were more military based.

After the Civil War, a lot of castles were semi destroyed in order to prevent their future use by any faction that might have wanted to challenge the new regime.

Many suffered the loss of a main wall to render them useless (as at Scarborough and Helmsley, for example).

But Richmond's main tower remains intact together with stairways, running from the lower entrance hall, all the way up to the rooftop battlements.

In between, there is an entrance onto the defensive walls which offers a commanding view of the internal castle grounds and the town outside.

 

On my visit there was an archaeological dig underway as part of the Richmond 950 year anniversary. 

In true 'Time Team' fashion there were lots of beardy types (both men and women) wearing unfeasibly large hats whilsy digging trenches looking for ancient things. 

Here they seem to have excavated an entire 15th century family. 

On the outer wall of one of the towers is a supersized bird box which is probably home to something more hawk than sparrow. 

The main hall is the uppermost room and was used by local judges to hear the requests and disputes brought before them by the townsfolk.

 

They sat in impressive chairs and had a device into which they could whisper (and hear) advice from each other that they might not wish to be made public. 

Such as, "have you seen the tits on that one?!". 

Bog Standard

Friday 23rd July 2021

Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire 

Medieval toilet for the normal people. 

A wooden plank, with suitably sized hole would have been placed onto the wall supports above the long drop to the drain. A bucket of water would have been used to help things along to the outside of the castle. 

A bit basic but for those commoners within the castle walls, it was a massive step up from a wall and a handful of grass. 

The nobility, however, had (for those times) a Space Age Shitter. 

At the top of a tower, just about as far away from the main living quarters as you could get, was the Royal Kharzi. 

Unfortunately, this part of the castle was closed and not open for viewing, but from the outside you can see the rear wall of the loo sticking out (about an arses length) from the tower wall.

The part of the grounds it would land on forms the edge of an ornamental garden. 

The roses must have been fantastic. 

It would, however, have been quite a walk in the dark for a midnight visit, so, sometime, another set of conveniences were obviously constructed a little nearer to the main keep. 

These featured a separate 'Ladies' as well as running water, dispensable soap and hot air hand driers. 

Quite something for the sixteenth century.