eric
Regular Member
Posts: 145
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Post by eric on Jan 11, 2011 23:25:29 GMT
That the black bollards seen on Church Green, Hanover St and various other places round town, were designed to look like ships cannons?
After the Napoleonic wars, around 1814 many ships were decommissioned and the cannons taken off, the muzzle blocked with a cannonball, and placed into the ground muzzle up as bollards, and proved so popular, that modern bollards are often made to the same design.
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Post by Andy Wade on Jan 11, 2011 23:51:43 GMT
Yep.
And if you go to places like the Hoe at Plymouth, the originals are still in place. They look good though, don't they?
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Post by barcroftlad on Jan 12, 2011 8:53:36 GMT
Yes again, it's a bit like a brass monkey from the same era. Once I learned about that while a member of TS Marne, Keighley Sea Cadet Corps, in the early 50s, I never forgot it.Cheers.  |
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Post by Andy Wade on Jan 12, 2011 14:10:17 GMT
Brass monkey? Sea cadets? Pray tell.
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Post by barcroftlad on Jan 12, 2011 19:05:15 GMT
Brass monkey? Sea cadets? Pray tell. Allegedly the origins of the expression "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"--- Meaning cannon balls stacked in a brass tray (brass monkey). When the iron cannon balls froze they contracted and rolled off the brass monkey. This theory has been disproved as it is not practical on a swaying sailing ship but viable on land. As Sea cadets we learned all kinds of stuff from rowing whalers at Ponden Reservoir, knots in ropes to rifle drill to firing anti aircraft guns(simulated) at Whale Island, correct name HMS Excellent, the naval gunnery and radar school in Portsmouth.Great days and great memories. Cheers.  |
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Post by Andy Wade on Jan 13, 2011 0:26:39 GMT
I was wondering why this would have been taught at sea cadets. Cannons and stuff, seemed a bit historical. Good to learn they did teach these things though. Incidentally cannonballs were stored on holes bored in planks of wood called shot garlands. 'Brass monkeys' as you say, never existed as 'a tray on which cannonballs were stored'. I learned this whilst on a tour of the ship which they used for the Hornblower series, which was moored in Scarborough when we visited a few years back. They also have them on HMS Victory:  |
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Post by barcroftlad on Jan 13, 2011 4:15:41 GMT
great photo Andy. I visited HMS Victory in 1951 on my first visit to Pompey.If you are interested to read more of my Sea Cadets adventures ask Jan to send you pages 54-57 from my story. I still have the reference from the CO when I finished my life as a Sea Cadet in 1953. Cheers.
ps did you receive the email I sent to you at Oakworth village .com-webmaster etc 11 November about my brother in the Aussie army. I didn't get a response so you may not have received it.
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