Nelson & His World

Discussion on the life and times of Admiral Lord Nelson
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 Post subject: Britannia right or wrong
PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:53 am 
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This letter appeared in The Times this morning (July 24):

Sir,

There is an apocryphal story that in 1819 the architect William Wilson leapt to his death from the top of his recently completed Nelson's Monument in Great Yarmouth on discovering that Britannia was facing in the wrong direction. In fact, it was the Superintendent of Works, Thomas Sutton, who suffered that misfortune after the heart attack which followed his climb of the 218 steps to the top.

Britannia still proudly gazes towards Nelson's birthplace in north Norfolk, as intended by the architect, but in this position she's been showing France a clean pair of heels all these years.

Oliver Chastney, Norwich

Sylvia: 'to show a clean pair of heels' is a colloquial expression meaning to move fast in order to make a getaway.


Last edited by tycho on Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 2:08 pm 
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Thank you Tycho, for taking the trouble to explain the expression “to show a clean pair of heals” to me. Your thoughtfulness is much appreciated.
Sylvia


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:44 pm 
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Tycho,

You certainly shouldn't believe all you read in the papers in this case. Wouldn't it actually be Sylvia's fellow countrymen who 'see the clean pair of heels all these years', they being directly across the North Sea and the France being further south and round the corner?

Perhaps someone should also point out that in any case neither Britannia nor Nelson would have shown a clean pair of heels to the French - they certainly not being in the habit of running away. Ship's bows now, that would be a different matter!

Kester


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:55 pm 
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How right you are, Kester!

I've been in touch with the museum at Great Yarmouth and the curator tells me she has replied to the Times letter. I'll keep you posted if it's published.


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:00 pm 
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From The Times this morning (26 July):

Sir,

Further to the letter regarding Thomas Sutton, the town surveyor for Nelson's Monument in Great Yarmouth, he did not jump from the top after a heart attack. He was carried down all the spiral steps, as one would expect. The only person to fall from the top of the monument was an actor-entertainer named Charles Marsh in 1863. Marsh decided to entertain the crowds by performing some 'gambols'. He climbed out onto Britannia's shoulders, but when attempting to climb back on to the viewing platform, he slipped and fell the 144 feet to his death. The local paper gave grisly details.

Regarding Britannia's position, nobody really knows why she faces inland. There have been many theories over the years, but none has been proved or disproved. I would be surprised, however, to find that Great Yarmouth faces France - I rather thought we faced the Netherlands.

Faith Carpenter
Curator, Norfolk Nelson Museum
Great Yarmouth
www.nelson-museum.co.uk


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