Ever wondered where the saying, 'on the nail' comes from? Well, it is from items like this one in the covered market, Bath.The 'nail' was the stone table on which marketeers would strike a deal in full view of everyone around, by slapping the money on the table-top as the agreement was reached. Every town had a 'nail' in the market place, and this (18th century) one used to sit under the arches of the medieval market house (just like the one below in Tetbury, which still exists), and that market sat on a patch of land just to the east of the Abbey, before the Georgians pulled the fucking thing down, leaving a triangle of useless land which still remains bare to this day. The Georgians have as much to answer for as our 1960s and modern town-planners, I am afraid.
The present, permanent Victorian market in Bath is nice enough, but I bitterly regret the demolition of the original - only 20 yards away, and just before the Guildhall steps, where scaffold was erected for the public hanging of felons on market days, after the assizes.
Sigh...
P.S. - Note the stupid bits of metal that they have erected under the slate top, for HEALTH AND SAFETY REASONS!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletePPS - Hiding behind the right column is the present site of the FIRST 'Highgrove' shop. Did I ever tell you about how I met the Prince of Wales once? I didn't? Well why didn't you say so? Oi Vey!
DeleteDon't old building look so much better without bloody cars and yellow lines everywhere.
ReplyDeleteYes. I saw a photo from 1970 of a street in Bath once, and there were only 3 cars parked on a 600 yard stretch. 2 of them were Morris Minors.
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