MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Big Kev]

It is a medal but you're way off on the sport

[PanBiker]

Basketball? your lads at a guess.

[Big Kev]

Basketball? your lads at a guess.

Spot on, Ian. England Basketball League winners 2014. This is the individual medal presented to each player. I'll put the full image on here later.

[plaques]

I think we all know what it is but what's so special about it?

[PanBiker]

Is it a portable or travelling commode?

[Big Kev]

Basketball? your lads at a guess.

Spot on, Ian. England Basketball League Final Fours Play off winners 2014. This is the individual medal presented to each player.

http://leedscarnegiebasketball.co.uk/ar ... -champions

[Stanley]

Looks like a very early water-flushed closet.

[plaques]

Stanley's got it. A very early c1825 thunder box. The brass plunger actives a pump which flushes the bowl. Pre-dates the flush toilet as we know them.
Panbiker is also correct in that it is fully portable.
OG the seat of learning on toilets.
Next please.

[chinatyke]

OGFB the seat of learning on toilets.

"There's something in that" as the burglar said when he put his hand in the night commode...

[plaques]

These boxes where used when the Big-Wigs left their stately homes and slummed it round Burnley and Nelson. In those days they didn't have public toilets. A bit like what we are getting back to now. I suppose they didn't want to leave any evidence as to where they had been. Possibly a result of Jonathan Swift's "Laputa, Gullivers Travels" where the pesky scientists examined the resultant stools to see what people were thinking. Laputa
I can almost predict what we shall hear from Chinatyke on this subject!!!

[Stanley]

Possibly the worst name you could give a WC bowl! Question is, where did I find it?

[chinatyke]

Wonder why a leadless glaze was an advertising feature. What importance did this have?

[Stanley]

The commonly used lead glaze was erroneously thought to be a poison hazard so 'leadless glaze' was a selling ploy....

[Big Kev]

Possibly the worst name you could give a WC bowl! Question is, where did I find it?

Somewhere in Australia or the US?

[Stanley]

No Kev, much nearer home, think Bonny......

[chinatyke]

... think Bonny......

Bet that has seen some bonny bums in its time, Colne's fairest no doubt.

Thanks for the explanation of lead glazes, sorry about the toilet humour.

[Stanley]

Nowt wrong with toilet humour, we all have to go there! (Have you heard about the constipated draughtsman?)
Dead right, it was in Colne....

[Bodger]

or the gay architect who had his house made backwards

[Stanley]

This thread is deteriorating! The 'Clencher' toilet bowl was in the old grammar school at Colne. Try this one....

[plaques]

Entrance to an escape tunnel. Possibly to Australia.

[PanBiker]

It's at Clarion House of course, one of the last functioning ones in Lancashire. Ceramic tippler mechanism was broken by an enthusiastic "expert" from Bradford Uni I think who insisted on lifting it out to inspect it. Fortunately with modern compounds for bonding ceramics we have been able to effect a suitable repair and the tippler still works flushing both the long drop and gents urinals in the outside toilet block. The brick built toilet block and settlement tank beyond was built by apprentice lads under the direction of Stan Iveson. The system is a wondrous thing and is flushed using the waste water from the Clarion kitchen although you never think that if you have to deal with the blockages that used to occur from time to time when it was in general use. Clarion House now has full mod con's with internal lavatories including disabled facilities. The inside toilet enclosures are in keeping with the main building and are of wooden construction.

[Gloria]

Secret entrance to the treacle mines?????

[Stanley]

Of course it is... Try these.

[Gloria]

Maybe dowel pins??? but no shaping on one end so maybe not.

[plaques]

The old style fibre wall plugs. Before the plastic ones came out.