2008 has been a great year for Nothing To See Here with more places and more visitors. The most popular destinations were:

1. Postman's Park, London - by a long, long way. Over 50,000 visited virtually, and a few took the chance to visit the real thing.
2. The Lorelei, London
3. The Tunnock's Factory, Uddingston
4. The Bakelite Museum, Williton
5. Forbidden Corner, Coverham
6. The Excalibur Estate, London
7. Rumbling Bridge, Perthshire
8. Trinity Car Park, Gateshead
9. T34 Tank, London
10. The Radar Museum, RAF Neatishead

In 2008 we spread our wings and visited Iceland, as well as welcoming new travellers Andrew, David P, Doctor Boogie, FP, Lucy and Maraid. We lost some friends - The Arena Funfair, Morecambe was demolished a few weeks ago in the name of regeneration, and others got a brighter future. In September it looked like The Excalibur Estate would get a Grade II listing which would help to protect its future.

The challenge for 2009 is to keep going in the same way. I'm sure we'll manage it. If you'd like to write something or suggest somewhere please get in touch. You can also check out the Nothing To See Here Flckr pool and get the latest articles on RSS and Twitter.

Nothing To See Here will be getting a bit of a makeover in 2009 so if you have any suggestions for how it could be better please get in touch. Until then, thanks for reading and happy trails.

Posted by Anne on December 28, 2008 | Permalink

The South Bank Lion stands proudly at the south-west corner of Westminster Bridge. Created in 1837 by W. F. Woodington, he's been about a bit, starting off as one of a pair on the Red Lion Brewery. When this was demolished in 1949 to make way for the Royal Festival Hall, King George VI took a shine to him and he was moved to Waterloo Station. But he wasn't there for long either. It was extended in 1966 and he ended up in his final resting place on Westminster Bridge near County Hall.

He also had a bit of a facelift on the way. When they were guardians of the Red Lion Brewery, both lions were red. The other one, which ended up on the Rowland Hill Memorial Gate at Twickenham Stadium, is now painted gold but the South Bank lion has been restored to show us what he's made of - Coade Stone.

Coade stone is a rather peculiar thing, not being a stone at all. Instead it’s a durable ceramic material which is resistant to the elements, explaining why our friend looks so sprightly today. Created by Eleanor Coade and first sold in 1769, it was easily produced in moulds, widely used, and hugely successful. Mrs Coade's Artificial Stone Company on Westminster Bridge Road catered for the high end of society, with its wares ending up in all kinds of high falutin' places, even Buckingham Palace.

However, Coade Stone's star waned as quickly as it appeared and in 1833 the company was declared bankrupt. Portland cement became a cheaper, more viable alternative and Coade stone was rarely used after 1840. According to records there are around 650 examples left, all over the world, with the South Bank Lion one of the finest. So for those of you crossing Westminster Bridge, this is no ordinary statue, this is one very special lion.

Continue reading "The South Bank Lion, London" »

Posted by Anne on December 20, 2008 | Permalink

Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar in Rawtenstall, Lancashire is the oldest original temperance bar in Britain. When it opened in 1890, temperance bars were ten a penny. There was no tax on alcohol, so every hour was happy hour. Alcoholism was rife, and in 1832, Joseph Livesey, a cheese-maker from Preston decided to take matters into his own hands - the Temperance Movement was born. Initially, steering clear of spirits was enough to get you membership but after a while "taking the pledge" came to mean no alcohol whatsoever. In fact, the word teetotal is said to come from one member, who spoke with a stammer and said that nothing would do except "tee-tee-total abstinence".

In the early twentieth century, temperance bars became the focal point of many communities with locals gathering for a quick sarsparilla as the Band of Hope children sang uplifting songs. The Fitzpatrick family were renowned herbalists and ran a chain of temperance bars throughout Lancashire. Malachi Fitzpatrick, the last in the family line ran the Rawtenstall bar for over fifty years and lived until he was ninety, putting his long and healthy life down to the tonic and potions he brewed in the shop.

Fitzpatrick's now has new owners, who have given the place a sympathetic refit. Visitors can continue to enjoy their award-winning home made cordials like sarsaparilla, blood tonic (a lot nicer than it sounds) and dandelion and burdock. The original bar is a tremendous looking thing, almost organ-like with mysterious stops for Cream Soda and “Wino” among others. The shelves are full of jars with strange sounding ingredients like comfrey and borage, and for the less adventurous there are traditional sweets (lot of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls) and remedies.

The place is littered with vintage bits and pieces like Reckitts Crown Blue soap and Asepso antiseptic soap. Some familiar brands like Vimto (invented in Manchester as Vim Tonic) and Eno's had their roots in these sort of places. In the supermarket they have a job competing against new, shiny competitors but here they're in a fusty, yet very pleasant world of their own. Herbalists have had to weather the storm of fashion over the years, shunned as the domain of cranks, so it's heartwarming to find Fitzpatrick’s in such rude health.

Continue reading "Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar, Rawtenstall" »

Posted by Anne on December 06, 2008 | Permalink