Did you know?

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

During the Industrial Revolution, the rapid and poorly planned growth left Nottingham with the reputation of having the worst slums in the British Empire outside India.

It was all due to the Corporation refusing to enclose some of the "common land" surrounding the town till 1844.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

During the Industrial Revolution, the rapid and poorly planned growth left Nottingham with the reputation of having the worst slums in the British Empire outside India.

And yet there may be different views from the same time.

Having suddenly taken an interest in 18th /19th Century stage coach travel , I've just read two different accounts of the approaches to Nottingham around Trent Bridge .

The first from 1838 :

"Then to the old Trent Bridge , here at the toll gate opposite the Town Arms , toll was levied. this being the ancient fee taken towards the maintenance of the bridge .The coachmen used to say that crossing the Trent Bridge ....and the London (or flood) Road was the coldest and bleakest stretch of ground between London and Leeds."

The second from slightly earlier:

London Road it was one of the favourite promenades of the good folk of Nottingham. And even more difficult is it to understand that it was said that amongst travellers by stage coaches that the mile that separated Trent Bridge from Nottingham was the most beautiful mile near any town in Great Britain. But it must have been beautiful. The road crossed a lovely open space, the common lands of the town which in spring were carpeted with the etherial blue of the crocus .

[Beefsteak 305]

But did you know that a duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why

I'm afraid that's a bit of a falacy and has been proved to be incorrect. It's just that they don't really quack loud enough for the echo to be perceptable to the human hearing. When it is loud enough you can her one.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

The second from slightly earlier:

London Road it was one of the favourite promenades of the good folk of Nottingham. And even more difficult is it to understand that it was said that amongst travellers by stage coaches that the mile that separated Trent Bridge from Nottingham was the most beautiful mile near any town in Great Britain. But it must have been beautiful. The road crossed a lovely open space, the common lands of the town which in spring were carpeted with the etherial blue of the crocus .

David,

Until the enclosure act of 1844 the route into Nottingham via the "flood Road"(London Road) was indeed pleasant.

Until that period the southern edge of Nottingham was north side of the "Nottingham Canal"

"The Meadows" were indeed that and were often flooded.

Building of houses did not begin till about 1860.

Expansion

Gradually the town expanded. In 1845 the Enclosure Act was passed

to enclose the open fields surrounding the town. The award was made

20 years later allowing the Meadows, Sand and Clay Fields to be

used for building. In 1877 the surrounding villages were taken into

the town under the Borough Extension Act and further enlargements

were made this century. The wealthy moved out of the old town, mainly

from the area now called the Lace Market, into Nottingham Park and

Mapperley Park areas.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

P.S.

I have some maps of the Meadows Area dated 1880 where the houses/streets are yet to be built.

[poohbear 1,360]

P.S.

I have some maps of the Meadows Area dated 1880 where the houses/streets are yet to be built.

A lot of grass then?

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Queens Walk,Wilford toll bridge & Clifton colliery are all there though.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

By the 15th century, Nottingham had established itself as the centre of a thriving export trade in religious sculpture made from alabaster.

[Trevor S 2,003]

Did you know that the world's longest-running theatre show, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, had its world premiere in Nottingham at the Theatre Royal on 6 October 1952, in a pre-London tour.

It then opened at the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End on 25 November 1952 before it moved next door to St Martin's Theatre in 1974 and has clocked up over 25,500 performances.

Whilst November 25 is celebrated as the show's birthday, it was the fair city of Nottingham where it was first shown!

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Where was the "Mousetrap" game invented though?

[Trevor S 2,003]

America?

Interesting to read that one of the designers of the Mousetrap game was Harvey "Hank" Kramer and in addition to his game design credits, Kramer sculpted the famous horse logo for the Ford Mustang.

The man is a legend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Compo 10,328]

However, did you know that a manned rocket can reach the moon in less time than it used to take to travel the length of England by stagecoach.

These days it is faster to travel the length of England by 'Stagecoach' than by train!

[poohbear 1,360]

On April 13th in 1819 thousands of people crammed the Market Square in Nottingham to gape at the wonder of ten new street lamps that were lit for the first time using coal gas.

[Compo 10,328]

Coal gas - a home produced natural gas with no need for reliance on overseas supplies.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Gas works aka The House of Commons.

[StephenFord 866]

Coal gas - a home produced natural gas with no need for reliance on overseas supplies.

Except that it came from coal, which would militate against it being truly home-produced these days.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Except that it came from coal, which would militate against it being truly home-produced these days.

Would NOT have been a problem if M.T. hadn't closed down OUR mining industry in the 1980s & 1990s

[StephenFord 866]

Exactly my point. That Woman !

[katyjay 5,090]

Did you know that it's 50 years since the phrase 'Miranda rights' started and it started right here in Arizona. Ernesto Miranda wasn't read his rights on arrest, the conviction was thrown out, hence Miranda Rights came about. I learned this yesterday!

[Beefsteak 305]

Always wondered why you called them that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRGgTm7npVI

[BulwellBrian 107]

Coal gas - a home produced natural gas with no need for reliance on overseas supplies.

We would be back to people putting their head in the oven, coal gas contained a high concentration of Carbon Monoxide not present in natural gas.

[StephenFord 866]

That's true. I seem to remember when we went over to natural gas, they said that it had no smell (unlike coal gas which most certainly did - remember Basford Gas Works? - I'm surprised arcing on the trolleybus wires along Radford Road didn't cause explosions!). Didn't they add a sickly odour to it, to alert people to leaks that would otherwise have gone undetected until they struck a match or whatever?

[Limey 242]

Correct - a "smell" was added to natural gas to alert folks to a leak, or an unlit burner!

It is amazing how sensitive our sense of smell is - we can detect gas concentrations way below the LEL (lower explosive level) which is why we think the trolley bus arcing should ignite the gas around Basford, but did not!

[BulwellBrian 107]

Methane is explosive in air at approximately 5% to 15%. The smell at Basford would by in parts per million.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Nottingham's Old Market Square, at 5.5 acres, is the biggest market square in the country.