I bet the smell made you Moby Dick too.
Tony.
Tony.
Whale on a lorry! Eh!!
- Thread starter Eddie Zedder
- Start date
Can't see that happening today
I've been to wales on a lorry
Not old enough to have witnessed it at the time but that’s no excuse.
Yes I heard about this a couple of years ago. I might be imagining it but I think someone called in to Jeremy Vine on R2 and told the story. Or maybe I just read it on the internet.
There were actually 3 apparently and between them they toured Europe. According to a 2009 article I just refreshed my memory with one was still in existence and had recently been bought for restoration after 40 years in storage.
It got filed with my other strange animal stories. Like Thomas Ward’s elephant Lizzie. That one’s worth a google
Yes I heard about this a couple of years ago. I might be imagining it but I think someone called in to Jeremy Vine on R2 and told the story. Or maybe I just read it on the internet.
There were actually 3 apparently and between them they toured Europe. According to a 2009 article I just refreshed my memory with one was still in existence and had recently been bought for restoration after 40 years in storage.
It got filed with my other strange animal stories. Like Thomas Ward’s elephant Lizzie. That one’s worth a google
And talking of animals on lorries and in Wales.
2 years ago I was waiting at traffic lights in the centre of Swansea. A tractor pulled up pulling a trailer. On the back of the trailer was a dead cow on its back and with its legs in the air. I looked at the 2 lads in the cab and it clearly delighted them I’d done a double take.
I think it’s safe to say this was not a legitimate enterprise from the H&S point of view alone.
This stuff is one of the reasons I love Swansea. At times it’s like being in a time warp. It has more horses per acre than any other urban area in the country.
It’s not unusual at all to catch up with people using horses for transport either riding them or behind them on a cart. I even saw one tied up outside a pub recently when the rider had obviously gone in for a pint. And this is in the centre of town!
2 years ago I was waiting at traffic lights in the centre of Swansea. A tractor pulled up pulling a trailer. On the back of the trailer was a dead cow on its back and with its legs in the air. I looked at the 2 lads in the cab and it clearly delighted them I’d done a double take.
I think it’s safe to say this was not a legitimate enterprise from the H&S point of view alone.
This stuff is one of the reasons I love Swansea. At times it’s like being in a time warp. It has more horses per acre than any other urban area in the country.
It’s not unusual at all to catch up with people using horses for transport either riding them or behind them on a cart. I even saw one tied up outside a pub recently when the rider had obviously gone in for a pint. And this is in the centre of town!
That's a great story Rob 
When we first moved to Cornwall in 1995 we spent our weekends exploring the local villages. On one such visit to Fowey, (pronounced Foy) near St Austell we met an old lady doing her shopping and she had a big cross breed dog who carried the shopping on his back in a set of motorcycle panniers or saddle bags. It made us smile. I don't suppose either of them are still around now but it's a nice, unusual memory
When we first moved to Cornwall in 1995 we spent our weekends exploring the local villages. On one such visit to Fowey, (pronounced Foy) near St Austell we met an old lady doing her shopping and she had a big cross breed dog who carried the shopping on his back in a set of motorcycle panniers or saddle bags. It made us smile. I don't suppose either of them are still around now but it's a nice, unusual memory
I’m 1952 vintage...but never saw or heard of it but........
From BBC news......
Three dead whales were once on an almost permanent tour of the UK. Throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, thousands visited the preserved finbacks for both education and entertainment. So what is behind this unlikely whales' tale?
As family days out go, striding through the corpse of a whale on the back of a lorry is a bit different to enjoying a theme park or traipsing around a National Trust stately home.
But in their day, Goliath, Jonah and Hercules were hugely popular. Punters would pay an entrance fee before sauntering through the carcass in car parks and large grassy areas such as racecourses.
The entrance was a doorway cut behind its head, and exited "through goodness knows what orifice," says Duncan Daniels, who saw one of them in Great Yarmouth when he was nine.
In grisly juxtaposition, instruments of death such as the harpoon and other whaling tools were displayed next to the whale.
From BBC news......
Three dead whales were once on an almost permanent tour of the UK. Throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, thousands visited the preserved finbacks for both education and entertainment. So what is behind this unlikely whales' tale?
As family days out go, striding through the corpse of a whale on the back of a lorry is a bit different to enjoying a theme park or traipsing around a National Trust stately home.
But in their day, Goliath, Jonah and Hercules were hugely popular. Punters would pay an entrance fee before sauntering through the carcass in car parks and large grassy areas such as racecourses.
The entrance was a doorway cut behind its head, and exited "through goodness knows what orifice," says Duncan Daniels, who saw one of them in Great Yarmouth when he was nine.
In grisly juxtaposition, instruments of death such as the harpoon and other whaling tools were displayed next to the whale.
Seems like everyone knows about it except the people.
Must be the best-kept-secret marketing exercise ever
Must be the best-kept-secret marketing exercise ever
A couple of years ago we heard on the radio that a whale had been beached and help was needed to get it back in the water, we jumped in the Z and raced the 40 or so miles to the said beach but unfortunatly it was too late and the whale had died, the atmosphere was vey sombre as it was such a sad sight, apparently quite a few had beached over a few miles and all died
The world was a different place 65 years ago. Few TVs to see these things from afar and probably no nature programming anyway, little chance of travel to see them in the flesh and no internet. Also less H&S which would prevent it these days anyway, well in the state those things were in.
Although I think the ethos of the the whales had its roots in travelling Victorian circuses and showmen earning a living. So I think our surprise is that such enterprise persisted into the 1950/60s and also that it's not a more well known thing.
It's nice to still be surprised by such things into 2019 though isn't it?
And a link if you want to read about Lizzie Ward - https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/lizzie-elephant-sheffield-steel-industry-1.588712
Apparently there's still a saying in Sheffield, presumably used by older folk - "I was laden down like Thomas Ward's elephant". Oh and I use it too now even if no one has a clue what I mean until I explain it
These things are great as you find out one thing and they lead you to others. When I was reading up on Lizzie it lead me to find out more about Thomas Ward.
Thomas Ward is arguably one of our great forgotten industrialists. He pioneered recyling and processed scrap metal on a monumental scale. He had ship breaking yards around the country, including here in Swansea (well Briton Ferry). He also broke some famous ships like RMS Olympic sister ship to RMS Titanic.
My other half thinks it's hilarious I love all this. She says I was born to be an old fart - I'm happy with that
Although I think the ethos of the the whales had its roots in travelling Victorian circuses and showmen earning a living. So I think our surprise is that such enterprise persisted into the 1950/60s and also that it's not a more well known thing.
It's nice to still be surprised by such things into 2019 though isn't it?
And a link if you want to read about Lizzie Ward - https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/lizzie-elephant-sheffield-steel-industry-1.588712
Apparently there's still a saying in Sheffield, presumably used by older folk - "I was laden down like Thomas Ward's elephant". Oh and I use it too now even if no one has a clue what I mean until I explain it
These things are great as you find out one thing and they lead you to others. When I was reading up on Lizzie it lead me to find out more about Thomas Ward.
Thomas Ward is arguably one of our great forgotten industrialists. He pioneered recyling and processed scrap metal on a monumental scale. He had ship breaking yards around the country, including here in Swansea (well Briton Ferry). He also broke some famous ships like RMS Olympic sister ship to RMS Titanic.
My other half thinks it's hilarious I love all this. She says I was born to be an old fart - I'm happy with that
Brilliant story Rob. I don't think we will be hearing stories like this in the future, too many rules & regulations now and everybody's so anal about doing things by the book.The world was a different place 65 years ago. Few TVs to see these things from afar and probably no nature programming anyway, little chance of travel to see them in the flesh and no internet. Also less H&S which would prevent it these days anyway, well in the state those things were in.
Although I think the ethos of the the whales had its roots in travelling Victorian circuses and showmen earning a living. So I think our surprise is that such enterprise persisted into the 1950/60s and also that it's not a more well known thing.
It's nice to still be surprised by such things into 2019 though isn't it?
And a link if you want to read about Lizzie Ward - https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/lizzie-elephant-sheffield-steel-industry-1.588712
Apparently there's still a saying in Sheffield, presumably used by older folk - "I was laden down like Thomas Ward's elephant". Oh and I use it too now even if no one has a clue what I mean until I explain it
These things are great as you find out one thing and they lead you to others. When I was reading up on Lizzie it lead me to find out more about Thomas Ward.
Thomas Ward is arguably one of our great forgotten industrialists. He pioneered recyling and processed scrap metal on a monumental scale. He had ship breaking yards around the country, including here in Swansea (well Briton Ferry). He also broke some famous ships like RMS Olympic sister ship to RMS Titanic.
My other half thinks it's hilarious I love all this. She says I was born to be an old fart - I'm happy with that
In case they get taken to court and sued !!!!!
Ian jeffs
Dedicated Member
Showing my age but remember this one, it turned up in Leamington spa my home town, don't remember the year but a bloody long time ago,