Monument
 

On the GE down electric adjacent to the training ground of West Ham Utd at Chadwell Heath there is a monument. I have heard many reasons for its presence. Could anyone explain what it is there for?

No idea, but there was an accident in that area in Nov 1898 ! But I can't find any details, there may not have been any fatalities.

I THINK the monument you've seen MIGHT be a 'Coal Tax Post' - there's one on the north side of the line at Chadwell Heath, behind Crow Lane (apparently - I don't know the area). About 250 of these were put up from 1851 to mark the limits of the Metropolitan Police Area; they radiated approximately 20 miles from the centre of London, and covered all railwa lines & roadways. There was a tax on coal & wine brought into London, and these were the points at which tax had to be paid if importing such produce into London. I could be wrong, of course, but it makes sense; have a look for yourselves:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_tax_post

Hope this helps. Happy New Year!

You Dave are such an asset to this forum .I had seen them thanks, very interesting never knew that happened

Thanks Garrat - a glowing reference indeed; I doubt my head will fit through the door now! As a matter of fact, I'd never heard of ANY of it until I read the thread - less than 45 minutes ago! Didn't even know where Chadwell Heath WAS! As they say - 'Google is your friend'.
Don't get TOO drunk, you lot!
:):D;):cool:

Your welcome .Dave Im now off to the pub see our drummer playing with his other band .Might geta go if not too many real ales
All the best for 2010

I have to ask - what do YOU play? (when sober-ish?) :cool:

Thanks to Dave Rowland I think you are right I had heard it was to do with Coal now I can say with some certainty what it is for. Every time I have had a road learner it is the question that crops up. What is the monument for. I had been told it was a boundary, Coal tax point even a post where they timed the Decapod Steam Engine when it was tested!

I play as an instrument a 1976 Strat thats my favourite tho do have several others.The band is a covers band evrything from rock n roll blues country we do pubs wedding clubs anywhere really.:cool:

Very nice! I USED to have a circa 1970-ish maple neck sunburst Strat, but I sold it in the early 80's, the one in my photo is what I refer to as my 'Pretender Shamocaster' (£20 from a junk shop in Wrexham c.1988, and done up). I still have a 72-ish Gibson LP Custom, 67 Gibson SG Standard, and a 66 Gibson Firebird (forward body). I also used to have a 1971 335 and a 65 SG Junior, but sold them as well. I've got a Hohner fretless bass also.
I WAS in my own band, doing much the same sort of thing, but I was sick for a year, and the ar*eho*es decided they could do without me! At 60. it's a bit late for trying to start again - that's why I now spend so much time doing train stuff! :mad:

Top of The morning to you Dave, wow a 335 im a big Larry Carlton fan never the bread for one. Spent it all on wine women and bikes wasted the rest.Im 67 and still doing it was pro years back played all over germany and in the states in Nashville .Great days pity your not closer a jam would have been good and I aint gonna stop until it kills me

Good morrow squire. I actually sold the 335 (walnut) in order to buy a P.A. for the s*ddi*g band. I didn't like it much, for some reason the neck always got sticky after a few minutes, no matter how often I cleaned it, it just kept happening. One of the other ar*eh*les in the band had a new 'old' cherry 335, and exactly the same thing happened wth that. Very odd; out of all the guitars I've played, it was only the 335s this happened on. I'd love to carry on playing, but it's not easy to get a band up & running at this age (I can't sing, and I'm a pedestrian!), if I was still IN a band, it wouldn't be a problem!

I just noticed you're in Bedford - I stopped off there for a couple of hours on 24th August, managed to photograph 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" going north with a support coach:
http://daverowland.fotopic.net/p61209656.html
(plus others)
I didn't happen to have a guitar about my person though. Or amplifiers (Marshall 100 combo & 1969-ish Fender Twin Reverb); too heavy to be luggin' around on trains!

Im a singer as well as lead player Dave along with my daughter and the old voice is still holding up .Bands are hard to hold together you wouldnt believe how many drummers weve had .I left school at 14 to join a theatre group traveling around the country and had voice coaching by a lady Opera singer and despite abusing it for years its still ok .I will stick something on private msg for you

[QUOTE=garrat;37446I will stick something on private msg for you[/QUOTE]

I look forward to imminent enlightenment! :)

I was on it Dave great trip it lost loads of time due to signal problems but made it all up a great loco was supposed to have an Irish mate join me But he took objection to the name.

Hi Dave - are they valve amps ? :D

They're funny like that! Just had a look at your site - I assume you're Chopper? Playing a blonde 335 in one pic?

Yep thats me its not a real one its an epiphone tho made in the Gibson factory ,doest play as good as the Strat tho also have a Fender twin reverb Talk about heavy you need three roadies to carry it and you dont put your hand on it after the gig you could fry eggs on it .Valve heat.

The Marshall combo is only about 6/7 years old, and NOT valves, but the Twin Reverb (which I bought s/h for about £200 around 1975) is valve. As you say, it's UNBELIEVABLY heavy! Lucky I live in a ground floor flat! My old rhythm guitarist used to lug it around for me; he's got his own office supplies business, and is used to humping photocopiers & the like around. Also, most of my PC equipment was sort of given/lent/on HP to me from him - good man. He also took me & all our gear to gigs in his Volvo estate (the band chucked HIM out not long after dispensing with my services - he ALSO refers to them in glowing terms).
:D

I,mostly for pub gigs use a Laney ft300 and the band says its too loud it does have a lot of poke and only a 12inch in it .I also own the pa mikes and stands etc pokes out 700w plenty for what we do ,Guitars, The epi ,strat, a one off i had built to my speck by a Beatles luthier guy looks like a duo jet. an echo jazz which is rare, takamine accoustic and my latest is a park P42 which I really like.you can have too many women but not enough axes.Dare not say who I played with in the past ir might be watching

I've just accidentally discovered this photo of a coal boundary pillar:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21602076@N05/3101828581/
Is this similar to what you saw?

Good old Google.
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corpo...coal_posts.htm

Thanks Dave Rowland for the picture of the Coal Tax Post. The post at Chadwell Heath is about 9' tall. It is a basic stone structure more what you might find in a graveyard. Until a few years ago there were the remains of a cast plate attached. I'll stick with 'Coal Tax Post' until I hear something more convincing! It is nearer to what was the general view of long gone Drivers who always had a great knowledge of the areas outside the Railway in which they they worked. They were always good at pointing out the areas where famous people lived or where notable events had occurred.

Um, if i can get this thread back on "track", between Rugby and the site of the former Kilsby and Crick station, there is a monument to a father and son who were killed during the line's construction.

A few meanderings along the way perhaps, but not OFF track - the last posting before yours still referred to the original monument.....? :)