The Times

A rather strange day, oscillating between some very good moments and some really bad. It has also been another very long day so I'm again posting past midnight and had no time to see what any of you are up to - with the exception of a couple of lucky dips.

Whenever I have a surreal day at the office I also seem to have surreal experiences on the street. Peter is one of the great characters of Shipley. He had an odd looking newspaper in his pocket today, which, when I asked him about it, he unfolded for me to see. It was a copy of The Times from January 27th 1898! I'm used to being taken back in time here but never quite this far. Nothing surprises me any more in Shipley! He wasn't too forthcoming about where it had come from but he was intent on trying to find a buyer. Next time I see him I will be asking for more of the story. And to see what price he got.

Amazing to think that all this was typeset by hand. Also amazing to think that there was absolutely no real care paid to design or any attempt to grab the attention by way of a headline. I was able to have a bit of a read on the way home. A couple of things caught my own attention - under the microscope of digital zoom!

First, in the Entertainments section under CRYSTAL PALACE - Pony Rides for Boys and Girls (and other attractions) is the statement: IMPERIAL BABY INCUBATORS, with LIVING INFANTS, OPEN ALL DAY. Did people offer up their newborns for visitors to coo at?

Second, an advertisement for BARNUM and BAILEY. GREATEST SHOW on EARTH. 3 Circus companies in 3 rings. 2 Olympian Stages. 1 huge racetrack. 2 Complete Menageries. 3 herds of Elephants. Museum of living freaks and curiosities. 20 Funniest Clowns on Earth. 70 horses performing in one ring. 400 Horses. 2 droves of camels, hosts of queer animals. 1,001 Marvellous sights and wonderful objects. A perfect kindergarten for children.

All that for a shilling. It must have been one hell of a spectacle. I do struggle to get my head around why no less than three whole herds of elephants were required. The logistics of feeding all those animals, and then clearing up after them, does not bear thinking about. The Victorians simply didn't mess about. I am sure it was quite literally the greatest show on earth back then. When the circus came to town I can imagine that every last person, man, woman and child, went along. We don't really have anything like that any more, that kind of almost universal shared experience. But we yearn for it - which is I'm sure why the really big events like Glastonbury sell out within minutes.

As I said, it's been a rather strange day.