 | On the continent, chimneys are
traditionally swept from top to bottom, whereas in England they are swept from
bottom to
top.
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| The 'colliers' - seagoing barges
from Newcastle - were the first commercial steam-powered vessels to use the Thames. Until
then barges had sails.
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| There is no mention of coal in
the Domesday Book of 1085, yet the Romans were using coal in Britain 1000 years before.
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| From the 12th to 16th centuries,
there was a strongly held belief that coal was a form of vegetation and actually 'grew'.
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| In what book would you find this
quotation? "There was once a man who, not being able to find any other fault with
his coal, complained that there were too many prehistoric toads in it!" (Click here
for Answer)
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| At the great exhibition of 1851,
the most prominent item on display was the gigantic lump of coal close to the entrance.
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| The oldest type of coal is
anthracite, formed up to 400 million years ago! Lignite is the youngest at under a mere
million years. . .
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| Coal is found on every continent
from the Arctic to the Antarctic, yet it was formed in temperate and subtropical
conditions.
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| Carrying a small lump of coal
for luck is a long held superstition - particularly by sailors and burglars!
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| In the 19th century coal was
used as a material to make buttons, spoons, plates, dishes, snuff boxes, inkwells,
candlesticks - and even statues and church floors.
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| In theatre superstition,
standing on stage and throwing a piece of coal into the gallery is meant to ensure a
successful future for a new theatre.
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| Finding a piece of coal on the
ground is supposed to be lucky. Pick it up, spit on it and throw it over your left
shoulder as you make a wish.
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| "To haul over the coals"
means to severely reprimand and was punishment once applied to heretics.
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| A coalfish is a member of the
cod family. It has a dusky colouring with a green back.
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| One reason chimney sweeps are
considered lucky is that when king George II's horses bolted, a small sooty figure was the
only person to step from the crowd and stop them.
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| The world record for non-stop
bag carrying is held by a Birmingham man who carried 50.8kg (111 lbs) of household coal 34
miles in 12 hours 45 minutes in 1986.
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| A box of coal and a plate of
salt should be the first items taken into an empty house before moving in the furniture.
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