Pub packed a big punch
QUESTION Do boxers still train in The Noble Art pub in Hampstead?
This pub on haverstock hill has a long history. it was originally founded as a coaching inn during the 17th century when it was called The Cart And horses. By 1723 it was known as The Load Of hay, reflecting its role serving farm labourers coming in from a day working the fields.
By the late 18th century, it had become quite famous, mainly because of its landlord Joe Davis. his life and death were recorded in an obituary in the Gentleman’s Magazine of 1806:
‘suddenly, at his house, the sign of The Load Of hay, near hampstead, Middlesex, the eccentric Joe Davis, known by the appellation of The host of haverstock hill.
‘The publick are well acquainted with the character and eccentricities of this huge man, whose caricature has long figured in the window of most of the print shops in the metropolis.
‘he used to offer copious libations to Bacchus early in the morning, and continue in a state of intoxication the whole of the day.
‘he died as he had lived, in the arms of the Jolly God; for, having spent another of his happy days, he at night threw himself prostrate at the bar, and, this being no novelty, remained there.’
The inn was later recorded by the American author Washington irving in Tales Of A Traveller (1824): ‘it was haymaking season and, as ill luck would have it, opposite the cottage was a little alehouse with the sign of The Load Of hay ...it was the resort of all the irish haymakers who would gather in the endless summer twilight, or by the light of the harvest moon, and sit round a table at the door; and tipple, and laugh, and quarrel, and fight, and sing drowsy songs until the deep solemn notes of st Paul’s clock would warn the varlets home.’
Former pugilist Frank Redmond was the landlord in the 1840s and in 1880 a gymnasium was established behind the building, where the Belsize Boxing Club was founded in 1880. From 1965 until 1974, the inn was called The Noble Art in honour of the boxing club. it was used by the British Boxing Board Of Control.
henry Cooper trained there; in 1966, Muhammad Ali sparred there in preparation for his fight with Brian London, whom he KO-ed in the third round; and Joe Frazier worked out in The Noble Art before his 1973 fight with Joe Bugner.
Today, the pub name has reverted to The Load Of hay, and it styles itself as a ‘craft beer bar and kitchen’.
Colin Williamson, London EC1A.
QUESTION When I was a lad in the Fifties, there was a ritual we had that when a hearse passed, we would hold our lapel until we saw a four-legged animal. Can anyone explain why?
This late 19th-century superstition began as the rhyme: ‘Touch your collar, never swaller, never catch the fever.’ it was chanted by children after seeing open casket hearses carrying victims of TB, consumption or scarlet fever.
The rhyme makes some medical sense: the idea is that you stop infection entering the body by holding your breath.
The touching of the collar is less obvious — a sign of respect, perhaps, or it may simply have helped the rhyme work.
By the Twenties, the rhyme became embellished: Hold your collar, touch your toes, Never go in one of those Hold your collar ’Til you see a brown dog. Pam Anderson-Moon, Formby, Lancs.
QUESTION Are there thermal energy extraction or processing plants at any active volcanos?
ICELAND sits astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. For this reason it is a highly volcanic island, with 26 high temperature geothermal fields and more than 600 natural hot springs.
it is the only country in the world that obtains 100 per cent of its electricity and heat from renewable sources: 87 per cent from hydro-power and the remaining 13 per cent from geothermal power.
Oil-powered fossil fuel power stations are used only as back-ups to the renewable sources. Almost all of iceland’s heating and hot water is obtained from geothermal sources.
in the Forties, iceland started tapping geothermal resources to heat the capital city Reykjavik, where nearly two-thirds of the country’s population lives. it is estimated that exploiting geothermal energy saves the country $100 million in imported fossil fuels.
Not only is geothermal water used to heat homes, but also to heat pavements and car parking spaces. About 40,000m of streets in Reykjavik are kept snow-free in winter using this technique.
Located on hengill volcano in the south of iceland, hellisheidarvirkjun (or hellisheidi) heat and power plant (ChP) constitutes the largest power station of iceland. The plant has a production capacity of 303MW of electric energy and 400MW of thermal energy.
While hengill is an active volcano, the last eruption occurred approximately 2,000 years ago.
The other half of Reykjavik’s electricity supply is provided by the nearby Nesjavellir geothermal power plant. The plant is also used to heat water to 88C for the capital to where it is piped down 800mm pipelines.
ironically, iceland has one of the highest per head greenhouse gas emissions in europe. imported oil is used to power iceland’s fishing fleet, cars and buses.
The country uses more power per head than any other country in the world because of its fishing and heavy industry.
Michael Bresolin, Warwick.
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