Naked attraction

Under the headline `Nudists’ , a correspondent to the Observer of April 1939 made an interesting claim about Stirling’s famous Black Boy fountain .

The fountain at the corner of Allan Park and Port Street was erected in the mid 19th century to commemorate Stirling residents who perished when the Black Death arrived in the area in 1369. A third of the population of the town died in the epidemic.

Correspondent `The Guidman’ stated in his letter that the installation of the fountain had been followed by controversy.

`The boy, when first erected, ejected water as any small boy would, but those who did not pass by on the other side of the road, raised their hands in indignation because this nude figure adorned the end of Port Street,” The Guidman wrote.

He explained the statue’s means of ejecting water had been `modified’ but he remained in the `bare buff ’.

He said older readers would recall the Saturday night when one Stirling wag, who had spent a day out in the sun and a `hectic evening on the way home’, climbed on to the fountain and covered the Black Boy in a `sark, or long shirt, to hide his modesty.

`Passers-by that following Sunday were amazed to see at last their prayers had been answered,” added The Guidman.

He then took a swipe at Stirling shops for the use in display windows of `naked’ mannequins exposing the female form.

He was sure that women would be against their figure, or a figure resembling theirs, being exposed to the public gaze as the mannequins are.

This view was, he added, endorsed by his better half, The Guidwife, who said: `These figures are an absolute mockery of womanhood and very distasteful to the refined feelings of women of all ages.’