Would you be surprised if I told you that people collect bricks? Well they do. How do I know? I'll tell you a story - a mercifully short one.
A few days ago I received a text or email from a friend who had been out walking his dog. I won't mention his name but his dog's Mollie. Whilst out walking Mollie had met another dog and they'd got to talking about bricks the way dogs do. The Other Dog "I believe you've been to Lewis recently." Molly "Yes, great place. You should go there for romps on the beaches." TOD "Don't they have an old castle that's being renovated?" M "They do indeed." TOD "So they'll be knocking bits off it I expect." M "I expect so." TOD "I believe that bricks from the Lewis Brickworks were used in the building of the castle. Any chance of that chap you stayed with up there getting me one?" M "You want a brick???" TOD "Surely do."
So CJ and I ended up there yesterday. Whilst I was chatting to the rather bemused site manager and a chap from the city of my birth down in the North of England and obtaining a promise to keep me one if they found any and to pop back in a few weeks, CJ was ferreting around in the mud outside the site. He found a couple of bricks:
I duly sent photos in case these were of any interest to the collector of bricks and this evening received the information that the bricks were produced at no 1 Knightswood Brickworks, Netherton, Glasgow grid reference ns540696 and no 2 Garscube Brick and Tile Works, Netherton, Glasgow grid ref ns546696 and that the brickworks were working from mid 1890s to circa 1914? .
I'm sure that collecting bricks can provide a wonderful social history interest. As can collecting beer mats and other esoteric objects.
But........
There are obviously plenty of collectors and there is an international brick collectors society and plenty of websites and blogs dedicated to the sport. By the way does anyone know what a brick collector is called?
And now to bed.
