A morning walk around Castle Hill was a mixture of pleasure and frustration but ended with a smile.
I sometimes think we take Castle Hill for granted simply because it’s there: an ever present reference on the skyline.
Yet every step around the iconic landmark is imbued with 4,000 years of history. The pleasure on this day was because the weather was good and the sun shining.
The frustration was the sight of occasional litter that had been spread by the stiff breezes that are endemic to the hill.
I spent time stalking a black bird in the branches of a bush with camera at the ready, only to discover it was part of a bin liner.
I despise litter louts and can’t understand why they would want to defile beauty spots, but my disgruntlement was appeased when I found, on one of the information boards erected around the perimeter by Kirklees Council, a snippet of history of which I had been unaware.
It told of a little known tragedy in 1889, a few months after the Victoria Tower had been officially opened, when a gentleman called Edgar North fell from the top to his death.
This may have resulted from two contributory factors: there was no safety rail at the top of the tower and, before making the ascent, Edgar had consumed five “three penny specials” in the Castle Hill pub.
Each special consisted of two beers and three whiskies. For the price of 1s 3d, he had drunk 10 beers and 15 whiskies. As more than a century has passed, I allowed myself a certain levity when viewing his demise and was more surprised that Edgar had been able to negotiate the 165 steps to the top of the tower, than that he fell off it.
”After this incident, fencing was put around the viewing platform,” the information board states.
It makes no mention as to whether the pub licensee was henceforth required to issue a health warning with every “three penny special”.
