Being a creature of habit I arrive home for tea everyday from work at just about the same time.
If there is traffic congestion I can always ring or text ahead (where safe to do so).In a bygone age those held up on their homeward journey could have opted for a telegram or messenger to give news of a delay in getting back for their evening meal.
So what would be available say, in 1840's Victorian England?
In the case of a Yorkshire businessman the solution was to spend a bit of money on an eccentric idea.
The individual was a William Bettison, brewery owner and erstwhile newspaper magnate.
Although his commercial interests were in the city of Hull he resided in some splendour in the genteel seaside town of Hornsea. It was some years before the railway line would be built to the town (opened in 1862) and so the commute although of only around 15 miles would be by coach and horse.
By all accounts Bettison was a bit of a stickler for routine and one particular trait of his character was that he would insist that his dinner be served immediately on his return home from work.
Problems on rough, unmade roads, inclement weather, unpredictable horse drawn transport and a host of other influences could make him late for his regular mealtime and so to avoid cold dinners or no dinner at all he put some of his hard earned wealth towards the construction of a 55 foot high tower in his garden.
The idea was that from this lofty height, amongst a generally lower and gently local undulating topography a servant could spot his carriage as it descended Southorpe Hill which formed a main approach to Hornsea from the south west from Hull. A relayed message down the tower to the house would undoubtedly put other domestic staff on alert for his reasonably imminent arrival. The sanction of a dissatisfied master would be enough to galvanise swift action to have the victuals fully prepared and ready to eat.
The tower, designated Grade Two by Historic Britain survives today ( although Bettisons mansion was demolished in the 1960's) and is a great example of "Folly" architecture being of extravagant appearance that far overshadowed its purpose and with little other practical or feasible use.
One remarkable feature, thought to be the only one of its type in the whole country, is a full length retractable flagpole which when deployed would nearly double the height of the structure.
It is an unusual sort of tower; constructed in 'treacle' bricks which have been faultily fired in the local brick kilns. This gives a rather strange burnt black, almost slag-like hue and although there has been very little weathering in the ensuing nearly century and a half because of the hard, almost petrified qualities the bricks are by their nature very mishapen and distorted.
The bricks, from locally excavated clays (Hornsea is amongst other things famous for its glazed pottery) may have been rejects available at a cheap price, no doubt of attraction to a frugal businessman.
The interior, largely open plan does have a series of ladders and platforms which give access to a castellated roof. The Bettison brewery operation provided some embellishments to the design with glass beer bottles embedded as windows.
Bettisons Folly still stands quite strikingly but it is now in the middle of a 1970's housing estate.
It did play a part in the wartime years of the town by accommodating the air raid siren although public access as a consequence of successive private owners was otherwise denied .
That was until only recently when for the sum of £1 plus legal costs the tower was purchased for the benefit of the residents of Hornsea by generous benefactors . On Civic Day in the town the population can ascend to the heady heights and enjoy the elevated views out over the rooftops.
The history of the tower is quite unique, as is the construction and to acknowledge this Bettisons Folly was named in a top ten listing of fascinating structures by The Huffington Post in 2012.
We may applaud eccentric characters for leaving to the nation such flamboyant folly heritage but you may have mixed feelings about William Bettison based on the footnote that it was reported that the builder, a local man, was never paid for the job.
In the case of a Yorkshire businessman the solution was to spend a bit of money on an eccentric idea.
The individual was a William Bettison, brewery owner and erstwhile newspaper magnate.
Although his commercial interests were in the city of Hull he resided in some splendour in the genteel seaside town of Hornsea. It was some years before the railway line would be built to the town (opened in 1862) and so the commute although of only around 15 miles would be by coach and horse.
By all accounts Bettison was a bit of a stickler for routine and one particular trait of his character was that he would insist that his dinner be served immediately on his return home from work.
Problems on rough, unmade roads, inclement weather, unpredictable horse drawn transport and a host of other influences could make him late for his regular mealtime and so to avoid cold dinners or no dinner at all he put some of his hard earned wealth towards the construction of a 55 foot high tower in his garden.
The idea was that from this lofty height, amongst a generally lower and gently local undulating topography a servant could spot his carriage as it descended Southorpe Hill which formed a main approach to Hornsea from the south west from Hull. A relayed message down the tower to the house would undoubtedly put other domestic staff on alert for his reasonably imminent arrival. The sanction of a dissatisfied master would be enough to galvanise swift action to have the victuals fully prepared and ready to eat.
The tower, designated Grade Two by Historic Britain survives today ( although Bettisons mansion was demolished in the 1960's) and is a great example of "Folly" architecture being of extravagant appearance that far overshadowed its purpose and with little other practical or feasible use.
One remarkable feature, thought to be the only one of its type in the whole country, is a full length retractable flagpole which when deployed would nearly double the height of the structure.
It is an unusual sort of tower; constructed in 'treacle' bricks which have been faultily fired in the local brick kilns. This gives a rather strange burnt black, almost slag-like hue and although there has been very little weathering in the ensuing nearly century and a half because of the hard, almost petrified qualities the bricks are by their nature very mishapen and distorted.
The bricks, from locally excavated clays (Hornsea is amongst other things famous for its glazed pottery) may have been rejects available at a cheap price, no doubt of attraction to a frugal businessman.
The interior, largely open plan does have a series of ladders and platforms which give access to a castellated roof. The Bettison brewery operation provided some embellishments to the design with glass beer bottles embedded as windows.
Bettisons Folly still stands quite strikingly but it is now in the middle of a 1970's housing estate.
It did play a part in the wartime years of the town by accommodating the air raid siren although public access as a consequence of successive private owners was otherwise denied .
That was until only recently when for the sum of £1 plus legal costs the tower was purchased for the benefit of the residents of Hornsea by generous benefactors . On Civic Day in the town the population can ascend to the heady heights and enjoy the elevated views out over the rooftops.
The history of the tower is quite unique, as is the construction and to acknowledge this Bettisons Folly was named in a top ten listing of fascinating structures by The Huffington Post in 2012.
We may applaud eccentric characters for leaving to the nation such flamboyant folly heritage but you may have mixed feelings about William Bettison based on the footnote that it was reported that the builder, a local man, was never paid for the job.
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