Ah therein hangs a tale Barry!

Yesterday I travelled all the way to Preston to be photographed by the horsetrough.

A bloke at a folk club in Lytham last September told me about the horsetrough/murder weapon. To be honest, I thought no more of it until I had to do an album cover. As usual George Joseph Smith was in the line up of songs. When your career has never really taken off, you have to be grateful that at least the public know you for one song and so it goes onto every album/cassette/cd/dvd whatever!

So I ring up Lancashire Police and they assure me that they do indeed have the George Joseph Smith bath with which he drowned somebody - it is in the the possession of the school for mounted policemen. I ring up the school for mounted policemen, yes they've got the bath allright - their horses are drinking out of it as we speak......

So yesterday. I drive from Nottingham to Preston....no small distance for a faintly ludicrous errand. And I am escorted to the bath/horsetrough, over which hangs a brass plate:-

IT WAS IN THIS VERY BATH THAT BUCK RUXTON MUTILATED THE CORPSES OH HIS WIFE AND HOUSE SERVANT IN 193BLAH! BLAH!!


Oh shit.! Wrong murder! Wrong bath!

THe Crosby Murders(written by your good self) arrived whilst I was away. I will give it my full attention when the album is in its sleeve.

Meanwhile I am not so easily defeated. I will try the Black Museum at New Scotland Yard - see if they can help me locate the right bath. anybody know someone in charge there who might help?