These are only a few of the letters of criticism despatched to The news and the now defunct Hampshire instances by using residents of Portsmouth throughout the reign of Queen Victoria.
The letters had been compiled into a new publication, expensive Sir: Letters from Victorian Portsmouth, which has been produced via Portsmouth creator and historian, Paul Newell, from Cosham.
while letters headed 'The Publican and the Policeman', 'The State of Male Lunatic Wards', 'mixed Bathing' and 'A Noxious scent', supply a tantalising glimpse into Victorian lifestyles, the gripes continue to be timeless.
It's this contrast of historic perception and modern complaint which captured the creativeness of forty seven-year-historical Paul.
'while the content of the letters gives a revealing insight into the hardships of Victorian lifestyles the sentiment of public subject has many similarities to nowadays.
'One letter raised concern with the volume of mud on the roads and what the council should do about it. This dispute may without problems translate to these days's pothole situation. whereas the specifics can also have changed many of the areas of dispute are accepted,' explains Paul.
one of the crucial key points for Paul is the primary-hand viewpoint of just what existence became like on the streets and in the dockyards of the city.
'The letters provide a window into the social heritage of Portsmouth which is written through the americans of the time,' says Paul.
'The correspondence depicts a very difficult lifestyles which became class divided. For those with money existence become generally good however for the negative it changed into extraordinarily challenging. most of the letters have been written via the gentry of Southsea, complaining in regards to the vices of public difficulty in the Portsea area of the metropolis. although, something someone's social standing one element which basically got here via changed into how shielding citizens had been of their metropolis in the face of outdoor criticism. here's anything which I think continues to be very apparent today,' he adds.
The letters chronicle the duration between 1840 to 1901, the year of Victoria's loss of life, and canopy one of the crucial key figures of Victorian history and traits which took location.
'One letter despatched with the aid of a Mr G Smith in 1872, two years after the death of Charles Dickens, wondered the proposal of a monument to be erected in honour of the "awesome man" as it turned into in opposition t his personal needs. it's a debate which rumbled on for over a century until a statue changed into eventually unveiled in Guildhall square in 2014,' explains Paul.
other sought after aspects of Victorian background consist of letters regarding life within the workhouse, existence for the city's babies in ragged schools, the commercial Revolution and development of the railways.
some of the letters which definitely stood out for Paul become submitted to The information in 1901 by using a Mr A.G Curtis, entitled phone Agitation.
'The letter questions the council's thought to installation telephones, describing the scheme as "a scandalous test with public cash",'says Paul
within the letter, Mr Curtis sarcastically questions the price of the cellphone. 'we're requested to image a dockyard man, longing for the sound of his spouse's voice, speeding off to a kiosk to ask if his dinner is capable or to order a joint from his butcher'.
in addition to presenting a revealing insight into the gender-particular roles of the period it highlights how the passage of time can cloud the belief of how new traits would were at the beginning welcomed.
'It's ironic what number of people have been scared of the introduction of recent technology as certainly well-nigh all and sundry nowadays will carry a cellular telephone. in the sequel i'm at the moment placing collectively about Edwardian letters many people question the introduction of the vehicle, the dangers it poses and demand a pace restrict of 10 miles per hour,' smiles Paul.
in addition to providing a list of key pursuits, Paul feels the letters additionally give a revealing insight into people's attitudes on the time.
'The insurance plan of babies changed into very different to the way it is today with babies as young as 10 being despatched to jail,' says Paul.
'there were a lot of road slaughter homes the place animals could be killed in-front of observing infants. It became pretty grotesque because the blood can be left to run into the streets'.
probably the most regular social attitudes generic within the letters was the clear big difference of gender.
'there were a number of letters about americans swimming in public areas, chiefly women. Two letters despatched to The news in 1900 examined the difficulty of mixed bathing and enabling guys and women to 'bathe on the identical seashore,' says Paul.
A Mr C Sinden expressed considerations of 'immorality and indecent behaviour' which is to be 'guarded against in a town like Portsmouth'. In a subsequent letter a Mr W Stevens ironically retorted: 'Let the prudish majority of the town council go to Sea View or Hayling Island and after witnessing the 'disgraceful and unhealthy scenes of aquatic debauchery' return and insult the first rate bathers of this city'.
it's the tit-for-tat correspondence in questioning governing bodies which saturates these days's social media. while the medium may additionally have changed the want for the public to vent their frustrations is still timeless.
Letters from Victorian Portsmouth retails at £15.ninety nine and is purchasable in most native bookshops and online through Amazon.
Compiling the ebook
The thought for Paul's new publication originated whereas producing his old ebook, stunning stories from Victorian Portsmouth.
'while searching in the course of the British Newspaper Archive for my first e-book I began to be aware a number of letters which caught my eye. I put them to one aspect however they had been truly unique and it became all the time my intention to come back lower back to them,' says Paul.
Paul then faced the difficult technique of deciding upon which letters to make use of.
'really if the letter was of interest to me then i might consist of it. I additionally selected examples of letters the place americans had replied with observe-up correspondence,' he adds.
Paul restricted the temptation to offer his personal interpretation of the letters.
'i thought about passing comment however i needed the focus to be on Victorian Portsmouth, written via the people of the time and conveying their views. I consciously didn't are looking to have an effect on the reader with my opinion however to permit americans to make their personal judgements,' he explains.
despite compiling greater than 200 letters there were a host which grabbed Paul's consideration.
A letter from 1858, entitled 'a gentle trace to Cab vendors', in particular caught his eye.
'The letter changed into about rushing horse drawn cabs and the risks posed to pedestrians. similarly there become a letter of criticism sent in 1874 about an exploding paraffin lamp. They had been both very a good deal Victorian issues which represented existence on the time,' he explains.
Paul has already begun work on the sequel – Letters from Edwardian Portsmouth.
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