“Irreplaceable” gargoyles stolen from Newbury building Options

[blackdog]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2012/irrepla...ewbury-building

In the headline and the article the reporter uses quotation marks around 'irreplaceable' - presumably because he doesn't believe the 'gargoyles' are irreplaceable. So I wonder why he uses the word at all?

I have also used quotation marks around 'gargoyles' because, of course, the dragons were not gargoyles at all but finials.

If the owners want to replace them they could consider:

http://www.rooffinials.co.uk/dragon-finial...gon-finial.html

If a more accurate replacement is wanted I am sure they could find a potter who would make some to the original design (picture below).

Attached File(s)

 Dragon.jpg ( 43.85K ) Number of downloads: 24

 

[JeffG]

In the headline and the article the reporter uses quotation marks around 'irreplaceable' - presumably because he doesn't believe the 'gargoyles' are irreplaceable.

No, I don't interpret it that way at all. That would be a shorthand way of reporting something that someone else had said to you, rather than your own words.

[blackdog]

No, I don't interpret it that way at all. That would be a shorthand way of reporting something that someone else had said to you, rather than your own words.

I agree that he is probably reporting what someone has told him - but I read the quotation marks as distancing the reporter from the use of the word - because he is, at the least, uncertain of its accuracy.

I should also have noted in the OP that I would shed few tears were those who nicked them to fall off the next roof they are robbing.

[Simon Kirby]

Here's a nice one.

The site also mentions what I also understand to be the oorigin of the finial - that it was to prevent witches (I understood the devil, but close enough) sitting on the end of your roof. In a similar vein, holly trees were allowed to grow up in hedges so that witches couldn't get a free run along the top of the hedge.

[Simon Kirby]

I also note that someone's stolen the apostrophe from 'Natures Corner'.

[Penelope]

Dem buggers will nick anything,

[Exhausted]

That's an old picture, Nature's Corner moved a few doors down years ago.

[Penelope]

That's an old picture, Nature's Corner moved a few doors down years ago.

But has the spelling improved?

[Exhausted]

But has the spelling improved?

Depends how many natures and how many corners.

[Nothing Much]

In a similar vein, holly trees were allowed to grow up in hedges so that witches couldn't get a free run along the top of the hedge.

I once got involved In Lincoln Trials. On line.
Sometime in the 1660s a namesake was hung for being a witch, or just being an old lady. I got bored after 1890
My garden is ringed with firethon and holly .
ce

[Jayjay]

I agree that he is probably reporting what someone has told him - but I read the quotation marks as distancing the reporter from the use of the word - because he is, at the least, uncertain of its accuracy.

I should also have noted in the OP that I would shed few tears were those who nicked them to fall off the next roof they are robbing.

I was taught at school that " ..." was the sign for quotation and ' .... ' was a sign of irony. Mind you it was a few years ago since I attended school so the rules may have changed.

[Berkshirelad]

Gargoyles are water spouts; if no water flows through them then they are grotesques.

[lordtup]

Gargoyles , grotesques , finials ? As they have been removed by person or persons unknown we shall never know .
Perhaps the perpetrator could contact this forum and enlighten us .

[Simon Kirby]

Gargoyles are water spouts; if no water flows through them then they are grotesques.

Architecturally speaking they're finials, sitting on the end of the ridge at the top of the gable, and yes, as gargoyle-like ornaments that aren't actually water spouts they're grotesques.

[Mark NWN]

My email and phone number accompany the piece, should anyone want to ask me anything, or correct anything. I have made that point before on here but strangely no one ever bothers... no idea why, I don't bite

"irreplaceable" was a quote - who am I to say they are irreplaceable? To the owner they are, so that is how I have described them, and also how Thames Valley Police described them:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh-t...sitem?id=231554

Hope this clears it up.

[Simon Kirby]

My email and phone number accompany the piece, should anyone want to ask me anything, or correct anything. I have made that point before on here but strangely no one ever bothers... no idea why, I don't bite

"irreplaceable" was a quote - who am I to say they are irreplaceable? To the owner they are, so that is how I have described them, and also how Thames Valley Police described them:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh-t...sitem?id=231554

Hope this clears it up.

It's not clear from the photo, but in the interests of annoyingly obscure pedantry, I would question whether the creature of the story's finial is actually a dragon. There were dragon finials, but I think these might have been wyverns, like this magnificent one:

(this one appears to have replaceable wings)

[JeffG]

"irreplaceable" was a quote - who am I to say they are irreplaceable? To the owner they are, so that is how I have described them, and also how Thames Valley Police described them:

Mark, some (the rest?) of us realized what was meant - see my post #2.

[Mark NWN]

The man or woman in the street (perhaps someone who saw the statues being taken) would see a dragon, as per the Thames Valley Police description and the owner's description, for purposes of helping track it down it seems sensible to call it something that people would easily recognise.

[Penelope]

It's not clear from the photo, but in the interests of annoyingly obscure pedantry, I would question whether the creature of the story's finial is actually a dragon. There were dragon finials, but I think these might have been wyverns, like this magnificent one:

(this one appears to have replaceable wings)

Possibly a 'Chimera' could be a better description?

[NORTHENDER]

I think Chimera are usually Lion headed and Goat bodied.