Spied through the heavy open gasworks gates, Freddy the Flag waves Peter Peckett past to collect an empty coal wagon or three. Peter doesn’t really need Freddy the Flag, but he’s been waving his flag since he was knee high to a grasshopper, Freddy being a twin half cousin to Waving Willy, Wally and Waymond.
It’s a smelly choking place which has inspired many a miserable folk song as well as paintings depicting a smoky industrial Little England where children were given an old iron railing to chew on for a special weekend treat. Not that weekends were a thing, for in those days you were expected to work every day for 21 hours, but you were given the night off on Sundays.
The gates were originally intended for a dry dock, but were found not to be deep enough, so ended up here at the entrance to the gasworks instead. They’re usually kept open, because being so heavy they require at least three burley blokes to operate them. Though if they oiled the hinges just one would be required, but that would require a union meeting.
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