Monday, May 12, 2008

The Hitching Post

P brought me breakfast in bed yesterday for Mother's Day, and then B made a second breakfast for all of us (including R, his mom L, and his friend Spike, all of whom are now off playing at the Bay of Islands). P and I spent the day wandering through the neighborhoods taking pictures of plaques while B went for a 50K round the city bike ride. So far this is my favorite plaque:


So you don't have to strain your eyes it reads:

Hitching - Post
Used for
Tethering horses
These posts, which were erected at convenient places throughout the city and suburbs, were in common use before the advent of self-propelled vehicles. This is one of the few survivors.
Marked by the Auckland City Council, 1944.
Under it someone wrote in the wet cement "lest we forget" (it actually looks like "l'est we forget" but that doesn't make any sense, even in French.)


While I was taking these pictures a man noticed and laughed. He explained that he has lived in this neighborhood all his life and has never noticed this plaque even though he walks past it every day. Perhaps one reaches a point of saturation when surrounded by so many plaques. Maybe I too will one day reach plaque saturation.

2 comments:

Marlene said...

Amy, I think you have your subject matter for a coffee table book. I have not seen one about Plaques in Auckland. Go for it! Of course I will expect a cut of the royalties as your agent....

Adrianne said...

hope your toast was not too soggy or too hard and that your tea was warm and milky!! Happy mothers day!