That’s a headline you won’t see often, but the story behind it is as follows. We’ve been asked for help by Lucy Evans, Serials Processing Manager at the British Library. She says:

‘… I am writing a biography of an inventor and librarian, Andrea Crestadoro, 1808-1879. I understand that once upon a time the sign for the Bridge Inn, Yatton, was of his machine – the Impulsoria. This was a sort of mobile, horse-powered treadmill, that ran in England at the Nine Elms station, London, in 1850 and also appeared at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851. It disappeared after that, though versions of it still crop up – ecological and kind to horses!

As there is only one other known illustration in existence (of its appearance at Nine Elms) I was very excited to come across the reference to the Bridge Inn sign in the “Wordsworth Dictionary of Pub Names”. Yatton Library have found out from a resident that the sign was there until relatively recently, but the thought it might have been destroyed is really upsetting!

I wonder if you know of any pictures or photographs of this sign?  It would be fascinating to know why the Yatton Bridge Inn chose the Impulsoria for the sign – maybe someone saw it at the Crystal Palace Exhibition?’

If you think you can help Lucy, please contact her direct at Lucy.Evans@bl.uk, and let us know too at info@strawberrylinecafe.co.uk. We’ll let you know if the mystery is solved…