http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/entries/177393f4-907e-455e-bfb8-3ec947f1a71f
Should be interesting
Washing clothes in urine (as mentioned in the article) was a respectable custom which apparently carried through to the mediaeval period. The trick was to rinse them afterwards ... notably where to rinse them afterwards.
Hence the old saying: never drink from the Tiber.
On a similar note, might I recommend the works of Lindsey Davis and her Roman gumshoe, Marcus Didius Falco. Whenever he enters or leaves his garret subura, he is consistently reminded to "pee in the tank" by the owner of the laundry on the ground floor.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lindsey-Davis/e/B000AQ6YE0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1457153721&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lindsey-Davis/e/B000AQ6YE0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1457153721&sr=1-1)
Thats true Nick and incidently a very good series of books :)
Many of which gave been done for radio 4 too, with Anton lesser, if memory serves.
Quote from: Mark G on March 05, 2016, 05:53:33 PM
Many of which gave been done for radio 4 too, with Anton lesser, if memory serves.
Interesting choice. I always think of him looking like Columbo (its the similraity of names, I think Falco- Peter Falk).