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Original poster

To be shocked that stately homes used to weigh guests and record it in a visitors book?

53 replies

crunchymint · 15/12/2017 14:51

Found this out yesterday. It was seen as a bit of fun. I can not think of anything more horrific (well of course I can, but you get my meaning)

OP posts:
ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 15/12/2017 14:57

Was that specific to one home or in general? I've never heard it before!!

SylviaTietjens · 15/12/2017 15:00

Did all stately homes do this? I’ve seen a guest book from my local stately home from last 1700’to mid 1800s. I don’t remember there being weight recorded. Was it to try and show how good the cook was or something?

Original poster
crunchymint · 15/12/2017 15:01

In general, was a bit of a fashion. They read out weights of some famous people who had visited.

OP posts:
Original poster
crunchymint · 15/12/2017 15:02

Impression given that was it a fashion more to show off your weighing machine.

OP posts:
MissWilmottsGhost · 15/12/2017 15:05

I've never heard if this, it seems a really weird thing to do? Which stately home?

wonder if it's the one the MN thread is named for

BarbaraofSevillle · 15/12/2017 15:06

If a weighing machine was a novelty, people probably wanted to have a go on it.

it was probably in a time when there was no angst about weight anyway.

But I've never understood why people think that being weighed could be 'horrific'. If you're overweight, they can see that by looking at you. Knowing whether you weigh 9/10/12/18 stone adds little to that knowledge.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 15/12/2017 15:09

Interested to know when this was.
It's one of these things I am perfectly prepared to believe once I know more about the sources.

Original poster
crunchymint · 15/12/2017 15:16

It was on a TV show yesterday when they showed a weighing seat and the book that weights were written in. Not sure which stately home the book was from. The presenter said this preceded the visitors books we know about today. And I had never heard of it either.

OP posts:
Original poster
crunchymint · 15/12/2017 15:17

Think it was BBC.

OP posts:
lidoshuffle · 15/12/2017 15:22

It was Mary Berry at Goodwood House.

arielmanto · 15/12/2017 15:23

It was goodwood, wasn't it? That Mary Berry show

LemonadeWithACherry · 15/12/2017 15:25

It was on the Mary Berry stately homes program. I didn't hear anyone say it was done at other places though.

It annoyed me when Mary and the Duke (or whatever he was) expressed horror at being weighed, as neither of them are even slightly overweight.

Does anyone remember how Chris Evans used to weigh his guests on TFI Friday? I remember being astonished that the Spice Girls weighed 7 stone or something, as I haven't been that since I was a child!

Original poster
crunchymint · 15/12/2017 15:26

Oh was it only at that stately home?
Sorry I was watching while doing other things so missed that.

OP posts:
TimeIhadaNameChange · 15/12/2017 15:26

Scroll to the end here.

DonnyAndVladSittingInATree · 15/12/2017 15:28

Being larger used to be a desirable thing. It was sign of wealth that you could afford to eat well.

lidoshuffle · 15/12/2017 15:40

I thought Mary was dreadful how she didn't even bother to find out the name of the duke's (adopted, which I feel is sort of relevant) daughter and asked her to repeat it.

Doingthebattybat · 15/12/2017 15:57

Wow. How bizarre. I wonder if this is where Slimming World and Weightwatchers got their idea from 😀. Allow people into the building weigh them and charge them for the privelige.

ScrambledSmegs · 15/12/2017 16:01

The clothing women wore in those days must have weighed loads - I wonder what everyone would have weighed without all that fabric and whalebone dragging them down.

SomethingNewForNow · 15/12/2017 16:01

I think Sandringham house has one too.

LurkingHusband · 15/12/2017 16:02

It would have been more shocking if they weighed them again on the way out and removed any excess surgically.

Smile

(Apologies to Douglas Adams Grin).

GetOutOfMYGarden · 15/12/2017 16:07

Back in the day being chubby was a status symbol, I'd be grand!

Buxtonstill · 15/12/2017 16:11

In some states in America, your weight is listed on your driving license! I had someone show me one as ID the other day.

I'd just get taxis!

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 15/12/2017 16:17

When I was randomly stopped and searched by the police once at a railway station they filled in a form reporting the search, which they gave me a copy of, which included a basic description of me, including ticking a box for build. I was slightly put out that she put my build as medium, but it could really ruin someone's day if their build was recorded as big.
I mean, they are basically judging your weight and telling you you're fat, aren't they?!

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 15/12/2017 16:18

I mean, recorded it as big if they didn't feel they were. Nothing wrong with it if you don't mind.

BarbaraofSevillle · 15/12/2017 16:23

Why do people care if others know their weight? I weigh 12 stone.

More than some but less than others. Slightly above the healthy BMI range, but you can see that by looking at me.

Why would I get upset if others found this out? If I went round telling people I weighed 9 stone, they'd take one look at me and think 'yeah right, and I'm a giraffe'.

Would you have to update your driving licence if you lost or gained a lot of weight Buxton? Would be an incentive not to yo yo, especially if you have to pay to tell them you've lost or gained X pounds.

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