8.10.03 - Writing from Hawaii, where corrugated iron has capped our roofs for generations ... coming right behind grass!

Local folks here have a number of names for it, but two stand out:

"totong" Heard among old folks on the Island of Kauai - derives from the sound of a mango fruit hitting the tin roof of your house ... "totong!!"

"peula" Heard among old Hawaiian folks on the Island of Hawaii - derives from an early term Hawaiians came up with for pewter - they saw this at the homes of wealthy whites and used the "sound word" peula (sounds like pewter). Well, when galvanised corrugated iron arrived it too looked like pewter, so it was called peula as well. Interesting to note that in the Hawaiian language "peula" means "all tired out".

Aloha ... BM, Island of Hawaii

21.8.03 - "At the beginning of this [the 20th] century, the Great Western Railway decided to stimulate local and short-distance traffic in several areas by providing a more frequent train service with 'auto-trains' which usually consisted of a locomotive and one or two open carriages operating on a push-and-pull system. At the same time, a number of simple unstaffed 'halts' were opened; these featured a standard form of shelter with a corrugated-metal construction and a highly individual curved roof with an Oriental flavour. These were promptly named 'pagodas' and were to be found at many places on the GWR system. Many have now disappeared though examples can be seen at South Greenford Halt and at Appleford Halt near Didcot."

from "Historic Railway Sites in Britain" by Michael R. Bonavia (Robert Hale, 1987)

23.07.03 - The village hall in Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, West Wales is made of corrugated iron, it is called Coronation Hall and celebrates its centeinary this year, it has just been refurbished with a £100,000 + grant, Cadw and the National Trust insisted that it had to be kept looking almost as the original, which dissapointed a lot of people, we would have liked a nice new light well appointed hall.

I have a corrugated barn, it is quite long consisting of a shed, what was cow stalls, what was two loose boxes and a dutch barn, it is now used for storage. I will try and get some photos taken and send them to you ...CL

10.07.03 - It's 'tin' in Devon. When 15/16 I worked with Peter, a local farmer. We went to get some for the Dutch Barn we were building, second hand tin of course. Up over Dartmoor some place. We loaded his open-back truck thing and tied it down. Going back up a steep lane we nearly didn't make it because of a very slow driver in front. Peter turned to me and said of that driver: "If er doan go no fasster, er woan get to tother zide of where er iz already." But we got it back and did the Barn. That's when I learn that tools have a secondary and unintended purpose. There's nothing beats the claw on a clawhammer for straightening out ruggled corners of 2nd hand tin.

And another thing. There was big old Nissen huts in Chudleigh in a place called Culver House. I wonder where the Nissens've gone - or are they still there? They were huge and covered with arc'ed over dark green painted tin ... PN

16.05.03 - The very early sheets were not galvanised but were protected by tar or pitch. I have another sneaking suspicion that there might be some of the really old stuff in the Falklands. Apparently, it lasts well provided that you keep up with the pitching and tarring.

Corrugated sheets can be considered to be part of the rural 'vernacular' especially when coated with bituminous paint, which overcomes the coastal salty air difficulties. Having been a farm child on the Yorkshire coast I am very familiar with this material. We even used it for impromptu toboggans. However, adults did not encourage this mode of transport for fear of unsuspecting sheep, dogs and grandmothers being sliced off at the ankles ... DL

30.04.03 - I was simply stunned to find an English site dedicated to corrugated iron.

I forgot that it was a product of the Industrial Revolution as it was so enthusiastically adopted in the North and remote areas of Australia. Sometimes we see older buildings which used British corrugated iron. There must have been times when the dominant Australian manufacturer BHP-Lysaght could not fulfil. The US military had a major presence in Queensland during WW2 and astute observers can point out US product from that time.

It will contain some beautiful photographs by the celebrated architect and photographer, Richard Stringer. His exhibit called 'Vanishing Queensland' is just a tiny sample of the
brilliance of his photography over the last 25 years.

An informant, a lifetime resident proof read my draft based on recollections of growing up. She commented 'I was intrigued to see all the things a man noticed that a woman didn't'

I wonder if she is onto something? Secret mens' business perhaps? ... JFB

6.04.03 - The corrugated iron club - I like it. We use loads of it for reptile refugia - corrugated iron homes for reptiles - can we have an architect designed version? ... JN

See Corrugated Iron as a Wildlife Habitat