Waste systems in Middle Earth???

[Rumil]

Evenin All,

glad you all saw the funny side

Child, I agree with you completely that there is nothing at all wrong with the 'outhouse'. For me though (and I'd agree that this is a personal view), I can't see the Shire as being Edwardian as such, due to the necessity for an industrial revolution to provide many of the technological comforts of Edwardian times, which we can be fairly sure never happened in the Shire. The 'express train' I'd put down to mis-translation and there's nothing particularly technologically advanced about an umbrella. Therefore I'd go for a more 17th-18th cenury gentleman sort of situation.

Alas poor old Cummings, bit like Richard Trevithick who invented the steam train but is always forgotten in place of Stephenson. I think that Crapper, like Stephenson was the populariser of the technology.

Beth, I assure you, nothing more than a passing familiarity with the 'Carry On' film genre is required (Or Roger's Swearathaurus as long as you are not offended by anything, ever, no really!) The direct use of leaves is certainly possible, though one must avoid species with sharp-edged foliage, from personal experience

Lal, any idea if the Prof was familiar with this usage, could the Petty Dwarves have been the 'night soil men' of Belegost and Nogrod? Subsequently perhaps exiled for their 'unclean' occupation? By the way some scally just half inched me barbie from the coalshed as was, poetic justice probably!

Meanwhile another pertinent quote to consider -

Dotard! What is the house of Eorl but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek, and their brats roll on the floor amongst the dogs?

I've thought that as this was Saruman's insult, it was likely to be untrue, though in a proper Dark Age milieu this would have likely been quite accurate.