One of the projects for this years Oiling Festival is the building of the City Watch HQ.
But what is the City Watch? I have often thought, since Babbage has no official police force, and the Militia is primarily for external threats, that there had to be another group. Someone to pour the drunks into a convenient corner so they don’t hold up the trams. Someone who will check to see if suspicious persons breaking into your establishment should be moved on. Someone who will man those big scary looking electric cannons on the walls.
I’ve often thought it would be reminiscent of the Watch from Pratchett’s Discworld novels. While not a laughing stick the Watch was initially, but certainly with archaic uniforms. Probably similar to the Yeoman of the Guard in the Tower of London. Maybe because of tradition, maybe because the Town Hall budget is too stingy to buy new ones.
I thought I’d give it a try.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/history_aficionado/51306798004/in/photostream/