All a bit fishy?

[Cetti]

In 1952 a Blue Whale was captured off Norway, and after preservation went on tour throughout Europe - it then came over to the UK, took on the name of Jonah the 'Barnsley Whale' (that's where it started its journey) and went from town to town for the next 20 years. Now this whale was 65 feet long and was hauled all over England on the back of a 100 foot lorry so surely something that size should have cropped up in conversation somewhere over the years, but not once have I ever heard a mention of 'The Barnsley Whale' - has anyone?

[j east]

When i heard this story on the radio memories came flooding back. As a child in the early 60s my grandma took me to Belvue in Manchester a popular fun park at the time. A huge tent had been erected and tempting posters asking us to enter to see the biggest whale ever. We were promised we would not believe our eyes. After paying a fortune to enter, I remember being utterly disappointed at the sight of a dead whale in a lorry instead of a living think in a tank which i expected.

[Cetti]

Hi j, I'm really glad I posted this now for all the wonderful answers and memories it seems to have brought back to so many people. It does seem as though it would have been a huge disappointment to a small child waiting wide-eyed to see a goliath of the sea swimming around only to be met by a pile of bones. At least you had your grandma with you - I'm sure she made you feel better.

[WaltzerGizmo]

How can Jonah the Whale come to its end in a NCB furnace or down a disused mine shaft, when a member of www.fun-fairs.co.uk has posted, "Jonah the Whale was open at the boat show last week in Earls Court"?

[dis47]

'Jonah the Giant Whale' came to Oxford in 1954...I saw it then, when I was 6, and was photographed by the Oxford Mail standing in its smelly mouth..!
I believe it was 70 tons in weight.. It was displayed on the back of a huge lorry at the old LMS goods depot at Oxford railway station... It must be the same as the 'Barnsley' whale as the roads would otherwise have been jammed up with assorted whales.. :)

[tock]

Some Newspapers are online and can be searched over 100 years. I found an entry in the Times 6th September 1971, letters page. it was from John D Simnett, Lecturer in Experimental Pathology, University of Newcastle:
"Sir, An exhibition billed as "Jonah the Giant Whale" is at present touring the North of England. Organised by a Swiss firm it is sponsored by the WWF.. Jonah was captured by the University of Oslo.......The author expresses critisicm of the exhibition describing it as a pathetic spectacle and is suspicous of the motives of the WWF.