Dead Bod Coaster
Approx 10cm square, stamped image with shiny black glaze wiped back, coating on the front to stop staining (wipeable), 4 self adhesive cork pads attached on the rear.
 
Dead Bod, originally painted on a shed at Alexandra Dock in the 1960s, was a familiar sight for sailors and trawler-men sailing to and from Hull. Dead Bod was painted by Len ‘Pongo’ Rood, potentially as a drunken prank, on a bored Saturday afternoon. Afterwards he told friends the story behind the image he created.
Whilst ‘The Englishman’ was anchored near Falmouth, a bird had landed on deck with a broken wing. William Valentine ‘Tulip’ Hopper was the Captain of that ship and an avid bird watcher. Tulip tended to the bird for three weeks in his cabin. Once healed, he took the bird outside in a cardboard box and retreated back inside with Pongo to watch it fly off. Before it could fly away Bosun Bob Skelton emerged, exclaimed “What the f*** is that?,” and killed the bird with a swing of his boot. Pongo replied, “It’s a dead bod.” Tulip shook his head and said “Three weeks of s*** and feathers in my cabin and it ends like this. Well done Bob.”