Note 309 — Chapter XVI · Robert Stephenson’s Career—The Stephensons and Brunel—East Coast Route to Scotland—Royal Border Bridge, Berwick—High Level Bridge, Newcastle.

“When my father came about the office,” said Robert, “he sometimes did not well know what to do with himself. So he used to invite Bidder to have a wrestle with him, for old acquaintance’ sake. And the two wrestled together so often, and had so many ‘falls’ (sometimes I thought they would bring the house down between them), that they broke half the chairs in my outer office. I remember once sending my father in a joiner’s bill of about £2. 10s. for mending broken chairs.”