relic of another time

I've always thought it strange that it's generally massive houses which have knockers on the door when you're more likely to need something strident and piercing like an electronic buzzer in order for the attention-requesting entity's attention-request to be heard from the furthest reach of the premises. The pipes and floorboards in big old houses must make more noise than the average doorknocker. Still, I suppose it's because in the olden days people with big fancy houses had small, oily butlers to stand by the door and open it whenever they heard the knocker go unless they also had some form of elaborate doorbell-string outside which rang a bell in the butler's pantry or cupboard or wherever it was the butlers would lurk when not polishing shoes or demeaning the below-stairs staff. Maybe it was to deter hawkers and circulars; by knocking the knocker they would fail to gain the attention of any of the inhabitants of the house and would bugger off whereas true visitors would have made a complex series of appointments by horse-drawn mail several months beforehand and would be thoroughly expected upon their arrival.

HMMM.

Anyway, I didn't notice until I go it home that this particular knocker also slightly resembles one of those stupid hats worn by stupid people on horses at various Royal-infested things. The sort of hat where it seems that the wearer cannot possibly see out from beneath and must get incredibly sore jaw muscles from protruding their chins enough to stop the hat from slipping off.

Or possibly like the reptilioid skull-carapace of an evil lizard-policeman from space. With an inadvertant Cylon-effect reflection. And a broken nose.