The Bass Rock

[The Shimmering Bass Rock. East Lothian. Scotland]

For more info see:
http://www.north-berwick.co.uk/bassRock.asp

Image of an Emperor: Caligula

"He was very tall in stature, of a pale complexion, ill-shaped, with very slender neck and legs, sunken eyes and hollow temples, a broad and furrowed forehead, his hair thin, and the crown of his head bald. The other parts of his body were very hairy. On this account, it was reckoned a capital crime for any person to look down from above, as he was passing by, or so much as name a goat. His countenance, which was naturally stern and frightful, he purposely made more so, composing it in a mirror into the most horrible contortions".

[Suetonius, Caligula, 50]

Herdwick Sheep

Back in January I came across these special sheep in the Lake District. The local breed is pretty distinctive and they are known as 'Herdwicks'.

There was something about these guys that was so cool. Maybe not the brightest looking sheep, but certainly amongst the most endearing!

For details of the Herdwick see: http://www.herdwick-sheep.com/


Post Script [June 2010]

I take it all back! Who says that sheep are not intelligent?

Recent scientific recognition studies have proven that sheep have developed visual memories and indeed have the capacity to emotionally recognise and remember the specific faces of up to 50 of their woolly companions.

See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1641463.stm

Great uncle Pliny was obviously not aware of this fact when he attributed the ability of facial recognition purely within the capacity of men:

“The human features and countenance, although composed of but some ten parts or little more, are so fashioned that among so many thousands of men there are no two in existence who cannot be distinguished from one another.”

[Pliny, Natural Historia, Book VII.8]


Go Sheep!!!! I will never mock thee again ...

One Door Closes And Another Is Renovated

Having dropped out of work last September, I eventually found myself working on my Mum’s old Edwardian front door. It was pretty shabby and in need of serious painting. As it turned out, the job was nothing short of a total renovation.

It started with stripping the door to the wood which took 2 days. Yet this only revealed how bad things really were. It highlighted that in places, the paint itself had been fulfilling an essential structural role. The red-wood mouldings of the panel door were in a very poor state and I made the reluctant decision that most (eventually all) of them needed to be replaced.

Having ripped out the mouldings – things looked pretty bad and I think my Ma might have been getting slightly worried. Things looked far worse than before I had started. My main problem was in sourcing authentic mouldings for such an old door. This turned out to be a real challenge as absolutely none of the DIY chains or timber merchants offered mouldings of the scale or quality that had been taken out. It was really important to get it right as otherwise this classic door could have looked so wrong.

By a stroke of luck and partial genius on my part, I eventually managed to source the perfect mouldings from a picture framers of all places! Indeed it transpired that what I needed was not so very different to an inverted picture frame moulding. With the purchase of £90 worth of oak moulding, I was back in business.

Having cut, mitred and pre-drilled the mouldings, I was able to get them in without too much trouble. It just remained to fill all holes and sand all the door surfaces. I also caulked all the joints before building up the door again with the necessary layers of primer, undercoat and paint.

It was a long, tough job, and I reckon it took about 2 weeks of work and cost around £400 in equipment and materials. However, it did come out looking very good and I think it was more than worth it to preserve such a period feature of my Mum’s house. I certainly learned alot of new skills and would be even better were I to embark upon any job like this again in the future.

Anyway I won’t go on about it any more – but I am rather proud. As Ma always said, " its good to have more than one string to your bow."

George Orwell on Seeing the Future

All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome.

[George Orwell]

Image of an Emperor: Tiberius

"In person he was heavy-set and powerful, of a stature above the average, broad in the shoulders and chest, and the rest of his body of congruent proportions. His left hand was stronger and more nimble than his right; and his joints were so strong, that he could bore a fresh, sound apple through with his finger ... His complexion was fair, and he wore his hair so long behind that it covered his neck; which was observed to be the fashion affected by his family. His face was ingenious and well-favoured, but was often covered in pimples. His eyes, which were large, had a marvelous faculty for seeing in the night time, and in the dark ... He walked with his neck held stiff and upright, and with a countenance somewhat severe. For the most part he was silent; when he spoke with those about him, it was very slowly, and usually accompanied with a slight gesticulation of the fingers. ... He enjoyed excellent health through his whole reign; though from the thirtieth year of his age, he preserved it by his own efforts, without any counsel from physicians."

[Suetonius, Tiberius, 68]

Base Details

If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath,
I'd live with scarlet Majors at the Base,
And speed glum heroes up the line to death.
You'd see me with my puffy petulant face,
Guzzling and gulping in the best hotel,
Reading the Roll of Honour. 'Poor young chap,'

I'd say - 'I used to know his father well;
Yes, we've lost heavily in the last scrap.'
And when the war is done and youth stone dead,
I'd toddle safely home and die - in bed.

[Siegfried Sassoon]