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term="Success"/><category term="Summer"/><category term="Summer Saturdays"/><category term="Sun"/><category term="Superstitions"/><category term="Surf"/><category term="Surface Films"/><category term="Survival Rates"/><category term="Susan Gosse"/><category term="Suspension Feeders"/><category term="Sustainability"/><category term="Swarms"/><category term="Sweden"/><category term="Syllabus"/><category term="Symbiosis"/><category term="Symbols"/><category term="Takeoff"/><category term="Taking Life"/><category term="Talent"/><category term="Tanks"/><category term="Tanna"/><category term="Tardigrades"/><category term="Taste"/><category term="Tavistock Square Gardens"/><category term="Tea"/><category term="Teesdale Streams"/><category term="Teeth"/><category term="Telegraph Poles"/><category term="Telescopes"/><category term="Tentacles"/><category term="Tenure"/><category term="Tessa Gosse"/><category term="Textile"/><category term="Thames Water"/><category term="The &quot;Craze&quot; For Marine Biology"/><category term="The &quot;Nondescript&quot;"/><category term="The Artful Amoeba"/><category term="The Banks of Green Willow"/><category term="The Brethren"/><category term="The Consolation of Nature"/><category term="The Dark Ages"/><category term="The Doctor"/><category term="The Extraordinary Martin Brothers"/><category term="The Fall Of The Rebel Angels"/><category term="The Gettysburg Address"/><category term="The God Delusion"/><category term="The Great Flood"/><category term="The Hay Wain"/><category term="The Internet"/><category term="The Lark Ascending"/><category term="The Last Judgement"/><category term="The Light Ages"/><category term="The Little Mermaid"/><category term="The Media"/><category term="The Open Sea"/><category term="The Pillars Of The Earth"/><category term="The Renaissance"/><category term="The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"/><category term="The Rising of the Skylark"/><category term="The Royal Society"/><category term="The Sea"/><category term="The Sea is not made of Water"/><category term="The Second Coming"/><category term="The Testimony Of The Rocks"/><category term="The Tree Of Life"/><category term="Theist"/><category term="Theistic Force"/><category term="Theosophy"/><category term="Therese Martin"/><category term="Thirteenth Century"/><category term="Thomas"/><category term="Thomas Bell"/><category term="Thomas Gosse"/><category term="Thomas Moufet"/><category term="Three-toed Sloth"/><category term="Tian Tsui"/><category term="Tiger&#39;s Claw"/><category term="Time"/><category term="Titian"/><category term="Titian Peale"/><category term="Tobacco"/><category term="Tony Rice"/><category term="Torbay Bonnets"/><category term="Torbay Express"/><category term="Torbay. Trainspotting"/><category term="Torcross"/><category term="Torquay Harbour"/><category term="Torquay Natural History Society"/><category term="Toxins"/><category term="Tracts"/><category term="Trains"/><category term="Tranquillity Awe"/><category term="Transgressions"/><category term="Treatment"/><category term="Tree Frog"/><category term="Trees"/><category term="Trenches"/><category term="Trevor Grimshaw"/><category term="Trickling Filters"/><category term="Trinitarianism"/><category term="Troyte Griffiths"/><category term="Truffles"/><category term="Tube Construction"/><category term="Tube Feet"/><category term="Tulipomania"/><category term="Tulips"/><category term="Turner Bequest"/><category term="Tutoring"/><category term="Two Wives"/><category term="Uncompromising Religious Beliefs"/><category term="Uncompromising Religious Views"/><category term="Under Water"/><category term="Understanding Nature"/><category term="Underwater Sounds"/><category term="Unicorns"/><category term="United Grand Lodge Of England"/><category term="Universities"/><category term="University"/><category term="Unnatural Natural History"/><category term="Unpleasant Scent"/><category term="Unusual Foodstuffs"/><category term="Upbringing"/><category term="Use Of Bat Blood"/><category term="Usefulness To Humans"/><category term="Vampire Bats"/><category term="Van Gogh"/><category term="Van Ruisdael"/><category term="Velella"/><category term="Venice"/><category term="Vertebra"/><category term="Vestimentiferan Worms"/><category term="Vestments"/><category term="Victorian Natural History"/><category term="Victorian Slides"/><category term="Victorians"/><category term="Videoclips"/><category term="Vindel River"/><category term="Virgin Mary"/><category term="Virginia"/><category term="Virus"/><category term="Vitamins"/><category term="Vittore Carpaccio"/><category term="W H Reed"/><category term="WEA"/><category term="Walking On Water"/><category term="Walt Disney"/><category term="Walter Fawkes"/><category term="Walton Hall"/><category term="Wanderings"/><category term="Wanderings in South America"/><category term="War"/><category term="Warts"/><category term="Wasps"/><category term="Water Bears."/><category term="Water Bodies"/><category term="Water Closets"/><category term="Water Companies"/><category term="Water Vascular System"/><category term="Water on Planets"/><category term="Watercolour Painting"/><category term="Watercolours"/><category term="Waves"/><category term="Wax"/><category term="Wax Moths"/><category term="Weasels"/><category term="Weaver Birds"/><category term="Weaving"/><category term="Weird"/><category term="Wellbeing"/><category term="Whale Watching"/><category term="What Is Life?"/><category term="Where Is Heaven?"/><category term="White Admiral"/><category term="White Dapperling"/><category term="White Muscles"/><category term="Why Not Eat Insects?"/><category term="Why Walking Helps Us Think"/><category term="Wild Birds"/><category term="Wild Flowers"/><category term="Wilderness"/><category term="William Donaldson"/><category term="William Edward Shuckard"/><category term="William Orpen"/><category term="Winchester College"/><category term="Wind"/><category term="Windflower"/><category term="Wing Profile"/><category term="Wing Suits"/><category term="Winged Creatures"/><category term="Wingsuit"/><category term="Winner Street Baptist Church"/><category term="Winter Timber"/><category term="Women"/><category term="Women in Victorian Science"/><category term="Wonder Of Evolution"/><category term="Wonders of Nature"/><category term="Wood Anemones"/><category term="Woodbine"/><category term="Worcestershire Beacon"/><category term="Worcestershire Beacon."/><category term="Work"/><category term="World Wars"/><category term="Wotton"/><category term="Wourali"/><category term="Writing"/><category term="Wyville Thomson"/><category term="York Minster"/><category term="Ypres"/><category term="Zazamushi"/><category term="Zonation"/><category term="e-Book"/><category term="film and television"/><category term="α-amylase"/><category term="“Joe” Harmer"/><category term="“Modern Biology”"/><title type='text'>Natural History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>298</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-7143464937062557892</id><published>2023-10-12T06:05:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2023-10-12T11:59:05.803-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Abraham Lincoln"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Bil McGuire"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Bottom-Up Government"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Democracy"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Environment"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Global Warming"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Greta Thunberg"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="The Gettysburg Address"/><title type='text'>I won’t be around in 2050</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kgnEIWaAoEIJdn3d7qGCxKKt15rLHIp1yh3P8IPNqajb2aaqz7ijc9C7W1UdRvJCJJLmpNvwaYND1jn_Cbaq0tkiKA40u9npl85e7tjl9-ofpT6EU04yQ3fLKXvPk3xEppx_I-iT9o8UQqoG9JhRVIkf7-INjH5GXMuqB7ydDfc0nYqPLPz0ZswC/s1717/McGuire.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;1717&quot; data-original-width=&quot;1401&quot; height=&quot;416&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kgnEIWaAoEIJdn3d7qGCxKKt15rLHIp1yh3P8IPNqajb2aaqz7ijc9C7W1UdRvJCJJLmpNvwaYND1jn_Cbaq0tkiKA40u9npl85e7tjl9-ofpT6EU04yQ3fLKXvPk3xEppx_I-iT9o8UQqoG9JhRVIkf7-INjH5GXMuqB7ydDfc0nYqPLPz0ZswC/w340-h416/McGuire.jpg&quot; width=&quot;340&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: inherit;&quot;&gt;Professor Bill McGuire of UCL is the go-to expert for
2. discussion of volcanoes and earthquakes and the likelihood of their adverse
3. effects. However, he has wider interests and has published a book entitled <i>Hothouse
4. Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide</i> (that I have not read) that formed the basis
5. of an article by Eleanor Peake that appeared in the <b>i</b> newspaper (see
6. above). Several sections of the article are worth quoting: </span><p></p>
7.  
8. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 27 years, society as we know it
9. will have collapsed. Food will be extremely limited. Lawlessness will have
10. taken over the land. Gangs will roam the countryside scavenging for resources
11. like food, water and fuel. This breakdown won’t be sudden. It will happen over
12. a period of months. It might even have already begun.. </span></p>
13.  
14. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">..[McGuire} is expecting, and
15. preparing for, widespread riots by 2050. The riots will begin, he says, as they
16. have throughout history, when we run out of food.. </span></p>
17.  
18. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">..“If we are going to see the
19. collapse of society and the economy, then it’s going to be unbelievably hard
20. for everyone, it’s going to be a Wild West,” he says. “If society collapses,
21. there will be nobody to keep on top of the water supply, nobody to stop gangs
22. roaming the countryside.”.. </span></p>
23.  
24. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">..”If we are to have any chance of
25. survival, we need to co-operate; I think that’s absolutely critical.” </span></p>
26.  
27. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That is a very bleak view, but one that is believable - so,
28. how do we achieve co-operation? No-one wants the catastrophe of 2050 predicted
29. by McGuire, and the solution lies with us turning our backs on the comfort,
30. complacency and economic growth that we favour in the developed countries and that
31. is an increasing feature of some developing economies. How can this be
32. achieved? </span></p>
33.  
34. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the Gettysburg address of 1863, Lincoln lauded “government
35. of the people, by the people, for the people” <span style="background: #F9F9F9; color: #202122;">and this strikes me as being a good basis for organising
36. our societies. Top-down democracies now appear to be based on gaining votes
37. among the electorate rather than focussing on governance, especially where that
38. needs to be long-term. Unfortunately, the challenges facing us, the ones that
39. McGuire is highlighting, are based on much longer periods of time than the
40. duration of elected parliaments. Solutions also require changes in the way that
41. most international economies function, with the power of “markets” dictating
42. everything. Add to this our seeming desire for a steadily increasing standard
43. of living and one can see why we have the current approaches of politicians,
44. based on what Greta Thunberg so admirably describes as “blah, blah, blah”. Of
45. course, in common with many other voters (almost all?), I am a hypocrite in realising
46. that global climate change provides severe challenges down the line, yet my
47. lifestyle is based on the comfort and complacency I mentioned earlier. However,
48. I would like to change the system to be more like Lincoln’s ideal, as this
49. would be helpful in the long term - but how is this to be achieved? Firstly,
50. one has to overcome top-down approaches and how is that to be done when we have
51. a well-established political class, political parties, and a complex media
52. network to propagate their views. A first move towards democracy would be
53. achieved by having the choice “none of the above” on ballot papers, as we do in
54. many surveys. Imagine!</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #202122;"> </span></span></p>
55.  
56. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: #F9F9F9; color: #202122;">Another
57. fundamental in looking at the future, and this is one that McGuire alludes to,
58. is our need to understand that humans are part of a much wider living system
59. and that we are as dependent on all the parts of the living planet as we are on
60. each other. We haven’t moved from the Biblical standpoint that the environment
61. is ours to exploit and there are many who feel that the negative consequences
62. of our exploitation will be reduced by the implementation scientific
63. discoveries, both now and in the future. Good for the optimists that have that
64. view, but it does point again to an attitude that we are able to control
65. matters and we clearly cannot.</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #202122;"> </span></span></p>
66.  
67. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: #F9F9F9; color: #202122;">If we were
68. less anthropocentric, and had more respect for the wonders of the natural
69. world, we could shape new ways of integrative thinking. Coupled with a
70. bottom-up approach to democracy, we could transform the future for all citizens,
71. but will it be allowed to happen by those currently holding political and
72. economic power? No. That’s a sad fact, but those who do respect natural history
73. (and, incidentally, those who believe that good manners and mutual respect are
74. among the highest human achievements) are among our most valued citizens. If
75. their approaches spread, we may get closer to a real democratic system like
76. that admired by Lincoln who wished that </span>“<span style="background: #F9F9F9; color: #202122;">government of the people, by the people, for the people”
77. should not “perish from the earth”. Well it has done, hasn’t it?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
78.  
79. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/7143464937062557892/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/10/i-wont-be-around-in-2050.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7143464937062557892'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7143464937062557892'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/10/i-wont-be-around-in-2050.html' title='I won’t be around in 2050'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kgnEIWaAoEIJdn3d7qGCxKKt15rLHIp1yh3P8IPNqajb2aaqz7ijc9C7W1UdRvJCJJLmpNvwaYND1jn_Cbaq0tkiKA40u9npl85e7tjl9-ofpT6EU04yQ3fLKXvPk3xEppx_I-iT9o8UQqoG9JhRVIkf7-INjH5GXMuqB7ydDfc0nYqPLPz0ZswC/s72-w340-h416-c/McGuire.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-8989396017318437828</id><published>2023-08-28T06:05:00.002-07:00</published><updated>2023-09-08T04:35:56.785-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Dialogue"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Dr Dryasdust"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Historical Accuracy"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Historical Novels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Natural History"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Philip Henry Gosse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Romance"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Sir Walter Scott"/><title type='text'>Dr Dryasdust, Sir Walter Scott and Philip Henry Gosse </title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimU5RfvCyLT1L3NWCoG-YIV7XNLaRSh_U01hlqIY2Avl9nrRo26F6zrFnU3TDsZzCSshb30ZU0SQiTTXE8ifHqDW9uuAJztVdwvhS_GCL1WF0ISz2xoq2Zidoa4qQnBodKbS_YYQX_xt9Q7uE9aw3P72dglx7BR07PknkEg-ERMbfm1HV9iotr2RBa/s1227/Walter%20Scott.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;1227&quot; data-original-width=&quot;892&quot; height=&quot;387&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimU5RfvCyLT1L3NWCoG-YIV7XNLaRSh_U01hlqIY2Avl9nrRo26F6zrFnU3TDsZzCSshb30ZU0SQiTTXE8ifHqDW9uuAJztVdwvhS_GCL1WF0ISz2xoq2Zidoa4qQnBodKbS_YYQX_xt9Q7uE9aw3P72dglx7BR07PknkEg-ERMbfm1HV9iotr2RBa/w281-h387/Walter%20Scott.jpg&quot; width=&quot;281&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Writers of historical novels face the challenge of maintaining
80. accuracy when describing events, while introducing narrative that is a product
81. of their imagination. Sir Walter Scott (above, in a portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn) met this head-on and addressed
82. it in an Introductory Epistle to <i>Ivanhoe</i> where, writing to the imaginary
83. Rev Dr Dryasdust in the person of Laurence Templeton, he has this to
84. say [1]: </p>
85.  
86. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">The painter must introduce no ornament inconsistent with
87. the climate or country of his landscape; he must not plant cypress trees upon
88. Inch-Merrin, or Scottish firs among the ruins of Persepolis; and the author
89. lies under a corresponding restraint. However far he may venture in a more full
90. detail of passions and feelings, than is to be found in the ancient
91. compositions which he imitates, he must introduce nothing inconsistent with the
92. manners of the age; his knights, squires, grooms, and yeomen, may be more fully
93. drawn than in the hard, dry delineations of an ancient illuminated manuscript,
94. but the character and costume of the age must remain inviolate; they must be
95. the same figures, drawn by a better pencil, or, to speak more modestly,
96. executed in an age when the principles of art were better understood. His
97. language must not be exclusively obsolete and unintelligible; but he should
98. admit, if possible, no word or turn of phraseology betraying an origin directly
99. modern. It is one thing to make use of the language and sentiments which are
100. common to ourselves and our forefathers, and it is another to invest them with
101. the sentiments and dialect exclusively proper to their descendants.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
102.  
103. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">I am conscious that I shall be found still more faulty in
104. the tone of keeping and costume, by those who may be disposed rigidly to
105. examine my Tale, with reference to the manners of the exact period in which my
106. actors flourished: It may be, that I have introduced little which can
107. positively be termed modern; but, on the other hand, it is extremely probable
108. that I may have confused the manners of two or three centuries, and introduced,
109. during the reign of Richard the First, circumstances appropriated to a period
110. either considerably earlier, or a good deal later than that era. It is my
111. comfort, that errors of this kind will escape the general class of readers.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
112.  
113. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">In the Epistle,
114. he attacks </span>“<span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">the repulsive
115. dryness of mere antiquity”, but also states the importance of making history
116. interesting to a wide readership, while maintaining much detail accuracy. Writers of historical novels are likely to face
117. criticisms from academic historians who have a knowledge of detail that is
118. “dry” (thus Dr Dryasdust) and, even if these historians imagine the behaviour of
119. key characters, they do not promote it with dialogue or other supposed
120. interactions.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
121.  
122. <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGw-2WGO-z0gKMbsO1H0wMmpRgRbB4VrKWUe--wGBbTRTUWQzgHz8Z2YLjVsk9BWJAb82GYLD7Mim-Z8a_L5O94w9QYSXqTyJHwn24ctzldDEKYopurzUwa9w_eP0BVxbgjtd1dhWW-oES1hFiRNaJUoBpQnnfg0VEZ-XIyPv8LsqlxUEr0-6FF73U/s315/PHG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="201" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGw-2WGO-z0gKMbsO1H0wMmpRgRbB4VrKWUe--wGBbTRTUWQzgHz8Z2YLjVsk9BWJAb82GYLD7Mim-Z8a_L5O94w9QYSXqTyJHwn24ctzldDEKYopurzUwa9w_eP0BVxbgjtd1dhWW-oES1hFiRNaJUoBpQnnfg0VEZ-XIyPv8LsqlxUEr0-6FF73U/w264-h413/PHG.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">It is
123. interesting that the renowned natural historian Philip Henry Gosse (above) also
124. used a Dr Dryasdust in the Preface to “<i>The Romance of Natural History</i>”, writing [2]:</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
125.  
126. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">There are more ways than one of studying natural history.
127. There is Dr Dryasdust’s way; which consists of mere accuracy of definition and
128. differentiation; statistics as harsh and dry as the skins and bones in the
129. museum where it is studied. There is the field-observer’s way; the careful and
130. conscientious accumulation and record of facts bearing on the life-history of
131. the creatures; statistics as fresh and bright as the forest or meadow where
132. they are gathered in the dewy morning. And there is the poet’s way; which looks
133. at nature through a glass peculiarly his own; the aesthetic aspect, which
134. deals, not with statistics, but with the emotions of the human mind,- surprise,
135. wonder, terror, revulsion, admiration, love, desire, and so forth,- which are
136. made energetic by the contemplation of the creatures around him.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
137.  
138. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">Gosse was very
139. much a natural historian of the second category, while <i>The Romance of
140. Natural History</i> set out to describe his attitude to the third, for he
141. certainly had a poet’s approach in some of his writing. So, where did Gosse get
142. the name Dr Dryasdust? The scientist working with skins and bones bears a close
143. resemblance to an academic historian looking at texts and contemporary material
144. in a library. So, did Gosse base his Dr Dryasdust on the one in the Introductory
145. Epistle to <i>Ivanhoe</i>? We know that Gosse was an avid reader when he lived
146. in Carbonear in Newfoundland as a teenager and Ann Thwaite records [3]:</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
147.  
148. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">..on his very first Sunday in Carbonear, he was so ‘eagerly
149. devouring’ <i>The Fortunes of Nigel</i> that he ‘did not go to meeting’. It was
150. the first time that he had read Scott and it was Mr Elson [his employer, who
151. was also the librarian of the Carbonear Book Society].. ..who had pulled it
152. down from the shelf, recommending the novel to him.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
153.  
154. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">That Henry
155. Gosse had read <i>Ivanhoe</i> is clear, as he quotes from that novel in <i>Omphalos</i>,
156. his disastrous attempt to explain the potential conflict between the Biblical
157. account of creation and ideas on geological time scales [3,4]. <i>Omphalos</i> was
158. published in 1857 and it is likely that Henry had been familiar with Scott’s novel for thirty years.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
159.  
160. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">The evidence is
161. thus strong that Henry Gosse based his Dr Dryasdust on the fictional character addressed
162. by Scott. Both authors wanted to popularise their subject and both were likely
163. to be faced with opposition from academic, “pure” circles. It’s a potential
164. conflict that exists today, perhaps even more so. We’ve all seen docudramas and
165. other media that make our blood boil with their use of imagination over fact
166. and it’s unfortunate that sometimes the audience is not aware of the
167. difference. Both Walter Scott and Henry Gosse certainly were.</span> </p>
168.  
169. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">[1] </span><a href="http://www.telelib.com/authors/S/ScottWalter/prose/ivanhoe/ivanhoe000a.html"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254);">http://www.telelib.com/authors/S/ScottWalter/prose/ivanhoe/ivanhoe000a.html</span></a> </p>
170.  
171. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Philip Henry Gosse (1860) <i>The Romance of Natural History</i>.
172. London, J. Nisbet and Co. </p>
173.  
174. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] Ann Thwaite (2002) <i>Glimpses of the Wonderful: The
175. Life of Philip Henry Gosse 1810-1888</i>. London, Faber and Faber. </p>
176.  
177. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Roger S. Wotton (2021) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
178. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book<o:p></o:p></p>
179.  
180. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
181.  
182. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
183.  
184. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/8989396017318437828/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/08/dr-dryasdust-sir-walter-scott-and.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/8989396017318437828'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/8989396017318437828'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/08/dr-dryasdust-sir-walter-scott-and.html' title='Dr Dryasdust, Sir Walter Scott and Philip Henry Gosse '/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimU5RfvCyLT1L3NWCoG-YIV7XNLaRSh_U01hlqIY2Avl9nrRo26F6zrFnU3TDsZzCSshb30ZU0SQiTTXE8ifHqDW9uuAJztVdwvhS_GCL1WF0ISz2xoq2Zidoa4qQnBodKbS_YYQX_xt9Q7uE9aw3P72dglx7BR07PknkEg-ERMbfm1HV9iotr2RBa/s72-w281-h387-c/Walter%20Scott.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-6072987601482659547</id><published>2023-07-12T06:49:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2023-07-12T06:49:51.189-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="David Hockney"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Devonshire"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="East Yorkshire"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Fen Lane"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Hedgerows"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Hedges"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="John Constable"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Max Hooper"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Natural History"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="South Devon"/><title type='text'>Hedgerows, Constable and Hockney </title><content type='html'>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Devonshire has 53,000 km of hedges and:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1.0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background: white; color: #212121;&quot;&gt;the county has about one fifth of all the species-rich hedges
185. in England. Together they are of international importance, as an historical,
186. cultural, wildlife and landscape resource [1].</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVptHZM4vFSGUADgZcWwRj_fs3nkMvq77zuNwiZyDnrvxEiiDj6tYEJEU_d87X3dQmEYLsp1OPEveT6U9ZE3yq5l7LWR8Mwg1fAmmv-EOmqm0qfEF8PmhLypzk5NC1NN_cT4w5cIz-CeV9Fn_faUxanVuyyqeObcoZ8V8c2B_30InviVmRftmHEcjG/s1024/Devon%20Hedges%20by%20Robert%20Wotton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="1024" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVptHZM4vFSGUADgZcWwRj_fs3nkMvq77zuNwiZyDnrvxEiiDj6tYEJEU_d87X3dQmEYLsp1OPEveT6U9ZE3yq5l7LWR8Mwg1fAmmv-EOmqm0qfEF8PmhLypzk5NC1NN_cT4w5cIz-CeV9Fn_faUxanVuyyqeObcoZ8V8c2B_30InviVmRftmHEcjG/w506-h139/Devon%20Hedges%20by%20Robert%20Wotton.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><span style="background: white; color: #212121;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">A typical scene
187. of hedges in Devonshire is shown in the image above, taken by my namesake
188. Robert Wotton [2], but a hedge is not just a hedge – they have a wide variety
189. of structures and full descriptions can be found in the web pages of Devon
190. County Council [3] and the Devon Hedge Group [2]:</span> </p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">Across the county there are great
191. variations in the structure of hedges and in the trees and shrubs which grow on
192. them, reflecting location, origin, age and management. Tall beech hedges are
193. characteristic of Exmoor and high ground in the Blackdown Hills; stone faced
194. banks distinguish Dartmoor hedges and those of the Atlantic coast; willow is
195. common on the wet clay soils of the Culm Measures between the moors; dogwood,
196. spindle and wayfaring tree grow in hedges on limestone outcrops along the
197. Channel coast; elm characterises the Redlands on either side of the River Exe;
198. massive banks line mile after mile of sunken lanes in the South Hams; and
199. wind-sculpted trees with gorse are distinctive of hedges of exposed coasts and
200. uplands. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQSkoFHif--6JQ_X4Y46U_8kKDVVIwahj7VCXg40rCMWMF992ojFW3l1Nnf7HbJlojZU4pLqEwiGBj10Xe1ornfrQp1a4itnYiTHZZaXz0m47QRsWhiS60SvKkuvjVUR11FDHC4kpZKdU5M7C1Bw31wbVDb1edhZYpeBUxmm1rjXWM3la9fpPj11_/s620/Devon%20Hedges%20from%20South%20Devon%20AONB%20web%20site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="620" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQSkoFHif--6JQ_X4Y46U_8kKDVVIwahj7VCXg40rCMWMF992ojFW3l1Nnf7HbJlojZU4pLqEwiGBj10Xe1ornfrQp1a4itnYiTHZZaXz0m47QRsWhiS60SvKkuvjVUR11FDHC4kpZKdU5M7C1Bw31wbVDb1edhZYpeBUxmm1rjXWM3la9fpPj11_/w449-h250/Devon%20Hedges%20from%20South%20Devon%20AONB%20web%20site.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">I spent my childhood in South Devon and spent hours walking
201. through country lanes, and along the coast. Tall hedges and hills were very
202. familiar parts of these “rambles” and the closed-in landscape always gave me a
203. sense of security, even when the occasional sheep dog made a determined effort
204. to round me up. Hedgerows, most often those alongside country lanes and paths (like
205. those in the image above from the South Devon AONB web site), were the main
206. source of my pressed flower collection. This is what I wrote about it in <i>Walking
207. with Gosse</i> [4]: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">Anything
208. connected with Nature was a hit with me and I was presented with a chance to
209. show my ability as a naturalist during my final year at Primary School, when
210. Miss Bedford, our class teacher, asked us to produce a pressed flower
211. collection.. ..I soon became absorbed by the task and collected plants on
212. solitary walks through local lanes and woods. After returning home from each
213. foray, plants were identified with the help of books and then each was arranged
214. between sheets of tissue paper that, in turn, were layered between heavy encyclopaedias.
215. After pressing and drying, each flower was placed into a book with blue paper
216. pages and held using thin strips of sticky paper, with the common name of each
217. plant written alongside using white crayon. In a childlike way it was quite
218. artistic (I knew nothing of Wedgwood jasperware pottery at this time, but you
219. can imagine how the collection looked). </p><p class="MsoNormal">Such an activity would likely be
220. frowned upon today, but I loved it, although I didn’t go beyond thinking about
221. the habits of each plant and how common it was – like all children, I enjoyed
222. finding a rarity. This changed when I was older and was introduced to Max
223. Hooper’s ideas on dating hedges, first promoted (interestingly enough) in the Devon
224. Naturalists Trust Journal [5]. From studies on a large number of hedges, he
225. conceived “Hooper’s Hypothesis” that the age of a hedge (in years) = the number
226. of woody plant species in a 30-yard section x 110 [6]. Armed with this
227. information, natural historians could date their local hedges, although Hooper
228. stressed that it was a general rule and didn’t work for hedges that had their
229. origins more than a thousand years ago. It was also recognised that this “rule
230. of thumb” should be used in conjunction with local historical records. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I had the pleasure of listening to
231. Max Hooper talk about hedgerows when I was a postgraduate student in the
232. Department of Zoology at the University of Durham. As a natural historian at
233. heart, I enjoyed hearing about his ideas and also the enthusiastic way in which
234. he delivered them. So many of our seminars were given by eminent scientists
235. whose work seemed far away from nature and the environment, something that is
236. even more pronounced fifty years on. He convinced me that being a natural
237. historian was “a good thing” and that way of thinking has influenced much of my teaching. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Aside from natural history, I’m
238. also fascinated by art and, in the context of this essay, the way that
239. depictions of hedges have been used by painters. John Constable painted the
240. hedgerows of Suffolk as an integral part of compositions – as seen in <i>Fen
241. Lane, East Bergholt</i> of ca. 1817 (see below). We do not have enough detail
242. to date the hedges, but there is a contrast between the “wild” section and the
243. part adjacent to the field on the left. Here, workers are busy, while we look
244. down the lane that disappears round a bend, the track having come into the
245. picture on the lower right side and then passing through a broken gate. The
246. hedges emphasise this perspective and our eye passes to the floodplain of a
247. river and then to a village on the other side of the valley, with its church on
248. the right. Toiling workers, waterways, and churches all feature in many works
249. by Constable and reflect his attitudes, beliefs and approach to Nature. He was
250. conscious of being the son of a wealthy mill owner, was Christian, and knew how
251. to depict landscapes that have been altered by human activity.<i> </i>The
252. composition of <i>Fen Lane, East Bergholt</i> is satisfying and the hedges,
253. together with the lane, draw us in, just as they would do if we encountered
254. this scene in real life. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnrq86qFXnS2eJiSr9JmJfQU0dLnYvi5m2zcjZQOqQ2bXaGkztrI8g_s_4Q7SGT__o0GHUo1MAJhnXXQKY8Tc9s6yRQOUM_3RefmTY4PtEOUkoweQMF8rXTgzzdDGrMpf9Ispgh71V4870NxBXFYFxnoIf8yAtprQpz88mkTbv2dvR3RnAPWPNiN-/s1200/Constable%20Fen%20Lane,%20East%20Bergholt%20ca1817%20Tate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1200" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnrq86qFXnS2eJiSr9JmJfQU0dLnYvi5m2zcjZQOqQ2bXaGkztrI8g_s_4Q7SGT__o0GHUo1MAJhnXXQKY8Tc9s6yRQOUM_3RefmTY4PtEOUkoweQMF8rXTgzzdDGrMpf9Ispgh71V4870NxBXFYFxnoIf8yAtprQpz88mkTbv2dvR3RnAPWPNiN-/w448-h337/Constable%20Fen%20Lane,%20East%20Bergholt%20ca1817%20Tate.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Hedges were planted to mark out
255. fields that either had different ownership, or different types of planting or
256. grazing. They thus provide barriers and many English artists have used hedges
257. to emphasise depth, or to partition a landscape into areas of different colour
258. or texture. Of course, this is not just a feature of works by English painters,
259. but I am confining myself to these in this essay. Among contemporary English artists,
260. hedges feature in the recent work of David Hockney and I surmise that his
261. feeling for East Yorkshire is similar to mine for South Devon: there is a sense
262. of nostalgia in his work. In two examples, based on iPad drawings (see below),
263. we observe winding roads with hedges in Spring, but we don’t have enough
264. information to date any of the hedges “painted”. In both, we are reminded of
265. the track shown in Constable’s painting of Fen Lane, yet we have no distant
266. view, so we don’t know our destination. In an earlier watercolour (also shown below), Hockney demonstrates the role played by gaps in hedgerows, allowing us to see
267. distant vistas (and further hedges). They invite us to look beyond limited
268. confines. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshnWwEjxZI0oSTvI05rUm_l0YtyPHEB6F2zzjckrjpXY6MJXA2ZeoQFvJfjCJSpt5kDDVSgEldHpjTg5Ld4VFEsgOebWVJWOhv5w8UMNcPRRuy2nEmgbyQ4RUw8kuchguAqTmFHTI9YX2mosJTuv1jTjKL3SD5a2JY3OF1xjICl6tB-9VYh3Dfbix/s1200/Hockney%20The%20arrival%20of%20spring%20in%20Woldgate,%20East%20Yorkshire%20in%202011%20iPad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshnWwEjxZI0oSTvI05rUm_l0YtyPHEB6F2zzjckrjpXY6MJXA2ZeoQFvJfjCJSpt5kDDVSgEldHpjTg5Ld4VFEsgOebWVJWOhv5w8UMNcPRRuy2nEmgbyQ4RUw8kuchguAqTmFHTI9YX2mosJTuv1jTjKL3SD5a2JY3OF1xjICl6tB-9VYh3Dfbix/s320/Hockney%20The%20arrival%20of%20spring%20in%20Woldgate,%20East%20Yorkshire%20in%202011%20iPad.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJCT_38wvX4nuvk2FXnP-TVVWf-FgldTX26yj284doDCU7TOu4JURjrq3al9vwsuCjNXwh1nAf0aZEOmWU03b3qlK-QoMA1rPygVm1Q5BgnhMkVrVmx1SCmE0w_kftQShcXDTw8bSmHuPQ6rjzscslStlVK0lr-LJP3jtO21aygApgZIX9NKBpfNi/s798/Hockney%20The%20arrival%20of%20spring%20in%20Woldgate,%20East%20Yorkshire%20in%202011%20iPad%20drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="598" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJCT_38wvX4nuvk2FXnP-TVVWf-FgldTX26yj284doDCU7TOu4JURjrq3al9vwsuCjNXwh1nAf0aZEOmWU03b3qlK-QoMA1rPygVm1Q5BgnhMkVrVmx1SCmE0w_kftQShcXDTw8bSmHuPQ6rjzscslStlVK0lr-LJP3jtO21aygApgZIX9NKBpfNi/s320/Hockney%20The%20arrival%20of%20spring%20in%20Woldgate,%20East%20Yorkshire%20in%202011%20iPad%20drawing.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdWnZAYZqAeAuPIgYyIM9RiMcGgblsOYx5sElJoeMo7ECtVmy95MoCwCujI1KmEfXLP3XmA4bUkCQ7IXmu1w09VY8D0Eugji-deYIdnz_GcJ7_pXQILr1TmH1KsVh6wKS_A5Ho-5yPpfkZm0N07OZ1CxCb9kOav-EisV66AeCetGYCzAECddF5ysZ/s738/Hockney%20A%20gap%20in%20the%20hedgerow%20(from%20Midsummer,%20East%20Yorkshire)%202004%20watercolour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="738" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdWnZAYZqAeAuPIgYyIM9RiMcGgblsOYx5sElJoeMo7ECtVmy95MoCwCujI1KmEfXLP3XmA4bUkCQ7IXmu1w09VY8D0Eugji-deYIdnz_GcJ7_pXQILr1TmH1KsVh6wKS_A5Ho-5yPpfkZm0N07OZ1CxCb9kOav-EisV66AeCetGYCzAECddF5ysZ/w384-h259/Hockney%20A%20gap%20in%20the%20hedgerow%20(from%20Midsummer,%20East%20Yorkshire)%202004%20watercolour.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Landscape artists encourage us to
269. look closely at our environment and the way that it changes over time. Hedges
270. are features that may last for hundreds of years, as Max Hooper has shown, and
271. there is much to see in these habitats if we take the rime to look, or do not
272. remove them for our convenience. It’s one of the reasons why collecting
273. blackberries, elderberries and rosehips is such a pleasurable occupation, for
274. the avid collector keeps an eye on hedgerows from early spring through to
275. harvest. It’s great to be so connected to Nature, just as one is when
276. rock-pooling, walking through woods and over hills, and any other activity
277. where the environment, and all it contains, dominates our thoughts. We all need to look outwards from time to time. </p><p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://devonhedges.org/devon-hedges/">https://devonhedges.org/devon-hedges/</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://devonhedges.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1_Introduction.pdf">https://devonhedges.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1_Introduction.pdf</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.devon.gov.uk/historicenvironment/land-management/hedges-and-the-historic-environment/">https://www.devon.gov.uk/historicenvironment/land-management/hedges-and-the-historic-environment/</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal">[4] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse</i> e-book </p><p class="MsoNormal">[5] <a href="https://naturenet.net/blogs/2007/03/21/beyond-hoopers-hypothesis-hedgerow-survey-handbook-updated/">https://naturenet.net/blogs/2007/03/21/beyond-hoopers-hypothesis-hedgerow-survey-handbook-updated/</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal">[6] <a href="https://naee.org.uk/hoopers-hedgerow-history-hypothesis/">https://naee.org.uk/hoopers-hedgerow-history-hypothesis/</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
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363. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class=&quot;MsoHyperlink&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/6072987601482659547/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/07/hedgerows-constable-and-hockney.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6072987601482659547'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6072987601482659547'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/07/hedgerows-constable-and-hockney.html' title='Hedgerows, Constable and Hockney '/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVptHZM4vFSGUADgZcWwRj_fs3nkMvq77zuNwiZyDnrvxEiiDj6tYEJEU_d87X3dQmEYLsp1OPEveT6U9ZE3yq5l7LWR8Mwg1fAmmv-EOmqm0qfEF8PmhLypzk5NC1NN_cT4w5cIz-CeV9Fn_faUxanVuyyqeObcoZ8V8c2B_30InviVmRftmHEcjG/s72-w506-h139-c/Devon%20Hedges%20by%20Robert%20Wotton.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-588870052425836989</id><published>2023-05-05T01:57:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2023-05-05T01:57:58.651-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="A J Jaeger"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Alice Elgar"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Alice Stuart-Wortley"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Edward Elgar"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Frank Schuster"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Nimrod"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Troyte Griffiths"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Violin Concerto"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Windflower"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Wood Anemones"/><title type='text'>Wood anemones, Edward Elgar and “Windflower”</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiDlvpP0j6cNLK_OM3kEm-Hoq7F42pkKeJkFUaCw2Tjs3lJWo8OdUotuCB2aKFREAHtVObvsFiWxtyjqxWOT3Es6kytZ-lTnODOGyMkh7-oww_yTuOfNzO9-WfboRyPpBnUd6Y0jAwclAd5VtgkYU4GyOeMTnzk3QYJJLur8Yk1TyMTQE7bsSdw/s574/Windflowers%202%20for%20blog.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;338&quot; data-original-width=&quot;574&quot; height=&quot;285&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiDlvpP0j6cNLK_OM3kEm-Hoq7F42pkKeJkFUaCw2Tjs3lJWo8OdUotuCB2aKFREAHtVObvsFiWxtyjqxWOT3Es6kytZ-lTnODOGyMkh7-oww_yTuOfNzO9-WfboRyPpBnUd6Y0jAwclAd5VtgkYU4GyOeMTnzk3QYJJLur8Yk1TyMTQE7bsSdw/w485-h285/Windflowers%202%20for%20blog.jpg&quot; width=&quot;485&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Wood anemones (&lt;i&gt;Anemone nemorosa&lt;/i&gt;) are a common feature
364. of mature woodlands in spring and there can be carpets of these pretty plants,
365. with their white flowers and palmate leaves (see above). They grow vegetatively
366. by means of rhizomes and cannot photosynthesise efficiently in shade [1], so the
367. production of leaves and flowers is therefore early in the temperate growing
368. season, before woodland trees come into leaf. The flowers do not produce nectar
369. but are pollinated mainly by insects [1] and that may be aided by the
370. generation of chemical attractants by the plants. As Shirreffs [1] states, the
371. flower “is held erect during [the] day, but closes and droops at night and in
372. bad weather”. This habit has given rise to folklore that the flowers provide
373. resting places for fairies at night [2,3] and their seeming intolerance of windy
374. conditions has resulted in their common name of windflowers, as though they
375. have a human-like sensitivity. It’s a behaviour that appeals to the
376. imagination, especially for those who enjoy walking in woods.<o:p></o:p></p>
377.  
378. <p class="MsoNormal">Edward Elgar used Nature as a source of inspiration for his
379. music and he knew many woods in his native Worcestershire, and elsewhere, where
380. wood anemones grew in large numbers. One of the most important people in his
381. life, Alice Stuart-Wortley (later Lady Stuart of Wortley), was named
382. “Windflower” by Elgar and this may have been a reflection of her beauty and
383. sensitivity. A daughter of the painter John Everett Millais, Alice (known as
384. Carrie within the family) married Charles Stuart-Wortley after the death of his
385. first wife, becoming the stepmother to Charles’ daughter, Bice, and the mother
386. of another daughter, Clare. An important bond between Charles and Alice was
387. their love of music and both were competent pianists and would play concertos
388. together in addition to their separate playing. Elgar first met Alice
389. Stuart-Wortley “two years before the Enigma Variations made him famous” [4].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
390.  
391. <p class="MsoNormal">Elgar was fortunate in having the unfailing support of his
392. wife Alice, but he also enjoyed the company of other women, especially when
393. they appreciated his music.  In
394. describing the friendship with Alice Stuart-Wortley, Michael De-la-Noy wrote
395. this [4]: </p>
396.  
397. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">..she was five years younger than
398. Elgar, very beautiful, and she is now generally assumed to be “the Soul”
399. enshrined in the Violin Concerto. Safely married, she was typical of the
400. assured, aristocratic and handsome type of woman Elgar was content to place on
401. a pedestal and worship from afar.<o:p></o:p></p>
402.  
403. <p class="MsoNormal">The reference to “the Soul” comes from an inscription in
404. Spanish at the head of the concerto, translated as “Here is enshrined the soul
405. of…”. As Michael Kennedy has written of a letter to Alice Stuart-Wortley [5]: </p>
406.  
407. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">While composing the Violin
408. Concerto early in 1910 he [Elgar] wrote to her on 27 April: “I have been
409. working hard at the windflower themes – but all stands still until you come and
410. approve!”<o:p></o:p></p>
411.  
412. <p class="MsoNormal">In addition to providing inspiration, Alice Stuart-Wortley
413. supported him when he was at his most self-pitying and despondent, and was
414. generous in sending him, and members of his family, gifts. Not only a musical inspiration
415. then, but a true friend.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
416.  
417. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3lOPtd8O38KNaOBPfnZwICszU_oKDuzNxfe0kbjYYCvcc_fBAqX78GeN0x3Wxae5NXOmoJTmOiLQo25Nwn9wf2phGIZbXuGPNb0InpQdUZ8DsTbHuvoAq3DRk67TKBca5n7y4VWJKZsVl10m34ChN4cA1z3aoV7r5tuJE69IdGonhRpke2BwMw/s740/Letters%20by%20Elgar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="740" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3lOPtd8O38KNaOBPfnZwICszU_oKDuzNxfe0kbjYYCvcc_fBAqX78GeN0x3Wxae5NXOmoJTmOiLQo25Nwn9wf2phGIZbXuGPNb0InpQdUZ8DsTbHuvoAq3DRk67TKBca5n7y4VWJKZsVl10m34ChN4cA1z3aoV7r5tuJE69IdGonhRpke2BwMw/w485-h255/Letters%20by%20Elgar.jpg" width="485" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">When reading the letters to Windflower [6], I had a sense
418. that I was intruding on a very private relationship and that made me
419. uncomfortable. Elgar was a great letter writer and we have many of them [7,8
420. and see above]. Perhaps the most significant recipients were A.J.Jaeger
421. (“Nimrod” of the Enigma Variations), who was his contact at Novello, Frank Schuster
422. (who owned “The Hut”, a sanctuary where Elgar often retreated), and Troyte
423. Griffiths who was a loyal friend from his youth [9] and who, like Windflower,
424. was with him to the end. In some of these letters we see another side of Elgar,
425. with puns and jokey light-heartedness, both characteristics of his child-like
426. humour.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
427.  
428. <p class="MsoNormal">It can be said that Edward Elgar was always child-like in
429. his need to be looked after and supported through his gloomy phases by Alice
430. Elgar, his sister “Pollie” Grafton, and a number of others. It is clear from
431. his comments about his daughter Carice, Windflower’s daughter Clare, and
432. several nieces, that he was himself fond of children and the Windflower letters
433. also show how much he cherished the company of dogs and their obvious devotion
434. to him. Elgar was a very emotional man and that, together with his skill in
435. orchestration, comes through in some of his music. If I’m in a melancholic mood, some pieces by Elgar reduce me to tears and that is especially so of the Violin
436. Concerto with its “Windflower themes”. In that way, Alice Stuart-Wortley was
437. not only an inspiration for Elgar, but the agent of profound feelings in
438. listeners over a hundred years later. I can’t look at wood anemones without thinking
439. of her.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
440.  
441. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
442.  
443. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Deirdre A. Shirreffs (1985) Biological Flora of the
444. British Isles: <i>Anemone nemorosa</i> L. <i>Journal of Ecology</i> 73:
445. 1005-1020.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
446.  
447. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMZYTynh6Yg&ab_channel=Mr.COutdoors">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMZYTynh6Yg&ab_channel=Mr.COutdoors</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
448.  
449. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/flora-and-fauna/wood-anemone-anemone-nemorosa/#:~:text=Folklore%20has%20it%20that%20the,it%20the%20flower%20of%20death">https://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/flora-and-fauna/wood-anemone-anemone-nemorosa/#:~:text=Folklore%20has%20it%20that%20the,it%20the%20flower%20of%20death</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
450.  
451. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">[4] Michael
452. De-la-Noy (1983) <i>Elgar: The Man</i>. </span>London, Allen Lane.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
453.  
454. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Michael Kennedy (1968) <i>Portrait of Elgar</i>. Oxford,
455. Oxford University Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
456.  
457. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] Jerrold Northrop Moore (editor) (1989) <i>Edward Elgar:
458. the Windflower Letters</i>. Oxford, Clarendon Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
459.  
460. <p class="MsoNormal">[7] Percy M. Young (editor) (1956) <i>Letters of Edward Elgar
461. and Other Writings</i>. London, Geoffrey Bles.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
462.  
463. <p class="MsoNormal">[8] Percy M. Young (editor) (1965) <i>Letters to Nimrod from
464. Edward Elgar</i>. London, Dennis Dobson.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
465.  
466. <p class="MsoNormal">[9] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2019/05/remembering-troyte-edward-elgars.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2019/05/remembering-troyte-edward-elgars.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
467.  
468. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
469.  
470. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
471.  
472. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
473.  
474. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/588870052425836989/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/05/wood-anemones-edward-elgar-and.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/588870052425836989'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/588870052425836989'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/05/wood-anemones-edward-elgar-and.html' title='Wood anemones, Edward Elgar and “Windflower”'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiDlvpP0j6cNLK_OM3kEm-Hoq7F42pkKeJkFUaCw2Tjs3lJWo8OdUotuCB2aKFREAHtVObvsFiWxtyjqxWOT3Es6kytZ-lTnODOGyMkh7-oww_yTuOfNzO9-WfboRyPpBnUd6Y0jAwclAd5VtgkYU4GyOeMTnzk3QYJJLur8Yk1TyMTQE7bsSdw/s72-w485-h285-c/Windflowers%202%20for%20blog.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-3717450488462121045</id><published>2023-04-07T04:18:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2023-04-07T04:18:32.963-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Birds"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="David Hill"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Farnley Hall"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Fish"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="J M W Turner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Leeds City Museum"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Ornithological Collection"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Turner Bequest"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Walter Fawkes"/><title type='text'>Turner, Fish and Birds</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;Walter Fawkes was both an important patron and a good friend
475. of J M W Turner, and the artist made regular visits to Fawkes’ home, Farnley
476. Hall, from 1808 to 1824 [1], using it as a base for drawing tours of  sites in Yorkshire.
477. Turner also enjoyed the shooting that was offered on the estate and there was
478. also the prospect of fishing, a favourite pastime that allowed him the
479. opportunity to make observations of water bodies and the land surrounding them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
480.  
481. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKJu2B4BYHh3KdaOz5m5LEfMw5wOd9KUv2EUthBmu6-8K_a8FNX3LVSXvpWqDkGSKBhlEjcRMxX4CHyoiqv-u6OJXLc6ZnqVzFh0sU6Dh6P-V5YB1blGTNbOi8ICUhvrzRxKWVskOZpgYZ8wDEq3-T4yGMbtFj39AfeQKIWHQyNv3ALV7n7X-Eg/s2721/Turner's%20Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="2288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKJu2B4BYHh3KdaOz5m5LEfMw5wOd9KUv2EUthBmu6-8K_a8FNX3LVSXvpWqDkGSKBhlEjcRMxX4CHyoiqv-u6OJXLc6ZnqVzFh0sU6Dh6P-V5YB1blGTNbOi8ICUhvrzRxKWVskOZpgYZ8wDEq3-T4yGMbtFj39AfeQKIWHQyNv3ALV7n7X-Eg/s320/Turner's%20Birds.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Although best known as a painter of landscapes, in both
482. watercolour and oils, Turner was also fascinated by architecture and the
483. interiors of buildings, so it was natural that he made paintings in, and
484. around, Farnley Hall [1]. Less well known are the watercolours that he made of
485. fish and of birds and it is likely that all of these were made while Turner was
486. staying at the Hall in visits from 1820-1824. Most were used as illustrations for the Farnley Hall <i>Ornithological
487. Collection</i>, now owned by Leeds City Museum, and the subject of a splendid
488. book by David Hill [1, and see above]. A few of the bird paintings were retained
489. by Turner (and are part of the Turner Bequest), although the basis for his
490. decision is not clear.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK7lAXpmpa-PstHb0HAhxLYuY8wRfpRGsIfu7O_yKnWkEII1XKk7w61LLMq1KNw8pd1UUnb9gX7lcSpNWrmyWsJ2PZrn1ogxUp989kz9sHVsJ13VQ7LRWRAzhgXoJKXOS78lDcZpT5OtDFcFX9yLkjOBYxubY1adc_sC63_2NE57Y-b2OpKh2pA/s425/Turner%20fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="425" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK7lAXpmpa-PstHb0HAhxLYuY8wRfpRGsIfu7O_yKnWkEII1XKk7w61LLMq1KNw8pd1UUnb9gX7lcSpNWrmyWsJ2PZrn1ogxUp989kz9sHVsJ13VQ7LRWRAzhgXoJKXOS78lDcZpT5OtDFcFX9yLkjOBYxubY1adc_sC63_2NE57Y-b2OpKh2pA/w418-h238/Turner%20fish.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9B9_faAXJmXhBWszxRkCOPy0_l20_vyCnKF3tmUlMEPpPHRxZ3tUQtaeFwxmQziJ1n9_-mgI9-zDzbPcxicLkZzk7K6zBgJ2JLwZ4SGB_jmYJpWEiA8RwslWDI5rRamwwNJ4cR-jrajSMzmi1IvNqL4Xv0nafGRG7B2wqtwPWAwISc1XinwKzQ/s2037/Turner%20heron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1679" data-original-width="2037" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9B9_faAXJmXhBWszxRkCOPy0_l20_vyCnKF3tmUlMEPpPHRxZ3tUQtaeFwxmQziJ1n9_-mgI9-zDzbPcxicLkZzk7K6zBgJ2JLwZ4SGB_jmYJpWEiA8RwslWDI5rRamwwNJ4cR-jrajSMzmi1IvNqL4Xv0nafGRG7B2wqtwPWAwISc1XinwKzQ/w390-h322/Turner%20heron.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">In the painting of fish (above, upper) we see two tench, a
491. trout and a perch that reflect Turner’s interest in all types of fishing, while
492. a small fish is shown captured by a heron (above, lower). The detail of the
493. bird’s feathers show that this unlikely to have been painted from life, but from a bird that
494. had been shot, possibly to then be stuffed and added to a cabinet, a practice
495. that was very popular at the time [2]. The painting of a teal (below, upper) was
496. obviously from a bird that had been shot – no teal flies with its head at this angle! Painting from life presented Turner with more of a challenge, since
497. examination of the plumage in detail was then much more difficult [1]. An
498. example is that of the goldfinch (below, lower).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
499.  
500. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbSyKK7126gG6pW04-oX9DSG_GJYApglwTCFc8R-X-NYLNILWan6f39eW8dOvekgHgGO9gNj3a7T2TBeywNjuj7EystNenqMPZpoq6uPV6OAaxXJ3pboVjwSQyhSzpn0Ir72Qow_DA9ulNSgeUR6bIqucRrEsGnOAAYOvFZAK__BWxNqBMLvfHQ/s476/Turner%20dead%20teal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="476" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbSyKK7126gG6pW04-oX9DSG_GJYApglwTCFc8R-X-NYLNILWan6f39eW8dOvekgHgGO9gNj3a7T2TBeywNjuj7EystNenqMPZpoq6uPV6OAaxXJ3pboVjwSQyhSzpn0Ir72Qow_DA9ulNSgeUR6bIqucRrEsGnOAAYOvFZAK__BWxNqBMLvfHQ/w417-h249/Turner%20dead%20teal.jpg" width="417" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Eut6qlasjz90HkQtX0gvX66VO2rnJEyyiPIVe5z9Ts6tOCMSqwoULSRt_pIzBBuXS19nspIHpmRthilce8qSqdCCGOzJCpPvgfBXNaOfZYLcAH2Dn49JeoRKCCsuaSt-WMzrtErzrO7LXSFwb06bPnSZeMOVomDn3AsVMO0XEKiA7roOEXpnVA/s1885/Turner%20goldfinch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1885" data-original-width="1523" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Eut6qlasjz90HkQtX0gvX66VO2rnJEyyiPIVe5z9Ts6tOCMSqwoULSRt_pIzBBuXS19nspIHpmRthilce8qSqdCCGOzJCpPvgfBXNaOfZYLcAH2Dn49JeoRKCCsuaSt-WMzrtErzrO7LXSFwb06bPnSZeMOVomDn3AsVMO0XEKiA7roOEXpnVA/w325-h402/Turner%20goldfinch.jpg" width="325" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">These paintings show Turner’s skill as an artist, but they
501. are quite different in feel to the majority of his work. He was less interested
502. in detail, and in portraiture, than in conveying feeling through landscape,
503. whether terrestrial or marine, and getting to the essence of the sublime. It is
504. the large number of paintings that explore this theme that make him so admired,
505. but the animal portraits show us that, as an artist, he could “do it all”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
506.  
507. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] David Hill (1988) <i>Turner’s Birds</i> Oxford, Phaidon
508. Press</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
509.  
510. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/03/seth-mosley-and-natural-history.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/03/seth-mosley-and-natural-history.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
511.  
512. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
513.  
514. <p class="MsoNormal">The illustrations of the fish and the teal are from the
515. Turner Bequest <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/1819-1829-italy-and-after-r1130131">https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/1819-1829-italy-and-after-r1130131</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
516.  
517. <p class="MsoNormal">All other illustrations are from the Farnley Hall <i>Ornithological
518. Collection</i> held by Leeds City Museum</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
519.  
520. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
521.  
522. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/3717450488462121045/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/04/turner-fish-and-birds.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/3717450488462121045'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/3717450488462121045'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/04/turner-fish-and-birds.html' title='Turner, Fish and Birds'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKJu2B4BYHh3KdaOz5m5LEfMw5wOd9KUv2EUthBmu6-8K_a8FNX3LVSXvpWqDkGSKBhlEjcRMxX4CHyoiqv-u6OJXLc6ZnqVzFh0sU6Dh6P-V5YB1blGTNbOi8ICUhvrzRxKWVskOZpgYZ8wDEq3-T4yGMbtFj39AfeQKIWHQyNv3ALV7n7X-Eg/s72-c/Turner&#39;s%20Birds.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-5653738487924106210</id><published>2023-03-02T04:13:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2023-03-02T04:13:44.143-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Alan Brooke"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Henry Gosse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Museums"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Natural History"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Nature Rambles"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Religion"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Rousseau"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Seth Mosley"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Solitary Walks"/><title type='text'>Seth Mosley and Natural History</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;Jim (I never knew his second name) was the Warden of Moor
523. House Field Station during my time there [1] and his duties were to look after
524. the buildings of the Station and to assist in the running of the place. He also supported the research on grouse that was being conducted by a team of researchers using a wonderful black Labrador called Heather, that I loved. When I chatted
525. to Jim, it was clear that he had first-hand, and expert, knowledge of dippers (<i>Cinclus
526. cinclus</i>), but the only people to know about this were those that engaged
527. him in conversation - there were no written records (of which I was aware). It
528. led me to think about the wealth of information held by amateur natural historians
529. and how this knowledge could be made available for a wider audience in the
530. 2020s [2].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
531.  
532. <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know what sparked Jim’s interest in natural history,
533. but he was proud of being from the area of the Pennines around Moor House and I would imagine
534. that his observations on dippers, and much other wildlife, stemmed from his
535. early years. Perhaps from a parent, or a teacher, or from something that he read,
536. or saw in museums? Fortunately, we know about the background, and interests, of
537. one “working-class naturalist” – Seth Lister Mosley – from an excellent
538. biography by Alan Brooke, a historian and activist from the same part of Yorkshire
539. as Seth [3]. Unlike Jim, Seth influenced a wide audience although, until the
540. publication of Alan Brooke’s book, his work was not well known to contemporary
541. natural historians.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbr8oGyDjlmeFwbNL-Dhvj4Z2fsGAW4fc9OUtjVSu0M7XZWHjD6T3Q7Oo_6rU1qRPov0obRmQnWHoV-WYCw4t9W06xg829hfDMk9RZSyiafWhHeJ_xeMuYzrNyglac38M0PEAAS-d0gJ5sl3jJOHoTttUK4Pm1oakx1X-neX4hUjPexJf5EbBgw/s2666/Nature's%20Missionary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="1767" height="569" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbr8oGyDjlmeFwbNL-Dhvj4Z2fsGAW4fc9OUtjVSu0M7XZWHjD6T3Q7Oo_6rU1qRPov0obRmQnWHoV-WYCw4t9W06xg829hfDMk9RZSyiafWhHeJ_xeMuYzrNyglac38M0PEAAS-d0gJ5sl3jJOHoTttUK4Pm1oakx1X-neX4hUjPexJf5EbBgw/w377-h569/Nature's%20Missionary.jpg" width="377" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Nature’s Missionary</i> [4] (see above) describes how
542. Seth first became interested in natural history and how his interest developed
543. into museum curation, a newspaper column, ideas on education, and in showing
544. how humans need to be at one with the rest of the natural world. At first, he
545. supported himself and his young family by working as a painter and decorator,
546. but then natural history took over, as he branched out into collecting,
547. illustrating, curating and writing. Seth acknowledged that his interest in
548. plants and animals was nurtured by his father, James Mosley, who was a
549. convicted poacher and an expert with guns, shooting birds that were subsequently
550. stuffed and placed in cases [4]. He was an independent spirit and a secularist,
551. while Seth’s mother was also a secularist, with a good knowledge of plants.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
552.  
553. <p class="MsoNormal">James made a living as a taxidermist at a time when many
554. people, of all social classes, delighted in having display cases of birds – and
555. also of butterflies and moths. It is not known whether he used Charles Waterton’s method
556. of preserving bird skins [5], but mention of arsenic as a curing agent in <i>Nature’s
557. Missionary</i>, together with the use of the term “stuffing”, suggests a more
558. traditional approach. Although the various museums that Seth curated contained
559. many cabinets of birds and insects, he was also keen to rear insects and became
560. expert in identifying various pest species. In time, Seth turned away from the
561. practice of preparing cases of exhibits and was a strong advocate of studying
562. wildlife in its natural habitat, making drawings and notes of what he saw, and
563. that practice formed the basis of a regular newspaper column that made Seth
564. well known, both locally and to a wider readership. “He was always pleased when
565. he was acknowledged by strangers or interest was expressed in his column”. [4]</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
566.  
567. <p class="MsoNormal">Seth organised rambles for groups to various places around
568. Huddersfield and he also enjoyed solitary walks. Alan Brooke [4] quotes Seth on
569. the importance to him of this activity: </p>
570.  
571. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">I never walk into the country on a
572. bright, sunny day, especially when I am alone and therefore have the
573. opportunity to think as I walk along, but I become filled with happiness that I
574. am anxious to get back to put my thought down on paper.. <o:p></o:p></p>
575.  
576. <p class="MsoNormal">It’s a feeling that many of us have in walking alone in the
577. countryside and, in this, there is a parallel between Seth and Rousseau [6], although
578. there is no knowing whether Seth was familiar with Rousseau’s writings about
579. walking in Nature or about education, another passion that occupied Seth. He
580. believed that we are all part of Nature and that we must recognise this – a
581. sentiment that is even more important today than it was then, when increasing industrialisation
582. was beginning to have such an adverse effect on the environment. His ideas on
583. conservation mirror those of Charles Waterton of the Walton Hall estate near
584. Wakefield, a short distance from Huddersfield [7]. As Seth said in a quote in Alan
585. Brooke’s book [4]: </p>
586.  
587. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The secret of a happy life is to
588. find out what there is in Nature and make ourselves partners in the concern.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
589.  
590. <p class="MsoNormal">His deep knowledge of the natural world was also important in Seth’s religious development, as he left the secular views of his younger days and became a Methodist, believing that all that he saw reflected God. He was not a literal creationist, but a firm supporter of evolutionary theory and he disliked “the narrow interpretation which the materialistic scientists on the one hand, and narrow minded religionists on the other put upon the Bible account, each refusing to see the question from the other’s point of view.” [4] Quite what he felt about Henry Gosse and his strict adherence to the account in Genesis [8] can be imagined, although he would surely have admired Gosse as a natural historian.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Seth’s religious and mystical views are difficult to pin
591. down but, in addition to conducting Christian Nature Study Mission rambles, he
592. preached in local churches whenever asked and he also brought religious
593. thinking into his newspaper column (he was warned not to bring his missionary
594. work into his job as a museum curator). It is difficult for those with strong
595. religious views to stop themselves from proselytising, but it is easy to
596. forgive this trait in Seth, just as one can with Henry Gosse. Even if the two natural
597. historians would disagree on fundamentals, there is no doubting the importance
598. of religious views to each and their shared wonder of the natural world that
599. shone through in all that they did. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve no idea what Jim’s religious views were,
600. but that is not important to me as he loved Nature, just like Seth and Henry. We need
601. heroes like these.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
602.  
603. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2018/04/tempus-fugit.html"><span style="background: white; color: #33aaff;">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2018/04/tempus-fugit.html</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #666666;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
604.  
605. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2021/11/outsiders-and-world-of-scientific.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2021/11/outsiders-and-world-of-scientific.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
606.  
607. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://undergroundhistories.wordpress.com/">https://undergroundhistories.wordpress.com/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
608.  
609. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Alan Brooke (2022) <i>Nature’s Missionary</i>.
610. Huddersfield, Huddersfield Local History Society</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
611.  
612. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2013/12/charles-waterton-taxidermy-and.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2013/12/charles-waterton-taxidermy-and.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
613.  
614. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2011 [in translation by Russell
615. Goulbourne]) <i>Reveries of the Solitary Walker</i>. Oxford, Oxford University
616. Press</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
617.  
618. <p class="MsoNormal">[7] Brian Edginton (1996) <i>Charles Waterton: A Biography</i>.
619. Cambridge, The Lutterworth Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
620.  
621. <p class="MsoNormal">[8] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
622. History and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
623.  
624. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
625.  
626. <p class="MsoNormal">I would like to thank Alan Brooke for making me aware of
627. Seth Mosley and the excellent book that tells the in-depth story of a
628. remarkable man.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
629.  
630. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
631.  
632. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/5653738487924106210/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/03/seth-mosley-and-natural-history.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/5653738487924106210'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/5653738487924106210'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2023/03/seth-mosley-and-natural-history.html' title='Seth Mosley and Natural History'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbr8oGyDjlmeFwbNL-Dhvj4Z2fsGAW4fc9OUtjVSu0M7XZWHjD6T3Q7Oo_6rU1qRPov0obRmQnWHoV-WYCw4t9W06xg829hfDMk9RZSyiafWhHeJ_xeMuYzrNyglac38M0PEAAS-d0gJ5sl3jJOHoTttUK4Pm1oakx1X-neX4hUjPexJf5EbBgw/s72-w377-h569-c/Nature&#39;s%20Missionary.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-6968270027466333838</id><published>2022-12-08T01:42:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2022-12-08T01:42:33.675-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Bird Ringing"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Body Mass"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Christmas"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Christmas Cards"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Erithacus rubecula"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Life Span"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Longevity"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Postmen"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Robins"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Survival Rates"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Victorians"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Wild Birds"/><title type='text'>Robins, Christmas, and longevity</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUrTfskHmC9HmQIM30elI-jPmKaRQoj88cnXoJz-zGVvcLdPyraquRbBnO4Z-oPHdzP5YAoxE7oz0WhtVP5ryc4LuhkfP75s1oTBr-sEQ9WE994Tv_T00TNX34wTVTNomd7za84nx3rarfygF7RyMAIo_xECYkxurV7dJUzqPdAa1FJXuS8zrEw/s458/Robin%20Christmas%20Card%203.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;458&quot; data-original-width=&quot;297&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUrTfskHmC9HmQIM30elI-jPmKaRQoj88cnXoJz-zGVvcLdPyraquRbBnO4Z-oPHdzP5YAoxE7oz0WhtVP5ryc4LuhkfP75s1oTBr-sEQ9WE994Tv_T00TNX34wTVTNomd7za84nx3rarfygF7RyMAIo_xECYkxurV7dJUzqPdAa1FJXuS8zrEw/s320/Robin%20Christmas%20Card%203.jpg&quot; width=&quot;208&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;It’s the time of year when we buy, and send, Christmas cards
633. and there is a wide selection to choose from. A common subject is the European
634. robin (<i>Erithacus rubecula</i>), that first appeared on cards in Victorian
635. times and which achieved popularity by association, postmen of the time wearing
636. red coats [1, 2]. Those of us with long memories remember the pleasure that
637. letters from loved ones could provide, with the postman/postwoman as the agent
638. of that pleasure. Their visit was sometimes keenly anticipated.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
639.  
640. <p class="MsoNormal">Robins have been named by UK residents as our favourite
641. bird. They appear to be friendly, approaching close by when we are gardening, and
642. we enjoy the idea that “our” robin comes back each year to maintain the
643. friendship. However, their interest is opportunistic, as they are looking for
644. food that gets turned up, rather than wishing to make contact with us, and the
645. friendly bird we know year on year is not always the same one. Although a robin
646. has been recorded to live for 11 years, most die within a “couple of years”
647. [3], and, for some reason, cards with images of dead robins (and other small birds)
648. were popular in Victorian times (see below for a well-known example).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
649.  
650. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLO3hAV4mFg8ZXzVVi69cn_QEfb13_O6w-vr86l6L3JZCHqdxlmuR60YBenxFpgIBbeFm-aAxdREGOZuMRIHZR1y-r-iAnHCDDAxvZC3jAqd4w4VS_e7-pjzz_FQ1KZ4vPadHSgYmngvRAL0MlmsgnKxGydRNh1KL3NtT3wuAJb1JqRdef1-87w/s962/Robin%20Christmas%20Card%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="962" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLO3hAV4mFg8ZXzVVi69cn_QEfb13_O6w-vr86l6L3JZCHqdxlmuR60YBenxFpgIBbeFm-aAxdREGOZuMRIHZR1y-r-iAnHCDDAxvZC3jAqd4w4VS_e7-pjzz_FQ1KZ4vPadHSgYmngvRAL0MlmsgnKxGydRNh1KL3NtT3wuAJb1JqRdef1-87w/w492-h331/Robin%20Christmas%20Card%201.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Robins are unusual in holding of a territory throughout the
651. year, with a male and female sharing a territory during the breeding season
652. [4]. Territories are defended by singing and, if necessary, by fighting, and
653. the scene shown on at least one design of Christmas card is very unlikely, as adult robins in such close proximity would certainly result in challenges that could
654. lead to death of a participant in a fight.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
655.  
656. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQNaIP4oBkkYfMAkqlZDVbF_HARmIZe7tDOndT63y9OJfgdcX6Uspd6_vLVX5EtY_sTa4XJVW3aUhpS9jiOU3NnJY4sA0dLQuWtxJt7VFJahP1g3A2Dk0Nd5pd4yqoJtFwOXIsSyFS5SqTNwfqeOLM58BmT_6cLavrc3BrF_v27DigjOz0pX7uA/s1500/Robin%20Christmas%20Card%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1500" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQNaIP4oBkkYfMAkqlZDVbF_HARmIZe7tDOndT63y9OJfgdcX6Uspd6_vLVX5EtY_sTa4XJVW3aUhpS9jiOU3NnJY4sA0dLQuWtxJt7VFJahP1g3A2Dk0Nd5pd4yqoJtFwOXIsSyFS5SqTNwfqeOLM58BmT_6cLavrc3BrF_v27DigjOz0pX7uA/w493-h315/Robin%20Christmas%20Card%202.jpg" width="493" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The life of robins set me thinking about longevity in birds
657. of various species and I found two interesting papers on the subject that use
658. data from ringed wild bird populations. Placing rings on birds’
659. legs enables recorders to determine their range, and the distances that they
660. fly, and, understandably, there are more records for common short-lived birds than for less common long-lived birds [5]. Nevertheless, Lindstedt and Calder showed a positive
661. correlation between longevity and body mass of birds of a wide range of species
662. in North America. They further showed that, on average, captive birds lived
663. longer than wild birds, the latter facing greater challenges in finding food
664. and coping with climatic conditions. The longest-lived wild bird (recorded at
665. 37 years) is an albatross [6], with a captive cockatoo living for 80+ years,
666. although the records for many large wild birds are likely to be eclipsed once
667. we have more ringing returns.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
668.  
669. <p class="MsoNormal">A further study by Sæther [7] confirmed the positive
670. relationship between survival rate and body mass in natural populations of
671. European birds, so it is no surprise that the European robin, being a small
672. bird, is short-lived and produces large numbers of offspring to compensate for
673. this mortality rate: larger birds, on the whole, are likely to produce fewer
674. offspring. Perhaps Victorian Christmas card designers knew more about the
675. mortality of robins than most of us do today?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
676.  
677. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
678.  
679. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://leedsunilibrary.wordpress.com/2021/12/15/the-changing-styles-of-christmas-cards-from-the-victorian-age-to-the-early-20th-century/">https://leedsunilibrary.wordpress.com/2021/12/15/the-changing-styles-of-christmas-cards-from-the-victorian-age-to-the-early-20th-century/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
680.  
681. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/12/why-do-we-associate-robins-with-christmas/">https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/12/why-do-we-associate-robins-with-christmas/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
682.  
683. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/robin/threats/">https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/robin/threats/</a></p>
684.  
685. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/robin/territory/">https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/robin/territory/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
686.  
687. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Stan L. Lindstedt and William A. Calder (1976) Body size
688. and longevity in birds. <i>The Condor</i> 78: 91-94.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
689.  
690. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] <a href="https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/How_Long.html">https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/How_Long.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
691.  
692. <p class="MsoNormal">[7] Bernt-Erik Sæther (1989) Survival rates in relation to
693. body weight in European birds. <i>Ornis Scandinavica</i> 20: 13-21.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
694.  
695. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
696.  
697. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
698.  
699. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
700.  
701. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
702.  
703. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
704.  
705. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
706.  
707. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
708.  
709. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
710.  
711. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
712.  
713. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
714.  
715. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
716.  
717. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
718.  
719. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
720.  
721. &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/6968270027466333838/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/12/robins-christmas-and-longevity.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6968270027466333838'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6968270027466333838'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/12/robins-christmas-and-longevity.html' title='Robins, Christmas, and longevity'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUrTfskHmC9HmQIM30elI-jPmKaRQoj88cnXoJz-zGVvcLdPyraquRbBnO4Z-oPHdzP5YAoxE7oz0WhtVP5ryc4LuhkfP75s1oTBr-sEQ9WE994Tv_T00TNX34wTVTNomd7za84nx3rarfygF7RyMAIo_xECYkxurV7dJUzqPdAa1FJXuS8zrEw/s72-c/Robin%20Christmas%20Card%203.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-7569861799249932960</id><published>2022-11-25T01:44:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2022-11-25T01:44:31.158-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Charles Kingsley"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Livermead House Hotel"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Philip Henry Gosse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Seaside Hotels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torbay"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torquay"/><title type='text'>A seaside hotel with literary and natural history links</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;I left Paignton, my home town, for university in 1965 and,
722. more permanently, in 1968, after my father died and our house was sold. I made
723. few return visits to Torbay until 2008, when I was gathering information for a book on the
724. famous marine natural historian Philip Henry Gosse, and his son Edmund, who
725. lived in St Marychurch, Torquay: I needed to make visits to his old home, to
726. Torquay Museum, and to places along the coast where he had collected. </p><p>Since
727. then, nostalgia for my childhood haunts took hold and I try and make an annual
728. visit, although COVID-19 put paid to that for a while. It means that I have sampled
729. a number of hotels in Torquay: The Imperial (that was not particularly
730. impressive); The Livermead Cliff (that has a wonderful location as its best
731. feature); and the Premier Inn (that I knew from childhood as the Belgrave
732. Hotel, and which I now prefer, as it offers a very good standard package, being
733. part of a large group). Unfortunately, none compare with some of the hotels
734. that I have stayed in elsewhere.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
735.  
736. <p class="MsoNormal">During the years I spent researching the book, I stayed at the
737. Livermead House Hotel and enjoyed its retro style – what I have called 1950s
738. seaside chic – complete with Mr Rew, and his deputy, appearing in full
739. “white-tie and tails” evening dress. Breakfast was accompanied by a selection of Everly Brothers hits and dinner by a pianist who played various showtime hits, etc. During the times when I was there, most of my
740. fellow residents were from coach parties and they were given a guard of
741. honour by staff as they left the hotel to board their coach for the journey
742. home. I also remember visiting the Livermead House Hotel at the time boisterous Young
743. Farmers were holding their annual conference in Torquay, with some young farmers
744. staying with us. All these memories were triggered as I was completing a jigsaw
745. puzzle by Susan Holbeche, where the Livermead House Hotel is seen on the left
746. [1].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
747.  
748. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8FkqhK30zsg6tdtr2XQKM_2haLbmAPY_D5Yebbgz67MsUj9JMfbHR-9ly3LzibWRZ2XWayhoFkNvwk7mAV0M17YH2PcF0Lofp3yDRP17WmwSJIffk2HBw9Lta_2O9uK_P9AGmgVTbc4ws8NDGgZdegIbJrnPc2VSZLbTdzBfDnwoQftk3mk45w/s922/Livermead%20Jigsaw%20Planet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="922" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8FkqhK30zsg6tdtr2XQKM_2haLbmAPY_D5Yebbgz67MsUj9JMfbHR-9ly3LzibWRZ2XWayhoFkNvwk7mAV0M17YH2PcF0Lofp3yDRP17WmwSJIffk2HBw9Lta_2O9uK_P9AGmgVTbc4ws8NDGgZdegIbJrnPc2VSZLbTdzBfDnwoQftk3mk45w/w455-h335/Livermead%20Jigsaw%20Planet.jpg" width="455" /></a></div><br />It wasn’t the 1950s ambience that drew me to the hotel, it
749. was its association with Charles Kingsley and Henry Gosse, and I have written
750. about their friendship [2], and the connection of the former with the original Livermead
751. House (a picture of which is given on the hotel website [3]). Although the
752. hotel bears a blue plaque to celebrate Kingsley’s stay, few people probably
753. know of how he came to be there and the significance of his friendship with
754. Henry Gosse. It’s a story worth telling.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPgB1Jj0Z1w-eKXrUUiq9Tcqmt3xBYyXXcDaWbyELeP2qXOGq6SzkYv9l0jPrkA0apl7Z_lekWfjVCp09s-N6xj5rH7WgMPG9gDEB9jwEXtM__-uJPpAA2JQRL9l-5H4MWhGZB-l36uXSlKYi452MXp0F1q9SJakArtDtoYvb5aeIA9W6Z6GrHg/s1860/Kingsley%20blue%20plaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1860" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPgB1Jj0Z1w-eKXrUUiq9Tcqmt3xBYyXXcDaWbyELeP2qXOGq6SzkYv9l0jPrkA0apl7Z_lekWfjVCp09s-N6xj5rH7WgMPG9gDEB9jwEXtM__-uJPpAA2JQRL9l-5H4MWhGZB-l36uXSlKYi452MXp0F1q9SJakArtDtoYvb5aeIA9W6Z6GrHg/s320/Kingsley%20blue%20plaque.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
755.  
756. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=28acb15f861b">https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=28acb15f861b</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
757.  
758. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="http://www.rwotton.blogspot.com/2016/05/charles-kingsley-creation-and-evolution.html">http://www.rwotton.blogspot.com/2016/05/charles-kingsley-creation-and-evolution.html</a></p>
759.  
760. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.livermead.com/torbay-hotel/about-us">https://www.livermead.com/torbay-hotel/about-us</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
761.  
762. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/7569861799249932960/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/11/a-seaside-hotel-with-literary-and.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7569861799249932960'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7569861799249932960'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/11/a-seaside-hotel-with-literary-and.html' title='A seaside hotel with literary and natural history links'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8FkqhK30zsg6tdtr2XQKM_2haLbmAPY_D5Yebbgz67MsUj9JMfbHR-9ly3LzibWRZ2XWayhoFkNvwk7mAV0M17YH2PcF0Lofp3yDRP17WmwSJIffk2HBw9Lta_2O9uK_P9AGmgVTbc4ws8NDGgZdegIbJrnPc2VSZLbTdzBfDnwoQftk3mk45w/s72-w455-h335-c/Livermead%20Jigsaw%20Planet.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-1092160605502831708</id><published>2022-11-18T04:08:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2022-11-18T04:09:01.586-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Angels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Artists’ Impressions"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Bearded Angels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Billy Graham"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Giotto"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Nike"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Souls"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Superman"/><title type='text'>Six essays on angels</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1D8zcQt-rbv7HFGSC-KpoNBIZViLuX5u4Y4KxafMGVQ8LUBpZGItefRGYZEyX1n0OkiaTm71x1-cgim2ObHepDdZq5xrszfG9PAO1WzERZwkW2sr2_kWh21Z7dBxOFcpkyy_Uqe106ZGCXR3I-rphWrtQivh5tzFmPSIsR2JIgCC_7RwI0AsWw/s710/Guercino%202.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;579&quot; data-original-width=&quot;710&quot; height=&quot;430&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1D8zcQt-rbv7HFGSC-KpoNBIZViLuX5u4Y4KxafMGVQ8LUBpZGItefRGYZEyX1n0OkiaTm71x1-cgim2ObHepDdZq5xrszfG9PAO1WzERZwkW2sr2_kWh21Z7dBxOFcpkyy_Uqe106ZGCXR3I-rphWrtQivh5tzFmPSIsR2JIgCC_7RwI0AsWw/w527-h430/Guercino%202.jpg&quot; width=&quot;527&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;I have given a number of talks about angels (and putti,
763. fairies and dragons) - all the result of an article I published in the journal <i>Opticon26</i>
764. [it can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.readcube.com/articles/10.5334%2Fopt.070906">https://www.readcube.com/articles/10.5334%2Fopt.070906</a>].
765. That piece was picked up by the international Press and this is one example of
766. the stories that resulted: <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/6860351/Angels-cant-fly-scientist-says.html">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/6860351/Angels-cant-fly-scientist-says.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
767.  
768. <p class="MsoNormal">Having written several subsequent essays on angels, I thought
769. it might be of interest if I grouped their links into one place, so here they
770. are, in chronological order:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
771.  
772. <p class="MsoNormal">Giotto, Angels, and Heaven <a href="http://www.rwotton.blogspot.com/2015/02/giotto-angels-and-heaven.html">http://www.rwotton.blogspot.com/2015/02/giotto-angels-and-heaven.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
773.  
774. <p class="MsoNormal">Do souls have wings? <a href="http://www.rwotton.blogspot.com/2015/10/do-souls-have-wings.html">http://www.rwotton.blogspot.com/2015/10/do-souls-have-wings.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
775.  
776. <p class="MsoNormal">Angels, Nike, Superman and Darth Vader <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2016/05/angels-nike-superman-and-darth-vader.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2016/05/angels-nike-superman-and-darth-vader.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
777.  
778. <p class="MsoNormal">Angels, Billy Graham and me <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2017/04/angels-billy-graham-and-me.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2017/04/angels-billy-graham-and-me.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
779.  
780. <p class="MsoNormal">Why are there no bearded angels? <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2021/03/why-are-there-no-bearded-angels.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2021/03/why-are-there-no-bearded-angels.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
781.  
782. <p class="MsoNormal">Angels, dinosaurs and artists’ impressions <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/11/angels-dinosaurs-and-artists-impressions.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/11/angels-dinosaurs-and-artists-impressions.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
783.  
784. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
785.  
786. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/1092160605502831708/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/11/six-essays-on-angels.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/1092160605502831708'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/1092160605502831708'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/11/six-essays-on-angels.html' title='Six essays on angels'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1D8zcQt-rbv7HFGSC-KpoNBIZViLuX5u4Y4KxafMGVQ8LUBpZGItefRGYZEyX1n0OkiaTm71x1-cgim2ObHepDdZq5xrszfG9PAO1WzERZwkW2sr2_kWh21Z7dBxOFcpkyy_Uqe106ZGCXR3I-rphWrtQivh5tzFmPSIsR2JIgCC_7RwI0AsWw/s72-w527-h430-c/Guercino%202.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-3247238541639123806</id><published>2022-11-02T03:21:00.008-07:00</published><updated>2022-11-02T22:46:49.917-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Angels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Artists’ Impressions"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Dinosaurs"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Falsifiable Hypotheses"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Imagination"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Media"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Michael Benton"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Microscopes"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Palaeontology"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Science"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Telescopes"/><title type='text'>Angels, dinosaurs and artists’ impressions</title><content type='html'>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;We have long used optical telescopes to view distant
787. objects, both living and non-living, making them easier to identify.
788. More recently, technology has provided us with telescopes
789. that record information transmitted over vast distances, allowing us to see distant stars, and even to look back in time as we view the expanding
790. universe.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Similarly, optical microscopes reveal much more than we
791. can see with the naked eye, and electron microscopes, of both scanning and
792. transmission types, make very minute structures visible, although preparation
793. methods require that care must be taken in interpreting what we see. Advances
794. have also been made in the analysis of living and non-living materials that
795. enable us to look at traces of organic chemicals from small samples and, using these
796. approaches, we can analyse the composition of fragments and
797. relate these to their origins. The commonplace use of an individual’s DNA in a blood stain is just one example.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Even armed with this information, we need expert analysis of
798. what we see to make sense of it and this is aided by visual imagery, either
799. generated by computer technologies, or by the hand of an artist. Artists’
800. impressions are invaluable in re-creating images of things that are no longer
801. present and which we therefore have no chance of seeing. An example comes in
802. the very numerous portrayals of religious scenes, where we are frequently shown
803. images of Jesus, although we have no record of how He looked. The same goes for
804. God, the disciples and all the other characters, as well as Heaven and Hell.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocfrIDtwBpwnsKROBc859foLOPxfy2yLkPw5Nu1PrnHrLiBUWzdHS9BCIkZ8OC66lKfFpoQJdLIJvZpVNJLRFiUoYkIwOLQKF0oDcTmdBqH7Fcs3kcrX2dFuDbj0y57IIUjS_6ov2Tw2dm664vCcNIkl4TfZ17CrY2UgrGU8G6Lzryw8xvVGPgA/s502/angels%20-%20tiepolo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="387" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocfrIDtwBpwnsKROBc859foLOPxfy2yLkPw5Nu1PrnHrLiBUWzdHS9BCIkZ8OC66lKfFpoQJdLIJvZpVNJLRFiUoYkIwOLQKF0oDcTmdBqH7Fcs3kcrX2dFuDbj0y57IIUjS_6ov2Tw2dm664vCcNIkl4TfZ17CrY2UgrGU8G6Lzryw8xvVGPgA/w306-h396/angels%20-%20tiepolo.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Other beings in religious paintings are given a physical
805. presence that is unlikely or symbolic. The Holy Spirit is frequently depicted as
806. a white dove, while angels have a characteristic appearance that we all
807. recognise [1], with bird wings on a human body that also has arms (an example by Tiepolo is shown above). Taken as being real, these angels would
808. not be able to fly, as the wings of birds have developed from the fore limbs of
809. their reptile ancestors. With arms already present, the wings of angels, and
810. the muscles to operate them, must be located quite differently on the body (I’m
811. not suggesting here that angels do not exist, but that their physical form in
812. paintings and sculpture means that they cannot fly using their wings). It’s an
813. example of where artists’ impressions are very useful in creating images that subsequently have "reality".</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Another world that fascinates us, and of which we have no
814. direct knowledge, is that of dinosaurs. We’ve never seen a dinosaur (although
815. there are some modern-day reptiles, like crocodiles, that give us some clues as
816. to behaviour), so how do we know what they looked like and how they lived? We
817. have evidence from which to work, unlike the images created of angels,
818. where there is no fossil evidence. Bones, skin, muscle attachments, and feathers
819. (where present) allow us to reconstruct dinosaurs and then put them into an
820. imaginary landscape. We accept these images, and models based on them, because
821. we believe what experts tell us (quite rightly?). The images are also
822. informed by speculation. In Benton’s book on dinosaurs, with its catchy
823. sub-title [2], we read that the discovery of pigment cells meant that “for the
824. very first time, we knew the colour patterns of a dinosaur, and could use these
825. insights to speculate about dinosaurian behaviour”. Can we really gain
826. information about dinosaur behaviour from colour patterns? Perhaps we can.
827. Later in the book, Benton describes the swimming of <i>Stenopterygius</i>, an
828. ancient reptile from the Mesozoic: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;"><i>Stenopterygius</i> swoops after
829. a belemnite, an extinct relative of modern squid and octopus. The belemnite has
830. a fleshy body and fins and swims backwards, just as modern cephalopods do. We
831. know, too, that it has an ink sac, and so, like its modern relatives, likely
832. squirts ink when alarmed, and zips off by blasting jets of water through its
833. siphons. By the time the predator has recovered and snapped a few times at the
834. ink cloud, the belemnite has long disappeared to safety. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">The <i>Stenopterygius</i> is not
835. too fazed, as this is not an infrequent occurrence, and he lines up to chase
836. another group of belemnites. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Is the language a little flowery here? Admittedly, the book
837. was written for a general audience, and books about dinosaurs sell well, but
838. how critically do we, as members of the public, consider what is said by
839. popularisers?<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IQlp-uv2dlqGoyu8YcnYp0bABvSON3UUdHePSDE8Kf_EDVIHs0_-P7uweAuY5eOvKPiDSsnFCMYo26Tb9o9090Iw8ioOW9Jw2BQkZqLDucBgwgntxrYQYkEpsjMA7dLOHgjp2TEKcH7MlIdU3D1fsMzlUrPvzMnZNJPt3x4ZM1f0GWjdGVT5sA/s2924/Benton%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2924" data-original-width="2167" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IQlp-uv2dlqGoyu8YcnYp0bABvSON3UUdHePSDE8Kf_EDVIHs0_-P7uweAuY5eOvKPiDSsnFCMYo26Tb9o9090Iw8ioOW9Jw2BQkZqLDucBgwgntxrYQYkEpsjMA7dLOHgjp2TEKcH7MlIdU3D1fsMzlUrPvzMnZNJPt3x4ZM1f0GWjdGVT5sA/w317-h428/Benton%201.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Further in Benton’s book [2], the dust cover of which shows <i>Tupandactylus</i>
840. in flight (see above), we read this about head crests in bird-like dinosaurs: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">[It is] suggested that such
841. prominent head crests and beaks sheathed in keratin as are seen in various
842. dinosaurs and pterosaurs might have been photoluminescent.. ..[and] we can imagine
843. the elaborate head crests of <i>Tupandactylus</i> flashing different colours at
844. dusk, males and females perhaps showing different patterns, and putting on a
845. spectacular in the crepuscular gloom. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Please note the use of the words “suggested”, “imagine” and
846. “perhaps” in this quote. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Moving images take artists’ impressions one step further and
847. we are entertained not only by coloured images of landscapes, but also grunts
848. and hisses from different dinosaurs. There is a good selection in the video
849. linked in [3], (complete with an accompanying musical soundtrack to add tension
850. to each scene). How much of this is supported by evidence? I accept that teeth
851. marks on bones correspond to the dentition of certain dinosaurs, but the rest
852. of it?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZdsWZFec74dFFAjM1XHWd5xQvjxsE8jc7EVJ82EELPtEpw6Q4dygF_TGi1_pXPsjPfCdOmvSJPSzG0VYyg5o3tHKS9dNnc6BSpiNyoHlSKdebrMaxw_LJB1N6oOy0nMy__NsA5QnTFDtgXYYFYd30B8XYkgJmhNz7-mC9SZEnaS6cxKyoIMY6g/s2874/Benton%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2874" data-original-width="2159" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZdsWZFec74dFFAjM1XHWd5xQvjxsE8jc7EVJ82EELPtEpw6Q4dygF_TGi1_pXPsjPfCdOmvSJPSzG0VYyg5o3tHKS9dNnc6BSpiNyoHlSKdebrMaxw_LJB1N6oOy0nMy__NsA5QnTFDtgXYYFYd30B8XYkgJmhNz7-mC9SZEnaS6cxKyoIMY6g/s320/Benton%202.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLLxaI5l9FLxBcZJj0C2dQobMVbtgdUl3ANWBZu9D2SdWe5N7ufdWbHYC6OMvW-mPZqOh1TEU__tpmWrNo460BPOs5Z9pzVv1UEl0ucXVioADopIStzl9t0Ubk0hFLt1EA58EpzFTFFUaapposCVKINsqkJmIlSzSjtcUoSfoSsfdUuhDpv2tKA/s1463/Benton%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1463" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLLxaI5l9FLxBcZJj0C2dQobMVbtgdUl3ANWBZu9D2SdWe5N7ufdWbHYC6OMvW-mPZqOh1TEU__tpmWrNo460BPOs5Z9pzVv1UEl0ucXVioADopIStzl9t0Ubk0hFLt1EA58EpzFTFFUaapposCVKINsqkJmIlSzSjtcUoSfoSsfdUuhDpv2tKA/w469-h220/Benton%203.jpg" width="469" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">As we know, dinosaurs are not only important in
853. palaeontology, but also in entertainment and in retailing. Go into any home
854. with young children and you will find many dinosaur-related toys, pyjamas,
855. t-shirts etc. and there is a popular fascination with mythological dinosaurs
856. like the Loch Ness Monster and Sea Serpents. While there are artists’
857. impressions based on the sightings of the latter two, that is all we have to go
858. on and the transformations of known dinosaur types that appear on clothing, or
859. as toys, may be very far from the creatures that existed hundreds of millions
860. of years ago. Steve Brusatte, reviewing Bentons’ book (see above) remarks that the
861. images of dinosaurs it contains are real and can be used by media
862. professionals, but is this so? Is there a point where palaeontologists can get
863. a bit carried away with their liaison with the world of entertainment?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One important view of science is that it is based on
864. falsifiable hypotheses and this is an approach that I have tried to follow in my research. However, falsifiable hypotheses are not possible with extinct
865. animals (and plants) and, however ingenious our attempts, we are bound to make
866. suppositions about the effects of time: we can design experiments
867. that last hundreds of millions of years, but it is impossible to get the
868. results. It means that palaeontology, including the study of dinosaur fossils,
869. is a highly-informed guessing game, with some practitioners and artists going
870. further into the world of imagination than others. Thus, the need for caution.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">[1] Roger S. Wotton (in press) Birds and Christian Imagery.
871. In <i>Winged Worlds</i> (eds. Olga Petri and Michael Guida). London, Routledge.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">[2] Michael J. Benton (2021) <i>Dinosaurs: New Visions of a
872. Lost World&lt;/i&gt;. London, Thames &amp;amp; Hudson.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;[3] &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzXGSFVbVvU&amp;amp;t=847s&amp;amp;ab_channel=BBCEarth&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzXGSFVbVvU&amp;amp;t=847s&amp;amp;ab_channel=BBCEarth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/3247238541639123806/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/11/angels-dinosaurs-and-artists-impressions.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/3247238541639123806'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/3247238541639123806'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/11/angels-dinosaurs-and-artists-impressions.html' title='Angels, dinosaurs and artists’ impressions'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocfrIDtwBpwnsKROBc859foLOPxfy2yLkPw5Nu1PrnHrLiBUWzdHS9BCIkZ8OC66lKfFpoQJdLIJvZpVNJLRFiUoYkIwOLQKF0oDcTmdBqH7Fcs3kcrX2dFuDbj0y57IIUjS_6ov2Tw2dm664vCcNIkl4TfZ17CrY2UgrGU8G6Lzryw8xvVGPgA/s72-w306-h396-c/angels%20-%20tiepolo.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-7361256300168769856</id><published>2022-10-18T07:03:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-10-18T07:03:35.815-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Art Appreciation"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Childhood"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Colour"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Composition"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="International Jigsaw Day"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Jigsaws"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="John Spilsbury"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Perspective"/><title type='text'>Jigsaws - and art appreciation</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;It is (Inter)National Jigsaw Day on 3rd November [1] and a
873. time to celebrate these wonderful puzzles.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
874.  
875. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf1Kj6JwwcOfIZFf82XfF0FpAztuyBqqitvWzi5oPJGsTVhl75_MLY5BVIudD53Xh7fwnNnfhwF3Ah1Ot1ejs3s1_htIwVmgQKFf-TubEliJCbqW5ErnNqkt6k_a1kINsN3iBhiHxUjHhURoCOCl1qA9u2tgfRRfRopCxHHSI-G1enY8CjIfKTw/s275/Jigsaw%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf1Kj6JwwcOfIZFf82XfF0FpAztuyBqqitvWzi5oPJGsTVhl75_MLY5BVIudD53Xh7fwnNnfhwF3Ah1Ot1ejs3s1_htIwVmgQKFf-TubEliJCbqW5ErnNqkt6k_a1kINsN3iBhiHxUjHhURoCOCl1qA9u2tgfRRfRopCxHHSI-G1enY8CjIfKTw/w370-h246/Jigsaw%201.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">The first jigsaw (more correctly, a dissected puzzle) was
876. created in 1762 by the map engraver John Spilsbury, who attached one of his
877. maps to a sheet of wood and then cut around various countries (see above). The
878. resultant pieces could be put together to form the map by local schoolchildren
879. and this aid to teaching geography was a big hit, and one that was much copied
880. [2]. When the treadle-driven jig saw was invented in the 1880s (1850s according
881. to [1]), there was a much easier method for producing puzzles for both children
882. and adults, and they have remained popular ever since. In addition to the invention
883. of the treadle saw, mass production has been aided by the development of
884. lithographic printing and by the development of plywood [2], and, during the
885. Depression of 1933 in the USA, millions of puzzles were produced [1], providing
886. almost a never-ending supply that could be rented cheaply from local outlets. We
887. still have wooden jigsaw puzzles, but most pictures are now backed by cardboard
888. and come in a variety of cut-out shapes, from squares to intricate interlocking
889. forms.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
890.  
891. <p class="MsoNormal">As a young child, I always enjoyed jigsaw puzzles although,
892. regretfully, I can only recall one of the subjects – Anne Hathaway’s Cottage -
893. and they usually involved houses, country scenes, and the occasional railway
894. engine (much to my delight). I have no idea where our family obtained all the
895. puzzles, but some of them were bought new and given to us as birthday, or Christmas,
896. presents, and others must have been given to us by family members and friends
897. (although that is guesswork). The puzzles were especially important on those
898. few occasions when I was not able to attend Oldway Primary School because of
899. illness and, in winter, I would then sit in the dining room next to the coal
900. fire (our sole method of heating) and complete a jigsaw or two in the large tea
901. tray that seemed to be reserved for this purpose. Occasionally, I was able to listen
902. to the radio (that we called “the wireless”) at the same time, and this was
903. before we had a television, so I was not distracted.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
904.  
905. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_BIqwkwgahiaQTzdCAxwzMoI3OUpLSGEZto12VVsbOPtDULiJp649ZNlh63k56egp6s0Nt2qLd2iWyIrnq3wRDZW0eoWC6xztq2EdoGa3-OqJQ3v1Q8KmzNpKOQLTfQ1y7Ijnq4XsV5-NZZwlUUO9x_gSpYhX6znPWZqufXlgojkfNglv1_R1Q/s3165/Jigsaw%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2177" data-original-width="3165" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_BIqwkwgahiaQTzdCAxwzMoI3OUpLSGEZto12VVsbOPtDULiJp649ZNlh63k56egp6s0Nt2qLd2iWyIrnq3wRDZW0eoWC6xztq2EdoGa3-OqJQ3v1Q8KmzNpKOQLTfQ1y7Ijnq4XsV5-NZZwlUUO9x_gSpYhX6znPWZqufXlgojkfNglv1_R1Q/w443-h305/Jigsaw%203.jpg" width="443" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKnWV6LzC4lvzDVsLCY3LQPzOf8U34VPHQ-p4F9kFh5LcoCuujdDt466SPvO6fqmRg_esdGd-ggA9dpCdjiNVHy_3kcExP9CIjhOaLZdSSwF8FUWDuFRyMpf47aiqe1jB5bQ_tdMTgb8z2qoGyfe6eGcj2uHwSHudATRZfJyriyjk9KnEIOweOw/s2568/Jigsaw%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2568" data-original-width="2053" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKnWV6LzC4lvzDVsLCY3LQPzOf8U34VPHQ-p4F9kFh5LcoCuujdDt466SPvO6fqmRg_esdGd-ggA9dpCdjiNVHy_3kcExP9CIjhOaLZdSSwF8FUWDuFRyMpf47aiqe1jB5bQ_tdMTgb8z2qoGyfe6eGcj2uHwSHudATRZfJyriyjk9KnEIOweOw/w326-h407/Jigsaw%204.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
906.  
907. <p class="MsoNormal">I retained my love of jigsaws as I grew up, and regularly
908. received a “1000-Piece Puzzle” as a Christmas present. The procedure for
909. completing them was the same as I had always used. Firstly, all the pieces were
910. turned out into the box, keeping the upper lid, with the illustration of the completed
911. puzzle, on one side (see above – one of these jigsaws is mine; one not…). Then
912. came the laborious process of turning each piece right-side-up and placing it
913. on a table (instead of the tea tray), moving all edge pieces to one side.
914. Having completed the border, a decision was then made on which sections were to
915. be filled in first and this proceeded until the jigsaw was complete, and the
916. more pieces that had been put <i>in situ</i>, the easier it became. Each
917. completed puzzle was then broken apart and returned to the box.<o:p></o:p></p>
918.  
919. <p class="MsoNormal">We now have electronic jigsaw puzzles [3] and these make
920. everything easier, as all the pieces are right-side-up and they are even
921. orientated correctly. When each is placed correctly, the computer gives a reassuring
922. click and, of course, there are no missing pieces, so searching over and over
923. for one that is missing (as can happen with physical jigsaws) is a thing of the
924. past.The number of puzzles available on databases is huge and I
925. have been selecting those showing paintings by various artists. It was a surprise
926. to find that this aided my appreciation of the works, as I built up the image
927. in the piecemeal fashion of jigsaw puzzling without looking at the whole, other
928. than in the original thumbnail that I used for the initial selection. </p><p class="MsoNormal">It is a
929. quite different approach to the way we view paintings in a gallery, where we first
930. see the whole and then look at details. Using the “jigsaw approach”, I have
931. learned more about the power of perspective, as some foreground sections
932. involve many pieces, while there is much detail on single pieces of the scene
933. in the distance. I know about perspective, of course, but jigsaw construction
934. certainly emphasises its importance. More of a surprise is the use of colour
935. and, when working on an image of an Impressionist, or Post-Impressionist, painting,
936. for example, one sees how colour is used in surprising ways. It fascinates me
937. and adds to the enjoyment of puzzle solving – so much so that I can spend hours
938. on the computer, just as younger people do with games and other forms of
939. entertainment. It certainly shows the power of the “educational toy” that Spilsbury
940. invented 260 years ago.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
941.  
942. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/puzzling-history-puzzles">https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/puzzling-history-puzzles</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
943.  
944. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://www.wentworthpuzzles.com/2019/05/07/history-of-jigsaw-puzzles">https://www.wentworthpuzzles.com/2019/05/07/history-of-jigsaw-puzzles</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
945.  
946. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.jigsawplanet.com/">https://www.jigsawplanet.com/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
947.  
948. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
949.  
950. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/7361256300168769856/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/10/jigsaws-and-art-appreciation.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7361256300168769856'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7361256300168769856'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/10/jigsaws-and-art-appreciation.html' title='Jigsaws - and art appreciation'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf1Kj6JwwcOfIZFf82XfF0FpAztuyBqqitvWzi5oPJGsTVhl75_MLY5BVIudD53Xh7fwnNnfhwF3Ah1Ot1ejs3s1_htIwVmgQKFf-TubEliJCbqW5ErnNqkt6k_a1kINsN3iBhiHxUjHhURoCOCl1qA9u2tgfRRfRopCxHHSI-G1enY8CjIfKTw/s72-w370-h246-c/Jigsaw%201.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-6679374856646576470</id><published>2022-09-21T03:19:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-09-21T03:19:19.900-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Athletics"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Cross-Country"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Football"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Oldway Primary School"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Rugby"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Swimming"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torquay Boys’ Grammar School"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Walking"/><title type='text'>School sport – or how I failed to become an athlete</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;While watching the Commonwealth Games cycling from the
951. velodrome in London, I noticed a sign that read “Sport is just the beginning”. For
952. some reason, that set me thinking about my sporting career.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
953.  
954. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHsO6Y5GokE4ej4C5xUjr7u4ngHxVKjSWpyir1s-J-sfFy5qOINySxeQnD752yE7w3FRNWT-vr1Dv-ITp2nidOWPRf7DEXo6p_TsaJ5tWdWMftaU3JJCoLpQEqvIl2mpRIB9JLhL-krDQVwJgvqt9g3-H4BJwiSiNRu3EELsq2QQoolvTWX0fmA/s2209/Victoria%20Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1861" data-original-width="2209" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHsO6Y5GokE4ej4C5xUjr7u4ngHxVKjSWpyir1s-J-sfFy5qOINySxeQnD752yE7w3FRNWT-vr1Dv-ITp2nidOWPRf7DEXo6p_TsaJ5tWdWMftaU3JJCoLpQEqvIl2mpRIB9JLhL-krDQVwJgvqt9g3-H4BJwiSiNRu3EELsq2QQoolvTWX0fmA/w420-h355/Victoria%20Park.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br />As I child, I enjoyed the freedom of living a few hundred
955. yards from Victoria Park (see above), in the Polsham area of Paignton, where I
956. could sail my yacht in the circular pond and play on swings and the slide in
957. the children’s playground (located beyond the trees in the distance). There was
958. also a large field in the park where friends and I played cricket in the summer
959. and kickaround football (soccer) in the winter. Cricket was my favourite sport and
960. I joined Paignton Cricket Club so that I could watch games and also operate the
961. scoreboard (being reminded frequently by the official scorer that I had it wrong
962. and therefore the players out on the pitch were being misinformed). Stan Cray
963. (below) was the professional (succeeded by Jack Kelly and Harold
964. “Dickie” Bird, of later umpiring fame) and they were early sporting heroes.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
965.  
966. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGTeANTIAYaP_ojslYKe-_bR1lxoSaCbAdY4BXKNO6NF7UsBmkFdHaOYzmqnpHLayNDNsRd0N_Ui5Io03MeUKdCIH7JbeCSEynex5ST6Mtze1YuQaXbShwjoAm1y1Q1jtFZes_QaadsAETfJZ-iYgrxsf6CQBgRSO0HkZ27cBUVf4Zx_81SMuHw/s279/Stan%20Cray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="230" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGTeANTIAYaP_ojslYKe-_bR1lxoSaCbAdY4BXKNO6NF7UsBmkFdHaOYzmqnpHLayNDNsRd0N_Ui5Io03MeUKdCIH7JbeCSEynex5ST6Mtze1YuQaXbShwjoAm1y1Q1jtFZes_QaadsAETfJZ-iYgrxsf6CQBgRSO0HkZ27cBUVf4Zx_81SMuHw/s1600/Stan%20Cray.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
967.  
968. <p class="MsoNormal">There was no coaching and I had no idea of the technique of
969. the fast bowling I enjoyed, other than to run in off about 30 paces and try and
970. launch the ball somewhere near the batsman. As for batting, all I knew was to
971. hammer the ball as hard as possible: I had no defence and no shots on the off side.
972. Although enthusiastic, I realised that I was never going to be a good player
973. and there was no hope of getting any coaching at Oldway Primary School, as all
974. the teachers, bar one, were women and they concentrated on netball with the
975. girls: Mr Mitchell, the sole male teacher, didn’t seem interested in sport. We
976. had games that involved running around the playground (coloured sashes and equipment
977. like beanbags, and balls of various sizes, being kept in the shelter at the
978. “Oldway Mansion end”) and we played in inter-school games [1]. There was also <i>Music
979. and Movement</i> in the Hall, with all of us following the instructions from a
980. radio, with its speaker contained in an enormous wooden box. The programme was
981. from a different age, as you can hear in a clip [2].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
982.  
983. <p class="MsoNormal">It was left to Torquay Boys’ Grammar School to introduce me
984. to other sports and to get me fit through gymnastics. In winter, it was
985. cross-country running, football, rugby and swimming: in summer it was
986. athletics, cricket, and swimming. Gymnastics was all year round and consisted
987. of learning how to vault (both gate vaults and vaulting horses), walk on a
988. balance beam, hang off wall bars, and do somersaults and stretches while on a
989. mat. It was never explained that these were components of gymnastics
990. competitions, they were just things we were made to do by Mr Stokes and Mr
991. Morrall, the former being serious about getting things right and the latter
992. just being deeply unpleasant. Both had a slightly disconcerting habit of
993. sticking their chests out, but that might have been a requirement for gym
994. teachers. Just as I left the school, another master came along (I think his
995. name was Mr Goulder) and he was quite different, being encouraging rather than
996. taking enjoyment from putting down the less able. I shall always remember Mr
997. Morrall, though.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
998.  
999. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiPaCyS4xN5hWr47aGv_Bi3qVXM0y17jmAlRsS2rugc2aDS_5asqWKLwqpKdWevB8WWnT8GxZk2u-qxEihOiyaRW70mHEMchAlI7uhje_xPpp-dcysxLRppd-ehQxMg_aq9TN0FsXmh1mpZkj9xdO1BnH0JwjerQipxNOFi_vaB8vxaKjTkiQ6Q/s532/TBGS%20Marine%20Spa%20baths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="532" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiPaCyS4xN5hWr47aGv_Bi3qVXM0y17jmAlRsS2rugc2aDS_5asqWKLwqpKdWevB8WWnT8GxZk2u-qxEihOiyaRW70mHEMchAlI7uhje_xPpp-dcysxLRppd-ehQxMg_aq9TN0FsXmh1mpZkj9xdO1BnH0JwjerQipxNOFi_vaB8vxaKjTkiQ6Q/w435-h302/TBGS%20Marine%20Spa%20baths.jpg" width="435" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1000.  
1001. <p class="MsoNormal">For swimming, we walked through the town to the Marine Spa
1002. baths (see above in an image from the <i>Devon Live</i> web site) and my first
1003. lesson involved jumping in to the shallow end. As a non-swimmer who was
1004. terrified of putting my head under water, this was a challenge that I avoided
1005. by hiding in the showers and, fortunately, Mr Betteridge didn’t notice when a
1006. wet RSW climbed down the steps into the pool. All further lessons were with Mr
1007. Roberts and even his more encouraging approach did not succeed and I spent my
1008. time holding on to the side rail and thrashing about with my legs to give the
1009. impression that I was trying. I certainly was trying, but remained a
1010. non-swimmer until much later in life.<o:p></o:p></p>
1011.  
1012. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFrtSLMBboX5hi288KlGfBIpJ43HNDngNXajfmMmGwT1QV9yydIa1dJ4hnnvb13AmqG5jfLikbreSpFUk0FmFDaWFcig51Xbo4AHpz5z_DMabufJ0iyX3WCqUErtO3f579TR-KfSgjZHL_ILBhkO176qDECrtS4ahG98I0qoqGtqwyBR9BoWoUw/s686/TBGS%20Shiphay%20playing%20fields.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="686" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFrtSLMBboX5hi288KlGfBIpJ43HNDngNXajfmMmGwT1QV9yydIa1dJ4hnnvb13AmqG5jfLikbreSpFUk0FmFDaWFcig51Xbo4AHpz5z_DMabufJ0iyX3WCqUErtO3f579TR-KfSgjZHL_ILBhkO176qDECrtS4ahG98I0qoqGtqwyBR9BoWoUw/w440-h308/TBGS%20Shiphay%20playing%20fields.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">In cross-country (actually road running) we ran through
1013. country lanes, setting out from the sports hut that was located near to the
1014. Girls’ Grammar School (it would have been to the right of the far-right corner
1015. in the image above – this is a recent view of “our” playing field site, now
1016. laid out rather differently [3]). We would walk from the Barton Road TBGS site
1017. up to Shiphay, get changed, and then run on a specified route that had staff
1018. members located at intervals to see that we completed the course. Some masters,
1019. who had no involvement with sport, must have used this as a means of getting
1020. away from the staff room early and I remember Mr Evans (“Mole”) scowling at me
1021. as I went past in the last few “runners”, as I had delayed him from jumping
1022. into his blue MG Midget to get home early.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1023.  
1024. <p class="MsoNormal">We were given some coaching in soccer, but knew the basics
1025. from the times when we played together with friends. Rugby was different, as
1026. many of us knew little about the game. We were taught to tackle, how to pass
1027. backwards not forwards, and how to form a scrum – not helped when Mr Stokes
1028. hollered “go hard” to encourage us… I had no idea about the rules of the game
1029. and this was apparent when I volunteered to play rugby for Dobson House against
1030. Clifford House. Our captain, Malcolm Baker, was a very good player who also
1031. captained the school side, so knew the game well. I played in the scrum and was
1032. so good at jumping for the ball in line-outs that Mr Gillham (“Fritz”), who was
1033. refereeing, commented on my prowess after the game. Malcolm was less impressed,
1034. as he felt I wasn’t getting the ball to the backs fast enough and, when he
1035. called for a short line-out, I felt him forcibly grabbing my collar and yanking
1036. me back, as I had no idea what he meant. During the same game, I remembered all
1037. that I had been taught about tackling and stood my ground when a large opponent
1038. raced toward me and then handed me off, the smack in my face nearly knocking me
1039. out. I had no idea that sort of thing was allowed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1040.  
1041. <p class="MsoNormal">In the summer term, I enjoyed it when cricket was the sport
1042. of the week, but athletics was more challenging, although it had a lot of
1043. variety: discus, shot putt, javelin, sprinting, long jump, and high jump. We
1044. knew about the position needed to throw the discus from the image of the statue
1045. of the <i>Discobolus of Myron</i> (see below) that was the subject of the badge
1046. on Mr Stokes’ CCPR blazer. The other athletic events were easy enough, but high
1047. jump was not. We had to jump into a sand pit, invariably damp, and there was a
1048. choice between straddle or western roll (this was before the “Fosbury Flop”,
1049. and that would have been dangerous, anyway). I used a kind of bunny hop and
1050. crashed through the bar, but it was the best I could do. It didn’t garner much
1051. praise.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1052.  
1053. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7t41QxjExNQwZeroCle34pVwOdqf7XkDzlBeAxvXg5y0Kw97AhUNmXb7TF84nnMYqj90uO13wS9L2N-0D0W0-58Qw47VyFgdU-T64BoXgg8Z9rFvXoJvLUvQjY2x7Tfc-N1lvoVpsxxdjoRXJjZFyr5caH7zjGe05ykuNp5bUzhyjUoSgTDudg/s284/TBGS%20discobolus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="170" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7t41QxjExNQwZeroCle34pVwOdqf7XkDzlBeAxvXg5y0Kw97AhUNmXb7TF84nnMYqj90uO13wS9L2N-0D0W0-58Qw47VyFgdU-T64BoXgg8Z9rFvXoJvLUvQjY2x7Tfc-N1lvoVpsxxdjoRXJjZFyr5caH7zjGe05ykuNp5bUzhyjUoSgTDudg/w230-h384/TBGS%20discobolus.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">So, my training in sports wasn’t the beginning mentioned in
1054. the opening paragraph, but the end. Much later, I took swimming lessons and
1055. became a reasonably good swimmer. Surprisingly, I also took up jogging and enjoyed
1056. running around set routes; usually not needing to stop for rests, as in my
1057. school cross-country days. </p><p class="MsoNormal">My main “sporting” activity remains walking alone
1058. through country lanes and footpaths [4] and it has been since I was a teenager.
1059. Now, the distance covered by each walk is a bit shorter, but I can still do 15 miles
1060. without a break and at a reasonable pace of over 3 mph, too. I should be
1061. grateful that all the attempts of gymnastics, and sports, masters failed to
1062. make me an athlete, so that I haven’t needed to look back on past achievements
1063. that I know I could never repeat. Ironically, given that the sign mentioned in
1064. the opening paragraph was in the velodrome, I never learned to ride a bike. Who
1065. knows, I may have found that as pleasurable as walking.</p><p class="MsoNormal">[1] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse</i>. e-book.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1066.  
1067. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ve-93G9h10&ab_channel=BenMorris">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ve-93G9h10&ab_channel=BenMorris</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1068.  
1069. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.kayelliott.co.uk/portfolio/project/torquay-girls-grammar-school/">https://www.kayelliott.co.uk/portfolio/project/torquay-girls-grammar-school/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1070.  
1071. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-walk-in-countryside-is-not-always.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-walk-in-countryside-is-not-always.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1072.  
1073. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1074.  
1075. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/6679374856646576470/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/09/school-sport-or-how-i-failed-to-become.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6679374856646576470'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6679374856646576470'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/09/school-sport-or-how-i-failed-to-become.html' title='School sport – or how I failed to become an athlete'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHsO6Y5GokE4ej4C5xUjr7u4ngHxVKjSWpyir1s-J-sfFy5qOINySxeQnD752yE7w3FRNWT-vr1Dv-ITp2nidOWPRf7DEXo6p_TsaJ5tWdWMftaU3JJCoLpQEqvIl2mpRIB9JLhL-krDQVwJgvqt9g3-H4BJwiSiNRu3EELsq2QQoolvTWX0fmA/s72-w420-h355-c/Victoria%20Park.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-6893816638852435785</id><published>2022-09-15T02:46:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-09-15T02:46:49.537-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Clément Ray"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Industrial-Scale Insect Farming"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Innovafeed"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Nomura Greentech"/><title type='text'>Eating insects produced on an industrial scale</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;Eating insects is commonplace in many countries of the world,
1076. yet most of us find the idea of consuming this readily available source of
1077. proteins, and other dietary needs, to be repulsive. So much so, that eating
1078. large beetle larvae has been used as a Bushtucker Trial in the UK reality show <i>I’m
1079. a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here</i> (see below, image from Wales Online website). The trial was designed to shock
1080. us, as well as the “victim”, but why are people repulsed by it? Firstly, it’s
1081. because the insects are alive, and wriggling, at the time they are eaten, yet
1082. we don’t hesitate to eat oysters that are alive, although they don’t wriggle,
1083. of course. Also, we are not repulsed by eating winkles, cockles and mussels,
1084. and don’t worry too much when the latter are boiled to death in wine when we
1085. make the delicious Moules Marinière.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1086.  
1087. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTya3KdKNa-ChFcFYhohb3e0spocIpFbw4ddj6hzryMIf6lmXjlTE94_pv8dv8cjQHAUCsq_8uGMvO3kaK99hr288MQ7-quxYnqILmU7WTClYeONpewjGZ7YoeQT6uGNZY7kMEIyzsPSwTzDRrVmoNOpZy6Gjot1VkFclW7mRm52y58FhoISXbBQ/s475/Bushtucker%20trial%20from%20Wales%20Online%20website.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="475" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTya3KdKNa-ChFcFYhohb3e0spocIpFbw4ddj6hzryMIf6lmXjlTE94_pv8dv8cjQHAUCsq_8uGMvO3kaK99hr288MQ7-quxYnqILmU7WTClYeONpewjGZ7YoeQT6uGNZY7kMEIyzsPSwTzDRrVmoNOpZy6Gjot1VkFclW7mRm52y58FhoISXbBQ/w440-h359/Bushtucker%20trial%20from%20Wales%20Online%20website.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">I have eaten many insects – bee larvae, mealworms, caddisfly
1088. larvae – but they were all cooked. When I proffered them to colleagues, some
1089. tried the various delicacies, but a majority turned down the chance to try something
1090. new. We are much more squeamish than the residents of countries where insects
1091. are a regular part of the diet and the splendid little book <i>Why Not Eat
1092. Insects?</i> [1] describes examples, emphasising the many places where locusts
1093. and grasshoppers are eaten, usually after cooking in various ways. In the
1094. Introduction to the 1988 re-printing of the book, Dr Laurence Mound writes: </p>
1095.  
1096. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><i>Why Not Eat Insects?</i> is not
1097. just a fascinating Victorian book, full of humour and ideas, it is also an
1098. interesting – indeed profound – question about human behaviour. In Europe we
1099. associate insect-eating arrogantly with lesser cultures. Australian aborigines
1100. are welcome to their Bogong Moth Balls – compressed handfuls of moths swept
1101. from their resting places beneath rocks and gently baked. People around the
1102. great lakes of eastern Africa can eat their Kungu Cake – myriads of midges
1103. pressed into a patty and cooked.. </p>
1104.  
1105. <p class="MsoNormal">If we are put off by the appearance of insects, we must
1106. process them to make them more palatable: the Kungu Cake mentioned by Dr Mound is
1107. an example, being a yellow-brown mass that belies its origins. <o:p></o:p></p>
1108.  
1109. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSNsb1Lc44ADKqVbXXk_zHJ_1_zUecF2U56YTLxR8cLxHUJRvyYi2T9YTDvkm74oPJJ8GaSPKqOnktv7MyyIkMm_D5cePH7CtOQQ6YixiHDp04k-_pLSYVquIq2HNY0VjLChYdDJl5fPWo65hRoCKfOlKuxbxkT07q3SO-84XN9yf1TKMRx1qOQ/s254/Clement%20Ray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="246" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSNsb1Lc44ADKqVbXXk_zHJ_1_zUecF2U56YTLxR8cLxHUJRvyYi2T9YTDvkm74oPJJ8GaSPKqOnktv7MyyIkMm_D5cePH7CtOQQ6YixiHDp04k-_pLSYVquIq2HNY0VjLChYdDJl5fPWo65hRoCKfOlKuxbxkT07q3SO-84XN9yf1TKMRx1qOQ/w363-h375/Clement%20Ray.jpg" width="363" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Recently, I was very impressed by an interview with Clément
1110. Ray (pictured above), the CEO of Innovafeed, that appeared in the magazine <i>Sustainable
1111. Heroes</i> [2], produced by Nomura Greentech, a company that is a worldwide leader
1112. in arranging finance for sustainable technologies (appropriate, as it is part
1113. of the Japanese-owned Nomura Bank and most of the insects that I have eaten
1114. have come from Japan, where the food culture is different to the one that I was
1115. brought up to enjoy). In a Q and A in the magazine, Clément had this to say
1116. when asked about human consumption of insect protein: </p>
1117.  
1118. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The EU [has] extremely favorable
1119. regulations for insect protein. It authorized the use of insect protein in
1120. aquaculture in 2017, for monogastrics (poultry and swine) in 2019 and for
1121. humans last year [2021].. ..One of our big marketing
1122. challenges is to make people more aware of the amazing potential and
1123. nutritional value of insect-based proteins for humans. To that end, we are
1124. currently developing prototypes and working on the appropriate packaging. </p>
1125.  
1126. <p class="MsoNormal">Present production by Innovafeed is used in animal feeds and
1127. this, of course, adds another step in the chain of human food supply. As
1128. Clément states, finding a way of marketing insect by-products to make them
1129. desirable directly to consumers is the key challenge. </p>
1130.  
1131. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="323" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UCUMKlxbg_Y" width="389" youtube-src-id="UCUMKlxbg_Y"></iframe></div><p class="MsoNormal">The scale of production by Innovafeed is impressive, as can
1132. be seen in the videoclip above. Until I viewed this, I had little appreciation
1133. of the industrial farming of the black soldier fly (<i>Hermetia
1134. illucens</i>) - details in [3] - and reared throughout the World as an animal food.
1135. The important step, however, is the development of a product for direct human consumption,
1136. as that is more energy efficient and thus sustainable. I am grateful to Nomura
1137. Greentech for introducing me to Innovafeed, a company that is on its way to do
1138. just that. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
1139.  
1140. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Vincent M Holt (1885) <i>Why Not Eat Insects</i>.
1141. Reprinted, with a new Introduction in 1988. London, British Museum (Natural
1142. History). </p>
1143.  
1144. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://www.nomuragreentech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Sustainable-Heroes-VIII-Nomura-Greentech.pdf">https://www.nomuragreentech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Sustainable-Heroes-VIII-Nomura-Greentech.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></p>
1145.  
1146. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;[3] &lt;a href=&quot;https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hermetia_illucens/&quot;&gt;https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hermetia_illucens/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/6893816638852435785/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/09/eating-insects-produced-on-industrial.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6893816638852435785'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6893816638852435785'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/09/eating-insects-produced-on-industrial.html' title='Eating insects produced on an industrial scale'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTya3KdKNa-ChFcFYhohb3e0spocIpFbw4ddj6hzryMIf6lmXjlTE94_pv8dv8cjQHAUCsq_8uGMvO3kaK99hr288MQ7-quxYnqILmU7WTClYeONpewjGZ7YoeQT6uGNZY7kMEIyzsPSwTzDRrVmoNOpZy6Gjot1VkFclW7mRm52y58FhoISXbBQ/s72-w440-h359-c/Bushtucker%20trial%20from%20Wales%20Online%20website.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-4319644883641262456</id><published>2022-09-01T07:53:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-09-01T07:53:38.999-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Barry Scrapyard"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Caspar David Friedrich"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Crosses"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Emotions"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Industry"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Landscape"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Lowry"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Nature"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Skeletal Trees"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Telegraph Poles"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Trevor Grimshaw"/><title type='text'>Trevor Grimshaw and Caspar David Friedrich</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;One of the last works of Trevor Grimshaw is a book of
1147. black-and-white photographs entitled <i>Stilled Life</i> [1], the subject being
1148. the redundant steam locomotives that were stored at Woodham’s Scrapyard in
1149. Barry, South Wales (an image in colour taken by Peter Brabham is shown below).
1150. For all of us that have happy memories of these splendid machines in action,
1151. the scrapyard is a place of melancholy, even though delays in cutting up meant
1152. that some locomotives were bought from Dai Woodham and several have subsequently
1153. been re-built and returned to working order.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Id9APbGpNDFF6hKgEN1ck1GbP3ZLpFfK8d-D8KVCU6nj6yibB3jNIlOCWrSsZ-RjR7mJh1qcwDQyS3iinuS3bFdh8UNhhaBp1OyBvRBMVnqUKN9RPqIqEWIlnZd4ifu775JGUzG30BONodGKHytDlKVQ3Gn108aLcWpbqTiPn2zwJ0OHWZPqtw/s891/Woodham's%20scarpyard%20-%20image%20by%20Peter%20Brabham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="891" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Id9APbGpNDFF6hKgEN1ck1GbP3ZLpFfK8d-D8KVCU6nj6yibB3jNIlOCWrSsZ-RjR7mJh1qcwDQyS3iinuS3bFdh8UNhhaBp1OyBvRBMVnqUKN9RPqIqEWIlnZd4ifu775JGUzG30BONodGKHytDlKVQ3Gn108aLcWpbqTiPn2zwJ0OHWZPqtw/w446-h248/Woodham's%20scarpyard%20-%20image%20by%20Peter%20Brabham.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><p>Shortly after the photographs were taken, Trevor Grimshaw
1154. died, aged 54, following a fire at his home, something which adds poignancy to
1155. his story. In addition to his work as a photographer, Grimshaw was an accomplished
1156. artist, creating monochrome images of northern landscapes, two of which (from
1157. the Tate Gallery [3]) are illustrated below. Most viewers of these monochrome
1158. works associate them with the paintings of L.S.Lowry (who owned three of them
1159. [2]), but I think they consciously, or subconsciously, show the influence of
1160. Caspar David Friedrich. To emphasise this point, I have converted two of
1161. Friedrich’s paintings to greyscale to allow direct comparison.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1162.  
1163. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzxOeKbuLw6RPB9NVtevEp4hVVXA1ZVi7rGwePZ6CLhR7yY98N-QNV8QPA9upV4nY03MXSFcBiTq-7KhPRBmKtlTtIfzpbvjWvjSjQvNsEDyqKKafyX1nm1BRTnr9NaSJNrakND6mEF83qB_K5yGVTT2tWvCn4Z5eWoI7X-BmC7qyVlViwcNWAA/s1536/Grimshaw%20Open%20Space%201974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="1536" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzxOeKbuLw6RPB9NVtevEp4hVVXA1ZVi7rGwePZ6CLhR7yY98N-QNV8QPA9upV4nY03MXSFcBiTq-7KhPRBmKtlTtIfzpbvjWvjSjQvNsEDyqKKafyX1nm1BRTnr9NaSJNrakND6mEF83qB_K5yGVTT2tWvCn4Z5eWoI7X-BmC7qyVlViwcNWAA/w410-h333/Grimshaw%20Open%20Space%201974.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsb3oGM77bshsnJmbDVNAnBatorrx1ziD7qzO1HZJsUCKSE2J2S5AxkHIMa706nnkgrTH4VF6jzLNkKiDHGIDWm35Z42t6IwNx_l1xQxgpvWFMBgSUSLDjyeKG9gI_T9TvuI5Gd1kh0c7FF2tBGHVDe6lVW-HjGVS38uT4OTfnGJh3b9IwRq6aQ/s1520/Grimshaw%20Northern%20Townscape%201974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1239" data-original-width="1520" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsb3oGM77bshsnJmbDVNAnBatorrx1ziD7qzO1HZJsUCKSE2J2S5AxkHIMa706nnkgrTH4VF6jzLNkKiDHGIDWm35Z42t6IwNx_l1xQxgpvWFMBgSUSLDjyeKG9gI_T9TvuI5Gd1kh0c7FF2tBGHVDe6lVW-HjGVS38uT4OTfnGJh3b9IwRq6aQ/w408-h333/Grimshaw%20Northern%20Townscape%201974.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The first is <i>Abbey in the Oak Wood</i> (below, upper) that
1164. was exhibited in the Berlin Academy of Art in 1810 (as one of a pair – the
1165. other was <i>Monk by the Sea</i> [4]) in which we see the ruins of an abbey
1166. surrounded by trees that may be dead, or maybe had lost all their leaves, as
1167. this is a winter scene. In the foreground are monks who are walking towards the
1168. ruin. The whole effect is arresting and gloomy, but what does it mean to the
1169. viewer? As with all pictures, we can know something of the artist’s intentions,
1170. but we also use our own projections. We know that Friedrich was a Protestant
1171. [4] and that this picture shows a Catholic ruin and desolation. He was also
1172. fascinated by nature and landscape and this is one of Friedrich’s paintings
1173. that, to use his phrase, “is to be seen and recognised only in belief” [4]. As Michael
1174. Prodger [5] writes in <i>The Spectator</i>: “His
1175. Christianity is not insistent but comes wrapped in another - more widely
1176. practiced - religion: Nature. He offers the consolations and beauties of both.”</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkRfgracXQ0PFtdmf_aM78HneNQNCAXLVQkLAqU55nVe3nuDmyd6wiSWi5urv1DVKHsA-tETJf04xtVjI8Bf4nqRQZb-VsLcU-BLe7wVEkdKoXKhgykpXEXAP9Q8DA5EBbDJrzyJDtAkAnJwhGrFSmkZSZvliiCqFDza0oO1ELIHZAtn22opvhA/s860/Friedricch%20abbey%20in%20the%20oakwood%20bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="860" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkRfgracXQ0PFtdmf_aM78HneNQNCAXLVQkLAqU55nVe3nuDmyd6wiSWi5urv1DVKHsA-tETJf04xtVjI8Bf4nqRQZb-VsLcU-BLe7wVEkdKoXKhgykpXEXAP9Q8DA5EBbDJrzyJDtAkAnJwhGrFSmkZSZvliiCqFDza0oO1ELIHZAtn22opvhA/w440-h293/Friedricch%20abbey%20in%20the%20oakwood%20bw.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbOm7fEMtKgdW4LyuMXHoXnu8DXFJI3F9xG2lqlS7OH7tJxD4fwS4xdJK9i9EFzEK74HfkH_icibyiy4hQkbu5oUV9U2KL8-JBYk7hkZ2rl4dZ7GD9B-32uNhWqkkhrVQaLJ8wOUDdhFUQUUCk6vA7WgMcS6atMtvQv4kj0XMzgCpA2WZ5J88Xw/s1722/Friedrich%20Cross%20on%20the%20Baltic%20Sea%20bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1722" data-original-width="1200" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbOm7fEMtKgdW4LyuMXHoXnu8DXFJI3F9xG2lqlS7OH7tJxD4fwS4xdJK9i9EFzEK74HfkH_icibyiy4hQkbu5oUV9U2KL8-JBYk7hkZ2rl4dZ7GD9B-32uNhWqkkhrVQaLJ8wOUDdhFUQUUCk6vA7WgMcS6atMtvQv4kj0XMzgCpA2WZ5J88Xw/w291-h418/Friedrich%20Cross%20on%20the%20Baltic%20Sea%20bw.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The second painting of Friedrich that I have chosen - <i>Cross
1177. by the Baltic Sea</i> (1815) (above, lower) - uses a feature that occurred many
1178. times in his work – the appearance of a solitary cross in a landscape. This
1179. symbol of Christ, and the redemption of His crucifixion, is placed in locations
1180. quite unlike Calvary and, in this painting, is on an outcrop by the sea, with
1181. an anchor near its base. Just as in <i>Abbey in the Oak Wood</i>, there is a
1182. feeling of slightly threatening mystery and, at the same time, a sense of
1183. spiritual hope.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1184.  
1185. <p class="MsoNormal">Now let’s look at the two monochrome works by Trevor
1186. Grimshaw. In <i>Open Space</i> (1974) (the upper of the Tate images above), a
1187. solitary, bare tree is in the foreground, while the foggy background features a
1188. church tower and factories, with one chimney belching out smoke that is being
1189. carried away on the wind. We recognise that the tree, like those painted by
1190. Friedrich, shows desolation and, perhaps, death by pollution from the industry
1191. that replaced the natural world. The presence of the church is more difficult
1192. to interpret – did it represent something from Grimshaw’s spiritual beliefs, or
1193. was it used to indicate something that was longer-lasting, and more valuable, than
1194. the factories?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1195.  
1196. <p class="MsoNormal">In <i>Northern Townscape</i> (1974) (the lower of the Tate
1197. images above), we see another church tower, with factories and several chimneys,
1198. one of which is producing dark smoke that suffuses the upper part of the image,
1199. while steam is rising from elsewhere in the factory complex. The impression
1200. gained is very similar to that in <i>Open Space</i>, but the foreground is
1201. dominated by two poles, one of which is clearly a telegraph pole. Both stand
1202. isolated, and are connected to nothing – there are no wires – so we gain a
1203. sense of isolation and of disconnection to the rest of the scene. Unlike
1204. Friedrich’s crosses, however, there seems little hope here and my impression is
1205. that Grimshaw did not enjoy the industrial landscapes that he reproduced,
1206. despite their attractiveness as structures [5], just as he did not like the
1207. rusting steam locomotives he photographed in the scrapyard at Barry.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1208.  
1209. <p class="MsoNormal">Of course, I could be very wrong in drawing parallels between
1210. Friedrich and Grimshaw, and in interpreting their images in the way that I have
1211. done. That I react strongly to their work is an indication of the power of both
1212. artists to stimulate both the imagination and the emotions of the viewer.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1213.  
1214. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://trevorgrimshawphotography.art/about/">https://trevorgrimshawphotography.art/about/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1215.  
1216. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tribute-to-artist-who-portrayed-bleak-1194546">https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tribute-to-artist-who-portrayed-bleak-1194546</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1217.  
1218. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/trevor-grimshaw-1220">https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/trevor-grimshaw-1220</a></p>
1219.  
1220. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Johannes Grave (2017) <i>Caspar David Friedrich</i>.
1221. Munich, Prestel Verlag.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1222.  
1223. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">[5] </span><a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/an-artist-for-our-times"><span lang="ES">https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/an-artist-for-our-times</span></a></p>
1224.  
1225. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
1226.  
1227. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
1228.  
1229. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;ES&quot; style=&quot;color: #141414; font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;,sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/4319644883641262456/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/09/trevor-grimshaw-and-caspar-david.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/4319644883641262456'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/4319644883641262456'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/09/trevor-grimshaw-and-caspar-david.html' title='Trevor Grimshaw and Caspar David Friedrich'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Id9APbGpNDFF6hKgEN1ck1GbP3ZLpFfK8d-D8KVCU6nj6yibB3jNIlOCWrSsZ-RjR7mJh1qcwDQyS3iinuS3bFdh8UNhhaBp1OyBvRBMVnqUKN9RPqIqEWIlnZd4ifu775JGUzG30BONodGKHytDlKVQ3Gn108aLcWpbqTiPn2zwJ0OHWZPqtw/s72-w446-h248-c/Woodham&#39;s%20scarpyard%20-%20image%20by%20Peter%20Brabham.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-7013755324618365195</id><published>2022-08-23T02:52:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-08-23T02:52:43.881-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Building Materials"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Childhood"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Conservation"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Paignton"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Polsham"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Red Sandstone"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Red Valerian"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torbay"/><title type='text'>Red valerian and red sandstone</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;I was born, and brought up, in Paignton, one of the three
1230. towns that make up Torbay, and, despite leaving in 1968, I have a strong
1231. attachment to my roots in South Devon. Unfortunately, I get few opportunities
1232. to visit but, very close to where I live currently, in Berkhamsted, there is a
1233. patch of flowers (see below) that instantly brings back memories from over
1234. fifty years ago. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0qovWg4lsi72CgBgw91OCFDls34JaiRtVebXiprYAJa7_K9p7tVFblLUtNyzEIc6hQPlPItRbZs5KAiWTuQ_Qr9DgU50sokbOjMR0ixAz7Hy8QQAP43Z3KCuy1E4m6HcLXBKW8IapjUnqDw9TVG7bOl0EE7cAMFnWSREgwGHw_NviIfH41HFsA/s906/Red%20Valerian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="906" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0qovWg4lsi72CgBgw91OCFDls34JaiRtVebXiprYAJa7_K9p7tVFblLUtNyzEIc6hQPlPItRbZs5KAiWTuQ_Qr9DgU50sokbOjMR0ixAz7Hy8QQAP43Z3KCuy1E4m6HcLXBKW8IapjUnqDw9TVG7bOl0EE7cAMFnWSREgwGHw_NviIfH41HFsA/w380-h286/Red%20Valerian.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Red valerian is a very common plant in the south west, being
1235. a widely-dispersed introduction from its native Mediterranean region – appropriate,
1236. given that Torbay prides itself on bring the English Riviera. It probably
1237. arrived as a garden plant and is described by Clapham Tutin and Warburg [1] as
1238. being ”abundantly naturalised on old walls, cliffs, etc. particularly in the
1239. south and west.” It certainly has the ability to thrive where conditions look
1240. unsuitable for plant life and its establishment can be a threat to the fabric
1241. of old buildings [2]. <o:p></o:p></p>
1242.  
1243. <p class="MsoNormal">My recollection of red valerian is the strong colour
1244. combinations that its pink flowers and green leaves make with the red sandstone
1245. that is the underlying rock of the central part of Torbay and which was used
1246. extensively for building construction. Technically described as a sandstone
1247. breccia conglomerate, this rock, exposed at Roundham Head, for example (see
1248. below), has been used in building houses and walls in Paignton since mediaeval
1249. times [3]. I lived in Polsham Park (the cul-de-sac road), part of the Polsham Park Estate designed by W.G.Goudrey and George Soudron Bridgman, and
1250. constructed in the last decade of the Nineteenth Century [3]. This was 50
1251. years after the building boom in Torquay, where many villas were in an
1252. Italianate style, to reflect houses of the Mediterranean Riviera. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdDCqOCXoskKQX5tL-TsU9IKtFLPdr8TsdqQcusrROgDYTeu8IzTEQl9TMI5kKiZOaVthrUqFBtV_AuMEwpJAvcCmA-qQiN2T4Z_vKE2O8DmRaKZuzpKySaAVQZgPbQJPWMNzm9cE8xYulFZITsJfsR7aHus01pNUWTydUhot9TqdUU42mlFZqA/s1828/Polsham%206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1828" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdDCqOCXoskKQX5tL-TsU9IKtFLPdr8TsdqQcusrROgDYTeu8IzTEQl9TMI5kKiZOaVthrUqFBtV_AuMEwpJAvcCmA-qQiN2T4Z_vKE2O8DmRaKZuzpKySaAVQZgPbQJPWMNzm9cE8xYulFZITsJfsR7aHus01pNUWTydUhot9TqdUU42mlFZqA/w418-h338/Polsham%206.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The buildings of the Polsham Park Estate were dressed in
1253. brick – ours were cream in colour – but the sandstone was unforuately suject to
1254. weathering, as anyone looking at Roundham Head, and other coastal promontories,
1255. readily appreciates. As our house had a verandah, one of the jobs that I helped
1256. with was the sweeping up of the red dust that accumulated on the tiles (red, of
1257. course) that were used as flooring. Nowadays, the appearance of many of the houses
1258. has been altered by the extensive use of PVC replacement windows, and roofing
1259. other than slate, the Conservation Report [3] stating that “almost
1260. overwhelmingly the workmanship is inferior in design and materials: artificial
1261. slate and PVC glazing are almost universal replacements.” Two recent images of
1262. houses on the Estate are shown below:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcIlKQ9NfGsWI859IuGFQMz902SvzJNDr6ameVfrxKo_oQQRNMVFyp4MPQe5hikJC5zYQ3U2rnBkQAc2zPy7NRA_o-V2vQoyT9HxGm1G_QqgBwFxMJSnciG_VZBlH5L35XdDd7pznW5tNM6_gycfvH_diAsHlIn7JtInRsSFBT3iHz30PW1WM-g/s3750/Polsham%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3750" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcIlKQ9NfGsWI859IuGFQMz902SvzJNDr6ameVfrxKo_oQQRNMVFyp4MPQe5hikJC5zYQ3U2rnBkQAc2zPy7NRA_o-V2vQoyT9HxGm1G_QqgBwFxMJSnciG_VZBlH5L35XdDd7pznW5tNM6_gycfvH_diAsHlIn7JtInRsSFBT3iHz30PW1WM-g/w446-h347/Polsham%201.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zo6yiSd6pZgVbTg2FHtQNa5kR1s5kEnqrZUjbcdScKM3KJOdWOZzuRcz0_x2OE0qbLPfhK73FDuR1Na11TuJNABLU1piTt31TF_doBPTQe8pNsfRu9_TI8D6ED6aaSODbl2yDfmklmhOinyr2TXRDVS1vm-EaCqOYahD3J95hggaYclySxq5hw/s3076/Polsham%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2245" data-original-width="3076" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zo6yiSd6pZgVbTg2FHtQNa5kR1s5kEnqrZUjbcdScKM3KJOdWOZzuRcz0_x2OE0qbLPfhK73FDuR1Na11TuJNABLU1piTt31TF_doBPTQe8pNsfRu9_TI8D6ED6aaSODbl2yDfmklmhOinyr2TXRDVS1vm-EaCqOYahD3J95hggaYclySxq5hw/w450-h329/Polsham%202.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When I lived in this area of Paignton, it was little changed
1263. from its original condition, but that wasn’t important to me. What I enjoyed,
1264. was being able to run along Polsham Park (the road) to Victoria Park (the
1265. entrance to which is shown below) where I could play on the swings, slide and
1266. roundabouts, run around on the “pitches”, or go at top speed along the path by
1267. the railway line to exit within easy walking distance of the railway station, there to
1268. indulge in my favourite pastime of trainspotting. Much of the park was
1269. completed in 1894, with the boating pond (see below in a separate image), where
1270. I sailed my elderly, re-painted yacht, completed in 1895 [3]. The “pitches”
1271. next to the main road to the west were previously the Victoria Nurseries and
1272. were added to the Park in the first half of the twentieth Century.<o:p></o:p></p>
1273.  
1274. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Wia-iP0a5Qq7PRnY4zgO8tMEBviQ4vwmT_clgjKDR4_RjyiCYuRgCnhgwvJNwAbNTSgT1b0hy2JMONaV4pY2gaBthZfoc7xwl3dbnE30YSK9eFKo9aHgsSGx-hGKSE7tcQ-5hz4Mpspl53Vp2XrhF4S5EQ8jAnEbiETLsT23gAcb3exuASnXdA/s3864/Polsham%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="3864" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Wia-iP0a5Qq7PRnY4zgO8tMEBviQ4vwmT_clgjKDR4_RjyiCYuRgCnhgwvJNwAbNTSgT1b0hy2JMONaV4pY2gaBthZfoc7xwl3dbnE30YSK9eFKo9aHgsSGx-hGKSE7tcQ-5hz4Mpspl53Vp2XrhF4S5EQ8jAnEbiETLsT23gAcb3exuASnXdA/w433-h288/Polsham%203.jpg" width="433" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmCm0hamdZIyDrP-NDX465fYvQV1r3egwUugEZSJxO0PiBpJ7Ubh0MhqugXP3N5nAbvhxHYkQoC1hVCaJvB3YOWP_xTCpMA3U45Qbp4yacwnxthyAGfNUq5IC_JSg0lo8wHJdXfKeXwKLVsdfRFxzwBemdOMEt60ke8ty-2tU3rOsNWlwnWHtWA/s4032/Polsham%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmCm0hamdZIyDrP-NDX465fYvQV1r3egwUugEZSJxO0PiBpJ7Ubh0MhqugXP3N5nAbvhxHYkQoC1hVCaJvB3YOWP_xTCpMA3U45Qbp4yacwnxthyAGfNUq5IC_JSg0lo8wHJdXfKeXwKLVsdfRFxzwBemdOMEt60ke8ty-2tU3rOsNWlwnWHtWA/w433-h325/Polsham%204.jpg" width="433" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">None of this was known to me either, and which child would
1275. be interested in such things? Now that I am much older, and enjoy nostalgia, it
1276. is all fascinating to discover the history of what was so familiar in the late
1277. 1950s and early 1960s. Certainly, the combination of red valerian and red sandstone remain
1278. powerful triggers for memories of the joys of childhood and an appreciation of the “respectable” part
1279. of the town that was once my home.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1280.  
1281. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] A.R.Clapham, T.G.Tutin and E.F.Warburg (1959) <i>Excursion
1282. Flora of the British Isles</i>. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1283.  
1284. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">[2] R. Motti, G.
1285. Bonanomi and A. Stinca (2021) Biodeteriogens at a southern Italian Heritage
1286. site: Analysis and management of vascular flora on the walls of Villa Rufalo. </span><i><span lang="SV" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: SV;">International
1287. Biodeterioration & Biodegradation</span></i><span lang="SV" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 162 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2021.105252">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2021.105252</a></span></p>
1288.  
1289. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV">[3] </span><a href="https://www.torbay.gov.uk/media/7583/polsham-caa.pdf"><span lang="SV">https://www.torbay.gov.uk/media/7583/polsham-caa.pdf</span></a></p>
1290.  
1291. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"> </span></p>
1292.  
1293. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/7013755324618365195/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/08/red-valerian-and-red-sandstone.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7013755324618365195'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7013755324618365195'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/08/red-valerian-and-red-sandstone.html' title='Red valerian and red sandstone'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0qovWg4lsi72CgBgw91OCFDls34JaiRtVebXiprYAJa7_K9p7tVFblLUtNyzEIc6hQPlPItRbZs5KAiWTuQ_Qr9DgU50sokbOjMR0ixAz7Hy8QQAP43Z3KCuy1E4m6HcLXBKW8IapjUnqDw9TVG7bOl0EE7cAMFnWSREgwGHw_NviIfH41HFsA/s72-w380-h286-c/Red%20Valerian.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-3100529570420653115</id><published>2022-08-19T01:04:00.004-07:00</published><updated>2023-11-05T01:59:55.941-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Broken Bones"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Countryside"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Edward Elgar"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Geoff Nicholson"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Plaster Cast"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Reveries"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Rousseau"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Videoclips"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Walking"/><title type='text'>A walk in the countryside is not always a positive experience</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;In his Introduction to the Oxford World’s Classics edition of
1294. Rousseau’s <i>Reveries of the Solitary Walker</i> [1], Russell Goulbourne
1295. writes:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1296.  
1297. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">For Rousseau, ..musings and movement
1298. go hand in hand. Walking is.. ..thought-inspiring: ‘Seated at my table, with my
1299. pen in my hand and my paper in front of me, I have never been able to achieve
1300. anything. It is when I am out walking among the rocks and the woods, it is at
1301. night, sleepless in my bed, that I write in my head’. This link between musings
1302. and movement.. ..is fundamental to the <i>Reveries</i>.. ..since Rousseau based
1303. his text on notes he had scribbled down on twenty-seven playing cards while out
1304. walking..<o:p></o:p></p>
1305.  
1306. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAJiV6E3HIGtDQ218Q6-nM25mg1MBE1q2_2GE_YlIDwuNVXsAkbAHOq6H3JhARqW1NpGc3KzGkgLk1K3uPCaBIAM-74bPCWjHxdyNHIaY78sJOVmgecYlKTgEUqO1_Ry274nm7rKd_EB4-TSCulNNvQsXOGfwcrKXuyaWsb-_MPK8QxFEYld-Rw/s3545/Malvern%20Hills%207.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2740" data-original-width="3545" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAJiV6E3HIGtDQ218Q6-nM25mg1MBE1q2_2GE_YlIDwuNVXsAkbAHOq6H3JhARqW1NpGc3KzGkgLk1K3uPCaBIAM-74bPCWjHxdyNHIaY78sJOVmgecYlKTgEUqO1_Ry274nm7rKd_EB4-TSCulNNvQsXOGfwcrKXuyaWsb-_MPK8QxFEYld-Rw/w409-h316/Malvern%20Hills%207.jpg" width="409" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid74iOAj0EGcgyTGyxGE-brfXp8p-SOnSPGRcktDyd_O2tZZyHNGGvYT8L1vC-o6XClpZbiL7k9rOdMOZHGP-sFkj7uSFm2QD8InNqiRqji60bJ6G4Ob8qSuN49gj_5SYNg1sQ2erIws5D-Cw913NdMEz4mA4W-M_enzi6noQPwv1HovFZbIfoiw/s3963/Malvern%20Hills%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2312" data-original-width="3963" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid74iOAj0EGcgyTGyxGE-brfXp8p-SOnSPGRcktDyd_O2tZZyHNGGvYT8L1vC-o6XClpZbiL7k9rOdMOZHGP-sFkj7uSFm2QD8InNqiRqji60bJ6G4Ob8qSuN49gj_5SYNg1sQ2erIws5D-Cw913NdMEz4mA4W-M_enzi6noQPwv1HovFZbIfoiw/w462-h270/Malvern%20Hills%203.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">A similar approach to the creative impulse provided by solitary
1307. walking in the countryside was described by Edward Elgar, who also enjoyed
1308. riding a bicycle over the lanes and tracks of Worcestershire and, especially,
1309. the Malvern Hills (see above). In a letter from Malvern on 11th July 1900 to
1310. A.J.Jaeger (“Nimrod” of the <i>Enigma Variations</i>), Elgar writes, describing
1311. a musical phrase [2]:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1312.  
1313. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">This is what I hear all day – the
1314. trees are singing my music – or have I sung theirs? It’s too lovely here.<o:p></o:p></p>
1315.  
1316. <p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, I don’t have the genius of Rousseau or Elgar,
1317. but I understand their sentiments. For me, walking through the countryside has
1318. always been my favourite exercise (I never learned to ride a bicycle) and provides
1319. a source of freedom from day-to-day problems. It is more that that, though, in
1320. that it enables me to appreciate the natural world and to observe closely all
1321. the changes that occur through the year. Like Rousseau and Elgar, my walks are
1322. also a time when ideas come to the fore – perhaps for a different way of looking
1323. at something, or for generating ideas for a new talk, or blog post.<o:p></o:p></p>
1324.  
1325. <p class="MsoNormal">Early morning walks in summer are especially uplifting and I
1326. have recently discovered that short video clips act as aides-memoires. Being a
1327. technophobe, I have only recently started using the video recorder on my mobile
1328. telephone and the clip below shows a section of country lane that opens to
1329. reveal a pretty cottage with well-kept gardens on either side of the road. This
1330. has always seemed odd to me, as I am not a gardener and I prefer the wonderful
1331. complexity of natural world as it is – there’s no doubting that it is
1332. attractive, though.<o:p></o:p></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsKxCbkG3TSTycE5pBrBMPgtbdZ_14SnPfd8eRmPFrgVxC6LGYDgrw_IVMxM_889zwiP2RtYT96cIGFZbYFg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">Further in the dawn walk, I headed through a field and took
1333. a path into a wood. The transition appealed to me, so I took a video as I
1334. walked from the one to the other and the clip can be viewed below, complete
1335. with soundtrack:<o:p></o:p></p><p></p><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="564" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/740438929?h=00717afbd4" width="640"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">My experience was very similar to that of Geoff Nicholson
1336. [3]:<o:p></o:p></p>
1337.  
1338. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">Even as I was falling I thought,
1339. Oh crap, I’m not going all the way to the ground, am I? I’ll stop myself
1340. somehow. I’ll keep my footing. I’ll regain my balance. And then I knew I was
1341. mistaken about that. I was going all the way. I’d passed the tipping point. Oh
1342. crap indeed.<o:p></o:p></p>
1343.  
1344. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">Then there was the impact, a much
1345. greater, more generalised blow than I’d been anticipating. I was on the ground,
1346. winded, hurting all over, feeling like a fool, trying to breathe deeply and
1347. regularly, and thinking.. ..’Oh man this really, really hurts, this is a bad
1348. one’.<o:p></o:p></p>
1349.  
1350. <p class="MsoNormal">Nicholson broke his arm, but I was luckier as I only had cuts on
1351. various parts of my face and arms and a badly swollen hand. Once I had
1352. recovered a little, I gingerly pushed myself up and then sat for a while on a
1353. tree stump before walking the 2 km to my home. A visit to the hospital later in
1354. the day revealed a dislocated, and broken, little finger that required surgery
1355. under general anaesthetic and, as I write, my hand and lower arm are in plaster and
1356. I await the verdict of the medical team as to the extent of healing.<o:p></o:p></p>
1357.  
1358. <p class="MsoNormal">I was a fool to concentrate on making the videoclip and not
1359. looking where I was putting my feet. A lesson learned, certainly, but I so look
1360. forward to going out on more solitary walks in the countryside. Despite recent
1361. evidence, thy are good for me…<o:p></o:p></p>
1362.  
1363. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Russell Goulbourne (2011) <i>Introduction. Reveries of
1364. the Solitary Walker by Jean-Jacques Rousseau</i>. Oxford, Oxford University
1365. Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1366.  
1367. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Percy M. Young (1956) <i>Letters of Edward Elgar and
1368. Other Writings</i>. London, Geoffrey Bles.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1369.  
1370. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] Geoff Nicholson (2010) <i>The Lost Art of Walking</i>.
1371. Chelmsford, Harbour.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1372.  
1373. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1374.  
1375. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1376.  
1377. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1378.  
1379. <p class="MsoNormal">My thanks to Anna Easton for her advice on the use of
1380. videoclips.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/3100529570420653115/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-walk-in-countryside-is-not-always.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/3100529570420653115'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/3100529570420653115'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-walk-in-countryside-is-not-always.html' title='A walk in the countryside is not always a positive experience'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAJiV6E3HIGtDQ218Q6-nM25mg1MBE1q2_2GE_YlIDwuNVXsAkbAHOq6H3JhARqW1NpGc3KzGkgLk1K3uPCaBIAM-74bPCWjHxdyNHIaY78sJOVmgecYlKTgEUqO1_Ry274nm7rKd_EB4-TSCulNNvQsXOGfwcrKXuyaWsb-_MPK8QxFEYld-Rw/s72-w409-h316-c/Malvern%20Hills%207.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-2690624389500843460</id><published>2022-07-28T02:05:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-07-28T02:05:56.663-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Abstract Art"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Caroline Levisse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Guernica"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Landscape"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Pablo Picasso"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Paintings"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Portraits"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Reactions"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Romanticism"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Turner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="WEA"/><title type='text'>Learning about Picasso</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;For the past six weeks, I’ve been taking a WEA course on
1381. Picasso. Caroline Levisse, our tutor, has the happy knack of being informal, and
1382. inviting questions of those attending, while also having an in-depth knowledge of art
1383. history. As a result, the group had its own dynamic and it was interesting to
1384. hear what members had to say about Picasso, his life, and the many varieties of
1385. his art – from paintings, through sculpture, to ceramics and much else [1].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1386.  
1387. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbu0OpAZ3xyJRD3fHvO1ik3MkKihaixPzPeTaGaYlVl86jiJnhTMp2UeoXUeyWaSCUPp7kZoDYV6JhR3ypx_IY2ZL3Ihvi_9sTv418IXDM9fwbbLXE3fYQBEf61-M-cOR9_70aIlcOxwF_nDI_mc0puR2wBVNq2FRBwWmGag_fPZoaykPn55x-IA/s1513/Picasso%20Turner%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="1513" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbu0OpAZ3xyJRD3fHvO1ik3MkKihaixPzPeTaGaYlVl86jiJnhTMp2UeoXUeyWaSCUPp7kZoDYV6JhR3ypx_IY2ZL3Ihvi_9sTv418IXDM9fwbbLXE3fYQBEf61-M-cOR9_70aIlcOxwF_nDI_mc0puR2wBVNq2FRBwWmGag_fPZoaykPn55x-IA/w519-h225/Picasso%20Turner%201.jpg" width="519" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Most were very enthusiastic about what they saw, and we
1388. were all happy to acknowledge that Picasso was an extraordinarily talented
1389. artist and, probably, a great one. Others, while admiring his virtuosity, were left to question why they didn’t “get” some of his art, even that
1390. which was based on artists whose work they <u>did</u> react to positively. I was
1391. one of the dissenters, and was relieved when one of the class members said he admired <i>Guernica</i>
1392. (see above), but was not especially moved by it. His comment came as a relief to me, as I found it difficult to engage with much of Picasso’s work and I
1393. started to wonder why.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1394.  
1395. <p class="MsoNormal">Since I was young, I have loved looking at paintings and
1396. have tried to interpret what I see. As an undergraduate, I made many visits to
1397. the National and Tate Galleries in London and attempted to learn more by
1398. listening to talks and by reading. Some paintings made an instant impact on me,
1399. some took more time, and some left me baffled. Regrettably, much modern art
1400. fell into the latter category, but I was bowled over by the large-scale paintings
1401. by Turner: one of them, <i>Sun Setting over a Lake</i>, is shown below.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1402.  
1403. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhGRXO0ElEKhMbG5a6r6trKCpzrad8y4HSudgg5dVYeDgwQbO31fep4nkqigeA2tBFLiqH8-nM0xcDFCVUvvVCyFWIs1vg9lT1EvX523vFcKTTHbXpmzKSJi65Og9kDiUfDNCKRkTiIKgtpfL_K45SaccTaDBL-KBkmA2g2wFR1hAt1KhM9zCag/s1536/Picasso%20Turner%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="1536" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhGRXO0ElEKhMbG5a6r6trKCpzrad8y4HSudgg5dVYeDgwQbO31fep4nkqigeA2tBFLiqH8-nM0xcDFCVUvvVCyFWIs1vg9lT1EvX523vFcKTTHbXpmzKSJi65Og9kDiUfDNCKRkTiIKgtpfL_K45SaccTaDBL-KBkmA2g2wFR1hAt1KhM9zCag/w481-h360/Picasso%20Turner%202.jpg" width="481" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">In contrast to Picasso, Turner’s work focussed on the
1404. “essence” of the world around us. He had the skill to paint portraits and, as James
1405. Hamilton writes [2]: </p>
1406.  
1407. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">Turner’s education as an artist
1408. was running on a number of fronts in the early 1790s [when in his teens]. He
1409. followed the standard Academy tuition of drawing from casts of antique
1410. sculpture, in preparation for the Life Class, which he entered on 25th June
1411. 1792.. .. Through the evidence of two self-portraits made at the beginning and
1412. end of the decade, Turner had more than a passing interest in becoming
1413. competent in portraiture, and must have taken lessons in it. All this was available
1414. to every other ambitious artist of his generation; but what stands out in
1415. Turner’s case is the breadth of his interest, and his dogged refusal to specialise.
1416. At all times he kept a weather eye open for opportunities to make money out of
1417. his art. </p>
1418.  
1419. <p class="MsoNormal">From Hamilton’s description, we see parallels with Picasso:
1420. both had a rare talent for several categories of painting (and Picasso had many
1421. other creative outlets) and both had an interest in the monetary value of their
1422. work. To this can be added their enjoyment of a messy studio, and a
1423. powerful impulse to draw and paint at every opportunity. Both were strongly
1424. egocentric and driven men and there is an interesting “compare and contrast exercise" for someone interested in those aspects of their lives.<o:p></o:p></p>
1425.  
1426. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqWNexwYzZw6D8KhhhWcqrS1KyFVPduQoxEJDI-RscGu0uyfoTz2PhuU-OVmdxffTq5H-FzPxexZcaOV20Ik-2_FfRqqf7Xi2Ds6enJOvpdq24pTuIcFHTNy5nETTPTBX-BHSI_34AoMPvxHOaHFmc1VHZXBM8xc7xs5Wgv-bQbYJjzfmg_FKRw/s730/Picasso%20Turner%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="730" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqWNexwYzZw6D8KhhhWcqrS1KyFVPduQoxEJDI-RscGu0uyfoTz2PhuU-OVmdxffTq5H-FzPxexZcaOV20Ik-2_FfRqqf7Xi2Ds6enJOvpdq24pTuIcFHTNy5nETTPTBX-BHSI_34AoMPvxHOaHFmc1VHZXBM8xc7xs5Wgv-bQbYJjzfmg_FKRw/w522-h320/Picasso%20Turner%203.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">In Turner’s works, people play an ancillary role to the
1427. landscape in which they are portrayed: in his classical works in the style of
1428. Claude, the distant figures give scale and this is true also of other works,
1429. like <i>Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps</i> (see above),
1430. where the many members of the army give the scene a strong sense of the sublime.
1431. Picasso, on the other hand, used a strongly anthropocentric approach and most
1432. of his works featured portraits of one kind or another and, while the contents
1433. of houses had a role in providing a setting, landscape did not.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1434.  
1435. <p class="MsoNormal">Is this why I find it difficult to appreciate Picasso’s
1436. work, while being moved by that of Turner? Is it that I find Picasso’s use of
1437. strong lines challenging and find the more diffuse shapes in Turner’s work
1438. easier to relate to? What is certain is that I am a Romantic and I have also
1439. been shaped by my career in biology, with over forty years’ of research
1440. on animals, plants, microorganisms, and the environment in which they live.
1441. While recognising that humans are unique, and very highly evolved, I am aware that we are animals that are intimately linked to the natural world, even
1442. though we can isolate ourselves from it. That form of thinking must have come
1443. early in my life, for I always liked solitary walks along the coasts and lanes
1444. of Devonshire while growing up. Maybe that is the root of my Romanticism and
1445. why I can respect Picasso as a great artist, but find his work puzzling?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1446.  
1447. <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">[1] James <span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Voorhies
1448. (2004) Pablo Picasso (1881–1973). In <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">Heilbrunn Timeline of Art
1449. History</span></i>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. </span><a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pica/hd_pica.htm"><span style="background: white;">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pica/hd_pica.htm</span></a></p>
1450.  
1451. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">[2] James Hamilton
1452. (1997) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;i style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Turner, a Life&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; color: #333333;&quot;&gt;. London, Hodder and Stoughton.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/2690624389500843460/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/07/learning-about-picasso.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/2690624389500843460'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/2690624389500843460'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/07/learning-about-picasso.html' title='Learning about Picasso'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbu0OpAZ3xyJRD3fHvO1ik3MkKihaixPzPeTaGaYlVl86jiJnhTMp2UeoXUeyWaSCUPp7kZoDYV6JhR3ypx_IY2ZL3Ihvi_9sTv418IXDM9fwbbLXE3fYQBEf61-M-cOR9_70aIlcOxwF_nDI_mc0puR2wBVNq2FRBwWmGag_fPZoaykPn55x-IA/s72-w519-h225-c/Picasso%20Turner%201.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-3314208000291752417</id><published>2022-07-08T09:08:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-07-08T09:08:22.734-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Decades"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Erosion"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Geological Time"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Paignton"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Rob Ball"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Rock Pooling"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Seaside Resorts"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Seasons"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Tides"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torquay"/><title type='text'>Seaside resorts: seasons, decades and geological time</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;We have all visited seaside resorts and some of us are
1453. fortunate enough to have been brought up in one: I lived in Paignton in South
1454. Devon and went to school in Torquay more than 50 years ago, so knew both towns
1455. well. I expect that they are rather different now to the way that I remember
1456. them, while both resorts have an interesting history. </p>
1457.  
1458. <p class="MsoNormal">In his foreword to John Pike’s <i>Iron Horse to the Sea</i>,
1459. Crispin Gill writes [1]: </p>
1460.  
1461. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The turnpike roads to Exmouth and
1462. Torquay first created the resorts of South Devon, but it was the coming of the
1463. railway.. ..that really saw these places grow. In the early days it was the
1464. aristocracy and the upper middle class who could afford holidays when these
1465. resorts were frequented mainly in the winter. Since the First World War, with the
1466. growth of holidays with pay, these resorts have become accessible to all and
1467. are now among the most popular in Britain. </p>
1468.  
1469. <p class="MsoNormal">Initially, the railway terminated at Torquay (at what is now
1470. Torre) and Pike [1] describes the onward extension (including quotes from private
1471. papers supporting the proposal to build the railway): </p>
1472.  
1473. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The route of the proposed railway
1474. was 11 miles in length and approached quite near to Brixham which was then
1475. becoming an important fishing port. Equally of interest is the prophecy of a
1476. future for Paignton ‘in climate of equal salubrity with Torquay, it possesses,
1477. in addition, a hard sandy beach nearly two miles in length, admirably adapted for
1478. bathing. Being in the centre of the Bay, it also embraces, within easy drives,
1479. all points of beauty … [it] annually draws to it numerous visitors for health
1480. as well as recreation.’ </p>
1481.  
1482. <p class="MsoNormal">In <i>Bradshaw’s Descriptive Railway Handbook</i> [2],
1483. originally published in 1863 shortly after the extension had been completed, we
1484. have a fulsome account of the pleasures of Torquay, while Paignton is described
1485. thus: </p>
1486.  
1487. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The situation of this place is
1488. really beautiful, commanding a central aspect of Torbay. Its picturesque church
1489. and the sand rounding from it to the fine woods of Tor Abbey, and the town and
1490. pier below it, form a pleasing <i>coup d’œil</i>. </p>
1491.  
1492. <p class="MsoNormal">No mention of the swampy land between the railway and the
1493. sea and, by the relative size of the two entries, readers of <i>Bradshaw’s</i>
1494. will gain the impression that Paignton was regarded as a poor neighbour of
1495. Torquay, although there were wealthy residents. This may well have been the
1496. attitude of many outsiders, and some Paignton residents would not disagree with
1497. that perception, despite our pride in the town. </p>
1498.  
1499. <p class="MsoNormal">The importance of winter visitors has been emphasised by
1500. StJohn Thomas and Smith [3]: </p>
1501.  
1502. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">As late as the 1890s, when
1503. following the abandonment of Brunel’s broad gauge, the first through trains ran
1504. from the North to Torbay, the resorts were still busier in winter than in
1505. summer, when many of their facilities closed down. Sea bathing (of course dependent
1506. on the bathing machine) was however growing rapidly in popularity and certainly
1507. local traffic was heavier in summer; Exeter in particular has a strong
1508. tradition of sending its people to the sea on day trips.. ..and by 1914 the
1509. upper middle class family by the sea was more usually a summer affair. </p>
1510.  
1511. <p class="MsoNormal">By my time, in the 1950s, Paignton was a popular family
1512. resort and any wealthy visitors coming down in winter for their health were not
1513. apparent to us residents. In the opening of <i>Walking with Gosse</i>, I
1514. describe what I remembered [4]: </p>
1515.  
1516. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A</span>fter the summer holiday season,
1517. Paignton in the 1950s was typical of many seaside towns in the UK, being quiet
1518. and left to its residents. A small theatre put on rather good amateur pantomimes
1519. at Christmas and, at other times, hosted school music festivals, elocution
1520. contests, and the occasional Billy Graham-style Christian “Crusade”. Bakers,
1521. butchers, grocers, newsagents, chemists, banks and other high street shops supported
1522. the local community; while pubs, churches and clubs, associated with
1523. organisations like the British Legion, provided social life. In almost all
1524. homes, meals were prepared from basic ingredients and, as a treat, fish and
1525. chip shops dotted through the town were a source of takeaway meals: the fish
1526. being cod, plaice, haddock, bream or rock salmon (dogfish), all caught locally. </p>
1527.  
1528. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt; text-align: justify;">Nothing
1529. much seemed to change in the pattern of life during the week, with Saturdays a
1530. time for relaxation and, perhaps, watching, or playing, sport. Sundays were for
1531. dressing in one’s “best” clothes, with very few shops, or places of
1532. entertainment, open. It was a day for gentle walks, going to church or Sunday
1533. School, and having a roast lunch (called dinner), followed by tea with tinned
1534. fruit and fancy cakes. If the routine of the week was broken by illness,
1535. support came from General Practitioners and a small hospital; while several
1536. dentists looked after teeth and dentures (that were much commoner then than
1537. now).<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p>
1538.  
1539. <p class="MsoNormal">That is one person’s view of winter in a summer-resort where
1540. all the shops selling rock, “kiss-me-quick hats”, saucy postcards, etc.. were
1541. boarded up, as were the stalls selling candyfloss, seafood, chips and the like.
1542. Some cafes remained open, but winter provided a bleaker outlook that was such a
1543. contrast to the summer, when train after train brought holidaymakers on
1544. Saturdays (changeover day), with similar numbers of trains taking them home
1545. after a week. I have tried to capture Paignton in winter in photographs (see
1546. below), as, to quote a 1918 advertisement, “o<span style="color: #202122; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">ne picture is worth
1547. a thousand words”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
1548.  
1549. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnO4fZJWrE8ouqkREEyt1uYpT_nQrXQ3GgQugGNLvUFcBTbyhGpAtaPMgDLmrYt9Qeq7M7PNdiRDqHv7XL4L6wr77PWRmkbmFK6Gen-8tDGSB_UFjO7skL75kZLfFzQ4COjktzk7YM6SbKz-t0oJx0mVeXHgHDs5WedH4oRBdDPJAIOlKWD5oRuQ/s3615/Paignton%20Pier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2591" data-original-width="3615" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnO4fZJWrE8ouqkREEyt1uYpT_nQrXQ3GgQugGNLvUFcBTbyhGpAtaPMgDLmrYt9Qeq7M7PNdiRDqHv7XL4L6wr77PWRmkbmFK6Gen-8tDGSB_UFjO7skL75kZLfFzQ4COjktzk7YM6SbKz-t0oJx0mVeXHgHDs5WedH4oRBdDPJAIOlKWD5oRuQ/w394-h282/Paignton%20Pier.jpg" width="394" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvl2JQTmrjGXRUf04F9C4jgrfryTMkD25Gapem3OvaEf3p67uVMa3a-zKMv2sLxjCE0WSpty9o13imaNWnhBQAx1qcS_-PdB7bYIp9EYDh91g4m2HB2fPfl6rOfhzXVqensA6W2VLTEVyOJyx2ayi91wZrxvY46bXZABtU5Z3EMwcfWoE8Ou_Zw/s3304/Paignton%20Preston%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2481" data-original-width="3304" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvl2JQTmrjGXRUf04F9C4jgrfryTMkD25Gapem3OvaEf3p67uVMa3a-zKMv2sLxjCE0WSpty9o13imaNWnhBQAx1qcS_-PdB7bYIp9EYDh91g4m2HB2fPfl6rOfhzXVqensA6W2VLTEVyOJyx2ayi91wZrxvY46bXZABtU5Z3EMwcfWoE8Ou_Zw/w389-h292/Paignton%20Preston%202.jpg" width="389" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Clearly, I have little skill as a photographer, but Rob Ball
1550. is highly skilled and also has the eye of an artist. He produced a wonderful photograph
1551. in his recent collection entitled <i>Silent Coast</i> [5] that was referenced
1552. by the <i>Financial Times </i>Magazine of 4th June 2022 (see below – the
1553. associated text is worth reading).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1554.  
1555. <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48aHthQl6eSMpfviT14QGimTkUJmVqcrfojlo73zfoQuyypDwcEvH-1-dsT5kfvgVbZXb-_NNnpu_50W8e-QBjTtI5VISMU9oKWUIpqfA5AyjANDhXn6ixW7avg52BXQ2o0vdVPq8cWZaC-cu2434MIZGeVNKwYtzfxiO4HnUFtjmX9ACL91F4g/s3146/Rob%20Ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3146" data-original-width="2453" height="591" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48aHthQl6eSMpfviT14QGimTkUJmVqcrfojlo73zfoQuyypDwcEvH-1-dsT5kfvgVbZXb-_NNnpu_50W8e-QBjTtI5VISMU9oKWUIpqfA5AyjANDhXn6ixW7avg52BXQ2o0vdVPq8cWZaC-cu2434MIZGeVNKwYtzfxiO4HnUFtjmX9ACL91F4g/w461-h591/Rob%20Ball.jpg" width="461" /></a></div><o:p> </o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This image is not from Paignton, of course, but Rob’s photograph
1556. conjures up the ghostly feeling that seaside resorts can create out of season. There
1557. is no-one to be seen, yet everything that provides entertainment is still
1558. there, but locked up. In looking at the image, one remembers the noise of excited
1559. children running around in bathing costumes, the warmth of the balmy air, the
1560. thrill of slides (especially water slides), etc.. </p>
1561.  
1562. <p class="MsoNormal">There are not only changes in types of visitors and their
1563. means of getting to the resorts of Torbay at different times of the year as there
1564. are also changes in topography. For example, the magnificent view of the coast
1565. from Babbacombe has been altered by the cliff fall at Oddicombe (see images below),
1566. where saturated sandstones fractured at weak points and then slid down. A
1567. different form of erosion comes in the effect of tides and waves that attack
1568. coastal defences and have severed some coastal paths that linked adjacent
1569. coves. Storms and tidal surges have also affected the railway lines that run to
1570. Torquay and Paignton through Dawlish, where landslips and breaches are familiar
1571. to both contemporary residents and those that are interests in transport
1572. history. These are decadal, rather than seasonal, changes, but what of Paignton
1573. in earlier times? <o:p></o:p></p>
1574.  
1575. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7s34rDUp-0Vs1qyBqqHV-9hH-AkkU78L53rjMIuUVqGBqu3x7liPbi56eu-RGyxyYOq1GnguM8Tp7XVRDLMe3yLD8XcnXVNJIxgqsafQvfxsG6AQaTRh-SI9dBvWNFDFhBSS7GzylIrNXrg8raJsB5tUi2bp377xvCv1o4gZWcEJfFP5R4L7i1g/s3839/Oddicombe%20and%20petitor%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1989" data-original-width="3839" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7s34rDUp-0Vs1qyBqqHV-9hH-AkkU78L53rjMIuUVqGBqu3x7liPbi56eu-RGyxyYOq1GnguM8Tp7XVRDLMe3yLD8XcnXVNJIxgqsafQvfxsG6AQaTRh-SI9dBvWNFDFhBSS7GzylIrNXrg8raJsB5tUi2bp377xvCv1o4gZWcEJfFP5R4L7i1g/w508-h264/Oddicombe%20and%20petitor%203.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislWk5glxtLcBAW5yLi2QLLi7sIfreGbUxdyDUIYXHtDLAIh6EVDqg2eL9NXfzwxJSonkJj3KVZwmj2959OIzdERAcb8XOeDTB7BCqdTj0jGRzxPQdV1KslOtTS0VoH5H8N3oCWUt2FgnOvCbSp9jUhtVRP9kkPdkru0u4jGyKa5YfSfiOe3_mEw/s3295/Oddicombe%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2580" data-original-width="3295" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislWk5glxtLcBAW5yLi2QLLi7sIfreGbUxdyDUIYXHtDLAIh6EVDqg2eL9NXfzwxJSonkJj3KVZwmj2959OIzdERAcb8XOeDTB7BCqdTj0jGRzxPQdV1KslOtTS0VoH5H8N3oCWUt2FgnOvCbSp9jUhtVRP9kkPdkru0u4jGyKa5YfSfiOe3_mEw/w509-h398/Oddicombe%203.jpg" width="509" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Before it became a resort, the town was renowned for its
1576. production of vegetables and it was a centre for cider making. There were also
1577. “Paignton cockles” and other shellfish, and fish, to collect and that reminds
1578. us of the other, non-human, residents of the shores of Torbay, well-known to
1579. those residents and holidaymakers that enjoy rock pooling and similar
1580. activities. There are many types of seaweeds, snails and barnacles and these
1581. show different levels of tolerance to drying, with some found higher up the
1582. shore than others and some never uncovered by the sea, even at low spring tides that occur every two weeks or so. Of course, tides are
1583. familiar to holidaymakers, as the sea creeps up the beach as the tide comes in
1584. twice each day, reducing the available space on the sand and creating a
1585. Canute-style adventure for children who have defences around their sand
1586. castles. Very few visitors and residents think of the effect of tides on other
1587. shore life. </p>
1588.  
1589. <p class="MsoNormal">The presence of the beach for sunbathing and swimming is
1590. something we take for granted and, apart from the various erosional events, is
1591. little changed within our lifetime. However, if we go back tens of thousands of
1592. years to the time of the last Ice Age, the coast was way to the east of where
1593. it is now and Torbay was part of a lowland forest. We would recognise some
1594. features, like headlands and hilly peaks, but we would certainly not recognise
1595. the coast as it was then; increase in sea level at the time of the melting of
1596. the northern ice cap giving us the outline of the shore that we have today. If
1597. we look into the future, it seems certain that sea level rise resulting from
1598. global warming will cause local inundations and, without increased sea defences,
1599. the coastline will be inland of its current position. I wonder what it will be
1600. like and what kinds of visitors it will attract? </p>
1601.  
1602. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1603.  
1604. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] John Pike (1987) <i>Iron Horse to the Sea: Railways in
1605. South Devon</i>. Bradford on Aven. Ex-Libris Press. </p>
1606.  
1607. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Anon (1863) <i>Bradshaw’s Descriptive Railway Hand-book
1608. of Great Britain and Ireland</i>. London, W.J.Adams. </p>
1609.  
1610. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] David StJohn Thomas and Simon Rocksborough Smith (1973) <i>Summer
1611. Saturdays in the West</i>. Newton Abbot, David & Charles. </p>
1612.  
1613. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
1614. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book. </p>
1615.  
1616. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] <a href="https://www.robball.co.uk/">https://www.robball.co.uk/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
1617.  
1618. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1619.  
1620. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1621.  
1622. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1623.  
1624. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/3314208000291752417/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/07/seaside-resorts-seasons-decades-and.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/3314208000291752417'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/3314208000291752417'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/07/seaside-resorts-seasons-decades-and.html' title='Seaside resorts: seasons, decades and geological time'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnO4fZJWrE8ouqkREEyt1uYpT_nQrXQ3GgQugGNLvUFcBTbyhGpAtaPMgDLmrYt9Qeq7M7PNdiRDqHv7XL4L6wr77PWRmkbmFK6Gen-8tDGSB_UFjO7skL75kZLfFzQ4COjktzk7YM6SbKz-t0oJx0mVeXHgHDs5WedH4oRBdDPJAIOlKWD5oRuQ/s72-w394-h282-c/Paignton%20Pier.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-6924833148978013163</id><published>2022-06-22T08:28:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-06-22T08:28:28.414-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Blackwood’s"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Brethren"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Edmund Gosse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Evangelical Christianity"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Free-thinking"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="George Eliot"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="George Henry Lewes"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Ilfracombe"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Marian Evans"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Natural History"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Omphalos"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Philip Henry Gosse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Tenby"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torquay"/><title type='text'>Evangelical Christianity: reflections on the views of George Eliot, George Henry Lewes and Philip Henry Gosse</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PMJ-SYT-7V9YDh3G4-Ns41APLziummliYvDuL1DuhM5_7zcjn4SmDB0M_Ditjs6CHlxT675Uhhx3vRLPmdM9bLQCymPPVkQyyXfaFRs3L3TPXFc0tr1ro3WN6hYc6Uh-YbPzGg-sRFEL_l-DbK4enii-kI0HphAVjdVWr4CkHZZ7ccsLJ9eMUQ/s397/George%20Eliot.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;397&quot; data-original-width=&quot;290&quot; height=&quot;381&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PMJ-SYT-7V9YDh3G4-Ns41APLziummliYvDuL1DuhM5_7zcjn4SmDB0M_Ditjs6CHlxT675Uhhx3vRLPmdM9bLQCymPPVkQyyXfaFRs3L3TPXFc0tr1ro3WN6hYc6Uh-YbPzGg-sRFEL_l-DbK4enii-kI0HphAVjdVWr4CkHZZ7ccsLJ9eMUQ/w279-h381/George%20Eliot.jpg&quot; width=&quot;279&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;Evangelical Christians play important roles in George
1625. Eliot’s first two novels: <i>Scenes of Clerical Life</i> (really three separate
1626. novellas in one volume) and <i>Adam Bede</i>. As is well known, George Eliot (see
1627. above) was the pen name of Marian (earlier Mary Ann, or Mary Anne) Evans and
1628. her interest in evangelical Christianity came from when she attended schools in
1629. Nuneaton and Coventry. In her Introduction to the Oxford World’s Classics
1630. edition of <i>Scenes of Clerical Life</i>, Josie Billington writes [1]: </p>
1631.  
1632. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">As an adolescent, coming of age in
1633. just the period – the 1830s – she writes of in <i>Scenes</i>, Mary Anne Evans
1634. was swept up in the religious current of Evangelicalism.. ..If the Oxford
1635. Movement sought to turn back the legacy of the Reformation, Evangelicalism
1636. sought to complete what the Reformation had begun, expunging the ceremony and
1637. sacrament which were the remaining formal vestiges of Roman Catholicism and rediscovering
1638. the vital puritan impulses of original Protestantism.. ..Evangelicalism offered
1639. a belief that was hard and uncompromising, yet passionately earnest and
1640. totalizing, which in the first half of the nineteenth century had a profound
1641. impact not just on the rural towns of England, but on the nation’s cultural and
1642. intellectual life in general. </p>
1643.  
1644. <p class="MsoNormal">Never fully committed to evangelical Christianity, Marian
1645. went on to reject it, while retaining sympathies for the “good side” of some of
1646. those who believed wholeheartedly in this approach. Her views are discussed in
1647. an essay by Donald C. Masters [2]: </p>
1648.  
1649. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">While George Eliot (1819-1880)
1650. came to dislike the Evangelical viewpoint, her treatment of Evangelicals, particularly
1651. in her early novels, was much more sympathetic than that of other Victorian
1652. novelists.. ..Like many other disillusioned Christians she retained her belief
1653. in the Christian ethic. She liked the Evangelicals in spite of their doctrines
1654. and what she regarded as their naïveté and narrowness, because they made people
1655. better.. </p>
1656.  
1657. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">..Her early letters.. ..suggest
1658. that her acceptance of Evangelical principles was merely an intellectual
1659. process. She never made the complete personal commitment that is the secret and
1660. core of the Evangelical position.. ..She had lost faith in the Bible, the
1661. essential basis of the Evangelical tradition and described it.. ..as “histories
1662. consisting of mangled truth and fiction.” </p>
1663.  
1664. <p class="MsoNormal">Many of us who have encountered evangelical Christianity, and
1665. subsequently turned away from it without making “the commitment”, can recognise
1666. George Eliot’s feelings. I have described my own experience [3]: </p>
1667.  
1668. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">My last contact
1669. with formal Christianity came at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School, where I went to
1670. meetings of the Christian Union, in which my elder brother was a leader. We sat
1671. around a table and listened to speakers, or to tapes of Billy Graham preaching.
1672. We also had prayer meetings when we all had to take part. Prayers were for the
1673. usual things connected with our salvation but, being a school, we also prayed
1674. for masters who were Christian, to boost their religious, as well as their
1675. educational, mission. I always dreaded prayer meetings and was not comfortable
1676. at any of the other meetings either. Unlike some of those present, I found
1677. Billy Graham strange and rather too energetic, and neither could I summon up
1678. much enthusiasm for a guest speaker who spent many minutes propounding the
1679. correct pronunciation of Bethphage. </p>
1680.  
1681. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">There were tracts
1682. for us to hand out in the school, delivered in bulk from the Evangelical Tract
1683. Society.. ..I couldn’t hand out such things and had quite a collection by the
1684. time I stopped attending the Christian Union. </p>
1685.  
1686. <p class="MsoNormal">It is not difficult, then, to see how personal experience of
1687. religious groups affects one’s reading of George Eliot’s novels. Like Marian, I
1688. rejected the thinking of evangelical Christians (on many grounds) and, like
1689. her, try to see their good human qualities, although I worry about their
1690. tendency to proselytise to those going through hard times. </p>
1691.  
1692. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLg1EknNq5nOJAkHSPJzDMGeSgfzBfSk7YJN_VZ3zQhHwnm8VkJIop3Ico_YT02HfjVgpkmknyxOJCkXK27f8XZjKojeoO5vHqMih36P6jBVJKRJrMc9O-t3HWGrVRlC678BpSfEcXbA0qA5dsRH5iZLbtqtHm6n93ll1ep-hB5peY5hRIWL0F8A/s454/George%20Henry%20Lewes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="321" height="439" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLg1EknNq5nOJAkHSPJzDMGeSgfzBfSk7YJN_VZ3zQhHwnm8VkJIop3Ico_YT02HfjVgpkmknyxOJCkXK27f8XZjKojeoO5vHqMih36P6jBVJKRJrMc9O-t3HWGrVRlC678BpSfEcXbA0qA5dsRH5iZLbtqtHm6n93ll1ep-hB5peY5hRIWL0F8A/w310-h439/George%20Henry%20Lewes.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">In addition to Evangelicals, another feature of George
1693. Eliot’s novels is the presence of young children, often described in detail and
1694. forming important threads to the various storylines. Marian loved children, but
1695. she was unable to have any of her own. The reason was not biological, as far as
1696. I know, more that she didn’t marry until she was in her sixties and spent most
1697. of her adult life living with George Henry Lewes (see above), who was already
1698. married and had children. If “living in sin” was bad enough in the eyes of many
1699. in Victorian society, having children while in such a relationship would be
1700. viewed very severely indeed. Certainly, Marian’s cohabitation with Lewes caused
1701. much pain to her upright family and this, in turn, was the source of much
1702. sadness to her. </p>
1703.  
1704. <p class="MsoNormal">The couple had a very close relationship, with Marian
1705. depending on George for reassurance and advice. He was from a theatrical family
1706. and both acted in, and wrote, plays: he also wrote novels, was an expert on
1707. Goethe, published an outstanding review of philosophy through the ages, contributed
1708. to many leading artistic journals, and was also what we would now call a
1709. networker [4]. Although unprepossessing in appearance (some called him ugly),
1710. he was popular for his conversation and energy and he knew many of the movers
1711. and shakers in Victorian literary society. He was one himself. </p>
1712.  
1713. <p class="MsoNormal">Lewes met Marian through John Chapman, the publisher of the <i>Westminster
1714. Review</i> [5]. Chapman was a “free-thinker” and Marian lived in his household,
1715. where relationships between Mr and Mrs Chapman, their governess, and Marian
1716. were complicated. In Ashton’s account [5] we read that Chapman “visited Marian
1717. Evans’ room, where she played the piano for him and taught him German.” It was
1718. all too much for Mrs Chapman and Marian left the household, but returned in
1719. 1851 when Chapman asked her back to help him as part of the editorial team on
1720. the <i>Review</i>, where her “sharp brain, wide knowledge, willing labour, and
1721. ability to deal tactfully yet firmly with touchy contributors” [5] was invaluable. </p>
1722.  
1723. <p class="MsoNormal">During 1852, Marian was spending much time with Herbert
1724. Spencer, the philosopher and biologist to whom she had been introduced by
1725. Chapman, and they “were so often in one another’s company that ‘all the world
1726. is setting us down as engaged’, Marian would have liked nothing better, but
1727. Spencer was less keen.” [5] The result was that, in 1853, Lewes replaced Spencer
1728. in her affections and this was the start of a deep relationship that only ended
1729. with Lewes’ death. He was a great support to Marian and advised her during her
1730. first, tentative steps as a novelist and he played the same role after she had
1731. become famous and was being hailed as a very significant writer. Marian had
1732. come a long way from those evangelical Christian schooldays in Warwickshire and
1733. Lewes had also progressed in his interests. Like his hero Goethe, he then became
1734. interested in practical science. </p>
1735.  
1736. <p class="MsoNormal">In the early years of his relationship with Marian, Lewes
1737. had been chided by T.H.Huxley as a “’mere’ book scientist ‘without the
1738. discipline and knowledge which result from being a worker also’”. This came
1739. after a review that Lewes had written and it perhaps inspired him to join the
1740. Victorian craze for the study of marine natural history. The leading figure in
1741. popularising this interest was Philip Henry Gosse, who had written <i>A Naturalist’s
1742. Rambles on the Devonshire Coast</i> (1853, centred on Torquay and Ilfracombe), <i>The
1743. Aquarium</i> (1854) and <i>Tenby</i> (published in March 1856, centred on the
1744. Welsh seaside town). Lewes read all these books and, in the summer of 1856, he
1745. and Marian left for Ilfracombe (where they befriended another enthusiast, Mr
1746. Tugwell, the curate of Ilfracombe) and then Tenby; following this with visits
1747. to the Scilly Isles and Jersey in spring and early summer of 1857. It was
1748. during the first section of this marine shore adventure that the pair discussed
1749. the possibility of Marian’s writing a novel. <i>The Sad Fortunes of the Rev
1750. Amos Barton</i> was commenced in the autumn of 1856 and became the first part
1751. of <i>Scenes of Clerical Life</i> published, anonymously, in instalments in <i>Blackwood’s
1752. Magazine</i> through 1857 and as a book in two volumes in 1858. She was not an enthusiast
1753. for studying shore life, so Lewes’ avid work on the coast allowed Marian time
1754. to think about the content of her embryo novel. </p>
1755.  
1756. <p class="MsoNormal">Lewes’ work was published in instalments in Blackwood’s Magazine
1757. through 1856/7 and came out in book form, published by Blackwood and Sons and dedicated
1758. to Richard Owen, as <i>Sea-side Studies</i> in 1858. In the preface, Lewes pays
1759. homage to Huxley (perhaps the latter’s comment stung?) and there are frequent
1760. references to Gosse throughout the book. Both men showed a particular interest
1761. in sea anemones and, indeed they had a dispute over one aspect of the biology
1762. of some of these animals [6]. It is interesting to make a comparison of the two
1763. men. </p>
1764.  
1765. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkMN6pugMnCnolLBZ-m2GulNvapJQTJOhIRPlzIfAGxe5UA1lBC2x8oTbDYpdL14zUgc-vijH2mQw3BmTif0RjBd9GaxcdZVJNiLqgo6cl5VjLR_x6YiRJbYRx-v8mUJFcHMJSiP_X1fVnWvmzw3Hq6I_k8tstBC-jCRRcY6ytcGAf-UxvUxdfw/s315/PHG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="201" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkMN6pugMnCnolLBZ-m2GulNvapJQTJOhIRPlzIfAGxe5UA1lBC2x8oTbDYpdL14zUgc-vijH2mQw3BmTif0RjBd9GaxcdZVJNiLqgo6cl5VjLR_x6YiRJbYRx-v8mUJFcHMJSiP_X1fVnWvmzw3Hq6I_k8tstBC-jCRRcY6ytcGAf-UxvUxdfw/w275-h431/PHG.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Whereas Lewes was a free-thinking agnostic (if he must be
1766. classified), Philip Henry Gosse (above) was a strict believer in the literal
1767. truth of the Bible [3] and an evangelical Christian. In 1857 he moved to St
1768. Marychurch in Torquay after the death of his wife Emily, who had accompanied
1769. him to Torquay, Ilfracombe and Tenby on the collecting trips that resulted in
1770. his earlier books. Emily was a writer of religious tracts (like those I failed
1771. to hand out during my school days) and as deeply committed as her husband to
1772. evangelical Christianity. Her painful death, leaving Henry Gosse with his young
1773. son Edmund (later Sir Edmund), was the main reason that he decided to move. </p>
1774.  
1775. <p class="MsoNormal">At the time of the move to Torquay, he was expecting high
1776. sales of his book <i>Omphalos</i>, that was to be published in late autumn
1777. 1857, and he was looking forward to the attention that it would bring. Although
1778. there are many references to God and Creation in Henry’s books, <i>Omphalos</i>
1779. saw him tackle head-on the conflict between the Biblical Creation and the idea
1780. of geological time scales, that were becoming accepted by the mid-1850s. It is
1781. subtitled “an attempt to untie the geological knot” and it was Henry’s attempt
1782. to ease an obvious conflict: his idea being that rock strata and fossils were
1783. all created over the short period of the Biblical Creation. In <i>Omphalos</i>,
1784. he showed a thorough knowledge of geology and palaeontology and knew that large
1785. time periods were involved, but clung to his odd theory, for which he was duly
1786. mocked. Through all the difficulties of 1857, Henry didn’t question his
1787. beliefs; rather he became even more ensconced in evangelical Christianity. He
1788. reduced his attendance at meetings of the learned societies and didn’t have
1789. much personal contact with members the scientific community, although he had
1790. correspondence with many people, including Darwin. </p>
1791.  
1792. <p class="MsoNormal">There are many that still adhere to the Creationist views
1793. shown by Henry Gosse, although they make little attempt to provide a rational
1794. explanation to account for the differences between their views and those of the
1795. scientific community. At least Henry made an attempt, even if his explanation
1796. was unacceptable to both scientists and believers; Charles Kingsley, for
1797. example, chastised Gosse for suggesting the God appears to be telling lies [3].
1798. It seems that evangelical Christians who believe in the literal truth of the
1799. Bible have the opinion that there can be no opposition to their view and cannot
1800. tolerate any other explanations. </p>
1801.  
1802. <p class="MsoNormal">Lewes took a very different approach, as described by David Williams
1803. [4]: </p>
1804.  
1805. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">He thinks, or at any rate he
1806. wishes, that the scientific explorers and the religious no-compromise men.. ..
1807. can be brought together to ‘sit round a table’, as we put it, that Huxley and
1808. Darwin can amicably confer with the tractarians and the Evangelicals and come
1809. out of the room with a formula acceptable to both sides. </p>
1810.  
1811. <p class="MsoNormal">There has been movement among some evangelical Christians
1812. and we are all familiar with the little car badge of a fish with limbs, bearing
1813. the word “Darwin” at its centre. Perhaps the only major difference for many is
1814. whether there was a Creator, or whether all that we see around us is the result
1815. of chance events. </p>
1816.  
1817. <p class="MsoNormal">After the adverse comments about <i>Omphalos</i>, Henry
1818. Gosse spent much time collecting marine creatures from the shores of South
1819. Devon [3]. He was in the throes of producing his major monograph on sea
1820. anemones, that was to be a standard work on these animals for many years and is
1821. still consulted today. It contains brilliant illustrations, as Gosse was a very
1822. capable artist in watercolours [7]. </p>
1823.  
1824. <p class="MsoNormal">In a letter sent to Tugwell in November 1856, Lewes writes [8]: </p>
1825.  
1826. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">It would be a pleasant thing for
1827. you to write the monograph on Actinae with W. Thompson; & as to the money,
1828. you can’t expect much from such labour, but may consider yourself lucky to be
1829. free of expense. At the same time you have a formidable rival in Gosse, who is
1830. I believe engaged on a monograph. </p>
1831.  
1832. <p class="MsoNormal">This shows Lewes’ respect for Gosse as an expert in sea
1833. anemones, but in a later letter to Hutton on 5th May 1859 we read [8]: </p>
1834.  
1835. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">Gosse’s book is too poor for a
1836. review; & I have long been making notes of the history I shall sketch which
1837. will I hope be far more entertaining than a review. </p>
1838.  
1839. <p class="MsoNormal">I assume that Lewes is referring here to <i>Omphalos</i>, as
1840. <i>Actinologica Britannica</i> appeared in book form in 1860, having previously
1841. been published in twelve parts from 1858-1860 [9]. Despite their disagreement
1842. over some points [6], Lewes clearly respected Gosse as a natural historian. </p>
1843.  
1844. <p class="MsoNormal">We know that Lewes and Marian visited Torquay in 1868 and,
1845. while the former continued with dissections for a future publication, Marian
1846. was preparing ideas for <i>Middlemarch</i> and it is possible that there were some
1847. indirect references to Torquay in that book [10]. We also learn that Marian and
1848. Lewes enjoyed walks at Babbacombe, adjacent to St Marychurch [10], and one
1849. wonders whether they called on Gosse, or encountered him while walking. I
1850. cannot find reference to a meeting and would be intrigued to know how it might
1851. have gone and what Marian would have made of this evangelical Christian and a
1852. man who was not afraid of proselytising. The urge to spread the Gospel came through
1853. in many of Henry Gosse’s books, but rarely with the intensity of the
1854. extraordinary conclusion of <i>A Year at the Shore</i>, published in 1865,
1855. three years before George and Marian arrived in Torquay [11]: </p>
1856.  
1857. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.0cm; margin-right: 1.0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 19.85pt;">I cannot conclude
1858. this volume without recording my solemn and deliberate protest against the
1859. infidelity with which, to a very painful extent, modern physical science is
1860. associated. I allude not only to the ground which the conclusions of modern
1861. geologists take, in opposition to the veracity of the “God which cannot lie,”
1862. though the distinct statements which He has made to us concerning Creation are
1863. now, as if by common consent, put aside, with silent contempt, as effete
1864. fables, unworthy of a moment’s thought, and this too before vast assemblages of
1865. persons, not one of whom lifts his voice for the truth of God. These assaults
1866. are at least open and unmasked. But there is in our scientific literature, and
1867. specially in that which takes a popular form, a tone equally dangerous and more
1868. insidious. It altogether ignores the awful truths of God’s revelation, that all
1869. mankind are guilty and condemned and spiritually dead in Adam; that we are by
1870. nature children of wrath; that the whole world lieth in the wicked one; and
1871. that the wrath of God abideth on it: it ignores the glorious facts of atonement
1872. by the precious blood of Christ, and of acceptance in Him. It substitutes for
1873. these a mere sentimental admiration of nature, and teaches that the love of the
1874. beautiful makes man acceptable to God, and secures His favour. How often do we
1875. see quoted and be-praised, as if it were an indisputable axiom, the sentiment
1876. of a poet who ought to have known better,–<o:p></o:p></p>
1877.  
1878. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.0cm; margin-right: 1.0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 19.85pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1879.  
1880. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.0cm; margin-right: 1.0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 19.85pt;">“He prayeth best who
1881. loveth best<o:p></o:p></p>
1882.  
1883. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.0cm; margin-right: 1.0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 19.85pt;">All things, both
1884. great and small;” –<o:p></o:p></p>
1885.  
1886. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.0cm; margin-right: 1.0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 19.85pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1887.  
1888. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.0cm; margin-right: 1.0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 19.85pt;">a sentiment as silly
1889. as it is unscriptural; for what connexion can there be between the love of the
1890. inferior creatures, and the acceptableness of a sinner praying to the Holy God?
1891. It is the intervention of Christ Jesus, the anointed Priest, which alone gives
1892. prayer acceptance… There is no sentimental or scientific road to heaven. There
1893. is absolutely nothing in the study of created things, however single, however
1894. intense, which will admit sinful man into the presence of God, or fit him to
1895. enjoy it. If there were, what need was there that the glorious Son, the
1896. everlasting Word, should be made flesh, and give His life a ransom for many? …
1897. If I have come to God as a guilty sinner, and have found acceptance, and
1898. reconciliation, and sonship, in the blood of His only-begotten Son, then I may
1899. come down from that elevation, and study creation with advantage and profit;
1900. but to attempt to scale heaven with the ladder of natural history, is nothing
1901. else than Cain's religion; it is the presentation of the fruit of the earth,
1902. instead of the blood of the Lamb … This will be, in all probability, the last
1903. occasion of my coming in literary guise before the public: how can I better
1904. take my leave than with the solemn testimony of the Spirit of God, which I
1905. affectionately commend to my readers, – … THERE IS NO WAY INTO THE HOLIEST BUT
1906. BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS. FINIS. </p>
1907.  
1908. <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 19.85pt;">Henry Gosse was not only a proselytising
1909. evangelical Christian, but the leader of his group of Brethren in St
1910. Marychurch. He thus retreated into his own support group and this made it increasingly
1911. difficult for him to accept any religious views other than those he supported.
1912. It was religious differences, and the views of Henry on who one should have as
1913. friends, that was the basis of the conflict with his son, Edmund, described
1914. (with some elaboration?) in the latter’s famous book <i>Father and Son</i> [12].
1915. This volume, more than any other work, has shaped our view of Henry [3], a pity
1916. as, if one could find a way of negotiating the religious hurdle, with all its
1917. side effects, he was a very nice man and would certainly be good company on
1918. rambles or on the shore. </p>
1919.  
1920. <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 19.85pt;">As we have seen, Marian Evans and
1921. Geoge Lewes were more accepting of those with religious differences and the
1922. former certainly recognised these human sides of evangelical Christians,
1923. although she was aware of their dogmatism and inflexibility. I think they would
1924. have enjoyed meeting Gosse, but what would Henry make of them? He would balk at
1925. their lack of faith in his version of Christianity and he would also strongly
1926. disapprove of their relationship. Henry did re-marry after the tragic death of
1927. Emily and his second wife, Eliza, while also being a member of the Brethren
1928. appeared to be a little more flexible in her approach to Edmund’s “sinfulness”
1929. than was his father. Edmund was also helped in his relationship with his father
1930. by his wife, the painter Nellie Epps, whom I have described as a “Nineteenth
1931. Century Wonder Woman” [13]. Nellie’s sister, Laura Alma-Tadema drew a profile
1932. of Marian in 1877 [14] and it would be amusing to know what the artist felt
1933. about her sitter and what views she shared with the Gosse family. </p>
1934.  
1935. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1936.  
1937. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Josie Billington (1988) Introduction to George Eliot’s <i>Scenes
1938. of Clerical Life</i>. Oxford, Oxford University Press World’s Classics. </p>
1939.  
1940. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Donald C. Masters (1962) George Eliot and the
1941. Evangelicals. <i>The Dalhousie Review</i> 41: 505-512. </p>
1942.  
1943. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
1944. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book. </p>
1945.  
1946. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] David Williams (1983) <i>Mr George Eliot: A Biography of
1947. George Henry Lewes</i>. London, Hodder and Stoughton. </p>
1948.  
1949. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Rosemary Ashton (2008) <i>Lewes, George Henry
1950. (1817-1878)</i>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/16562">https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/16562</a> </p>
1951.  
1952. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-human-side-of-science.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-human-side-of-science.html</a> </p>
1953.  
1954. <p class="MsoNormal">[7] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2017/04/stunning-biological-illustrations.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2017/04/stunning-biological-illustrations.html</a> </p>
1955.  
1956. <p class="MsoNormal">[8] William Baker (ed.) (1995) <i>The Letters of George
1957. Henry Lewes Volume</i> 1. Victoria, Canada, ELS Editions. </p>
1958.  
1959. <p class="MsoNormal">[9] R.B.Freeman and Douglas Wetheimer (1980) <i>Philip Henry
1960. Gosse: A Bibliography</i>. Folkestone, Wm. Dawon & Sons. </p>
1961.  
1962. <p class="MsoNormal">[10] Kathleen McCormack (2005) <i>George Eliot’s English
1963. Travels: Composite characters and coded communications</i>. Abingdon,
1964. Routledge. </p>
1965.  
1966. <p class="MsoNormal">[11] Philip Henry Gosse (1865) <i>A Year at the Shore</i>.
1967. London, Alexander Strahan. </p>
1968.  
1969. <p class="MsoNormal">[12] Edmund Gosse (1907) <i>Father and Son: A Study of Two
1970. Temperaments</i>. London, William Heinemann Ltd. </p>
1971.  
1972. <p class="MsoNormal">[13] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2017/08/nellie-epps-nineteenth-century-wonder.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2017/08/nellie-epps-nineteenth-century-wonder.html</a> </p>
1973.  
1974. <p class="MsoNormal">[14] <a href="https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw01628">https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw01628</a> </p>
1975.  
1976. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1977.  
1978. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1979.  
1980. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1981.  
1982. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1983.  
1984. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1985.  
1986. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1987.  
1988. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1989.  
1990. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1991.  
1992. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1993.  
1994. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1995.  
1996. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1997.  
1998. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/6924833148978013163/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/06/evangelical-christianity-reflections-on.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6924833148978013163'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6924833148978013163'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/06/evangelical-christianity-reflections-on.html' title='Evangelical Christianity: reflections on the views of George Eliot, George Henry Lewes and Philip Henry Gosse'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PMJ-SYT-7V9YDh3G4-Ns41APLziummliYvDuL1DuhM5_7zcjn4SmDB0M_Ditjs6CHlxT675Uhhx3vRLPmdM9bLQCymPPVkQyyXfaFRs3L3TPXFc0tr1ro3WN6hYc6Uh-YbPzGg-sRFEL_l-DbK4enii-kI0HphAVjdVWr4CkHZZ7ccsLJ9eMUQ/s72-w279-h381-c/George%20Eliot.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-8935189993010484933</id><published>2022-05-27T06:29:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-05-27T06:29:30.808-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Arnie Kitson"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Clive James"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Fame"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Leslie Jackman"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Myrtle Devenish"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Oldway Primary School"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Recognition"/><title type='text'>School classmates with famous parents</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_jya9RP_I2uApK56rgADxL1ekpg_3M-DRgT3daRrl5ph4qa4oZ1aHT6S-Jeu_gcyXDnX-lueMIfWvi3u8kZf6Iuy5nMLLl1k6RDXXKR3Livv_KbVL4Rr82NSH0ThHVb85F7WsrCESSo7sX720se6u1lV5bo2EzVyfnHXdkMn7YxMkZW5_bkSzg/s866/Myrtle%20+%20Les.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;492&quot; data-original-width=&quot;866&quot; height=&quot;290&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_jya9RP_I2uApK56rgADxL1ekpg_3M-DRgT3daRrl5ph4qa4oZ1aHT6S-Jeu_gcyXDnX-lueMIfWvi3u8kZf6Iuy5nMLLl1k6RDXXKR3Livv_KbVL4Rr82NSH0ThHVb85F7WsrCESSo7sX720se6u1lV5bo2EzVyfnHXdkMn7YxMkZW5_bkSzg/w510-h290/Myrtle%20+%20Les.jpg&quot; width=&quot;510&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;At Oldway Primary School in Paignton, I had three classmates
1999. who had famous parents: Jennifer was the daughter of Myrtle Devenish [1] (above
2000. left, in later years); Geoff was the son of Arnie Kitson [2] (no image found!);
2001. and Diane was the daughter of Leslie Jackman [3] (above right, in later years).</p><p class="MsoNormal">I knew that Mrs Devenish was an actress, but didn’t know any
2002. roles she had taken, or seen any of her performances, but just being an actress
2003. was enough to be famous in my very limited world. In contrast to Myrtle, I had
2004. heard Arnie Kitson play his xylophone on radio broadcasts and he also taught
2005. Geoff the instrument – the latter making an appearance on “The Children’s
2006. Television Caravan”, a touring TV show that came to Paignton. I guess that Arnie,
2007. who came originally from Yorkshire, learned his craft in the music halls and I
2008. heard him play the xylophone on enough occasions to recognise his skill.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2009.  
2010. <p class="MsoNormal">Leslie Jackman was a local schoolteacher who also ran
2011. Paignton Aquarium [4]. A keen naturalist, Leslie published many books about
2012. seashore life, insects, and much else and he also became a well-known natural
2013. history film-maker. He worked on the BBC “Out of Doors” TV programme where he
2014. occupied the Club Room and encouraged many children to look in pools, to make
2015. bark rubbings, or to try and find egg shells dropped from nests. Much of Leslie’s
2016. work, like that of Myrtle Devenish, came after I had left Oldway Primary School,
2017. but he was already well-known and therefore qualified as someone famous. In <i>Walking
2018. with Gosse</i> [5], I relate that my pressed flower collection was given second
2019. place in a competition at the school; first prize being given to Diane, as she
2020. had such an excellent mentor. Leslie (always Mr Jackman to me) certainly
2021. influenced me and I recognise his importance in my development as a natural
2022. historian.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2023.  
2024. <p class="MsoNormal">So, three indirect contacts with fame (I only met Mrs
2025. Devenish on a couple of occasions, I never met Mr Kitson, and was yet to meet
2026. Mr Jackman). All on a rather small scale, perhaps, but nevertheless something
2027. that registered in my parochial little world.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2028.  
2029. <p class="MsoNormal">There are those who are desperate to be nationally, or world,
2030. famous, and contemporary media can make it possible for web “influencers”, pop
2031. stars, and reality TV show participants to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, fame and recognition are
2032. rarely long-term, although there are exceptions to that general rule: A-listers
2033. are likely to stay there, but B-listers can slide to the C-list and onwards into
2034. oblivion.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2035.  
2036. <p class="MsoNormal">In his book <i>Fame in the 20th Century</i>, Clive James
2037. writes [6]:</p>
2038.  
2039. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">There was always fame. As long as
2040. there have been human beings, there has always been fame. It’s a human
2041. weakness.<o:p></o:p></p>
2042.  
2043. <p class="MsoNormal">He then goes on to describe 406 famous men and women of the
2044. century (plus 5 from earlier times) and I only had to look up one of them, the
2045. rest being familiar to me. As would be expected, most came from the world of
2046. Entertainment and the Arts; areas, together with sport, that can produce
2047. enduring fame, although famous sportspeople are usually young, as their careers
2048. taper with age. That’s not to say that some sportsmen and sportswomen do not
2049. retain their fame, as there are those who become “legends” in popular
2050. parlance. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2051.  
2052. <p class="MsoNormal">This leads me to wonder whether fame was important to Myrtle
2053. Devenish, Arnie Kitson and Leslie Jackman? We all appreciate recognition of our
2054. activities and we like “pats on the back”, but is the quest for fame a human
2055. weakness as Clive James suggests and does it bring any meaningful benefits
2056. apart from wealth and the best tables in restaurants? There are certainly drawbacks,
2057. as one moves further and further from what might be called normality. Many
2058. famous people feel threatened, they can fear lack of recognition, be besieged
2059. and stared at wherever they go, and may have to hide behind a mask. Who wants
2060. to be famous?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2061.  
2062. <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
2063.  
2064. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0222318/">https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0222318/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
2065.  
2066. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c29bb3108f3146798780d5077445a9d3">https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c29bb3108f3146798780d5077445a9d3</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2067.  
2068. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.jukolart.us/wildlife-filmmaking/leslie-jackman.html">https://www.jukolart.us/wildlife-filmmaking/leslie-jackman.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2069.  
2070. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2020/12/leslie-jackmans-marine-aquaria_22.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2020/12/leslie-jackmans-marine-aquaria_22.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2071.  
2072. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
2073. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book.</p>
2074.  
2075. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] Clive James (1993) <i>Fame in the 20th Century</i>.
2076. London, BBC Books.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2077.  
2078. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/8935189993010484933/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/05/school-classmates-with-famous-parents.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/8935189993010484933'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/8935189993010484933'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/05/school-classmates-with-famous-parents.html' title='School classmates with famous parents'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_jya9RP_I2uApK56rgADxL1ekpg_3M-DRgT3daRrl5ph4qa4oZ1aHT6S-Jeu_gcyXDnX-lueMIfWvi3u8kZf6Iuy5nMLLl1k6RDXXKR3Livv_KbVL4Rr82NSH0ThHVb85F7WsrCESSo7sX720se6u1lV5bo2EzVyfnHXdkMn7YxMkZW5_bkSzg/s72-w510-h290-c/Myrtle%20+%20Les.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-1894990647941139239</id><published>2022-04-22T02:14:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-04-22T02:14:24.254-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Castle Class"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Dartmouth"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Geology"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Kingswear"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Natural History"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="O S Nock"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Paignton"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Steam Locomotives"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torbay Express"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torquay"/><title type='text'>Homage to the Torbay Express</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;Growing up in South Devon, I appreciated how lucky I was to
2079. be able to walk around the coast and through country lanes, lined by deep
2080. hedges, to woods and meadows with abundant wild flowers. Solitary walks were a
2081. source of solace from unhappy times and they also enabled me to recognise the
2082. importance of the natural world; something that has stayed with me ever since.
2083. It influenced my choice of subjects to study in the Sixth Form at school and
2084. then at university, and, although I could be called a scientist, I prefer to
2085. think of myself as a natural historian, as physical sciences are still a bit of
2086. a mystery to me and the study of biosciences is now dominated by one animal,
2087. rather than the wide range of animals, plants and micro-organisms that make up
2088. most of the natural world.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2089.  
2090. <p class="MsoNormal">My other passion as a boy was trainspotting [1] and we were
2091. lucky in having a large number of trains bringing visitors to Torbay,
2092. especially on summer Saturdays. One train stood out: this was the Torbay
2093. Express that ran daily from Paddington to Kingswear and I looked on it with
2094. both admiration and envy; the former coming from the condition of whichever Castle
2095. Class locomotive pulled the train in the 1950s, and envy because I felt
2096. that there was no chance of me travelling on anything so prestigious. The
2097. Torbay Express was second only to the Cornish Riviera Express (called the
2098. Reveera by us) that didn’t come along our line and, as its name suggests, went
2099. to Plymouth and then on to Cornwall. Like “The Torbay”, it was not a train used
2100. much by holidaymakers; more by those in business and similar occupations, or by
2101. those who preferred smart, and rapid, travel.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2102.  
2103. <p class="MsoNormal">The Torbay Express was originally called the Torbay Limited
2104. and ran on the GWR’s direct line through Berkshire, Wiltshire and Somerset,
2105. rather than on the earlier main line through Bristol. After Taunton, the line
2106. climbed to Whiteball tunnel and then entered Devonshire (an image of the express
2107. at this point is shown below, together with one of the train entering Exeter,
2108. where it made its first stop in the 1950s).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2109.  
2110. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D4z37LddDxacEmK_W_zqbOjVxnEV--_Lhwofnz4kYTqQRtrpHPe3CY3Ah_-xIfBXFKXz8LWz09Oxh37mQwR8aNJTqk-gOcREPFL_pVwn30ZrEJVNkCfqbmqGlyPobewgsH72PXp-Ru_xu1P4TLLG046nryvzUUgH3bmob9_-IxLCaWHGiDnpXA/s3351/TE%20RJBlenkinsop%201954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2536" data-original-width="3351" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D4z37LddDxacEmK_W_zqbOjVxnEV--_Lhwofnz4kYTqQRtrpHPe3CY3Ah_-xIfBXFKXz8LWz09Oxh37mQwR8aNJTqk-gOcREPFL_pVwn30ZrEJVNkCfqbmqGlyPobewgsH72PXp-Ru_xu1P4TLLG046nryvzUUgH3bmob9_-IxLCaWHGiDnpXA/w402-h304/TE%20RJBlenkinsop%201954.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTdBqJmu65djNK4ShAC7gedhDp9Fa9ujrNDSAI1C5a2Lfe7IFdH7OrRylkXclFab0BI8IFaPIrcPvr_So6zS5DPmqZSXujKngXiWPfiRMfo3m3qqGcJ6Ou77qgMH_drSGtCJgHE_3LgorqFi-gs4n0FH2tab8ys9QX-jD5t15yvJmdanSdlng4Q/s2442/TE%20SCreer%201955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="2442" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTdBqJmu65djNK4ShAC7gedhDp9Fa9ujrNDSAI1C5a2Lfe7IFdH7OrRylkXclFab0BI8IFaPIrcPvr_So6zS5DPmqZSXujKngXiWPfiRMfo3m3qqGcJ6Ou77qgMH_drSGtCJgHE_3LgorqFi-gs4n0FH2tab8ys9QX-jD5t15yvJmdanSdlng4Q/w412-h194/TE%20SCreer%201955.jpg" width="412" /></a></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>O.S.Nock [2] describes the journey on to Torbay: <p></p>
2111.  
2112. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">Emerging from the western end of
2113. Parsons Tunnel [see image below] the coastwise prospect is completely changed and
2114. extends to the rocky islets at the entrance to Tor Bay that we shall see at
2115. closer range later. The red cliffs are higher than ever here though less dramatic
2116. in their formation, but the sea wall, an invaluable protection for the railway
2117. in winter, is a favourite promenade for the holiday-makers of Teignmouth,
2118. whether they are railway enthusiasts or not.. </p>
2119.  
2120. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">..The line runs through the back
2121. of Teignmouth town between high retaining walls, in Dartmoor granite, but
2122. quickly enough on the left hand side there come delightful glimpses across the
2123. harbour, boat yards, and the estuary of the River Teign, with the beautiful
2124. little town of Shaldon beneath the high red cliff of the Ness.<o:p></o:p></p>
2125.  
2126. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DBUJoLeiq7Q0mRj8IhaOeBsYXDSnp4YkQhm4LaR8Xyxf7xRzYpPuN0Iz3FN6Gl0d9Key0NwtyBHlv5PQuaM4i0bxeS18uud_1zmdZD5t45q-AXzk6pO4Me-qQcTiIHrtb6W4Uy9J52XJjZg4gqJyLMv7sZf5Jfj2rU2q4r6YZpqBrngcVC4ISg/s1280/TE%20Ben%20Brooksbank%201954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1280" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DBUJoLeiq7Q0mRj8IhaOeBsYXDSnp4YkQhm4LaR8Xyxf7xRzYpPuN0Iz3FN6Gl0d9Key0NwtyBHlv5PQuaM4i0bxeS18uud_1zmdZD5t45q-AXzk6pO4Me-qQcTiIHrtb6W4Uy9J52XJjZg4gqJyLMv7sZf5Jfj2rU2q4r6YZpqBrngcVC4ISg/w384-h306/TE%20Ben%20Brooksbank%201954.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEWfuwIiCJuxBXyZUNNTs5-DBMKCTDKt_ULo9FBK8r4dOYjt1qwrDuWAv3Q7UsdChFOqYRffelZYMBTTd9D_LtU1wCcMHMJZ_EgC7tdO58LC3gI3vgFM8mRXoq9R3Ku0HrIE-vw4s2lLHtGo7AEMxivK5BQ5pVIKA9-D7eFVWriMKx7elZnrHtQ/s3478/TE%20RJBlenkinsop%201958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2341" data-original-width="3478" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEWfuwIiCJuxBXyZUNNTs5-DBMKCTDKt_ULo9FBK8r4dOYjt1qwrDuWAv3Q7UsdChFOqYRffelZYMBTTd9D_LtU1wCcMHMJZ_EgC7tdO58LC3gI3vgFM8mRXoq9R3Ku0HrIE-vw4s2lLHtGo7AEMxivK5BQ5pVIKA9-D7eFVWriMKx7elZnrHtQ/w386-h260/TE%20RJBlenkinsop%201958.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">The description by Nock continues after the Torbay Express
2127. has run through Newton Abbot (see image above) and then on through
2128. Kingskerswell and Torre to its next stop in Torquay: </p>
2129.  
2130. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The present main station, by
2131. Livermead Sands, is near enough to the beach for some enticing glimpses of the
2132. waters of Tor Bay, and as the train starts away for the south, and negotiates
2133. some sharp though short gradients the line comes right out above the beach [at
2134. Hollicombe] and the full beauty of Torquay’s situation and its superb and
2135. rugged coastline is displayed. At this stage in the journey the prospect is
2136. soon cut off, by the houses of Paignton.. </p>
2137.  
2138. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">..On leaving Paignton, and
2139. climbing on to the cliff edge beyond Goodrington Sands (see image below) the
2140. wide panorama over the entire sweep of Tor Bay reveals some of its interesting
2141. and complex geological features. The red sandstone cliffs of Dawlish and
2142. Teignmouth recur at Paignton, in an even deeper shade of red, but at each end
2143. of the bay, on the north side extending outwards from Torquay to Hope’s Nose,
2144. and at the south beyond Brixham to Berry Head, the tattered and splintered rock
2145. formations from “London Bridge” to the outlying Thatcher and Oar Stones, and Berry
2146. Head itself are examples of carboniferous limestone, and provide such striking
2147. and spectacular cliff structure as to cause at least one eminent geographer to
2148. compare it with those of the Mediterranean Riviera resorts.<o:p></o:p></p>
2149.  
2150. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAL1BiVDij9cH9dT2O3sAB7DsYj6rAZmZ3qWNR0u8sGIfB1bUlc_HSUyhl4tB9o91yu5tRJW3aNa7qa-lh7n1o4VnUg5n6kJFIFNfJZYiGC7R8rI77hmucZX9kWyzmRd037QdRt-Q4t8WqtbSNeKZTsD-OiBmj42v2o8MTuefUVFDWtKq3eo51g/s2490/TE%20DerekCross%20unknown%20date.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2490" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAL1BiVDij9cH9dT2O3sAB7DsYj6rAZmZ3qWNR0u8sGIfB1bUlc_HSUyhl4tB9o91yu5tRJW3aNa7qa-lh7n1o4VnUg5n6kJFIFNfJZYiGC7R8rI77hmucZX9kWyzmRd037QdRt-Q4t8WqtbSNeKZTsD-OiBmj42v2o8MTuefUVFDWtKq3eo51g/w421-h230/TE%20DerekCross%20unknown%20date.jpg" width="421" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Passing over the summit at Churston the express then ran
2151. down to the beautiful Dart valley, skirting along the river bank to the terminus
2152. at the small town of Kingswear at the mouth of the river. Remaining passengers
2153. could then travel over to Dartmouth by ferry, the town having a railway station
2154. but no railway lines (there were never any!). What a contrast it must have
2155. seemed to London and its suburbs, and what a pleasure to be able to study the landscape
2156. from a railway carriage as it passes down the line.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2157.  
2158. <p class="MsoNormal">All this was for the passengers. Trainspotters could either
2159. find a location where the express sped past or see it at Exeter, Torquay or
2160. Paignton. There, the polished locomotive could be admired and one could take in
2161. its metallic, oily and smoky smells after the rapid, and hard-working, journey
2162. down from London. All very special memories and, as Nock points out in his descriptions
2163. of the section of line through South Devon, a link between the wonders of steam
2164. locomotives and the geology of the terrain through which the Torbay Express passed
2165. at the end of its journey. Geology is part of natural history after all, but my
2166. main interest in that subject did not involve distant views, rather in what plants
2167. and animals could be seen first-hand on shores, or in hedgerows, and what could
2168. be seen with a simple microscope.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2169.  
2170. <p class="MsoNormal">I still like steam locomotives and, as my career has shown,
2171. I have an abiding love of natural history. Both started when I was in a boy in
2172. Torbay and I’m pleased that, in this regard at least, I have failed to grow up.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2173.  
2174. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2175.  
2176. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2021/07/memories-of-privet-in-torbay.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2021/07/memories-of-privet-in-torbay.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2177.  
2178. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] O.S.Nock (1985) <i>Great British Trains: An evocation of
2179. a memorable age in travel</i>. London, Pelham Books.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2180.  
2181. <p class="MsoNormal">Photograph credits (in sequence) R.J.Blenkinsop; S.Creer;
2182. Ben Brooksbank;  R.J.Blenkinsop; and
2183. Derek Cross.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2184.  
2185. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2186.  
2187. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2188.  
2189. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2190.  
2191. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2192.  
2193. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2194.  
2195. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2196.  
2197. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2198.  
2199. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2200.  
2201. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/1894990647941139239/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/04/homage-to-torbay-express.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/1894990647941139239'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/1894990647941139239'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/04/homage-to-torbay-express.html' title='Homage to the Torbay Express'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D4z37LddDxacEmK_W_zqbOjVxnEV--_Lhwofnz4kYTqQRtrpHPe3CY3Ah_-xIfBXFKXz8LWz09Oxh37mQwR8aNJTqk-gOcREPFL_pVwn30ZrEJVNkCfqbmqGlyPobewgsH72PXp-Ru_xu1P4TLLG046nryvzUUgH3bmob9_-IxLCaWHGiDnpXA/s72-w402-h304-c/TE%20RJBlenkinsop%201954.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-6937067411021208016</id><published>2022-04-01T06:12:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2022-04-01T06:12:34.411-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Consistent Action"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="David Latchman"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Falsification of Results"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Jokes in Poor Taste"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Sir Tim Hunt"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Transgressions"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="UCL"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="University College London"/><title type='text'>The Tale of Tim and David</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yXJ5BPqf9kFZTPyRfAzswSEDzhOmdqG_CNRAtIWBD6Cg-dIPHZz2wciR6CKY6HRjfaT7FPrW06QA-xlS8j_dYnmt3obC9q3PRfsAl-2uAEgpyCdLB7Cp9dc-MzCTMLDrpgJmGtStoJSBdC4ZxQ-XRSrSVaxQs7P9bUI-QtXhUoSL3ca_OWnjvg/s2998/Harte%20&amp;amp;%20North.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;2998&quot; data-original-width=&quot;2276&quot; height=&quot;383&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yXJ5BPqf9kFZTPyRfAzswSEDzhOmdqG_CNRAtIWBD6Cg-dIPHZz2wciR6CKY6HRjfaT7FPrW06QA-xlS8j_dYnmt3obC9q3PRfsAl-2uAEgpyCdLB7Cp9dc-MzCTMLDrpgJmGtStoJSBdC4ZxQ-XRSrSVaxQs7P9bUI-QtXhUoSL3ca_OWnjvg/w291-h383/Harte%20&amp;amp;%20North.jpg&quot; width=&quot;291&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;I’m very proud to have been a professor at UCL and I met
2202. some wonderful people during my time there: students, academics, and support
2203. staff. When one reads the history of the place in Harte and North’s <i>The
2204. World of University College London 1828-1978</i> [1] (the
2205. book has subsequently been updated), feelings are not just of pride, but also
2206. of humility, as so many great academics have graced the college. </p>
2207.  
2208. <p class="MsoNormal">One of the pleasures of working at UCL was being able to
2209. pursue my interests in both research and teaching, but that also brought a
2210. downside, for I was the only person in my department working in Aquatic Biology
2211. and I was very grateful for the collaborations that I developed elsewhere in
2212. the UK, in Sweden and in the USA. In the end, I realised that my time would
2213. best be spent on scholarship, as well as in practical research, and I wrote several
2214. reviews that cut across disciplines and sub-disciplines. This was good for me
2215. and, I hope, for those wanting to break down barriers in Aquatic Biology, and I
2216. am so grateful that I was allowed to do this unhindered. That work certainly
2217. enhanced, and informed, my teaching. </p>
2218.  
2219. <p class="MsoNormal">During my time at UCL, changes in higher education were
2220. occurring and the pressure to obtain research grants, high fee-paying overseas
2221. students, etc. were uppermost. Universities were being run more and more on
2222. business lines and, at UCL, there was a heavy stress on Medicine and
2223. Biomedicine, as these were areas where funding was generous for many projects. UCL attracted many very able researchers in these disciplines. </p>
2224.  
2225. <p class="MsoNormal">It was in the field of biomedical research where I feel a
2226. bit confused and disappointed by the senior administrators at UCL and that
2227. takes me on to the title of  “The Tale of Tim and David”. Tim is Sir
2228. Tim Hunt (a Nobel Laureate) and David is Professor David Latchman, now Master
2229. of Birkbeck, University of London and described on his website [2] as “a
2230. leading UK university academic, author, and philanthropist”. Let me begin by
2231. referring to two pieces in <i>The Guardian </i>online. </p>
2232.  
2233. <p class="MsoNormal">These are selected comments from an article in 2015 about
2234. Sir Tim, after he made a silly remark at a conference [3]: </p>
2235.  
2236. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">As jokes go, Sir Tim Hunt’s brief
2237. standup routine about women in science last week must rank as one of the
2238. worst acts of academic self-harm in history. </p>
2239.  
2240. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">“I stood up and went mad,” he
2241. admits. “I was very nervous and a bit confused but, yes, I made those remarks –
2242. which were inexcusable – but I made them in a totally jocular, ironic way.
2243. There was some polite applause and that was it, I thought. I thought everything
2244. was OK. No one accused me of being a sexist pig.” </p>
2245.  
2246. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">Collins [Professor Mary Collins,
2247. wife of Sir Tim and an eminent professor at UCL, Sir Tim being an honorary researcher
2248. there] was called by University College London. “I was told by a senior that
2249. Tim had to resign immediately or be sacked – though I was told it would be
2250. treated as a low-key affair. Tim duly emailed his resignation when he got home.
2251. The university promptly announced his resignation on its website and started tweeting
2252. that they had got rid of him. Essentially they had hung both of us out to dry..
2253. .. What they did was unacceptable.” </p>
2254.  
2255. <p class="MsoNormal">This is what was written in 2020 about David [4]: </p>
2256.  
2257. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">David Latchman, professor of
2258. genetics at University College London.. ..has angered senior academics by
2259. presiding over a laboratory that published fraudulent research, mostly on
2260. genetics and heart disease, for more than a decade. The number of fabricated
2261. results and the length of time over which the deception took place made the
2262. case one of the worst instances of research fraud uncovered in a British
2263. university. </p>
2264.  
2265. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">..two investigations at UCL.. ..
2266. were deeply critical of Latchman. Both found that his failure to run the lab
2267. properly, and his position as author on many of the doctored papers, amounted to
2268. “recklessness”, and upheld an allegation of research misconduct against him. </p>
2269.  
2270. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">Latchman no longer has a lab and
2271. has stopped supervising research, but he is still a part-time professor of
2272. human genetics at UCL, and master of Birkbeck. </p>
2273.  
2274. <p class="MsoNormal">I have little more information than these two newspaper
2275. stories and I am not in a position to make judgement, nor would I wish to, as I
2276. do not have access to the details. However, I am struck by the difference in
2277. the “transgressions” made by the two eminent scientists: one made a silly comment
2278. and the other (apparently unknowingly) allowed the falsification of results in research.
2279. While Sir Tim was cast out, David was allowed to continue in his post. Why? Was
2280. it something to do with the philanthropy mentioned at the head of David’s
2281. website? Did money, and lawyers, talk? All this happened after I left UCL in
2282. 2012, but it leaves a bad taste and I reflect on the tolerance, integrity and
2283. collegiality of the college that I once knew well. </p>
2284.  
2285. <p class="MsoNormal">[I’ve never met Sir Tim Hunt, but I have met David Latchman
2286. on a few occasions and found him pleasant, and informed, company. Professor
2287. Mary Collins was my Dean at the end of my career at UCL.]</p>
2288.  
2289. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2290.  
2291. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Negley Harte and John North (1979) <i>The World of
2292. University College London 1828-1978</i>. Portsmouth, Eyre & Spottiswoode </p>
2293.  
2294. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://davidlatchman.net/">https://davidlatchman.net/</a> </p>
2295.  
2296. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/13/tim-hunt-hung-out-to-dry-interview-mary-collins">https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/13/tim-hunt-hung-out-to-dry-interview-mary-collins</a> </p>
2297.  
2298. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/01/david-latchman-geneticist-should-resign-over-his-team-science-fraud">https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/01/david-latchman-geneticist-should-resign-over-his-team-science-fraud</a><o:p></o:p></p>
2299.  
2300. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2301.  
2302. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2303.  
2304. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2305.  
2306. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2307.  
2308. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2309.  
2310. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/6937067411021208016/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-tale-of-tim-and-david.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6937067411021208016'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6937067411021208016'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-tale-of-tim-and-david.html' title='The Tale of Tim and David'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yXJ5BPqf9kFZTPyRfAzswSEDzhOmdqG_CNRAtIWBD6Cg-dIPHZz2wciR6CKY6HRjfaT7FPrW06QA-xlS8j_dYnmt3obC9q3PRfsAl-2uAEgpyCdLB7Cp9dc-MzCTMLDrpgJmGtStoJSBdC4ZxQ-XRSrSVaxQs7P9bUI-QtXhUoSL3ca_OWnjvg/s72-w291-h383-c/Harte%20&amp;%20North.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-6340790182383619145</id><published>2022-03-24T02:55:00.012-07:00</published><updated>2022-03-29T12:10:12.783-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Aunt Bell"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Edmund Gosse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Emily Bowes"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Nellie Epps"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Philip Henry Gosse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Susan Gosse"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Thomas Bell"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Thomas Gosse"/><title type='text'>Susan Bell – a little known, but significant, figure in the Nineteenth Century</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;Thomas Gosse was an artist, his son Philip Henry Gosse a
2311. famous natural historian, his grandson Sir Edmund Gosse a noted literary
2312. figure, and nephew Thomas Bell a professor and President of the Linnean
2313. Society. Although we know much about these men, especially of Henry and Edmund,
2314. their stories may have been different, and perhaps less well-known, if it was
2315. not for Susan Bell and two other women: Emily Bowes and Nellie Epps.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2316.  
2317. <p class="MsoNormal">Susan was the sister of Thomas Gosse and, according to
2318. him, “of a more refined and cultivated mind than the rest” of his family [1].
2319. Being 15 years older, she had a strong influence on Thomas and he writes in his
2320. unpublished autobiography [2]: </p>
2321.  
2322. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">I had always an inclination for
2323. drawing.. ..I would often take a piece of chalk and draw the outlines of
2324. various common and familiar objects on the wall or on the kitchen door. My
2325. parents, witnessing my propensity as described, thought it would be useless to
2326. bring me up to a common trade, and therefore were resolved at length to give it
2327. encouragement. Accordingly, early in 1777 my school education was resigned for
2328. the practice of drawing at home; and here my sister Susan, afterwards Mrs Bell,
2329. became my tutoress. A drawing-book was bought for me, and another borrowed,
2330. with other necessary items. Thus I went on learning by degrees the art of
2331. drawing, in order that I might subsequently become a painter by profession.<o:p></o:p></p>
2332.  
2333. <p class="MsoNormal">From these beginnings, Thomas had instruction from various
2334. experts and became a student at the Royal Academy in Somerset House, attending
2335. classes and lectures, and he then became a pupil engraver. Armed with this
2336. training, Thomas became an itinerant painter “not on paper but on ivory” [1] - a
2337. painter specialising in miniatures. Thwaite [1] remarks: “He carried with him
2338. little more than his Bible, his Theocritus and the tools of his trade, but he
2339. was clothed with the armour of righteousness and stoicism.” </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3_qzfUA_B0ClJa5UJNgWw6WcOHaXNodI0LTBcgebUtV2RizKEV9l6qc-7aQ1qE7r-8wnzMa_W8i3Hbu2YSzyUSrOY6BKUpww-aJLyMWy56y5MO5drYRl2NWqP8X4iOr_SN6rrxBuJ_9Tw9nEln1mZUuzuusgJDRyU3HCBs83u5Jp-6F4Aka37g/s442/Poole.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="442" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3_qzfUA_B0ClJa5UJNgWw6WcOHaXNodI0LTBcgebUtV2RizKEV9l6qc-7aQ1qE7r-8wnzMa_W8i3Hbu2YSzyUSrOY6BKUpww-aJLyMWy56y5MO5drYRl2NWqP8X4iOr_SN6rrxBuJ_9Tw9nEln1mZUuzuusgJDRyU3HCBs83u5Jp-6F4Aka37g/w472-h307/Poole.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
2340.  
2341. <p class="MsoNormal">Henry Gosse, like his father, received instruction in
2342. drawing from Susan and she also passed on to him her passion for natural history,
2343. after he had moved, with his family, to Poole, where Susan lived (and seen
2344. above in a near-contemporary view by Turner – her house is shown in [3]). She
2345. had married Thomas Bell, a surgeon, and her son, also Thomas Bell, was born in
2346. 1792, so was 18 years older than Henry. Thomas went on to have a distinguished
2347. career in both Zoology and Dentistry, being “responsible for innovations in the
2348. use of various dental instruments and [he] was the first to treat teeth as
2349. living structures by applying scientific surgery to dental disease” [4].
2350. Thomas’ work in zoology focussed mainly on crustaceans, amphibians and reptiles,
2351. and he was responsible for describing animals in the latter group that had been
2352. collected on the voyage of HMS Beagle. In addition to his position as Professor
2353. of Zoology at King’s College London, Thomas also served as President of the
2354. Linnean Society and chaired the famous meeting on 1st July 1858, when papers by Charles
2355. Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace on the origin of species were presented (neither author being present).<o:p></o:p></p>
2356.  
2357. <p class="MsoNormal">Although on friendly terms with Darwin, Thomas Bell “remained
2358. hostile to the theory of evolution throughout his life” [4], but further in the
2359. piece by Cleevely [4], we read that: </p>
2360.  
2361. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">Darwin always regarded him as a
2362. delightful, kind-hearted man, and believed that a more good-natured person did
2363. not exist but that his overwhelming administrative roles and professional work
2364. prevented him from achieving very much. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2365.  
2366. <p class="MsoNormal">He was certainly invaluable to Henry Gosse, as it was Thomas Bell who introduced Henry to the publisher John Van Voorst, who accepted Henry’s first book <i>The Canadian Naturalist</i>. He also recommended Henry to be the author of books on natural history, then being planned by SPCK (The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge), and the income from Henry’s publications allowed him to begin his career as a writer, illustrator and lecturer.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Clearly then, Aunt Bell was both an important direct, and
2367. also indirect, influence on Henry Gosse and his love of natural history. It
2368. should also be noted that both Henry and Thomas were uncomfortable with the
2369. idea of evolution by natural selection, and
2370. this became acute for Henry who went on to publish <i>Omphalos</i>, his
2371. “attempt to untie the geological knot.” The knot was the apparent conflict
2372. between the increasingly accepted view that the evolution of plants and animals
2373. occurred over long periods of time, and the description of Creation in the book
2374. of Genesis in The Holy Bible. As Henry’s belief in biblical accounts was
2375. absolute, he explained in <i>Omphalos</i> that rock strata and fossils, of
2376. which he had an excellent knowledge, were created along with living organisms
2377. within the six days of Creation. To him, they were “prochronic” and his theory
2378. was revelatory to him – he really thought he had resolved the conflict. Very
2379. few others agreed and the theory of prochronic existence met with derision in
2380. some quarters and neither the scientific, or the religious, establishment could
2381. accept Herny’s idea. This shook Henry, especially as he had ordered a long
2382. print run, as he expected the book to be a big seller.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2383.  
2384. <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Omphalos</i> was published in 1857, the same year that Henry’s
2385. wife Emily had died, painfully, from breast cancer, leaving him with the care
2386. of their young son, Edmund. Henry and Edmund moved to Torquay just weeks before
2387. <i>Omphalos</i> appeared and, writing in 1890, two years after Henry’s death, Edmund
2388. suggested that [5]: </p>
2389.  
2390. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">..it seems to me possible that if
2391. my mother had lived, he might have been prevented from putting himself so
2392. fatally and prominently into opposition to the new ideas. He might probably
2393. have been content to have others to fight out the question on a philosophical
2394. basis, and might himself have quietly continued observing facts, and noting his
2395. observations with his early elegance and accuracy.<o:p></o:p></p>
2396.  
2397. <p class="MsoNormal">It is likely, therefore, that Emily could have persuaded Henry
2398. not to write <i>Omphalos</i>. What is certain is that Emily and Henry shared a
2399. profound Christian faith, while being different in personality. Edmund writes
2400. [5] that “her mind was a singularly gay and cheerful one” and he believes that
2401. she had a strong influence on Henry’s writing in books like <i>A Naturalist’s
2402. Rambles on the Devonshire Coast</i> and <i>Tenby</i> that were both informative
2403. and full of enthusiasm, leading his readers to explore natural history for
2404. themselves. So, we not only owe a debt to Henry, but also to Emily and,
2405. alongside Aunt Bell, she was a major influence on him.</p>
2406.  
2407. <p class="MsoNormal">As he grew up, Edmund became distanced from his father in
2408. many ways, but especially over religious beliefs and practice, and their
2409. relationship became difficult. Edmund married Nellie Epps, a painter who had
2410. studied with the pre-Raphaelites, and she played an important role in maintaining contact between the two men. Nellie was much liked by Henry and his
2411. second wife, Eliza, who was herself a warm supporter of all that Henry did.
2412. Eliza also had a cordial relationship with Edmund, something that was
2413. established when he was a boy.</p>
2414.  
2415. <p class="MsoNormal">Three outstanding, yet little known, women and I am pleased
2416. to be able to add some notes about Aunt Bell to the earlier pieces that I wrote
2417. on Emily [6] and Nellie [7], both of whom I admire very much [8]. We know a
2418. great deal about Henry and Edmund Gosse, and a little about Thomas Gosse and Thomas
2419. Bell, but all four were very lucky in having relations and/or partners who were
2420. such a positive influence on those around them. I would like these women to
2421. have their proper place in history.</p>
2422.  
2423. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2424.  
2425. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Ann Thwaite (2002) <i>Glimpses of the Wonderful: The
2426. Life of Philip Henry Gosse 1810-1888</i>. London, Faber and Faber</p>
2427.  
2428. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Edmund Gosse (1915) Fragments of the Autobiography of
2429. Thomas Gosse. <i>The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs</i> 27: 141-150</p>
2430.  
2431. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.wessexmuseums.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Pooles-early-naturalists-Gosse-and-Bell-final-1.pdf">https://www.wessexmuseums.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Pooles-early-naturalists-Gosse-and-Bell-final-1.pdf</a></p>
2432.  
2433. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] R.J.Cleevely (2004) <i>Bell, Thomas (1792-1880)</i>. The
2434. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/2029">https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/2029</a></p>
2435.  
2436. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Edmund Gosse (1896) <i>The Naturalist of the Sea-Shore:
2437. The Life of Philip Henry Gosse</i>. London, William Heinemann. </p>
2438.  
2439. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2013/10/emily-gosse-notable-evangelical.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2013/10/emily-gosse-notable-evangelical.html</a></p>
2440.  
2441. <p class="MsoNormal">[7] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2017/08/nellie-epps-nineteenth-century-wonder.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2017/08/nellie-epps-nineteenth-century-wonder.html</a> </p>
2442.  
2443. <p class="MsoNormal">[8] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
2444. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book, available widely.<o:p></o:p></p>
2445.  
2446. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2447.  
2448. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/6340790182383619145/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/03/susan-bell-little-known-but-significant.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6340790182383619145'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6340790182383619145'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/03/susan-bell-little-known-but-significant.html' title='Susan Bell – a little known, but significant, figure in the Nineteenth Century'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3_qzfUA_B0ClJa5UJNgWw6WcOHaXNodI0LTBcgebUtV2RizKEV9l6qc-7aQ1qE7r-8wnzMa_W8i3Hbu2YSzyUSrOY6BKUpww-aJLyMWy56y5MO5drYRl2NWqP8X4iOr_SN6rrxBuJ_9Tw9nEln1mZUuzuusgJDRyU3HCBs83u5Jp-6F4Aka37g/s72-w472-h307-c/Poole.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-6737843993076380013</id><published>2022-03-01T02:01:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2022-03-01T02:01:21.500-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Art"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Being Deeply Moved"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Coffee shop"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Elgar"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="God"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Murillo"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Music"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Newspaper Review"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Sheila Heti"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Sibelius"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Turner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Vaughan Williams"/><title type='text'>Visits to the coffee shop</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;Twice a week, I enjoy having a flat white at my local coffee
2449. shop, choosing a time (about 11.00) when there are not too many people about and
2450. there is thus a choice of tables. My ritual is the same each time: order the
2451. coffee, collect it, settle at a table, and then read the paper that I have
2452. bought from the M&S shop that is next door to my habitual haunt. I take my
2453. time over the coffee (unless it gets busy and I need to give up my table, unlike the
2454. “home office” customers) and then walk back home. Nine times out of ten I feel
2455. better than when I arrived at the shop and I can’t really explain why. It’s not because of
2456. the stimulus of caffeine, although that may play a small part, but more about
2457. making me feel part of a bigger world; something about which psychiatrists
2458. would have their own comments to make. I also enjoy coffee with friends, but my solo
2459. visits have a quite different quality, suiting my mildly autistic nature.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2460.  
2461. <p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes, a piece in the newspaper has a special appeal and
2462. that happened this morning when I read the review by Ellen Peirson-Hagger of
2463. Sheila Heti’s book <i>Pure Colour</i> in the "i" newspaper for 25th February 2022.
2464. It contained a paragraph that really made me think (both the review and the
2465. paragraph are shown below).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYfChaoTcESUrFD5fkfuEOiaSXd4tEcLRfiAWbo_YkGNC-NxcUAxqr-Eg-9nOk4uamk-KYzS93RjWVAUtAYV2dZgn_tjd5gpFnArrua5X2rUqj90Dy0MGv24JJ2X69Gz3l3aTsH1UHEoStxLqv3w8oy29OZGApZFBa4qRUcVdlWlQPLexRrDbc5g=s3730" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2473" data-original-width="3730" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYfChaoTcESUrFD5fkfuEOiaSXd4tEcLRfiAWbo_YkGNC-NxcUAxqr-Eg-9nOk4uamk-KYzS93RjWVAUtAYV2dZgn_tjd5gpFnArrua5X2rUqj90Dy0MGv24JJ2X69Gz3l3aTsH1UHEoStxLqv3w8oy29OZGApZFBa4qRUcVdlWlQPLexRrDbc5g=w535-h354" width="535" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk2W-4tQ0lrM4I8SNmv1rOn5ePSiEBugWKPEa0XoSkJQsxM0U7wg4ZW7RU9kPkVHxFwA0O7_TjkGEZ0vsGWIOqB1lXV23Fj8W6mtGUHr12MTpt2sgpNs2GqYoLidNE0Q7jG8gyLljHx0_KnIKbU8OgOaBswxMh36DlAZTU8fy-BAEhy-AMySMwlw=s682" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="682" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk2W-4tQ0lrM4I8SNmv1rOn5ePSiEBugWKPEa0XoSkJQsxM0U7wg4ZW7RU9kPkVHxFwA0O7_TjkGEZ0vsGWIOqB1lXV23Fj8W6mtGUHr12MTpt2sgpNs2GqYoLidNE0Q7jG8gyLljHx0_KnIKbU8OgOaBswxMh36DlAZTU8fy-BAEhy-AMySMwlw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The question that was posed touched a nerve ending and I
2466. started to ask myself why I am moved deeply by some works of art – I guess that
2467. is something we all do, but I can only speak from my own experience.</p><p class="MsoNormal">When I’m in the right mood, I can be so moved by some pieces
2468. of music that I almost feel shaken. Something very deep within me is getting
2469. touched and I can easily see how this could be interpreted as “the breath of
2470. God”. What is this feeling? I don’t know the answer, but the effect is
2471. profound. Does it help to know that the composers that most affect me in this
2472. way are Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Sibelius? All three wrote music that was
2473. evocative of places that I know and where I have been “at one” with both Nature
2474. and Landscape. Of course, it is easy to say that my feelings are those of a
2475. Romantic and that it is all very emotional, but that doesn’t explain why I am
2476. that way. It feels like an attempt to find “light at the end of a tunnel”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2477.  
2478. <p class="MsoNormal">Other arts also affect me, but not to such a profound
2479. emotional level, although some paintings I return to stare at every time I visit
2480. galleries on repeat visits. It might be works by Turner or by Murillo, and
2481. there is no consistency of subject matter, just something that draws me. Turner
2482. I find fascinating, because he was seeking to portray something about the
2483. essence of Nature: Murillo because there is no artist better at conveying human
2484. tenderness. Like my reaction to certain pieces of music, the feelings can be
2485. (inadequately) described, but they cannot be shared.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2486.  
2487. <p class="MsoNormal">It leaves me with the question of whether what I feel is
2488. similar to what others feel and whether that deep feeling causes them to believe
2489. in God. It’s interesting what can come from reading one’s paper in the local
2490. coffee shop.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2491.  
2492. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/6737843993076380013/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/03/visits-to-coffee-shop.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6737843993076380013'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/6737843993076380013'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/03/visits-to-coffee-shop.html' title='Visits to the coffee shop'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYfChaoTcESUrFD5fkfuEOiaSXd4tEcLRfiAWbo_YkGNC-NxcUAxqr-Eg-9nOk4uamk-KYzS93RjWVAUtAYV2dZgn_tjd5gpFnArrua5X2rUqj90Dy0MGv24JJ2X69Gz3l3aTsH1UHEoStxLqv3w8oy29OZGApZFBa4qRUcVdlWlQPLexRrDbc5g=s72-w535-h354-c" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-5621079994830945003</id><published>2022-01-03T06:42:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2022-01-03T06:57:14.896-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Botany"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Chemistry"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Collecting on the shore"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Pranks"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="South Devon Tech."/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Torquay Boys’ Grammar School"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Zoology"/><title type='text'>Torquay Boys’ Grammar School, South Devon Tech. - and pranks</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI6A1oEKTgX2VZOr7_RSPZPK6PJrz4lyadbph2M6g0iVbCmC8mgywo1v4pXNICtHSidiJXKnxbpLgeo0KHNE2zPPnpjb1_3JJAkvh4OYl5tTZnfbzFRaLEUibHwAZJCreqJhDnRzOzeuPDqYIL1NvlaipD3e-Jl2OLncjJeD0zUkuBR6GsWtxtnQ=s640&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;640&quot; data-original-width=&quot;481&quot; height=&quot;504&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI6A1oEKTgX2VZOr7_RSPZPK6PJrz4lyadbph2M6g0iVbCmC8mgywo1v4pXNICtHSidiJXKnxbpLgeo0KHNE2zPPnpjb1_3JJAkvh4OYl5tTZnfbzFRaLEUibHwAZJCreqJhDnRzOzeuPDqYIL1NvlaipD3e-Jl2OLncjJeD0zUkuBR6GsWtxtnQ=w379-h504&quot; width=&quot;379&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many of us look back on school days
2493. as being some of the best of our life. For me, there were a few good times, but
2494. mostly it was not a happy experience, and I don’t feel disappointed that my old
2495. school has now been demolished. In the image above, the east entrance to the
2496. school, with its rather grand portico, remains, as does the eastern internal staircase
2497. (just visible in the background of this image by Tom Jolliffe – with the
2498. handrail still in place) that led to the first floor. <p></p><p>Passing though the entrance shown in the
2499. image, one entered a corridor that had the Head’s Study on the left, the Secretary’s
2500. office on the right and a succession of classrooms also on the right, with the
2501. Biology Laboratory at the end of the corridor (to the left of the corridor were
2502. windows looking out on to one of the “playgrounds”). The Biology Lab. plays an
2503. important part in the following narrative.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 17.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>
2504.  
2505. <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 17.0pt;">Having passed O-levels in 1962, I
2506. took A-levels in Chemistry, Botany and Zoology (I dropped Physics after one
2507. year). Chemistry was then taught at the school in a relatively new two-storey
2508. block that had replaced an old hut, where Mr Roberts had earlier taught us (1A
2509. of the 1958 intake) to recite the mantra “Acid + Base = Salt + Water”. The hut
2510. was so old that the knots in the floorboards were raised and shiny, the rest of
2511. the boards being worn away by the scuffing shoes of generations of students. As
2512. I recall, A-level Chemistry was taught on the first floor of the new building and
2513. I had the misfortune of having Mr Crabtree as my teacher. He was clearly an
2514. able chemist, but he bullied me on occasions, one of which I recall clearly
2515. when he tapped me repeatedly on the head while saying, with raised voice, “valency,
2516. Wotton, valency!”. I’m not sure what I had done to deserve this response, but I
2517. admit that I didn’t have much interest in chemistry, as was apparent to Mr
2518. Crabtree. My fascination with natural history made the A-levels in Botany and
2519. Zoology much more to my taste, but, unfortunately, I was not a good scholar.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 17.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>
2520.  
2521. <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 17.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p>These are quotes from my book
2522. “Walking with Gosse” [1]:<span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></p>
2523.  
2524. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">As Biology was
2525. not among the most popular subjects at TBGS, we took A-Levels in both Botany
2526. and Zoology at the South Devon Technical College, in a building adjacent to the
2527. school. Teaching was shared between the two institutions, with Botany taught by
2528. Mr Hood from the Grammar School and Zoology by Mr Cosway from the Tech… <o:p></o:p></p>
2529.  
2530. <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 17.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p>…and another excerpt [1]: </p>
2531.  
2532. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">…I always enjoyed
2533. visiting Paignton Zoo to gaze at the animals and I joined the “Peacock
2534. Association” (the Friends of the Zoo) to gain free entry and to attend meetings
2535. with guest speakers. On the south side of the Zoo was an area closed to the
2536. public, with a high double gate that led to mature woodland and a hillside that
2537. was grazed by rabbits. Mr Hood had kept a record of the distribution of plants
2538. on the hillside over several years and a group of us Botany students was taken
2539. there to continue mapping the site using quadrats. It was something that was
2540. organised each year to teach botanical surveying techniques and I really
2541. enjoyed this field work. My earlier flower collecting meant that I could
2542. identify many plants, although I now used Latin names rather than the common
2543. ones, and I went back to the site on my own a few times to expand the survey in
2544. other areas. This impressed, and surprised, Mr Hood who, like Mr Cosway, didn’t
2545. think I had much of a future academically [the latter having recommended that I
2546. give up Zoology]. </p>
2547.  
2548. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">I liked Mr Hood,
2549. as he clearly loved plants and seemed independent-minded, although we only had
2550. occasional glimpses of the human side of our schoolmasters. He had spent time
2551. in India with the Army and was almost a caricature of someone from that
2552. background, having a large moustache and habitually wearing a rumpled tweed
2553. sports jacket and cavalry twills. Occasionally, he talked to us about the
2554. Western Ghats and some of his Indian adventures and these were very exotic for
2555. me, an insular Paigntonian.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2556.  
2557. <p class="MsoNormal">The freedom of the Tech. was such that I never worked as hard as I should have done in classes and it also meant that, with a couple of friends, we thought little of skipping school to go collecting marine animals from the local shore (see below). We should have been in the School Library, but identifying the animals in our collections was much more fun and we also brought back specimens and set them up in aquarium tanks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIgNXgezKLNGaoAcz2eidaRE0OkyOAbezraziXAY3iFJKzpd7ZA54lHclpV-pn2d6INpZ3ogc5n1E75tVhxSqAqirVRg5cUmLsURpRMBTX0zYV6lOcWbFbpNf2ZfCXIXZpPdzTEnD_cdJRo4uLmxU6mG2scvcD907oH_v-8T72ENr4CjGSYc5bXA=s3585" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1901" data-original-width="3585" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIgNXgezKLNGaoAcz2eidaRE0OkyOAbezraziXAY3iFJKzpd7ZA54lHclpV-pn2d6INpZ3ogc5n1E75tVhxSqAqirVRg5cUmLsURpRMBTX0zYV6lOcWbFbpNf2ZfCXIXZpPdzTEnD_cdJRo4uLmxU6mG2scvcD907oH_v-8T72ENr4CjGSYc5bXA=w559-h297" width="559" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Our form room was the Biology Lab. in the main school building
2558. and it was the scene of several pranks. One came from our collections, as we
2559. soon discovered that seaweed kept in a large jar decomposed to produce a shocking
2560. and pervasive smell. What could be more fun than to secrete an open jar of
2561. rotting wrack near a radiator in the corridor and then retrieve it once the
2562. area had become filled with its perfume? We also discovered that bubbling gas
2563. into a sink of water to which “Teepol” had been added produced large quantities
2564. of foam that would spread along a bench and that throwing a lighted match into
2565. the foam would produce a wonderful sheet of flame that burned itself out in a
2566. second or two.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2567.  
2568. <p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps the most infamous prank came when we went to a local
2569. pub and bought a couple of flagons of cider that we distilled to produce applejack.
2570. We knew well enough that distillates might contain harmful chemicals, in addition to ethyl alcohol, so we were reluctant to drink the stuff that we had made. I
2571. can still remember the smell of it though, and the pleasure to be obtained by
2572. our behaviour and, as with all the other pranks, the school was seemingly
2573. unaware of our activities. As mentioned earlier, the Head’s Study was just
2574. along our corridor and “Joe” Harmer (MA Cantab. FRAS) didn’t have a highly-developed
2575. sense of humour. If I’d been caught there would have been trouble (and more
2576. doubt about my academic abilities), even though I was only a passive participant
2577. in the activities. Visits to the shore were an exception, as I was fascinated
2578. by all that I discovered there, and played an active role in searches.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2579.  
2580. <p class="MsoNormal">My chances of gaining a good reference on my university
2581. application form would also have been affected if my behaviour during the 1964
2582. Sixth Form Conference had been discovered. These conferences were held in
2583. different schools each year and there were lots of group debates that were very
2584. enjoyable: conferences were also a chance to meet girls. At the one held at
2585. TBGS, the day started with a religious service at a local church and then there
2586. were sessions until lunchtime, during which three of us (highly illegally) went
2587. to “The Rising Sun”. After a couple of pints of beer each, we left to walk back
2588. to school, singing our version of the 1964 hit by The Animals:</p><p class="MsoNormal">There is a house in Torre, Torquay</p><p class="MsoNormal">They call the Rising Sun </p><p class="MsoNormal">And it’s been the ruin of many a poor
2589. boy</p><p class="MsoNormal">And God I know, I’m one </p>
2590.  
2591. <p class="MsoNormal">Well, it didn’t lead to my ruin, but it might have done. On return to the conference, I had the misfortune to sit next to a teacher from another school and had to ask him to let me out as I needed to get rid of some of the fluid that I’d accumulated. He must have found it odd that I left the debate so soon after it started, and also that I smelt a little of alcohol. An anxious few days followed, but I got away with it and I did get my university place and that’s where I changed beyond recognition. I was now much more diligent and I have to say that it was at university where it all started for me. School was just part of the build-up, although I recognise the dedication, and excellence, of some masters and the friendship of fellow students. While rarely happy to see buildings being demolished (another image by Tom Jolliffe is shown below), there’s some satisfaction in seeing the end of the old TBGS. My time there wasn’t the happiest period of my life.</p><p class="MsoNormal">[1] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse</i>. e-book
2592. (available widely).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb1avK_4Mq6G3l1RqvF_uA91z51PNZ6y4anvOowi5HPjswCE7vPaSDuJpJkRg8KvTfZgKC3sFlzI4k5PHGyKOn8wXhYrM1YLgE9gZfwqWiYQ1rweVS-CVj0NF456EE6TJiB1aqrX7rmTxtkC1VMoVLpKAf9xaJrtmc7RIXLwDYfQZcsL_gUhmwKg=s640&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;415&quot; data-original-width=&quot;640&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb1avK_4Mq6G3l1RqvF_uA91z51PNZ6y4anvOowi5HPjswCE7vPaSDuJpJkRg8KvTfZgKC3sFlzI4k5PHGyKOn8wXhYrM1YLgE9gZfwqWiYQ1rweVS-CVj0NF456EE6TJiB1aqrX7rmTxtkC1VMoVLpKAf9xaJrtmc7RIXLwDYfQZcsL_gUhmwKg=w493-h320&quot; width=&quot;493&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/5621079994830945003/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/01/torquay-boys-grammar-school-south-devon.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/5621079994830945003'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/5621079994830945003'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/01/torquay-boys-grammar-school-south-devon.html' title='Torquay Boys’ Grammar School, South Devon Tech. - and pranks'/><author><name>Roger</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990167210751154054</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='18' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiUcUAHpTA_TbMAx8Sse8S2q15vybu_K9Cj6fb8A2PQQyK6QdQ-izhlBzFa_GKTqHoeghHRuZ1CfXIuJCa3V02fteQHsegBEWsRczZbYkKR_hGLxX0OPo67oxEY0u/s220/RSW+-+Skye.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI6A1oEKTgX2VZOr7_RSPZPK6PJrz4lyadbph2M6g0iVbCmC8mgywo1v4pXNICtHSidiJXKnxbpLgeo0KHNE2zPPnpjb1_3JJAkvh4OYl5tTZnfbzFRaLEUibHwAZJCreqJhDnRzOzeuPDqYIL1NvlaipD3e-Jl2OLncjJeD0zUkuBR6GsWtxtnQ=s72-w379-h504-c" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>

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