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1. <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:blogger='http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842</id><updated>2025-10-09T15:03:56.384-07:00</updated><category term="Philip Henry Gosse"/><category term="Evolution"/><category term="Natural History"/><category term="Creation"/><category term="Edmund Gosse"/><category term="Nature"/><category term="Torbay"/><category term="Angels"/><category term="Henry Gosse"/><category term="Walking with Gosse"/><category term="Charles Waterton"/><category term="Death"/><category term="Edward Elgar"/><category term="Omphalos"/><category term="Torquay"/><category term="Charles 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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 Lone Tree"/><category term="The Media"/><category term="The Open Sea"/><category term="The Pillars Of The Earth"/><category term="The Renaissance"/><category term="The 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term="Zazamushi"/><category term="Zonation"/><category term="a complete unknown"/><category term="e-Book"/><category term="electric music"/><category term="film and television"/><category term="folk music"/><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>303</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-2125297615920304942</id><published>2025-09-23T02:51:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2025-09-23T04:21:39.298-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Caspar David Friedrich"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Christianity"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Death"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Dieback"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Dying"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Lopping"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Oak Trees"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Romanticism"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Symbolism"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="The Lone Tree"/><title type='text'>Oak trees and thoughts on Caspar David Friedrich’s painting “The Lone Tree”</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Caspar David
2. Friedrich’s painting </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Der einsame Baum</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (“The Lone Tree”) (see below,
3. upper) features an oak tree that demands the attention of the observer. Clouds
4. seem to form a shallow dome over it and the foothills of the distant mountains behind
5. the tree slope down on either side to further emphasise its presence. The tree retains
6. most of its leaves, but the uppermost branches appear dead and this is a
7. feature of old oak trees [1,2]. Without going into the complex causes of this
8. dieback, it is common to see oak trees with apparently dead branches in the
9. crown. I saw a pedunculate oak (</span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Quercus robur</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">) with dead branches while
10. driving through Forncett in Norfolk (see below, lower – I should state that I
11. parked my motor car before taking the image using my mobile telephone). Further
12. examples can be seen in three oaks from an avenue in Berkhamsted (shown below,
13. bottom), with a vigorous healthy tree on the left; a tree with some die-back in
14. the centre; and a tree with more developed die-back on the right. It is highly
15. unlikely that leaves will re-appear in these dead and dying branches in future
16. seasons.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaXB__tBMmFuo0lN-X4b7BbrEzUxxJVJmVdfwFKKKRFN0he9S37M6uB6-1H-qrAPRrshYI9WasolocFtp-fanKg5OaY5pxKjdvgj3kR0biXhJBHUO3Q7ZCzM9q2qz6roJHB1qoKd1jFUsmNHGuE1maWxoQ1kOLEeh4F37JGrYiHn0VrKrJ2bpabgw/s960/Friedrich%20The%20Lonely%20Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaXB__tBMmFuo0lN-X4b7BbrEzUxxJVJmVdfwFKKKRFN0he9S37M6uB6-1H-qrAPRrshYI9WasolocFtp-fanKg5OaY5pxKjdvgj3kR0biXhJBHUO3Q7ZCzM9q2qz6roJHB1qoKd1jFUsmNHGuE1maWxoQ1kOLEeh4F37JGrYiHn0VrKrJ2bpabgw/w508-h400/Friedrich%20The%20Lonely%20Tree.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecFotKlD2MccVOLMHLKO_1-IIAlJMi4alMIsBtWM6hCLYnUH_2EIie44wrNc0zzX6Q78TIhJkwRLl2iCZI6DSQArSb15EytDubEMCpC2dQm9T0h4Qt7QTKSDkxVEOgmjjlE1s8k6PcLERJFWp56sHXDe5DjEu39YYx8K0-x1SNhk46sP6oRO8eh-5/s265/Forncett%20Oak%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="188" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecFotKlD2MccVOLMHLKO_1-IIAlJMi4alMIsBtWM6hCLYnUH_2EIie44wrNc0zzX6Q78TIhJkwRLl2iCZI6DSQArSb15EytDubEMCpC2dQm9T0h4Qt7QTKSDkxVEOgmjjlE1s8k6PcLERJFWp56sHXDe5DjEu39YYx8K0-x1SNhk46sP6oRO8eh-5/w233-h328/Forncett%20Oak%203.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMX-psF7aTInUHjfAUceZB0wJ2T4g2AgLMw7uF57Cc1C0vK0y9-lJwJ8_Z_n957FDe3-cnmho8gePSzJIxbNNWR8O9qNcYQ1lcFKe_xxImrlNT0ud8SSvYVmgFfAkQC1mJ5dkky4hsZcnvGJ9oN-jEBH24rrw4MV682ZlWZ2Ga-rRWlgKDMWrhbJPt/s797/Oaks%20Berko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="797" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMX-psF7aTInUHjfAUceZB0wJ2T4g2AgLMw7uF57Cc1C0vK0y9-lJwJ8_Z_n957FDe3-cnmho8gePSzJIxbNNWR8O9qNcYQ1lcFKe_xxImrlNT0ud8SSvYVmgFfAkQC1mJ5dkky4hsZcnvGJ9oN-jEBH24rrw4MV682ZlWZ2Ga-rRWlgKDMWrhbJPt/w541-h199/Oaks%20Berko.jpg" width="541" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><p class="MsoNormal">Many deciduous
17. trees that produce new leaves in spring also show a powerful ability to
18. regenerate after having been damaged, often intentionally by tree surgeons [3].
19. We have a local example: a London plane that recovered its loss of leaves after
20. a few months (see below). When the tree had its branches lopped, I felt a
21. little sad, but I knew that the tree would recover and produce new shoots and
22. leaves. It was quite different to watching the leaves falling in autumn, itself
23. a mildly sad event, although I know that this promotes the essential cycling of
24. organic matter. Once dead, however, even deciduous trees are not going to
25. recover and they leave a ghostly lattice of branches that have their own
26. appeal, not just to Friedrich but to other artists, like David Hockney or
27. Trevor Grimshaw [4,5].</p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMT7G3ocTYP3gkY-hTdrCo0e81_tW7nSOcrYDrNKklXkhoPrf-PUgxgwj3c3pUs9Vj3B7ZjUGZIOFyijqk4-Wii2sEhcWZw9tOfC7Q0TTAjdTxYiE9WGuXx7xGKyRJ7X2HPaFrd_eZ651hXqVR4WPjZSQn78h808HH66ZQAEmLVXUPVwSFFmT56Lf/s846/Plane%20tree%20regrowth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="846" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMT7G3ocTYP3gkY-hTdrCo0e81_tW7nSOcrYDrNKklXkhoPrf-PUgxgwj3c3pUs9Vj3B7ZjUGZIOFyijqk4-Wii2sEhcWZw9tOfC7Q0TTAjdTxYiE9WGuXx7xGKyRJ7X2HPaFrd_eZ651hXqVR4WPjZSQn78h808HH66ZQAEmLVXUPVwSFFmT56Lf/w539-h170/Plane%20tree%20regrowth.jpg" width="539" /></a></div><br />Looking at Friedrich’s painting <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Der einsame
28. Baum</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (“The Lone Tree”) in more detail, we see the symbolism involved. Of
29. course, we don’t know what the artist was thinking when he painted the work,
30. but we can attempt some explanations. I take as my excuse for making this
31. analysis a quote attributed to Friedrich and given in Grave’s book [6] “…thus
32. it is a great merit, maybe the greatest thing the artist is capable of, when he
33. touches the spirit and arouses thoughts, feelings and emotions in the beholder,
34. even if these are not his own”.</span><p></p>
35.  
36. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In the distance
37. are massive mountains, showing the blue colouring of Rayleigh scattering that
38. indicates that they are far away. Our vision thus meets a barrier, a device
39. used by many painters, and we are deflected back to the main subjects of the
40. work. As we come “out” of the painting and away from the sloping foothills, we
41. see smoke from the chimneys of houses in a village that also has a church with a
42. spire (see below, upper). The plain is then crossed by a row of trees with cottages
43. and what appears to be a ruined church, and nearer to us are more trees growing
44. next to a pond and some of the oaks have dieback in their upper branches (see below, lower). Dieback
45. here appears advanced and there is the stump of one tree, indicating the
46. eventual fate of all of them. Then we come to our main subject, the solitary
47. oak, against the trunk of which rests a shepherd, with his flock scattered
48. around him, while the foreground also has another pond. The painting was one of
49. a pair commissioned by Joachim Wagener and completed in 1822, the other being </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Moonrise
50. over the Sea</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. They were to represent evening and morning, so we know that</span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
51. Der einsame Baum</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> shows the morning light and the shepherd has been with his
52. flock from the early hours, if not through the night. We can also surmise that
53. it is early autumn as the smoke coming from chimneys suggests a chill in the
54. air, yet the tees are in full leaf.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8GyDKaRIHUsAz4fSyIfKDBXgsUwbL33hHJ0dBg_uNEO9ybK1QE5Y3CJO9idoxhCXHJGmd8QGhZakFbbi25t-TLnhM7CqKp0Ea0iZ-mB4GLWRi9qWJTwf4tPlpkAtovX-EUk2K0lRw_2UOiR295lPqkgNtQusrRdKCnsUFKihOrzO8QKjRiY-FaFo/s1802/Friedrich%20The%20Lonely%20Tree%20detail%203%20-%20habitation%20and%20ruin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="1802" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8GyDKaRIHUsAz4fSyIfKDBXgsUwbL33hHJ0dBg_uNEO9ybK1QE5Y3CJO9idoxhCXHJGmd8QGhZakFbbi25t-TLnhM7CqKp0Ea0iZ-mB4GLWRi9qWJTwf4tPlpkAtovX-EUk2K0lRw_2UOiR295lPqkgNtQusrRdKCnsUFKihOrzO8QKjRiY-FaFo/w496-h91/Friedrich%20The%20Lonely%20Tree%20detail%203%20-%20habitation%20and%20ruin.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrxeiGMJnG2cetKlG9qH27RhV_onFj7ZS1oyo65rbVL4lL3gYfFSB0xHq991KobF6_kLJJBDdvwsfAKxgDxBDUIyM0pJ_K0tYQgQ97wDLaMk_Z_gNffketUiZAEywEyYRmcnQ3DSmQaBey1fsp8-nEzSJ4aLa_2u7YSFrm9uUNoCYLzrHHhaE74To/s275/Friedrich%20stump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="275" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrxeiGMJnG2cetKlG9qH27RhV_onFj7ZS1oyo65rbVL4lL3gYfFSB0xHq991KobF6_kLJJBDdvwsfAKxgDxBDUIyM0pJ_K0tYQgQ97wDLaMk_Z_gNffketUiZAEywEyYRmcnQ3DSmQaBey1fsp8-nEzSJ4aLa_2u7YSFrm9uUNoCYLzrHHhaE74To/w419-h233/Friedrich%20stump.jpg" width="419" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">So, what of the
55. symbolism? I will describe my interpretation using headings.</p><p></p>
56.  
57. <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
58. mountains</span></u></p>
59.  
60. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The mountains
61. not only provide a backdrop for the scene, but they are also massive and
62. continue into the distance. Their magnificence is awe-inspiring and reminds us
63. of the sublime and, in turn, the peacefulness of the rural scene that we focus
64. upon.</span></p>
65.  
66. <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The church(es)</span></u></p>
67.  
68. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The churches
69. are symbols of Christianity and all that is involved in that religion. We
70. assume that Christianity is important to those living in the village, who
71. will thus believe in Heaven, and in life after death, accepting that Jesus Christ died, and was resurrected, to save us from sin. The painting also
72. suggests strongly the importance of Nature as a source of spirituality,
73. something that was of special importance to Friedrich [6]. As Caroline Levisse
74. writes: “ …according to Friedrich, it is possible to find in the world around
75. us scenery, objects, and phenomena that can elicit a religious experience” [7].
76. (If the building in the near distance is a ruined church, I cannot provide an
77. explanation for its existence in the painting, other than that it is based on a
78. real landscape. Why is it ruined, if it is a church?).</span></p>
79.  
80. <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Impending
81. death</span></u></p>
82.  
83. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Oak trees
84. showing naked branches at the crown are likely dying and thus present a
85. metaphor for our own impending death. This is a dominant feature of the lone
86. oak we see and, while it continues to live after shedding its leaves in autumn
87. and then producing more in spring, it has only a limited time span before it
88. dies and becomes a stump. Stumps have strong appeal and a local example (see
89. below, upper [and since fallen]) became a totem for me, just as the stump of a
90. felled tree in east Yorkshire did for David Hockney until it was vandalised [4]
91. (below, lower). Looking at the oak in Friedrich’s painting, we thus drift to
92. thoughts of our own death, while continuing to be alive, even after parts of
93. our body begin to fail (although we are nor deciduous, of course).</span></p>
94.  
95. <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeeIvFMMyT4G6CBYksIGTME00GbGHPUWS_mULVhQS9wAIbZIxjpb6c_lRgS5uM96TZy74vrhr7N8cXiesGg79HiBXivz1ukhVt64qqv_HlDJ6BLlLzi24e_Dz6veMwElUwxWJ5bA0VlUwXyG_FgHbYk6Nd2yi5Sp4RhH5hq-8vSntVC6eoeuKTjqa/s2021/ashridge%20stump%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2021" data-original-width="1389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeeIvFMMyT4G6CBYksIGTME00GbGHPUWS_mULVhQS9wAIbZIxjpb6c_lRgS5uM96TZy74vrhr7N8cXiesGg79HiBXivz1ukhVt64qqv_HlDJ6BLlLzi24e_Dz6veMwElUwxWJ5bA0VlUwXyG_FgHbYk6Nd2yi5Sp4RhH5hq-8vSntVC6eoeuKTjqa/s320/ashridge%20stump%204.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10zRARgZxXGADhtYACXaDq5hgf5_qGWGKG146pBVlbCrFt7BtC0yJtt6x_96yZRJ0xGFNGanwL-32yBydO10JSqEp8umrPJYX64MkYe3kUVS5sprHWjZiLNqJBZWYRvlWkpxxFMmTCQaOG6BSUJEs4GX4YNLn5pb2OIT8Mdi3nSes1WkPYNbugtpb/s1319/Hockney%20Vandalised%20Totem%2025th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1319" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10zRARgZxXGADhtYACXaDq5hgf5_qGWGKG146pBVlbCrFt7BtC0yJtt6x_96yZRJ0xGFNGanwL-32yBydO10JSqEp8umrPJYX64MkYe3kUVS5sprHWjZiLNqJBZWYRvlWkpxxFMmTCQaOG6BSUJEs4GX4YNLn5pb2OIT8Mdi3nSes1WkPYNbugtpb/s320/Hockney%20Vandalised%20Totem%2025th.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><p class="MsoNormal">The living oak
96. tree produces successors that grow from acorns, and many humans produce
97. offspring that survive us. This leads us to the idea that life continues after
98. death, reminding us of the selfish gene concept and the “immortality” of genes.
99. Thoughts then turn to the idea of life after death and whether there is a
100. hereafter for the soul, or not. Then we are drawn to ideas of reincarnation on Earth
101. or the passage to some spiritual domain, both of which can bring comfort.</p></span><p></p>
102.  
103. <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Isolation
104. and loneliness</span></u></p>
105.  
106. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The isolation
107. of the oak tree poses an important question from a biological perspective – how
108. did it get here? It will have grown from an acorn, but how did the acorn get to
109. this position, when there is no evidence of there being a parent oak tree or,
110. indeed, other oak trees close by? Perhaps it was carried by an animal, or moved
111. there by a child?</span></p>
112.  
113. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I asked members
114. of my family what the painting meant to them and the dominant reply was a sense
115. of loneliness, fitting given the title of the work and its focus on dying. In
116. the time leading up to death it is possible to be very lonely; after all we are
117. the ones going through the process. We die alone and we are likely to feel the
118. loneliness of this in our last hours or days, even when surrounded by family.</span></p>
119.  
120. <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The shepherd</span></u></p>
121.  
122. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As the painting
123. is set in the early morning, and the shepherd is with his flock (see below), and may have
124. been through the night, he is clearly both attentive and protective. This
125. reminds us of Jesus as the Good Shepherd quoted in St John’s gospel in the Holy
126. Bible (Authorised King James Version, chapter 10 verse 14): “I am the good
127. shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” The symbolism in
128. Friedrich’s painting may thus carry the Christian message that, after death,
129. one’s soul can only enter Heaven if we are in the flock of Christian believers.</span></p>
130.  
131. <p class="MsoNormal"><u></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16bHO-YbM7RCRZuia3VAcU2zgO8E8qGrfy9DEj3Uu-cWWP0kG7hNrqtU_rPbrorHHIYxdbBT27RZ223oAr3Yy2CWdqu63EWwEzy25Pvwin_5koBpe4i2dQ7e1I84T7GQiHl9E1lla_R1VTP7hTwwOnslBMETML_tPDtMiSaiKReIIjzmxB9LXEDF2/s1208/Friedrich%20The%20Lonely%20Tree%20detail%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="1208" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16bHO-YbM7RCRZuia3VAcU2zgO8E8qGrfy9DEj3Uu-cWWP0kG7hNrqtU_rPbrorHHIYxdbBT27RZ223oAr3Yy2CWdqu63EWwEzy25Pvwin_5koBpe4i2dQ7e1I84T7GQiHl9E1lla_R1VTP7hTwwOnslBMETML_tPDtMiSaiKReIIjzmxB9LXEDF2/w487-h264/Friedrich%20The%20Lonely%20Tree%20detail%202.jpg" width="487" /></a></u></div><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><p class="MsoNormal"><u>Water</u></p></span></u><p></p>
132.  
133. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Trees require
134. water to grow and it is transmitted to their leaves via a complex of xylem
135. vessels. It is then, together with carbon dioxide and sunlight, converted into
136. simple sugars during photosynthesis, a process that is mediated by the green
137. pigment chlorophyll. Trees without leaves, like those that are lopped or have
138. dying branches, will have a reduced ability to generate sugars and, unless more
139. leaves are produced, the tree will not produce sufficient energy to maintain
140. growth or, in some cases, survival. Water is thus essential for tree growth and
141. the lone oak in </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Der einsame Baum</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> is located next to a pond, so water is
142. unlikely to be limiting.</span></p>
143.  
144. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We are again
145. drawn to St John’s Gospel in the Holy Bible (Authorised King James Version,
146. chapter 4 verse 14): “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I [Jesus] shall
147. give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in
148. him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” This reference to
149. water, so important for living organisms, means that the ponds shown in
150. Friedrich’s painting provide us with a metaphor for the importance of Christian
151. faith in allowing eternal life</span></p>
152.  
153. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It all points
154. to Friedrich’s Christian religious beliefs. Crosses, large crucifixes and
155. churches feature prominently in his work, alongside trees and landscapes. Whether
156. one is sympathetic to his beliefs, or not, the subjects in </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Der einsame Baum</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
157. show how paintings can offer us thought-provoking images that capitalise on our
158. fear of ageing and death and how this fear can be alleviated. One can only
159. wonder what was in Friedrich’s mind when he created the work and ponder whether
160. it was anything like my interpretation That aside, it’s a marvellous painting
161. by a true Romantic.</span></p>
162.  
163. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">[1] </span><a href="https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/how-to-record/species-guides/oak/"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/how-to-record/species-guides/oak/</span></a></p>
164.  
165. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">[2] </span><a href="https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/pest-and-disease-resources/chronic-oak-decline-dieback/"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/pest-and-disease-resources/chronic-oak-decline-dieback/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
166.  
167. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">[3] </span><a href="https://penritharborist.com.au/the-future-protecting-that-trees-regenerate-after-being-cut-down-for-a-sustainable-environment"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">https://penritharborist.com.au/the-future-protecting-that-trees-regenerate-after-being-cut-down-for-a-sustainable-environment</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
168.  
169. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">[4] Martin
170. Gayford (2016) <i>A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney</i>.
171. Thames & Hudson, London.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
172.  
173. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">[5] </span><a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/09/trevor-grimshaw-and-caspar-david.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2022/09/trevor-grimshaw-and-caspar-david.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
174.  
175. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">[6] Johannes
176. Grave (2012) <i>Caspar David Friedrich</i>. Prestel, Munich<o:p></o:p></span></p>
177.  
178. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">[7] </span><a href="https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/31-may/features/features/caspar-david-friedrich-faith-on-canvas"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/31-may/features/features/caspar-david-friedrich-faith-on-canvas</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/31-may/features/features/caspar-david-friedrich-fai%0d%0c%0dth-on-canvas"></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
179.  
180. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
181.  
182. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
183.  
184. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
185.  
186. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;&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/2125297615920304942/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/09/oak-trees-and-thoughts-on-caspar-david.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/2125297615920304942'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/2125297615920304942'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/09/oak-trees-and-thoughts-on-caspar-david.html' title='Oak trees and thoughts on Caspar David Friedrich’s painting “The Lone Tree”'/><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/AVvXsEjpaXB__tBMmFuo0lN-X4b7BbrEzUxxJVJmVdfwFKKKRFN0he9S37M6uB6-1H-qrAPRrshYI9WasolocFtp-fanKg5OaY5pxKjdvgj3kR0biXhJBHUO3Q7ZCzM9q2qz6roJHB1qoKd1jFUsmNHGuE1maWxoQ1kOLEeh4F37JGrYiHn0VrKrJ2bpabgw/s72-w508-h400-c/Friedrich%20The%20Lonely%20Tree.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-1591880846946602027</id><published>2025-07-30T02:03:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2025-07-30T02:04:25.726-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Blackly Larvae"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Coal Mining"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Deaths"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Durham University"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Land Rover"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Morris Minor"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Oakenshaw"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Postgraduate Research"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Supervisors"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Upper Teesdale Streams"/><title type='text'>Oakenshaw – and feeling close to coal miners and their families</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;I lived in
187. Oakenshaw for over two years, arriving in Spring 1971. It was a mining village
188. in County Durham and consisted largely of a long row of terraced cottages, but
189. I knew little of its history when I arrived.</span></p>
190.  
191. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The move to
192. Oakenshaw came at a difficult time for me. I had started my PhD at the
193. University of Durham in 1970, working on the ecology of blackfly larvae in Upper Teesdale
194. streams and my supervisor, Dr Lewis Davies, was someone I looked up to for his
195. expertise. I’d spent the previous two years on blackfly research at the
196. University of Salford and it had been a miserable experience, as my supervisor
197. was not an aquatic biologist (he was a medical parasitologist) and I lived
198. alone in bed-sitting rooms. Fortunately, I had very supportive friends among
199. the research students and technicians, and I needed them. In December 1968, a
200. policeman rang the bell to my room (that leaked rain around the bay window and
201. had a mouse infestation) to tell me that my father had died; this rather cold
202. way of contacting me, being the only method of conveying such news quickly. I
203. was, of course, upset (my mother having died in 1960) and I headed out into the
204. Cheshire countryside to stay with my brother’s in-laws, who were very kind to
205. me during my Manchester days.</span></p>
206.  
207. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">My supervisor
208. showed kindness in understanding what I was going through and, after a short
209. break of a week, I was back at my bench and carrying on with counting and
210. identifying larvae from Artle Beck. Fortunately, my girlfriend from
211. undergraduate days was still part of my life and, in the summer of 1969, we
212. went together to Cyprus by rail and sea, stopping off at interesting places </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">en
213. route</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. She had just finished a teaching course at the University of
214. Southampton and was taking up a post at a school in Cyprus and it was good for
215. us to have some time together, although that was much more from my side than
216. hers. Little did I know that my departure from Nicosia airport would be the
217. last time I saw her, and I received a "goodbye letter" some days later. It’s all
218. a bit of a sob story, isn’t it?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
219.  
220. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Early in 1970, I
221. saw an advert for the studentship at Durham and I went for interview, having
222. previously visited Dr Davies to get confirmation of some of my identifications.
223. I loved Durham and its magnificent buildings the first time I saw them and was
224. thrilled to get the position, even though I had not passed my driving test and
225. had to do so. That was motivation enough, and a successful test was completed in the weeks before I left Salford. Arriving in Durham, I was given
226. laboratory space and was relieved to find that my fellow research students were
227. as nice a group as the ones that I’d just left. Friendships were made quickly
228. and I went with Dr Davies to select streams for the study. I had the use of a
229. Land Rover (identical with the one below) and soon immersed myself in sampling,
230. walking alone over the fells with a rucksack of jars, bottles and other bits
231. and pieces, sometimes in foul weather.</span></p>
232.  
233. <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8-CvXe7_tq_D58Z49iKIwEFzYe0SvzNLkyGfGNSSmFPdJ34ruUlbFgjorslD2sNIpH0xq-Bf03bGY1XuQRM74AIIb2PXH6XpdqQND8_0EiDv8a5tJyQ88HAoq0iH_L29-nNgzJY8PoyW0Ll644u6Ep5cxYGW4PekEBXlkL64gNspxf3MhGZeEWQ1/s1569/land%20rover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="1569" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8-CvXe7_tq_D58Z49iKIwEFzYe0SvzNLkyGfGNSSmFPdJ34ruUlbFgjorslD2sNIpH0xq-Bf03bGY1XuQRM74AIIb2PXH6XpdqQND8_0EiDv8a5tJyQ88HAoq0iH_L29-nNgzJY8PoyW0Ll644u6Ep5cxYGW4PekEBXlkL64gNspxf3MhGZeEWQ1/w384-h231/land%20rover.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><p class="MsoNormal">I was told to
234. rear some adult blackflies from pupae that I had collected and then pin them
235. into an insect box (something that I had never done before) and I learned some
236. new sampling techniques that I was somewhat dubious about. Anyway, I cracked on
237. and then made a trip out to some new streams, accompanied by Dr Davies, who at
238. one point said “Roger, you seem to be completely incompetent”, probably because
239. of my fly-rearing and pinning, not the most interesting part of the study for
240. me. We had an uncomfortable ride back to Durham and, as I was unloading the
241. Land Rover, Dr Davies came out to tell me that my girlfriend of the time had
242. died on the Isle of May, where she was studying seagulls. She was 24 years old
243. and, although she had had some mental health issues, it was completely
244. unexpected.</p></span><p></p>
245.  
246. <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7nSOu09FTIr_Xqe7KYvu5LaDFiZaTay0pbfTbrvKoAIvKP6kLAROELTorNo3x_iGKRZ4jqTIW-OAKdTbwmA5YU069MKFO66ltwenZttbq3xfp_y3JmFKi7U4Z1qn6VVp9eUy76N7CEKZ3Ra-hHHBAhpMxV3CNIpgXxR8ZCwro9PtuxyZZoUAF8GV/s640/Oakenshaw%20Miners'%20Cottages%20image%20by%20Peter%20Robinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="640" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7nSOu09FTIr_Xqe7KYvu5LaDFiZaTay0pbfTbrvKoAIvKP6kLAROELTorNo3x_iGKRZ4jqTIW-OAKdTbwmA5YU069MKFO66ltwenZttbq3xfp_y3JmFKi7U4Z1qn6VVp9eUy76N7CEKZ3Ra-hHHBAhpMxV3CNIpgXxR8ZCwro9PtuxyZZoUAF8GV/w443-h322/Oakenshaw%20Miners'%20Cottages%20image%20by%20Peter%20Robinson.jpg" width="443" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><p class="MsoNormal">So, after that
247. long pre-amble we come to Oakenshaw, where a very good friend, and fellow
248. research student, had bought a miner’s cottage (see above for “The Row” [image by
249. Peter Robinson]), modernising it with an inside bathroom and with storage
250. heaters to keep the place warm. I was very happy living there, although it was
251. a distance from Durham and the bus service was infrequent (three a day in each
252. direction, if I remember correctly). When I was going out on field work to
253. Cronkley Fell, or to Moor House [1], I could use the Land Rover and park it
254. overnight outside the cottage, but there had to be a better solution. That’s
255. how I came to own my first car, a 2-door Morris Minor - 913 HBM – that had
256. 94,000 miles on the clock and had been a rep’s transport. I had a lot of faith
257. in that car, despite its consuming oil as well as petrol, although I was not
258. pleased when a front wheel went awry and nearly fell off (“the usual kingpin
259. problem” according to the garage).</p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjycoPZWGEIWC8OdvKuIUhVsS_hq5xkaHCVAwS7yea1eaBFcquW3-dqOFXvJNhmso1cY1laejr-fvYjf-icxKTyj9qyLyOnJYv-UOrMwUMs9VQKGTcv_6t-1pmYHhHysDdruXnktR1iXrAWmbtQQHPwEvR_TE21s7oVzTwZ6_O5-gK4V-egUSL4HF/s743/Oakenshaw%20Colliery%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="743" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjycoPZWGEIWC8OdvKuIUhVsS_hq5xkaHCVAwS7yea1eaBFcquW3-dqOFXvJNhmso1cY1laejr-fvYjf-icxKTyj9qyLyOnJYv-UOrMwUMs9VQKGTcv_6t-1pmYHhHysDdruXnktR1iXrAWmbtQQHPwEvR_TE21s7oVzTwZ6_O5-gK4V-egUSL4HF/w551-h319/Oakenshaw%20Colliery%202.jpg" width="551" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">They were happy
260. days and, when Dr Davies returned from many weeks spent in the Crozet Islands
261. on his own research, he recognised that I had done a lot of work while he was
262. away and I had numerous sheets of results to prove it. Good times, then, but I
263. couldn’t ignore thoughts of the previous occupants of the cottage who must have
264. been miners, as it was likely owned by the mine that was located at the end of
265. the road (see above, the road from which the image was taken is the one leading
266. to the cottages). There were still ex-miners living in “The Row” and the social
267. club further down the road could still be very lively on Sundays. Oakenshaw
268. Colliery had a narrow seam (the 3 ft Brockwell seam [2]), so work as a miner
269. was extra tough and there were inevitable fatalities in accidents (summarised
270. below), in addition to deaths from other causes.</span></p>
271.  
272. <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Fatalities
273. at Oakenshaw Colliery </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(data
274. extracted from [2]</span>)</p>
275.  
276. <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Age range</span></u></p>
277.  
278. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><15</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">                 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 6</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">16-20</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">              </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">10</span></p>
279.  
280. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">21-29<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">              </span> 8<o:p></o:p></span></p>
281.  
282. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">30-39<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">              </span> 5<o:p></o:p></span></p>
283.  
284. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">40-49<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">              </span> 7<o:p></o:p></span></p>
285.  
286. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">50-59<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">              </span> 3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
287.  
288. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">60+<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">                 </span> 1</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Cause of
289. death</span></u></p>
290.  
291. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fall of stone</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">                                      </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">28</span></p>
292.  
293. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Waggonway
294. accidents<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">                       </span>4<o:p></o:p></span></p>
295.  
296. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Accidents with
297. machinery<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">                  </span>6<o:p></o:p></span></p>
298.  
299. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Others<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;">                                                </span>
300. 2<o:p></o:p></span></p>
301.  
302. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Years in
303. which deaths were recorded</span></u></p>
304.  
305. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1850s</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">             </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 3</span></p>
306.  
307. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">1860s<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span> 6<o:p></o:p></span></p>
308.  
309. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">1870s<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span>11<o:p></o:p></span></p>
310.  
311. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">1880s<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span> 8<o:p></o:p></span></p>
312.  
313. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">1890s<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span> 3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
314.  
315. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">1900s<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span> 3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
316.  
317. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">1910s<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span> 3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
318.  
319. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">1920s<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span> 2<o:p></o:p></span></p>
320.  
321. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Later<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">               </span> 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
322.  
323. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So many lives
324. lost and of young miners, too. It put my earlier miseries into perspective, and
325. the cottage that was a happy home may well have experienced tragedy in
326. earlier years. Certainly, the figures - and chatting with ex-miners - brought
327. my life as a research student into focus and I can’t imagine what it was like
328. to work in those narrow seams and have no alternative employment; something
329. that became acute when the mine was closed. That left Oakenshaw as a Category D
330. village (to receive no development [3]) in 1951 and the houses then sold off
331. cheaply, allowed to run down, or even be demolished.</span></p>
332.  
333. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There was still
334. accessible coal, however, and a large open-pit operation was commenced behind
335. the row of cottages at the time I left, now returned to be farmland (at least
336. it was at my last visit). As I reminisce, I realise that life in Oakenshaw was
337. as valuable for my education as working on a PhD.</span></p>
338.  
339. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
340.  
341. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2018/04/tempus-fugit.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2018/04/tempus-fugit.html</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">[2] </span><a href="http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/o002.htm"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/o002.htm</span></a></p>
342.  
343. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">[3] </span><a href="https://redhillsdurham.org/the-story-of-category-d-villages-and-lyr/"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">https://redhillsdurham.org/the-story-of-category-d-villages-and-lyr/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
344.  
345. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;&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/1591880846946602027/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/07/oakenshaw-and-feeling-close-to-coal.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/1591880846946602027'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/1591880846946602027'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/07/oakenshaw-and-feeling-close-to-coal.html' title='Oakenshaw – and feeling close to coal miners and their families'/><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/AVvXsEgq8-CvXe7_tq_D58Z49iKIwEFzYe0SvzNLkyGfGNSSmFPdJ34ruUlbFgjorslD2sNIpH0xq-Bf03bGY1XuQRM74AIIb2PXH6XpdqQND8_0EiDv8a5tJyQ88HAoq0iH_L29-nNgzJY8PoyW0Ll644u6Ep5cxYGW4PekEBXlkL64gNspxf3MhGZeEWQ1/s72-w384-h231-c/land%20rover.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-2737679892316313781</id><published>2025-06-13T01:24:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2025-06-13T01:24:44.723-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Arianism"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Carpenter’s Workshop"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Charles Dickens"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Hoffmann"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Isaac Newton"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Jesus"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Jesus’ childhood"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Millais"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Murillo"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Trinitarianism"/><title type='text'>Jesus as a child</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;There are a large number of paintings of Jesus’ nativity, of
346. his crucifixion and resurrection, and of various other events in his adult
347. life. Many fewer paintings have been made of his childhood as we have little information on his life up to the age of twelve. We know that he lived with
348. Mary and Joseph who, like almost all parents, were dedicated to looking after him.
349. This is shown in the account in Luke’s Gospel [1]: <o:p></o:p></p>
350.  
351. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">“And the child grew, and waxed
352. strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Now
353. his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And
354. when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the
355. feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child
356. Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not <i>of
357. it</i>. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s
358. journey; and they sought him among <i>their</i> kinsfolk and
359. acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to
360. Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they
361. found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing
362. them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at
363. his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed:
364. and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold,
365. thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, how is
366. it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s
367. business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto
368. them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject
369. unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus
370. increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”<o:p></o:p></p>
371.  
372. <p class="MsoNormal">The meeting in the temple is shown in paintings by Steen
373. (from 1660) and by Hoffmann (from 1884) shown below. At this time, Jesus is effectively
374. embarking on adult life, although there are a few more years to go before he
375. actively pursued his Ministry. In Steen’s painting, Jesus is portrayed as an
376. innocent child, with divine light shining upon him, whereas Hoffmann captures a
377. more confident moment,<o:p></o:p></p>
378.  
379. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXW9ORItOB15-g8689P9gyEL7aIjaRhokuE4yoq-nyhJSA3aSFsNXwn-AgmfQlIj-wH0G9wZsdXYCIYV2eyZH5VX2RGwpstDPkRzqhWCGzmfUreJkcsNZLrOU3cwHJz-J4hGGwGLCqseArCLEZsXyhvZWorbDBamP1FaWL4EBOt7opzcK1tI4oax1/s735/Jan%20Steen%20Jesus%20in%20the%20Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="735" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXW9ORItOB15-g8689P9gyEL7aIjaRhokuE4yoq-nyhJSA3aSFsNXwn-AgmfQlIj-wH0G9wZsdXYCIYV2eyZH5VX2RGwpstDPkRzqhWCGzmfUreJkcsNZLrOU3cwHJz-J4hGGwGLCqseArCLEZsXyhvZWorbDBamP1FaWL4EBOt7opzcK1tI4oax1/w451-h368/Jan%20Steen%20Jesus%20in%20the%20Temple.jpg" width="451" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_9h8g-7NnGblanM7Tmf4JRMKDAzruEbtJKI-Cxx3ybE8EVjzFtwGNUdikdesYwp3M4BBE093vm1XHYvL1zNQuf04CF4MS1UE_l-8LHzi48fL0Rfar97ercasT0fBCcYppLJecRNVSP4ojFgGEGQpr6YROKSKqX7b4qUGXpTptPEJWgHSIBpvJ-1b/s998/Hoffmann%20Jesus%20in%20the%20Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="998" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_9h8g-7NnGblanM7Tmf4JRMKDAzruEbtJKI-Cxx3ybE8EVjzFtwGNUdikdesYwp3M4BBE093vm1XHYvL1zNQuf04CF4MS1UE_l-8LHzi48fL0Rfar97ercasT0fBCcYppLJecRNVSP4ojFgGEGQpr6YROKSKqX7b4qUGXpTptPEJWgHSIBpvJ-1b/w450-h325/Hoffmann%20Jesus%20in%20the%20Temple.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">We are left with a number of questions about Jesus’ boyhood
380. – did he grow up as other children do, or did he know everything because he was
381. the Son of God (as implied in Luke’s gospel)? Clearly, the incident in the Temple
382. shows that Jesus had a superior knowledge, but how did he acquire it? Alternatively,
383. if he knew everything all along, what did he spend his childhood years doing? Before
384. addressing this question, let’s look at two more paintings; one by Murillo
385. (from ca. 1681), who made many images of children, and one by Millais (from
386. 1850). The painting by Murillo (below) is clearly for veneration and worship, with
387. Jesus standing on a block to show that he was not bound to Earth, and emphasising
388. the link between his Earthly parents and also to God and the Holy Spirit (as
389. represented by a dove; a conventional device used by artists to portray
390. something that cannot be seen). I’ve written before about this painting [2] and
391. it has always impressed me, showing, as it does, many tender emotions and, in
392. Joseph, a sense of apprehension.</p>
393.  
394. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaz7tVnb2tGt0hmh5JDj829l0RLsUmmPOoSbvSiDqnykc2dr0G57xCBdZS4pxsXK1nxxpNTB7fThsWRd6H-LVdna8KxBecgqXSDrIQrsF1_Ax98pmBUqArVA_DOBmRGo5YL2MatiaGQySR7cQ_oO7d1OxCoXrCC0GKgK4uuJQRBas9I8ze5naaRIsZ/s671/Murillo%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="473" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaz7tVnb2tGt0hmh5JDj829l0RLsUmmPOoSbvSiDqnykc2dr0G57xCBdZS4pxsXK1nxxpNTB7fThsWRd6H-LVdna8KxBecgqXSDrIQrsF1_Ax98pmBUqArVA_DOBmRGo5YL2MatiaGQySR7cQ_oO7d1OxCoXrCC0GKgK4uuJQRBas9I8ze5naaRIsZ/w301-h426/Murillo%201.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_Pnw0mPieJFFC8KML5e219DKnnNO9fpwMjw0gc8PfTNB8hY5BJ-lKwaUqOz0Ly1ny4mUx763WOGXVhlm54L9pAvYBVpfJJo4Zc5wDSBLKCHHee23cv7sIjQMoTRgl53uvYUjZzTB3mCQn5Cdlfhm7QZahJPXXeTfBkGj19xjYlkzP36skRk0kQWf/s1160/Millais%20Lesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1160" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_Pnw0mPieJFFC8KML5e219DKnnNO9fpwMjw0gc8PfTNB8hY5BJ-lKwaUqOz0Ly1ny4mUx763WOGXVhlm54L9pAvYBVpfJJo4Zc5wDSBLKCHHee23cv7sIjQMoTRgl53uvYUjZzTB3mCQn5Cdlfhm7QZahJPXXeTfBkGj19xjYlkzP36skRk0kQWf/w443-h269/Millais%20Lesus.jpg" width="443" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Millais, in contrast, takes an everyday approach (above),
395. with Jesus and Mary in Joseph’s carpentry shop. There is little sign here that
396. Jesus is the son of God, or that Mary was chosen to have the special, and
397. unique, role of becoming his mother, even though she was a virgin at the time
398. of divine conception. We know that much from the accounts in The Bible, but we
399. would not guess that was part of the story from the domestic scene shown by
400. Millais. As might be expected, the painting caused controversy when exhibited,
401. and among the critics was Charles Dickens who wrote an article in <i>Household
402. Words</i> [3] that attacked the Pre-Raphaelites in general and, especially, the
403. painting by Millais. These extracts come from that piece:</p>
404.  
405. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">“You behold the interior of a
406. carpenter’s shop. In the foreground of that carpenter’s shop is a hideous,
407. wry-necked, blubbering, red-headed boy, in a bed-gown; who appears to have
408. received a poke in the hand, from the stick of another boy with whom he has
409. been playing in an adjacent gutter, and to be holding it up for the
410. contemplation of a kneeling woman, so horrible in her ugliness, that (supposing
411. it were possible for any human creature to exist for a moment with that
412. dislocated throat) she would stand out from the rest of the company as a
413. Monster, in the vilest cabaret in France, or the lowest gin-shop in England.
414. Two almost naked carpenters, master and journeyman, worthy companions of this
415. agreeable female, are working at their trade; a boy with some small flavo[u]r
416. of humanity in him, is entering with a vessel of water; and nobody is paying
417. attention to a snuffy old woman who seems to have mistaken that shop for the
418. tobacconist’s next door, and to be hopelessly waiting at the counter to be
419. served with half an ounce of her favourite mixture. Wherever it is possible to
420. express ugliness of feature, limb, or attitude, you have it expressed.”<o:p></o:p></p>
421.  
422. <p class="MsoNormal">From which we conclude that Dickens did not like the picture
423. one bit, or it’s representation of the Holy Family. Of all the paintings in the
424. Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood exhibition, it was this work by Millais that created
425. much criticism and the press “reacted ferociously to what they viewed as a
426. repulsive, near blasphemous representation of the Holy Family” [4]. But why?
427. Surely, the view that Jesus had a normal childhood can be accepted, and the
428. scene in Millais’ painting is just one of everyday life, although we note that
429. the wound in Jesus’ hand reminds us of the stigma of a nail, anchoring the
430. image into the story of what is to come (see detail below). We also see a
431. splash of blood by the nail in the door that is on the work bench and a splash
432. on Jesus’ foot just to emphasise the point, and Joseph is holding Jesus’ hand
433. open so that we can get a better look. The atmosphere is completely different to
434. that in the painting by Murillo.<o:p></o:p></p>
435.  
436. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw9yj_dpEHPheyN9ehwoUZ39I06qVoo8pfRq0D2adq5C6Yk19-cPcA5DtZdWXeAgERoCKNpBiwlNxyIISInd5myyUa0oyJ2e0j8VkW_TiqTM64KH9P-MkZaO1VErbWUpxhGYO9hid-9n0JZHZq8vNzxiQSNoRkt3L5JVBDQMQPdj_upUX2zGzpeGT/s452/Millais%20Jesus%20detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="310" height="525" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw9yj_dpEHPheyN9ehwoUZ39I06qVoo8pfRq0D2adq5C6Yk19-cPcA5DtZdWXeAgERoCKNpBiwlNxyIISInd5myyUa0oyJ2e0j8VkW_TiqTM64KH9P-MkZaO1VErbWUpxhGYO9hid-9n0JZHZq8vNzxiQSNoRkt3L5JVBDQMQPdj_upUX2zGzpeGT/w360-h525/Millais%20Jesus%20detail.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">So, we are left with the two main questions: What was the
437. childhood of Jesus really like; and was he all-knowing from the moment of
438. birth? Of course, we don’t know the answer to either, but we do have some
439. further information on the former.</p>
440.  
441. <p class="MsoNormal">As Mary was a virgin, we know that Jesus was her first-born
442. child, but we also know that, by the time he was twelve, he had four brothers
443. and at least two sisters [5]. We know, therefore, that he had the advantage of
444. being the first-born, but we can only imagine what family life was like and
445. whether Jesus played games and enjoyed the other activities of growing
446. children. In the view of an atheist, Jesus’ upbringing was that of any child,
447. although he was certainly unusual in having the talents that he later displayed
448. as a great religious leader. To a Trinitarian, like the majority of Christians,
449. Jesus was not only the Son of God but also part of God, together with the Holy
450. Spirit. As such, we cannot know whether he learned much during childhood, or
451. whether it was a matter of learning how to connect human development with being
452. divine.<o:p></o:p></p>
453.  
454. <p class="MsoNormal">A third approach to the r<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ô</span>le of Jesus, Arianism, was advocated by Isaac Newton who, in
455. addition to his extraordinary scientific achievements, studied early
456. Christianity by consulting a large number of original sources. It is likely that
457. he spent as much time on these researches as he did on scientific and
458. mathematical investigations, but, because of likely hostility from many parts
459. of the establishment, he kept his notes private. Richard Westfall [6] tells us
460. that:<o:p></o:p></p>
461.  
462. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">“The conviction began to possess
463. him that a massive fraud, which began in the fourth and fifth centuries, had
464. perverted the legacy of the early church. Central to the fraud were the
465. Scriptures, which Newton began to believe had been corrupted to support
466. trinitarianism. It is impossible to say exactly when the conviction fastened
467. upon him. The original notes themselves testify to early doubts. Far from
468. silencing the doubts, he let them possess him.. <o:p></o:p></p>
469.  
470. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">..The earlier corruption of
471. doctrine, which called for the corruption of Scripture to support it, occurred
472. in the fourth century, when the triumph of Athanasius over Arius imposed the false
473. doctrine of the trinity on Christianity..<o:p></o:p></p>
474.  
475. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">.. The mere thought of
476. trinitarianism, ‘the fals infernal religion’, was enough to fan Newton into a
477. rage.”<o:p></o:p></p>
478.  
479. <p class="MsoNormal">What would Newton have made of the paintings by Murillo and
480. Millais if he saw them? To the eyes of an atheist or an Arianist, Jesus working
481. in his father’s carpenter’s shop seems quite natural and the adoration shown in
482. the painting by Murillo difficult to reconcile with any kind of normal
483. childhood. Trinitarianism, and its sub-branch the worship of Mary, are embedded
484. in the Catholic Church and have been since the early days of Christianity. Trinitarians
485. worship Jesus through all his life, death and resurrection as he was/is part of
486. God. They seem disinterested in questions regarding his childhood, while
487. focussing on his life before, and after this time. This is also true of artists
488. through the ages and reflects commissioned work from Christians.<o:p></o:p></p>
489.  
490. <p class="MsoNormal">Yet there is one point that is worth stressing and that is
491. that Jesus, whether he had innate knowledge or not, was brought up in humble
492. surroundings and his discourse in the Temple came as a surprise to the learned
493. gathering. It’s a good way of showing that Jesus was at one with all strata of
494. society. How Trinitarians tie that in with his divinity is not known (or
495. important to them?). For atheists (and possibly Arianists), however, it
496. presents Jesus as a great leader with a “grass roots” base of believers and
497. thus of general appeal. The tragic events of his later life, essential to the
498. idea of redemption, then led to the adoption of the Trinitarian view of
499. Christian doctrine by the Catholic Church, an organisation that was certainly hierarchical
500. and probably corrupt. It remains the basis for most Christian belief today.</p>
501.  
502. <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">[1] Luke 2: 40-52 in the Authorized King James version of <i style="text-indent: 36pt;">The Holy Bible</i><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">.</span></p>
503.  
504. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2018/04/murillos-heavenly-and-earthly-trinities.html">https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2018/04/murillos-heavenly-and-earthly-trinities.html</a><o:p></o:p></p>
505.  
506. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] Charles Dickens (1850) Old Lamps for New Ones. <i>Household
507. Words</i> 1(12): 265-<span style="text-indent: 36pt;">267.</span></p>
508.  
509. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Christine Riding (2006) <i>John Everett Millais</i>.
510. London, Tate Publishing.<o:p></o:p></p>
511.  
512. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3 in the Authorized King
513. James version of <i style="text-indent: 36pt;">The Holy Bible</i><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">.</span></p>
514.  
515. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] Richard Westfall (1993) <i>The Life of Isaac Newton</i>.
516. Cambridge, Cambridge <span style="text-indent: 36pt;">University Press.</span></p>
517.  
518. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
519.  
520. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
521.  
522. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
523.  
524. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
525.  
526. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
527.  
528. &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/2737679892316313781/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/06/jesus-as-child.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/2737679892316313781'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/2737679892316313781'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/06/jesus-as-child.html' title='Jesus as a child'/><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/AVvXsEjeXW9ORItOB15-g8689P9gyEL7aIjaRhokuE4yoq-nyhJSA3aSFsNXwn-AgmfQlIj-wH0G9wZsdXYCIYV2eyZH5VX2RGwpstDPkRzqhWCGzmfUreJkcsNZLrOU3cwHJz-J4hGGwGLCqseArCLEZsXyhvZWorbDBamP1FaWL4EBOt7opzcK1tI4oax1/s72-w451-h368-c/Jan%20Steen%20Jesus%20in%20the%20Temple.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-4148773717370361413</id><published>2025-02-11T08:52:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2025-02-11T08:55:09.405-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Choirs"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Concert"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Schoolchildren"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Singing"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Young Voices 2025"/><title type='text'>Singing in a concert</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;The book &lt;i&gt;Walking
529. with Gosse</i> [1] opens with the following description: “After the
530. summer holiday season, Paignton in the 1950s was typical of many seaside towns
531. in the UK, being quiet and left to its residents. A small theatre put on rather
532. good amateur pantomimes at Christmas and, at other times, hosted school music
533. festivals, elocution contests, and the occasional Billy Graham-style Christian
534. Crusade”. This theatre is shown below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXZZEcccOHAowgrPj-e4HZPQjyJdBIpw4rPCKqZHqXkDdHSZqpBDRV4ZgLAbiXVKwHn0Y_mmx3mzc2PcKCUfsoU-zN09AjRQr89rdpS7KYH1I2yY7PuAXI8aFRw1hM7O4NmDSUToStRm7afeSs6j9e0hQxq65TbkQwSpPXNv3nQzwzfbPJUszvMc5/s576/Palace%20Theatre.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="576" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXZZEcccOHAowgrPj-e4HZPQjyJdBIpw4rPCKqZHqXkDdHSZqpBDRV4ZgLAbiXVKwHn0Y_mmx3mzc2PcKCUfsoU-zN09AjRQr89rdpS7KYH1I2yY7PuAXI8aFRw1hM7O4NmDSUToStRm7afeSs6j9e0hQxq65TbkQwSpPXNv3nQzwzfbPJUszvMc5/w351-h324/Palace%20Theatre.jpg" width="351" /></a></div><p>I was a participant in school music festivals in Paignton,
535. always as part of a choir, and we had an interest in how we performed, as pride
536. was at stake. We also wanted to sing as well as we could. There were set pieces
537. and the choir practised these, so that we not only knew the words and music,
538. but all the little nuances of expression that the music teacher wanted. On the
539. day of the performance, we were all kitted up in school uniform and then called
540. to the stage to do our bit. When all schools had finished, an Adjudicator
541. described how we had all performed and then gave each choir a mark. I was
542. fortunate in being part of a choir that always did well.</p>
543.  
544. <p class="MsoNormal">All this was in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but I was
545. reminded of it all last evening when I attended the “Young Voices 2025” concert
546. at Wembley Arena. My granddaughter, India, was one of the 4609 children taking
547. part and they put on a great concert, with live music from a band, guest
548. singers and rappers, and dancers. It all lasted nearly two hours and the
549. children were as enthusiastic at the end (a medley of Bob Marley songs) as they
550. had been at the beginning. It must have made a big impression on them and was
551. all so different to the rather turgid music festivals that I enjoyed. Then,
552. Paignton is a long way from London, but so is Norwich, where India is at
553. school. She must have been so thrilled to be taking part in such a lively, high-quality
554. event.<o:p></o:p></p>
555.  
556. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;[1] Roger S Wotton (2020) &lt;i&gt;Walking with Gosse&lt;/i&gt;. e-book&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;iframe allowfullscreen=&#39;allowfullscreen&#39; webkitallowfullscreen=&#39;webkitallowfullscreen&#39; mozallowfullscreen=&#39;mozallowfullscreen&#39; width=&#39;370&#39; height=&#39;308&#39; src=&#39;https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzJLOWRWH2NLAmLk-x7JzqmG03zLaz31zvb_Djn3PPeCReD9tTNgfxvct6HhLFAj1Ez9Rogxb7AOyr3gkB3Ww&#39; class=&#39;b-hbp-video b-uploaded&#39; frameborder=&#39;0&#39;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&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;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/4148773717370361413/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/02/singing-in-concert.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/4148773717370361413'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/4148773717370361413'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/02/singing-in-concert.html' title='Singing in a concert'/><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/AVvXsEhgXZZEcccOHAowgrPj-e4HZPQjyJdBIpw4rPCKqZHqXkDdHSZqpBDRV4ZgLAbiXVKwHn0Y_mmx3mzc2PcKCUfsoU-zN09AjRQr89rdpS7KYH1I2yY7PuAXI8aFRw1hM7O4NmDSUToStRm7afeSs6j9e0hQxq65TbkQwSpPXNv3nQzwzfbPJUszvMc5/s72-w351-h324-c/Palace%20Theatre.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7389584409577406842.post-7424014393679017404</id><published>2025-01-23T07:10:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2025-01-23T07:11:03.098-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="1960s"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="a complete unknown"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Bob Dylan"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="electric music"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="folk music"/><title type='text'>A Complete Unknown </title><content type='html'>“A Complete Unknown” is the film of the moment and tells the story of Bob Dylan’s transition from folk singer with acoustic guitar to become a different kind of icon, accompanied by electric instruments. It happened in the early 1960s, at a time when Dylan and his songs made a big impression on me.&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Vi5YKM7oE2lHHV9XJqFFyb0c7i4TUkvCXP4IulrmNknEObU8Y0-oq8lIv3cLwztfLdN6XQtRmKX0vzVNNJ-p_dkDj0i3UZ0B_A7tAGqTymnsu0db3n9eBmNMI7FsLV4IEq6cVJhv_V52jIxBRsMMq1jkigL6sY3g9y2t-ac2gjfnvx99e-GukmCZ/s400/RSW%20at%2018.jpg&quot; style=&quot;display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; data-original-height=&quot;400&quot; data-original-width=&quot;316&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Vi5YKM7oE2lHHV9XJqFFyb0c7i4TUkvCXP4IulrmNknEObU8Y0-oq8lIv3cLwztfLdN6XQtRmKX0vzVNNJ-p_dkDj0i3UZ0B_A7tAGqTymnsu0db3n9eBmNMI7FsLV4IEq6cVJhv_V52jIxBRsMMq1jkigL6sY3g9y2t-ac2gjfnvx99e-GukmCZ/s320/RSW%20at%2018.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
557.  
558.  
559. Having spent 1962 to 1965 in the Sixth Form of the local Grammar School (above), I wasn’t sure what my future was going to be and there was no certainty that I would go on to university. It was a time of confusion and anxiety, fuelled by awareness of just what the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 might have been. My unhappy adolescence wasn’t helped by an unfortunate home life, as my father was, by then, seriously ill and my mother had died in 1960. Added to that, I had left religious belief behind, while all my immediate family were church-going Christians, so I didn’t have that crutch. <div><br /></div><div>I spent a lot of time looking in rock pools and in streams and going for long walks along the South Devon coast and through the countryside, reading novels and not being focussed on studying. The folk music of the day also had a strong appeal, with injustices being prominent themes. The popularity of the songs sung by “protest singers” inspired Dylan and he wrote many of his own to capitalise on the trend. Whatever his motive, the songs, and the idea of protest, appealed strongly to my adolescent self. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhkwfKP82siafSchjpPwqzd6Znd0qC6alrJx6t6d1q09Pi30aX5kILXhblyHZKh6Y-P1Ftr1B4Vb9j-1JQiTihWxazG6VOps0cwfmwgjyyjk3y_UR84vznVr-dIo8cxdUsksf3UmmSStuCSX0OihYG76jhiiDIVeAhntDZaexUsGl2-dikvLug8pg/s600/Dylan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhkwfKP82siafSchjpPwqzd6Znd0qC6alrJx6t6d1q09Pi30aX5kILXhblyHZKh6Y-P1Ftr1B4Vb9j-1JQiTihWxazG6VOps0cwfmwgjyyjk3y_UR84vznVr-dIo8cxdUsksf3UmmSStuCSX0OihYG76jhiiDIVeAhntDZaexUsGl2-dikvLug8pg/w499-h250/Dylan.jpg" width="499" /></a></div><br /><div>After taking A-levels three years’ running, I escaped to university when I was a very young 18 and, this being 1965-6, Dylan, my hero, had now firmly changed direction and the earlier 1963 “Freewheelin” ([1] and above, left), 1964 “The Times They Are a-Changin’”[2] and “Another Side” [3] albums were followed by the transition through the 1965 “Bringing it all Back Home” [4] and “Highway 61 Revisited” [5] to the great 1966 double album “Blonde on Blonde” ([6] and above, right). It was the latter three albums that had me hooked and I don’t care what Dylan’s reasons were for producing them. The words and music left me wanting to play them over and over and those songs were a big influence on me then - and still are. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like all fans of the Dylan of this period, I was a bit confused by his later work but have no wish to analyse why. As Dylan said in one interview in the 1960s when pressed about the meaning, and importance, of his work, “I’m just a song and dance man”. That’s good enough for me and I’m grateful to Bob for unknowingly supporting me through some tough times. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I lived through the reality of the Sixties, I won’t be bothering with the film… </div><div><br /></div><div>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMFj8uDubsE&list=PLfGibfZATlGpj4XK7uSPrgpRiTXcI_VP1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMFj8uDubsE&list=PLfGibfZATlGpj4XK7uSPrgpRiTXcI_VP1</a></div><div>
560.  
561. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJhPGoYL4k&list=PLL-NbN8uTOigfILSkGXwA80GIpaorJOYe">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJhPGoYL4k&list=PLL-NbN8uTOigfILSkGXwA80GIpaorJOYe</a></p>
562.  
563. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH60aiybqjY&list=PLKZWLu6q09LNjwvtWl7fh0NCNJg-0pxWD">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH60aiybqjY&list=PLKZWLu6q09LNjwvtWl7fh0NCNJg-0pxWD</a></p>
564.  
565. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNI-RQKA-cg&list=PLs-kSlFHGBGXY9nzOJ0CgWVGdEI2XXSvH">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNI-RQKA-cg&list=PLs-kSlFHGBGXY9nzOJ0CgWVGdEI2XXSvH</a></p>
566.  
567. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0&list=PLXRKTcRs-Xs7rr36o5_Cs7fBn8B7KsmRG">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0&list=PLXRKTcRs-Xs7rr36o5_Cs7fBn8B7KsmRG</a></p>
568.  
569. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm-po_FUmvM&list=PLXRKTcRs-Xs75Lys27wNEeAFjTVKMfKQ7">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm-po_FUmvM&list=PLXRKTcRs-Xs75Lys27wNEeAFjTVKMfKQ7</a></p>
570.  
571. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
572.  
573. &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/feeds/7424014393679017404/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-complete-unknown.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7424014393679017404'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7389584409577406842/posts/default/7424014393679017404'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://rwotton.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-complete-unknown.html' title='A Complete Unknown '/><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/AVvXsEh6Vi5YKM7oE2lHHV9XJqFFyb0c7i4TUkvCXP4IulrmNknEObU8Y0-oq8lIv3cLwztfLdN6XQtRmKX0vzVNNJ-p_dkDj0i3UZ0B_A7tAGqTymnsu0db3n9eBmNMI7FsLV4IEq6cVJhv_V52jIxBRsMMq1jkigL6sY3g9y2t-ac2gjfnvx99e-GukmCZ/s72-c/RSW%20at%2018.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><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
574. discussion of volcanoes and earthquakes and the likelihood of their adverse
575. effects. However, he has wider interests and has published a book entitled <i>Hothouse
576. Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide</i> (that I have not read) that formed the basis
577. of an article by Eleanor Peake that appeared in the <b>i</b> newspaper (see
578. above). Several sections of the article are worth quoting: </span><p></p>
579.  
580. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 27 years, society as we know it
581. will have collapsed. Food will be extremely limited. Lawlessness will have
582. taken over the land. Gangs will roam the countryside scavenging for resources
583. like food, water and fuel. This breakdown won’t be sudden. It will happen over
584. a period of months. It might even have already begun.. </span></p>
585.  
586. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">..[McGuire} is expecting, and
587. preparing for, widespread riots by 2050. The riots will begin, he says, as they
588. have throughout history, when we run out of food.. </span></p>
589.  
590. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">..“If we are going to see the
591. collapse of society and the economy, then it’s going to be unbelievably hard
592. for everyone, it’s going to be a Wild West,” he says. “If society collapses,
593. there will be nobody to keep on top of the water supply, nobody to stop gangs
594. roaming the countryside.”.. </span></p>
595.  
596. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">..”If we are to have any chance of
597. survival, we need to co-operate; I think that’s absolutely critical.” </span></p>
598.  
599. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That is a very bleak view, but one that is believable - so,
600. how do we achieve co-operation? No-one wants the catastrophe of 2050 predicted
601. by McGuire, and the solution lies with us turning our backs on the comfort,
602. complacency and economic growth that we favour in the developed countries and that
603. is an increasing feature of some developing economies. How can this be
604. achieved? </span></p>
605.  
606. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the Gettysburg address of 1863, Lincoln lauded “government
607. 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
608. our societies. Top-down democracies now appear to be based on gaining votes
609. among the electorate rather than focussing on governance, especially where that
610. needs to be long-term. Unfortunately, the challenges facing us, the ones that
611. McGuire is highlighting, are based on much longer periods of time than the
612. duration of elected parliaments. Solutions also require changes in the way that
613. most international economies function, with the power of “markets” dictating
614. everything. Add to this our seeming desire for a steadily increasing standard
615. of living and one can see why we have the current approaches of politicians,
616. based on what Greta Thunberg so admirably describes as “blah, blah, blah”. Of
617. course, in common with many other voters (almost all?), I am a hypocrite in realising
618. that global climate change provides severe challenges down the line, yet my
619. lifestyle is based on the comfort and complacency I mentioned earlier. However,
620. I would like to change the system to be more like Lincoln’s ideal, as this
621. would be helpful in the long term - but how is this to be achieved? Firstly,
622. one has to overcome top-down approaches and how is that to be done when we have
623. a well-established political class, political parties, and a complex media
624. network to propagate their views. A first move towards democracy would be
625. achieved by having the choice “none of the above” on ballot papers, as we do in
626. many surveys. Imagine!</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #202122;"> </span></span></p>
627.  
628. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: #F9F9F9; color: #202122;">Another
629. fundamental in looking at the future, and this is one that McGuire alludes to,
630. is our need to understand that humans are part of a much wider living system
631. and that we are as dependent on all the parts of the living planet as we are on
632. each other. We haven’t moved from the Biblical standpoint that the environment
633. is ours to exploit and there are many who feel that the negative consequences
634. of our exploitation will be reduced by the implementation scientific
635. discoveries, both now and in the future. Good for the optimists that have that
636. view, but it does point again to an attitude that we are able to control
637. matters and we clearly cannot.</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #202122;"> </span></span></p>
638.  
639. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: #F9F9F9; color: #202122;">If we were
640. less anthropocentric, and had more respect for the wonders of the natural
641. world, we could shape new ways of integrative thinking. Coupled with a
642. bottom-up approach to democracy, we could transform the future for all citizens,
643. but will it be allowed to happen by those currently holding political and
644. economic power? No. That’s a sad fact, but those who do respect natural history
645. (and, incidentally, those who believe that good manners and mutual respect are
646. among the highest human achievements) are among our most valued citizens. If
647. their approaches spread, we may get closer to a real democratic system like
648. that admired by Lincoln who wished that </span>“<span style="background: #F9F9F9; color: #202122;">government of the people, by the people, for the people”
649. should not “perish from the earth”. Well it has done, hasn’t it?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
650.  
651. &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
652. accuracy when describing events, while introducing narrative that is a product
653. of their imagination. Sir Walter Scott (above, in a portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn) met this head-on and addressed
654. it in an Introductory Epistle to <i>Ivanhoe</i> where, writing to the imaginary
655. Rev Dr Dryasdust in the person of Laurence Templeton, he has this to
656. say [1]: </p>
657.  
658. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">The painter must introduce no ornament inconsistent with
659. the climate or country of his landscape; he must not plant cypress trees upon
660. Inch-Merrin, or Scottish firs among the ruins of Persepolis; and the author
661. lies under a corresponding restraint. However far he may venture in a more full
662. detail of passions and feelings, than is to be found in the ancient
663. compositions which he imitates, he must introduce nothing inconsistent with the
664. manners of the age; his knights, squires, grooms, and yeomen, may be more fully
665. drawn than in the hard, dry delineations of an ancient illuminated manuscript,
666. but the character and costume of the age must remain inviolate; they must be
667. the same figures, drawn by a better pencil, or, to speak more modestly,
668. executed in an age when the principles of art were better understood. His
669. language must not be exclusively obsolete and unintelligible; but he should
670. admit, if possible, no word or turn of phraseology betraying an origin directly
671. modern. It is one thing to make use of the language and sentiments which are
672. common to ourselves and our forefathers, and it is another to invest them with
673. the sentiments and dialect exclusively proper to their descendants.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
674.  
675. <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
676. the tone of keeping and costume, by those who may be disposed rigidly to
677. examine my Tale, with reference to the manners of the exact period in which my
678. actors flourished: It may be, that I have introduced little which can
679. positively be termed modern; but, on the other hand, it is extremely probable
680. that I may have confused the manners of two or three centuries, and introduced,
681. during the reign of Richard the First, circumstances appropriated to a period
682. either considerably earlier, or a good deal later than that era. It is my
683. comfort, that errors of this kind will escape the general class of readers.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
684.  
685. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">In the Epistle,
686. he attacks </span>“<span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">the repulsive
687. dryness of mere antiquity”, but also states the importance of making history
688. interesting to a wide readership, while maintaining much detail accuracy. Writers of historical novels are likely to face
689. criticisms from academic historians who have a knowledge of detail that is
690. “dry” (thus Dr Dryasdust) and, even if these historians imagine the behaviour of
691. key characters, they do not promote it with dialogue or other supposed
692. interactions.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
693.  
694. <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
695. interesting that the renowned natural historian Philip Henry Gosse (above) also
696. 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>
697.  
698. <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.
699. There is Dr Dryasdust’s way; which consists of mere accuracy of definition and
700. differentiation; statistics as harsh and dry as the skins and bones in the
701. museum where it is studied. There is the field-observer’s way; the careful and
702. conscientious accumulation and record of facts bearing on the life-history of
703. the creatures; statistics as fresh and bright as the forest or meadow where
704. they are gathered in the dewy morning. And there is the poet’s way; which looks
705. at nature through a glass peculiarly his own; the aesthetic aspect, which
706. deals, not with statistics, but with the emotions of the human mind,- surprise,
707. wonder, terror, revulsion, admiration, love, desire, and so forth,- which are
708. made energetic by the contemplation of the creatures around him.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
709.  
710. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">Gosse was very
711. much a natural historian of the second category, while <i>The Romance of
712. Natural History</i> set out to describe his attitude to the third, for he
713. certainly had a poet’s approach in some of his writing. So, where did Gosse get
714. the name Dr Dryasdust? The scientist working with skins and bones bears a close
715. resemblance to an academic historian looking at texts and contemporary material
716. in a library. So, did Gosse base his Dr Dryasdust on the one in the Introductory
717. Epistle to <i>Ivanhoe</i>? We know that Gosse was an avid reader when he lived
718. in Carbonear in Newfoundland as a teenager and Ann Thwaite records [3]:</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
719.  
720. <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
721. devouring’ <i>The Fortunes of Nigel</i> that he ‘did not go to meeting’. It was
722. the first time that he had read Scott and it was Mr Elson [his employer, who
723. was also the librarian of the Carbonear Book Society].. ..who had pulled it
724. down from the shelf, recommending the novel to him.</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> </span></p>
725.  
726. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">That Henry
727. Gosse had read <i>Ivanhoe</i> is clear, as he quotes from that novel in <i>Omphalos</i>,
728. his disastrous attempt to explain the potential conflict between the Biblical
729. account of creation and ideas on geological time scales [3,4]. <i>Omphalos</i> was
730. 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>
731.  
732. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(254, 254, 254); color: black;">The evidence is
733. thus strong that Henry Gosse based his Dr Dryasdust on the fictional character addressed
734. by Scott. Both authors wanted to popularise their subject and both were likely
735. to be faced with opposition from academic, “pure” circles. It’s a potential
736. conflict that exists today, perhaps even more so. We’ve all seen docudramas and
737. other media that make our blood boil with their use of imagination over fact
738. and it’s unfortunate that sometimes the audience is not aware of the
739. difference. Both Walter Scott and Henry Gosse certainly were.</span> </p>
740.  
741. <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>
742.  
743. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Philip Henry Gosse (1860) <i>The Romance of Natural History</i>.
744. London, J. Nisbet and Co. </p>
745.  
746. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] Ann Thwaite (2002) <i>Glimpses of the Wonderful: The
747. Life of Philip Henry Gosse 1810-1888</i>. London, Faber and Faber. </p>
748.  
749. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Roger S. Wotton (2021) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
750. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book<o:p></o:p></p>
751.  
752. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
753.  
754. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
755.  
756. &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
757. in England. Together they are of international importance, as an historical,
758. 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
759. of hedges in Devonshire is shown in the image above, taken by my namesake
760. Robert Wotton [2], but a hedge is not just a hedge – they have a wide variety
761. of structures and full descriptions can be found in the web pages of Devon
762. 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
763. variations in the structure of hedges and in the trees and shrubs which grow on
764. them, reflecting location, origin, age and management. Tall beech hedges are
765. characteristic of Exmoor and high ground in the Blackdown Hills; stone faced
766. banks distinguish Dartmoor hedges and those of the Atlantic coast; willow is
767. common on the wet clay soils of the Culm Measures between the moors; dogwood,
768. spindle and wayfaring tree grow in hedges on limestone outcrops along the
769. Channel coast; elm characterises the Redlands on either side of the River Exe;
770. massive banks line mile after mile of sunken lanes in the South Hams; and
771. wind-sculpted trees with gorse are distinctive of hedges of exposed coasts and
772. 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
773. through country lanes, and along the coast. Tall hedges and hills were very
774. familiar parts of these “rambles” and the closed-in landscape always gave me a
775. sense of security, even when the occasional sheep dog made a determined effort
776. to round me up. Hedgerows, most often those alongside country lanes and paths (like
777. those in the image above from the South Devon AONB web site), were the main
778. source of my pressed flower collection. This is what I wrote about it in <i>Walking
779. with Gosse</i> [4]: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">Anything
780. connected with Nature was a hit with me and I was presented with a chance to
781. show my ability as a naturalist during my final year at Primary School, when
782. Miss Bedford, our class teacher, asked us to produce a pressed flower
783. collection.. ..I soon became absorbed by the task and collected plants on
784. solitary walks through local lanes and woods. After returning home from each
785. foray, plants were identified with the help of books and then each was arranged
786. between sheets of tissue paper that, in turn, were layered between heavy encyclopaedias.
787. After pressing and drying, each flower was placed into a book with blue paper
788. pages and held using thin strips of sticky paper, with the common name of each
789. plant written alongside using white crayon. In a childlike way it was quite
790. artistic (I knew nothing of Wedgwood jasperware pottery at this time, but you
791. can imagine how the collection looked). </p><p class="MsoNormal">Such an activity would likely be
792. frowned upon today, but I loved it, although I didn’t go beyond thinking about
793. the habits of each plant and how common it was – like all children, I enjoyed
794. finding a rarity. This changed when I was older and was introduced to Max
795. Hooper’s ideas on dating hedges, first promoted (interestingly enough) in the Devon
796. Naturalists Trust Journal [5]. From studies on a large number of hedges, he
797. conceived “Hooper’s Hypothesis” that the age of a hedge (in years) = the number
798. of woody plant species in a 30-yard section x 110 [6]. Armed with this
799. information, natural historians could date their local hedges, although Hooper
800. stressed that it was a general rule and didn’t work for hedges that had their
801. origins more than a thousand years ago. It was also recognised that this “rule
802. of thumb” should be used in conjunction with local historical records. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I had the pleasure of listening to
803. Max Hooper talk about hedgerows when I was a postgraduate student in the
804. Department of Zoology at the University of Durham. As a natural historian at
805. heart, I enjoyed hearing about his ideas and also the enthusiastic way in which
806. he delivered them. So many of our seminars were given by eminent scientists
807. whose work seemed far away from nature and the environment, something that is
808. even more pronounced fifty years on. He convinced me that being a natural
809. 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
810. also fascinated by art and, in the context of this essay, the way that
811. depictions of hedges have been used by painters. John Constable painted the
812. hedgerows of Suffolk as an integral part of compositions – as seen in <i>Fen
813. Lane, East Bergholt</i> of ca. 1817 (see below). We do not have enough detail
814. to date the hedges, but there is a contrast between the “wild” section and the
815. part adjacent to the field on the left. Here, workers are busy, while we look
816. down the lane that disappears round a bend, the track having come into the
817. picture on the lower right side and then passing through a broken gate. The
818. hedges emphasise this perspective and our eye passes to the floodplain of a
819. river and then to a village on the other side of the valley, with its church on
820. the right. Toiling workers, waterways, and churches all feature in many works
821. by Constable and reflect his attitudes, beliefs and approach to Nature. He was
822. conscious of being the son of a wealthy mill owner, was Christian, and knew how
823. to depict landscapes that have been altered by human activity.<i> </i>The
824. composition of <i>Fen Lane, East Bergholt</i> is satisfying and the hedges,
825. together with the lane, draw us in, just as they would do if we encountered
826. 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
827. fields that either had different ownership, or different types of planting or
828. grazing. They thus provide barriers and many English artists have used hedges
829. to emphasise depth, or to partition a landscape into areas of different colour
830. or texture. Of course, this is not just a feature of works by English painters,
831. but I am confining myself to these in this essay. Among contemporary English artists,
832. hedges feature in the recent work of David Hockney and I surmise that his
833. feeling for East Yorkshire is similar to mine for South Devon: there is a sense
834. of nostalgia in his work. In two examples, based on iPad drawings (see below),
835. we observe winding roads with hedges in Spring, but we don’t have enough
836. information to date any of the hedges “painted”. In both, we are reminded of
837. the track shown in Constable’s painting of Fen Lane, yet we have no distant
838. 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
839. distant vistas (and further hedges). They invite us to look beyond limited
840. 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
841. look closely at our environment and the way that it changes over time. Hedges
842. are features that may last for hundreds of years, as Max Hooper has shown, and
843. there is much to see in these habitats if we take the rime to look, or do not
844. remove them for our convenience. It’s one of the reasons why collecting
845. blackberries, elderberries and rosehips is such a pleasurable occupation, for
846. the avid collector keeps an eye on hedgerows from early spring through to
847. harvest. It’s great to be so connected to Nature, just as one is when
848. rock-pooling, walking through woods and over hills, and any other activity
849. 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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933.  
934.  
935. &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
936. of mature woodlands in spring and there can be carpets of these pretty plants,
937. with their white flowers and palmate leaves (see above). They grow vegetatively
938. by means of rhizomes and cannot photosynthesise efficiently in shade [1], so the
939. production of leaves and flowers is therefore early in the temperate growing
940. season, before woodland trees come into leaf. The flowers do not produce nectar
941. but are pollinated mainly by insects [1] and that may be aided by the
942. generation of chemical attractants by the plants. As Shirreffs [1] states, the
943. flower “is held erect during [the] day, but closes and droops at night and in
944. bad weather”. This habit has given rise to folklore that the flowers provide
945. resting places for fairies at night [2,3] and their seeming intolerance of windy
946. conditions has resulted in their common name of windflowers, as though they
947. have a human-like sensitivity. It’s a behaviour that appeals to the
948. imagination, especially for those who enjoy walking in woods.<o:p></o:p></p>
949.  
950. <p class="MsoNormal">Edward Elgar used Nature as a source of inspiration for his
951. music and he knew many woods in his native Worcestershire, and elsewhere, where
952. wood anemones grew in large numbers. One of the most important people in his
953. life, Alice Stuart-Wortley (later Lady Stuart of Wortley), was named
954. “Windflower” by Elgar and this may have been a reflection of her beauty and
955. sensitivity. A daughter of the painter John Everett Millais, Alice (known as
956. Carrie within the family) married Charles Stuart-Wortley after the death of his
957. first wife, becoming the stepmother to Charles’ daughter, Bice, and the mother
958. of another daughter, Clare. An important bond between Charles and Alice was
959. their love of music and both were competent pianists and would play concertos
960. together in addition to their separate playing. Elgar first met Alice
961. Stuart-Wortley “two years before the Enigma Variations made him famous” [4].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
962.  
963. <p class="MsoNormal">Elgar was fortunate in having the unfailing support of his
964. wife Alice, but he also enjoyed the company of other women, especially when
965. they appreciated his music.  In
966. describing the friendship with Alice Stuart-Wortley, Michael De-la-Noy wrote
967. this [4]: </p>
968.  
969. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">..she was five years younger than
970. Elgar, very beautiful, and she is now generally assumed to be “the Soul”
971. enshrined in the Violin Concerto. Safely married, she was typical of the
972. assured, aristocratic and handsome type of woman Elgar was content to place on
973. a pedestal and worship from afar.<o:p></o:p></p>
974.  
975. <p class="MsoNormal">The reference to “the Soul” comes from an inscription in
976. Spanish at the head of the concerto, translated as “Here is enshrined the soul
977. of…”. As Michael Kennedy has written of a letter to Alice Stuart-Wortley [5]: </p>
978.  
979. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">While composing the Violin
980. Concerto early in 1910 he [Elgar] wrote to her on 27 April: “I have been
981. working hard at the windflower themes – but all stands still until you come and
982. approve!”<o:p></o:p></p>
983.  
984. <p class="MsoNormal">In addition to providing inspiration, Alice Stuart-Wortley
985. supported him when he was at his most self-pitying and despondent, and was
986. generous in sending him, and members of his family, gifts. Not only a musical inspiration
987. then, but a true friend.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
988.  
989. <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
990. that I was intruding on a very private relationship and that made me
991. uncomfortable. Elgar was a great letter writer and we have many of them [7,8
992. and see above]. Perhaps the most significant recipients were A.J.Jaeger
993. (“Nimrod” of the Enigma Variations), who was his contact at Novello, Frank Schuster
994. (who owned “The Hut”, a sanctuary where Elgar often retreated), and Troyte
995. Griffiths who was a loyal friend from his youth [9] and who, like Windflower,
996. was with him to the end. In some of these letters we see another side of Elgar,
997. with puns and jokey light-heartedness, both characteristics of his child-like
998. humour.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
999.  
1000. <p class="MsoNormal">It can be said that Edward Elgar was always child-like in
1001. his need to be looked after and supported through his gloomy phases by Alice
1002. Elgar, his sister “Pollie” Grafton, and a number of others. It is clear from
1003. his comments about his daughter Carice, Windflower’s daughter Clare, and
1004. several nieces, that he was himself fond of children and the Windflower letters
1005. also show how much he cherished the company of dogs and their obvious devotion
1006. to him. Elgar was a very emotional man and that, together with his skill in
1007. 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
1008. Concerto with its “Windflower themes”. In that way, Alice Stuart-Wortley was
1009. not only an inspiration for Elgar, but the agent of profound feelings in
1010. listeners over a hundred years later. I can’t look at wood anemones without thinking
1011. of her.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1012.  
1013. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1014.  
1015. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Deirdre A. Shirreffs (1985) Biological Flora of the
1016. British Isles: <i>Anemone nemorosa</i> L. <i>Journal of Ecology</i> 73:
1017. 1005-1020.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1018.  
1019. <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>
1020.  
1021. <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>
1022.  
1023. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">[4] Michael
1024. De-la-Noy (1983) <i>Elgar: The Man</i>. </span>London, Allen Lane.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1025.  
1026. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Michael Kennedy (1968) <i>Portrait of Elgar</i>. Oxford,
1027. Oxford University Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1028.  
1029. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] Jerrold Northrop Moore (editor) (1989) <i>Edward Elgar:
1030. the Windflower Letters</i>. Oxford, Clarendon Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1031.  
1032. <p class="MsoNormal">[7] Percy M. Young (editor) (1956) <i>Letters of Edward Elgar
1033. and Other Writings</i>. London, Geoffrey Bles.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1034.  
1035. <p class="MsoNormal">[8] Percy M. Young (editor) (1965) <i>Letters to Nimrod from
1036. Edward Elgar</i>. London, Dennis Dobson.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1037.  
1038. <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>
1039.  
1040. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1041.  
1042. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1043.  
1044. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1045.  
1046. &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
1047. of J M W Turner, and the artist made regular visits to Fawkes’ home, Farnley
1048. Hall, from 1808 to 1824 [1], using it as a base for drawing tours of  sites in Yorkshire.
1049. Turner also enjoyed the shooting that was offered on the estate and there was
1050. also the prospect of fishing, a favourite pastime that allowed him the
1051. opportunity to make observations of water bodies and the land surrounding them.</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/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
1054. watercolour and oils, Turner was also fascinated by architecture and the
1055. interiors of buildings, so it was natural that he made paintings in, and
1056. around, Farnley Hall [1]. Less well known are the watercolours that he made of
1057. fish and of birds and it is likely that all of these were made while Turner was
1058. staying at the Hall in visits from 1820-1824. Most were used as illustrations for the Farnley Hall <i>Ornithological
1059. Collection</i>, now owned by Leeds City Museum, and the subject of a splendid
1060. book by David Hill [1, and see above]. A few of the bird paintings were retained
1061. by Turner (and are part of the Turner Bequest), although the basis for his
1062. 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
1063. trout and a perch that reflect Turner’s interest in all types of fishing, while
1064. a small fish is shown captured by a heron (above, lower). The detail of the
1065. bird’s feathers show that this unlikely to have been painted from life, but from a bird that
1066. had been shot, possibly to then be stuffed and added to a cabinet, a practice
1067. that was very popular at the time [2]. The painting of a teal (below, upper) was
1068. 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
1069. examination of the plumage in detail was then much more difficult [1]. An
1070. example is that of the goldfinch (below, lower).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1071.  
1072. <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
1073. are quite different in feel to the majority of his work. He was less interested
1074. in detail, and in portraiture, than in conveying feeling through landscape,
1075. whether terrestrial or marine, and getting to the essence of the sublime. It is
1076. the large number of paintings that explore this theme that make him so admired,
1077. but the animal portraits show us that, as an artist, he could “do it all”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1078.  
1079. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] David Hill (1988) <i>Turner’s Birds</i> Oxford, Phaidon
1080. Press</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1081.  
1082. <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>
1083.  
1084. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1085.  
1086. <p class="MsoNormal">The illustrations of the fish and the teal are from the
1087. 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>
1088.  
1089. <p class="MsoNormal">All other illustrations are from the Farnley Hall <i>Ornithological
1090. Collection</i> held by Leeds City Museum</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1091.  
1092. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1093.  
1094. &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
1095. House Field Station during my time there [1] and his duties were to look after
1096. 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
1097. to Jim, it was clear that he had first-hand, and expert, knowledge of dippers (<i>Cinclus
1098. cinclus</i>), but the only people to know about this were those that engaged
1099. him in conversation - there were no written records (of which I was aware). It
1100. led me to think about the wealth of information held by amateur natural historians
1101. and how this knowledge could be made available for a wider audience in the
1102. 2020s [2].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1103.  
1104. <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know what sparked Jim’s interest in natural history,
1105. but he was proud of being from the area of the Pennines around Moor House and I would imagine
1106. that his observations on dippers, and much other wildlife, stemmed from his
1107. early years. Perhaps from a parent, or a teacher, or from something that he read,
1108. or saw in museums? Fortunately, we know about the background, and interests, of
1109. one “working-class naturalist” – Seth Lister Mosley – from an excellent
1110. biography by Alan Brooke, a historian and activist from the same part of Yorkshire
1111. as Seth [3]. Unlike Jim, Seth influenced a wide audience although, until the
1112. publication of Alan Brooke’s book, his work was not well known to contemporary
1113. 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
1114. Seth first became interested in natural history and how his interest developed
1115. into museum curation, a newspaper column, ideas on education, and in showing
1116. how humans need to be at one with the rest of the natural world. At first, he
1117. supported himself and his young family by working as a painter and decorator,
1118. but then natural history took over, as he branched out into collecting,
1119. illustrating, curating and writing. Seth acknowledged that his interest in
1120. plants and animals was nurtured by his father, James Mosley, who was a
1121. convicted poacher and an expert with guns, shooting birds that were subsequently
1122. stuffed and placed in cases [4]. He was an independent spirit and a secularist,
1123. while Seth’s mother was also a secularist, with a good knowledge of plants.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1124.  
1125. <p class="MsoNormal">James made a living as a taxidermist at a time when many
1126. people, of all social classes, delighted in having display cases of birds – and
1127. also of butterflies and moths. It is not known whether he used Charles Waterton’s method
1128. of preserving bird skins [5], but mention of arsenic as a curing agent in <i>Nature’s
1129. Missionary</i>, together with the use of the term “stuffing”, suggests a more
1130. traditional approach. Although the various museums that Seth curated contained
1131. many cabinets of birds and insects, he was also keen to rear insects and became
1132. expert in identifying various pest species. In time, Seth turned away from the
1133. practice of preparing cases of exhibits and was a strong advocate of studying
1134. wildlife in its natural habitat, making drawings and notes of what he saw, and
1135. that practice formed the basis of a regular newspaper column that made Seth
1136. well known, both locally and to a wider readership. “He was always pleased when
1137. he was acknowledged by strangers or interest was expressed in his column”. [4]</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1138.  
1139. <p class="MsoNormal">Seth organised rambles for groups to various places around
1140. Huddersfield and he also enjoyed solitary walks. Alan Brooke [4] quotes Seth on
1141. the importance to him of this activity: </p>
1142.  
1143. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">I never walk into the country on a
1144. bright, sunny day, especially when I am alone and therefore have the
1145. opportunity to think as I walk along, but I become filled with happiness that I
1146. am anxious to get back to put my thought down on paper.. <o:p></o:p></p>
1147.  
1148. <p class="MsoNormal">It’s a feeling that many of us have in walking alone in the
1149. countryside and, in this, there is a parallel between Seth and Rousseau [6], although
1150. there is no knowing whether Seth was familiar with Rousseau’s writings about
1151. walking in Nature or about education, another passion that occupied Seth. He
1152. believed that we are all part of Nature and that we must recognise this – a
1153. sentiment that is even more important today than it was then, when increasing industrialisation
1154. was beginning to have such an adverse effect on the environment. His ideas on
1155. conservation mirror those of Charles Waterton of the Walton Hall estate near
1156. Wakefield, a short distance from Huddersfield [7]. As Seth said in a quote in Alan
1157. Brooke’s book [4]: </p>
1158.  
1159. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The secret of a happy life is to
1160. find out what there is in Nature and make ourselves partners in the concern.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1161.  
1162. <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
1163. down but, in addition to conducting Christian Nature Study Mission rambles, he
1164. preached in local churches whenever asked and he also brought religious
1165. thinking into his newspaper column (he was warned not to bring his missionary
1166. work into his job as a museum curator). It is difficult for those with strong
1167. religious views to stop themselves from proselytising, but it is easy to
1168. forgive this trait in Seth, just as one can with Henry Gosse. Even if the two natural
1169. historians would disagree on fundamentals, there is no doubting the importance
1170. of religious views to each and their shared wonder of the natural world that
1171. shone through in all that they did. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve no idea what Jim’s religious views were,
1172. but that is not important to me as he loved Nature, just like Seth and Henry. We need
1173. heroes like these.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1174.  
1175. <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>
1176.  
1177. <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>
1178.  
1179. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://undergroundhistories.wordpress.com/">https://undergroundhistories.wordpress.com/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1180.  
1181. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Alan Brooke (2022) <i>Nature’s Missionary</i>.
1182. Huddersfield, Huddersfield Local History Society</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1183.  
1184. <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>
1185.  
1186. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2011 [in translation by Russell
1187. Goulbourne]) <i>Reveries of the Solitary Walker</i>. Oxford, Oxford University
1188. Press</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1189.  
1190. <p class="MsoNormal">[7] Brian Edginton (1996) <i>Charles Waterton: A Biography</i>.
1191. Cambridge, The Lutterworth Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1192.  
1193. <p class="MsoNormal">[8] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
1194. History and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1195.  
1196. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1197.  
1198. <p class="MsoNormal">I would like to thank Alan Brooke for making me aware of
1199. Seth Mosley and the excellent book that tells the in-depth story of a
1200. remarkable man.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1201.  
1202. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1203.  
1204. &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
1205. and there is a wide selection to choose from. A common subject is the European
1206. robin (<i>Erithacus rubecula</i>), that first appeared on cards in Victorian
1207. times and which achieved popularity by association, postmen of the time wearing
1208. red coats [1, 2]. Those of us with long memories remember the pleasure that
1209. letters from loved ones could provide, with the postman/postwoman as the agent
1210. of that pleasure. Their visit was sometimes keenly anticipated.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1211.  
1212. <p class="MsoNormal">Robins have been named by UK residents as our favourite
1213. bird. They appear to be friendly, approaching close by when we are gardening, and
1214. we enjoy the idea that “our” robin comes back each year to maintain the
1215. friendship. However, their interest is opportunistic, as they are looking for
1216. food that gets turned up, rather than wishing to make contact with us, and the
1217. friendly bird we know year on year is not always the same one. Although a robin
1218. has been recorded to live for 11 years, most die within a “couple of years”
1219. [3], and, for some reason, cards with images of dead robins (and other small birds)
1220. were popular in Victorian times (see below for a well-known example).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1221.  
1222. <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
1223. year, with a male and female sharing a territory during the breeding season
1224. [4]. Territories are defended by singing and, if necessary, by fighting, and
1225. 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
1226. lead to death of a participant in a fight.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1227.  
1228. <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
1229. of various species and I found two interesting papers on the subject that use
1230. data from ringed wild bird populations. Placing rings on birds’
1231. legs enables recorders to determine their range, and the distances that they
1232. 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
1233. correlation between longevity and body mass of birds of a wide range of species
1234. in North America. They further showed that, on average, captive birds lived
1235. longer than wild birds, the latter facing greater challenges in finding food
1236. and coping with climatic conditions. The longest-lived wild bird (recorded at
1237. 37 years) is an albatross [6], with a captive cockatoo living for 80+ years,
1238. although the records for many large wild birds are likely to be eclipsed once
1239. we have more ringing returns.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1240.  
1241. <p class="MsoNormal">A further study by Sæther [7] confirmed the positive
1242. relationship between survival rate and body mass in natural populations of
1243. European birds, so it is no surprise that the European robin, being a small
1244. bird, is short-lived and produces large numbers of offspring to compensate for
1245. this mortality rate: larger birds, on the whole, are likely to produce fewer
1246. offspring. Perhaps Victorian Christmas card designers knew more about the
1247. mortality of robins than most of us do today?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1248.  
1249. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1250.  
1251. <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>
1252.  
1253. <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>
1254.  
1255. <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>
1256.  
1257. <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>
1258.  
1259. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Stan L. Lindstedt and William A. Calder (1976) Body size
1260. and longevity in birds. <i>The Condor</i> 78: 91-94.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1261.  
1262. <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>
1263.  
1264. <p class="MsoNormal">[7] Bernt-Erik Sæther (1989) Survival rates in relation to
1265. body weight in European birds. <i>Ornis Scandinavica</i> 20: 13-21.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1266.  
1267. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1268.  
1269. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1270.  
1271. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1272.  
1273. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1274.  
1275. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1276.  
1277. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1278.  
1279. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1280.  
1281. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1282.  
1283. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1284.  
1285. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1286.  
1287. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1288.  
1289. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1290.  
1291. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1292.  
1293. &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,
1294. more permanently, in 1968, after my father died and our house was sold. I made
1295. few return visits to Torbay until 2008, when I was gathering information for a book on the
1296. famous marine natural historian Philip Henry Gosse, and his son Edmund, who
1297. lived in St Marychurch, Torquay: I needed to make visits to his old home, to
1298. Torquay Museum, and to places along the coast where he had collected. </p><p>Since
1299. then, nostalgia for my childhood haunts took hold and I try and make an annual
1300. visit, although COVID-19 put paid to that for a while. It means that I have sampled
1301. a number of hotels in Torquay: The Imperial (that was not particularly
1302. impressive); The Livermead Cliff (that has a wonderful location as its best
1303. feature); and the Premier Inn (that I knew from childhood as the Belgrave
1304. Hotel, and which I now prefer, as it offers a very good standard package, being
1305. part of a large group). Unfortunately, none compare with some of the hotels
1306. that I have stayed in elsewhere.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1307.  
1308. <p class="MsoNormal">During the years I spent researching the book, I stayed at the
1309. Livermead House Hotel and enjoyed its retro style – what I have called 1950s
1310. seaside chic – complete with Mr Rew, and his deputy, appearing in full
1311. “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
1312. fellow residents were from coach parties and they were given a guard of
1313. honour by staff as they left the hotel to board their coach for the journey
1314. home. I also remember visiting the Livermead House Hotel at the time boisterous Young
1315. Farmers were holding their annual conference in Torquay, with some young farmers
1316. staying with us. All these memories were triggered as I was completing a jigsaw
1317. puzzle by Susan Holbeche, where the Livermead House Hotel is seen on the left
1318. [1].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1319.  
1320. <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
1321. was its association with Charles Kingsley and Henry Gosse, and I have written
1322. about their friendship [2], and the connection of the former with the original Livermead
1323. House (a picture of which is given on the hotel website [3]). Although the
1324. hotel bears a blue plaque to celebrate Kingsley’s stay, few people probably
1325. know of how he came to be there and the significance of his friendship with
1326. 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>
1327.  
1328. <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>
1329.  
1330. <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>
1331.  
1332. <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>
1333.  
1334. &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,
1335. fairies and dragons) - all the result of an article I published in the journal <i>Opticon26</i>
1336. [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>].
1337. That piece was picked up by the international Press and this is one example of
1338. 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>
1339.  
1340. <p class="MsoNormal">Having written several subsequent essays on angels, I thought
1341. it might be of interest if I grouped their links into one place, so here they
1342. are, in chronological order:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1343.  
1344. <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>
1345.  
1346. <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>
1347.  
1348. <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>
1349.  
1350. <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>
1351.  
1352. <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>
1353.  
1354. <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>
1355.  
1356. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1357.  
1358. &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
1359. objects, both living and non-living, making them easier to identify.
1360. More recently, technology has provided us with telescopes
1361. 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
1362. universe.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Similarly, optical microscopes reveal much more than we
1363. can see with the naked eye, and electron microscopes, of both scanning and
1364. transmission types, make very minute structures visible, although preparation
1365. methods require that care must be taken in interpreting what we see. Advances
1366. have also been made in the analysis of living and non-living materials that
1367. enable us to look at traces of organic chemicals from small samples and, using these
1368. approaches, we can analyse the composition of fragments and
1369. 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
1370. what we see to make sense of it and this is aided by visual imagery, either
1371. generated by computer technologies, or by the hand of an artist. Artists’
1372. impressions are invaluable in re-creating images of things that are no longer
1373. present and which we therefore have no chance of seeing. An example comes in
1374. the very numerous portrayals of religious scenes, where we are frequently shown
1375. images of Jesus, although we have no record of how He looked. The same goes for
1376. 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
1377. presence that is unlikely or symbolic. The Holy Spirit is frequently depicted as
1378. a white dove, while angels have a characteristic appearance that we all
1379. 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
1380. not be able to fly, as the wings of birds have developed from the fore limbs of
1381. their reptile ancestors. With arms already present, the wings of angels, and
1382. the muscles to operate them, must be located quite differently on the body (I’m
1383. not suggesting here that angels do not exist, but that their physical form in
1384. paintings and sculpture means that they cannot fly using their wings). It’s an
1385. 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
1386. direct knowledge, is that of dinosaurs. We’ve never seen a dinosaur (although
1387. there are some modern-day reptiles, like crocodiles, that give us some clues as
1388. to behaviour), so how do we know what they looked like and how they lived? We
1389. have evidence from which to work, unlike the images created of angels,
1390. where there is no fossil evidence. Bones, skin, muscle attachments, and feathers
1391. (where present) allow us to reconstruct dinosaurs and then put them into an
1392. imaginary landscape. We accept these images, and models based on them, because
1393. we believe what experts tell us (quite rightly?). The images are also
1394. informed by speculation. In Benton’s book on dinosaurs, with its catchy
1395. sub-title [2], we read that the discovery of pigment cells meant that “for the
1396. very first time, we knew the colour patterns of a dinosaur, and could use these
1397. insights to speculate about dinosaurian behaviour”. Can we really gain
1398. information about dinosaur behaviour from colour patterns? Perhaps we can.
1399. Later in the book, Benton describes the swimming of <i>Stenopterygius</i>, an
1400. ancient reptile from the Mesozoic: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;"><i>Stenopterygius</i> swoops after
1401. a belemnite, an extinct relative of modern squid and octopus. The belemnite has
1402. a fleshy body and fins and swims backwards, just as modern cephalopods do. We
1403. know, too, that it has an ink sac, and so, like its modern relatives, likely
1404. squirts ink when alarmed, and zips off by blasting jets of water through its
1405. siphons. By the time the predator has recovered and snapped a few times at the
1406. ink cloud, the belemnite has long disappeared to safety. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">The <i>Stenopterygius</i> is not
1407. too fazed, as this is not an infrequent occurrence, and he lines up to chase
1408. another group of belemnites. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Is the language a little flowery here? Admittedly, the book
1409. was written for a general audience, and books about dinosaurs sell well, but
1410. how critically do we, as members of the public, consider what is said by
1411. 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>
1412. 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
1413. prominent head crests and beaks sheathed in keratin as are seen in various
1414. dinosaurs and pterosaurs might have been photoluminescent.. ..[and] we can imagine
1415. the elaborate head crests of <i>Tupandactylus</i> flashing different colours at
1416. dusk, males and females perhaps showing different patterns, and putting on a
1417. spectacular in the crepuscular gloom. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Please note the use of the words “suggested”, “imagine” and
1418. “perhaps” in this quote. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Moving images take artists’ impressions one step further and
1419. we are entertained not only by coloured images of landscapes, but also grunts
1420. and hisses from different dinosaurs. There is a good selection in the video
1421. linked in [3], (complete with an accompanying musical soundtrack to add tension
1422. to each scene). How much of this is supported by evidence? I accept that teeth
1423. marks on bones correspond to the dentition of certain dinosaurs, but the rest
1424. 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
1425. palaeontology, but also in entertainment and in retailing. Go into any home
1426. with young children and you will find many dinosaur-related toys, pyjamas,
1427. t-shirts etc. and there is a popular fascination with mythological dinosaurs
1428. like the Loch Ness Monster and Sea Serpents. While there are artists’
1429. impressions based on the sightings of the latter two, that is all we have to go
1430. on and the transformations of known dinosaur types that appear on clothing, or
1431. as toys, may be very far from the creatures that existed hundreds of millions
1432. of years ago. Steve Brusatte, reviewing Bentons’ book (see above) remarks that the
1433. images of dinosaurs it contains are real and can be used by media
1434. professionals, but is this so? Is there a point where palaeontologists can get
1435. 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
1436. falsifiable hypotheses and this is an approach that I have tried to follow in my research. However, falsifiable hypotheses are not possible with extinct
1437. animals (and plants) and, however ingenious our attempts, we are bound to make
1438. suppositions about the effects of time: we can design experiments
1439. that last hundreds of millions of years, but it is impossible to get the
1440. results. It means that palaeontology, including the study of dinosaur fossils,
1441. is a highly-informed guessing game, with some practitioners and artists going
1442. 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.
1443. 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
1444. 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
1445. time to celebrate these wonderful puzzles.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1446.  
1447. <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
1448. created in 1762 by the map engraver John Spilsbury, who attached one of his
1449. maps to a sheet of wood and then cut around various countries (see above). The
1450. resultant pieces could be put together to form the map by local schoolchildren
1451. and this aid to teaching geography was a big hit, and one that was much copied
1452. [2]. When the treadle-driven jig saw was invented in the 1880s (1850s according
1453. to [1]), there was a much easier method for producing puzzles for both children
1454. and adults, and they have remained popular ever since. In addition to the invention
1455. of the treadle saw, mass production has been aided by the development of
1456. lithographic printing and by the development of plywood [2], and, during the
1457. Depression of 1933 in the USA, millions of puzzles were produced [1], providing
1458. almost a never-ending supply that could be rented cheaply from local outlets. We
1459. still have wooden jigsaw puzzles, but most pictures are now backed by cardboard
1460. and come in a variety of cut-out shapes, from squares to intricate interlocking
1461. forms.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1462.  
1463. <p class="MsoNormal">As a young child, I always enjoyed jigsaw puzzles although,
1464. regretfully, I can only recall one of the subjects – Anne Hathaway’s Cottage -
1465. and they usually involved houses, country scenes, and the occasional railway
1466. engine (much to my delight). I have no idea where our family obtained all the
1467. puzzles, but some of them were bought new and given to us as birthday, or Christmas,
1468. presents, and others must have been given to us by family members and friends
1469. (although that is guesswork). The puzzles were especially important on those
1470. few occasions when I was not able to attend Oldway Primary School because of
1471. illness and, in winter, I would then sit in the dining room next to the coal
1472. fire (our sole method of heating) and complete a jigsaw or two in the large tea
1473. tray that seemed to be reserved for this purpose. Occasionally, I was able to listen
1474. to the radio (that we called “the wireless”) at the same time, and this was
1475. before we had a television, so I was not distracted.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1476.  
1477. <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>
1478.  
1479. <p class="MsoNormal">I retained my love of jigsaws as I grew up, and regularly
1480. received a “1000-Piece Puzzle” as a Christmas present. The procedure for
1481. completing them was the same as I had always used. Firstly, all the pieces were
1482. turned out into the box, keeping the upper lid, with the illustration of the completed
1483. puzzle, on one side (see above – one of these jigsaws is mine; one not…). Then
1484. came the laborious process of turning each piece right-side-up and placing it
1485. on a table (instead of the tea tray), moving all edge pieces to one side.
1486. Having completed the border, a decision was then made on which sections were to
1487. be filled in first and this proceeded until the jigsaw was complete, and the
1488. more pieces that had been put <i>in situ</i>, the easier it became. Each
1489. completed puzzle was then broken apart and returned to the box.<o:p></o:p></p>
1490.  
1491. <p class="MsoNormal">We now have electronic jigsaw puzzles [3] and these make
1492. everything easier, as all the pieces are right-side-up and they are even
1493. orientated correctly. When each is placed correctly, the computer gives a reassuring
1494. click and, of course, there are no missing pieces, so searching over and over
1495. for one that is missing (as can happen with physical jigsaws) is a thing of the
1496. past.The number of puzzles available on databases is huge and I
1497. have been selecting those showing paintings by various artists. It was a surprise
1498. to find that this aided my appreciation of the works, as I built up the image
1499. in the piecemeal fashion of jigsaw puzzling without looking at the whole, other
1500. than in the original thumbnail that I used for the initial selection. </p><p class="MsoNormal">It is a
1501. quite different approach to the way we view paintings in a gallery, where we first
1502. see the whole and then look at details. Using the “jigsaw approach”, I have
1503. learned more about the power of perspective, as some foreground sections
1504. involve many pieces, while there is much detail on single pieces of the scene
1505. in the distance. I know about perspective, of course, but jigsaw construction
1506. certainly emphasises its importance. More of a surprise is the use of colour
1507. and, when working on an image of an Impressionist, or Post-Impressionist, painting,
1508. for example, one sees how colour is used in surprising ways. It fascinates me
1509. and adds to the enjoyment of puzzle solving – so much so that I can spend hours
1510. on the computer, just as younger people do with games and other forms of
1511. entertainment. It certainly shows the power of the “educational toy” that Spilsbury
1512. invented 260 years ago.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1513.  
1514. <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>
1515.  
1516. <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>
1517.  
1518. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] <a href="https://www.jigsawplanet.com/">https://www.jigsawplanet.com/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1519.  
1520. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1521.  
1522. &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
1523. velodrome in London, I noticed a sign that read “Sport is just the beginning”. For
1524. some reason, that set me thinking about my sporting career.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1525.  
1526. <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
1527. yards from Victoria Park (see above), in the Polsham area of Paignton, where I
1528. could sail my yacht in the circular pond and play on swings and the slide in
1529. the children’s playground (located beyond the trees in the distance). There was
1530. also a large field in the park where friends and I played cricket in the summer
1531. and kickaround football (soccer) in the winter. Cricket was my favourite sport and
1532. I joined Paignton Cricket Club so that I could watch games and also operate the
1533. scoreboard (being reminded frequently by the official scorer that I had it wrong
1534. and therefore the players out on the pitch were being misinformed). Stan Cray
1535. (below) was the professional (succeeded by Jack Kelly and Harold
1536. “Dickie” Bird, of later umpiring fame) and they were early sporting heroes.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1537.  
1538. <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>
1539.  
1540. <p class="MsoNormal">There was no coaching and I had no idea of the technique of
1541. the fast bowling I enjoyed, other than to run in off about 30 paces and try and
1542. launch the ball somewhere near the batsman. As for batting, all I knew was to
1543. hammer the ball as hard as possible: I had no defence and no shots on the off side.
1544. Although enthusiastic, I realised that I was never going to be a good player
1545. and there was no hope of getting any coaching at Oldway Primary School, as all
1546. the teachers, bar one, were women and they concentrated on netball with the
1547. girls: Mr Mitchell, the sole male teacher, didn’t seem interested in sport. We
1548. had games that involved running around the playground (coloured sashes and equipment
1549. like beanbags, and balls of various sizes, being kept in the shelter at the
1550. “Oldway Mansion end”) and we played in inter-school games [1]. There was also <i>Music
1551. and Movement</i> in the Hall, with all of us following the instructions from a
1552. radio, with its speaker contained in an enormous wooden box. The programme was
1553. from a different age, as you can hear in a clip [2].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1554.  
1555. <p class="MsoNormal">It was left to Torquay Boys’ Grammar School to introduce me
1556. to other sports and to get me fit through gymnastics. In winter, it was
1557. cross-country running, football, rugby and swimming: in summer it was
1558. athletics, cricket, and swimming. Gymnastics was all year round and consisted
1559. of learning how to vault (both gate vaults and vaulting horses), walk on a
1560. balance beam, hang off wall bars, and do somersaults and stretches while on a
1561. mat. It was never explained that these were components of gymnastics
1562. competitions, they were just things we were made to do by Mr Stokes and Mr
1563. Morrall, the former being serious about getting things right and the latter
1564. just being deeply unpleasant. Both had a slightly disconcerting habit of
1565. sticking their chests out, but that might have been a requirement for gym
1566. teachers. Just as I left the school, another master came along (I think his
1567. name was Mr Goulder) and he was quite different, being encouraging rather than
1568. taking enjoyment from putting down the less able. I shall always remember Mr
1569. Morrall, though.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1570.  
1571. <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>
1572.  
1573. <p class="MsoNormal">For swimming, we walked through the town to the Marine Spa
1574. baths (see above in an image from the <i>Devon Live</i> web site) and my first
1575. lesson involved jumping in to the shallow end. As a non-swimmer who was
1576. terrified of putting my head under water, this was a challenge that I avoided
1577. by hiding in the showers and, fortunately, Mr Betteridge didn’t notice when a
1578. wet RSW climbed down the steps into the pool. All further lessons were with Mr
1579. Roberts and even his more encouraging approach did not succeed and I spent my
1580. time holding on to the side rail and thrashing about with my legs to give the
1581. impression that I was trying. I certainly was trying, but remained a
1582. non-swimmer until much later in life.<o:p></o:p></p>
1583.  
1584. <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
1585. country lanes, setting out from the sports hut that was located near to the
1586. Girls’ Grammar School (it would have been to the right of the far-right corner
1587. in the image above – this is a recent view of “our” playing field site, now
1588. laid out rather differently [3]). We would walk from the Barton Road TBGS site
1589. up to Shiphay, get changed, and then run on a specified route that had staff
1590. members located at intervals to see that we completed the course. Some masters,
1591. who had no involvement with sport, must have used this as a means of getting
1592. away from the staff room early and I remember Mr Evans (“Mole”) scowling at me
1593. as I went past in the last few “runners”, as I had delayed him from jumping
1594. into his blue MG Midget to get home early.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1595.  
1596. <p class="MsoNormal">We were given some coaching in soccer, but knew the basics
1597. from the times when we played together with friends. Rugby was different, as
1598. many of us knew little about the game. We were taught to tackle, how to pass
1599. backwards not forwards, and how to form a scrum – not helped when Mr Stokes
1600. hollered “go hard” to encourage us… I had no idea about the rules of the game
1601. and this was apparent when I volunteered to play rugby for Dobson House against
1602. Clifford House. Our captain, Malcolm Baker, was a very good player who also
1603. captained the school side, so knew the game well. I played in the scrum and was
1604. so good at jumping for the ball in line-outs that Mr Gillham (“Fritz”), who was
1605. refereeing, commented on my prowess after the game. Malcolm was less impressed,
1606. as he felt I wasn’t getting the ball to the backs fast enough and, when he
1607. called for a short line-out, I felt him forcibly grabbing my collar and yanking
1608. me back, as I had no idea what he meant. During the same game, I remembered all
1609. that I had been taught about tackling and stood my ground when a large opponent
1610. raced toward me and then handed me off, the smack in my face nearly knocking me
1611. out. I had no idea that sort of thing was allowed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1612.  
1613. <p class="MsoNormal">In the summer term, I enjoyed it when cricket was the sport
1614. of the week, but athletics was more challenging, although it had a lot of
1615. variety: discus, shot putt, javelin, sprinting, long jump, and high jump. We
1616. knew about the position needed to throw the discus from the image of the statue
1617. of the <i>Discobolus of Myron</i> (see below) that was the subject of the badge
1618. on Mr Stokes’ CCPR blazer. The other athletic events were easy enough, but high
1619. jump was not. We had to jump into a sand pit, invariably damp, and there was a
1620. choice between straddle or western roll (this was before the “Fosbury Flop”,
1621. and that would have been dangerous, anyway). I used a kind of bunny hop and
1622. crashed through the bar, but it was the best I could do. It didn’t garner much
1623. praise.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1624.  
1625. <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
1626. the opening paragraph, but the end. Much later, I took swimming lessons and
1627. became a reasonably good swimmer. Surprisingly, I also took up jogging and enjoyed
1628. running around set routes; usually not needing to stop for rests, as in my
1629. school cross-country days. </p><p class="MsoNormal">My main “sporting” activity remains walking alone
1630. through country lanes and footpaths [4] and it has been since I was a teenager.
1631. Now, the distance covered by each walk is a bit shorter, but I can still do 15 miles
1632. without a break and at a reasonable pace of over 3 mph, too. I should be
1633. grateful that all the attempts of gymnastics, and sports, masters failed to
1634. make me an athlete, so that I haven’t needed to look back on past achievements
1635. that I know I could never repeat. Ironically, given that the sign mentioned in
1636. the opening paragraph was in the velodrome, I never learned to ride a bike. Who
1637. 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>
1638.  
1639. <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>
1640.  
1641. <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>
1642.  
1643. <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>
1644.  
1645. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1646.  
1647. &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,
1648. yet most of us find the idea of consuming this readily available source of
1649. proteins, and other dietary needs, to be repulsive. So much so, that eating
1650. large beetle larvae has been used as a Bushtucker Trial in the UK reality show <i>I’m
1651. a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here</i> (see below, image from Wales Online website). The trial was designed to shock
1652. us, as well as the “victim”, but why are people repulsed by it? Firstly, it’s
1653. because the insects are alive, and wriggling, at the time they are eaten, yet
1654. we don’t hesitate to eat oysters that are alive, although they don’t wriggle,
1655. of course. Also, we are not repulsed by eating winkles, cockles and mussels,
1656. and don’t worry too much when the latter are boiled to death in wine when we
1657. make the delicious Moules Marinière.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1658.  
1659. <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
1660. larvae – but they were all cooked. When I proffered them to colleagues, some
1661. tried the various delicacies, but a majority turned down the chance to try something
1662. new. We are much more squeamish than the residents of countries where insects
1663. are a regular part of the diet and the splendid little book <i>Why Not Eat
1664. Insects?</i> [1] describes examples, emphasising the many places where locusts
1665. and grasshoppers are eaten, usually after cooking in various ways. In the
1666. Introduction to the 1988 re-printing of the book, Dr Laurence Mound writes: </p>
1667.  
1668. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;"><i>Why Not Eat Insects?</i> is not
1669. just a fascinating Victorian book, full of humour and ideas, it is also an
1670. interesting – indeed profound – question about human behaviour. In Europe we
1671. associate insect-eating arrogantly with lesser cultures. Australian aborigines
1672. are welcome to their Bogong Moth Balls – compressed handfuls of moths swept
1673. from their resting places beneath rocks and gently baked. People around the
1674. great lakes of eastern Africa can eat their Kungu Cake – myriads of midges
1675. pressed into a patty and cooked.. </p>
1676.  
1677. <p class="MsoNormal">If we are put off by the appearance of insects, we must
1678. process them to make them more palatable: the Kungu Cake mentioned by Dr Mound is
1679. an example, being a yellow-brown mass that belies its origins. <o:p></o:p></p>
1680.  
1681. <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
1682. Ray (pictured above), the CEO of Innovafeed, that appeared in the magazine <i>Sustainable
1683. Heroes</i> [2], produced by Nomura Greentech, a company that is a worldwide leader
1684. in arranging finance for sustainable technologies (appropriate, as it is part
1685. of the Japanese-owned Nomura Bank and most of the insects that I have eaten
1686. have come from Japan, where the food culture is different to the one that I was
1687. brought up to enjoy). In a Q and A in the magazine, Clément had this to say
1688. when asked about human consumption of insect protein: </p>
1689.  
1690. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The EU [has] extremely favorable
1691. regulations for insect protein. It authorized the use of insect protein in
1692. aquaculture in 2017, for monogastrics (poultry and swine) in 2019 and for
1693. humans last year [2021].. ..One of our big marketing
1694. challenges is to make people more aware of the amazing potential and
1695. nutritional value of insect-based proteins for humans. To that end, we are
1696. currently developing prototypes and working on the appropriate packaging. </p>
1697.  
1698. <p class="MsoNormal">Present production by Innovafeed is used in animal feeds and
1699. this, of course, adds another step in the chain of human food supply. As
1700. Clément states, finding a way of marketing insect by-products to make them
1701. desirable directly to consumers is the key challenge. </p>
1702.  
1703. <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
1704. be seen in the videoclip above. Until I viewed this, I had little appreciation
1705. of the industrial farming of the black soldier fly (<i>Hermetia
1706. illucens</i>) - details in [3] - and reared throughout the World as an animal food.
1707. The important step, however, is the development of a product for direct human consumption,
1708. as that is more energy efficient and thus sustainable. I am grateful to Nomura
1709. Greentech for introducing me to Innovafeed, a company that is on its way to do
1710. just that. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
1711.  
1712. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Vincent M Holt (1885) <i>Why Not Eat Insects</i>.
1713. Reprinted, with a new Introduction in 1988. London, British Museum (Natural
1714. History). </p>
1715.  
1716. <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>
1717.  
1718. &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
1719. black-and-white photographs entitled <i>Stilled Life</i> [1], the subject being
1720. the redundant steam locomotives that were stored at Woodham’s Scrapyard in
1721. Barry, South Wales (an image in colour taken by Peter Brabham is shown below).
1722. For all of us that have happy memories of these splendid machines in action,
1723. the scrapyard is a place of melancholy, even though delays in cutting up meant
1724. that some locomotives were bought from Dai Woodham and several have subsequently
1725. 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
1726. died, aged 54, following a fire at his home, something which adds poignancy to
1727. his story. In addition to his work as a photographer, Grimshaw was an accomplished
1728. artist, creating monochrome images of northern landscapes, two of which (from
1729. the Tate Gallery [3]) are illustrated below. Most viewers of these monochrome
1730. works associate them with the paintings of L.S.Lowry (who owned three of them
1731. [2]), but I think they consciously, or subconsciously, show the influence of
1732. Caspar David Friedrich. To emphasise this point, I have converted two of
1733. Friedrich’s paintings to greyscale to allow direct comparison.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1734.  
1735. <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
1736. was exhibited in the Berlin Academy of Art in 1810 (as one of a pair – the
1737. other was <i>Monk by the Sea</i> [4]) in which we see the ruins of an abbey
1738. surrounded by trees that may be dead, or maybe had lost all their leaves, as
1739. this is a winter scene. In the foreground are monks who are walking towards the
1740. ruin. The whole effect is arresting and gloomy, but what does it mean to the
1741. viewer? As with all pictures, we can know something of the artist’s intentions,
1742. but we also use our own projections. We know that Friedrich was a Protestant
1743. [4] and that this picture shows a Catholic ruin and desolation. He was also
1744. fascinated by nature and landscape and this is one of Friedrich’s paintings
1745. that, to use his phrase, “is to be seen and recognised only in belief” [4]. As Michael
1746. Prodger [5] writes in <i>The Spectator</i>: “His
1747. Christianity is not insistent but comes wrapped in another - more widely
1748. 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
1749. by the Baltic Sea</i> (1815) (above, lower) - uses a feature that occurred many
1750. times in his work – the appearance of a solitary cross in a landscape. This
1751. symbol of Christ, and the redemption of His crucifixion, is placed in locations
1752. quite unlike Calvary and, in this painting, is on an outcrop by the sea, with
1753. an anchor near its base. Just as in <i>Abbey in the Oak Wood</i>, there is a
1754. feeling of slightly threatening mystery and, at the same time, a sense of
1755. spiritual hope.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1756.  
1757. <p class="MsoNormal">Now let’s look at the two monochrome works by Trevor
1758. Grimshaw. In <i>Open Space</i> (1974) (the upper of the Tate images above), a
1759. solitary, bare tree is in the foreground, while the foggy background features a
1760. church tower and factories, with one chimney belching out smoke that is being
1761. carried away on the wind. We recognise that the tree, like those painted by
1762. Friedrich, shows desolation and, perhaps, death by pollution from the industry
1763. that replaced the natural world. The presence of the church is more difficult
1764. to interpret – did it represent something from Grimshaw’s spiritual beliefs, or
1765. was it used to indicate something that was longer-lasting, and more valuable, than
1766. the factories?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1767.  
1768. <p class="MsoNormal">In <i>Northern Townscape</i> (1974) (the lower of the Tate
1769. images above), we see another church tower, with factories and several chimneys,
1770. one of which is producing dark smoke that suffuses the upper part of the image,
1771. while steam is rising from elsewhere in the factory complex. The impression
1772. gained is very similar to that in <i>Open Space</i>, but the foreground is
1773. dominated by two poles, one of which is clearly a telegraph pole. Both stand
1774. isolated, and are connected to nothing – there are no wires – so we gain a
1775. sense of isolation and of disconnection to the rest of the scene. Unlike
1776. Friedrich’s crosses, however, there seems little hope here and my impression is
1777. that Grimshaw did not enjoy the industrial landscapes that he reproduced,
1778. despite their attractiveness as structures [5], just as he did not like the
1779. rusting steam locomotives he photographed in the scrapyard at Barry.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1780.  
1781. <p class="MsoNormal">Of course, I could be very wrong in drawing parallels between
1782. Friedrich and Grimshaw, and in interpreting their images in the way that I have
1783. done. That I react strongly to their work is an indication of the power of both
1784. artists to stimulate both the imagination and the emotions of the viewer.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1785.  
1786. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://trevorgrimshawphotography.art/about/">https://trevorgrimshawphotography.art/about/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1787.  
1788. <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>
1789.  
1790. <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>
1791.  
1792. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Johannes Grave (2017) <i>Caspar David Friedrich</i>.
1793. Munich, Prestel Verlag.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1794.  
1795. <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>
1796.  
1797. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
1798.  
1799. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
1800.  
1801. &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
1802. towns that make up Torbay, and, despite leaving in 1968, I have a strong
1803. attachment to my roots in South Devon. Unfortunately, I get few opportunities
1804. to visit but, very close to where I live currently, in Berkhamsted, there is a
1805. patch of flowers (see below) that instantly brings back memories from over
1806. 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
1807. a widely-dispersed introduction from its native Mediterranean region – appropriate,
1808. given that Torbay prides itself on bring the English Riviera. It probably
1809. arrived as a garden plant and is described by Clapham Tutin and Warburg [1] as
1810. being ”abundantly naturalised on old walls, cliffs, etc. particularly in the
1811. south and west.” It certainly has the ability to thrive where conditions look
1812. unsuitable for plant life and its establishment can be a threat to the fabric
1813. of old buildings [2]. <o:p></o:p></p>
1814.  
1815. <p class="MsoNormal">My recollection of red valerian is the strong colour
1816. combinations that its pink flowers and green leaves make with the red sandstone
1817. that is the underlying rock of the central part of Torbay and which was used
1818. extensively for building construction. Technically described as a sandstone
1819. breccia conglomerate, this rock, exposed at Roundham Head, for example (see
1820. below), has been used in building houses and walls in Paignton since mediaeval
1821. 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
1822. constructed in the last decade of the Nineteenth Century [3]. This was 50
1823. years after the building boom in Torquay, where many villas were in an
1824. 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
1825. brick – ours were cream in colour – but the sandstone was unforuately suject to
1826. weathering, as anyone looking at Roundham Head, and other coastal promontories,
1827. readily appreciates. As our house had a verandah, one of the jobs that I helped
1828. with was the sweeping up of the red dust that accumulated on the tiles (red, of
1829. course) that were used as flooring. Nowadays, the appearance of many of the houses
1830. has been altered by the extensive use of PVC replacement windows, and roofing
1831. other than slate, the Conservation Report [3] stating that “almost
1832. overwhelmingly the workmanship is inferior in design and materials: artificial
1833. slate and PVC glazing are almost universal replacements.” Two recent images of
1834. 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
1835. from its original condition, but that wasn’t important to me. What I enjoyed,
1836. was being able to run along Polsham Park (the road) to Victoria Park (the
1837. entrance to which is shown below) where I could play on the swings, slide and
1838. roundabouts, run around on the “pitches”, or go at top speed along the path by
1839. the railway line to exit within easy walking distance of the railway station, there to
1840. indulge in my favourite pastime of trainspotting. Much of the park was
1841. completed in 1894, with the boating pond (see below in a separate image), where
1842. I sailed my elderly, re-painted yacht, completed in 1895 [3]. The “pitches”
1843. next to the main road to the west were previously the Victoria Nurseries and
1844. were added to the Park in the first half of the twentieth Century.<o:p></o:p></p>
1845.  
1846. <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
1847. be interested in such things? Now that I am much older, and enjoy nostalgia, it
1848. is all fascinating to discover the history of what was so familiar in the late
1849. 1950s and early 1960s. Certainly, the combination of red valerian and red sandstone remain
1850. powerful triggers for memories of the joys of childhood and an appreciation of the “respectable” part
1851. of the town that was once my home.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1852.  
1853. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] A.R.Clapham, T.G.Tutin and E.F.Warburg (1959) <i>Excursion
1854. Flora of the British Isles</i>. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1855.  
1856. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">[2] R. Motti, G.
1857. Bonanomi and A. Stinca (2021) Biodeteriogens at a southern Italian Heritage
1858. 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
1859. 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>
1860.  
1861. <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>
1862.  
1863. <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"> </span></p>
1864.  
1865. &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
1866. Rousseau’s <i>Reveries of the Solitary Walker</i> [1], Russell Goulbourne
1867. writes:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1868.  
1869. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">For Rousseau, ..musings and movement
1870. go hand in hand. Walking is.. ..thought-inspiring: ‘Seated at my table, with my
1871. pen in my hand and my paper in front of me, I have never been able to achieve
1872. anything. It is when I am out walking among the rocks and the woods, it is at
1873. night, sleepless in my bed, that I write in my head’. This link between musings
1874. and movement.. ..is fundamental to the <i>Reveries</i>.. ..since Rousseau based
1875. his text on notes he had scribbled down on twenty-seven playing cards while out
1876. walking..<o:p></o:p></p>
1877.  
1878. <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
1879. walking in the countryside was described by Edward Elgar, who also enjoyed
1880. riding a bicycle over the lanes and tracks of Worcestershire and, especially,
1881. the Malvern Hills (see above). In a letter from Malvern on 11th July 1900 to
1882. A.J.Jaeger (“Nimrod” of the <i>Enigma Variations</i>), Elgar writes, describing
1883. a musical phrase [2]:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1884.  
1885. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">This is what I hear all day – the
1886. trees are singing my music – or have I sung theirs? It’s too lovely here.<o:p></o:p></p>
1887.  
1888. <p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, I don’t have the genius of Rousseau or Elgar,
1889. but I understand their sentiments. For me, walking through the countryside has
1890. always been my favourite exercise (I never learned to ride a bicycle) and provides
1891. a source of freedom from day-to-day problems. It is more that that, though, in
1892. that it enables me to appreciate the natural world and to observe closely all
1893. the changes that occur through the year. Like Rousseau and Elgar, my walks are
1894. also a time when ideas come to the fore – perhaps for a different way of looking
1895. at something, or for generating ideas for a new talk, or blog post.<o:p></o:p></p>
1896.  
1897. <p class="MsoNormal">Early morning walks in summer are especially uplifting and I
1898. have recently discovered that short video clips act as aides-memoires. Being a
1899. technophobe, I have only recently started using the video recorder on my mobile
1900. telephone and the clip below shows a section of country lane that opens to
1901. reveal a pretty cottage with well-kept gardens on either side of the road. This
1902. has always seemed odd to me, as I am not a gardener and I prefer the wonderful
1903. complexity of natural world as it is – there’s no doubting that it is
1904. 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=AD6v5dypx-nWHBPVC_vWgbFldEQfbm4HEmbFdrDqWcC5ciJYPLCado0EKae4MdgmjJi2sjPM0v6jn-p_Cm06HOUE0g' 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
1905. a path into a wood. The transition appealed to me, so I took a video as I
1906. walked from the one to the other and the clip can be viewed below, complete
1907. 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
1908. [3]:<o:p></o:p></p>
1909.  
1910. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">Even as I was falling I thought,
1911. Oh crap, I’m not going all the way to the ground, am I? I’ll stop myself
1912. somehow. I’ll keep my footing. I’ll regain my balance. And then I knew I was
1913. mistaken about that. I was going all the way. I’d passed the tipping point. Oh
1914. crap indeed.<o:p></o:p></p>
1915.  
1916. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1cm;">Then there was the impact, a much
1917. greater, more generalised blow than I’d been anticipating. I was on the ground,
1918. winded, hurting all over, feeling like a fool, trying to breathe deeply and
1919. regularly, and thinking.. ..’Oh man this really, really hurts, this is a bad
1920. one’.<o:p></o:p></p>
1921.  
1922. <p class="MsoNormal">Nicholson broke his arm, but I was luckier as I only had cuts on
1923. various parts of my face and arms and a badly swollen hand. Once I had
1924. recovered a little, I gingerly pushed myself up and then sat for a while on a
1925. tree stump before walking the 2 km to my home. A visit to the hospital later in
1926. the day revealed a dislocated, and broken, little finger that required surgery
1927. under general anaesthetic and, as I write, my hand and lower arm are in plaster and
1928. I await the verdict of the medical team as to the extent of healing.<o:p></o:p></p>
1929.  
1930. <p class="MsoNormal">I was a fool to concentrate on making the videoclip and not
1931. looking where I was putting my feet. A lesson learned, certainly, but I so look
1932. forward to going out on more solitary walks in the countryside. Despite recent
1933. evidence, thy are good for me…<o:p></o:p></p>
1934.  
1935. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Russell Goulbourne (2011) <i>Introduction. Reveries of
1936. the Solitary Walker by Jean-Jacques Rousseau</i>. Oxford, Oxford University
1937. Press.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1938.  
1939. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Percy M. Young (1956) <i>Letters of Edward Elgar and
1940. Other Writings</i>. London, Geoffrey Bles.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1941.  
1942. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] Geoff Nicholson (2010) <i>The Lost Art of Walking</i>.
1943. Chelmsford, Harbour.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1944.  
1945. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1946.  
1947. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1948.  
1949. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
1950.  
1951. <p class="MsoNormal">My thanks to Anna Easton for her advice on the use of
1952. 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
1953. Picasso. Caroline Levisse, our tutor, has the happy knack of being informal, and
1954. inviting questions of those attending, while also having an in-depth knowledge of art
1955. history. As a result, the group had its own dynamic and it was interesting to
1956. hear what members had to say about Picasso, his life, and the many varieties of
1957. his art – from paintings, through sculpture, to ceramics and much else [1].</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1958.  
1959. <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
1960. were all happy to acknowledge that Picasso was an extraordinarily talented
1961. 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
1962. which was based on artists whose work they <u>did</u> react to positively. I was
1963. one of the dissenters, and was relieved when one of the class members said he admired <i>Guernica</i>
1964. (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
1965. started to wonder why.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1966.  
1967. <p class="MsoNormal">Since I was young, I have loved looking at paintings and
1968. have tried to interpret what I see. As an undergraduate, I made many visits to
1969. the National and Tate Galleries in London and attempted to learn more by
1970. listening to talks and by reading. Some paintings made an instant impact on me,
1971. some took more time, and some left me baffled. Regrettably, much modern art
1972. fell into the latter category, but I was bowled over by the large-scale paintings
1973. by Turner: one of them, <i>Sun Setting over a Lake</i>, is shown below.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
1974.  
1975. <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
1976. “essence” of the world around us. He had the skill to paint portraits and, as James
1977. Hamilton writes [2]: </p>
1978.  
1979. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">Turner’s education as an artist
1980. was running on a number of fronts in the early 1790s [when in his teens]. He
1981. followed the standard Academy tuition of drawing from casts of antique
1982. sculpture, in preparation for the Life Class, which he entered on 25th June
1983. 1792.. .. Through the evidence of two self-portraits made at the beginning and
1984. end of the decade, Turner had more than a passing interest in becoming
1985. competent in portraiture, and must have taken lessons in it. All this was available
1986. to every other ambitious artist of his generation; but what stands out in
1987. Turner’s case is the breadth of his interest, and his dogged refusal to specialise.
1988. At all times he kept a weather eye open for opportunities to make money out of
1989. his art. </p>
1990.  
1991. <p class="MsoNormal">From Hamilton’s description, we see parallels with Picasso:
1992. both had a rare talent for several categories of painting (and Picasso had many
1993. other creative outlets) and both had an interest in the monetary value of their
1994. work. To this can be added their enjoyment of a messy studio, and a
1995. powerful impulse to draw and paint at every opportunity. Both were strongly
1996. 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>
1997.  
1998. <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
1999. landscape in which they are portrayed: in his classical works in the style of
2000. Claude, the distant figures give scale and this is true also of other works,
2001. like <i>Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps</i> (see above),
2002. where the many members of the army give the scene a strong sense of the sublime.
2003. Picasso, on the other hand, used a strongly anthropocentric approach and most
2004. of his works featured portraits of one kind or another and, while the contents
2005. of houses had a role in providing a setting, landscape did not.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2006.  
2007. <p class="MsoNormal">Is this why I find it difficult to appreciate Picasso’s
2008. work, while being moved by that of Turner? Is it that I find Picasso’s use of
2009. strong lines challenging and find the more diffuse shapes in Turner’s work
2010. easier to relate to? What is certain is that I am a Romantic and I have also
2011. been shaped by my career in biology, with over forty years’ of research
2012. on animals, plants, microorganisms, and the environment in which they live.
2013. 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
2014. though we can isolate ourselves from it. That form of thinking must have come
2015. early in my life, for I always liked solitary walks along the coasts and lanes
2016. of Devonshire while growing up. Maybe that is the root of my Romanticism and
2017. why I can respect Picasso as a great artist, but find his work puzzling?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2018.  
2019. <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">[1] James <span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Voorhies
2020. (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
2021. 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>
2022.  
2023. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">[2] James Hamilton
2024. (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
2025. fortunate enough to have been brought up in one: I lived in Paignton in South
2026. Devon and went to school in Torquay more than 50 years ago, so knew both towns
2027. well. I expect that they are rather different now to the way that I remember
2028. them, while both resorts have an interesting history. </p>
2029.  
2030. <p class="MsoNormal">In his foreword to John Pike’s <i>Iron Horse to the Sea</i>,
2031. Crispin Gill writes [1]: </p>
2032.  
2033. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The turnpike roads to Exmouth and
2034. Torquay first created the resorts of South Devon, but it was the coming of the
2035. railway.. ..that really saw these places grow. In the early days it was the
2036. aristocracy and the upper middle class who could afford holidays when these
2037. resorts were frequented mainly in the winter. Since the First World War, with the
2038. growth of holidays with pay, these resorts have become accessible to all and
2039. are now among the most popular in Britain. </p>
2040.  
2041. <p class="MsoNormal">Initially, the railway terminated at Torquay (at what is now
2042. Torre) and Pike [1] describes the onward extension (including quotes from private
2043. papers supporting the proposal to build the railway): </p>
2044.  
2045. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The route of the proposed railway
2046. was 11 miles in length and approached quite near to Brixham which was then
2047. becoming an important fishing port. Equally of interest is the prophecy of a
2048. future for Paignton ‘in climate of equal salubrity with Torquay, it possesses,
2049. in addition, a hard sandy beach nearly two miles in length, admirably adapted for
2050. bathing. Being in the centre of the Bay, it also embraces, within easy drives,
2051. all points of beauty … [it] annually draws to it numerous visitors for health
2052. as well as recreation.’ </p>
2053.  
2054. <p class="MsoNormal">In <i>Bradshaw’s Descriptive Railway Handbook</i> [2],
2055. originally published in 1863 shortly after the extension had been completed, we
2056. have a fulsome account of the pleasures of Torquay, while Paignton is described
2057. thus: </p>
2058.  
2059. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">The situation of this place is
2060. really beautiful, commanding a central aspect of Torbay. Its picturesque church
2061. and the sand rounding from it to the fine woods of Tor Abbey, and the town and
2062. pier below it, form a pleasing <i>coup d’œil</i>. </p>
2063.  
2064. <p class="MsoNormal">No mention of the swampy land between the railway and the
2065. sea and, by the relative size of the two entries, readers of <i>Bradshaw’s</i>
2066. will gain the impression that Paignton was regarded as a poor neighbour of
2067. Torquay, although there were wealthy residents. This may well have been the
2068. attitude of many outsiders, and some Paignton residents would not disagree with
2069. that perception, despite our pride in the town. </p>
2070.  
2071. <p class="MsoNormal">The importance of winter visitors has been emphasised by
2072. StJohn Thomas and Smith [3]: </p>
2073.  
2074. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">As late as the 1890s, when
2075. following the abandonment of Brunel’s broad gauge, the first through trains ran
2076. from the North to Torbay, the resorts were still busier in winter than in
2077. summer, when many of their facilities closed down. Sea bathing (of course dependent
2078. on the bathing machine) was however growing rapidly in popularity and certainly
2079. local traffic was heavier in summer; Exeter in particular has a strong
2080. tradition of sending its people to the sea on day trips.. ..and by 1914 the
2081. upper middle class family by the sea was more usually a summer affair. </p>
2082.  
2083. <p class="MsoNormal">By my time, in the 1950s, Paignton was a popular family
2084. resort and any wealthy visitors coming down in winter for their health were not
2085. apparent to us residents. In the opening of <i>Walking with Gosse</i>, I
2086. describe what I remembered [4]: </p>
2087.  
2088. <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,
2089. Paignton in the 1950s was typical of many seaside towns in the UK, being quiet
2090. and left to its residents. A small theatre put on rather good amateur pantomimes
2091. at Christmas and, at other times, hosted school music festivals, elocution
2092. contests, and the occasional Billy Graham-style Christian “Crusade”. Bakers,
2093. butchers, grocers, newsagents, chemists, banks and other high street shops supported
2094. the local community; while pubs, churches and clubs, associated with
2095. organisations like the British Legion, provided social life. In almost all
2096. homes, meals were prepared from basic ingredients and, as a treat, fish and
2097. chip shops dotted through the town were a source of takeaway meals: the fish
2098. being cod, plaice, haddock, bream or rock salmon (dogfish), all caught locally. </p>
2099.  
2100. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt; text-align: justify;">Nothing
2101. much seemed to change in the pattern of life during the week, with Saturdays a
2102. time for relaxation and, perhaps, watching, or playing, sport. Sundays were for
2103. dressing in one’s “best” clothes, with very few shops, or places of
2104. entertainment, open. It was a day for gentle walks, going to church or Sunday
2105. School, and having a roast lunch (called dinner), followed by tea with tinned
2106. fruit and fancy cakes. If the routine of the week was broken by illness,
2107. support came from General Practitioners and a small hospital; while several
2108. dentists looked after teeth and dentures (that were much commoner then than
2109. now).<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p>
2110.  
2111. <p class="MsoNormal">That is one person’s view of winter in a summer-resort where
2112. all the shops selling rock, “kiss-me-quick hats”, saucy postcards, etc.. were
2113. boarded up, as were the stalls selling candyfloss, seafood, chips and the like.
2114. Some cafes remained open, but winter provided a bleaker outlook that was such a
2115. contrast to the summer, when train after train brought holidaymakers on
2116. Saturdays (changeover day), with similar numbers of trains taking them home
2117. after a week. I have tried to capture Paignton in winter in photographs (see
2118. 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
2119. a thousand words”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
2120.  
2121. <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
2122. is highly skilled and also has the eye of an artist. He produced a wonderful photograph
2123. in his recent collection entitled <i>Silent Coast</i> [5] that was referenced
2124. by the <i>Financial Times </i>Magazine of 4th June 2022 (see below – the
2125. associated text is worth reading).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2126.  
2127. <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
2128. conjures up the ghostly feeling that seaside resorts can create out of season. There
2129. is no-one to be seen, yet everything that provides entertainment is still
2130. there, but locked up. In looking at the image, one remembers the noise of excited
2131. children running around in bathing costumes, the warmth of the balmy air, the
2132. thrill of slides (especially water slides), etc.. </p>
2133.  
2134. <p class="MsoNormal">There are not only changes in types of visitors and their
2135. means of getting to the resorts of Torbay at different times of the year as there
2136. are also changes in topography. For example, the magnificent view of the coast
2137. from Babbacombe has been altered by the cliff fall at Oddicombe (see images below),
2138. where saturated sandstones fractured at weak points and then slid down. A
2139. different form of erosion comes in the effect of tides and waves that attack
2140. coastal defences and have severed some coastal paths that linked adjacent
2141. coves. Storms and tidal surges have also affected the railway lines that run to
2142. Torquay and Paignton through Dawlish, where landslips and breaches are familiar
2143. to both contemporary residents and those that are interests in transport
2144. history. These are decadal, rather than seasonal, changes, but what of Paignton
2145. in earlier times? <o:p></o:p></p>
2146.  
2147. <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
2148. production of vegetables and it was a centre for cider making. There were also
2149. “Paignton cockles” and other shellfish, and fish, to collect and that reminds
2150. us of the other, non-human, residents of the shores of Torbay, well-known to
2151. those residents and holidaymakers that enjoy rock pooling and similar
2152. activities. There are many types of seaweeds, snails and barnacles and these
2153. show different levels of tolerance to drying, with some found higher up the
2154. 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
2155. familiar to holidaymakers, as the sea creeps up the beach as the tide comes in
2156. twice each day, reducing the available space on the sand and creating a
2157. Canute-style adventure for children who have defences around their sand
2158. castles. Very few visitors and residents think of the effect of tides on other
2159. shore life. </p>
2160.  
2161. <p class="MsoNormal">The presence of the beach for sunbathing and swimming is
2162. something we take for granted and, apart from the various erosional events, is
2163. little changed within our lifetime. However, if we go back tens of thousands of
2164. years to the time of the last Ice Age, the coast was way to the east of where
2165. it is now and Torbay was part of a lowland forest. We would recognise some
2166. features, like headlands and hilly peaks, but we would certainly not recognise
2167. the coast as it was then; increase in sea level at the time of the melting of
2168. the northern ice cap giving us the outline of the shore that we have today. If
2169. we look into the future, it seems certain that sea level rise resulting from
2170. global warming will cause local inundations and, without increased sea defences,
2171. the coastline will be inland of its current position. I wonder what it will be
2172. like and what kinds of visitors it will attract? </p>
2173.  
2174. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2175.  
2176. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] John Pike (1987) <i>Iron Horse to the Sea: Railways in
2177. South Devon</i>. Bradford on Aven. Ex-Libris Press. </p>
2178.  
2179. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Anon (1863) <i>Bradshaw’s Descriptive Railway Hand-book
2180. of Great Britain and Ireland</i>. London, W.J.Adams. </p>
2181.  
2182. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] David StJohn Thomas and Simon Rocksborough Smith (1973) <i>Summer
2183. Saturdays in the West</i>. Newton Abbot, David & Charles. </p>
2184.  
2185. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
2186. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book. </p>
2187.  
2188. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] <a href="https://www.robball.co.uk/">https://www.robball.co.uk/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
2189.  
2190. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2191.  
2192. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2193.  
2194. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2195.  
2196. &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
2197. Eliot’s first two novels: <i>Scenes of Clerical Life</i> (really three separate
2198. novellas in one volume) and <i>Adam Bede</i>. As is well known, George Eliot (see
2199. above) was the pen name of Marian (earlier Mary Ann, or Mary Anne) Evans and
2200. her interest in evangelical Christianity came from when she attended schools in
2201. Nuneaton and Coventry. In her Introduction to the Oxford World’s Classics
2202. edition of <i>Scenes of Clerical Life</i>, Josie Billington writes [1]: </p>
2203.  
2204. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">As an adolescent, coming of age in
2205. just the period – the 1830s – she writes of in <i>Scenes</i>, Mary Anne Evans
2206. was swept up in the religious current of Evangelicalism.. ..If the Oxford
2207. Movement sought to turn back the legacy of the Reformation, Evangelicalism
2208. sought to complete what the Reformation had begun, expunging the ceremony and
2209. sacrament which were the remaining formal vestiges of Roman Catholicism and rediscovering
2210. the vital puritan impulses of original Protestantism.. ..Evangelicalism offered
2211. a belief that was hard and uncompromising, yet passionately earnest and
2212. totalizing, which in the first half of the nineteenth century had a profound
2213. impact not just on the rural towns of England, but on the nation’s cultural and
2214. intellectual life in general. </p>
2215.  
2216. <p class="MsoNormal">Never fully committed to evangelical Christianity, Marian
2217. went on to reject it, while retaining sympathies for the “good side” of some of
2218. those who believed wholeheartedly in this approach. Her views are discussed in
2219. an essay by Donald C. Masters [2]: </p>
2220.  
2221. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">While George Eliot (1819-1880)
2222. came to dislike the Evangelical viewpoint, her treatment of Evangelicals, particularly
2223. in her early novels, was much more sympathetic than that of other Victorian
2224. novelists.. ..Like many other disillusioned Christians she retained her belief
2225. in the Christian ethic. She liked the Evangelicals in spite of their doctrines
2226. and what she regarded as their naïveté and narrowness, because they made people
2227. better.. </p>
2228.  
2229. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">..Her early letters.. ..suggest
2230. that her acceptance of Evangelical principles was merely an intellectual
2231. process. She never made the complete personal commitment that is the secret and
2232. core of the Evangelical position.. ..She had lost faith in the Bible, the
2233. essential basis of the Evangelical tradition and described it.. ..as “histories
2234. consisting of mangled truth and fiction.” </p>
2235.  
2236. <p class="MsoNormal">Many of us who have encountered evangelical Christianity, and
2237. subsequently turned away from it without making “the commitment”, can recognise
2238. George Eliot’s feelings. I have described my own experience [3]: </p>
2239.  
2240. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">My last contact
2241. with formal Christianity came at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School, where I went to
2242. meetings of the Christian Union, in which my elder brother was a leader. We sat
2243. around a table and listened to speakers, or to tapes of Billy Graham preaching.
2244. We also had prayer meetings when we all had to take part. Prayers were for the
2245. usual things connected with our salvation but, being a school, we also prayed
2246. for masters who were Christian, to boost their religious, as well as their
2247. educational, mission. I always dreaded prayer meetings and was not comfortable
2248. at any of the other meetings either. Unlike some of those present, I found
2249. Billy Graham strange and rather too energetic, and neither could I summon up
2250. much enthusiasm for a guest speaker who spent many minutes propounding the
2251. correct pronunciation of Bethphage. </p>
2252.  
2253. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm; tab-stops: 17.0pt;">There were tracts
2254. for us to hand out in the school, delivered in bulk from the Evangelical Tract
2255. Society.. ..I couldn’t hand out such things and had quite a collection by the
2256. time I stopped attending the Christian Union. </p>
2257.  
2258. <p class="MsoNormal">It is not difficult, then, to see how personal experience of
2259. religious groups affects one’s reading of George Eliot’s novels. Like Marian, I
2260. rejected the thinking of evangelical Christians (on many grounds) and, like
2261. her, try to see their good human qualities, although I worry about their
2262. tendency to proselytise to those going through hard times. </p>
2263.  
2264. <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
2265. Eliot’s novels is the presence of young children, often described in detail and
2266. forming important threads to the various storylines. Marian loved children, but
2267. she was unable to have any of her own. The reason was not biological, as far as
2268. I know, more that she didn’t marry until she was in her sixties and spent most
2269. of her adult life living with George Henry Lewes (see above), who was already
2270. married and had children. If “living in sin” was bad enough in the eyes of many
2271. in Victorian society, having children while in such a relationship would be
2272. viewed very severely indeed. Certainly, Marian’s cohabitation with Lewes caused
2273. much pain to her upright family and this, in turn, was the source of much
2274. sadness to her. </p>
2275.  
2276. <p class="MsoNormal">The couple had a very close relationship, with Marian
2277. depending on George for reassurance and advice. He was from a theatrical family
2278. and both acted in, and wrote, plays: he also wrote novels, was an expert on
2279. Goethe, published an outstanding review of philosophy through the ages, contributed
2280. to many leading artistic journals, and was also what we would now call a
2281. networker [4]. Although unprepossessing in appearance (some called him ugly),
2282. he was popular for his conversation and energy and he knew many of the movers
2283. and shakers in Victorian literary society. He was one himself. </p>
2284.  
2285. <p class="MsoNormal">Lewes met Marian through John Chapman, the publisher of the <i>Westminster
2286. Review</i> [5]. Chapman was a “free-thinker” and Marian lived in his household,
2287. where relationships between Mr and Mrs Chapman, their governess, and Marian
2288. were complicated. In Ashton’s account [5] we read that Chapman “visited Marian
2289. Evans’ room, where she played the piano for him and taught him German.” It was
2290. all too much for Mrs Chapman and Marian left the household, but returned in
2291. 1851 when Chapman asked her back to help him as part of the editorial team on
2292. the <i>Review</i>, where her “sharp brain, wide knowledge, willing labour, and
2293. ability to deal tactfully yet firmly with touchy contributors” [5] was invaluable. </p>
2294.  
2295. <p class="MsoNormal">During 1852, Marian was spending much time with Herbert
2296. Spencer, the philosopher and biologist to whom she had been introduced by
2297. Chapman, and they “were so often in one another’s company that ‘all the world
2298. is setting us down as engaged’, Marian would have liked nothing better, but
2299. Spencer was less keen.” [5] The result was that, in 1853, Lewes replaced Spencer
2300. in her affections and this was the start of a deep relationship that only ended
2301. with Lewes’ death. He was a great support to Marian and advised her during her
2302. first, tentative steps as a novelist and he played the same role after she had
2303. become famous and was being hailed as a very significant writer. Marian had
2304. come a long way from those evangelical Christian schooldays in Warwickshire and
2305. Lewes had also progressed in his interests. Like his hero Goethe, he then became
2306. interested in practical science. </p>
2307.  
2308. <p class="MsoNormal">In the early years of his relationship with Marian, Lewes
2309. had been chided by T.H.Huxley as a “’mere’ book scientist ‘without the
2310. discipline and knowledge which result from being a worker also’”. This came
2311. after a review that Lewes had written and it perhaps inspired him to join the
2312. Victorian craze for the study of marine natural history. The leading figure in
2313. popularising this interest was Philip Henry Gosse, who had written <i>A Naturalist’s
2314. Rambles on the Devonshire Coast</i> (1853, centred on Torquay and Ilfracombe), <i>The
2315. Aquarium</i> (1854) and <i>Tenby</i> (published in March 1856, centred on the
2316. Welsh seaside town). Lewes read all these books and, in the summer of 1856, he
2317. and Marian left for Ilfracombe (where they befriended another enthusiast, Mr
2318. Tugwell, the curate of Ilfracombe) and then Tenby; following this with visits
2319. to the Scilly Isles and Jersey in spring and early summer of 1857. It was
2320. during the first section of this marine shore adventure that the pair discussed
2321. the possibility of Marian’s writing a novel. <i>The Sad Fortunes of the Rev
2322. Amos Barton</i> was commenced in the autumn of 1856 and became the first part
2323. of <i>Scenes of Clerical Life</i> published, anonymously, in instalments in <i>Blackwood’s
2324. Magazine</i> through 1857 and as a book in two volumes in 1858. She was not an enthusiast
2325. for studying shore life, so Lewes’ avid work on the coast allowed Marian time
2326. to think about the content of her embryo novel. </p>
2327.  
2328. <p class="MsoNormal">Lewes’ work was published in instalments in Blackwood’s Magazine
2329. through 1856/7 and came out in book form, published by Blackwood and Sons and dedicated
2330. to Richard Owen, as <i>Sea-side Studies</i> in 1858. In the preface, Lewes pays
2331. homage to Huxley (perhaps the latter’s comment stung?) and there are frequent
2332. references to Gosse throughout the book. Both men showed a particular interest
2333. in sea anemones and, indeed they had a dispute over one aspect of the biology
2334. of some of these animals [6]. It is interesting to make a comparison of the two
2335. men. </p>
2336.  
2337. <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
2338. classified), Philip Henry Gosse (above) was a strict believer in the literal
2339. truth of the Bible [3] and an evangelical Christian. In 1857 he moved to St
2340. Marychurch in Torquay after the death of his wife Emily, who had accompanied
2341. him to Torquay, Ilfracombe and Tenby on the collecting trips that resulted in
2342. his earlier books. Emily was a writer of religious tracts (like those I failed
2343. to hand out during my school days) and as deeply committed as her husband to
2344. evangelical Christianity. Her painful death, leaving Henry Gosse with his young
2345. son Edmund (later Sir Edmund), was the main reason that he decided to move. </p>
2346.  
2347. <p class="MsoNormal">At the time of the move to Torquay, he was expecting high
2348. sales of his book <i>Omphalos</i>, that was to be published in late autumn
2349. 1857, and he was looking forward to the attention that it would bring. Although
2350. there are many references to God and Creation in Henry’s books, <i>Omphalos</i>
2351. saw him tackle head-on the conflict between the Biblical Creation and the idea
2352. of geological time scales, that were becoming accepted by the mid-1850s. It is
2353. subtitled “an attempt to untie the geological knot” and it was Henry’s attempt
2354. to ease an obvious conflict: his idea being that rock strata and fossils were
2355. all created over the short period of the Biblical Creation. In <i>Omphalos</i>,
2356. he showed a thorough knowledge of geology and palaeontology and knew that large
2357. time periods were involved, but clung to his odd theory, for which he was duly
2358. mocked. Through all the difficulties of 1857, Henry didn’t question his
2359. beliefs; rather he became even more ensconced in evangelical Christianity. He
2360. reduced his attendance at meetings of the learned societies and didn’t have
2361. much personal contact with members the scientific community, although he had
2362. correspondence with many people, including Darwin. </p>
2363.  
2364. <p class="MsoNormal">There are many that still adhere to the Creationist views
2365. shown by Henry Gosse, although they make little attempt to provide a rational
2366. explanation to account for the differences between their views and those of the
2367. scientific community. At least Henry made an attempt, even if his explanation
2368. was unacceptable to both scientists and believers; Charles Kingsley, for
2369. example, chastised Gosse for suggesting the God appears to be telling lies [3].
2370. It seems that evangelical Christians who believe in the literal truth of the
2371. Bible have the opinion that there can be no opposition to their view and cannot
2372. tolerate any other explanations. </p>
2373.  
2374. <p class="MsoNormal">Lewes took a very different approach, as described by David Williams
2375. [4]: </p>
2376.  
2377. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">He thinks, or at any rate he
2378. wishes, that the scientific explorers and the religious no-compromise men.. ..
2379. can be brought together to ‘sit round a table’, as we put it, that Huxley and
2380. Darwin can amicably confer with the tractarians and the Evangelicals and come
2381. out of the room with a formula acceptable to both sides. </p>
2382.  
2383. <p class="MsoNormal">There has been movement among some evangelical Christians
2384. and we are all familiar with the little car badge of a fish with limbs, bearing
2385. the word “Darwin” at its centre. Perhaps the only major difference for many is
2386. whether there was a Creator, or whether all that we see around us is the result
2387. of chance events. </p>
2388.  
2389. <p class="MsoNormal">After the adverse comments about <i>Omphalos</i>, Henry
2390. Gosse spent much time collecting marine creatures from the shores of South
2391. Devon [3]. He was in the throes of producing his major monograph on sea
2392. anemones, that was to be a standard work on these animals for many years and is
2393. still consulted today. It contains brilliant illustrations, as Gosse was a very
2394. capable artist in watercolours [7]. </p>
2395.  
2396. <p class="MsoNormal">In a letter sent to Tugwell in November 1856, Lewes writes [8]: </p>
2397.  
2398. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">It would be a pleasant thing for
2399. you to write the monograph on Actinae with W. Thompson; & as to the money,
2400. you can’t expect much from such labour, but may consider yourself lucky to be
2401. free of expense. At the same time you have a formidable rival in Gosse, who is
2402. I believe engaged on a monograph. </p>
2403.  
2404. <p class="MsoNormal">This shows Lewes’ respect for Gosse as an expert in sea
2405. anemones, but in a later letter to Hutton on 5th May 1859 we read [8]: </p>
2406.  
2407. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">Gosse’s book is too poor for a
2408. review; & I have long been making notes of the history I shall sketch which
2409. will I hope be far more entertaining than a review. </p>
2410.  
2411. <p class="MsoNormal">I assume that Lewes is referring here to <i>Omphalos</i>, as
2412. <i>Actinologica Britannica</i> appeared in book form in 1860, having previously
2413. been published in twelve parts from 1858-1860 [9]. Despite their disagreement
2414. over some points [6], Lewes clearly respected Gosse as a natural historian. </p>
2415.  
2416. <p class="MsoNormal">We know that Lewes and Marian visited Torquay in 1868 and,
2417. while the former continued with dissections for a future publication, Marian
2418. was preparing ideas for <i>Middlemarch</i> and it is possible that there were some
2419. indirect references to Torquay in that book [10]. We also learn that Marian and
2420. Lewes enjoyed walks at Babbacombe, adjacent to St Marychurch [10], and one
2421. wonders whether they called on Gosse, or encountered him while walking. I
2422. cannot find reference to a meeting and would be intrigued to know how it might
2423. have gone and what Marian would have made of this evangelical Christian and a
2424. man who was not afraid of proselytising. The urge to spread the Gospel came through
2425. in many of Henry Gosse’s books, but rarely with the intensity of the
2426. extraordinary conclusion of <i>A Year at the Shore</i>, published in 1865,
2427. three years before George and Marian arrived in Torquay [11]: </p>
2428.  
2429. <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
2430. this volume without recording my solemn and deliberate protest against the
2431. infidelity with which, to a very painful extent, modern physical science is
2432. associated. I allude not only to the ground which the conclusions of modern
2433. geologists take, in opposition to the veracity of the “God which cannot lie,”
2434. though the distinct statements which He has made to us concerning Creation are
2435. now, as if by common consent, put aside, with silent contempt, as effete
2436. fables, unworthy of a moment’s thought, and this too before vast assemblages of
2437. persons, not one of whom lifts his voice for the truth of God. These assaults
2438. are at least open and unmasked. But there is in our scientific literature, and
2439. specially in that which takes a popular form, a tone equally dangerous and more
2440. insidious. It altogether ignores the awful truths of God’s revelation, that all
2441. mankind are guilty and condemned and spiritually dead in Adam; that we are by
2442. nature children of wrath; that the whole world lieth in the wicked one; and
2443. that the wrath of God abideth on it: it ignores the glorious facts of atonement
2444. by the precious blood of Christ, and of acceptance in Him. It substitutes for
2445. these a mere sentimental admiration of nature, and teaches that the love of the
2446. beautiful makes man acceptable to God, and secures His favour. How often do we
2447. see quoted and be-praised, as if it were an indisputable axiom, the sentiment
2448. of a poet who ought to have known better,–<o:p></o:p></p>
2449.  
2450. <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>
2451.  
2452. <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
2453. loveth best<o:p></o:p></p>
2454.  
2455. <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
2456. great and small;” –<o:p></o:p></p>
2457.  
2458. <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>
2459.  
2460. <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
2461. as it is unscriptural; for what connexion can there be between the love of the
2462. inferior creatures, and the acceptableness of a sinner praying to the Holy God?
2463. It is the intervention of Christ Jesus, the anointed Priest, which alone gives
2464. prayer acceptance… There is no sentimental or scientific road to heaven. There
2465. is absolutely nothing in the study of created things, however single, however
2466. intense, which will admit sinful man into the presence of God, or fit him to
2467. enjoy it. If there were, what need was there that the glorious Son, the
2468. everlasting Word, should be made flesh, and give His life a ransom for many? …
2469. If I have come to God as a guilty sinner, and have found acceptance, and
2470. reconciliation, and sonship, in the blood of His only-begotten Son, then I may
2471. come down from that elevation, and study creation with advantage and profit;
2472. but to attempt to scale heaven with the ladder of natural history, is nothing
2473. else than Cain's religion; it is the presentation of the fruit of the earth,
2474. instead of the blood of the Lamb … This will be, in all probability, the last
2475. occasion of my coming in literary guise before the public: how can I better
2476. take my leave than with the solemn testimony of the Spirit of God, which I
2477. affectionately commend to my readers, – … THERE IS NO WAY INTO THE HOLIEST BUT
2478. BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS. FINIS. </p>
2479.  
2480. <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 19.85pt;">Henry Gosse was not only a proselytising
2481. evangelical Christian, but the leader of his group of Brethren in St
2482. Marychurch. He thus retreated into his own support group and this made it increasingly
2483. difficult for him to accept any religious views other than those he supported.
2484. It was religious differences, and the views of Henry on who one should have as
2485. friends, that was the basis of the conflict with his son, Edmund, described
2486. (with some elaboration?) in the latter’s famous book <i>Father and Son</i> [12].
2487. This volume, more than any other work, has shaped our view of Henry [3], a pity
2488. as, if one could find a way of negotiating the religious hurdle, with all its
2489. side effects, he was a very nice man and would certainly be good company on
2490. rambles or on the shore. </p>
2491.  
2492. <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 19.85pt;">As we have seen, Marian Evans and
2493. Geoge Lewes were more accepting of those with religious differences and the
2494. former certainly recognised these human sides of evangelical Christians,
2495. although she was aware of their dogmatism and inflexibility. I think they would
2496. have enjoyed meeting Gosse, but what would Henry make of them? He would balk at
2497. their lack of faith in his version of Christianity and he would also strongly
2498. disapprove of their relationship. Henry did re-marry after the tragic death of
2499. Emily and his second wife, Eliza, while also being a member of the Brethren
2500. appeared to be a little more flexible in her approach to Edmund’s “sinfulness”
2501. than was his father. Edmund was also helped in his relationship with his father
2502. by his wife, the painter Nellie Epps, whom I have described as a “Nineteenth
2503. Century Wonder Woman” [13]. Nellie’s sister, Laura Alma-Tadema drew a profile
2504. of Marian in 1877 [14] and it would be amusing to know what the artist felt
2505. about her sitter and what views she shared with the Gosse family. </p>
2506.  
2507. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2508.  
2509. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] Josie Billington (1988) Introduction to George Eliot’s <i>Scenes
2510. of Clerical Life</i>. Oxford, Oxford University Press World’s Classics. </p>
2511.  
2512. <p class="MsoNormal">[2] Donald C. Masters (1962) George Eliot and the
2513. Evangelicals. <i>The Dalhousie Review</i> 41: 505-512. </p>
2514.  
2515. <p class="MsoNormal">[3] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
2516. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book. </p>
2517.  
2518. <p class="MsoNormal">[4] David Williams (1983) <i>Mr George Eliot: A Biography of
2519. George Henry Lewes</i>. London, Hodder and Stoughton. </p>
2520.  
2521. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Rosemary Ashton (2008) <i>Lewes, George Henry
2522. (1817-1878)</i>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/16562">https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/16562</a> </p>
2523.  
2524. <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>
2525.  
2526. <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>
2527.  
2528. <p class="MsoNormal">[8] William Baker (ed.) (1995) <i>The Letters of George
2529. Henry Lewes Volume</i> 1. Victoria, Canada, ELS Editions. </p>
2530.  
2531. <p class="MsoNormal">[9] R.B.Freeman and Douglas Wetheimer (1980) <i>Philip Henry
2532. Gosse: A Bibliography</i>. Folkestone, Wm. Dawon & Sons. </p>
2533.  
2534. <p class="MsoNormal">[10] Kathleen McCormack (2005) <i>George Eliot’s English
2535. Travels: Composite characters and coded communications</i>. Abingdon,
2536. Routledge. </p>
2537.  
2538. <p class="MsoNormal">[11] Philip Henry Gosse (1865) <i>A Year at the Shore</i>.
2539. London, Alexander Strahan. </p>
2540.  
2541. <p class="MsoNormal">[12] Edmund Gosse (1907) <i>Father and Son: A Study of Two
2542. Temperaments</i>. London, William Heinemann Ltd. </p>
2543.  
2544. <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>
2545.  
2546. <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>
2547.  
2548. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2549.  
2550. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2551.  
2552. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2553.  
2554. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2555.  
2556. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2557.  
2558. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2559.  
2560. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2561.  
2562. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2563.  
2564. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2565.  
2566. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2567.  
2568. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
2569.  
2570. &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
2571. who had famous parents: Jennifer was the daughter of Myrtle Devenish [1] (above
2572. left, in later years); Geoff was the son of Arnie Kitson [2] (no image found!);
2573. 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
2574. roles she had taken, or seen any of her performances, but just being an actress
2575. was enough to be famous in my very limited world. In contrast to Myrtle, I had
2576. heard Arnie Kitson play his xylophone on radio broadcasts and he also taught
2577. Geoff the instrument – the latter making an appearance on “The Children’s
2578. Television Caravan”, a touring TV show that came to Paignton. I guess that Arnie,
2579. who came originally from Yorkshire, learned his craft in the music halls and I
2580. heard him play the xylophone on enough occasions to recognise his skill.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2581.  
2582. <p class="MsoNormal">Leslie Jackman was a local schoolteacher who also ran
2583. Paignton Aquarium [4]. A keen naturalist, Leslie published many books about
2584. seashore life, insects, and much else and he also became a well-known natural
2585. history film-maker. He worked on the BBC “Out of Doors” TV programme where he
2586. occupied the Club Room and encouraged many children to look in pools, to make
2587. bark rubbings, or to try and find egg shells dropped from nests. Much of Leslie’s
2588. work, like that of Myrtle Devenish, came after I had left Oldway Primary School,
2589. but he was already well-known and therefore qualified as someone famous. In <i>Walking
2590. with Gosse</i> [5], I relate that my pressed flower collection was given second
2591. place in a competition at the school; first prize being given to Diane, as she
2592. had such an excellent mentor. Leslie (always Mr Jackman to me) certainly
2593. influenced me and I recognise his importance in my development as a natural
2594. historian.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2595.  
2596. <p class="MsoNormal">So, three indirect contacts with fame (I only met Mrs
2597. Devenish on a couple of occasions, I never met Mr Kitson, and was yet to meet
2598. Mr Jackman). All on a rather small scale, perhaps, but nevertheless something
2599. that registered in my parochial little world.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2600.  
2601. <p class="MsoNormal">There are those who are desperate to be nationally, or world,
2602. famous, and contemporary media can make it possible for web “influencers”, pop
2603. stars, and reality TV show participants to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, fame and recognition are
2604. rarely long-term, although there are exceptions to that general rule: A-listers
2605. are likely to stay there, but B-listers can slide to the C-list and onwards into
2606. oblivion.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2607.  
2608. <p class="MsoNormal">In his book <i>Fame in the 20th Century</i>, Clive James
2609. writes [6]:</p>
2610.  
2611. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0cm;">There was always fame. As long as
2612. there have been human beings, there has always been fame. It’s a human
2613. weakness.<o:p></o:p></p>
2614.  
2615. <p class="MsoNormal">He then goes on to describe 406 famous men and women of the
2616. century (plus 5 from earlier times) and I only had to look up one of them, the
2617. rest being familiar to me. As would be expected, most came from the world of
2618. Entertainment and the Arts; areas, together with sport, that can produce
2619. enduring fame, although famous sportspeople are usually young, as their careers
2620. taper with age. That’s not to say that some sportsmen and sportswomen do not
2621. retain their fame, as there are those who become “legends” in popular
2622. parlance. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2623.  
2624. <p class="MsoNormal">This leads me to wonder whether fame was important to Myrtle
2625. Devenish, Arnie Kitson and Leslie Jackman? We all appreciate recognition of our
2626. activities and we like “pats on the back”, but is the quest for fame a human
2627. weakness as Clive James suggests and does it bring any meaningful benefits
2628. apart from wealth and the best tables in restaurants? There are certainly drawbacks,
2629. as one moves further and further from what might be called normality. Many
2630. famous people feel threatened, they can fear lack of recognition, be besieged
2631. and stared at wherever they go, and may have to hide behind a mask. Who wants
2632. to be famous?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2633.  
2634. <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
2635.  
2636. <p class="MsoNormal">[1] <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0222318/">https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0222318/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
2637.  
2638. <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>
2639.  
2640. <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>
2641.  
2642. <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>
2643.  
2644. <p class="MsoNormal">[5] Roger S Wotton (2020) <i>Walking with Gosse: Natural
2645. History, Creation and Religious Conflicts</i>. e-book.</p>
2646.  
2647. <p class="MsoNormal">[6] Clive James (1993) <i>Fame in the 20th Century</i>.
2648. London, BBC Books.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
2649.  
2650. &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></feed>