@digitalman
Pillbox-spotter, Rush-fan, husband to an Irish wife, father of physicists, dancers,human tornados and Action Men called Jonathan. Beer drinking, book reading and thesaurus construction a speciality. Work @HistoricEngland. All views my own.
I’ll go easy on you this time. Maybe for the next book you could send me a proof…
Also had to order Robert Macfarlane’s ‘Is a River Alive’ to avoid paying the delivery charge. So winning! (He’s a Notts lad - my kids go to school in the village where he was born)
@alastairmac.bsky.social I assume your application is in the post?…
Those are some big shoes to fill…
Just ordered the hardback. Contrafibularities of the season!
Ordered!
A bench mark carved onto a corner stone of the tower of St. James’ church, Piccadilly.
An oval plaque, set into a brick wall commemorating the restoration of St. James’ Church, Piccadilly
One for #BenchMarkMonday on the tower of St. James’ Church, Piccadilly. 17.681m aod. Also nice plaque commemorating the restoration of the church following damage from enemy action during the Second World War.
I’m going to also count the cover of the Earth Rod for #JustAnotherManholeMonday
An ornate wooden postbox in the form of a cabinet with pediment. Set in a dressed stone niche. Above is a wooden sign which reads The Linnean Society
A red hexagonal postbox standing on a slabbed pavement with kerbstones and a single yellow line. Across the road is a terrace of houses.
Here’s a couple for #PostboxSaturday
A lovely Penfold with VR cipher on St. Leonard’s Terrace in Chelsea and the excellent Linnean Society postbox at Burlington House, Piccadilly
It’s #WorldBookDay and the day parents across the realm dread. On Tuesday, I was informed by number 2 son that he wanted to go as Mango from Investigators. Finally I have a use for that A Level in Stage Decor, Design and Practice…
An ornate wooden, double postbox with a pediment with a king’s crown carved in the centre, set into a niche in the entrance portico to Burlington House. Above it a wooden plaque reads ‘The Linnean Society’
Hi Ed, I think it actually reads S. J. & P. M. E. L. C. So something Council or Company perhaps. But yes strange coincidence (or is it…) if AI associates it with taxonomists given, as you say it’s proximity to this. Which may be of interest to
Sadly they’re still on the other place…at least I think they are - I have no way of checking
Stone paving with a manhole cover with an iron surround. The manhole bears the inscription ‘AC 430’
#JustAnotherManholeMonday
In the courtyard of Burlington House, Piccadilly approximately 3m north of the prototype K2 telephone kiosk
A brick wall with an Ordnance Survey Bench Mark highlighted in red chalk. Royal Hospital Building, junction of West Road and Royal Hospital Road. AOD 7.294m
Stone wall with ornate railing. A faded OS Bench Mark. Can be seen on the wall. BM @19.505m AOD
A couple of beauties for #BenchMarkMonday Royal Hospital Chelsea (Red Brick) and Burlington House, Piccadilly
A page from the Oxford English Dictionary showing the definition of Antiquary.
A page from the Compact Oxford English Dictionary showing an alternative definition of Antiquarian.
The OED would appear to agree although it does seem to imply that Antiquarian is an alternative of Antiquary (see definition in B- couldn’t get the header word for Antiquarian as it was at the bottom of the previous column…)
Rush has announced that they'll be extending their upcoming "Fifty Something" into South America, UK and Europe in 2027, in an exclusive new interview with the UK's Planet Rock ... www.rushisaband.com/blog/2026/02...
Fred the Homepride flour grader - a plastic container in the form of a man in a bowler hat. Originally manufactured by Airfix, for Spillers, it could be used to store flour.
I’m pretty sure this guy was the brains behind it…
It’s lucky we have strict gun laws…
Since when did ‘lead’ replace ‘led’ as the past participle for ‘to lead’? I’m seeing it more and more often and it’s leading me to drink. Yes, ‘lead’ can be pronounced ‘led’ when it’s being a metal but for the love of all that’s holy people let’s not fall down a homophonic well. I couldn’t bare it…
Thanks Ed! Very interesting.
An iron manhole cover, in the form of a triangular shield set into a tarmacked roadway. The cover includes the words Charlton Ironworks Ltd, Sheffield as part of the casting.
Nice cover from Charlton Ironworks for #JustAnotherManholeMonday
Located at the junction of the Ridgeway and Crabnook Lane, Farnsfield, Notts.
A stone built angle buttress of a church tower with Ordnance Survey Bench Mark carved into one of the stones. Church of St John, Mansfield, northwest angle buttress. OD @109.088m
A stone built angle buttress of a church tower with Ordnance Survey Bench Mark carved into one of the stones. Church of St John, Mansfield, southwest angle buttress. OD @109.417m
A church with bell tower, steeple and large porch. Church of St. John and St. Mary, Mansfield
#BenchMarkMonday here’s a couple from the Church of St. John and St. Mary, Mansfield
If I remember rightly when the BBC showed it they inadvertently showed one episode with the laugh track and had to apologise due to the number of complaints from viewers
Possibly, although there is only one with a drain next to it.
And for proper #BenchMarkMonday the almost obliterated bench mark on the south-east side of Waterloo Bridge at the top of the staircase leading down to the Southbank.
As far as I know these are not bench marks but does anyone know what they are? They can be found on the side of St Pancras Station across the road from King’s Cross. I find them intriguing. Not? #BenchMarkMonday
Double triangular manhole covers, forming a square, set into a tarmacked road. The word Wrekin appears along one edge and the British Standards Institute Kite Mark can be seen in the right angles of each triangular cover.
A lovely Wrekin for #JustAnotherManholeMonday Station Road, Farnsfield, Notts. by the cricket pitch.
Pedant here. He was born in New York and lived there till he was 12, so technically he’s a yank…but your point still stands
Nice triangular one for #JustAnotherManholeMonday. Ladies and gentlemen I give you the Hartlid.
Located on Back Lane, Halam, Notts. outside the Waggon pub.
Couldn’t get it in the boot of the mini…
That looks like a nice millstone roughout.
Shouldn’t that read ‘converts from a C*nt to a racist’…