Tag: stone

UK: London’s Holborn Viaduct! (18.10.2026)

It seems that London had evolved into to two levels – creating steep inclines and bottle-necks. Movement was inefficient and caused traffic-jams and congestion. The government needed to reduce the ability of workers to come together in ad hoc and agitated groups. Therefore, engineers and architects were tasked with creating sturdy bridges that could handle weight and continuous usage – whilst functioning to link one level of existence to another. In a way, the design – at least the steps – remind me of multi-storey car-parks – although in a much more ornate state. Like the original Tube network – thousands of working-class men (many Irish) – dedicated their lives to building these structures. Of course, these ordinary men (who performed all the labour) are not remembered – but only the middle-class who control the means of production. It is through architecture that the current generation gains an understanding of what physically existed and came before them. Through physical structure – the thoughts that were in the mind of the creators can be seen in stone, wood, and cement. Furthermore, the statues tell something about the values and belief of the time.

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A Tamil Nadu temple has come under spotlight for its narrow 'Moksha passage'. (Photo: X)

India: “Moksha Passage” of Tamil Nadu Temple Claims Life – Another Escapes! (22.8.2028)

For the Hindu – who worships a pantheon of gods – this process also involves painful and/or selfless acts (similar to the self-flagellation found within Medieval Christianity). Whilst a Buddhist, for a time, might feel pain whilst deliberately “not doing something” they are used to doing (like an addict giving-up the desired object) – the Hindu will quite often willingly “invite” pain and suffering into their mind and body as a means to “purify” the senses, remove the obscuring karma, and clearly perceive the deity in question. At the temple below, this process involves squeezing through a narrow stone passage. This indicates that “Dharma” (the spiritual path of self-purification) – is both “narrow” and “restrictive” – which is true. However, the path of Dharma tends to indicate that behaviour during everyday life is controlled and restricted as regards “choices”. This stone passage seems to be a metaphor in concrete terms – teaching the adherent that everyday freedom must be “restricted” (the stone tunnel) – if ultimate freedom is to be achieved – (emerging from the narrow tunnel). Ironically, the adherent often imerges from the tunnel just as deluded as when they went in. Herein lies why the Buddha propagated the message he did.

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Surrey Mobile Church

Surrey: Mobile-Temporary Church! (30.5.2026)

Sometimes, however, these mobile structures are retained as they are considered reasonably humble and simple. As the font is very heavy – usually made of solid stone – it resides outside the Church structure. The font may well be too-heavy for the interior wooden structure. Churches, of course, do not have to conform to the (European) Medieval design – as can be seen in Ethiopia, Turkey, and elsewhere. Many early Churches were simple gathering points for isolated monastics to come together (out of their solitary meditation cells – quite often in the desert)) and communally worship. In-short, a Church is a focal-point whereby those in the material realm can commune with the unseen spiritual realm. Early Christianity was very similar to Buddhism – but its theology changed when a certain faction gained Roman State support (termed the “Catholics” or “Universalists”) which then set about destroying its own past – and any Christian sect which advocated worldly transcendence – or disagreed with the /church attaining worldly power and wealth.

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1745 Coaching Stone - Original 18th Century GPS!

Sutton: 18th Century Coaching-Stone – the Original GPS! (13.4.2026)

I may well have written about the old coaching-stones scattered around Sutton and Cheam – I now of two – but was unaware of the date they were established. Basically, these devices informed travellers on foot, horse, or carriage – how many miles it was from where they were to the centre of London. Coachmen could either read the inscription engraved on the stone – or was taught what the stone said and remembered where it was when driving on the road – either way – these coaching-stones served as the original GPS system for travel. I think the Roman established something similar thousands of years ago – so the concept was not new in 1745. What I did not realise is that these stones have now received official recognition of being historically important monuments worthy of preservation and protection. The iron-bars and plaque are the new editions which I only saw when taking a rare walk through Sutton.

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How Ogham Was Aligned with the Greci-Roman Alphabet.

Eire: Speaking [and Writing] the Irish Tongue! (6.4.2026)

She was also taught English at school by brutal school-masters. The children were beaten until they learned the English words – and this was by Irish teachers. As far as I am aware, Irish is a spoken language that was first written down in Ogham (lines pressed into the edges of clay tablets before firing – or engraved along the edges of standing stones – and known as the tree alphabet). Later, the sounds of Irish were transliterated into the received Greco-Roman alphabet – but this development was a contrivance – so that the invading English could understand what the Irish were saying. It would seem that the modern Irish learn to speak their language as normal – but now write it down using a foreign alphabet (English). Not only is this the case, but it would seem that a “French-like” accent (termed a “fada”) is used in modern Irish literature – such as over an “á” and other letters. Adding this mark – or taking it away – alters the sound of words and therefore the meaning of words. I suppose it amounts to “context” – but regarding literature (that is – the written word of modern Irish). As I cannot speak, read, or write “Irish” – I’m busking at the moment. My claim to fame is that my paternal grandmother (Gladys Kilmurray) could speak Irish – and that when her family members came to the UK to attend her funeral – they spoke Gaelic to one another and English to us. They seemed surprised that we could not speak Irish – but Nana was always reluctant to speak it in England due to the racism she used to receive for being “Irish”. Now, the racists would have believe the Irish have been “White” all along.

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The finely-carved Roman gemstone shows a charioteer standing on a racing chariot, with whip in hand, urging on two high-stepping horses

England: Latin Medieval Seal – Reading “+SECRETVM . RICARDI” [with Roman Gem-Stone] Unearthed! (2.2.2026)

The inscription – which reads +SECRETVM . RICARDI – shows the seal was created specifically for a man called Richard.

He would have used it to make a mark in hot wax to seal his letters and documents.

Richard appears to have specifically chosen the carved gemstone, known as an intaglio – possibly as a way of showing he had an understanding of the Classical world, according to Miss Rogerson.

She said: “It definitely would have been an indicator of the owner’s social status as a way of saying, ‘I have the means of obtaining something from a far gone time and place’ and indicated they were quite important – or saw themselves as quite important.”

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