Tag: stone

UK: Visiting Haytor – Dartmoor National Park! (17.4.2025

We were committed to traversing directly up before we fully appreciated the difference. Nevertheless, hundreds climb Haytor every week – with wild Dartmoor ponies wandering around the car-park area. These animals may – or may not – come over for a stroke, but visitors must be careful not to be bitten, head-butted, or kicked, etc. This does not happen very often – but wild animals should be respected. Another issues are yapping dogs (which must be kept on leads). As matters transpired, there was one or two calm and sedate ponies that wanted to be stroked and petted, etc. The general experience is important for children – particularly those from city areas – to re-connect with nature and experience the feeling that the immensity of nature – wide-open spaces – can generate! I last visited probably about 20-years ago with Gee – but our two children not yet born.

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Bashplemi Tablet - Georgia

UK: Georgia’s Undeciphered “Bashplemi Tablet”! (10.4.2025)

The next idea is that it might be a votive offering created as an act of worship – then thrown into a lake – to placate some type of pre-Christian deity. Of course, Georgia is not a Celtic area – with the (non-Celtic) Pagan Vikings not arriving until in the region until around the 8th-9th century CE (around four centuries after the arrival of Christianity). The problem with this idea is that if the people of Georgia were advanced enough to read, write and technologically produce such a stone tablet (using at least two-types of drill) – why go through all this effort just to throw the finished product into a local body of water? Perhaps the tablet was dropped into the lake by mistake. Either way, the tablet contains 60 discernible characters – 21 of which are unique – whilst 39 are repeated.

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Supersonic Aeroplane!

China: Socialist Technology Develops “Super-Sonic” Aeroplane”! (21.1.2025)

Concorde, the first supersonic passenger-carrying commercial airplane, was built jointly by aircraft manufacturers in the United Kingdom and France. It was first flown in 1969 and was put into commercial operation in 1976. However, the epochal jetliner did not fit well in the civil aviation industry due to its loud noise, high fares, stringent requirements for airports and environmental impact.

If everything goes according to plan, the prototype for a commercial-use supersonic airliner named Dasheng — or Monkey King, a legendary hero in Chinese mythology — is expected to conduct its maiden flight in 2030. If that becomes reality, Dasheng will revolutionize the global air transportation sector, he added.

“Just imagine making an intercontinental flight within just two to three hours that you would now spend 10 hours or longer on,” Deng said.

Internationally, enterprises in the United States and Europe have been racing to design and construct a new generation of supersonic airliners to meet the potential demand of fast intercontinental travel.

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Main Street - Forest Hill (Oxford) - OX33 1EB

Oxford: John Milton’s “Mounting Stone” – Forest Hill! (29.8.2024)

As to “why” Oxford Council resorted to this tactic is a matter of conjecture considering how overgrown the bank and stone is – and how difficult it is to actually locate the stone (there is virtually no signage). Perhaps a flat stone was becoming easily obscured by dirt, leaves and over debris – and an upright position rendered it better protected. John Milton (1608-1674) was a literary genius and esteemed poet who lived across the road from this stone and was a supporter of Parliament (and Oliver Cromwell) during the English Republic (1649-1660). His thinking was both progressive and Revolutionary! He (and his wife) were wealthy landowners in the area of the stone – owning property either side of St Nicholas Church in Forest Hill.

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King Arthur May Well Have Been a Historical Personage!

Glastonbury Abbey – King Arthur’s Grave! (29.7.2024)

The Celtic Church (from Egypt) was probably in Britain from the 2nd century CE onwards – with it being destroyed by the incoming Roman Catholic Church by the 11th century CE. Its monastic nature encouraged not only cloistered monks who lived in draughty stone cells – but also Hermits who lived in natural caves or various other meditation cells. Celtic Christianity did not persecute – but encouraged and accommodated the Pagan beliefs of indigenous people. There was a mutual respect between both groups of believers and this explains why leaders like King Arthur would strive to protect the Church – and the Church to honour him in death. This type of Asiatic respect does not require a slavish attachment to belief to be functional. Freedom of belief equates to respect for difference. There are many theories dating King Arthur from the 6th, 7th and 8th centuries, etc, which include many geographical areas associated with his life and death. We favour Tintagel in Cornwall – a place we have visited many times. King Arthur was a wise man, a compassionate man, and a great warrior!

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St Albans - St Germain's Block - 2024

St Albans: St Germain’s Block! (30.5.2024)

We walked to the Verulamium Museum through the “Verulamium Park” – from St Albans Abbey. This boundary wall was built using Roman materials – but not until the 11th century. It was part of St Germain’s Chapel – an element found within the grounds of St Albans Abbey. Today, around 30-feet of what is left of this wall forms an isolated structure situated in the middle of the park. This was part of the original Roman Fortifications (designed to keep the British Celts out) – which were abandoned during the early 5th century – with the ruins incorporated into the later buildings of St Albans Abbey. Indeed, there is little evidence of Christianity being present in Verulamium during Roman times.

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