Whats in the past ?

2012-01-10T22:05:00.002Z

The future, is around the corner.

Battle for the Skys 1940

2010-09-08T08:10:00.000Z

Well worth a watch,http://thefew.info/Jason.html

My latest Northern Line station signs, 12ft long each one.

2010-07-28T11:49:00.002Z

1960s, Will put the early maps up, dating from 1928.

The garden

2010-06-23T19:41:00.003Z

My garden, click here to see.
New link on sidebar linking to photos on my Fathers family, and my family.

The garden is looking good, now 11th July,but the black fly this year is a problem , so spraying with old fashioned soft soap, and its starting to work, what we need is some rain.

June 2010.

2010-06-22T14:39:00.002Z

This site is now active again, and over the next weeks will be updated, a lot has happened, but now we walk into the future, the past has gone, and cannot be made any better or worse than it was, so lets not dwell on it.

Follow me

2009-07-26T21:55:00.004Z

On Face book

Twitter.

Brand new project.

2009-07-26T21:49:00.003Z

Started a brand new local history group in Lancing and Sompting area, recording WW2 memories, and sites of interest, web address is.click here.

My new car

2009-07-26T21:45:00.002Z

I am now the very proud owner of a Mazda MX5, my dream car, its a vintage one, all original,British racing Green, see pic, dream come true at last.

Garden.

2009-07-08T09:44:00.005Z

See the best garden in our area, well like to think so, its full of color, and secret places, its uplifting, inspiring,tranquil,next year to open in aid of Chestnut tree House in June..click here and find more pictures and lots more.

Flu !!.

2009-04-29T17:59:00.000Z

All over the world, people are bracing themselves for the newest of plague-like epidemics: the swine flu.

We can try to scare this threat away from ourselves and our loved ones, or we can remove the darkness with Light.

Today, let's send as much Light as possible to the affected areas, and with that Light, not only eradicate all illness from our midst, but also create a blanket of protection over the unaffected areas as well.

If you pray, pray.

If you meditate, meditate.

If you make wishes, find a fountain today and toss in a penny for the well-being of the world.

2009-02-09T11:46:00.001Z

Alexander Selkirk - the Real Robinson Crusoe?

Frequently history is stranger than fiction and none more so than in the tale of Alexander Selkirk: the real-life Robinson Crusoe.

Born in 1676, the seventh son of a cobbler, Alexander Selkirk grew up in Lower Largo, Fife. At the age of 19 he found himself in trouble with the Kirk Session after his brother’s trick of making him drink sea water resulted in a family fight. Before his case was heard, Selkirk fled to sea hoping to make his fortune through privateering (effectively legalized piracy on the King’s enemies) against Spanish vessels off the coast of South America.
Within a few years his skill at navigation led to his appointment as Sailing Master on the ‘Cinque Ports’, a sixteen gun, ninety ton privateer. The expedition was a disaster. The captain of the ship was a tyrant and after a few sea battles with the Spanish, Selkirk feared the ship would sink. So, in an attempt to save his own life he demanded to be put ashore on the next island they encountered. In September 1704, Selkirk was castaway on the uninhabited island of Más a Tierra (today known as Robinson Crusoe Island), over 400 miles off the West Coast of Chile. He took with him a little clothing, bedding, a musket and powder, some tools, a Bible and tobacco.

At first Selkirk simply read his Bible awaiting rescue, but it soon became apparent that the rescue wasn’t imminent. He resigned himself to a long stay and began to make island life habitable with only rats, goats and cats for company in his lonely vigil.

After several years of isolation, two ships drew into the island’s bay. Selkirk rushed to the shore, realizing a little late that they were Spanish. Their landing party fired, forcing him to flee for his life although he managed to evade capture and the Spaniards eventually departed.

Finally On 1st of February 1709, two British privateers dropped anchor offshore. Alexander lit his signal fire to alert the ships, who dispatched a rather astonished landing party to find a ‘Wildman’ dressed in goat skins. Remarkably the privateers’ pilot was William Dampier, who had led the Selkirk’s original expedition and was able to vouch for the ‘Wildman’.

Selkirk had spent four years and four months of isolation on the island, yet seemed stable when he was found. The experience had, in fact, saved his life. From William Dampier he learnt that he had been right to leave the ‘Cinque Ports’, which had sunk off the coast of Peru with all of its crew drowned except the captain and another seven men, who had survived only to be captured and left to rot in a Peruvian jail.
Selkirk re-embarked on his career as a privateer and within a year he was master of the ship that rescued him. In 1712 he returned to Scotland £800 richer, and surprised his family as they worshipped at the Kirk in Largo. They had long given him up for dead and were astonished that he was alive, let alone alive in his fine, gold and lace clothes. In 1713 he published an account of his adventures which were fictionalized six years later by Daniel Defoe in his now famous novel: ‘Robinson Crusoe’.

Selkirk, however, could never really readjust to life on the land, and, in 1720, a year after he was immortalized by Defoe, he joined the Royal Navy only to die of fever off the coast of Africa.

Eyes on you !!!

2008-05-04T11:07:00.001Z

How often do you walk into a room feeling like all eyes are on you? Probably every room you walk into. It's our ego-centric nature to think everyone is thinking about us and giving us the evil eye.

I have news for you, most of us are too busy thinking about ourselves to have time to think about you!

Today, don't worry what "they" think of you, because "they're" busy worrying about what you think of "them".

"Lost."

2008-03-12T23:40:00.000Z

"Sometimes we get lost in the process and forget where we set out to go. This is probably the case most of the time in our lives. We forget what the game is all about and what we hope to achieve with this game."

Today, think about your life. Where are you headed in work, in love, in spirituality? Are you where you want to be? What do you need to change to get there? Pull back the view finder and get a larger perspective of the big picture. Remember what you hope to achieve with this game.

A thought.

2007-12-14T18:49:00.001Z

The greatest challenge in a relationship is to learn how to be unconditional. Having expectations and conditions in a relationship is ultimately about being a victim. Every time we catch ourselves complaining - especially about the same thing - we are expecting the other person to make the relationship better. It's very possible that something is not right, but if it is the same issue and it is a source for fighting, being a victim is not going to strengthen the relationship. Being a victim hurts the relationship because it injects the energy of "poor me" which is the opposite of Light.

The powerful thing is to look inward and ask,

What about me can I work on to bring better communication?

There's a kabbalistic concept called receiving for the sake of sharing. There are different ways to express giving. One of them is giving whatever the receiver wants: love, affection, wisdom, lessons, strength, time, energy, money, etc. But there is another way, and that is asking for help and permitting the other person to give, and by doing this, helping them. Often, when we complain, it is not because we care about the other person but rather because we care about ourselves and we are annoyed. Asking is sometimes a way of giving.

I remember a couple who had a big issue about expectations. Perhaps it's more correct to say the wife had expectations, but I couldn't blame her. Her husband worked from home and had issues with organization and tidying up. She complained that he couldn't keep his papers and files in the home office, and they ended up being on the kitchen table, in the bedroom, and anywhere there was unused space in the apartment. Her teacher shared with her this idea, that if she would stop expecting him to clean up, it would seem to her as a gift, and in showing genuine appreciation for her husband's effort for even tidying up minimally, he would be inspired to keep up the good work.

What happens when you ask from the right place, but the other person doesn't really listen or hear? Whenever there is a blockage in the relationship, it's about being able to take care of the need - whatever they say or do - and being in a place where you are offering them an opportunity to go outside of themselves. Is your real intention to help them grow?

Remember, we all have issues. We all have to help each other go outside of ourselves. It's not about being in control of the relationship; it's about injecting Light into the relationship. If the souls are meant to be together, the chemistry and the potential are there. Sometimes, when a person has no desire to change whatsoever, souls are not meant to be together.

The whole concept of being a victim is very strong in relationships and sometimes for all the right reasons. But if we are not increasing Light in the relationship, it is a dead-end. We have two choices -- to be annoyed or to say "What can I do about it". Being stuck in the role of victim will only bring anger and negativity.

Some interesting photos.

2007-08-19T17:56:00.000Z

Try and think of others !!.

2007-06-19T15:25:00.000Z

Negativity is spreading. There is a tremendous amount of hurt in the world right now. Most of us can feel that hurt inside.

What is to be done? We can pray for the people of the world from our mountain top or we can take it upon ourselves to make one person feel better today.

We no longer have the luxury of worrying only about our own families. If we want to make a difference so that this world can continue to exist, then we must begin to see everyone around us - stranger and enemy included - as our family.

Make a difference today. No matter how small the action, do something for someone in need. Help engulf the world with positivity instead of negativity.

"Train of Life"

2007-06-19T15:19:00.001Z

Now I am older, but perhaps not wiser!, or have not learnt to be, I think to myself, what is the way forward, what future do I have ?, is there one, a real one, not a pretend one.

I feel at times I have been on a train travelling thought-out time, stopping of at stations of life, for periods of time, some stops happy memories, and some not so, but back on the train onward and forward through the tunnels and onto new stations, once again stopping awhile to savour the good things there, then back on the train, but each time one re-boards, you know that the line cannot go on for ever, the track will run out, well over half the journey has now passed.

Will it be at the end of the next tunnel, there is light there, still bright, but not as bright as the end last tunnel, I fear from now on, that the lights will get dimmer till they go out. And my ticket will expire, so one more exciting station please.

Journeys End. Rodney -Charles -William.

sonnet 18.

2007-05-12T12:30:00.001Z

Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Mary E.Frye

2007-05-12T12:26:00.000Z

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!
~~Mary E. Frye (1932)

Month of May.

2007-05-06T10:35:00.000Z

This month, we celebrate May Day, a holiday which dates back to the pre-Christian Celts of western Europe. The Celtic May Day honored deities of the natural world with traditions that are still practiced today. Many May Day revelers celebrate the season by dancing around a wooden May pole. It's an old Celtic custom which symbolizes Spring and the fertility of nature.
"You know, we forget about the fact that they believed in tree spirits. When you say knock on wood, that's an old, old Celtic custom that says 'tree spirit, come out and give me luck.' And they very much believed in the power of these tree spirits and it was quite a ritual to the young men to go out and collect the tree and to bring it back and to decorate it. And they would have a very structured dance around the May pole."
The ancient Celts would tie strips of cloth to the top of the May pole, weaving the fabric into braids as they danced.
"Weaving was a very important aspect of the May celebrations. You would weave the ribbons because you can take two strands of something and make another element out of it. And that's what you were doing in fertility was taking two and making three. And so they would dance around the may pole and some said that that was a time of courtship. You didn't marry in May, but you started the courtship in May and you married at Halloween."

Live !!.

2007-04-27T08:26:00.000Z

Thought for the day.

Today's mighty oak just yesterday's nut that held its ground!

Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.

Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside

He who laughs last .......... has only just got the joke

you don't stop laughing because you grow old.......... You grow old because you stop laughing!

Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional, and laughing at yourself is therapeutic!

Link

2007-03-26T11:50:00.000Z

A new link to some of my photos. click on this.

Malta, click on link.

2007-03-21T20:17:00.000Z

Malta has so much history, check out this link for tours of the wonderfull island tjhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9CpBtsYu-Y&mode=related&search=

Druid Tree

2007-03-19T09:33:00.001Z

Tree over ancient stone circle chopped down

A 200-year-old tree at the centre of worship by druids and witches
has been chopped down to size after it became diseased. The 80ft
beech at Winterbourne Abbas (England) has been reduced to a 10-metre
stump by English Heritage because of fears it would die and fall
over. The tree has become a dominant feature at the site, famous for
the ancient stone circle standing beneath its branches.
Now the Dolmen Grove, a Weymouth-based druid group, will perform
a 're- balancing' ritual in mourning for the loss of the tree and to
mark a new beginning for their holy site. Chris Bally, regional
landscape manager for English Heritage said a number of local people
had made complaints about the tree being cut. But he said English
Heritage had acted in the interests of public safety and to protect
the stones. He said: "The tree is infected with the fungus Meripilus
giganteus (also commonly known as Polypore) which causes decay to the
underground roots of mature beech.
"Once the fungus is established, the tree loses support from its
roots and will eventually blow over. We are very sad at having to
lose the tree but due to the proximity of the A35, the tree had to be
made safe before it fell."

Source: Dorset Echo (13 March 2007)

Sele Priory Upper Beeding Sussex.

2007-03-10T11:14:00.000Z

Overview of Church of St. Peters., and Priory.

Benedictine priory of Sele founded before 1096 and dissolved in 1396.Refounded 1396 as a priory and dissolved in 1480.The priory was granted to the Carmelites of Shoreham in 1493 and they moved into the abandoned Benedictine priory.

The Carmelite house was dissolved in 1538.
The present vicarage, built in 1792, stands on the site of, and probably incorporates material from, the priory.
In the garden of this present house there is a very deep well, which was most properly the well for the former Priory.

St.Peters Church was the church of the Benedictine priory and incorporates material from the old priory.
There was a formerly a Saxon church on the site, but there are no visible remains to be seen, there was an excavatation undertaken in 1966, this was under the direction of Mr. Kale. Mid Sussex Archeological Society.

Around the time of construction of the church the river was in the form of an estuary, there was a mirrod position on the other side of the river being similar, but a much taller outcrop of ground, at Bramber, this was were Bramber Castle was built.

It was around this time that William de Braose made the decision that there was not enough room on the outcrop at Bramber to build a priory, so he sent his “ College of Clergy “ over the river to Beeding, it was there that upon perhaps the original Saxon Church that he built a new church completed in 1073.

The church became a priory church, this does suggest that that the priory had been built adjacent to the north side prior 1080.
It is interesting and confusing that the Doomsday Book of 1085 gives mention of two churches in the Beeding Parish, one was called St. Peters, but the name of the other church is unclear, was it possible that the other church was the still standing Saxon church!.

It was around the 1090s that Beeding Church was confirmed as a Parish Church, thus belonging to the Abbey of St. Florent. Rodney Gunner 2007

Sele Priory.
Some of my research into the lost Priory of Sele in Upper Beeding West Sussex.

"Since memory is frail, sayings and deeds have to be reinforced by the evidence of writing, so that neither length of time nor the cunning of posterity can obscure the knowledge of past events"
(from a twelfth century notification by William de Braose of a grant of lands to Sele Priory - British Records Association)

Winter Solstice.

2006-12-24T21:04:00.000Z

Solstice celebrations at megalithic sites

Twenty sun worshippers braved the cold to mark the winter solstice at
Avebury (Wilthsire, England). Druid keeper of the stones Terry Dobney
led a ceremony marking the important day on the pagan calendar. While
fog hid the sun, the group formed a circle within the stones.
Further south, confusion reigned at Stonehenge as English
Heritage told a crowd assembled there that the solstice was not
officially on until today. About 60 people turned up to the circle in
south Wiltshire, cloaked in frost and fog, only to be told it was the
wrong day. Some had turned up in flowing robes while others were
wearing lovingly-crafted winter solstice wreaths decorated with
berries and ivy. After negotiating with site managers English
Heritage, the crowd performed traditional solstice activities before
leaving peacefully.
The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice is one of the oldest
winter celebrations in the world. An English Heritage spokeswoman
said most people assumed that because the summer solstice was on the
21st day of June that its winter counterpart occurred on the same
date in December. Many people think it always falls on December 21.
However, the solstice varies and the time when it ought to be
celebrated is open to different interpretations. The astronomical
moment of the solstice was actually at 22 minutes past midnight on 22
December - and so English Heritage and many pagans believed the
solstice celebration ought to have been celebrated at sunrise that
morning. They had asked celebrants to arrive at 7.45am on the 22nd.
The winter solstice tends to be more muted than its summer
equivalent anyway. Almost 20,000 people showed up this summer at
Stonehenge whereas last year 1,500 came to the winter version.
The same day, for 17 magical minutes starting at 8.58am, the
inner chamber of the ancient tomb at Newgrange, Co Meath (Ireland),
was illuminated on the shortest day of the year. Inside, a small
group of 18 officials, academics, scientists,dignitaries and members
of the public watched enthralled on a cloudless morning as the rising
sun's rays crept along the 19-metre long passage way before bursting
brightly into the cavelike centre.
Up to 50,000 people applied to be included in the occasion but
only a lucky few had their names drawn for the privilege by local
schoolchildren. A further 80 won places in the chamber over two days,
each side of yesterday's event, giving them a good insight into the
annual experience.

Sources: BBC News, Breaking News (21 December 2006), The Guardian,
Irish Independent, Swindon Advertiser (22 December 2006)

2006-12-20T11:51:00.000Z

Christmas. PAGAN !!

Is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus, who Christians believe is The Son of God. The name Christmas is the day of the Christ's birth, which is why Christians call it Christmas, though it is pronounced like Chris muhss.
Over the least few decades Christmas has been commercialized more and more.The religious signification was almost lost, and the retail industry has pushed hard to focus the festival on giving (many, preferably expensive) gifts or presents to one another. This is shown in a recent push for the term "X-mas" (X sound resembles Christ) instead of the traditional "Christmas
I feel this does put things into perspective, the true meaning has for most been totally forgotten, frantic shopping, tiredness, and a bad temper seems to be how we all end up, so what has gone wrong ?.
The more we can eat and drink the better !!!, the bigger and better presents we can give the better, and finally what are we left with , a big dept which for many will take until next Christmas to pay of or beyond.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on the 6th of January (Supposedly Magi came to the birthplace of Christ and left presents at that date, but the Orthodox church still uses the Julian Calendar to do calculations. This calendar is about 10 days off compared to the modern calendar.)
Catholics and Protestants celebrate on the 25th of December (Feast of Mithras, as above).
Christmas tree
In most homes when Christmas is celebrated, people either chop down their own Christmas tree down and bring it indoors to decorate, or they buy one from a Christmas tree lot. Evergreen trees are used which began as a custom in Germany. It is said that this particular tree, which is green all year round and never loses its beautiful fragrance, symbolizes the never changing love of Jesus Christ. Young children wait for the arrival of presents from Santa Claus, a name derived from the original St. Nicholas who lived in the 4th century. St. Nicholas would deliver presents in secret to those in need in his small village. Christmas is one of the holiest of calendar days in the church year for Christians, as they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,who came to save sinners from a life apart from God. Through the sacrifice of Christ's life, 32 years later, mankind would have the ability to be forgiven by God for sin as well as the promise of receiving ever-lasting life after death. Jesus was not actually born on December 25th, but the church made that day a feast (Probably also to counter other pagan rites that took place at that time of the year. The feast to the god Mithras is said to have been held at that time).

TheWest Pier

2006-11-18T16:45:00.000Z

Visit my new site being built .The West Pier.

On this day a reminder,!.

2006-11-12T20:45:00.000Z

No longer do I see my friends who once marched by my side,
No longer can I hear the sound of voices raised in pride.
As we marched off down that road, to whatever lay in store,
Had I a choice of comrades, then I could not ask for more.

We set off then that autumn day, not knowing what lay ahead,
But soon we found out to our cost, there are no glorious dead.
Just young men who had no choice, we went with flags unfurled,
So that our kin could again rejoice, in peace throughout the world.

I came back, I don't know how, to see my folks again,
But I pray to God, my children, you will never experience the same.

By Robert Smith of Leeds

Mass dials.

2006-11-08T16:24:00.000Z

Disappearing :Mass Dials on Sussex Churches
Mass dials have long been a feature on Sussex churches, usually found on south-facing wall of the church, often near the south doorway, and usually about a meter and half above the ground levels.
However, sometimes they are found in other places on the fabric of the church, for over periods of time they have been moved during rebuilding work; so do not always assume that where they are now, is where they have always been positioned.
About 8 or 9 inches across and rather roughly cut, mass dials come in a wide variety of designs, from semi-circles of dots to complete circles with associated radii. Their chronology is difficult to determine but simple versions with only four or five lines are early whilst those with numbers round the edge (rare) are late.
The gnomon, invariably missing, pointed straight out horizontally and so the dial would not record the same hours at all times of the year. The mass dial is usually regarded as an event marker for the church services rather than a timepiece .
It is thought that the earliest mass dials may be a simple carving of four or five lines from the gnomon hole, possibly with circle or arc later. Ashton-under-Hill, Worcsand Wootton, Kent is typical early examples. The Ashton-under-Hill stone also includes an example of 'four holes in a row'; the row of dots would originally have been horizontal with the gnomon stuck into a mortar line above.
There are many examples throughout Sussex to be found, except that today that may not be so easy, the reason for this is that over the passage of time, and air pollution in many areas, the dials have almost disappeared. A good example of this is at Edburton church, this little church is located in the hamlet of Edburton on the road between Fulking and Small Dole, virtually opposite the World Famous Springs Smoked Salmon shop..
The dials are on the south porch of the church, there are two in this location and another on the North side of the church, this is a curious one, for one must assume that it is not in its original position, and therefore in much better condition.
The dials on the south porch are in now poor condition, I remember seeing them for the first time some twenty years ago, and at that time were in good condition, now they are not. What has happened is that the stone has started to flake away, therefore taking with it layers of the original carving into the stone of the dial, if this process carries on, in a very few years time they will all but disappear completely.
The question is can they be saved for future generations to marvel at and appreciate; it will be difficult to stop the deterioration, one solution is to treat the areas with a polycarbonate solution, in effect give them a light plastic covering, which can breath.
It is important that mass dials are saved from further erosion, they are an important part of the history of the church and the Christian faith.

Mary Rose.

2006-08-23T08:26:00.000Z

The Mary Rose.

On a visit to see the Mary Rose , Henrys V111 great ship, I discovered a couple of interesting facts, the cat of nine tails that unfortunate sailors would be punished with for all sorts of misdemeanours, would have to be made by the said victim the night before a flogging, and placed in a canvas bag.
What is interesting is where the sayings come from, letting the cat out of the bag, and “not enough room to swing a cat around.”

Simple explanation, letting the cat out of the bag, comes from on the morning of the punishment, the cat of nine tails would be removed from the bag it was kept it, therefore letting the cat out!.

Second saying “not enough room to swing a cat means that the area of punishment is too small to swing the cat of nine tails, therefore more space is needed to swing the cat, to administer the punishment.

August 20th 2006.

2006-08-20T12:16:00.000Z

While field walking this last day or two one of the interesting finds has been this fossil.
I find it difficult to think about a period in hour history of this Earth that goes back so far, this fossil was a living being some 75-142 million years ago, and we tend to think that the medieval period was a long time ago, 800-1000 years ago, no time at all, does make one think.

Age: Cretaceous 65-142 millions years ago.

Age Sub Category: Lower Planus Zone to mid-Coranginium Zone.

Common Name: Sea Urchin

Genus: Micraster Micraster.

Visit. for interesting excavation reports.
http://w-a-s-excavation-diary.blogspot.com

Summer Solstice.

2006-06-18T11:29:00.000Z

Summer Solstice

21st June (sometimes 20th)
As the sun spirals its longest dance,
Cleanse us
As nature shows bounty and fertility
Bless us
Let all things live with loving intent
And to fulfill their truest destiny
Taken from a Wiccan blessing for Summer

The Summer Solstice is also known as: Alban Heflin, Alben Heruin, All-couples day, Feast of Epona, Feast of St. John the Baptist, Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day, Johannistag, Litha, Midsummer, Sonnwend, Thing-Tide, Vestalia.

Solstice, Midsummer or Litha means a stopping or standing still of the sun. It is the longest day of the year and the time when the sun is at its maximum elevation.

Why does the summer solstice happen?

The seasons of the year are caused by the 23.5º tilt of the earth's axis. Because the earth is rotating like a top or gyroscope, the North Pole points in a fixed direction continuously -- towards a point in space near the North Star. But the earth is also revolving around the sun. During half of the year, the southern hemisphere is more exposed to the sun than is the northern hemisphere. During the rest of the year, the reverse is true. At noontime in the Northern Hemisphere the sun appears high in the sky during summertime and low during winter. The time of the year when the sun reaches its maximum elevation occurs on the summer solstice -- the day with the greatest number of daylight hours. It typically occurs on, or within a day or two of, JUN-21 -- the first day of summer. The lowest elevation occurs about DEC-21 and is the winter solstice -- the first day of winter, when the night time hours reach their maximum.

This date has had spiritual significance for thousands of years as humans have been amazed by the great power of the sun. The Celts celebrated with bonfires that would add to the sun’s energy, Christians placed the feast of St John the Baptist towards the end of June and it is also the festival of Li, the Chinese Goddess of light.
Like other religious groups, Pagans are in awe of the incredible strength of the sun and the divine powers that create life. For Pagans this spoke in the Wheel of the Year is a significant point. The Goddess took over the earth from the horned God at the beginning of spring and she is now at the height of her power and fertility. For some Pagans the Summer Solstice marks the marriage of the God and Goddess and see their union as the force that creates the harvest’s fruits.
This is a time to celebrate growth and life but for Pagans, who see balance in the world and are deeply aware of the ongoing shifting of the seasons it is also time to acknowledge that the sun will now begin to decline once more towards winter.
When celebrating midsummer Pagans draw on diverse traditions. In England thousands of Pagans and non-Pagans go to places of ancient religious sites such as Stonehenge and Avebury to see the sun rising on the first morning of summer. Many more Pagans hold small ceremonies in open spaces, everywhere from gardens to woodlands.

British Engineerium

2006-05-11T11:07:00.000Z

The British Engineerium (Hove)

This most important museum and its collection has been saved , and will reopen, The new owner, Mr Holland, , bought the £2 million British Engineerium building and its unrivalled collection of steam engines and engineering artefacts, valued by Bonhams at about £1.2 million.
Mr Holland plans to spend £500,000 on revamping the musuem, which will then open up to the public as usual.

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Sele Priory.

2006-04-30T09:36:00.000Z

Sele Priory, Upper Beeding in West Sussex.

I am about to start work on the site of the Priory to try and locate the Water Mill that once stood there.
The mill was recorded as being in use in the 1500s, but no mention of it in later records, it is hopped that by using resitivity I will be able to locate this lost Mill.
The Mill would have been built around 1200s, and was one of several that were built along the Adur River, being tidal it was ideal for the workings of a water Mill , mill ponds could be filled up with the turning tides, to allow for more or less continues working of the mill.

Pagan.

2006-03-27T16:58:00.000Z

The Cross-, a Pagan Symbol.

It is very well known that the cross as a symbol and superstitious emblem goes back to very early pagan times, but it was not until the fourth century that it is thought that it was adopted as such in the Christian religion.
One theory is that it was adopted for its resemblance, on one hand to the initial Greek letter (X) of the name Christ, and on the other hand to the Roman instrument of crucifixion.
A form of ancient cross common in the Bronze Age, especially in Western Europe, was that which is contained within a circle-the so –called “ wheel-cross, “because it resembles a wheel with four spokes.
The circle is held to have represented the solar disc. This form of ornament or symbol survives to the present day in the so-called Iona crosses, and can be found in some of the haloes depicted in stained glass windows.

Man is a suspicious person, and sees symbols in everyday objects, such as hanging up a pair of stag’s anthers, why because he saw in them the crescent, the symbol of the moon god, and they would be expected to bring good luck. Horse-shoes being hung up, for the same reason.

The Shepherds Crown. A Cross!.

Some Cretaceous echinoids, notably Micraster, Echinocorys and Conulus, have distinctive shapes, leading to the name Shepherd's crowns in English folklore. The five rays converging on the apex of the fossil resemble the ribs of a crown. According to Bassett (1982), shepherds may have come across these fossil echinoids, weathered out of the underlying chalk, while caring for their sheep on the downlands of southern England.
The echinoid test, and/or the sediment infilling it, can be replaced by flint, making it more resistant than the surrounding soft chalk. This facilitates survival of the fossil once exhumed and increases its chances of being collected.
Why man has thought that by putting one of theses fossils on a windowsill will ward of evil sprits I do not know, but it is a superstition that has been going on for many years. Perhaps an explanation is that it has radiating marks on it , and could be interpreted as a sign of the Cross !.
A certain Mr. H. S Toms, a Sussex writer and researcher in the 1920s drew attention to these superstitious uses to which these fossils have been put over time, from the Bronze Age to the present day. They are supposed to protect buildings and persons from lightning and from the EVIL EYE!
They were and perhaps still are placed in dairies to make the milk good and clean, they have also been used as necklaces and amulets, being worn they will protect the person from evil and illness, and this is still the belief among many races today throughout the world.
The superstitions surrounding certain fossils seems to be that it is inspired by shape, and some having the markings of a cross on them, or that the markings can be interpreted as a cross shape imbedded on them.
All these superstitions were important to man over the ages, and suspect they are still to many to day, these things provide food for thought, and make us think that when today we make the sign of the cross, what does it really mean, is it a Pagan symbol!, then is not a lot of Christianity based on Paganism.
Refs: Prehistoric Sussex Cecil Curwen pub.1930.
Mr. H. S. Toms. Downland Post. Sept. 1926, pp. 264, 265.
Rodney Gunner. 2006.

North Stoke Church.

2006-03-02T12:18:00.002Z

Medieval Stained Glass in Sussex Churches.

Introduction .

This is the first stage of a project to list, and show all the medieval glass remaining in churches in West and East Sussex, some is listed in various publications, but they tend to be of the more spectacular ones.
There is a lot of small fragments remaining often high up in windows, and out of view.
For instance there is a small fragment in Bunton Chapel near Wiston in West Sussex, its high up in the Chancel window, and only consists of two or three pieces of dark green glass, but none the less a fragment of a much larger stained glass window.
The project will take considerable time to complete, information being added as and when churches are visited.

History of Stained glass.

In 680 A.D., according to Bede, who had been his pupil, Benedict Biscop (c. 628-629) sent messengers into Gaul, to fetch makers of glass thence, that by a craft until then unknown in Britain, they might glaze windows of a church, and the cloisters, and the refectory.
This was the beginning of the art of stained glass making in the country, the French glassmakers came over and taught the art to the builders of the churches at this time, this was something new. The first church to have stained glass used in its windows was St. Peters, Monkwearmouth, where building had begun in 674, and at St. Paul’s, Jarrow, founded in 681-2.
The amount of stained glass used was very small, for at this time, glass used was difficult to make into large sheets, and the process was expensive. While some early churches were having stained glass windows installed, although in small areas, the vast majority of the population would have to wait many centuries before windows in any buildings had glass in them.
The documentary evidence provided by Bede remained unsupported by fact until excavations of the Saxon monastic buildings at both sites revealed specimens of coloured glass, thought to date to the seventh and eighth centuries.

Both monasteries were destroyed in raids from Scandinavian invaders, circa 875.
Some, 450 pieces of glass were found at these sites, some being made by the millefiori technique, some were of amber coloured glass decorated with white trails, but it is interesting that none showed any signs of paint. Fig no.1.

Medieval Techniques and Materials

To fully understand the importance of medieval glass in churches, it is important to understand the method used to produce the pictures.
In the first quarter of the twelfth century, a German monk, who adopted the pen name Theophilus, wrote a description of the techniques of making stained glass. The basic methods have hardly changed since. Glass was made by melting sand, potash and lime together in clay pots. lt was coloured by the addition of metallic oxides - copper for red, iron for green, cobalt for blue and so on. This is called pot-metal glass. Pot-metal glass, especially red glass, was often too dark to transmit much light. To overcome this, 'flashed' glass was made by dipping a lump of white glass on the blowpipe into a pot of red glass and then blowing, This provided sheets of glass with a thin surface layer of colour. Later, parts of this layer could be removed by grinding with an abrasive wheel; this produced two colours, red and white, on the same piece of glass. Because paper was scarce and parchment very expensive, the full scale outline of the design for a stained glass window was drawn out on a whitened flat survice, such as a table top. The designer would indicate the principal outlines of his drawing, the shape and colour of the individual pieces of glass to be used, and the position of the lead strips (called calmes) that would eventually hold all the pieces of glass together. The panes of coloured glass were cut to shape with a 'grozing iron' and laid on top of the drawing. Through the glass, details of the drawing - faces, hands, drapery etc. - could be seen and these details were traced with an iron oxide pigment on the surface of the glass. After painting, the pieces were fired in a small furnace for sufficient time to fuse the paint to the surface of the glass, and then re-laid on the table and assembled by the glazier, using strips of lead H-shaped in section, which allowed the glass to be slotted into the grooves on each side. The lead provided a strong but flexible bond. The intersections of all the lead strips were then soldered, and oily cement was rubbed into all the joints in order to make them watertight. The panels were then held in place in the window openings by a grid of iron bars set into the masonry. From the early fourteenth century a further range of colours varying from a pale lemon to a deep orange could be achieved on one piece of glass through the discovery of 'silver stain', a silver compound painted on the back of the glass and then fired in a kiln. By the mid sixteenth century many different coloured enamels were being used. As a result, windows began to be painted like easel pictures on clear glass of regular rectangular shape, with lead calmes no longer an integral part of the design. These methods prevailed from the seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries. However, the earlier techniques were revived in Victorian times .

Sussex Churches with some medieval glass in the windows:

The list contains identified medieval glass, but there are more yet to be confirmed:

Bosham, Holy Trinity. four medieval roundels of angels.
Brede St. George. Window above porch has medieval glass.
Cowfold. St. Peter. late 12th and 13th century glass in the Chancel.
Eastergate. St. George. Medieval glass heraldic glass, c1360s.
Etchingham The Assumption and St. Nicholas.late 13th –14th century.
Isfield. St. Margaret. Fragments in South window.
North Stoke. very fine early medieval glass in East window of South Transept:
Poynings. Holy Trinity several windows have ealy glass , but date of some is yet to be confirmed.
Salehurst. St. Mary. Some very tiny birds drawn in brown glass in the tracery of the South east window.
Ticehurst. St. Mary 14th century glass, north side of chancel.
Warbleton. St. Mary. 13th century glass East window of chapel.
West Firle. St. Peter.13th century glass East window of South aisle.
West Grinsted. St. George. 14th century fragments.

North Stoke Church.

The church is in the hands of the Churches Conservation Trust.

North Stoke church is interesting the medieval glass is in windows high up in the south transept.
In the care of, The Churches Conservation Trust.North stoke is set in the loop of the river Arun where the river breaks through an attractive stretch of the South Downs.Three more churches are within the area, St. Michaels Amberley, to the northeast South Stoke, to the south -east and Houghton to the north.The village of North stoke takes its name from stoc which means simply a place, but sometimes a holy place.(Stoch in Domesday Book.)Both North stoke and South Stoke sites properly originate as strongholds guarding a strategic fording place across the river.It was here at North Stoke in 1834 as some workmen were digging a sewer that they discovered an ancient British boat; formed from a hollowed trunk of a singe oak tree, in shape that of an Indian canoe. This is now on show in the British Museum.
This church is a fine example of early English and Decorated style.The large aumbry, and unusual double niche in the south transept-the church being cruciform-a bowl-shaped font, and traces of old stained glass in the east window.Most interestingly, the chancels arch of hard chalk, and are Early English.The tracery of early Decorated windows should be noted, as well as a low-sided window.

Chancel,East Window.
In the central light is the crowned figue of the blessed Virgin mary and a crowned male figure. Fig.no.2.Both have a hand raised in blessing.It is noted that some of the glass pieces forming thier robes may not be in their originall positions.It is belived by many experts this is a part of a scene of Our Ladys Coronation;others have suggested that the male figue could even be King David,from another sceen.The glass has been dated c.1290-1310, this makes this a very rare survival form this period.The border is made up of assorted fragments, note the little bird in the top left hand corner.

Chancel, North-West Window and South- West Windows.

Set in grisaille patterns are the finials which formed the apex of former canopies, which would have almost certainly set above figures of saints.

South Transept ,East Window.

The crowned heads of a female and male. She appears to have her original robed body; his head has been cleverly placed upon another robe from elsewhere.

North transept, North Window.

The quatrefoil at the top retains its original grisaille patterns in place.

North Transept, East Window.

Several small fragments, some painted leaves, have been arranged in the tracery.

New work

2006-02-08T13:08:00.000Z

February,
What has been happening, well there has been some resitivity work at one of our sites at Warminghurst in Sussex?
This was the site of the founder of the Quaker movement in this country, so far, the results have to be analysed, and more information will be posted here once they are defined.
Next week we start a excavation on a site near Patching in Sussex, it’s the site of a possible medieval manor house.
More to update the story befor this one, we will be starting work on this very important Roman site very soon, the site is to be protected, and the tree cover is being removed.

Roman Woods.

2006-01-03T17:55:00.000Z

On the 2nd of January I went to look at a new site, which it is hoped that I will undertake some excavation in, the site is 1st century Roman. This site is well hidden, in the woods, west of Arundel, in Sussex; it contains enclosures with really good surviving banks and ditches.
The site was looked at back in the sixties, and some trenches were opened up, what is interesting is that the trenches are still visible and look as if they were opened only a short period ago,like as time warp.They were never back filled.

When you look around the site, you can start to imagine what life must have been like here some 2.000 years ago, who were the people that lived here , what were they doing here, and what crops and livestock did they have.
Some of these interesting aspects of the site will be revealed when we excavate,, and from pollen samples we will learn about the crops they grew.

But this is only a part of the story, it’s the people I am most interested in, who were they and where did they come from, this always interest me the most.

Over a period of time I will add to this story.

Christmas thought.

2005-12-28T18:04:00.000Z

Pagan Christmas.
I am starting to think that many us out there have totally forgotten what Christmas is all about!, and in doing so the meaning of life and our very existence is totally being eroded away.

I am not saying that we should all go to church and give thanks for the birth of Jesus Christ, but why is it that we celebrate this event in the way we do, we spend a huge amount of money buying things that most of us do not need, and yes I am guilty as well of this fact.
We buy huge amounts of food, consume turkeys as if there’s is no tomorrow, most of us have so much food in our houses at this time, that we throw away often more than we consume, why! What has this do with the birth of Christ?
Christmas puddings, this is Pagan, do you accept that?

We decorate our house inside and out with loads of flashing lights, and increasingly more outrages decorations adorn the outside of our house, what is that all about.
Neighbours are now trying to out do each other with the amounts they put up on the outside of there houses, some okay are collecting for charity, but they are perhaps forgetting the amount of energy that is being consumed. (Save the planet!).

We have Christmas trees and mistletoe both of which have Pagan beginnings, but what about all the other Pagan traditions we take part in at this time of year.
Mummer’s plays provided by performing Morris dancers, the very church services at this time of year have deep rooted Pagan traditions, incense, holly decorating the churches, perhaps we are forgetting our Pagan traditions, or is it that we don’t want to except that, by celebrating Christmas in the way we do.

Now its over, or is it, no its not, we are off to the Christmas sales to spend more, often money we don’t really have, but we really need the things on offer don’t we, and we are going to have them at whatever cost, this is all really a bit sad, is it making us happy, are we better for it, the answer is yes, well that is what we must think, because otherwise why do we do it all this way?.

Now its nearly time to take down the decorations, get rid of the tree, and get ready for another event, very Pagan Easter, Hot Cross buns are in the shops today .Think on.

Give a Thought !.

2005-12-01T12:45:00.000Z

Give a thought, when we look on at facial reconstructions connected to historic articles, from a skull we are led to believe that the face that is put on it layer by layer will turn out to be a face from the past, but whose face.!
This face is it real, did this person this face is supposed to represent once live! If so then where is their soul, we cannot bring that back can we?
What is this face supposed to represent, do we need to look back into the past in this way, in the Viking centre in York, there is a reconstructed face based on the skull of a supposed Viking found during excavations, is this really what the Vikings looked like!
Its possible that perhaps this was not a Viking, could have been an Anglo Saxon person, or one of many others living in the area at this time. But we are told this is a Viking, well think again, perhaps yes, perhaps no, don’t believe all that you see, it suits the centre to call him Viking, but that is not to say that this centre is not good, it is extremely well planned and laid out, and very informative. Well worth a visit, its just that sometimes reconstructions do not jell right, and this is one time that perhaps it would have been better not to have reconstructed this skull, better to have used just a model

2005-11-26T18:48:00.000Z

Why we study History:

We study history because we must if we are to be fully human.
Then how can such a sweeping claim be understood?

We must begin by confronting the fact that we are social beings.
Aristotle, in the fourth century before Christ, wrote of the origins of the Political community, the State. It all began with the necessary union of male and female for the perpetuation of humanity.
Then followed the association of people in families, in villages, in cities, and in nations.
Thus the history of humanity began.

Galileo’s discoveries concerning the nature of the universe involved the death of a worldview that had dominated human perceptions for centuries.
Because he seemed to be turning the truth upside down, his discoveries aroused the church hierarchy dramatically.

Alaric’s sack of Rome is a strong symbol of the end of the Roman peace and of Roman domination of the Mediterranean world.
But it is also the symbolic of the release of new possibilities, the prospects that led to the development of Western Europe with all its achievements and failures yet to unfold.
Le Harvey Oswald’s fatal shooting of Present Kennedy involved the death of hope for many people and a reassessment of ourselves and our corporate life in the latter half of the twentieth century.
Such events in time past impinge on us now.
We are involved in mankind through the ages. If we are to know who we are we must self-consciously relate ourselves to the past.

If we ignore history (the past,) we will deteriorate, becoming less than fully human.
Historical study as rigorous, sometimes critical discipline exercised on behalf of humanity, its dignity and freedom, is essential to our well-being and indeed our very survival.

This is a very well known fact attested to by the psychiatrist who assists patients to recover their pasts in order that they may find themselves.
It is this fact that world leaders being wise who, for the sake of sanity and the survival of the human race, will not let anyone forget the horrors of the Nazi death camps, the bombing of Hiroshima with its horrific outcome, and the tragic deaths of the use of Napalm in Vietnam, we can all remembered that little child running naked along the road.
This is why the study of history is so important to us all, we have to confront the past to understand it, and therefore to build a better future.

The Strong Survive !!.

2005-11-21T12:52:00.000Z

Thought this may interest some, its from way back, I feel it shows the strong survive, even if they are in the wrong, and the weak do not, nothing has changed.!

Shoreham Family of Baudefars circa 1268.

Some time around the date of 1268, there was a very strange family living in the Shoreham area, they dominated the whole area around Old and New Shoreham.
They were all millers and owned most of the mills within the area, both watermills and windmills. There name was the Baudefars, they only mixed with their own people, and tended to be evil towards any outsiders including the local townspeople who attempted to have any dispute with them.
Any form of physical argument with a Baudefar was totally out of the question, for a man who worked in mills lifting sacks of corn and millstones had a distinct advantage over a average man of the time, also it was not a good idea to have a dispute with one of the woman of the clan, for they also could well hold their own, and in any case this would result in all the men taking up arms to the not so lucky perpetrators of the incident, and the result I leave to the imagination.
Therefore the Baudefars flourished, sharing their lands, their ale, their money; good luck and bad.
This family also took by force what they wanted, if no other method would bring them what they desired, remember this was at a time when the strongest would survive, and the weakest would not, but justice was not far off for this family.
One of the family named William Baudefar was a miller at New Shoreham, this was during the period of the forty-second year reign of Henry 111.
He was a great, raving, burning fellow; full of jest, noise and totally repulsive.
His parents must have had some compassion in them, as they wanted him to become a priest, which is a surprise from this totally lawless family, but William would have none of it, his answer, he was for more fat pigs and less fat parsons,”Howerever”, he remarked, “my good stars have ordained me to be a knight-errant of the market place and tavern, and I shall save more souls with my staff than I would ever done with my sermons.
The history of Shoreham is very heavy with the transgressions of William Baudefar, but his temper lead him to his downfall, and led him to the lock up.
It is stated that one morning William walked into the market place with a surly temper, it is remembered that if this William entered the town in this way, the cheerfulness of the whole town was killed off, a force indeed.
The story goes that there in the full market was Edmund of Edburton selling his wares. It is possible that Edmund was one of the Sussex ironmasters who made such ironwork as you may see on the tomb of Henry 111 in Westminster Abby, he was a well known trader at the market and would sell hatchets, tools for use on the land, and buckles, and other ironmongery, all made to a good standard and sort after.
It is said that the said William Baudefar made his way to the stall and very soon angry words were exchanged, Edmund would have been the only man in Shoreham market-place who would not have afraid of Baudefar, when the miller took a fancy to a “silver buckle “ to the value of two “shillings” and pocket it without payment, it is understandable that the ironmonger let out a cry thief!,
The miller immediately replied “who me”, I am “Baudefar the Terrible Miller! And for two grouts I will ram my stave down your gullet.
William for perhaps the first time in his life overvalued the effects of his bluff, for Edmund was having none of it.
From very early infancy Edmund had been accustomed to look upon battle, murder and sudden death, and split blood affected his nerves about as much as red paint.
Therefore he was quite accustomed to enduring a very large amount of wordy warfare, and while Baudefar carried on raving and cursing, “he carelessly fingered a hatchet lying on his stall” as a sign that he was prepared to dispute for the possession of the silver buckle with something more than a few idle words.
At this point Baudefar noted the fingering of the hatchet, this hint was enough to bring him from words to deeds without further thought, with swift and practised ability he knocked Edmunds legs from under him, and put his foot on his neck, pressing his throat so hard that blood was soon flowing out of his nostrils.
At that point Baudefar made good his escape with the silver buckle, the damage against Edmund was estimated at twenty marks.
But the day of reckoning soon came about, at Lewes; Baudefar unfolded a veritable tangle to the justice of the peace.
He explained how Edmund had insulted him at Shoreham market and “tried to attack him with a hatchet”.
He had pushed him away several times, knowing full well that it takes two to make a quarrel, but Edmund insisted on making the number up.
Therefore William had defended himself, but did not take the buckle, the jurors said that William “ insulted Edmund and hit him with his fist, but did not take the buckle nor pressed his throat”.
Therefore once again the Bauderf,s had got away with this injustice, this was a due in part one suspect, that the jurors were perhaps a little afraid of going as far as to convict William of theft.

Spitfire remains.

2005-11-17T21:44:00.000Z

Today I was given some remains of a crashed Spitfire from world war two, well it was built I understand towards the end of the war, it crashed in 1946 at a place called Slindon in west Sussex, location in a area known as Nore Wood.
Precise location I cannot reveal, but when I was looking at the remains of this fighting machine, it did make me think about the pilot, I understand he was killed in the crash, It will be easy to find out his name as it is a documented crash, but nevertheless very interesting.
Many of us have seen footage of Spitfires flying, how they saved us! But to handle bits of one does make well me feel humble, why I don’t know, perhaps it is because my own Father was a fighter pilot, a connection, I find this just as interesting as finding say a coin from the roman period, or some other type of remains from the past, all have a human story to tell.
I have posted a picture of some of the remains, but there is a lot more.

Looking into the past.

2005-11-15T11:10:00.000Z

This summer I was involved in a excavation at Binsted in Sussex, this was a 13th century Tile Kiln site, as you will see from the picture this is a very impressive site to excavate.
The excavation was over a two-week period in late summer, the weather was very good, no rain, and only a couple of days were two hot, really good digging weather.
As the kiln was uncovered thoughts were crossing my mind to the people who had built this kiln why back in the 13th century, what was most interesting was that through the poll tax returns for the period, we were able to name one of the possible kiln workers who worked and I suspect built the kiln.
This sort of find does bring things alive; one has people to relate the building and the working of the kiln to , and questions then start to appear, who were these people, how many were there working on this site, where did they live, what were there families like, how old were they, and where and when did they die and where are they buried.
Some of these questions can be answered, but many cannot, we can guess, but is that really good enough?.
So how do we look deeper into this, well research of old documents can help, but the documentation for the working peasants of this period are few, there are the Poll tax returns, they help, but only to certain periods.
Look at the pictures and see what you think, !!.

What is in the past !!,the future ?

2005-11-11T10:09:00.000Z

The past can tell us alot about how others once lived, but can we learn from them on how we should be living our lives now !,are there lessons to be learned from digging up the past, which will now help us understand our lives better and the future.
As Archaeologist when I uncover a structure or discover a find, be it pottery, Bones!, etc it always gets me thinking about who built this, why here, what were their names , what sort of family did they come from.
Many questions to answer, and I know that most cannot be answed, or can they !, the more we research the past the more we do learn, and we do not always relize this fact, as it is a subconscious thing.
More to come later .