Clunch - and its origins …

 

Clunch – this soft-stone building material used in Berwick Church … was created by the inundation of much of southern England, beginning 115 million years ago during the 'Cretaceous Period'.

Beachy Head, on the edge of Eastbourne ...
the Sussex Downs stretching westwards
towards Brighton and on ... 

At that stage in earth's history the sea covered most of Britain and Europe … it is estimated that 98 million years ago the sea level was more than 20 metres (60.6 feet) higher than it is today …

Cross Section of Wealden Down - showing
the wearing away of sands, Gault clay and
chalk of the Downs

… it was a period with a relatively warm climate resulting in this high sea level, as well as numerous shallow inland seas.

Global distribution of coccolithosphores
in the oceans

The world was ice-free, forests extended to the poles … while different life forms waned and new ones appeared …

False-colour scanning electron micrograph of
Gephyrocapsa oceania, showing the coccoliths

… and the extensive beds of chalk were laid down from the shells of minute marine invertebrates, principally coccoliths, found in calcium carbonate in the waters.

Examples of Four Invertebrates
Different Phyla are:  a Cnidarian;
an Arthropod; a Mollusk; and an Annelid

The Totternhoe stone was formed from the Grey Chalk sub-group – this period occurred between 98.5 million and 93.5 million years ago – and is recognised as a slightly stronger stone, than the fine dusty chalk we have here on the south coast, which is purer and thus more white.

Berwick Church from the east

So in warmer times many moons ago England's white cliffs of Dover, our Sussex Downs coastline were being created … and the term 'clunch' was established.

Post on Berwick Church and how the 'Clunch stone' has been used in the restoration ...

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest - #WATWB Hmb#3 – the Film 'Flee' …

 

Amazing film … our film society put this on for us at our cinema in the Towner art gallery … where 'avant-garde' films are shown …

Poster for the film 'Flee'

Well - I came out and wrote on my crit sheet one word … 'Exceptional' … it is the most extraordinary films I've ever seen …

The animation is fabulous … the story, based on real life … where archival film footage of events in Afghanistan and this refugee journey have been blended into the animated documentary …

A screen capture of 'Amin'

No wonder the film, Flee, has received unanimous acclaim from film festivals and critics …

… it is a wonderful example of the power of art to connect with people on a variety of levels: emotionally, philosophically, historically ...

Another screen capture of the back of a 
truck being closed down ... at the start
of the fleeing journey

I do hope you will all make a plan to see this film – it will have to be one of the most moving stories I have ever seen …

Brought to us by two friends … the refugee, Amin Nawabi, a pseudonym, and the Danish director, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, who creates this emotionally charged film on Amin's escape from Afghanistan …

The director, and Amin's friend in Denmark

Even, the director, Poher Rasmussen is not fully cognisant of 'Amin's' story until the friends sit down in Denmark, where the untelling of the tale occurs and all the nuances appear … 

... which are revealed to Poher Rasmussen, and through the revealing to us, the audience …

We are the World Blogfest

In Darkness, Be Light

This animated documentary: 'Depicts the refugee experience through vivid animation, pushing the boundaries of documentary film-making to present a moving memoir of self-discovery …'

It has to be seen to be believed … please watch!

The Towner Cinema's introduction to the film can be found here …

The Wikipedia page about the film …

Flee trailer c/o Sundance 2021 - 1 min 26 secs

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Aluphone, Dithyramb, Evelyn Glennie …

 

Mid-Summer's Day … and now as time will inevitably wane towards Autumn … we shall ring out the Aluphone bells in celebratory style …

Evelyn Glennie playing the Aluphone ... 

… what could be better than to sit in a warm field, the sun-shining down … listening to a “ring of bells” …

… or as I was yesterday evening listening to “a full circle ring” from our local church …

21 Isles of Wonder Music for
the Opening Ceremony of the
London 2012 Olympic Games

I didn't have a glass in hand … but could see and hear the sea lap our pebbly shore at high tide … which made a change from the tennis balls being heard occasionally over the tannoy system at Eastbourne tennis …

The rolling Downs in the summer sun

… and think about a picnic supper out on the Downs as the sun sets and the year begins to wind down … how time doth flyeth …

4th C relief - depicting an aulos player and 
his family standing before Dyonysus and a
female consort with theatrical masks
portrayed above

Six thousand years ago … we could have heard the Dithyramb – an ancient Greek hymn sung and danced in honour of Dionysys, the god of wine and fertility, on the island of Delos …

Aulos (in play)

… dithyrambs were sung by choirs at Delos … while here the aulos, an ancient Greek wind instrument, reminded me of the Aluphone …

Dame Evelyn Glennie - as a percussionist

… played by Evelyn Glennie at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in 2012 – she led 1,000 drummers … drumming on inverted household buckets and bins …

Summer sun on island of Delos painted by
Carl Anton Joseph Rottmann (1847-1850)

I then went down a few rabbit holes – rather more than intended, but so stimulating …

Here's to the next half of 2022 – let's hope we can keep our freedom of thought and mind free from control in the years ahead …

Here you can watch the 'Pandemomium Drummer' Rehearsals in London 2012. (1min: 46 secs) 

Dame Evelyn Glennie playing the 'Glennie Aluphone' 

Dame Evelyn Glennie playing the Aluphone at the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Write … Edit … Publish … Bloghop / IWSG hop: Please Read the Letter …

 

Who knows who will read this letter … but to each of you I hope you will take your time to learn more, to understand … life offers so much – this earth and its occupants are so extraordinary … so much goodness here …

Keep your letters - there'll be words of
wisdom in there ... and memories ... 

… be aware each of us has something to offer – learn others' cultures, garner that knowledge and use it wisely …

In recent times as the 21^st century opens up, and as my life is on the wane … I have no wish to go, but have taken to contemplating my life … I am now making up for lost time, as best I can …

From Daphne's post

To keep me going when my mother became ill, as I needed to spend her last years with her – I started this blog 'Positive Letters Inspirational Stories' and am somewhat amazed at what resides there!

I'm not a diarist, never have been, yet I've thoroughly enjoyed this process – recording and learning – and today as I write this, find myself back in 2009 … rather shocked, happily surprised to be reading my own words, as too those of others …

You never know who will read your words – even you yourself … the post is longer – but perhaps these are the salient points … that resonated with me as I read my own words …

Mum and us on Lake Windermere +/- late 1950s

Darling Mum – I am honoured to have been able to share so much with you over the last two years .. and to have been able to laugh with you, smile with you .. and watch your belly ratchet up and down laughing uproariously .. bringing others into our room to see what’s going on!

You’ve been an inspiration to me .. in that you’ve never complained, never worried, never whinged or moaned .. we’ve laughed our way through your adversity, our trials and tribulations ..we seem to have settled into a wonderful existence and have two minds that have met enjoying each other's company, while also appreciating the snippets of information or things that amuse us.

I don’t know where your brain is .. but it never ceases to amaze me at what you can remember .. you may be muddled occasionally .. but it doesn’t matter you’re just so pragmatic about everything and ready to join in the fray – you are most definitely extra special .. and I love you.

My original post is here … 'Giving My Mother Something to Live for' …

Daphne's 'Positive Letter to Hilary' is here – sadly she no longer blogs …

Then there's also all the thoughtful, supportive comments – no wonder I've stuck around in the blog community … it's so worth while …

Thank you – these are important too … I do write 'thank you letters' – keeping me 'honest' to this craft …

Tag line:   You Never Know Who Will Read Your Words or the Benefit they impart ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Clunch … a soft stone building material …

 

I'd never come across Totternhoe Clunch before … so I needed to find out exactly what it was …

Totternhoe Quarry

The connection came from Berwick Church, where we find the Bloomsbury Group murals … which have recently been repaired, conserved and restored to last for at least another 100+ years …

… my WEP Narcissus post was a 'Hilary - creative by-product' of learning more about the restoration of these wall paintings …

The Chancel - murals painted by the
Bloomsbury Group

… the Bloomsbury Group included Virginia Woolf – who I think you might have heard about … her sister Vanessa Bell and other members lived nearby … hence the artistic connection ...

Berwick, East Sussex church

I have family connections in the area … and so am always interested to hear what's going on over at the Church.

The new porch being built

At the moment having restored, repaired and ensured the Church can 'survive in good order' well into the 22^nd century … they are now building an outer porch, to form an air-lock between the interior of the church, and the great outdoors.

Berwick Church has applied for and been given money from the Heritage Lottery Fund – so the conservation and repair works need to conform to, and comply with, best practice …

Our iconic white cliffs - this area is very often
used in films, tv programmes and commercials

Along the south coast of England we have this geological band of chalk – as you'll know 'The White Cliffs of Dover', or here, near Eastbourne, … the iconic cottages above Cuckmere Haven …

Whether Clunch was excavated here in the last 2,000 years or so (it probably was – but flint-stone was more important) we'll never know … but the recorded Totternhoe Clunch is to be found just north-west of London …

Totternhoe Castle mound
(Norman period 11th century)

I looked at Totternhoe Castle mound and thought – that looks like Dunstable Downs – where I briefly took some gliding lessons – off those chalk downs – many, many moons ago – small connections of this world.

Gliding down to the runway

… both the Romans and Normans used this soft limestone, as it's easier to work … in more recent times 1700s!! - it has been used in Woburn Abbey.

There's a really fascinating information site from Stone Specialist about the stone called 'Totternhoe Clunch' … amazing history about the area and 'clunch' …

Woburn Abbey

The approved builders for Berwick Church, under the auspices of English Heritage, have sourced this particular stone as meeting the standards required.

Wider angle showing further mural artwork
by the Bloomsbury group - painted during WW2

I suspect that you'll be getting another post using the information I've gleaned from the Stone Specialist …

As described - the light green
depicts chalk.  Beachy Head
is very near where I live.

So as I've been rather engrossed in other subjects – here's a post to tide me over, til I need to write a letter for WEP next week (see the side bar) …

Life is interesting to put it mildly … and recently it has had its odd moments – even today I nearly got off the beaten path again …

So I'd better get on and introduce you to 'clunch' – a new word to me … but more fascinating to learn about its history and present day usage …

Looking across the South Downs at Lewes,
c/o John Wallace

Here's to Totternhoe Clunch! Have happy weekends …

There's an excellent book on the Bloomsbury group at the Church ....  “Even more may be gained, from Peter Blee’s scholarly, perceptive, and beautifully produced account of The Bloomsbury Group in Berwick Church.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories