Jumping Jelly Beans ... tunnels and bridges ...

 

A bridge or tunnel too far perhaps … but as is my wont – I need(ed) a filler post … so coming from a bridge (civil) engineering family …

Their logo

When I saw that the Marmaray Tunnel – beneath the Bosporus Strait, Istanbul … linking Europe with Asia … had been built … my grandfather's firm of structural engineers had been contracted for the Bridge across the Bosphorus … opened in 1973. I was taken aback …

Bakirkoy - where the trains meet

As I'm no engineer my uncle and I would have brief discussions about engineering projects – particularly when we met out in South Africa … but he died in 1997.

The tunnel had passed me by … opened in 2013 just after my mother died, so perhaps understandable I hadn't 'twigged' … as the deepest immersed tube tunnel in the world.

Bosphorus Strait ... dotted
red lines indicate tunnel project

The construction originally mooted in 1860 … obviously not much happened – 130 years later! … preparatory work was able to commence.

As is usual archaeological discoveries held the work up somewhat … still unearthing our history enlightens us … in this instance from the Byzantine-era and other 8,000 year old archaeological finds …

East Mediterranean/West Asia
showing the various plates, including
in the north the North Anatolian Plate

The other part I enjoy learning about is the geology of the area … somewhat to my surprise – the tunnel is only 18 kilometres (11 miles) away from the active North Anatolian Fault:

Tectonic Plates

Since AD 342, it has seen large earthquakes that claimed many thousands of lives. It is expected that there could be a major earthquake in that area fairly soon …

Simpler map for info

Most of humanity lives through these eruptions, while others lose their lives … perhaps to be discovered at a later date, and then provide new information of eras past …

Some basic facts about the Strait …

It connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and eventually into the Mediterranean Sea – it is an international waterway …

Length about 19 miles

Width between 0.45 miles – 2.05 miles

Maximum depth of 110 metres (360 feet)

Heavy traffic … 48,000 ships annually … reportedly three and four times denser than the traffic that used to go through (but due to war/drought) in the Suez Canal and Panama Canal; this traffic has also reduced due to restrictions placed on night-time transit of large oil tankers.

The Bosphorus Bridge

My filler got longer than necessary … but those rabbit holes became tunnels or bridges … letting us travel around and learn …

But where Jumping Jelly Beans came from ... I've no idea?! 

Links if you wish to look further …

Marmaray Tunnel ... 

Anatolian sub-plate ... 

Marmaray - the portmanteau word for this commuter rail project ... 

Bosphorus facts from Marine Insight ... 

BUT I almost forgot why this post got written – I found this fascinating interactive image – just click it … it's brilliant – just check it out please …

Bridges schematically shown from Trajan's Roman Bridge, to the Ponte Vecchio, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge and many more … see here:

1915 Canakkale Bridge ...  see comparison of notable bridges at end of this link ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Muddling maudling me … life!

 

It does tick by doesn't it … I was giving a talk on King John 1167 – 1216 … and I seem to have totally got myself absorbed into that era …

King John on a stag hunt

Eight hundred years ago is such a mixed up era – before the English were English … and owned more land in France than on this little isle …

Lots of Isabellas, Henrys, Margarets, two Popes, Matildas, Joans … just trying to work out who was who has been 'quite interesting' …

Not the Library's exhibition
guide - I've sent for one

Nine years ago I went to an exhibition celebrating the 800 years since Magna Carta was signed (1215) at the British Library and had found some booklets on that period … perfect for my history talk … the filing cabinet enlightened me!

Thankfully I didn't need to muddy the waters by just listing dates, battles, castles, people – but through the guide I was able to distil the parts needed to bring the treacherous, obnoxious King John to life …

I enjoyed the cruel look in
his eyes ... well I didn't, but you
know what I mean!

Then I researched deeper … and am now totally captivated by the 1200s – hook line and sinker - totally engrossed … it's sad really!

The Plantagenet era has me spellbound … books, guides, novels are sprouting down here in Eastbourne …

Lots of interesting snippets
in here

Then disaster struck my printer gave up the ghost – no it was not eight hundred years old! … its owner at times might feel like that … but I needed a print-out of my talk.

Oh … ok … I could email it to myself onto my ipad … duly done – except the 'old girl' got faffed while doing it – something very stupid … and I put the right extension onto the list of slides, but did not do that for the 23 page talk (largish type) …

We had the headmaster to talk to us
about changes in our taxation system and
its effect on fee paying schools ... 

I didn't realise until I was at the church, where we hold our history meetings – remember the blue moon was attempting to rise in July …

Now panic set in … but, thankfully on Monday's, the church office is manned by men … so they were enlisted to help – including their techie chap – bless them all! They blessed me!

Isobella of Angouleme
(2nd wife of John)

By fair means or foul he rescued me, definitely on the fair means side, and I had my talk, with the slide listings for Enid (our history buff) to refer to as she occasionally adds in to our talks, to clarify some aspects …

I'm still totally immersed in this period … so much so that I've been reading a novel … but another post to follow – it's an interesting one … I could see the characters of that period.

English lands in 1180 (red) ... but most lost
by 1223 after Magna Carta.
(French in blue; Yellow the Church; Green -
other fiefs held on behalf of the French crown)

From the discombobulated world of .......

Hilary Melton-Butcher at

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Write – Edit – Publish Bloghop: October Horrorfest …

 

A dark and gloomy evening – a dreaded long night ahead … the heavens were dark and broody … what had induced her to stay home … she couldn't imagine – she hated the uncertainty.

Willow tit ( a sweet little bird!)

That music infiltrated … it wouldn't go … it was taking over … especially now she remembered the lyrics … tit-willow-tit-willow-tit-willow …

Long ago alone the tv glowed … that song again … the setting - a murder … how did he die? Now all was in deep murky darkness … the garden stretched out … falling away towards a gurgling stream …

Tangled undergrowth

Even though it was the black and white era … she remembered the images … that song always brought shivers to her spine … why … no idea – but along her journey of life … there were some horreurs …

Time to put the Tit-Willow … back in its box – til the tune raises its ugly head and resonates again, as it surely will …

Grey image: Willow Tit

I don't seem to do well for October horrorfests … remembering my post for October five years ago – almost to the day …

So after mental reference to my Dark Places WEP posted seven years ago … and my thoughts on Joan of Arc and her ending, found as we're covering the Plantagenet era in our history group … horrors abound throughout the centuries … I'm almost bowing out …

That Tit-Willow song will, apparently, always bring up the anxious senses … I'm off now - a gloomy evening awaits … I'll catch up properly next week …

Horror: I avoid if I can … happy for all other prompts! Thanks WEPPERS … and BLOGGERS … see you soon …

Michaelangelo's
Damned Soul (c1525)

Dark Places post - October 2017 

The Passion of Joan of Arc 1928 film 

The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan - a comic opera ... though that tune gives me the heebie-jeebies ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Hickory Dickory Dock – Exeter Cathedral …

 

We had a prompt (Upstairs Downstairs) for our reading group … and to my surprise … no-one thought about the famous tv series 'Upstairs Downstairs' for that particular prompt (before Maggie Smith died).

Might be American spelling!

Me … I just kept on with the way I've been going this year … very slow, but not ponderous in thought … Nursery Rhymes came to my fore …

The Grand Old Duke of York … Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and second son of King George III of England is the only member of the British Royal family to be immortalised in a nursery rhyme.

Goosey Goosey Gander …

whither shall I wander?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall …

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall …

and then …

Looking up towards the ornate
setting in Exeter Cathedral

Hickory Dickory Dock …

the mouse ran up the clock …

twelve times, then that poor little mouse had to start all over again … such is the life of a little mouse …

A whiskery looking mouse -
that's actually a rat!

Poor little mouse … has been kept very occupied these past weeks as I pondered on … but then the cat was more than encouraged to chase said mice (plenty born by this time!) through the new bell tower cat flap – the scampering rodents found their nemesis awaiting them …

It is thought Hickory Dickory Dock came into prominence in the 1700s from Exeter Cathedral, which has an astronomical clock … and had had a small hole cut in its face for the resident cat to keep watch …

Steve Roud's book on
Folk Songs in England

History abounds through our nursery rhymes … apparently there are about 250,000 references to 25,000 songs collected for the Roud Index after World War Two … thankfully the oral traditions have been saved.

Beneath the main dial is an appropriate saying ... 

PEREUNT ET IMPUTANTUR … the hours pass and are reckoned to our account.

As many hours have passed … I believe I am on the way to being back in the swing of things … so my next post will be the WEP October Horrorfest … mine will be a gentle tale – but do join us …

An early mechanism for the
astronomical clock removed
in 1885; but is restored and is
in its current position for
viewing purposes.

Thanks for bearing with my slothful time away … I shall catch up and see you all soon …

Hickory Dickory Dock Nursery Rhyme ... 

Exeter Cathedral Astronomical Clock ... which is thought to date from 1484

Please if you get can email advising you of a new post ... if you don't want it ... just let me know and I'll delete your name ... thanks ... or I can add yours in ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Procrastinate, Prevaricate … Pear-shaped brain …

 

Such is life – I'm getting off the bandwagon for a fortnight – for anyone who doesn't know that's two weeks + a bit!

Procrastinating, prevaricating doesn't do me any good ...and the pear-shaped brain is discovering more rabbit holes …

Who knew? - that The Rabbit Hole book will be published in October … I give up – it appeared on my radar today of all days … actually you'd think if I had radar I wouldn't be down so many rabbit holes … wouldn't you?

Far too many of these around ... 
books, articles etc

Lots going on and before the Autumn really comes along … I'm going to get a few things done and then I'll feel easier … and the brain won't be so pitted with half-explored books, sites of interest, articles to look into …

Hanging fruit waiting for me
to check out!

So I'm going to love you and leave you … we've a few sunny days left before Keats' season of mists and mellow fruitfulness sets in, followed by Blake's Winter of our discontent … then Rossetti's Spring will return … more rabbit holes!

Varieties of those low hanging fruits

I'm so grateful for our seasons … they provide interest sparking different thoughts appropriate to that time of year … from which we could learn so much …

Thankfully I haven't got as many as
shown here - but enough to keep me occupied

I'm eternally grateful to you all for following along … and yes I will set up a private group email to send out my posts to anyone who'd like to be on it … let me know – that'd be great: thank you … (reason being some of us lose our reasons for being sometimes with programmes cancelling our previously happy set up … )

I won't be far away … cheers for now …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Tail Fin Heroes …

 

We had a prompt recently … 'our first flight' – well it introduced a range of memories for the eight of us … trips to the States to meet up with relatives who'd left the Welsh valleys, others who'd gone south to Africa with their families, an English-American who'd lived in Sri Lanks, or holidays into Europe …

Showing a car being boarded at Lydd

... then me (of course) … I'd remembered we'd taken in the mid 1960s, our car over the Channel from Lydd airport, on the Kent coast ...

... so my mother could drive the three of us down to Italy, where my father would fly out and join us.

The leaning tower was one
of our stop overs

Now to tail fins – as the company that flew out of Lydd turned out to be Silver City Airways … interesting company … one of the first commercial flights from London Airport (as it was known) was to Sydney … via – guess where – yes … Johannesburg – crumbs – I'm so pleased I didn't have to travel that way.

Panorama view of Lake Como - another stop over

So this was why I was off down various rabbit holes, we lived near Heathrow for the first 20 years or so of my life ...

Using both the USA and UK flags as their logo

... I really had better get back to 'tail fins' … my first flight to the States for a friend's wedding was on one of Freddie Laker's Skytrains …

It certainly shows Freddie ... 

To my amazement in 2017 – oh yes 50+ years of air transportation … when tail fins popped up … would you put Freddie Laker, Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury, children's author Roald Dahl, pioneering pilot Amy Johnson and our 1966 football's winning team captain Bobby Moore …

Map of Lake Como ... I've no idea where
we stayed, but my mother, father and I 
did learn to play Bezique here

... well believe it or not Norwegian Air International has placed these images on five of their tailfins … strange bedfellows I thought – and I'm sure you do too? Little things amuse me …

Normal service will be resumed shortly …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

WEP Get Togethers # 5 … Languorous me …

 

Unsettledness perhaps … life leads me very slowly forward … the brain is very active, the typing fingers less so!

Rather too many 'games' going on … both physical and political – some very interesting, others not so much – yet the brain tacks across all subjects …

I know a few blogging members have been having some challenges – I wish them and their families well … and an easier future …

Perhaps some time down in Marseilles ... 

I think perhaps the meaning of 'languorous' … it suggests a dreamy boredom and delicacy that avoids unnecessary activity … does not describe where I'm at … I'm definitely not bored – overwhelmed with ideas I'd like to explore is more like it ...

The Olympics Paris 2024 Cauldron:
not quite a balloon ... but near enough ... 

... so where to start … when my mind is a star burst of thoughts – where to start is a challenge … as my mother used to say – for goodness sake get on with it … bless her!! So best get on with it!!

Another 24 hours, 48 or more hours later … probably!

Eastbourne - Devonshire Park tennis set up

Tennis – lots of tournaments down here … County Week, Over 35s et al – lots, then the Olympics taking me back to 1972 when I worked for the British Olympic Organisation and fast forwarding to the 2012 Games … and to the 2024 Para-Olympics coming up …

Teahupoo, Tahiti - where the surfing is being
held - not the kind of waves we get here
in the English Channel, along our seafront

We've got Airbourne with the Red Arrows … along the seafront in ten days time … lots of noise, ancient and modern aircraft, wing walkers – the thought appals me! Fun for the town though … but be prepared rattling windows ahoy …

Pampered pooch with punctured pouch

However to finish off and I hope give you a big smile … how about a pampered pooch prompted to enjoy their ping-pong patrols with a punctured pouch on board … spreading those tiny wild seeds out and about.

One of the emblems for the next Olympics
in Los Angeles 2028

Interestingly and apparently the aim is to replicate the activity of wolves before they went extinct in the middle of the 1700s … strange but true!

Better go to catch up a little … take care one and all …

Olympics - Paris ... information vision ... 

Railways Land Project ... pottering pooches ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories