Concrete Lemon …

 

Well it's not what I thought … I imagined that this would be a great subject for a We Are The World Blogfest post …

Detailed taxonomic illustration by
Kohler 1897

… but no … it is most definitely not concrete in the way we understand it today … the term arose in the early 1500s coming about from Latin (concretus) – having different meanings as the language English progressed – and those grammatical aspects are way beyond me … (I looked up concrete origin of word): the English Language is a dynamic one … always changing …

Right let's get back to lemons … and the Mr Coxwell … who perfected this concrete lemon substance …

An essay by Dr Trotter

Mr Coxwell was a chemist and druggist in Fleet Street, London and was a member of the Committee of Chemistry at the Society for the Promotion of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, and … as you know the inventor of concrete lemon.

Concrete as we know it – it was not - but it did have the appearance of smashed white sugar … perhaps I'll look at concrete dust differently now …

Henry Coxwell's description

However Mr Coxwell had created crystallised lemon juice for use at sea … to ease the disease of scurvy …

Scurvy had been recorded in Ancient Egypt over 3,500 years ago; Hippocrates, the Greek physician, described the symptoms of scurvy; the Chinese recognised it …

Eventually in the early years of the 2^nd millennium 'we' started to catch up - that fresh citrus particularly could ward off scurvy …

Produce could be part of the cargo – but would not last … so stop off points were found and then planted with fruit trees and vegetables to be available for maritime travellers …

Very early Cape Town, harbour and 
Table Mountain

… Jan van Riebeeck, acting for the Dutch East India Company, arrived in 1792 at what is now the Cape Town area to set up a victualing settlement to grow fruit trees and develop gardens for a permanent supply of fresh produce.

These stop off points developed in places such as St Helena Island, along the St Lawrence River ... and other places as explorers opened up the world …

Communication and the spread of information was not easy in these early days … so it took until the 1920s before 'our world' understood scurvy … now in the 21^st century it is virtually eliminated though still occurs amongst malnourished people and there have been outbreaks in refugee camps ...

Back to Coxwell and his concrete lemon that particularly valuable commodity … developed in the late 1700s and early 1800s – at least it could be kept and stored easily in the cargo … as a veritable increase in trade spread around the globe.

Description of his reduced lemon juice
in the Bath Chronicle of 1799

The wonders of life through the ages ... 

On July 10^th 1784 … see Crell's Journal in the link … where he notes that 'there is a worm that cankers the bud of all improvement here' … the Naval Service took a while before this ingenious discovery would benefit its seamen.

This subject bemused me … to be found … c/o British Library and its archives … and I learnt quite a lot from reading it …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Bran Tub # 24 … Spoon-billed Sandpiper and its 1869 lithographer …

 

Being behind the curve as usual … I spotted this wonderful looking lithograph of the spoon-bill sandpiper – illustrated by John Gerrard Keulemans in 1869 – which led me to various things …

Illustration by John Gerrard Keulemans
(1869)

Oh dear … my interpretation of the title on this book in my little mind was Eleven Birds in House and Town … but as you can see it should be and is: Our Birds in House and Garden …

Keuleman's publication
volume one

Not sure now how I got to the Spoon-billed Sandpiper … but another name came into the frame … Laysan Island … one of the North-western (Leeward) Islands (originally the Sandwich Islands – so named by James Cook in 1778).

Laysan Island one of the tiny islands in
the long-tail of the volcanic chain

This is part of the Hawaiian Islands … a chain of volcanoes that stretch about 2,700 km (1,700 miles) in a north-westerly direction … these are constantly on the move as new islands are created over tens of thousands of years … about 7 cm (or 2.75 inches) per year …

This bird is critically endangered … the main threats to survival are habitat loss on its breeding grounds and loss of tidal flats … in and around that huge area the Pacific Ocean …

Spoon-billed Sandpiper's distribution -
around the Pacific Ocean

… it nests in June-July on coastal areas in the tundra, choosing locations with grass close to freshwater pools.

Head of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper 
c 1890 illusration

They feed on moss in the tundras, as well as smaller animal species like mosquitoes, flies, beetles, and spiders … at times they feed on marine vertebrates such as shrimp and worms.

Captain Cook's three voyages: red in 1768,
green in 1772; his final one - he was killed
in the Hawaiian islands in 1776

The gales and storms above the seas will send many a small animal off course …

Captain James Cook c 1775

On looking at Captain Cook and then his wife through these portraits … we can certainly see some of the cultural changes that have occurred in the last 300 years …

Elizabeth Cook - 56 years a widow (1830)

The storms of life are most definitely still occurring … I digress once again … I think it's time I disappeared back onto my curve again …

Spoon-billed Sandpiper ...

John Gerrard Keulemans - his three volume works ... 

James Cook and his history ... 

National Geographic and the chain of Hawaiian Islands hotspot ... 

Saving the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper site ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Order of the Thistle - a Scottish Order of Chivalry ...

 

A simple post today as we ease towards the 'The Final Journey for Her Majesty', RIP Queen Elizabeth II.

She died in Balmoral, Scotland … giving us an opportunity to understand a little more of our ancient history.

Portrait by Julian Calder

The Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland.

This is a magnificent photo by Julian Calder, who specialises in portraits … here is Her Majesty up in the heathered landscaped above Balmoral so beloved by her, dressed in the Order of Thistle raiment.

Julian Calder photographer ... 

Information on the Order of the Thistle ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

For Whom the Bell Tolls … it tolls for Elizabeth, our Queen : 1926 – 2022 …

 

It has all happened rather swiftly … where the death of our beloved Queen was announced less than 24 hours ago …

Queen Elizabeth
1926 - 2022

Preparations for the death of her Majesty were made as early as the 1960s, regularly updated each year … and more so during the pandemic years …

… as you'd expect where Kings and Queens have reigned for over 1,000 years these plans have been revised and amended as times have changed …

Royal Arms of Queen Elizabeth 
as used in England (NB Unicorn)

For the Queen – preparations were in place:

Operation Unicorn being the first should she die in Scotland, which as we know occurred;

The details are finalised through the various formal routes of Monarchy and Government … which will be acted upon in the coming days;

Platinum Jubilee event at 
Buckingham Palace for the public

We don't know all the specific details … but as the hours unfold – we, the public, will be informed.

There are many tributes being paid both from people in all walks of life … many being recorded on radio and tv …

She died here in Balmoral Castle yesterday
RIP Queen Elizabeth II

It is a huge shock that our Queen should have departed quite so quickly … but during Thursday it became fairly obvious that things were developing – until the announcement of her death was made at 6.30pm – : RIP Queen Elizabeth II.

The plans for the event of the Queen's death and funeral are occurring concurrently with plans for the accession of King Charles III to the throne.

The Royal Standard

The Royal Standard is never lowered … we always have a Monarch in place … other Union flags fly at half mast …

We are now at this point … the new King will be formally Accessed tomorrow … while other plans will arise as and when. Information is happening quite quickly.

Our new King as he was
back in 2017

The new King has arrived back in London, when he will meet the Prime Minister – herself only three days into the job …

Both houses of Parliament … the House of Lords and the Commons are sitting so that members may record their condolences – these operations will cease at about 6.00pm when the new King will address the nation.

David Austin rose -
Floribunda 'Queen Elizabeth'

There will be a service at St Paul's Cathedral this evening … 'The Service of Prayer and Reflection' – which will be broadcast to the nation ...

The bells tolled at mid-day … for our dear Queen, Elizabeth II, rest in peace after decades of Devotion to Duty … 'The Servant Queen'.

PS I will do an ABC type of post in due course ...   Change of plan - apologies ... I will not be doing a major post on her life.  Perhaps when the Coronation comes along ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Am I Allowed …

 

… to forget snippets I wanted to put into a post … to just to finish off the Commonwealth Games post in August and Bran Tub # 23 … and the 1972 Olympic Games … that I will write up more when the 2024 Paris Olympics comes along …

Foggy morning

Old age perhaps … brain fog … who knows – but I really do want to write this post …

Princess Anne with Precious -
he is a favourite with the Royals

I doubt you remember the Kenyan Julius Yego – learning how to improve his javelin throw via Youtube that I mentioned in my 2014 Commonwealth Games (3/3) – that year he won gold, but he was back this year coming third. Youtube – the best 'how to ….' ?!?! That's meant to be a positive!

Now we revert to 1972 the Munich Olympics … where a member of the British team was the diminutive (4' 9”) weightlifter Precious McKenzie … my job was to find clothes for him that matched the British Olympic team's style – also for the larger bods too …

Precious lifting Muhammad Ali

Such a gentle soul and so polite – I remember … Precious had come over from South Africa – as racial prejudice had prevailed … he subsequently left the UK for New Zealand where he now lives. His back story is interesting …

But though he was in the lowest weight category – his strength was stupendous for someone of his size … as you can see from the images …

Emily winning her gold this year

He'd come over for this year's Commonwealth Games in the UK – I guess he has many contacts here … and the New Zealanders were competing in many of the events … particularly the weightlifting categories … here he met …

Emily Campbell, 28, who only started weightlifting when she was 21 … now she's already Commonwealth Champion 2022 … having won silver at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Precious McKenzie congratulating
Emily on her success this year - and no doubt
some wise words passed on ... 

Nottingham Trent University, where she grew up … awarded her an honorary Doctor of Sports Degree … she now inspires youngsters to try all things – anything is possible if you are willing to pursue your dreams …

One last word on Muhammad Ali that I only came across today … I hadn't realised he had a major fear of flying … and only went to the 1960 Olympics with a parachute strapped to his back …

Paris in 2007

Well that really is my lot on these sorts of Games til they rock around again – in Paris 2024 … but how we can learn, how we can inspire and yet be terrified of jumping a continent …

Thanks for your patience in being here … 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories