Castle Aching

[Nearholmer]

I wonder what make/model the ‘basket chair behind’ motorcycle is? One of my bros is very heavily into these things, so I will ask him if he recognises it - they were all very similar in 1903, so it needs a ‘bike gricer’ to know.

 

As a way of uniting all the thread-drift, I’m envisaging a sort of early ‘motor spirit heads’ rally (petrol hadn’t been properly formalised in 1905) taking place at CA, with cyclists, motorcyclists, and an autocar converging on a field that has been carefully mown to permit a demonstration flight by Mr Ernest Thompson Willows, who has (for reasons yet to be devised) popped over from Cardiff to show off his newly constructed No.1 airship.

 

Photo below shows one of his later versions, built near Bedford, which presumably explains what I think is a Midland train (yes, Class 3 Belpaire loco) ........ imagine an early attempt at this manoeuvre, in 1905 at CA!

 

(Is it a double-exposure print, I ask myself?)

Edited April 3, 2018 by Nearholmer

[Northroader]

It really ought to be a RNAS ship from Glencruitten?

[Edwardian]

I wonder what make/model the ‘basket chair behind’ motorcycle is? One of my bros is very heavily into these things, so I will ask him if he recognises it - they were all very similar in 1903, so it needs a ‘bike gricer’ to know.

 

As a way of uniting all the thread-drift, I’m envisaging a sort of early ‘motor spirit heads’ rally (petrol hadn’t been properly formalised in 1905) taking place at CA, with cyclists, motorcyclists, and an autocar converging on a field that has been carefully mown to permit a demonstration flight by Mr Ernest Thompson Willows, who has (for reasons yet to be devised) popped over from Cardiff to show off his newly constructed No.1 airship.

 

Photo below shows one of his later versions, built near Bedford, which presumably explains what I think is a Midland train (yes, Class 3 Belpaire loco) ........ imagine an early attempt at this manoeuvre, in 1905 at CA!

 

(Is it a double-exposure print, I ask myself?)

 

What a magnificent and deeply odd picture.  In all sorts of ways.

 

One wonders what possible military training (no pun intended) value this stunt might be thought to have had?

 

We were going to Beat the Boshe by dropping onto his trains?!?

 

Unfortunately, on the WNR, trains moved so slowly that blimps invariably over-shot the mark when attempting such manoeuvres.

[TheQ]

One is supposed to avoid impacts when sailing! (Sorry I can't remember which  rule that is.) It was the cold North Sea and my arthritis that did not go well together.

 

 

14 AVOIDING CONTACT

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room

(a) need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and

(b) shall be exonerated if she breaks this rule and the contact does not cause damage or injury.

 

On the Broads thats difficult...

 

In my defence Sir some of the boats may well have been around in 1903,though not the competitors..

( PS) I'm in the video somewhere...

Edited April 3, 2018 by TheQ

[Compound2632]

Rather nice pair of 60' 12-wheel dining carriages - not easy to tell from the blurred image but they might be the surviving pair from the London-Manchester sets of 1898, with the D499 kitchen restaurant third leading. There's something rather odd-looking about the front end of the Belpaire: almost as if there's a rectangular skirt outside the bogie wheels. One wonders, was this manoeuvre sanctioned by the railway authorities? 

Edited April 3, 2018 by Compound2632

[Northroader]

Looks great fun, although spearing shopping trolleys looks a tricky job. “Jib-booms and bobstays” as miss Nancy Blackett would say.

[RedGemAlchemist]

Unfortunately, on the WNR, trains moved so slowly that blimps invariably over-shot the mark when attempting such manoeuvres.

Maybe that's why (according to my writeup) Peter was sold by the WNR to the KLR. Too fast for the WNR? 

[Edwardian]

Maybe that's why (according to my writeup) Peter was sold by the WNR to the KLR. Too fast for the WNR? 

 

Quite possibly!

[Compound2632]

(Is it a double-exposure print, I ask myself?)

 

Or the airship not in fact directly above the train? What speed were these airships capable of anyway? The descending passenger is hanging suspiciously close to the vertical beneath the gondola, if that's the term.

[petethemole]

I thought the figure on the line was too large in relation to the coaches, so did a rough calculation. if these are 60ft coaches the airship (110ft long) is directly above, it should be slightly less than double the length of the first coach, but it is actually more, so I suspect this is a montage of two photographs.

[Edwardian]

Fake News on Castle Aching?!?

[sem34090]

Mr Fox, proprietor of both the local Grocery and Newspaper shop ('Fox News') and editor of the Aching Telegraph & Gazette was taken rather aback by such an accusation by the chairman of the parish council. Reverend Trump, the new incumbent at St Tabitha's, did not pass comment but stood beside Mr Fox and gave Mr Wardian a particularly dirty look.

 

Later that week, when the Aching Telegraph & Gazette came to be published, Mr Wardian noted that - spread across the front page - was the most insulting headline: Parish Council chairman seen inappropriately close to Lady Erstwhile. It was here that Mr Wardian decided that something was definitely amiss with the 'Fox News' business and he feared that the Lady had perhaps mentioned something more to the Rev. Trump than she perhaps should have...

[Nearholmer]

On the speed of airships: relative the ground, or the air?

 

I think the technique would be to hold as stationary as possible, tail into the wind, using the engines to counter the affect of the wind, ideally just over the portal of a tunnel, so as to be invisible from an emerging train, with the boarding party dangling just above train height, then reverse engines at the critical moment, so as to rapidly accelerate to train-speed under wind and engine power.

 

The boarding party could then step lightly onto the train, enter by swinging from the cantrail, kicking a window in if necessary, retrieve the Bruce-Partington submarine plans from the startled courier, and leave the train, by means of the still-dangling rope, before effective resistance could be mounted.

 

Anyway ........ this is interesting, and contains things that might be zoomed-down to help furnish CA shop windows, as per the below

https://vl203.wordpress.com/tag/edwardian-era/

[phil_sutters]

14 AVOIDING CONTACT

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room

(a) need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and

(b) shall be exonerated if she breaks this rule and the contact does not cause damage or injury.

 

( PS) I'm in the video somewhere...

My only sailing experience was sailing RNSAs on the Thames at Raven's Ait. The river cruise boats used to hate us bumbling about, as they had to give way under steam/power gives way to sail rule.

Edited April 3, 2018 by phil_sutters

[Edwardian]

On the speed of airships: relative the ground, or the air?

 

I think the technique would be to hold as stationary as possible, tail into the wind, using the engines to counter the affect of the wind, ideally just over the portal of a tunnel, so as to be invisible from an emerging train, with the boarding party dangling just above train height, then reverse engines at the critical moment, so as to rapidly accelerate to train-speed under wind and engine power.

 

The boarding party could then step lightly onto the train, enter by swinging from the cantrail, kicking a window in if necessary, retrieve the Bruce-Partington submarine plans from the startled courier, and leave the train, by means of the still-dangling rope, before effective resistance could be mounted.

 

Anyway ........ this is interesting, and contains things that might be zoomed-down to help furnish CA shop windows, as per the below

https://vl203.wordpress.com/tag/edwardian-era/

 

These should prove useful, thanks muchly.

 

I notice that there is a delightful sheet of figures for the shop.

 

Which reminds me, I miss my cottages, and need to finish Bailey Street.

 

This old photograph of the village brings back happy memories of my card modelling days. 

[Edwardian]

More Edwardiana ...

 

Segment just now on R4 mentioning women in trees, which I think was a reference to the book of photographs by Jochen Raiß.

 

Anyway, the collection apparently includes this Edwardian shot:

[sem34090]

And once again the thread begins its slow and steady descent. This is quite a common practice in the parish of Castle Aching, and many parishioners seemingly take great joy in some of the images conjured up both to ones mind and eyes...

[Nearholmer]

Notice the rope on the right, indicating that they are in fact cunning Boche spies (one possibly being a chap in drag), who have been lowered into the tree from a zeppelin, the original idea having been to reach the ground, but an up-draught has interfered, which is no joke when you are wearing one of those voluminous skirts and a winter petticoat.

 

Once they’ve scrambled down, they will make their way to London, and seek employ as Nannies to bankers, in an attempt to undermine the financial stability of the City of London, and foment discord among chimney sweeps, both ‘soft war’ techniques designed to weaken a potential opponent.

 

Each carries, concealed about his/her person, an escape-umbrella, with which to travel back to The Fatherland.

[Edwardian]

Notice the rope on the right, indicating that they are in fact cunning Boche spies (one possibly being a chap in drag), who have been lowered into the tree from a zeppelin, the original idea having been to reach the ground, but an up-draught has interfered, which is no joke when you are wearing one of those voluminous skirts and a winter petticoat.

 

Once they’ve scrambled down, they will make their way to London, and seek employ as Nannies to bankers, in an attempt to undermine the financial stability of the City of London, and foment discord among chimney sweeps, both ‘soft war’ techniques designed to weaken a potential opponent.

 

Each carries, concealed about his/her person, an escape-umbrella, with which to travel back to The Fatherland.

 

Les sales boches!!!!!

 

Actually, they were not that effective, as they failed to blend in, due no doubt to the inability of some to suppress their rigid Prussian military mannerisms; when instructed by the photographer to "vatch ze liddle birdie", the spy on the left of the picture instinctively saluted.

Edited April 3, 2018 by Edwardian

[Compound2632]

Edwardian women in trees - I'm glad to see this thread getting back onto the level of sensible and relevant discussion after some of the recent diversions.

[Edwardian]

Once they’ve scrambled down, they will make their way to London, and seek employ as Nannies to bankers, in an attempt to undermine the financial stability of the City of London, and foment discord among chimney sweeps, both ‘soft war’ techniques designed to weaken a potential opponent.

 

Each carries, concealed about his/her person, an escape-umbrella, with which to travel back to The Fatherland.

 

I am slow today!

 

I have just realised the full horror of this revelation!!!!!!!

 

That sweep's no Cockney either, I'll be bound!

 

EDIT: Of course, when one thinks about it, it's obvious; in the photograph below she is even caught in the act of clicking her heels!

Edited April 3, 2018 by Edwardian

[Edwardian]

Edwardian women in trees - I'm glad to see this thread getting back onto the level of sensible and relevant discussion after some of the recent diversions.

 

Yes, feels like old times!

 

(before you all made me build track!)

[Nearholmer]

Not only the heel-clicking, but the excessively perfect diction; a sure sign of someone who has learned the language in a foreign military training establishment.

[Edwardian]

Not only the heel-clicking, but the excessively perfect diction; a sure sign of someone who has learned the language in a foreign military training establishment.

 

Of course!

 

You wouldn't believe she'd been brought up in an Austrian convent, would you?

[Nearholmer]

Some clues emerge in early family photographs.