Early Alarum Gun. Probably English. Probably 16th/17th century.

Small (but probably very  effective) alarm gun, which I have been working on lately, with assistance of Grand daughter Lucy who has been staying over the last few days. I wanted to mount the gun on a wall without marking the metal, and Luce (who has the gift of seeing the easy way of  doing things (if or when there is an easy way) spotted the one we used here immediately. which was tying the barrel to the wall with a leather thong or bootlace - very simple and easy , and with  a certain amount of 'give' to it. Works well and demonstrates that the simple way of doing a thing is usually the best.

The barrel is three inches long, with a one and a half inch bore. I think  it would have been fired with  match- cord, or a red hot iron. 

The above photograph is of senior daughter Sarah and her  husband Mikey. It was taken during the weekend of 19/21 January, which they spent with us. It was taken in my  cellar. My 'library' consists of two parts -  the  passageway  at the top of the cellar steps (which contains books for reading), and the 'office' part of  my  cellar - which contains my 'reference library' - books on  clocks, guns, weaponry and early metal-ware. I would be lost without  it. Grand daughter Lucy and I are in the  reference part of  the library now, writing (and correcting) a blog entry, as you can see. We are being summoned upstairs for lunch by Ann. Will  complete this later.
 It is now 'later'  so will publish :-

A regular visitor, a friend of Ann's. Last year - spring, summer; this  character raised FOUR  broods . (I'm not at all sure that they were all by the same lady blackbird,  although  Ann tells me that she  is sure he is a high principled bird)

. She feeds him every morning, and he still comes to  be fed every morning  .

The above is  a  photo of 'the blue moon' which I took  the  other evening - Don't we live in a wonderrful world these days ?

Church this morning -it its a very  early round towered church. The 'experts say it was probably built on the site of a pre Christian pagan temple.

There are  also  saxon and Norman remains (in the stone work  ). 

Yet another test run.....
fingers crossed x

Boxing Day 2017

Experimenting with attaching a photograph- apologies for the content - taken on Boxing day, before the family arrived.

Again, please respond if you can!

Many thanks

M & S

 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year - I have finally got this chuffing machine to cooperate (I am fibbing, my eldest daughter has!)
Please respond if you can read this......
Kindest regards
Mike and Sarah

Saturday, 30th December

The  pictures below all refer to the  Christmas just past and were mostly taken in or around our kitchen. The two Christmas trees were made by our two Swedish granddaughters (made in Sweden) The creature on the cake on the right is of a Grinch (no, nor do I, but at least I can keep up a pretence of knowing, and I suggest you all do  the same.

Christmas 2017

This

this a long overdue mystery object.




Where and when do  you  think  it  was made, and for  precisely what  purpose. No prizes and very  little kudos  awarded. 

Haven't heard from anyone yet. Is anyone  there?

Testing my old blog (which seems to be working). Please can anyone receiving this please reply so tha I can see if working.

Test

GOod morning

This  is  a  picture of an Italian crossbow  (  a birding bow) dating from the latish 1 6th  century.
Please acknowledge If received (Testing).

This is a new picture - last year's Ipomia   or  Morning Glory.  It was profuse.  This years at has flowered , but not  generously - about a dozen flowers -  so far. . I am using last years photograph to demonstrate the difference between last years flowering and this - which is not nearly  so  good. Could anyone who has received this  picture acknowledge  the fact  please.

Still trying -  birds and flowers.

Frog.

Spot the  frog.  Variant on  Mystery object.