Which Way Mecca?

Following on from my fascinating (sic) post on churches facing east last month, a colleague e-mailed me this link.  It's a discussion on the alignment of graves to Mecca and how this can be measured.  In there is a statement regarding the direction of churches in the UK and there is a somewhat sweeping (but probably true) statement saying they face any which way: OK, but mainly east.

An interesting article.  And it makes me wonder if some church alignment is sort of towards the Holy Land rather than east?

Trig by Night

Have recently been up in Edinburgh for the RICS General Assembly and Governing Council.  I was only able to attend one day as I had to fly back to run a series of meetings and therefore missed the celebration of Robert Burns being awarded FRICS - posthumously of course.  In between finishing the General Assembly (1655) and leaving for the airport (1715) I was filmed for an RICS podcast. If it's any good I may even blog it.

I took the opportunity to fly up a day early and see a few sights, most notably the Royal Yacht Britannia and Edinburgh Castle.
 
Had a good loiter on their bridge.  Fascinated by the fading to this chart.  I've never seen that before but then you're not meant to leave a chart in the same place on a bridge for years.
 
A busman's holiday.
 
Flags.

A beautiful ship.

It wouldn't be right, though, if I didn't bag a trig and this was the first one I've ever collected in the dark.  It's on a lovely wee hill (Calton) just off the main shopping thoroughfare surrounded by a canon, observatory and a monument which looks half built.  A quick google search shows that indeed it really is only half built - the National Monument.

The next day, enroute to the Castle, espied this little beauty.  One of those rare BMs with bolt which looked a bit like a lump of chewing gum until I investigated further.

Sun, Sea and Bike Wheels

Dragged my husband out for a trip to Teignmouth today.  The bribe, apart from spending time with me of course, was coffee by the sea.  He's been quite poorly recently and I suspect his defences were down.  He doesn't usually trig bag with me.

First off then was a surface block near Teignmouth Golf course.  Roger found it first (grrr).  They really aren't much to look at but as they are so much harder to find than trig pillars I get my kicks from the discovery.

Next was Teignmouth Lighthouse - an intersected point.  It's only 6m high and has never had a keeper.  "So how can it be called a Lighthouse then?" queried Rog, "if no-one has ever lived in it".  Ah, trig hunting with a scientist.  I knew I should have left him at home.

He quite liked the bike wheel arty things though.

We headed off to find a surface bolt, literally tripping over an EA Benchmark in the process.

These surface bolts really aren't things of beauty are they?

After coffee we headed to the Parson and Clerk.  A very squelchy looking surface block.


But truly wonderful views across to the Exe Estuary.

And, Ken, this is for you.

We then had an abortive attempt to find a trig at Burrows Reservoir near Dawlish (gates locked) and an unsuccessful surface block hunt on a hill.  Stunning views again mind you.

Rog is out all day tomorrow.  Looks like I'm going to harrass teenagers if I want trig pillar hunt company.