Thursday 24 July 2014

Second Time Lucky - A Lovely Scottish Binman

Last September I visited Glasgow and was thwarted in my attempt to find some geo goodies in George's Square due to construction work.  So today, up with my family for the Commonwealth Games, I had another go.

I found the 100 foot marker easily.
14 07 24 Glasgow St Georges Square (2)
But was a tad disappointed that they'd plopped a bin on top of whole 100 foot stretch.
14 07 24 Glasgow St Georges Square (3)
A chap kindly moved for me so I could photograph the first 10 feet.
14 07 24 Glasgow St Georges Square (4)
I mentioned to him what I was photographing and he mentioned that there was another set of markers the other side of the grass. This turned out to be a 100 link stretch. But unlike the 100 foot markers which simply had a bin and a (mobile) person on it, this set had a whole Scottish tourist board of benches over it. So I did what any surveyor would do and dip and dive between tourist legs to photograph the brass plaques under them.
14 07 24 Glasgow St Georges Square (5)
14 07 24 Glasgow St Georges Square (6)
I was enormously suffered by the bench sitters who allowed me to stare under them. My family disowned me and watched the pipers - which is what every other sensible person was doing to be frank. However I wasn't happy as I couldn't find the RICS plaque. So I sat and downloaded the Glasgow Geek Guide to find out exactly where it was. It was at the beginning of the 100 link stretch. Which was precisely where a bin was.

As luck would have it the bin was just being emptied so I sauntered up to the binman. "Hi," I smiled, "I think there is a plaque under your bin I'd like to see". "I don't think so love," he responded. I persisted, "Can you please humour me a minute and just lift it? I really think there is something under there that is related to these brass markers." And I explained the relationship between the brass link pointers and zero. Anyway, I won him over and he lifted the bin. And lo and behold there it was!
14 07 24 Glasgow St Georges Square (8)
It is quite hard to read but it states "To mark its centenary year in 1997. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland has provided finance to assist in the maintenance of this standard chain."

So I'd like to dedicate this blog to the lovely Scottish binman who humoured an English woman and lifted a bin. He got a hug.
14 07 24 Glasgow St Georges Square (1)


Wednesday 2 July 2014

Military Map

On Monday I was privileged to visit the Queen's Gallery.  One of the cabinets contained a selection of military maps collected by the Duke of Cumberland in the 18th Century.  Many of these military maps were in support of the suppression of the 1745-46 Jacobite rising.

This map is by Schultz from 1745.  Schultz was a draughtsman working for Cumberland who was tasked to map territory and record battles.  In the summer of 1745 Schult climbed the crossing tower of the church at Dieghem, Belgium, and drew this panarama of the surrounding territory showing the incampments of the Amry of the Allies.

Elegant.
14 06 30 RICS (2)