Roads and Routes

I suspect this will turn out to be Roads and Routes Part I, but I wouldn't want to presume I have too much to say on this.  However I'm currently reading, in a pick-up-and-put-down sort of way, my Christmas present from my Dad, Mapping the Roads.

It is a lovely exploration of how UK roads were mapped over the ages, although I confess I'm only up to page 42 so I'm just set for the transport revolution of the 18th century.  Stagecoaches start to rule, the state of the roads improves enormously (or it could be the other way round) and mapping keeps up.

I was in Barnstaple last weekend and bumped into a turnpike sign.

Barum is the Roman name for Barnstaple.  And I couldn't help but smile to note I got a benchmark in the same shot too.

Next up is a modern day version of road markings.  This was in Combe Martin an hour later and shows underground utilities markings aplenty.

Now if we had a really great underground data model, shared by all utilities companies and with accurate 3d mapping the word "approx" would no longer need to be sprayed on our roads.

And between the 18th century and the spray paint utility engineers of the 21st century I've a bit of reading to catch up.

Just Three Little Words

I have just been reading about what3words, an innovative way to transmit a precise position without having to resort to GPS position or address.   The problem with coordinates, be they grid or geographical, is that as soon as you involve a human there is always a risk that those pesky numbers get transposed.  And postal addresses are fine if you live in an urban area, but if you are trying to direct someone to a particular field of your farmland how do you do that?

What 3 words is a concept that uses a combination of 3 words to pin point you anywhere in the world to within a 3 metre grid square.  So rather than say 51°30′12″N 0°07′11″W (ok, I know, less granuality then a 3x3m square) one can type youth.names.zones (dots are not needed) into their search page and ta dah, you are at the London Eye.

Now I like this.  I like the simplicity of it.  So where would I currently like to be - according.gloom.broads?  Although there is no particular sanity check over the words, the creators have ensured that similar names are nowhere near each other spatially.  So if you mistype a word you end up in such the wrong place that you know you've gone wrong.  Indeed, if you put in according.gloom.broad you end up on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border.  Not where I intended.

Underwater Noises - Quack

I know quite a few people who are interested in underwater noise.  I was sent yesterday a link about the Russian Navy taking over Crimea's combat dolphins.  No, I'm not making this up.

And today it was ducks in the Antarctic- "Ocean Quacks".    Apparently the minke whales have been befuddling marine biologists for decades.

It's a noisy world down there.

When is a Trig Pillar Not a Trig Pillar?

...When it's sitting in a sea wall in Plymouth.

I noted that a fellow trig bagger had found this recently and couldn't believe I'd never seen it.  Not only have I lived in Plymouth for a year but I have frequently walked along the sea wall between the Hoe and the Barbican.

So here it is, TP7586, just above a "no tombstoning" sign.  You can't miss it; the sign that is.

It has wonderful views across to Mount Batten and, as it's not actually true sea wall, has 360 deg access for the surveyor without having to resort to ropes to take a round of angles from the seaward side of the wall.

I have also never come across a trig pillar with its own cafe, Duttons.  So we sat in the adjacent garden drinking coffee, eating scones (this is Devon after all), enjoying the sun, ships, sea and spider of course.

Binnacle

I finished my walk along the South West Coast Path early yesterday and had an hour to kill in Combe Martin.  I found this fine example of a binnacle in a local pub.

I haven't really poked around one of these before and I was peering at it a chap joined me and started explaining it to me.  For sure I get the navgation/compass/deviation bit but hadn't realised the point of the balls on either side.  Of course, used to calibrate the compass.  And I liked the candle holder.

It turned out that the chap chatting with me is an ex RN Submariner, last serving on one of the Polaris Resolute (or something beginning with R) boats.  Nice to chat with him.

Geo Rio

I have recently returned from Rio de Janeiro.  As ever when out and about my eyes are peeled for geo related finds.  I was therefore delighted to find a control point on these beautiful steps in Santa Teresa.


Last Sunday I tracked down the Naval and Oceanographic Museum in Rio.  It wasn't an easy find, not helped by the fact that it was in a very quiet part of downtown Rio.  However a warm welcome was assured and considering it's free we had a pleasant wander around.

Over half the museum details the history of Brazil's wars, conflicts and tiffs.  I confess that I got a bit battle weary before 50% the way through and lost track of which Portuguese king was fighting which Spanish, French, British fleet and for what reason.

The boundaries of Brazil ebbed and flowed over the centuries (as did most country's to be honest).

I was more interested in the modern side of things such as their Operation's room simulation.

And their courtyard full of instruments.

We didn't stop for coffee but I liked the name of their cafe.

And the fact that you can drink your coffee standing on a mine.

Afterwards we tracked down the harbour.  Lovely to see -it even smelt right.

Looking across to the naval base (the shallow water side - they park their carrier around the other side) I think I spotted V32 Júlio de Noronha a Corvette alongside some patrol vessels.

Behind this corvette is the Palacio Ilha Fiscal which hosted the last big party of the Empire before the proclamation of the Republic in November 1889. Now that's a party not to have missed!

Walking the South West Coast Path

In case anyone is interested I've started walking the South West Coast Path and a new blog.  http://ruthwalksswcp.blogspot.co.uk/

I'll pick up geo artefacts where I can.  I'd be failing in my duty if I didn't...