Nina Baker
@ninabake2
Independent engineering historian: women in engineering, motoring, aviation, construction. Ex-MN. Ex-Deacon Hammermen of Glasgow. OBE.
All these super-accurate replicas to try on at the Trimontium Museum. The gladiator helmet was the heaviest by far and also the biggest inside. I assume that was because they needed a lot more padding both to support the weight & also to protect the skull. Not all gladiators fought to the death.
On my way back from my day outing to Melrose (to visit Trimontium), this charming curly end bit of old #iron railing on the bridge at Bishopriggs station caught my eye. The rest of the old length was crudely fixed onto horrid modern stuff, mostly with unevenly cut uprights.
Also in Melrose is the charming (and free) Priorwood Garden maintained by the NTS to show how the Abbey monks would have gardened. 3/3
Next, of course, to climb up to the top of Eildon North hill to the Roman Signal Station. Pretty warm + little shade so I got really hot. I was totally done in when I got back down to the town. Had to fortify with a baguette & an icecream to have enough strength for the bus back to Galashields. 2/3
🧵I was inspired by @classicalalan.bsky.social's book The Road to Mons Graupius, to do a day trip to Melrose yesterday. Starting at the museum, which is small but beautifully presented. Yes I was channelling my inner 6-year old! Helmet was really too small & too round for my large square head! 1/3
I wish they would get round to building the housing that was approved years ago for this site at Muirend. It was a small light industry area but has been empty for rather a long time.
I am growing some unknown thing too. Not sure if pumpkins or gourds as the fruit are currently about the size of yellow grapes. A young friend grew them from seeds in her pet's food, hence we dont know quite what.
#showmeyourknits Next stop, learning how to block this massive thing out. All handspun with a drop spindle and home dyed with various plant dyes.
Freeboard for type 'A' ships A fully laden tanker often behaves almost like a submarine.
Can I point out, ever so gently, that the load-bearing pillar is actually the world's merchant navy, even including the awful shadow/grey fleet? The military navies can defend them all they want/can but the bottom line is cargo ships, tankers, bulkers & their crews. Often badly paid & far from home.
I went to local library: 1. Returned The Feather Thief as someone else had requested it. Excellent book so I am not surprised. 2. Borrowed 3 new-to-me authors from the hot-off-the-press stand. 3. ❤️Librarians were discussing the lengths of basking sharks (12m) so we also chatted about other sharks🦈
He is in Florida so his sweetcorn is miles ahead of mine in Glasgow, Scotland. However our apples, salads, broccolis, tomatoes etc are coming on nicely.
Nope, these guys are drivers, make them drive upsized J40s. I would prefer somewhere cheaper than Goodwood though.
In Scotland the simile would be "Tunnocks Teacake". More or less the right shape too.
Cathcart, Glasgow rainfall data in mm monthly totals since 2018, year to date, and July results compared. @scottishepa.bsky.social @metoffice.gov.uk in case anyone still cares.
I don't suppose anyone who follows me on here will be going to Russia anytime soon. I know I won't but I did visit the amazing Museum of the Siege of Leningrad in St Petersburg some years ago. It isn't on any of the normal tours but highly recommended. Grim? Oh yes. Should be compulsory.
#SmugnessAlert Our Glasgow garden is suddenly producing like mad, the recent downpours must have helped as the broccoli heads have arrived at edible size in the last 24hrs. Salads seem to go on forever with no #Cyclospora and only a couple of tiny slugs.
Such a lovely word. This book was one of my favourites as as a kid: includes a locomotive whose name is Antimacassar:
Presumably the govt wants to relegate it to the same status as Herstmonceux - struggling to maintain it at a level even for use as an amateur public STEM outreach facility, depending on volunteers and donations.
I see the new system and I guess it will take a bit of getting used to but the name and date of search results seem clear enough, so it does indeed seem oddly unhelpful that that info isnt shown again when you click through to the result.
@everyheron.bsky.social Unfair that this Little Bittern has been hauled into this unseemly debate.
Fun day out in Aberdeen yesterday. This was lunch. At the Mackies' ice cream parlour where, delightfully, you get a cute wee cone with your cuppa.