Lemuel Lyes
@lemuellyes
Documentary filmmaker. Archive Producer. History geek and ephemera collector, researcher and storyteller. Kiwi living in Cornwall. May contain vintage stuff.
Finally got to see it this week. The armour and accents irked me, but I thought it was great cinema!
Dating back to the 11th century, Southwell Minster was extensively restored during the Victorian period and, in 1884, officially became a cathedral, though it is still commonly known as Southwell Minster. This photograph was likely taken around two or three decades later.
As someone who has spent many years conducting original historical research, it hurts to see that work and the work of others being plagiarised. It won't stop me, though. AI regurgitates what's been done before; the thrill for me is unearthing the unseen, untold and overlooked.
A long time ago, before the World Cup was even a twinkle in FIFA's eye, another tournament was underway in Edwardian Birmingham... While most of the slides in this extraordinary collection are photos, there are a very small number of hand-drawn images - likely produced for schoolchildren.
The market cross at Malmesbury, Wiltshire. Built c. 1490s, this photo was taken during the Edwardian era. "There is a right fair and costeley peace of worke in the market place made all of stone and curiusly voultid for poore market folkes to stande dry when rayne cummith". - John Leland, 1544
... but most impressive for me personally is that she played the Dawn Treader in the BBC's Chronicles of Narnia. A series I thrashed as a kid. For my 8th birthday, I even had a cake inspired by this ship. Today I finally had the opportunity to climb aboard and say thank you for all the adventures.
Met a TV/film superstar today at Charlestown, Cornwall. This is the Phoenix. She has starred in 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Poldark, Outlander, Hornblower, In the Heart of the Sea, Mansfield Park, Amazing Grace, Napoleon, Doctor Who, and far too many others to list...
The Cerne Abbas Giant is looking great after his glow-up! Earlier this month, he was rechalked by a team of volunteers. Quite the difference from my last visit in September. His, ahem, features look even more impressive now. #ChalkMaxxing
...Although I suspect that the constant stream of loud cars might scare the ghost horses away. The lights and sounds of modernity aren’t conducive to phantom coach sightings, and I suspect neither is the advent of smartphones. At least I tried. No regrets.
Add some fog, and the straight stretch through the countryside could be just as atmospheric. But sadly, I was not blessed with a visit from the phantom coach. If my schedule allowed, then I would’ve walked it at midnight, perhaps that would make a difference...
There's a wooded section where I could easily imagine a spectral encounter on a dark night.
I consulted historical maps to ensure I followed my g-grandfather’s route as closely as possible. The modern A177 still follows the line of the road shown on both the 1898 and c.1919-1926 maps, apart from a bypass around High Shincliffe. Fortunately, it was easy enough to follow the original road
So I figure that the alleged spectral encounter was likely somewhere between Shincliffe and Bowburn, and occurred sometime between 1906, when the colliery opened, and 1915, when my great-grandparents married.
My great-grandmother's family lived in nearby Shincliffe, a historic village with a parish church, a charming pub, and a nearby Georgian estate. I have a postcard that Lemuel later sent to Annie, addressed to 'Seven Star Buildings'. I visited the pub and enjoyed a fab steak pie.
Lemuel lived with his parents and siblings in Bowburn, where he worked as a miner. The house he was living in at the time is now a Chinese takeaway, and there are only a few reminders that Bowburn was once the site of one of Durham's largest collieries.
I went on a ghost hunt! According to family lore, my great-grandfather Lemuel used to tell the story of an encounter he had with a phantom coach in County Durham. Over a century later, I retraced his footsteps to see if I could coax the old coach ghost out of retirement…
My growing collection of miniature replicas of medieval monuments! King Doniert's Stone and the Other Half Stone, the Jordanhill/Govan Cross, and my most recent addition, Govan 2 Hogback. All based on 3D scans of the originals. Made by the talented @archaeoptics.bsky.social #Cornwall #GovanStones
Visiting Glastonbury Abbey during a heatwave. Yearning for the Dark Ages and the mists of Avalon. #GlastonburyAbbey
I’ve been blessed to have one of @archaeoptics.bsky.social miniatures of the Govan Cross / Jordanhill Cross on my desk for a couple of years now - it was amazing to see the real thing at last! And I may have snapped up a hogback stone from the gift shop to join it.
Damn straight I travelled up to Glasgow for the day specifically to see the Govan Stones @govanstones.bsky.social Worth it! So very worth it! I thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour with @hornesupremacy.bsky.social
No Anzac Day commemorations near me but I paid my respects last week at the Scottish National War Memorial. I was moved that they had a memorial for Scots who lost their lives while serving in Commonwealth Units.
Funny how life plays out. Within a week I visited both the southernmost church in mainland Britain, St Wynwallow’s Church at Landewednack, Cornwall, and the northernmost Church of England parish church, Church of the Holy Trinity, Berwick-on-Tweed.
Was lucky enough to finally visit HMS Unicorn on the weekend. Launched in 1824, this RN frigate is Scotland’s oldest ship and the most original Georgian warship still afloat. Highly recommend visiting! Well worth the day trip from Edinburgh. @hmsunicorn.bsky.social
RRS Discovery, a remarkable survivor from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Once home to Scott and Shackleton, and visitor to two ports I know well - Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, New Zealand.
Cornishman John R Jago Smith was one of the five postal clerks on RMS Titanic who desperately attempted to save the mail. All five lost their lives. Today I paid my respects at St Keverne, Cornwall. There's a memorial plaque for Smith inside the church, and he is also remembered on the family grave
Mai was the first Polynesian to visit Britain, where he was painted by Joshua Reynolds in 1776. A delight to see this incredible portrait on display at Journeys with Mai, at The Box, Plymouth, before it heads to the Getty.
This is Mary Anning country - famous for its ammonites, belemnites, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and other prehistoric friends.