tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4100350903067496922024-03-18T10:48:15.584-07:00Balintore Castle Restoration ProjectDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.comBlogger404125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-82703974290104252892024-03-12T14:21:00.000-07:002024-03-12T14:21:34.052-07:00Dwang Noo Sark Efter<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Construction of the replacement big turret is proceeding apace in the Great Hall. The dwangs, or horizontal cross braces between the vertical struts, are now in position.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I asked Gregor if it made more sense to fit the dwangs once the skeleton of the turret had been reconstructed outside <i>i.e.</i> less to dismantle. However, he indicated that fitting the dwangs is a footerie, time-consuming process, so he would prefer to do it indoors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, Gregor stopped at installing the sarking, or external sheeting, indoors, even though it has been cut, because being a surface layer it only has to join up with itself and so is less troublesome to fit outdoors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anyhow, the turret will be marked-up (tab A into slot B) and dismantled tomorrow into IKEA flat-pack format. Hence the timely photo below, recording this key stage of the construction process.<br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="627" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfbRVVA4Gla1Wk2XNWvZDNuwRfVH4oGkj49Q2FQAFoSe6IjJFHiQBTaYm6AR7ccGLK4NrHH7SA6bsm7k4NkaH6AAhi-2jumwrs2QoMeBRv6qpg7kuET8lTlOQaginzBselfvj3Bvnd7r1eJaIzLOHx29X3vuaSufXogIcuuJ7xtFgXWHfnM5yv4Xllp4/w470-h627/PXL_20240312_161912695.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="470" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">with dwangs but without sarking</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfbRVVA4Gla1Wk2XNWvZDNuwRfVH4oGkj49Q2FQAFoSe6IjJFHiQBTaYm6AR7ccGLK4NrHH7SA6bsm7k4NkaH6AAhi-2jumwrs2QoMeBRv6qpg7kuET8lTlOQaginzBselfvj3Bvnd7r1eJaIzLOHx29X3vuaSufXogIcuuJ7xtFgXWHfnM5yv4Xllp4/s4032/PXL_20240312_161912695.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Keen students of the Scots dialect will observe that the title of this blog entry is fully Scottish.<br /><br />Sarking is legally required in Scotland but not in England. I got quite a surprise when I climbed into my first English loft, and was appalled by the flimsiness of construction. The tiles were nailed onto thin batons instead of being laid onto an entire and complete wood-sheeted surface.<br /><br />English readers will be more familiar with the term "noggin" rather than "dwang". And finally: I manage to secrete another Scottish dialectal word into the text above. What is it?</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-6708495420351488972024-03-04T15:57:00.000-08:002024-03-04T16:08:44.101-08:00Terminator Pheasant<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktNESuluRdX0KTG3FFex8Gk2wsI_r3_XvysVFlpydJSvZFo1DJ-8gpjZk06HmPTjh1MopH3Utg-b8z-E7xtUyp3VbGqnRuNvqFdmAKFB9m-ib91_8gddAFd9Ke-Or2-98clkh1pR-yrZj3Uyf04rLD_lxfvm1XNw-K_TKXaYntISTtL8mH_oYQv28-HY/s2048/fotor-ai-2024030316428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktNESuluRdX0KTG3FFex8Gk2wsI_r3_XvysVFlpydJSvZFo1DJ-8gpjZk06HmPTjh1MopH3Utg-b8z-E7xtUyp3VbGqnRuNvqFdmAKFB9m-ib91_8gddAFd9Ke-Or2-98clkh1pR-yrZj3Uyf04rLD_lxfvm1XNw-K_TKXaYntISTtL8mH_oYQv28-HY/w513-h513/fotor-ai-2024030316428.jpg" width="513" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is distinct loss of status in admitting that one has </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">been held hostage at home by a marauding pheasant. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But as ever in the world of Balintore, the unbelievable is </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the reality.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I decided, rather late in the afternoon, to set off on my </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">daily walk. As I descended the steps at the front door of </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the castle, a pheasant ran at me from around 50 yards away </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">stopping right in front of me. If I stepped down to ground level, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">there was no doubt it would attack. Shouting and waving </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">my arms had no effect. It simply was not going to leave. Even </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">as I attempted go sideways, first to the left and then to the right, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">it continually blocked my path.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">check-mate, and I retreated indoors incredulous that my </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">walk had been aborted even before it had begun by a </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">bird. I would simply try again later in the day, but darkness </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">fell and the walk never took place.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The next day, thank goodness, there was no sign of the pheasant. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, 100 yards into my walk, the pheasant ran right up to me. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I tried to go forward but it continued the menacing behaviour. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I felt in great danger from its claws and beak.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />There was no escape, as I tried to leave the path at a 90 degree angle </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">it would run to block my exit, parading backwards and forwards in </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">front of me with its chest puffed up.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I was looking for something to defend myself with, and after what seemed </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">like an eternity, I located a longish stick. As the bird came in to attack, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I held it at bay with the end of the stick. However, it came at me from different angles </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and I had to wield the stick like an epee, to stop it coming too close. I was not </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">sure I could keep this up. I continued down the drive, but the pheasant gave no slack, mirroring my every move. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The fear and adrenaline had kicked in, and the stick was becoming less and less effective as the bird became bolder</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I really did not want to hit the pheasant with the stick - well it was more of a twig </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">actually. Eventually, I had to swipe the stick with a degree of force to keep the bird away. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It looked a little surprised but continued to come in for the kill, like the terminator </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">on a relentless mission. My stick had disturbed the bird's feathers so it looked </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">rather bedraggled on that side.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />It was locked in mortal combat with me all the way down the castle drive - this </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">is 1km long! Why was it not giving up? It then continued its attack along the road which goes past the castle, still homing in on its target, and it was only when I got past Balintore House that the distance between us increased and it disengaged.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I knew I could not cope with this every day, and wrote a letter of complaint in my head to the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">local estate during the remainder of the walk. Given that they had stocked the grounds with this evil creature, it was their responsibility to deal with it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The following day, I spotted some bread on the stone walls either side of the front door, so asked friend of Balintore Simon who was working at the castle, what this was all about. "I'm feeding the pheasant." he said, "It's really friendly!". I lost it at that stage and exclaimed rather too forcefully "Don't feed that creature!".<br /><br />Anyhow, thankfully I have not had an unpleasant pheasant encounter again, but have spotted several pheasants who turn their evil eye towards me during my daily walk. I am of course maintaining eye contact and wondering "Is that him, and will he attack again?".<br /><br />When male pheasants fight, they are so engrossed that they are oblivious to everything else. I recall a pair fighting on the castle drive. I had to stop my car, and I knew if I had not stopped I would simply have run both of them over.<br /><br />Obviously, the pheasant was in this attack mode with me, and nothing would have deterred it. I suspect even if I had hit it really hard with the stick, it would not have stopped. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Was it the yellow coat I was wearing i.e. a bit of a orangey pheasant colour? The only </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">other explanation was that it was trying to mate with me, but I do not think his intentions were amorous. Some years back, a Spanish visitor to Balintore Castle got attacked by a pheasant a number of times. It was pretty serious. She was wearing a red jumper.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />To capture the essence of something, one often plays the three words game. For a pheasant, these are beautiful, stupid and er, delicious. :-) They truly are the stupidest creatures and have the least road awareness of all: less than a baby bunny - and that is saying a lot. :-)<br /><br />Amazingly enough, sheep though classically stupid, have pretty good road sense. They are not great at getting out of your way in the best direction, but they do at least try to get out of the way. Pheasants virtually stand in the middle of the single track roads round the castle saying "kill me now".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The "pheasant as terminator" illustration was the best I could do with an AI image generation engine (fodor.com) before my free trial ran out.<br /><br /></span><br /></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-88634077477696926822024-02-27T07:28:00.000-08:002024-02-27T12:06:47.724-08:00Great Hall Windows Installed and Building Big Turret!<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yesterday, Gavin and Gregor finished installing the new windows in the Great Hall. However, as I was rushing off to Dundee late afternoon, I did not have time to register the fact or indeed record the moment. However, I was able to take a photo today, and of course to put things in context, I have supplied a "before" photo from the 18th January.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzuiqAqACe5kqZJ9ixQoGpE7ntRu4XN2Gy2qAHeV-zD2ov4RUelwGzZ6CmkrYZm1AsrnKgeriHBIzUvlNPMXwbEW0yF7kazPQVtgJb5qw0TrdA3zgCiwTriIsgFnHBZ9OnAVySxYyQYlAAF1rZggvZ555L_pKC6P2yh9F-0W_bWqalNSgBPQR2k4XrkE/s3678/PXL_20240120_144353027.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2758" data-original-width="3678" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzuiqAqACe5kqZJ9ixQoGpE7ntRu4XN2Gy2qAHeV-zD2ov4RUelwGzZ6CmkrYZm1AsrnKgeriHBIzUvlNPMXwbEW0yF7kazPQVtgJb5qw0TrdA3zgCiwTriIsgFnHBZ9OnAVySxYyQYlAAF1rZggvZ555L_pKC6P2yh9F-0W_bWqalNSgBPQR2k4XrkE/w504-h378/PXL_20240120_144353027.NIGHT.jpg" width="504" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">before window installation: 18th January 2024</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf-cDROMxter3BDl3PIvLJtm7SFwOf0cIUT7LOtrThprkJD0c_gSGxe3MsHUYI9HMmaKjNXj1j87igF-2zJwFopQlNz-KUy7poLZlH-ymNR_gNnCdOnwXuEnxMsEyIHyvjlzPTEb4124R49uIXOl22ZG38WJfLhwqvAyX7kX9gtvOGiGd0wjixGacQVM/s4032/PXL_20240227_120731166.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf-cDROMxter3BDl3PIvLJtm7SFwOf0cIUT7LOtrThprkJD0c_gSGxe3MsHUYI9HMmaKjNXj1j87igF-2zJwFopQlNz-KUy7poLZlH-ymNR_gNnCdOnwXuEnxMsEyIHyvjlzPTEb4124R49uIXOl22ZG38WJfLhwqvAyX7kX9gtvOGiGd0wjixGacQVM/w506-h380/PXL_20240227_120731166.jpg" width="506" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">after window installation: 27th February 2024</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Light coming in from the outside transforms the space so totally, that I have not come to terms with it yet.<br /><br />In fact, in the "after" photo, you can see Gavin and Gregor working on the next project which is rebuilding the castle's biggest turret. Believe it or not, they are building it as an IKEA flat-pack, so it can be unscrewed, broken apart and then finally reassembled outdoors. The base ring has already been flat-packed and then reassembled as a test.<br /></span><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-31919710208262481742024-02-15T16:13:00.000-08:002024-02-15T16:13:16.907-08:00New Great Hall Windows<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRAIhPSPN_k4DdU434HcZ-l8W4I4AG_HxxPdZEnDSVGhyphenhyphen6uOxNa1CSxhLtBK6FhBpEBxU2huZMc5WzNjuMjBCtRHCy1Y_QZmWz3vP2Z4AcANoxQcr74b31D8k4U8qSBPqfGK0_NcOtd-yIZDdbh63rFIweOlPucYFbqYIoFdHnVMIQSJvW996AtaQogo/s3538/great_hall_windows.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2657" data-original-width="3538" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRAIhPSPN_k4DdU434HcZ-l8W4I4AG_HxxPdZEnDSVGhyphenhyphen6uOxNa1CSxhLtBK6FhBpEBxU2huZMc5WzNjuMjBCtRHCy1Y_QZmWz3vP2Z4AcANoxQcr74b31D8k4U8qSBPqfGK0_NcOtd-yIZDdbh63rFIweOlPucYFbqYIoFdHnVMIQSJvW996AtaQogo/w512-h384/great_hall_windows.jpeg" width="512" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Great Hall window installation progress 15th February 2024</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> <br />We have now installed two out of the eight new Great Hall windows. On the north exterior wall there are five tall window openings. Today and the yesterday, we reinstated the windows in the extreme right-hand opening and the extreme left-hand opening, as you can see in the photo above. Considerable natural light is once more entering the Great Hall, and it is a good feeling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The central three openings will be glazed the week after next, as my builder Gregor will be in Sheffield next week. These are still boarded over in oriented strand board (OSB), though some years ago we created a small glazed opening at the bottom left just to let a little light into the room.<br /><br />Much more light will be let in when we install the three new windows in the exterior wall facing east, but we are taking things a step at a time.<br /><br />The original windows were sash windows, with a 1/3 sash at the top and a 2/3 sash at the bottom. However, these replacements which are notionally temporary are fixed panes of 1/3, 1/3, 1/3, but we have copied the design of the original windows closely, so they look more or less the same from the inside and the outside.<br /><br />We matched the exterior window colour closely ("Peat" in British Standard 4800) and the interior window colour closely as well ("Mexican Tan" in British Standard 4800). The Mexican Tan appeared alarmingly bright when we first painted it on, but applying a "wet finger" to surviving areas of paint showed we were actually on track. Over time, the existing paint job has dulled due to light and weather exposure, though in sheltered corners the original paint is much brighter. <br /><br />In fact, the original interior paint job is oak graining made up of two shades of brown, and the "Mexican Tan" matches the composite effect from a distance. To my eyes, there is yet a third shade of brown used in the Great Hall, which is a plain almost gold colour. This is used on stone and plasterwork, but as we are just dealing with the windows for now I have managed to avoid panicking about matching the gold. :-)<br /><br />As I was gazing at the Great Hall today, my mind drifted and the stages of the scaffolding along the walls became the galleries of a galleried coaching inn or the galleries of the Globe Theatre, and I could envisage a performance taking place within the room. The space coming alive like this was a thrilling prospect. Will this ever happen? :-)<br /><br /></span></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-5267723120360095782024-02-07T14:57:00.000-08:002024-02-07T14:57:14.900-08:00Art Deco Lantern<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ever since purchasing Balintore Castle 17 years ago, I have kept an eye out for suitable lighting for the Great Hall. Light fixtures that are large enough to balance the volume of the room, only turn up only very infrequently, and then they go for enormous sums of money. I have missed out on so many occasions, that I had essentially given up. <br /><br />Then on 11th October last year, some massive Art Deco lanterns were to be sold at auction. These were precisely the style I absolutely love. So much so, that I might be prepared to bid that little bit more. There were a variety of light fittings not just the lanterns. Of most interest were a large lantern perhaps 66" high, and then a single super-large lantern 96" high by 40" wide.<br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu-l2XY7WdnVKPqEiyyB8i1HYnnzjHKFyVYE0-1I7_yCUmIaUbhhXcwtYo3zpC5-ArOFKJhwSpI48m4iR4QWp-ilPeZ5NH_NkyhuQjioKpCKpl6G33zW0NqMbStg9Q40arLBp-k5aROe07NbPTT8IzBYS9Msa5VZqSnVmy4niaWdpZHN4AxlQ0fgxxZU/w300-h399/a3e6c218-35de-4c2d-acd7-b0820092c649.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">large lantern</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1804" data-original-width="842" height="659" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2LKOjKGDDG3IQE4kGyiYbAQ5_MTUmUEZV8oRk3yggDoVxTnDzzCvx0BZK8WjoTd9UywSLUjVgNIMkvhJ5zSMCErl2RpXhuNzFAgUn3_eZpgb9HpwAIn3lfcI9J75KOVKOc41wWqC5yUP40Gyg7CJgL3R5Kn26CLX07_boU3NO5rGCWQYRxu2O64O3Gw/w307-h659/3b826a87-2789-48fd-919f-b0820090877d.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="307" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">super-large lantern</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The auction was timed which means that the sale ends at a certain time. However, if a bidder bids within the last 5 minutes then the ending time is extended by another 5 minutes. Bidding for the large lantern seemed to go on for ever: a game of stamina and attrition and I eventually pulled out. Then the super-large lantern came up for auction: a new game of stamina and attrition that also seemed to go on for ever. I presumed the super-large lantern would go for more than the large lantern, and I was not prepared to go that high, but I kept my nerve and continued to bid. Finally, 5 minutes had elapsed since my last bid with no other bidders left in the game, and much to my surprise I won the super-large lantern.<br /><br />I also picked up a pair of smaller Art Deco chandeliers.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="3625" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAUTZ6JyP-4xJhj4VonjsIXmiKi6Na9BlntNa9jZWT-HbvMBso2bC-IWJhqAuY0n6L8WknpAXsjZmbNiP6_xPvgtSDd9Rsmh5gJh0bAQyff9cx1h2OHGzSKC7qm61SWwh-B6RlbKuKIKp0RzNj2y0LPSkZHxumkBYTCLwnllYZv0Va2E5oFBfvQhDTEE/w477-h236/69d57c9b-b935-4cad-b715-b082009346cc.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="477" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">pair of chandeliers from below</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAUTZ6JyP-4xJhj4VonjsIXmiKi6Na9BlntNa9jZWT-HbvMBso2bC-IWJhqAuY0n6L8WknpAXsjZmbNiP6_xPvgtSDd9Rsmh5gJh0bAQyff9cx1h2OHGzSKC7qm61SWwh-B6RlbKuKIKp0RzNj2y0LPSkZHxumkBYTCLwnllYZv0Va2E5oFBfvQhDTEE/s3625/69d57c9b-b935-4cad-b715-b082009346cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="4032" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6R6uCYqw8GMWxYGJDOZs5xstNzrL1DQTKPrmaSUMMLyFBC9V9iHzsRIwT74o0-VJkY0uaA-hSnYgl-GGPbx8aFuSob2RmLdqrKDin0aCraJLzMidAYdNasfMknGdktm_6fT45BBJw5cevb2Mtx7XbBpIgY0srmKyIVCmbwTjxgGPwj0ntPbXnOo4xnU/w479-h339/be174ef0-adca-425a-801c-b0820090818b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="479" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">pair of chandeliers from side</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The provenance of the lights is fascinating. They had come from the Newcastle Odeon a 2,602 seat cinema in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which opened as the Paramount Theatre in 1931 before being purchased by Odeon Cinemas in 1940. During the 1960's and 1970's it was also used for pop and rock concerts. The cinema closed in 2002 and stood empty until being demolished in 2017.<br /><br />The aesthetic question is whether a 1931 lantern suits an 1860's space? To my eye the fit is astonishing: the heavier ornament of early Deco resonates with Victorian detailing. This is in contrast to later Deco or "Streamline Modern" of the 1940's which consists of geometrically pared-back "space age" curves. Of course, I may be biased.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The light fittings come without their original glass which I guess was a sad victim of a rough reclaim procedure. I was careful to buy lights which were not totally reliant on the glass component, and where the replacement glass could be inferred from the form.<br /><br />One of the photos on the auction site shows the large lantern populated with glass which is the best guide to its reconstruction.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="473" height="603" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMfuz9LRmnaffVL8LKsa-6F1gazqkqXp1Bb9W10KCRLPFLdxg1Joln1D3g4Jxnk7fS2Mm4e_2sfmk167XDyPpbG1E_1qwKdG9QrmE1bB68u7-tENRz1Yhs9g9hfxoydxh6d3yiqoorqcHcpO_bexvpnxmS7bp39tNXJxVcX2j9McoydegzEarUcGf-5k/w279-h603/286bc599-d775-40ed-bbb5-b0880114aade.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="279" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">super-large lantern <i>in situ</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMfuz9LRmnaffVL8LKsa-6F1gazqkqXp1Bb9W10KCRLPFLdxg1Joln1D3g4Jxnk7fS2Mm4e_2sfmk167XDyPpbG1E_1qwKdG9QrmE1bB68u7-tENRz1Yhs9g9hfxoydxh6d3yiqoorqcHcpO_bexvpnxmS7bp39tNXJxVcX2j9McoydegzEarUcGf-5k/s1024/286bc599-d775-40ed-bbb5-b0880114aade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The pair of chandeliers could have had six flat form-fitting petals, or perhaps six curved larger, more flamboyant petals. I guess some experimentation is called for.<br /><br />My builders tell me the large lantern takes 62 light bulbs. How much power must this have used, and how often must the staff have been up a ladder to change the ever-blowing Tungsten bulbs?<br /><br />Anyhow, I picked the auction lots up from an architectural reclaim yard in Wolverhampton where I had never been before. I stayed overnight in an AirBnB to break up the journey. The madness of redecorating the Great Hall! :-)<br /><br />And finally, some photos which show the glory of the former Odeon in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi35L5L3eXIhnQYW_-ONG1ywUo4dNp6FSffkUt4uWCb6Ahnrmd6oY3x61A6QXFZ8mEs9DPk3tBEX_Wg6qWiETxxOhIGHyiFSka6_NgJc0Ek3NrJhoon-xr_NWeab_HdoBuzOZhqEFCRw_krM5AbQKABBCFAhP2NJbtcAdAny6bJxHpSvPq6LNigVnklEg/s821/ca88548b-8f66-4142-a851-b08500dbe31d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="821" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi35L5L3eXIhnQYW_-ONG1ywUo4dNp6FSffkUt4uWCb6Ahnrmd6oY3x61A6QXFZ8mEs9DPk3tBEX_Wg6qWiETxxOhIGHyiFSka6_NgJc0Ek3NrJhoon-xr_NWeab_HdoBuzOZhqEFCRw_krM5AbQKABBCFAhP2NJbtcAdAny6bJxHpSvPq6LNigVnklEg/w413-h385/ca88548b-8f66-4142-a851-b08500dbe31d.jpg" width="413" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UbwrM4Q8lHkfOBw1fJ6GcQTVZZOwOhudoReR7l1VoTM11fV335tVTUlyFXc-anFMmmGxtJ6tIqJY1JKQJKbex3PtPzGlrMv4fMv_-wKFxDE85s2kGyhJFYFScQEv27RsoPFrOcgv7XHh9DNpiaubYJ38oXfa58zo4oJMVytHtRvAnugFZMGB4axWkWQ/s640/98310dc4-34d4-40cb-a48c-b08500dbea04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="640" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UbwrM4Q8lHkfOBw1fJ6GcQTVZZOwOhudoReR7l1VoTM11fV335tVTUlyFXc-anFMmmGxtJ6tIqJY1JKQJKbex3PtPzGlrMv4fMv_-wKFxDE85s2kGyhJFYFScQEv27RsoPFrOcgv7XHh9DNpiaubYJ38oXfa58zo4oJMVytHtRvAnugFZMGB4axWkWQ/w408-h310/98310dc4-34d4-40cb-a48c-b08500dbea04.jpg" width="408" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUne5zw3UAC2DoKHd9aSaIU8WlrNcFPVXP4Rp5-9HOnUo0iOjaH8k5TR2MWy_y9ExnlP976TgIQiW-EuNVThyphenhyphenos84fqdYj0g29ZwHrhZPJ5dHdsHNaYBoyZOYf8Oj8dDayTnItu4mnBk271sdaBjH39_fmkN8ucWlcND4o_phsmbVvUUuCVh60l2fzfg/s640/62c5a6de-8494-4f05-bca6-b08500dbf2c2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="420" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUne5zw3UAC2DoKHd9aSaIU8WlrNcFPVXP4Rp5-9HOnUo0iOjaH8k5TR2MWy_y9ExnlP976TgIQiW-EuNVThyphenhyphenos84fqdYj0g29ZwHrhZPJ5dHdsHNaYBoyZOYf8Oj8dDayTnItu4mnBk271sdaBjH39_fmkN8ucWlcND4o_phsmbVvUUuCVh60l2fzfg/w311-h474/62c5a6de-8494-4f05-bca6-b08500dbf2c2.jpg" width="311" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJHJFDOwPQdqI4rOU1U60z_U6N05RNwlwTVZb-jMgNUT7uR8NGNupLQrxIDeYthQspT5l7Z1sMoQrtQQAFST3aa5jiMkZva8Tui621gu09Ls_AB6sGQR7CbttopWz0qZJ8uzTO6ODn-IX-4bcYnztyv6OpZYAyyHfc48-LYW8s6zDG1FjcFgZeazJ6xs/s1200/329a3a0f-1d04-477c-acf6-b08500dbf903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJHJFDOwPQdqI4rOU1U60z_U6N05RNwlwTVZb-jMgNUT7uR8NGNupLQrxIDeYthQspT5l7Z1sMoQrtQQAFST3aa5jiMkZva8Tui621gu09Ls_AB6sGQR7CbttopWz0qZJ8uzTO6ODn-IX-4bcYnztyv6OpZYAyyHfc48-LYW8s6zDG1FjcFgZeazJ6xs/w386-h257/329a3a0f-1d04-477c-acf6-b08500dbf903.jpg" width="386" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhAlv1mgABBitIMWATGAKhneAGNS1Lo_I8L-d4SqnQOe-lS-WKXSh7QNii_dCbQTza37IhlpHgebTJRB1oCKmEL0eHokoIk7AiXsOTD8T0gs-xiQbbCxJ1AVGC5oFc1dn-7hxWog7K6BZKVsfHopq9QVTeQDRVSu3AeHUsY5o7LeDuvwv5Rq1rdKlPtc/s739/3424effc-2207-4333-b9a3-b089009e74d1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="739" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhAlv1mgABBitIMWATGAKhneAGNS1Lo_I8L-d4SqnQOe-lS-WKXSh7QNii_dCbQTza37IhlpHgebTJRB1oCKmEL0eHokoIk7AiXsOTD8T0gs-xiQbbCxJ1AVGC5oFc1dn-7hxWog7K6BZKVsfHopq9QVTeQDRVSu3AeHUsY5o7LeDuvwv5Rq1rdKlPtc/w387-h304/3424effc-2207-4333-b9a3-b089009e74d1.jpg" width="387" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-57227400343315093752024-01-27T06:30:00.000-08:002024-01-27T06:30:15.055-08:00100% Floored<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Great Hall is now 100% re-floored! :-) The last remaining quadrant, in the corner with the open Gothic arch, was boarded this week. <br /><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6e4a-emcDUjS-JGDt-fjMIoljBU3kC11bErmrAWk3KpzGJzXGZDWBAmomte8YVVmeb0hNueFIOLa58s7dTU-9cAKDZvTh9cd5FsEZJTOu4zP0vIK27FFDqkS9F4TL9suMmJVEBgLI9vJm-Ze5x3j5H16wySubSmmtQP6zLApuuJ4ziL2VYPCQw-JcdA/s4032/PXL_20240125_145634899.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6e4a-emcDUjS-JGDt-fjMIoljBU3kC11bErmrAWk3KpzGJzXGZDWBAmomte8YVVmeb0hNueFIOLa58s7dTU-9cAKDZvTh9cd5FsEZJTOu4zP0vIK27FFDqkS9F4TL9suMmJVEBgLI9vJm-Ze5x3j5H16wySubSmmtQP6zLApuuJ4ziL2VYPCQw-JcdA/w449-h599/PXL_20240125_145634899.NIGHT.jpg" width="449" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">last corner quadrant now re-boarded</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I would like to say, "It's great to walk around the room and experience the space.", but in fact scaffolding has already been installed along the west and north walls, restricting one's perambulations.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzOguLDlxoPvQdK9DPpeCKWp8w8tNojWfOsYFnZkx1DnoVAMokySa2FPKiyPCENERT9tGPA4Sd3AQe3jO2Dc_HzEBqBtQ8CruCKuAAZPm4urRQstTSuh9c92UGha0OlCfIhvHFRWU5wr5nmRiCj3znOuTzlvmnEtJ4AWF8ZyvtluYXQdbWPoUNg3yqEY/s4032/PXL_20240125_145651885.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="595" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzOguLDlxoPvQdK9DPpeCKWp8w8tNojWfOsYFnZkx1DnoVAMokySa2FPKiyPCENERT9tGPA4Sd3AQe3jO2Dc_HzEBqBtQ8CruCKuAAZPm4urRQstTSuh9c92UGha0OlCfIhvHFRWU5wr5nmRiCj3znOuTzlvmnEtJ4AWF8ZyvtluYXQdbWPoUNg3yqEY/w446-h595/PXL_20240125_145651885.NIGHT.jpg" width="446" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">scaffolding against west and north walls</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The scaffolding is to be used to install "temporary" windows in the old window openings, to bring light and hopefully some heat in.<br /></span><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-34462593512118347312024-01-20T16:15:00.000-08:002024-01-20T16:15:30.073-08:00Silver Polishing Room Plastering<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jaymae, the plasterer, and his friend Murdo popped round today to put the final coat on the domed roof of the silver-polishing room at Balintore. Yes, there really is a room in Balintore just for the butler to polish silver.<br /><br />Jaymae said it was the hardest job he's ever done, as the roof is curved in both directions. Beforehand, he was worried the task might be beyond him, and he only admitted this after completing the ceiling. :-) However, even he is impressed how good the end result looks. He used a trowel with a sponge on it, and a flexible metal trowel to achieve the curve.<br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjMarxzz-DdGM5Z6y8ylP3xXLHd1T2v1dt9NTf2UfOBqT1WU5bGPx_oqd8JsD6rfmvNg_SIFXgkdk_RFSlLAGjLU7_lstJXaB7xAeGxSV8DU2mUbacmYcPujLnTZApZp8ioD5Berj0tZJuYjGGKg1s-HM6_SlmnkCgIWziaZI47CGsw7XACRT-XBWHu0/s4032/PXL_20240120_142558484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjMarxzz-DdGM5Z6y8ylP3xXLHd1T2v1dt9NTf2UfOBqT1WU5bGPx_oqd8JsD6rfmvNg_SIFXgkdk_RFSlLAGjLU7_lstJXaB7xAeGxSV8DU2mUbacmYcPujLnTZApZp8ioD5Berj0tZJuYjGGKg1s-HM6_SlmnkCgIWziaZI47CGsw7XACRT-XBWHu0/w507-h381/PXL_20240120_142558484.jpg" width="507" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">final plaster coat on silver polishing room ceiling</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The next step is plastering the walls. As ever, top down for plastering!<br /></span><br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-29128721818012967122024-01-20T14:13:00.000-08:002024-01-20T14:27:26.631-08:00Curtain Model<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of Ms. Balintore's lesser known rôles is that of curtain model. Friend of Balintore Duncan, who designs, prints and makes curtains for the Landmark Trust, asked if he could tempt her ladyship to model his curtains creations. She was only too happy to oblige.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Duncan wanted to borrow some of Balintore's atmosphere of historic distress, and ironically two of the rooms that were used, have now been restored; so the photos form an unwitting restoration snapshot.<br /><br />The wolf print curtains were photographed in the old nursery, now largely restored. The design was created for the Landmark Trust property Coed y Bleiddiau, which is the We</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lsh for 'Wood of the Wolves'.</span></p><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhim0K5_aipwEAYFVegdgP2_-EFIGE_71UK16LGtGOImIHD4RcgDLXs-FtC32NuFPh2m3pJERwBa-LJLfgHEgi5Bho7xbnvouHnpoUACKqlRrKO_Bu_7EMGLfxyV5dxFchzzc8yX8JsBAf2Ih4EVxYbesi9wliSSvKL75q_Ym3G5frRdJOdk4yWkPwc1jY/s1200/CURTAINS-2-900x1200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhim0K5_aipwEAYFVegdgP2_-EFIGE_71UK16LGtGOImIHD4RcgDLXs-FtC32NuFPh2m3pJERwBa-LJLfgHEgi5Bho7xbnvouHnpoUACKqlRrKO_Bu_7EMGLfxyV5dxFchzzc8yX8JsBAf2Ih4EVxYbesi9wliSSvKL75q_Ym3G5frRdJOdk4yWkPwc1jY/w432-h576/CURTAINS-2-900x1200.jpg" width="432" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">wolf print curtains</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The lion rampant print was photographed in the tank room at the top of the Great Tower.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pKjV8vUtLv0steKW0hgzROS-uektFT0ycp9s-xJ1B51b3GFiZGZOnZ4VFh8RHJgnqANL2N8-A99IuN3QrJAkBiYHziyxkHIddTp41OaAcsNd2uW6zIMGqEICn5xiXBAGeegmedvSyxPSXSr4ZvdNSglM3Qqfr2PHE9iZxmlSfCatJb6gqfj-L1Prpbc/s2048/CURTAINS-3-1536x2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pKjV8vUtLv0steKW0hgzROS-uektFT0ycp9s-xJ1B51b3GFiZGZOnZ4VFh8RHJgnqANL2N8-A99IuN3QrJAkBiYHziyxkHIddTp41OaAcsNd2uW6zIMGqEICn5xiXBAGeegmedvSyxPSXSr4ZvdNSglM3Qqfr2PHE9iZxmlSfCatJb6gqfj-L1Prpbc/w430-h573/CURTAINS-3-1536x2048.jpg" width="430" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">lion rampant print curtains</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The architectural motif print was photographed in Aunt Nelly's bedroom, now restored. And very generously, Duncan has donated the curtains to the room. They look superb <i>in situ</i>, with the walls repainted in the original blue which matches the curtains closely.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkVdtt8h2s06jYGKX-Sz8O3AMaxLp8wGbkK3mFNpWG2b5Jb0qbEVlZcFcZ1LsUCqRZUNVthfy5oJRgAB1enyPZB-JSgXQQgkbWuFgqGne3bDdDBiDhfW4DIXvPQ1muPm_NFv3f-E0bBvtwxJHKEKNcU1GSg53BRfEndEVy4xP1xg8MCE5ribIZJQXqlk/s1200/CURTAINS-1-900x1200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="565" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkVdtt8h2s06jYGKX-Sz8O3AMaxLp8wGbkK3mFNpWG2b5Jb0qbEVlZcFcZ1LsUCqRZUNVthfy5oJRgAB1enyPZB-JSgXQQgkbWuFgqGne3bDdDBiDhfW4DIXvPQ1muPm_NFv3f-E0bBvtwxJHKEKNcU1GSg53BRfEndEVy4xP1xg8MCE5ribIZJQXqlk/w424-h565/CURTAINS-1-900x1200.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">architectural motif print curtains</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you would like Duncan to run you up a curtain see his webpage <a href="https://duncantattersall.com/curtains/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p><p><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-70668197507251772862024-01-20T13:34:00.000-08:002024-01-20T13:34:45.394-08:00Three-Quarters Floored<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As far as putting down a floor in the Great Hall is concerned, we are now three-quarters of the way there. You can see the remaining quadrant that needs boarding by the gothic archway, which once led to the guest staircase. Fingers crossed, we can get the remaining boarding down on Monday.<br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUllwc9pDaaN2nvjbzb8wqHjgE_ENKkxcfJ4ZxqFpyOMun7cerGIlcZt3CZdnkr-CtP6ez78dFlztH6xuCfhuKd1I-VvDo4l-GCO_gZ7UYt2ocixBWggU2rjMorbqo-LIUw7XSt6s17wLvPMiCTci7CzpFKitHmCdGeJf6CTvwIj5Q50j_uE7jGNzoGU/s4032/PXL_20240120_144308037.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUllwc9pDaaN2nvjbzb8wqHjgE_ENKkxcfJ4ZxqFpyOMun7cerGIlcZt3CZdnkr-CtP6ez78dFlztH6xuCfhuKd1I-VvDo4l-GCO_gZ7UYt2ocixBWggU2rjMorbqo-LIUw7XSt6s17wLvPMiCTci7CzpFKitHmCdGeJf6CTvwIj5Q50j_uE7jGNzoGU/w461-h614/PXL_20240120_144308037.NIGHT.jpg" width="461" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">quadrant still needing to be boarded</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The biggest task was clearing away all the scaffolding, insulation and wood in that corner of the Great Hall. And in fact we were able to build-up this scaffolding on the new floor under the north and west windows in the Great Hall, with a view to installing some temporary windows. After 14 or so years of being boarded up, these openings will once again let in light.<br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_haz8UChFwiLWHSRK7oNYK9FZh1f3pQuOwdQv7zQA2wHFt9v-3P1EBBMcXdswHOPOd1yY2m9ZNXtkJYttg9QVQfHF6Y1aIvjOGEfehnyxem7GT9uOe852dO_uFWvbOr6hRh_aBwZHyFZvitY56ENo_kv8_lLd_XtRmf816hfpHTAFdj6lGN2a3LmPiXc/s3678/PXL_20240120_144353027.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2758" data-original-width="3678" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_haz8UChFwiLWHSRK7oNYK9FZh1f3pQuOwdQv7zQA2wHFt9v-3P1EBBMcXdswHOPOd1yY2m9ZNXtkJYttg9QVQfHF6Y1aIvjOGEfehnyxem7GT9uOe852dO_uFWvbOr6hRh_aBwZHyFZvitY56ENo_kv8_lLd_XtRmf816hfpHTAFdj6lGN2a3LmPiXc/w490-h368/PXL_20240120_144353027.NIGHT.jpg" width="490" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">scaffolding set-up to install new temporary windows</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-89868096285419599522024-01-17T14:03:00.000-08:002024-01-17T14:07:43.249-08:00Sun and Snow<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yesterday, I promised you photos of snow and blue skies. Well, the weather actually delivered today. My accuracy has nothing to do with the fact that I recently worked for the UK Met Office, and everything to do with the fact we are having a cold snap and it snowed heavily yesterday.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">My daily constitutional consists of going down the west drive, along the road, and then up the east drive. Here are the photos taken <i>en route</i>:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZScYMQk7LzXTiEkbjpwjbaVuqfhFyBddBSKRnNOwGoBF14If-gDEkieEQ4nJehi-8AcgIozwrN7o0pdj0-HmdzpdltaKqcWTBVkSJq9U8jpm74lWRoWJwSjQWmg5oyFOpxIXZvAuSaI98R2BD2DyYEBlxtIekpewtCQ8VQ6duCiZPREpNAoMmVXLdOA/s4032/PXL_20240117_145145601.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZScYMQk7LzXTiEkbjpwjbaVuqfhFyBddBSKRnNOwGoBF14If-gDEkieEQ4nJehi-8AcgIozwrN7o0pdj0-HmdzpdltaKqcWTBVkSJq9U8jpm74lWRoWJwSjQWmg5oyFOpxIXZvAuSaI98R2BD2DyYEBlxtIekpewtCQ8VQ6duCiZPREpNAoMmVXLdOA/w499-h374/PXL_20240117_145145601.NIGHT.jpg" width="499" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">leaving the castle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGSZnzirxlX0VfA65WvTM_SlLJSjbxQZSFuvhFxcCJyNjq4OmJscTi0qiZQHAAYLiPNOhC2JtJOHZngHBP8YRaciJt0QCxv2Mob9uyFaUeclLQNEFYUl8i5UFNJkKXyhe9zE1FDW7zvcci1n-ZGksRIyvcL3Ymsu1CdS1tK-Y6FA_RoC3V9wec-YBjrk/s4032/PXL_20240117_145407182.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGSZnzirxlX0VfA65WvTM_SlLJSjbxQZSFuvhFxcCJyNjq4OmJscTi0qiZQHAAYLiPNOhC2JtJOHZngHBP8YRaciJt0QCxv2Mob9uyFaUeclLQNEFYUl8i5UFNJkKXyhe9zE1FDW7zvcci1n-ZGksRIyvcL3Ymsu1CdS1tK-Y6FA_RoC3V9wec-YBjrk/w497-h373/PXL_20240117_145407182.NIGHT.jpg" width="497" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">looking back at the castle from the east drive</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPu8PsdBPcEf4767U13JkctAv1pjghlwwv7C_BGvxy2S8RP_ugKYI9w1IP5qnVLMPjjBPpuW-Lqd2NFp9-AteSNQxezhb8cGtbjd0f4eWGL6n1LVgZyXgE-MhcNDKmS5Xxe_uojM-raDmDpcKQk2mv3GfUVWdt6JQ4w2r00d2vL3Y6qkD2qtS4C-7xT4/s4032/PXL_20240117_151212805.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="493" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPu8PsdBPcEf4767U13JkctAv1pjghlwwv7C_BGvxy2S8RP_ugKYI9w1IP5qnVLMPjjBPpuW-Lqd2NFp9-AteSNQxezhb8cGtbjd0f4eWGL6n1LVgZyXgE-MhcNDKmS5Xxe_uojM-raDmDpcKQk2mv3GfUVWdt6JQ4w2r00d2vL3Y6qkD2qtS4C-7xT4/w370-h493/PXL_20240117_151212805.NIGHT.jpg" width="370" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">deer prints</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4HGl3v5bi5c_v_pBk7zFeKI-lfHURs3nNYhx8qR41nmwgaskgdGf4-QwypyWzwKLIfPUKpLP3zDjqvpyPzcZGCYPmbaR3duJstVu-T0HhJm03niVCPck65MwcEdz0jYt2eQkHOBLLsNBQ9IBZQ64faZUVQLuri3Q1XvvzSkDX7KzaqGgC2SjRknRcDE/s4032/PXL_20240117_151233230.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4HGl3v5bi5c_v_pBk7zFeKI-lfHURs3nNYhx8qR41nmwgaskgdGf4-QwypyWzwKLIfPUKpLP3zDjqvpyPzcZGCYPmbaR3duJstVu-T0HhJm03niVCPck65MwcEdz0jYt2eQkHOBLLsNBQ9IBZQ64faZUVQLuri3Q1XvvzSkDX7KzaqGgC2SjRknRcDE/w371-h495/PXL_20240117_151233230.NIGHT.jpg" width="371" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">the east drive is a fauna superhighway</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIJfxO5yObKK7Tt3ZYFmmeB_xtTDBGJFPE2OAQzcX1tEtprIMJVAC50ON5nk0CcFBjqQ3EySJNFGkP2o4IWtQK81XFfw47YwORAKlADeqZf6CaQhPhs_zVUDq4HIlHf02-n9VqU3FvkKk4vFf4AltojtWDhuHlY4WQr8FNrT_sKPQtJ6NjlQLtfYbA0A/s4032/PXL_20240117_152206094.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIJfxO5yObKK7Tt3ZYFmmeB_xtTDBGJFPE2OAQzcX1tEtprIMJVAC50ON5nk0CcFBjqQ3EySJNFGkP2o4IWtQK81XFfw47YwORAKlADeqZf6CaQhPhs_zVUDq4HIlHf02-n9VqU3FvkKk4vFf4AltojtWDhuHlY4WQr8FNrT_sKPQtJ6NjlQLtfYbA0A/w500-h375/PXL_20240117_152206094.NIGHT.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">looking back down the east drive - a single human track!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVemDv7aotjWlCWK8osSsl8iGfxLcX3wsRRvF3ZFU-sKSJwG-_AyupYOcBd7Mt6ZmzWOnsknWdo6ediXSy44ILh79Dw549BS2WXTo-YElYylbASPG96D0NWZutqmZQWvgy2zvihtMIcAn7lQGT1DFIgAdNuIHDviG5UC8pikd-CYBiXGV7eNVQut_PoQ8/s4032/PXL_20240117_152651190.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVemDv7aotjWlCWK8osSsl8iGfxLcX3wsRRvF3ZFU-sKSJwG-_AyupYOcBd7Mt6ZmzWOnsknWdo6ediXSy44ILh79Dw549BS2WXTo-YElYylbASPG96D0NWZutqmZQWvgy2zvihtMIcAn7lQGT1DFIgAdNuIHDviG5UC8pikd-CYBiXGV7eNVQut_PoQ8/w499-h374/PXL_20240117_152651190.NIGHT.jpg" width="499" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">back at the castle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Walking in virgin snow, illustrates that the castle drives are actually busy thoroughfares for animals and not just the occasional human. By the end of my late afternoon walk, the sun was already coming in at a low slanting angle. I daresay Balintore Castle gets trapped flatteringly twixt blue sky and white ground.</span></p><p><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-76732338907325796822024-01-16T17:09:00.000-08:002024-01-16T17:09:18.600-08:00Demi-Floored<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today, Gavin and Gregor reached the half-way mark in flooring the Great Hall. The fiddliest part is installing the insulation, and the actually laying of the boards is the least of the challenge. On reflection, I think it is marginally less than 50%, but it is good to reflect upon progress every day.<br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="659" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UPBSu8jb_pRhPLLGKewzhAr5h-UPciwNFhIg5q6o8BxKxvyOhO-cCXRqO30noGnWLT1tCkbO3nyD7jg-JT1C2S5b84wvr63J_TwF4wFG_Twbdjj6bHW9t6JV4HaV9sAI4eZRcSyC2cwUiHKzxRU2_DH1MX-zg77pb9AFvD5nEOI-y_8MiEwYw82eo8s/w494-h659/PXL_20240116_155738239.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="494" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Great Hall: flooring progress 16th January 202</span>4</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UPBSu8jb_pRhPLLGKewzhAr5h-UPciwNFhIg5q6o8BxKxvyOhO-cCXRqO30noGnWLT1tCkbO3nyD7jg-JT1C2S5b84wvr63J_TwF4wFG_Twbdjj6bHW9t6JV4HaV9sAI4eZRcSyC2cwUiHKzxRU2_DH1MX-zg77pb9AFvD5nEOI-y_8MiEwYw82eo8s/s4032/PXL_20240116_155738239.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br />The next task in the Great Hall will be installing temporary windows, so that light can re-enter the room. It has been in darkness for perhaps 12 years, as we blocked off the window openings with sterling board to keep the weather out.<br /><br />Today, the first proper snow of the winter arrived and it snowed all afternoon. It has been bitterly cold for the last 4 days, so the odds are that the snow will now lie. Jaymae the plasterer got stuck at the castle this evening as the west drive became too treacherous for his vehicle. I set up a bedroom for Jaymae, but fortunately his mother came to the rescue, and Jaymae and I walked down the snow-bound drive so he could get picked up.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I am hoping to see a white landscape and a bright blue sky. If this does happen, you can rest assured that I will blog the photo here. <br /></span><br /><p></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-5265716946539076142024-01-15T10:06:00.000-08:002024-01-15T10:06:18.998-08:00Builders on the Dance Floor<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Well, Gavin and Gregor were going to be working somewhere else today but no-one could have been more delighted than I, to find them beavering away on the dance floor when I eventually emerged from my bed this morning.<br /><br />As the castle has a separate dining room, I can only assume that the Great Hall has witnessed many a ceilidh. This is in addition to its role as a reception area, as it is the first room guests would encounter after the entrance hall. There are exits leading to the toilets, the library, the dining room, the drawing room, and the guest bedrooms - so it is very much like a hub.<br /><br />In the photograph you will see the swaged netting over the joists, which is used to hold under-floor roll insulation. <br /><br />It is a thrill to walk across the floor that has been laid so far. It will be an even bigger thrill to be able to walk around the whole room. Until this is possible, you never quite get the feel for a space.<br /><br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNjQE0e_a0XtDBkA0FEK0CNdyGD2bJhQbiwPDx6-eOB4DH1V5RMHf7Vbxu-3sRMBtR4h11QQJDJofEcvZ-e2Di355vqIri8CkVWnNjcNLyT0NWyX9tnfaPG1bWSYK3Q69GD6c-SkmYyk-PCNWUSt4rqQPq7MsFB3ZSV7-8AQjishSE0VGTcEba7cqsNc/s4032/PXL_20240115_160001771.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNjQE0e_a0XtDBkA0FEK0CNdyGD2bJhQbiwPDx6-eOB4DH1V5RMHf7Vbxu-3sRMBtR4h11QQJDJofEcvZ-e2Di355vqIri8CkVWnNjcNLyT0NWyX9tnfaPG1bWSYK3Q69GD6c-SkmYyk-PCNWUSt4rqQPq7MsFB3ZSV7-8AQjishSE0VGTcEba7cqsNc/w450-h600/PXL_20240115_160001771.NIGHT.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Great Hall: flooring progress 15th January 2024</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-45593405181339091652024-01-14T12:21:00.000-08:002024-01-14T12:29:16.485-08:00Joists Ahoy!<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Thursday and Friday of last week Gregor and Gavin installed the floor joists in the Great Hall. Things have definitely moved on from the end of last year. You can see the "before" <a href="https://balintorecastle.blogspot.com/2023/12/merry-christmas-2023.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The paradoxical thing about floors is that despite the scale of the operation, laying them is unexpectedly quick. In contrast, clearing out the Great Hall in preparation took a full fortnight of effort.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The joists were laid 16" apart in the Victorian manner i.e. roughly 400mm. This contrast with modern floors which are joisted at 600mm centres.<br /><br />Gregor and Gavin seem to be currently fixated upon creating runways in the castle, which may suggest budding careers in modelling, or perhaps simply an interest in moving materials about more easily. Certainly, the new catwalk in the Great Hall, as of Friday, will enable things to be moved directly between the north and south sides of the castle for the first time.<br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_Va9iEuRpQvZGqpsgnGulkuEIxsU_kYIPeyGsNiktanIjlan42G8Av-otsBtkxmvawfik9nVLULu0m6qMZ5AvH0u46NxRnZB8sAp0gDyJbJ_H3pJ3baHJOyulsc8DS7RfC4f4-U-SKH_zFjtzENkUSTPT58fl8YX0ABlU8RCW9YMaunZ9bRcu6Jp83Q/s4032/PXL_20240114_153250462.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_Va9iEuRpQvZGqpsgnGulkuEIxsU_kYIPeyGsNiktanIjlan42G8Av-otsBtkxmvawfik9nVLULu0m6qMZ5AvH0u46NxRnZB8sAp0gDyJbJ_H3pJ3baHJOyulsc8DS7RfC4f4-U-SKH_zFjtzENkUSTPT58fl8YX0ABlU8RCW9YMaunZ9bRcu6Jp83Q/w441-h588/PXL_20240114_153250462.NIGHT.jpg" width="441" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Great Hall: looking south</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The view of the Great Hall below shows that, strictly speaking, only 75% of the joists have been laid, due to the grot in one quadrant of the room. The sub-floor is being constructed of 2400mm x 600mm tongue and groove 18mm plywood - the runway is just the start. This will provide a firm foundation on which to lay the reclaimed strip hardwood flooring. <br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsT5T4JWPYXRve5tw61OuSN3rv9tNo9aUkqAqgpwB0voqSJ9Eug3MNqVRy4HjKyRVQkICDdXpouzRiVuXbJcaEi3wXgfiYno9XbZUJZp7IwhIKd-LPdb8vqp-I5E1q9G5HdMOPq7iPvT-a79NDCsrKfD3hEtlJYusgkGC5fGCSOPppmh-AlJNL_pPX7wA/s4032/PXL_20240114_153332027.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsT5T4JWPYXRve5tw61OuSN3rv9tNo9aUkqAqgpwB0voqSJ9Eug3MNqVRy4HjKyRVQkICDdXpouzRiVuXbJcaEi3wXgfiYno9XbZUJZp7IwhIKd-LPdb8vqp-I5E1q9G5HdMOPq7iPvT-a79NDCsrKfD3hEtlJYusgkGC5fGCSOPppmh-AlJNL_pPX7wA/w490-h367/PXL_20240114_153332027.NIGHT.jpg" width="490" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Great Hall: looking north</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-6098534700071927632024-01-10T13:46:00.000-08:002024-01-10T13:46:55.304-08:00New Great Hall Floor Delivered<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Christmas blog entry described how we are planning to refloor the Great Hall in 2024. Well today the wood for the construction arrived: namely floor joists and Tongue and Groove (T&G) plywood for the sub-floor. Due to the problems of storage (a vast quantity is involved) we didn't want to order this wood, until we knew we were going ahead, and tomorrow is the day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many years ago I purchased reclaimed T&G hardwood strip flooring for the top finishing layer of the grand reception rooms - this has been in storage a long time! As the reclaimed flooring is missing tongues in many places, I decided that an additional wooden subfloor is required to stop the reclaimed stuff from falling through.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKAYtmtlvQywjp5gTkb525347Qmo8ymhy7AyDVlej-1TyD6BChyphenhyphenO797GC8C6cP1y9Idpg2FnhBSlMHuc0PdOPVhcAeu75sG3m9tbPfHT_ko0CUcPrioV1ZSjwJvO7VpawF9ypjbyk6eqv-Lgbz1iEXaVb9jBqazSmlkzBSf8XEyFtryElHJEKXOqzNPg/s4032/PXL_20240110_154958183.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKAYtmtlvQywjp5gTkb525347Qmo8ymhy7AyDVlej-1TyD6BChyphenhyphenO797GC8C6cP1y9Idpg2FnhBSlMHuc0PdOPVhcAeu75sG3m9tbPfHT_ko0CUcPrioV1ZSjwJvO7VpawF9ypjbyk6eqv-Lgbz1iEXaVb9jBqazSmlkzBSf8XEyFtryElHJEKXOqzNPg/w565-h424/PXL_20240110_154958183.NIGHT.jpg" width="565" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />By the time, I went round the back of the castle to photograph today's wood delivery, Gregor had already got it under a blue tarpaulin, so you will have to take it on trust. :-) You can see the last big pile of rubble and grot dug out of the Great Hall immediately to the left.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-16904812540786554962024-01-10T12:49:00.000-08:002024-01-10T12:50:32.163-08:00New Shades for Old<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One unadultered joy of the restoration is finding suitable fixtures and fittings for the castle, and I keep my eyes open at the local auction houses. I reckoned that the table lamp below that came up for sale at <a href="https://www.curranddewar.com/" target="_blank">Curr & Dewer</a> in Dundee was perfect: a little niche and little bashed around the edges so that hopefully the sale price would not break the bank. Sure enough, I bagged it for a modest £45.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyJ5n7zvHn9md6qEAcUVW7Ve29Z4J0l2UXHYpjCPU_LqKLCvuK0nN3Lh0EdB7J4YUDZzJX0Yqxz40AhM0LOfMEwU_r7B2zyVgmlox-VBX_WZ82p0wwyEUGKJgSzv1hvgWdBo-4cH_IQdZvpTT7GfYc2QAgLK7ncjsq_YW00LljCmlR-k1GKjdbfmShzU/s1500/lamp_curr_and_dewer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="561" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyJ5n7zvHn9md6qEAcUVW7Ve29Z4J0l2UXHYpjCPU_LqKLCvuK0nN3Lh0EdB7J4YUDZzJX0Yqxz40AhM0LOfMEwU_r7B2zyVgmlox-VBX_WZ82p0wwyEUGKJgSzv1hvgWdBo-4cH_IQdZvpTT7GfYc2QAgLK7ncjsq_YW00LljCmlR-k1GKjdbfmShzU/w421-h561/lamp_curr_and_dewer.jpg" width="421" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">lamp before</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am a stickler for period authentic items, and the presence of exterior wiring (a thin brown fabric-covered cable) along the four branches show the item had started life as a candelabrum before the era of electricity, and was converted near the start of this era.<br /><br />The animal head masks in the base (dolphin? and bat?) betray a Gothic sensibility. This combined with the dull brass patina suggest a late 19th Century date.<br /><br />One immediate problem is that there are only two original shades left on the table lamp. These were in very bad condition with holes and whatever the original fabric was: it had gone rigid and discoloured with the heat over the years. <i>Nil desperandum</i>! I managed to locate 4 small matching second-hand shades on eBay for £19.50. Et voila, the re-shaded table lamp is shown below.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqM2oQ-i_PDRFwjCKgR4fOdFSNSpU9wAm8wSAFTzCmN28lmoO_K8rxDeny-VnY1tB1AvtuQ-cqetywNtU9SbHKWUuIm7pO4Knda6BLNuvOY3GI8BDgzlQ42t9gB54CnxVJKuzjJxp3ppqhxlHbFeq5s6RsZmv8z2Hl0SVrv8exUiR_P8qIzlj_unRW7A/s4032/PXL_20240110_160735359.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="595" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqM2oQ-i_PDRFwjCKgR4fOdFSNSpU9wAm8wSAFTzCmN28lmoO_K8rxDeny-VnY1tB1AvtuQ-cqetywNtU9SbHKWUuIm7pO4Knda6BLNuvOY3GI8BDgzlQ42t9gB54CnxVJKuzjJxp3ppqhxlHbFeq5s6RsZmv8z2Hl0SVrv8exUiR_P8qIzlj_unRW7A/w446-h595/PXL_20240110_160735359.NIGHT.jpg" width="446" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">lamp after</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I still need to make an electrical pass, to ensure the lamp lights up and is safe - watch this space!</span></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-57274108482906958952024-01-10T10:38:00.000-08:002024-01-10T10:39:50.554-08:00Return to the Castle<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">My friend Andrew gave me a lift for the last leg of my journey from Norfolk (where I spent Christmas with friends) to Balintore Castle. We were both treated to a wonderful atmospheric effect, where the late afternoon sun illuminated the dense fog around us in an orange glow.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Things then got even better.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the climb up to Balintore, we emerged from the mist into the sunshine, only to observe that there had been a temperature inversion and a sea of mist lay across the bottom of Glen Quharity, where the castle is located.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVTYZQtvHxePduLqrV16_CsYL1ifr0v0ieq-DtuLdMPiU2O8SYYdZyITdClkL3X4HXQSn68x6EYt9el-RuP9SPzp1m29XPg5TF7oi7nXLbIdUi3M1gC8DKFT_FLc4W4468Kr9D3ICReWMwYoQtAVHXZqtskqaoBrfzVb6jk37n4qPbbki_xtFcoG0HGI/s4032/PXL_20240105_150358522.NIGHT-EFFECTS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVTYZQtvHxePduLqrV16_CsYL1ifr0v0ieq-DtuLdMPiU2O8SYYdZyITdClkL3X4HXQSn68x6EYt9el-RuP9SPzp1m29XPg5TF7oi7nXLbIdUi3M1gC8DKFT_FLc4W4468Kr9D3ICReWMwYoQtAVHXZqtskqaoBrfzVb6jk37n4qPbbki_xtFcoG0HGI/w534-h401/PXL_20240105_150358522.NIGHT-EFFECTS.jpg" width="534" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">temperature inversion in Glen Quharity on 5th January 2024</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This phenomenon is very rare, and I have observed it only a handful of times since I bought the castle in 2007. Sometimes, the whole of the glen is covered and the mist comes up to the very edge of the ha-ha, so the effect is one of a sea. However, on this occasion the blanket had settled over just the west end of the glen, and it quickly dispersed after I had taken the photograph.<br /></span><br /><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-38454382907759714182023-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:002023-12-23T06:36:06.503-08:00Merry Christmas 2023<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Merry Christmas to all friends of Balintore. Regular readers of this seasonal epistle will be perfectly aware, that you are entirely safe from boasts about overweening achievements over the year and the even more nauseating boasts about the achievements of one's children. Instead, this blog tells it like it is.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Despite a letter from Angus Council prohibiting all restoration work (yes really), a new crew member, Craig, started working on the roof in the summer, to stop water ingress before winter. It is the height of insanity to allow a Grade I building to disintegrate through neglect and lack of maintenance.<br /><br />Water ingress is the number one cause of buildings deteriorating. Heavy storms cause leaks in areas that never leaked before and this year particularly was no exception. During Storm Babet, I counted 30 leaks - very distressing.<br /><br />Craig has tracked down quite a number of the leaks to water coming down chimney stacks, rather than problems with the roof itself. Remedial work has involved re-pointing the chimney stacks, and sweeping the chimneys. The theory is that a blocked chimney allows a "swimming pool" to develop on top, during heavy rain. This trapped water then gradually leaks out causing areas of the castle to be damp for long periods.<br /><br />The plan was for Craig to spend 3 days on the roof. He has now been here for 6 months, but he has proved very useful on a variety of other jobs about the castle.<br /><br />In the last week or so, Gavin and Gregor have been clearing out the Great Hall. The only previous work done on the Great Hall was to floor over the top, essentially sealing the volume, using money from the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/restore-the-great-hall-at-balintore-castle" target="_blank">GoFundMe campaign</a>.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9Z_ud0Ceo-pzHKbvcJjj4r9bgyKLR4Ox9GSkeddUIDeTezKtpVImg9AMEUl92bI619QzZmWHYY2dN_olv5l_6X15I50EopxOfz9rhACazp9VxfWshK6rP5fGTMGOVnR8vkyAHNAbKtOjBChltH9I_bezzsZtraNDZdl2CT66VpFUiz526u1kqdLhXYY/s4032/PXL_20231220_221612314.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9Z_ud0Ceo-pzHKbvcJjj4r9bgyKLR4Ox9GSkeddUIDeTezKtpVImg9AMEUl92bI619QzZmWHYY2dN_olv5l_6X15I50EopxOfz9rhACazp9VxfWshK6rP5fGTMGOVnR8vkyAHNAbKtOjBChltH9I_bezzsZtraNDZdl2CT66VpFUiz526u1kqdLhXYY/w494-h371/PXL_20231220_221612314.NIGHT.jpg" width="494" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">the Great Hall re-emerging</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br />Gregor was exceptionally happy to start work proper on the Great Hall. "I want to see this room restored before I croak it.", said Gregor. "I feel exactly the same way.", I replied. :-) It has been a voyage of rediscovery to see the room emerge again. We had been using it as a dumping ground for scaffolding and timber salvaged from the castle. The remains of the original tall sash windows from the Great Hall are in this timber pile, and we have set aside these and other items that will give us clues for the restoration. Other rotten timbers are just being cut into firewood. I find this distressing as there are surviving parts that have been beautifully carved or beautifully painted, but it's just got to go. The castle is around 200 years old and these Baltic timbers could have been 200 years old when felled, so one is using 400 year-old wood just for the fire.<br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqp7OmwWrHYAH5lywrY0aXzbo4T4bv-CSGBSelpXKSBT7ccK_e8wb1k4biBmfOgmtDLGzI3cCNOkj4EpPhNxmdWOT1g-nCyvDNBbiBTSC8HFEqCWixNa7lOByEzKw6UkqHTI2l90Tj66sAmWvrgUImhZnWMSuh1413-pMXzQ6kq0zfn57Mnx1fQrbnlk/s4032/PXL_20231220_221510194.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqp7OmwWrHYAH5lywrY0aXzbo4T4bv-CSGBSelpXKSBT7ccK_e8wb1k4biBmfOgmtDLGzI3cCNOkj4EpPhNxmdWOT1g-nCyvDNBbiBTSC8HFEqCWixNa7lOByEzKw6UkqHTI2l90Tj66sAmWvrgUImhZnWMSuh1413-pMXzQ6kq0zfn57Mnx1fQrbnlk/w458-h344/PXL_20231220_221510194.NIGHT.jpg" width="458" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">much diminished pile of grot on the Great Hall floor</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The castle has a new door ! In order to remove rubble from the Great Hall<br />as quickly as possible, a door was cut into the wooden structure closing off the collapsed oriel window in the dining room. Outside the door is a "runway" constructed out of scaffolding, where Gregor and Gavin model the latest wheelbarrow fashions, before tipping their contents over the edge. A pile of rubble is growing in a most satisfactory fashion on the ground beneath.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucL_VfPpb-BO7toMOoOAXy3whhZujuJkN-eK0ZAnM3BK-GCNji1zvjT3ETwR7mlT-xuXUiCkuPP_kdOZw0YeV-ziXG0uzb9gP8LGoBBUDBxqplBf4Z45L0RwzqKdIC-ELWHoC_Gvk_P6vBZdM4N1zOZmDNTN5A6y4RkXn2lIb73LutOC-eZIiPswP75I/s4032/PXL_20231220_221745014.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucL_VfPpb-BO7toMOoOAXy3whhZujuJkN-eK0ZAnM3BK-GCNji1zvjT3ETwR7mlT-xuXUiCkuPP_kdOZw0YeV-ziXG0uzb9gP8LGoBBUDBxqplBf4Z45L0RwzqKdIC-ELWHoC_Gvk_P6vBZdM4N1zOZmDNTN5A6y4RkXn2lIb73LutOC-eZIiPswP75I/w472-h354/PXL_20231220_221745014.NIGHT.jpg" width="472" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">castle's new door</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMiPmog-6kXhkzbevM_P-xiv5HUUMZcPaFiQkcug3BbZwKy0NHtHOPrnsJfXWTWMHiunYzIExLGWYep1ujJtzsK5GK3QYwGBI2oJCh3-Ce5UQVFQhXSaEwyhF_pBS6jwKrtsQEDbEVKljmZ6jLKQMrr6T0c-bYWJxlfgmcGF229ANQlfcgKnahOqnvts/s4032/PXL_20231220_221821711.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="507" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMiPmog-6kXhkzbevM_P-xiv5HUUMZcPaFiQkcug3BbZwKy0NHtHOPrnsJfXWTWMHiunYzIExLGWYep1ujJtzsK5GK3QYwGBI2oJCh3-Ce5UQVFQhXSaEwyhF_pBS6jwKrtsQEDbEVKljmZ6jLKQMrr6T0c-bYWJxlfgmcGF229ANQlfcgKnahOqnvts/w380-h507/PXL_20231220_221821711.NIGHT.jpg" width="380" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">new scaffolding catwalk behind the door</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The next step with the Great Hall is to floor it and I am hoping for this to be done in January. A floor makes a room properly usable and allows you to truly appreciate a space i.e without constantly having to monitor where your feet are going. There will be big celebrations when this is done, and I am genuinely excited about moving the Great Hall forward. It is such a huge room and in such poor condition that we have mostly neglected it for 16 years. However, with other easier areas of the castle restored, now feels like the right time.<br /><br />I have been rather hands-off the restoration personally this year as I was doing contract IT work for the Met Office which has been interesting but extremely demanding. However, the project work was successfully (as far as I know :-) ) completed by the time my second contract ended this September, and I had definitely been looking forward to devoting much needed time to the castle. Frustratingly, I had to spend some time in hospital in October and December, but I am hoping to get back to castle fighting-fitness ASAP.<br /><br />We have had a number of extreme weather events over the last couple of years (think storms Arwyn and Corwyn and the 40C summer), and it was </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">extremely exciting to have advance notice of these within the Met Office, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">until sufficient confidence was gained in the forecasts to announce these </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">to the public. The resulting weather warnings were unfailing correct, and it is a tribute to how forecasting has really improved over the last 30 or so years.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">You may have noticed the rather low number of blog entries this year due to the demands of the Met Office. :-) However, I rallied in hospital in December when I realised that attending to blog entries that had been pending for several years, was one of the few productive things I could manage. That and reading of course.<br /><br />I am currently spending Christmas with friends in the Norfolk countryside.<br />We had a trip to Norwich yesterday, and in an old church converted to an<br />an antiques saleroom in the centre of town, I discovered this: <span style="color: #050505;">a candlestick telephone which had come from Lintrathen just a couple of miles from Balintore Castle.</span></span><div style="color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We had both come a long way from the wilds of Angus - it's a small world. <span style="display: inline-flex; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><img alt="🙂" class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" height="16" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjxvJT0tSItFYUH6kSH1p3e_CkliJ9PQ3U4dEW8-8R5tEBHS2_71CyfJRQBEFjy8dQo6lQfbJ-F7qryJCvP9mvHsuav6IB-cQmIHAzcXq_AQmvle8JTUOOA9ixI3vwmRLE-VH-d3KvrPGSbJcg6Gtlf0zycJAFxFGiTNaoaje15ktU-Ggs=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; object-fit: fill;" width="16" /></span></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoOfrFSyq5i7lYQ7O898_mMNR2Flz_lC_PW4noiPPpi4WHcNK7jEaz3zsjKaKW4_E-WO8cK7tnpZ_DoMZQUEMoviSSkMLdKtEhktdBVcWyIjRcyy2bwbz2gv5VYro-hif1jgUdbWsvufkX0Wcl4wnQDcLTNKrXFBXKML8fhIg2fBs6hRLCWrXBbKHJlE/w338-h451/PXL_20231222_142421048.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="338" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">a serendipitous telephone</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoOfrFSyq5i7lYQ7O898_mMNR2Flz_lC_PW4noiPPpi4WHcNK7jEaz3zsjKaKW4_E-WO8cK7tnpZ_DoMZQUEMoviSSkMLdKtEhktdBVcWyIjRcyy2bwbz2gv5VYro-hif1jgUdbWsvufkX0Wcl4wnQDcLTNKrXFBXKML8fhIg2fBs6hRLCWrXBbKHJlE/s4032/PXL_20231222_142421048.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I joined my friends who were shopping for cleaning products at a local supermarket, as they are getting the house ready for a dinner party. It was a revelation that people shop in a very different way. I have not brought cleaning products for my house in Oxfordshire for the last 27 years, as before he died my father overstocked on said items. At the castle, I order industrial quantities of basic cleaning products over the internet: the niceties of branding, fragrancing and product differentiation go over my head.<br /><br />In complete contrast, the aisle of cleaning products was a temple of veneration and study for my friends. They dismissed the "<a href="https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/duck-active-clean-rimblock-first-kiss-flowers-599697011" target="_blank">first kiss flower</a>" toilet cleaner (the mind boggles); the "janitorial pine" toilet cleaner and the "<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spontex-Hygienic-Thick-Moppets-Pack/dp/B005YNJ5BI?th=1" target="_blank">two thick moppets</a>".</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have provided a couple of links that prove I am not making these products up. One cannot help but feel society has gone off the rails. :-) With these unerring markers of societal disintegration, may I wish you all the best for New Year 2024.</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-20400663017621357022023-12-15T16:42:00.000-08:002023-12-15T16:48:50.182-08:00My Part in the Kirriemuir Bank Heist of 2018<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JvWaFRMojGfOvVT_HZ86_hXttBEHFF7DhHlI_lmnFVjAOxlIj89oUmUtm_E1Lv-qnGJDJURBpySnvB1BaKIorg8YvrkV4x6YZsGw1FqbCMpJ0Op5uJ2Ivb041jrg7J8ZCLEntuVVYqVA4YfJzUIglmjwddsMmWSkNMUqEpfhjQFazOBxfHCrHBs1jUs/s1638/bank_of_scotland.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1359" data-original-width="1638" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JvWaFRMojGfOvVT_HZ86_hXttBEHFF7DhHlI_lmnFVjAOxlIj89oUmUtm_E1Lv-qnGJDJURBpySnvB1BaKIorg8YvrkV4x6YZsGw1FqbCMpJ0Op5uJ2Ivb041jrg7J8ZCLEntuVVYqVA4YfJzUIglmjwddsMmWSkNMUqEpfhjQFazOBxfHCrHBs1jUs/w538-h446/bank_of_scotland.jpg" width="538" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Results Gym, Kirriemuir<br />(once the Bank of Scotland)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">On an unconscionably hot and sunny day back in that halcyon era when the town of Kirriemuir had two banks rather than none, I innocently inserted my bank card into the Bank of Scotland's ATM. I then looked at the screen, but the full sun falling onto the surface rendered it illegible. <br /><br />This particular cash point was installed in a window opening so high above the pavement that there was no way I could lean over the screen to create a shadow. Famously this ATM was so high off the ground that there are many photographs of shorter Kirriemuir residents standing on a chair to take their money out.<br /><br />There was nothing I could do to advance or cancel the transaction, so I joined the queue inside the bank to report their "broken" facility and to somehow make the intended cash withdrawal. Naturally, during the wait (the queue was long) the cashpoint swallowed my card. I kept going outside to check the situation on the street and at one stage there was an ominous clunk.<br /><br />The teller told me that I could not make a cash withdrawal as I did not have a card, and I would have to wait at least a fortnight before they could return the card. "But the card is right there!" said I pointing at the back of the ATM. "We don't have the key.", said the teller. "I do not believe you.", I said, "I demand to see the manager.".<br /><br />It took an hour speaking to the manager who also denied having the key. I told him that I would <b>not </b>be leaving the bank without my card, as it was my only card and I would be unable to do any shopping of any form and I did not have any family I could borrow money from.<br /><br />I told him that their set-up was a disaster waiting to happen, and the swallowing of the card was their responsibility not mine. I said that this disaster must have happened in the past and would happen again, and I was amazed that they had not put an awning up or something to mitigate the situation.<br /><br />The manager denied this had ever happened before. At that very moment, a little old lady came into the bank extremely distressed that her card has been swallowed due to the bright sunshine. I insisted vehemently that I would not be leaving the bank, and eventually somehow he managed to open the ATM and give me my card. Duh!<br /><br />I wrote an official letter of complaint to the Bank of Scotland: no reply was ever forth-coming. I repeatedly emailed the manager to find out what mitigation measures were being put in place, and he never responded. Perhaps, it is karma that the eventual mitigation measure was for him to lose his job as manager when the branch was closed and the ATM removed.<br /><br />Anyhow, I hate the inertia and illogicality of large organisations when there are simple solutions to problems. In <i>lieu </i>of constructing an awning, I got a plastic sign made (thank you eBay) which read:<br /><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;">screen illegible in strong sunlight<br />press red button to release card</span><br /><br />The bank manager said it was my fault the card was trapped by not hitting the red button. How was I supposed to know? I had never needed to hit the red button before.<br /><br />I was careful to chose a sans-serif font to match that of the ATM and dimensioned the sign to fit a blank rectangular area on the cashpoint. I chose red letters on a white background, as befitting signage required in an emergency.<br /><br />I am a time and motion expert, so one evening after giving a talk on the castle restoration in Kirriemuir, I donned my balaclava and armed myself with a black skeleton gun, in which I had mounted a tube of industrial strength adhesive. I was aware I might be caught on CCTV - hence the balaclava.<br /><br />I hung around the town centre in the dark waiting for my moment to pounce <i>i.e.</i> when no-one else was around. The only problem was a young, rather drunk man, who didn't seem to be moving."I am bigger than this." I eventually thought and proceeded to glue the sign on regardless.<br /><br />The drunk man was wide-eyed not quite believing what he was seeing. Sometimes when confronted you just gotta tell it like it is: "I figured this town could do with some better signage." was my verbal response to his silent accusing glances.<br /><br />For some reason my friend Andrew would not collude with me on the crime.<br /><br />Happily, I think the sign stayed in place for around 18 months, no doubt rescuing many a burger from card kidnap. I don't think the public (or even the staff?) would have detected that it was not an integral part of the ATM, although I do not know the story behind its eventual removal.<br /><br />After the closure of the Bank of Scotland, there was a ram raid on the Royal Bank of Scotland's ATM, that caused the latter's closure: a coup de grâce if you will. The ATM's of Kirriemuir have suffered many an ignomy. :-)<br /><br />Ironically, the Bank of Scotland building is my favourite in Kirriemuir. It has stone canons on the outside that are so reminiscent of those on Balintore Castle that I reckon the same stone mason is responsible. The Kirriemuir stonemasonry firm of George Watson worked on Balintore Castle in 1860, so there could easily have been a member of staff who continued on to the 1880's when the bank building was being built.<br /><br /></span><a href="#"></a>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-61552828425713014422023-12-10T09:24:00.000-08:002023-12-10T09:34:15.347-08:00The Crystal Stars that Bind<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSO9EsqEoBNIcy1NHreMZ1iHAFshfji_VRDpcXl0kdX9yoWStvZRJcsVqsWLNXWwdoWOLm4_xc3vIRSNCfMJLPy1qLSNHxKY65g0_PoS09333u3T3PPBAVxhS7F5m50863JE6WRVrhBY310t1i5U1bX6ZlvBFAE73YzhgCp7wVtqA2izevPkLiGKRA24/s4898/Mount_Stuart_House_marble_hall_2018-08-25_hi_res.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSO9EsqEoBNIcy1NHreMZ1iHAFshfji_VRDpcXl0kdX9yoWStvZRJcsVqsWLNXWwdoWOLm4_xc3vIRSNCfMJLPy1qLSNHxKY65g0_PoS09333u3T3PPBAVxhS7F5m50863JE6WRVrhBY310t1i5U1bX6ZlvBFAE73YzhgCp7wVtqA2izevPkLiGKRA24/w572-h381/Mount_Stuart_House_marble_hall_2018-08-25_hi_res.jpg" width="572" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">marble hallway ceiling at Mount Stuart House</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a tale of how beautiful architecture can connect humans across time and space.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">After my father died, I felt my sister, my Mum and I should still go on family outings. My sister </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">had pulled the plug early on with driving lessons, and my Mum had stopped driving on the day </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I went off to university. In the throws of empty nest syndrome, she had driven into the family </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">home's gatepost, and never drove again. I like to think of it as an unfakable sign that I was truely loved. :-)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have clipped my gatepost many times, and I am still driving! :-)<br /><br />Anyhow, it was up-to-me to do the driving for the trip and I suggested they might like to visit Mount Stuart House on the Isle </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">of Bute off the west coast of Scotland, as splendid architecture (as we have subsequently found out) is what will get me out of my armchair.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This trip was all agreed. We had some distant relatives on the Isle of Bute, so a visit to them was planned on the afternoon of the day trip. The ferry leaves from Wemyss Bay which is about an hour's drive from my home town of Prestwick.<br /><br />As we drove there I surprised myself by overtaking much of the traffic. In England I am a slow and cautious </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">driver, but coming to Scotland I was just not used to the much slower pace. I apologised to my family.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mount Stuart House was magical. I have never liked the outside from photographs - rather blocky Venetian Gothic - but the inside is full of colour and decorative art, drawing on myth and paganism. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Burges" target="_blank">William Burges</a> is responsible for much of this work under the patronage of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Crichton-Stuart,_3rd_Marquess_of_Bute" target="_blank">Third Marquess of Bute</a>, who was the richest man in Victorian Britain. I rate Burges in the same category of genius as the better known Augustus Welby Pugin.<br /><br />I loved the stained glass windows depicting the nine muses of Ancient Greece (Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomeni, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Urania, and Calliope), and I was bowled over by the central marble staircase.<br /><br />The 80 foot high ceiling above the staircase is inset with 6 pointed star-shaped crystal prisms, arranged in the shape of the northern night sky constellations. The sun shining through the stars produces rainbows on the floor of the hallway. The 12 stained glass windows of the clerestory represent the signs of the zodiac. The overall effect is magical. <br /><br />Jump forward many years to 2015 and I am attending a school reunion in my home town of Prestwick.<br /><br />My parents were long dead by then, but I was determined on this trip to catch up with some of my parents' close friends that were still around, and the day after the reunion, I did precisely this. My first stop was a couple (Mary and Ian) whose connection to my parents </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">went back to WWII, and I drove ro</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">und to their house. <br /><br />It was that nightmare scenario: the house </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">was locked up and looked deserted. Were they still with us? I talked to the neighbours who informed </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">me that they were now in different nursing homes in the next town of Ayr, but they couldn't quite recall </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the exact name of the nursing homes, but they knew a vague location. So, I drove to the area and was literally asking stranger </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">after stranger on the street, if they knew of a nursing home nearby.</span></p><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It took me all day but eventually I tracked the nursing home down where Mary was residing. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was very nervous about the meeting. Would there be recognition after so long and even then what would we </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">talk about? I needn't have worried, I fetched a lot of names out of my childhood memory and we chatted away. Mary and Ian </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and my parents had worked together in the same office. It was just as much of a comfort for me, as it was for Mary, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">to chat about old times. Mary was now in a wheelchair and had to be wheeled around, but she had all her marbles.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I mentioned the last family trip to Mount Stuart House as I knew Mary came from Bute. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I described the joy of the 6 pointed star-shaped prisms. Mary suddenly jolted, and </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">became very animated. Her grandfather had been an upholsterer at Mount Stuart House, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and when she was a little girl, he had given her one of these crystal prisms. She had kept </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">it at the back of a drawer, but did not have any idea where it was now.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">There was a little bit of indefinable magic about the unexpected coincidence in the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">almost random turn in the conversation. It is a piece of stellar magic that I will always treasure.</span></div><div><br /></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-13565953192777005212023-12-05T08:06:00.000-08:002023-12-06T13:24:07.042-08:00Stiff Mallards<div><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IWlPxkqKkmEG0zWEyf_WI6WomtGPne6GWeZLOvbSJy9rgOZoRs0KR4VBFek-6d5-Is9UMatimXu_YRDuTQA07BQL7xF0XoPW3BLyAcIBVk2JXWzo-ljoClHFog9giPAbLFhlVThwIhWluJmqgDUzCb6lI-bdWcgaeMtkE0DRz5xxIuBa92QcYXQE0Fo/s4160/IMG_20171023_174704.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IWlPxkqKkmEG0zWEyf_WI6WomtGPne6GWeZLOvbSJy9rgOZoRs0KR4VBFek-6d5-Is9UMatimXu_YRDuTQA07BQL7xF0XoPW3BLyAcIBVk2JXWzo-ljoClHFog9giPAbLFhlVThwIhWluJmqgDUzCb6lI-bdWcgaeMtkE0DRz5xxIuBa92QcYXQE0Fo/w507-h676/IMG_20171023_174704.jpg" width="507" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Balintore brace of Mallards</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>The area around Balintore Castle is often used for shooting, and occasionally the game keeper or shooting agent asks me to show their guests around the building. I am of course delighted to do so.<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">After one such tour, a lovely Dutch couple presented me with a brace of Mallard by way of a thank-you. It is a mistake to think that shooters are portly, middle-aged men, with florid complexions in tweeds. It was an education to find out that shooters do not, in general, look like they shoot. :-)<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were tied together at the neck by string, and I placed them over a door key in the kitchen wing. I took a photo. The image was a beautiful Hogarthian study in Chiaroscuro (see above). The kitchen wing was like a fridge at that time of year, and I knew you could "hang" birds for about 12 days to develop the flavour.<br /><br />Mallards are amongst my favourite birds. I think of them as the Jack Russell of the duck world. They are colourful, small and lively and the joyous quack they make sounds like they are laughing.<br /><br />I have been informed that to save plucking or eviscerating fowl, you can simply cut the breasts out. Mallards are renowned for their large breasts, and if you want to increase the breast meat in a strain of duck you introduce some Mallard. :-)<br /><br />So breast excision is what I was planning to do. Only, I had not done this before, and was somewhat trepidatious. To be honest, I kept putting this off. As day 12 approached, I was genuinely going to do the deed, then some emergency arose and I didn't. Finally, it came to the morning I was going to leave the castle and drive to England. Packing took longer than expected and there was no more time left to process the mallards. What could I do? I contemplated strapping them in to the passenger seat of the car, but worried about them honking, in the soundless sense, during the long journey as temperatures rose to those of England.<br /><br />I would have to bury them. Now I hate wasting food, as my friends know, and it also felt like ingratitude for the gift but there was no alternative.<br /><br />However, with the severe sub-zero temperatures the ground was rock hard and I could not get a spade to break the surface. Suddenly, inspiration or at least lateral thinking hit. <br /><br />There are plenty of rabbits around Balintore, and a rabbit hole is pre-dug! I selected a pair of choice rabbit holes, and inserted the rigid-frozen drake into one and the rigid frozen duck into the other. A light dusting of vegetation and the graves were hidden to the human eye.<br /><br />It is left to the readers' imagination how much I traumatised the Balintore bunnies. <br /></span><br /></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-74456957362556872402023-12-04T11:36:00.000-08:002023-12-04T12:02:44.809-08:00I am the Ghost of Balintore Castle<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhokSr9ikNEOyarshAlj42gA8IiXnKgM6WXuDB8CSclyh3AFnIYCfK7-og0IzmedxtF9dAPve773mvaB7wYaouh47Xj_PgNctwiEbxc-soHhhBjmrpRXuJJDLNyNL2wvXKenoSFJEYe3MKS1bixWdVaknCiUKD89KEefxWLrFGVZYwikn1HJWob0RIzOA/s1000/mummy_sleeping_bag.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhokSr9ikNEOyarshAlj42gA8IiXnKgM6WXuDB8CSclyh3AFnIYCfK7-og0IzmedxtF9dAPve773mvaB7wYaouh47Xj_PgNctwiEbxc-soHhhBjmrpRXuJJDLNyNL2wvXKenoSFJEYe3MKS1bixWdVaknCiUKD89KEefxWLrFGVZYwikn1HJWob0RIzOA/w431-h431/mummy_sleeping_bag.jpg" width="431" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">my mummy sleeping bag looked like this</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One Sunday afternoon, very early in the restoration of the castle, I was digging out rubble as usual. I was getting rather cold and the only resolution at the time, in the absence of any heating, was to get into bed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was the time when the Harry Potter books were being released, so I grabbed my copy of the latest one, and jumped into my mummy sleeping bag which was resting on top of a camp bed for some reading pleasure while I warmed up. However, I found myself falling asleep and I rationalised that I must be rather tired after all and that 40 winks would be in order.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I woke up conscious of some movement at the window. It was a woman looking in, hands over her eyes squinting to see what she could see in the low light conditions. I deliberately hadn't cleared the cobwebs on this window because I didn't want to disturb the poetic ruin look.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When people came to the castle, I would always offer them a cup of tea and a look around. However, I was worried, that if I moved after sleeping I might startle the woman. "Don't be silly, David, get out of bed and offer this woman a cup of tea.". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I got up but the woman disappeared, and I moved to the front of the castle, where a car had been parked but was just starting up its engine, The woman was in the passenger seat, and another woman was in the driver's seat. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I waved through the glass to them and they rolled down the window. "We're just going! We're just going!" repeated the passenger seemingly endlessly. "Would you like to see round the castle?", I asked, "You obviously have come up the drive so you must have been interested.".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They took a lot of persuading, but finally relented. I wouldn't force anyone to do anything against their will of course, but the initial reluctance was a little puzzling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anyhow, I completed the tour and found myself alone with the driver of the car to whom I had been chatting during the tour.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Is your friend OK?" I asked "She didn't say anything during the tour, and looks very pale.". The driver replied "When she looked into that room in the castle, she thought she saw a coffin on a trestle. When she saw a body that was not moving, she thought she was looking at a corpse. When you finally sat up, she thought she you were a vampire rising from the grave.".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It all suddenly made sense. The passenger had been scared out of her wits. A mummy sleeping bag is the same shape as a coffin, and only my sleeping face had been poking out. Through the cobwebs and the darkness, the woman's imagination has joined the dots in the context of looking through the window of a ruined and abandoned gothic castle. There was absolutely no indication of anyone being in residence.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This incident is one of my favourite dinner party stories as it captures well how people go into a different mind set when they visit a castle. The poor passenger obviously tells the story at her own dinner parties, as it has come back to me through friends, with a little bit of exaggeration IMHO in the scare department. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Prior to this incident, I was rather sceptical about ghost stories and paranormal phenomena. After this incident I must shamefully admit how much enjoyment I got out of scaring someone so severely they turned as white as a sheet and were rendered incapable of speaking. Perhaps I could do this professionally? You couldn't have a better venue than Balintore. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And in this public forum, I finally have the opportunity to apologise to this poor woman. From the above, it should be clear that I had absolutely no intention of frightening you. Please get in touch - I would love to read your version of events.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-68437060897537672132023-12-03T13:22:00.000-08:002023-12-03T13:49:54.795-08:00Forty Below<p><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Forty Below: A Long-Overdue Essay on Cold and Balintore </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Castle</span></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uJUSz4-sTHFSdaUXhB9UpdJM0fbhlwTEqBRD5mfOIra-H3MrtQqNI4fCs5CEw_KhKuaXd9LZBK9bu7pezfpcO3u6sBNShNk2Bgbbvqj-yGR7W4qDbE-mrAngtZkd0pEN24MgUvRgZ1veryedEi1xXaX9XDRQZkyszMY-EkwQxhryoMufmQZHuxXcvAw/s800/caribou_bottom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="800" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uJUSz4-sTHFSdaUXhB9UpdJM0fbhlwTEqBRD5mfOIra-H3MrtQqNI4fCs5CEw_KhKuaXd9LZBK9bu7pezfpcO3u6sBNShNk2Bgbbvqj-yGR7W4qDbE-mrAngtZkd0pEN24MgUvRgZ1veryedEi1xXaX9XDRQZkyszMY-EkwQxhryoMufmQZHuxXcvAw/w463-h417/caribou_bottom.jpg" width="463" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the first heating at Balintore Castle</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />At secondary school, I was impressed by a Jack London short story, possibly called "Forty Below", which detailed life in the extreme cold in the far North of America. Not only was this level of cold mind-blowing, but it could be poetically unit-free as -40 Celcius is the same as -40 Fahrenheit. And while I have never experienced such temperatures, it is only since buying Balintore Castle that I have experienced -18C, and got rather too close to hypothermia for my own comfort on a number of occasions.</span></span><p></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">I knew before purchasing Balintore Castle that "cold" would be an issue. A castle is the archetypal cold and drafty building, and nearby Braemar is the coldest place in the UK, so how was I going to heat this vast building, let alone afford to do so?</span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />It swiftly became apparent that people in the past were hardier than nowadays. The Victorians had no notion of building insulation, but wore more layers of clothing in heavy fabrics, were more physically active and must simply have had a different mindset.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The only sources of heat originally at Balintore were coal fires. Getting these going again has been very rewarding, and although a coal fire does heat a room somewhat, a whopping 80% of the heat goes up the chimney and only 20% goes into the room. The effect is certainly nothing like modern central heating. Huddling round the fire is the order of the day.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />When I first lived in the building, there was no heating full-stop so winters were a challenge. I recall one night early on, where despite a four season sleeping-bag, my body temperature continually dropped throughout the night and I was woken up again and again by the cold. Normally, you </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">expect to warm up in bed, so this experience was my literal and metaphorical wake-up call.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I evolved a sleeping solution using 3 high tog duvets. My discovery was that the 4th duvet adds weight but no extra warmth. When I was sleeping in a tiny caravan round the back of the building, I was inside a 4 season mummy sleeping bag with the zip on the right pulled fully up and my head in the hood, with a woolly hat on. On top of the sleeping bag were two plump duvets.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If I moved at all in the night, and the zip came down even 6 inches or so, the pain from the cold in my right arm would wake me up. I taught myself to sleep absolutely stationary and flat on my back, using mind control to resist the temptation to sleep on my side, which is my natural inclination, I went to sleep like an Egyptian Mummy and woke up in the exact same position.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I kept a litre bottle of water by my bed, and this regularly froze completely solid overnight. I had rain butts to collect water and the huge volume of water inside them froze totally solid during the record-breaking winters of 2010 and 2011. In normal winters, you only get a frozen outside with liquid water inside.<br /><br />The caravan was totally uninsulated, and only consisted of a single metal shell, reminiscent of a tin can. I had set up an electric heater there and a small computer desk. With the bed folded out, only a square foot of floor remained and it is hard to believe that for 2 years I lived on that square foot.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><span style="color: #222222;">In the middle of the second bitter winter in the caravan, I reach the point of stir-craziness or cabin fever. I knew that with one more night in the caravan, I would go mad, and moved into the castle for good, even though my bedroom there lacked glass in the window and even lacked a floor. I had to skip across floor joists to reach my bed, and had to remember in the mornings not to step out normally as I would fall through the joists to the dirt floor three feet below. There was only one morning I absentmindedly forgot about the joists and tumbled onto the earth.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">Anyhow, things got better in the castle with an electric underblanket and I would switch this on </span><span style="color: #222222;">for the first part of the night to warm up the bed. In the extreme cold, it is sometimes worryingly touch-</span><span style="color: #222222;">and-go whether the bed is warming up with body heat alone. I would often fall asleep </span><span style="color: #222222;">with the electric blanket on and wake up at 2AM absolutely stifling! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">In fact the first evening with the electric blanket I was able to watch "Frozen Planet" in bed. </span><span style="color: #222222;">I hadn't been able to watch this documentary series before because the combination of </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">real physical cold and on-screen cold was too much to bear. As I settled down in bed, I thought </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">"Do your worst, David Attenborough!". :-)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The first heating in the castle was a green enamelled Norwegian Jøtul stove which I bought on eBay and picked up in Milngavie. It had originally come from Mull. My friend Andrew and I lit it tentatively the first time, and thereafter I would always put it on for his visits. We would side astride the stove like riders on a horse as it started up, so desperate were we for any kind of <span style="background-color: white;">warmth<span style="color: #222222;">. We both recall the first occasion we </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">got the temperature in the room up to double digits. It was a moment to celebrate and somewhere there is a photograph.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;"><br />At Balintore, piling stoves high with wood is the order of the day, and we always knew the</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jøtul stov</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">e was pumping out the heat, when the caribou's bottom on the moulded cast iron side panel of the stove started to glow red. I have subsequently found out this is not good for the stove, and no longer do I aim for this.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">A friend visited from London. I made him dinner, and between courses I announced </span><span style="color: #222222;">"It is time to run round the castle now". The order was met with complete disbelief. </span><span style="color: #222222;">I had got into the habit of running round the castle between courses as it is when </span><span style="color: #222222;">you are sitting still that your body temperature starts to drop. So laps round the </span><span style="color: #222222;">castle were the <i>quid pro quo</i> for formal dining. I normally never kept still inside the </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">castle and danced to keep warm from waking up until going to bed. I was living a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">cold-induced rave lifestyle.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I have lived in the castle with a foot of snow inside the building. There was no glass </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in all the windows of the Victorian kitchen for the longest time so fine snow could blow </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in, and I found myself walking on top of a foot of snow while cooking for about a week.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #222222;">My friend Andrew and I remember one time each of us was sitting with a cup of tea at </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">the kitchen table, obviously with our coats on. The windows on each side of us had holes in the glass, and the wind was just howling through the kitchen where we were sitting. This was a common occurrence, but the bleakness of this particular occasion when we tried to have a normal conversation while both shivering has imprinted, with both of us clinging desperately onto the cup of tea for residual warmth.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />So over the years I have "toughened up" a bit. Although, I am never quite sure </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">if I have actually just learned to discern "feeling cold" from "being cold". Now "feeling cold" can be unpleasant but one can still get on with things. However, "being cold" is another matter. This is the bone-chilling cold, which brings pain to one's feet and hands, that drains one's soul, and renders tasks impossible and requires intervention. At the castle intervention used to be taking to one's bed. Andrew who </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">works in agriculture engineering in all weathers, will work through the "pain in hands" stage </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">to the "no feeling in hands" stage. I take the pain as the warning sign and stop there.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />One Christmas early on, I stayed up at the castle instead of visiting my friends in Norfolk, as the 14 days off would give me a lot of uninterrupted time to work on the building. I was doing some wiring in the loft of the kitchen wing. I could spend 15 minutes </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">wiring (which needed gloves off for dexterity) before my hands would hurt too much. To thaw my hands would take the next 30 minutes in my bedroom with the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Jøtul </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">stove. I achieved that fortnight what I could have done in a day in Summer. It was a learning experience.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Once when I came up from England, I was discussing matters with my builder of the time called Andy. After 5 minutes of standing still, not only was I shivering with the cold but I was violently spasming with the cold. "You've turned into a southern softie, David". I could only reply "Yes.". <br /><br />Three weeks later when I had acclimatised as much as you can to cold, it was another freezing cold day. Andy must have been feeling the cold himself, as he announced "I don't know how you can live here, David.". Result! <br /><br />My current builder Gregor recently confessed that he has frequently turned up in the morning, not expecting </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">me to have made it through a particularly cold night.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />It is useful to have a thermometer to measure the temperature for safety.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sometimes, you find are just being a wuss and it is not actually as cold as you </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">feel it is. At other times, your instincts are spot on and the temperature is indeed </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">so low that things could quickly become dangerous without action.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />My experience suggests that 13C is the safe temperature - you may feel cold but </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">you are OK. Below this wear a coat indoors. 5C is where things start to get unpleasant, and </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in high humidity 5C can feel as cold as when it is sub-zero.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Below zero temperatures need not be as bad as you may think. Snow can blanket the castle and of course bright sunshine and below zero temperatures is a mood lifter. You need one space you can heat up as a refuge from the cold. I did not have this for quite some time at the castle, and the alternative of retreating to bed felt like a defeat.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I had grand plans of installing a Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) at the castle and powering this by </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the castle's old hydroelectric station. The magic about a GSHP is that you put one unit of electrical pumping </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">energy in, and you get 5 units of heat energy out, so it works out to be the cheapest form of heating to run. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, the capital cost is high. I was looking at 40k for Balintore, so I demurred to a good old oil boiler. The oil heating works well and keeps three zones of the castle, on three heating circuits, nice and toasty.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the film "Gone WIth the Wind" the character Scarlett O'Hara declares "I'll never be hungry again", and I have often pondered a similar declaration at Balintore "I'll never be cold again". </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">To this end, while open fires look lovely and I will keep a number operational at the castle, I now </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">have no qualms about putting a wood-burner in front of a fireplace as with these 80% of the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">heat goes into the room and only 20% up the chimney.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I am still staying in an unrestored heating-</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">free part of the castle over this winter, but watch this space.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />So, fingers crossed, it is unlikely that I will ever return to the early castle days of "Jack London" levels of cold at Balintore, but I thought I </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">had better record them for posterity as few would believe them otherwise, and looking back I can scarcely believe them myself.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><br /></div></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-9672227241770646532023-11-27T13:04:00.000-08:002024-01-07T14:57:39.166-08:00Dinner for 25 !<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yesterday, I held a dinner party at Balintore Castle to thank everyone who has supported the restoration over the years. Some of the guests are involved with their own restoration projects and have provided advice and a shoulder to cry upon, when things have not gone to plan. There was a contingent from Wales and a contingent from Orkney, so quite a gathering.<br /><br />The event, more or less, was at full moon (actually tonight) so was one of the castle's Lunar Dining Club </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">soirées</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, albeit one at a larger scale than usual - 25 guests rather than just a handful. In fact, I catered for 32 to be on the safe side, but there are always last minute cancellations and no-shows.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Naturally, I was too preoccupied to take any photos, but friend of Balintore James sent me these rather splendid ones, so I thought I would share.<br /><br />I love to see light shining out of the windows at Balintore, as it is a sign that the building is alive. The photo below shows the full moon. It is actually a night shot, but digital cameras perform miracles with exposure nowadays.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWv_qBE_iU8z_7E6TvTptuFY1JhHhvYCFAiSt7jZNAhskvXtG63lRN0TJARJfeYK2PcIRFeprOgsu0Up8HX5NapJssxczXtV3D4M54yh2cVTz8JSRktwsBUjcmfDHiIl7Wb4d2TUdolcoynBgne8a2RSSYhhdmTTfHpBFMXK-TH6cC1sLMDZwZVVBtT0g/s4025/405328485_235922439371905_2917603226024927812_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4025" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWv_qBE_iU8z_7E6TvTptuFY1JhHhvYCFAiSt7jZNAhskvXtG63lRN0TJARJfeYK2PcIRFeprOgsu0Up8HX5NapJssxczXtV3D4M54yh2cVTz8JSRktwsBUjcmfDHiIl7Wb4d2TUdolcoynBgne8a2RSSYhhdmTTfHpBFMXK-TH6cC1sLMDZwZVVBtT0g/w484-h363/405328485_235922439371905_2917603226024927812_n.jpg" width="484" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I had pleaded with my builders Craig, Gregor and Gavin to clear the chimney in the Servant's Dining Hall in the basement for the event so we could heat this space with a wood burner. Finally on Friday, after several months of encountering impenetrable blockage after impenetrable blockage, the stove was installed. Result! For several weeks, Gregor's chimney rods were stuck up the chimney, it was Craig's refusal to give up that eventually retrieved them. This chimney goes from the very bottom of the building to the very top, so challenging is the word.<br /><br /><br />Here, in another night-time shot you can see smoke coming from the Servant's Hall:<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEoUNZ3u4Z9k368FTc5oPOHKAom3_r7ro-mnZlJsjzfHZOD4zBiQtd4xRhOePVUpe_8j45YdNNuckgctpYyUUFdB4PciTAU0hZjsp36373JhE1bUojb3aZpS-Hho_VglHSRBUNCt2PcpVonfVKTYbT0042x7JhSaWGuZUVmh4xz4B833LtIHxNO11_as/s3666/398017089_6368757016563472_8166236354077062759_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2628" data-original-width="3666" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEoUNZ3u4Z9k368FTc5oPOHKAom3_r7ro-mnZlJsjzfHZOD4zBiQtd4xRhOePVUpe_8j45YdNNuckgctpYyUUFdB4PciTAU0hZjsp36373JhE1bUojb3aZpS-Hho_VglHSRBUNCt2PcpVonfVKTYbT0042x7JhSaWGuZUVmh4xz4B833LtIHxNO11_as/w486-h348/398017089_6368757016563472_8166236354077062759_n.jpg" width="486" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I picked up the massive wood-burner from an architectural antiques yard outside Bath for £60. I put a large pan of water on top of the stove, just to clean the surrounding fireplace, and the water boiled in just 3 minutes. I was so pleased by the sheer quantity of heat pumped out by the stove, and it was gratifyingly warm during the meal. Below you can see the stove on the go and the red wine chambre-ing on the mantel shelf above</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVazSzMnw9SeMyLSyPrdV7gcFG_FGxJNvYgNLNSOtFfGkWhCmsCgSV_TmciJzLGhEoqtAstFq5gq7HSvz0qBNtq4Sx3Q50fc1daNmURJpd1shKtmMHl80AD92zUo0iigEtLY4325wh721utpnqyc8CW27CahkjD5PxfpWok46G_iT2KinZKd4ICFkmgs/s3748/397969425_305407572406859_771459759573717733_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3748" data-original-width="2249" height="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVazSzMnw9SeMyLSyPrdV7gcFG_FGxJNvYgNLNSOtFfGkWhCmsCgSV_TmciJzLGhEoqtAstFq5gq7HSvz0qBNtq4Sx3Q50fc1daNmURJpd1shKtmMHl80AD92zUo0iigEtLY4325wh721utpnqyc8CW27CahkjD5PxfpWok46G_iT2KinZKd4ICFkmgs/w356-h593/397969425_305407572406859_771459759573717733_n.jpg" width="356" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We set up 4 tables each with 8 place settings, and did our best to create a festive ambiance for the guests. Winter is now beginning to bite and I have been suffering from some health issues, so we all badly needed distraction and cheering-up. The dinner party was just the ticket.<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_n-3QlGAhhY2qiP78J2qsb6JVSwulhDUO7qyJaAMR6vp5nsvV15tnJB8QHOpoyKYUsatHh14Zoipw7wMgFkFUNWz01nHkmKd1B9FO84HYApwTRLTKEc7KBqOnGiYvbRJ3pk9CyHzXsIoeGg270GVsBEyalJzMxJBi4Xc00X8foyrLiQvpQXwLNtv-vM/s3720/397971534_1519433178848268_8446406222252834966_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3720" data-original-width="2844" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_n-3QlGAhhY2qiP78J2qsb6JVSwulhDUO7qyJaAMR6vp5nsvV15tnJB8QHOpoyKYUsatHh14Zoipw7wMgFkFUNWz01nHkmKd1B9FO84HYApwTRLTKEc7KBqOnGiYvbRJ3pk9CyHzXsIoeGg270GVsBEyalJzMxJBi4Xc00X8foyrLiQvpQXwLNtv-vM/w374-h489/397971534_1519433178848268_8446406222252834966_n.jpg" width="374" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The menu so you can recreate your own Balintore dinner party at home:<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">starter - stuffed mushrooms</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/triple-cheese-tarragon-stuffed-mushrooms&source=gmail&ust=1701204780906000&usg=AOvVaw37X-UJrnI5jd2Yxd-iGwnE" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/triple-cheese-tarragon-stuffed-mushrooms" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;">https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/<wbr></wbr>recipes/triple-cheese-<wbr></wbr>tarragon-stuffed-mushrooms</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">1st course - Mark's pheasant and apple stew</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.gressinghamduck.co.uk/recipes/pheasant-breasts-casserole-with-bacon-and-apples">https://www.gressinghamduck.co.uk/recipes/pheasant-breasts-casserole-with-bacon-and-apples</a>/</span><br /><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">main course - <span class="il">venison</span> casserole<br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/succulent-braised-venison&source=gmail&ust=1701204780906000&usg=AOvVaw3BrXRfdp1A1KfGFoT6EDKd" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/succulent-braised-venison" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/<wbr></wbr>recipes/succulent-braised-<wbr></wbr><span class="il">venison</span></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">dessert 1 - Bailey's and Coffee Cheesecake<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/baileys-cheesecake&source=gmail&ust=1701204780906000&usg=AOvVaw2XFM51_u1-mEH3RNwFNg4F" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/baileys-cheesecake" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/<wbr></wbr>recipes/baileys-cheesecake</a><br /><br />dessert 2 - Veronique's French Apple Tart<br /><br /></span></div></div></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFAM5Jw5UHF5aXEWN2M5_2KTtpiFLGZFtH4hoJ9hEnv0ZSMH76hQcRHdLvhxZ6Vzc1mMahIFhTnUxsa8YpG4YFkGy3BCVGvodqUVTUhLY3d_Xp9zANl8LYbWT35F4353nk1fjaAcOH170JhGOPyWIKUdiZTj_4WVBdxn0yoPKzLhU9pMnYW6KzxvYBfQ/s2718/405438655_1037174924270464_2866857895453042252_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2718" data-original-width="2718" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFAM5Jw5UHF5aXEWN2M5_2KTtpiFLGZFtH4hoJ9hEnv0ZSMH76hQcRHdLvhxZ6Vzc1mMahIFhTnUxsa8YpG4YFkGy3BCVGvodqUVTUhLY3d_Xp9zANl8LYbWT35F4353nk1fjaAcOH170JhGOPyWIKUdiZTj_4WVBdxn0yoPKzLhU9pMnYW6KzxvYBfQ/w454-h454/405438655_1037174924270464_2866857895453042252_n.jpg" width="454" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">venison casserole</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmXmwasVycvGdpsO97f_mYefFV5hyOU8pCOlRdAgxJGuKn3xrLKqUJt-rB3If6CO985Sywjn1LXEOKtQKVDfRW8K9bbWAkCFD3kasFwKu7L30vse7iJPZrkD5bid7ID-PoyQuTCBNhPyjM9oWuPMgUlfcgSsO3WFVe3dUcB0TWC7N3W70_b0Msqbm9KU/s2243/405441503_6387469791356780_4381104097893301904_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2243" data-original-width="2243" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmXmwasVycvGdpsO97f_mYefFV5hyOU8pCOlRdAgxJGuKn3xrLKqUJt-rB3If6CO985Sywjn1LXEOKtQKVDfRW8K9bbWAkCFD3kasFwKu7L30vse7iJPZrkD5bid7ID-PoyQuTCBNhPyjM9oWuPMgUlfcgSsO3WFVe3dUcB0TWC7N3W70_b0Msqbm9KU/w462-h462/405441503_6387469791356780_4381104097893301904_n.jpg" width="462" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Bailey's and coffee cheesecake</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />A special thank-you to all my friends who stepped in concernedly to help, given my health issues, with the catering and clearing up. They were amazing. I was told just to sit at the dining table and enjoy myself, which I did, flitting between tables during the meal like a social gad-fly. :-)<br /></span><br /><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-68191294567725575562023-10-18T14:25:00.000-07:002023-10-18T14:25:16.856-07:00Isambard Kingdom Brunel<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (IKB) was an illustrious Victorian gentleman with his finger in many pies. The architect of Balintore Castle, William Burn (WB), was also an illustrious Victorian gentleman with his finger in may pies.<br /><br />It is almost inevitable, therefore, that at some stage they should have their fingers in each others' pies, and friend of Balintore, Gareth, has just unearthed some evidence of this at the new museum in Bristol dedicated to the life of IKB.<br /><br />Gareth's photos tell the story, but it is astonishing to think that WB was going to build IKB, his own version of Balintore albeit with sections of the building in a very different (and clashing) style. IKB himself was an architect and constructed many buildings including a house in Abingdon, close to my home in England, that was once pointed out to me. So for IKB to engage WB, must have meant that he rated him very highly.<br /><br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLyBczSoT41wfW9oc7t95XYBjM6h3Y2x7Cf5YZMgthyphenhyphenepUCnZA7PF3Eo2y2TXF4Jxw8GurC18LIp4MRryHltGn-VXeVKG1ZgSTYVWtYoe-KksmvnL3DvDJQlbgmelcdOmk99ZaZY2DpoS9wJafXeMnGo0c53-9nOrse6geCEeGrgr5TBXcyJvHVJz97k/s3648/IMG_5097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLyBczSoT41wfW9oc7t95XYBjM6h3Y2x7Cf5YZMgthyphenhyphenepUCnZA7PF3Eo2y2TXF4Jxw8GurC18LIp4MRryHltGn-VXeVKG1ZgSTYVWtYoe-KksmvnL3DvDJQlbgmelcdOmk99ZaZY2DpoS9wJafXeMnGo0c53-9nOrse6geCEeGrgr5TBXcyJvHVJz97k/w481-h361/IMG_5097.JPG" width="481" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Wm__pa470Danyp19yYhW4jLee2n2tPiEiBRECKyEUvEn-6c4DaL1pqOZx18kbuzLs9XlLwXMpLnO9Ez96u35Id7dwBuSmVBe7UkTNz9CAJ6DmWqYzGQDMP8re4ULTWRVRgeUiovGACgG6UWojjUEAbTYmhQYboSWx3TVOV1uD-ZqXqATW_M_UWlQRJ0/s3648/IMG_5098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Wm__pa470Danyp19yYhW4jLee2n2tPiEiBRECKyEUvEn-6c4DaL1pqOZx18kbuzLs9XlLwXMpLnO9Ez96u35Id7dwBuSmVBe7UkTNz9CAJ6DmWqYzGQDMP8re4ULTWRVRgeUiovGACgG6UWojjUEAbTYmhQYboSWx3TVOV1uD-ZqXqATW_M_UWlQRJ0/w481-h361/IMG_5098.JPG" width="481" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410035090306749692.post-85377202180488377542023-10-16T07:52:00.001-07:002023-10-19T04:22:34.983-07:00The Toilet Paper Mystery<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have been charged twice recently for unpaid postage. My suspicion was that someone in the Post Office was on the fiddle, and there was no indication of which eventual deliveries had merited the extra charges.<br /><br />However, today this letter arrived:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46h-DRaUVi8yhxSS7YszWJV9ioSljiSnp95hZR8H8RQf7klJbJMQXG0WWDmNPJsNqMiYpjkoh2y5po2o0eRa4BrrnEUwQDxT4q5kqs1YBTyPtQKQ5V6Zo0faaaAjqKKU6wXchhO6Ve7PmWVyXjmhylhnijZzI6T8A92dBuAHCwaxsKCsEMOoBhs8dr4c/s4032/PXL_20231016_140532205.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46h-DRaUVi8yhxSS7YszWJV9ioSljiSnp95hZR8H8RQf7klJbJMQXG0WWDmNPJsNqMiYpjkoh2y5po2o0eRa4BrrnEUwQDxT4q5kqs1YBTyPtQKQ5V6Zo0faaaAjqKKU6wXchhO6Ve7PmWVyXjmhylhnijZzI6T8A92dBuAHCwaxsKCsEMOoBhs8dr4c/s320/PXL_20231016_140532205.NIGHT.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Inside was a short section of toilet paper folded in an exceedingly neat manner:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnEBRlVJ6t4tT3zFg2uoUPPTyf7i05Vgj46fNfpTNRvrOFrFyyFQDNHpdp2F8Ub7cf1x03MQOtRzbd0iNmEe_Atop6NFRH7yV4ao-h2uDI0N9LNVMJhcnxdNf8QhzgKXXEV3JGsbplO0G3qtrrPl2MxWNJbja5vWCFr8VQy_f396Ko6s5eemN4wUXdmM/s4032/PXL_20231016_140559999.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnEBRlVJ6t4tT3zFg2uoUPPTyf7i05Vgj46fNfpTNRvrOFrFyyFQDNHpdp2F8Ub7cf1x03MQOtRzbd0iNmEe_Atop6NFRH7yV4ao-h2uDI0N9LNVMJhcnxdNf8QhzgKXXEV3JGsbplO0G3qtrrPl2MxWNJbja5vWCFr8VQy_f396Ko6s5eemN4wUXdmM/s320/PXL_20231016_140559999.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Can anyone solve the mystery or identify the printing? All I can conclude is that someone in the Glasgow area (the post mark) wants to wreak revenge for some unidentified wrong-doing of mine by charging me postage by using no-longer-valid stamps. £1.10 is a lot to pay per wipe. :-)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b>PostScript</b></i><br /><br />The mystery was solved by my housekeeper who contacted the guest that took away the key to the AirBnB in error. He attempted to post it back and was able to identify the envelope. It's still a mystery why the key was not inside the pocket of toilet paper, but the envelope has been with the Post Office for 3 weeks so anything could have happened.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04217306675998382738noreply@blogger.com2