One of the railway buffs out there!

Hello All,

You will notice that I am not really a very commercial beast and it is rare that I advertise things for sale on here. Generally, I like to preserve the cafe as a peaceful place: somewhere to rest your feet and let the mind flow. A change, however, can be as good as a rest; so here is a small change to the usual fair.

You will notice below a link to an ebay page, where I am currently selling an electric trainset I acquired recently. The set is originally from the 1950s and shows many original features.

Just look at the rugged beauty and elegance of these simple models. You can see why their design inspires collectors today. Just look at the optimism present in the design - a simple belief that even if the detail was not there, children could have hours of fun copying the real world!

These models were made by a company called Tri-ang, who produced models from about 1950-1971. In fact, they actually bought Hornby and for some years, there were models called 'Tri-ang Hornby'. At the time, Tri-ang was the more popular brand because it was significantly cheaper. Hornby was always the prestige brand that people could bought, but which was very expensive for what you got. Eventually, Tri-ang stopped using their name for trading purposes and became simply Hornby Railways.

Now days, its pleasant to look over the lines of these simple early models and marvel at the clarity with which the early modellers saw the world. Small fiddly details did not matter, what mattered was you had a little copy of the world in your own living room. You could even invite friends over and participate in an activity together! We have plenty to learn from the 1950s!

This particular set is an especially early one, from about 1952. This is dateable because the controller is designed for batteries, not electricity from the mains! So, you can see it was an especially early one. The livery on the locomotive is also a give away - it can't be much later than 1958 or so, because the livery changed in 1957. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230596403283&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

I have put a few pictures in, so that you can see what I was talking about after the item sells. However, in the mean time, it can be yours on ebay for just £85 plus postage!

Enjoy...!

The Beautiful Parts of Leicester no-one seems to talk about!

Hello Dear Readers,

Here, after a little delay, is the post as promised.

I recently went back to Leicester for a little wonder around. I took my camera with me because I was keen to shown you some of the more picturesque parts of the city I lived in for three years.

Now, I know you might be scoffing - you might might well say that beauty and Leicester City Centre are mutually contradictory terms. You would have a point; but there are some rather beautiful bits in amongst the 'grimness'.

And before you ask, no I am not talking about the ubiquitous shopping facilities in Leicester. Although they are perfectly pleasant as far as they go (especiallg John Lewis), I can find perfectly good shops elsewhere.

No, what can't my interest this time, was some of the interesting buildings that make the city environment far richer than many would have you believe. There are, for example, Medieval Survivals that are dotted about the city, as well as other buildings of historical interest.

There is the old town hall and city court, with its wonderful beams and Middle Ages demenour. I have put that on the top of the page to attact attention. Although it is now simply a museum about social history, it was used as the main court and meeting place of the council well into Victorian Times. I believe that it was the main Civic Centre in Leicester until 1873, which when you think about the all the industrial buildings that sprang up around it, seems all the more remarkable that it survived so long. It is open most days and is next to the cathedral.

The Unitarian Church is an exceptionally fine example of Eighteenth Century religious architecture. The symmetry, emphasis on reason, the use of pillars in a classical style, tapered windows mixed with square windows, all align to give the impression of a building based on reason and religious impulses. The use of red brick reminds one that at the time, not using stone for a church was quite a break with tradition, emphasising the novelty of the Unitarian perspective in 1780, or so: essentially that you can be a Christian without believing in the Trinity. From the perspective I have taken it, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a country house, but if you visit the building in Leicester, you will see the grave yard and former school rooms which surround it. In about 1900 or so, there would have been a great many people connected with the church, since it provided schools rooms, assistants for parents in the area and of course, the functions of a place of worship. The chruch continues to be a place of worship for modern day Unitarians still based around Great Meeting in Leicester.

Then, there is the very interesting St. Mary Le Castro - a very fine example of a Medieval Romanesque church - it could be out of text book of 'how to build like its 1100 AD'. The arches above the windows simply ache with the period! Walking around the building was atmospheric in the extreme. You could imagine that people such as Simone De Montfort, King John, John of Gaunt, Henry VIII and very possibly seen this church; and even more impressively, it has hardly changed over that time! Its well worth a visit - but check its open before you go - it seems to be open for about an hour one day a week!

Finally, there is the Newarke Museum. Although the contents of the museum are hardly worth a special visit, being comprised of little bits of Leicester history in only passing depth, the front of the building is very smart. The museum is also free, so, if you find yourself in the East Midlands why not - but don't make a special visit for the musuem. The churches, on the other hand are special!

I feel a post coming on!!

Hello 2011 - I would have liked to have blogged about you before - I have just been that busy, you would n't believe it!!

Anyway, things are progressing quite nicely. I have now finished my MSc and I am actively trying to get some papers published.

My main endeavour is to get a paper published about consciousness in relation to language. I would like to point out that the absence of the word consciousness from language before 1650 (or so) does not mean that the idea did not exist in people before that time, something that the author Wilkes would disagree with, evidently.

Suffice it to say, the pressure is currently on to finish the article re-drafting (preferably by the end of today) with a view to getting published this week! Hooray!!

When did Day Time Television get so GOOD?!

I never thought I would end up writing this comment in all seriousness, but when did day time television get good - have I missed something?!

It was last Friday (8/10/10) and over the course of about 2 ½ I was exposed to some really high end television. All repeats – extremely repeatious in fact, given that almost the entire bill I am raving about dated from the 1960s – but nevertheless of high quality.

To start off with there was a personal favourite: Randell and Hopkirk deceased (the original). This series was made circa 1969 and has aged very well. Naturally the cars and other props would now be considered highly collectable; but the basics of the plot and script are almost timeless. The exploration of ghosts and afterlives, which was I think a major part of the programme’s appeal, remains emmantly watchable.

Then, who should show up, but an old Friend of Television “The Prisoner”. Again, this rather unusual series was first broadcast in 1967-8. Although the main actor and author of the series Patrick Goohan died recently, the programmes themselves retain their vitality and perspicacity 43 years on. They tell the story of man who formerly worked for the government, as some kind of spy; but who has been sent to an island because the government is suspicious about his motives for resigning from his post. Each episode is about the governmental forces trying to make him release his secret; whilst he tries to retain his right to privacy. The series is very conspicuous, especially amongst modern films, for its lack of violence. Guns I don’t think ever appear on the programme, one of the recurrent themes of the programme being passive resistence to authority – defeating it with its own mistakes. To anyone who has not watched them, they come highly recommended.

Other programmes of conspicuous quality also presented themselves for inspection– on Yesterday (the new name for the history channel I understand) and BBC Four. A good programme came on at about 2-3 about the Royal Navy and specifically its part in promulgating the awful Opium Wars on China: essentially the time where Britain and the USA took it upon themselves to attack China for closing off trade with both of them owing to paying for Chinese produce with opium rather than money! In the evening, there was a wonderful programme about reading Churches. I was left at the end of the actually thinking I had genuinely been entertained and acutally learnt something from the flickering box - rare feelings indeed with the likes of Big Bov'er and X Floppers.

For the first time in really a very long while, I actually found myself wanting to stay with the television as it seemed liked all the good programmes had been reserved for one day! Rarely in the last 3 years have I watched more than one programme in a sitting and left feeling that there were still good reasons to stay infront of the television.

So, if there are any television execs reading this – you have been told what we want!!

What a to-do

*wipes off cob webs from blog*
Exclaims "oh you are still here - that's lucky! Sorry for neglecting to update you for two months"

Clearly other things have been happening - yes indeed.

Mainly its been about the balanace of work and academic work. Light is at the end of the tunnel, I am just about to start my final piece of work for the 'Midlands' Uni' and I have now finished my temporary work at the library. I have a month to write up before I start work in London.

I am optimistic that my work will not take that long.

So, that's the life events stuff, now for some more fun stuff.

I recently had the great pleasure of watching Kenneth Clark's Civlisation, all the way through, during my lunch breaks whilst writing up work. I particularly liked his style of presenting art, relating it always back to the wider historical themes of the time; and more often than not, commenting on the underlying values that sponsored the artist to paint in this manner. Clark really is a gem among doctumentory presenters.

Although the purest amongst his audience might wish to see the videos in their highest possible definition, with the BBC's DVD edition, you can find them on youtube; where some kindly soul has uploaded them for free!

What would you save from a fire?

I saw this following extract quoted in wikipaedia today and it tickled my funny bone. I am an enormous fan of Samual Pepys, who I considered to be both well informed and sometimes, very funny. He reminds me somewhat of Alan Clark - that bonne viver of 1980s politics.

In this short passage, Pepys outlines a novel strategy for saving things from the path of the Fire of London - and he states what is trying to save from the ravages of the inferno. Enjoy!

Sir W. Pen and I to Tower-streete, and there met the fire burning three or four doors beyond Mr. Howell's, whose goods, poor man, his trayes, and dishes, shovells, &c., were flung all along Tower-street in the kennels, and people working therewith from one end to the other; the fire coming on in that narrow streete, on both sides, with infinite fury. Sir W. Batten not knowing how to remove his wine, did dig a pit in the garden, and laid it in there; and I took the opportunity of laying all the papers of my office that I could not otherwise dispose of. And in the evening Sir W. Pen and I did dig another, and put our wine in it; and I my Parmazan cheese, as well as my wine and some other things.


— Diary of Samuel Pepys, Tuesday, 4 September 1666.

Library Work

I have recently got a job working in a university library.

It is my habit not to comment too much on jobs, least I cause offence on the blog and it in some way get back to the employer.

Suffice it to say that I am working nights. I enjoy the atmosphere of the library and I think the students work (fairly) hard. I have been re-freshingly surprised at the commitment to their studies some of the students show day after day.

Night are however, pretty heavy on the body. They are inclined to set one's body clock out.So, I am currently recoping - more posts soon though.