Brian Kerr

Although it didn't become an international incident until she learned that we didn't have any bacon in the house.

We had a friend over from Texas to stay with us, and she asked if we had any grape jelly for her toast. She was astonished that we weren't aware that there was such a thing.

Strictly speaking, the hospice was in Clydebank, not Glasgow. Apologies to any Bankies scunnered by this mistake.

It’s a very strange, almost surreal, time, lit (in my experience) by shared moments of dark humour. Not least because he was a Rangers fan in a Glasgow hospice run by lovely nuns. I’m glad I was able to share it with my faither. Hugs from me too.

The Egyptian Vaults of 1837, Glasgow Necropolis. The structure was used for the temporary storage of bodies while tombs were being prepared, or mausolea built. I love the extinguished torch motif on the restored iron gate.

A few minutes too late for #IronworkThursday, but here’s a highlight of Glasgow Neceopolis, the striking Egyptian Vaults of 1837, designed by David and James Hamilton and beautifully restored by the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis.

One of the gates of Glasgow Necropolis, conserved, painted, and gilded in 2011, and still looking lovely. Designed by the architect David Hamilton.

The mark of Thomas Edington’s Phoenix Ironworks, nicely picked out by gilding.

For #ironworkthursday here are my favourite gates, at the entrance to the Glasgow Necropolis. Designed by David Hamilton and cast by Thomas Edington’s Phoenix Foundry, 1838. Conserved and gilded in 2011 - see www.glasgownecropolis.org/main-entranc... for more information.

Get well soon!

Iron plaque high on the front of a house in Steyning, West Sussex. It bears the date 1710.

For #ironworkthursday, here’s a rather nice cast-iron plaque on no 83 High Street, Steyning, bearing the date 1710. The building is listed, grade II.

Finally into our account. A long, worrying, and painful process, but at least bills and payroll will be paid. Thanks to Scott for getting us to new passwords that work, and talking us through the process.

An elaborate iron gate showing the foundry mark of A&J Main of Glasgow on the right-hand gatepost. The gate is on the edge of an area of active sweet chestnut coppice, and the gate is now blocked by an old coppiced tree, the trunks of which are growing around the top of the gate.

As a late entry for #ironworkthursday, here’s a gate manufactured by A & J Main & Co of Glasgow, now blocked by an old coppiced sweet chestnut tree that is starting to absorb it. This is in the hills near Haslemere, in part of what was the Witley Park estate.

Can confirm. Still unable to access our account.

Reform UK moving 'at speed' to ban rainbow flags in council buildings However, Union Jack and St George's flags will be allowed to fly atop council buildings, as per the new rules

It doesn't end with trans people; it never did. www.attitude.co.uk/news/reform-...

Just about…

It really is. And the views from the ferry crossing aren’t shabby either.

And if you do go, visit The Sulking Room. Excellent wine/cocktail bar with a brilliant name.

A view of the main entrance to Rothesay Castle. The original gate was massively extended outwards in the 15th-16th century to create a fine new suite of accommodation. The use of red sandstone marks the 19th century restoration work by that inveterate castle rebuilder the 3rd Marquess of Bute.

A view of the interior of Rothesay Castle from the gatehouse. The surviving building had a chapel on its first floor, the altar end marked by pairs of large traceried windows in the north and south walls. The west end of the building is missing.

A view of the Gatehouse, the circular enclosure wall of c. 1200, and the surviving circular mural tower added in the 13th century. The castle is surrounded by a wet moat.

A particularly exciting feature is that the curtain wall was heightened in the 15th-16th century when the Gatehouse was rebuilt and extended. This has preserved the original crenellations, with the crenels infilled using a darker stone rubble contrasting with the lighter ashlar masonry of the earlier curtain wall.

The purpose of yesterday’s trip to Wemyss Bay was to catch a ferry to Bute so that I could revisit the amazing Rothesay Castle. This makes an excellent and cost-effective day-trip from Glasgow, using Scotrail and CalMac. If you get the chance, do it.

To be fair, it’s a self-explanatory title, as well as a great one. Tempted to read it now.

Fair point. My first visit!

Wemyss Bay Station, the gentle curves of the platform roofs.

Wemyss Bay Station, the central rotunda with its cast-iron glazed vault.

Wemyss Bay Station, the curving covered walkway to the ferry terminal.

Wemyss Bay railway station is famous, but nothing prepares you for the magnificence of its cast-iron interior. Doon the watter in #IronworkThursday style for a trip to Rothesay.

Decorative cast-iron grilles fitted to protect pavement-level windows in Glasgow.

For #IronworkThursday, I was very taken with these protective cast-iron grilled on pavement-level windows in Hope Street, Glasgow.

This week last year (2024) the sun was shining at Viroconium Cornoviorum (Wroxeter Roman City, Shropshire) too! And here is an animation of the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data set we collected.
#geophysics
#archaeology
#groundpenetratingradar

Sounds great! I’ll be bothering sites in Galloway and around Glasgow next week.

Thanks, I kept my own copy!

Is it accessible now? Last time I was there the entrance was blocked.

The grave of William Cobbett in Farnham. The large free-standing chest tomb, in ?greensand with a granite inscription slab, stands on a substantial rectangular plinth, around the edge of which is set iron railings with decorated corner posts. The ironwork is in excellent condition and has been painted in a blue-green colour.

For #ironworkthursday, here is the well-maintained iron enclosure around the tomb of the noted political writer and MP William Cobbett (1762-1835) in Farnham churchyard.

3, but I no longer have enough hair for that parting.

The early castle (est 1070) may only have comprised the motte and Middle Ward. But Henry I needed space for major gatherings such as his Easter Court, which also involved a crown-wearing.

We also found evidence for an earthwork bank under the east curtain wall of the Upper Ward, but that was almost certainly the enclosure built around Henry I’s royal lodgings which were in use by 1110.

There’s no evidence at all for an earlier enclosure. There has been geophysical survey of the Upper Ward interior, and while that did locate the 14th C Round Table building, there was no trace of earlier defences. The survey is on the ADS at archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/brow...

Thanks Bob! There is slight evidence for earlier occupation, Late Bronze Age and Romano-British, but no IA. There is a steady background noise of residual LBA ceramics from the Upper Ward and Castle Hill, and we found one or two features containing only LBA pottery in the Kitchen Court area.