A Grockle’s Eye View of Cornwall 7: Walking to St Michael’s Mount

Continuing my series about my visit to Cornwall, with the first of several posts about St Michael’s Mount.

INTRODUCTION

This series has been widely spread out – the trip it describes took place between July 12 and 16. Here is a listing of the previous posts:

Getting There
St Germans to St Ives
A Visit to a Seal Colony
The End of the St Ives Day
Crossing the Cremyll Ferry to Plymouth
Historic Plymouth

Having covered Thursday, Friday and Saturday in six posts we arfe now dealing with the Sunday, my last full day in Cornwall.

THE PLAN

As all five of us (my parents, my sister and my nephew as well as me) were making the visit to St Michael’s Mount we travelled in my parents camper van instead of using the train. We wanted to be underway by eight and achieved this. We were planning to explore St Michael’s Mount in full and then have lunch at an establishment there. Things panned out pretty much as intended. The road journey is a lot less scenic than the rail equivalent, so I am going to recommend unequivocally that anyone else planning to do this use the train – the walk from Penzance (all of which is familiar to me, although we started part way along it, having located a parking place just outside Penzance) is very scenic, while there is a longer walk available from St Erth (inland for most of its duration, instead of along the sea front). Here are a couple of satellite views:

Penzance - St Michael's Mount — The coastal route starting from Penzance.

St Erth to St Michael's Mount — The longer and mainly inland route starting from St Erth. This map also features what is in alphabetic terms the last place in Britain.

THE JOURNEY IN PHOTOGRAPHS

This section ends the post, taking us across the causeway to the base of the mount:

View from the van — The only shot I managed to get from the van on the way from Fort Picklecombe to Penzance.

People crossing the causeway to the mount — A first glimpse of the causeway.

In the shallows — From Marazion the quickest way to the causeway is straight across the beach, and in the heat walking barefoot through the shallows was the way to go.

The causeway and the mount — The causeway.

Standing Up For Nature

Sharing a number of nature themed campaigns.

INTRODUCTION

My twitter feed today has had many links to campaigns relating to nature, so I have decided to share the featured campaigns here as well. First to set the scene here is…

AN OPEN LETTER TO LEADERS

I shared this when Anna first posted it but it deserves further exposure, and ties in beautifully to the theme of this post (nb all screenshots in this post are formatted as links – click on them to visit the originals).

NATURE THEMED CAMPAIGNS

Protect Crayford Marshes:

2. Save the trees at Roath Mill and Roath Brook Gardens:

3. Save our Forests:

4.Call for an immediate ban on South Africa’s trade in lion body parts:

5. Save Gwent Levels:

6. Save Arundel’s Countryside from Bypass Ruin. This one is a crowdfunder, but since I do not have money to give I am settling for giving it wider exposure:

7. Last but by no means least comes a call to ban the vile practice of trophy hunting:

Hat tip: @team4nature twitter account.

A Grockle’s Eye View of Cornwall 6: Historic Plymouth

Continuing my account of my most recent visit to Cornwall.

INTRODUCTION

Yes, Plymouth is Devon not Cornwall, but my visit to the town was part of my stay in Cornwall, so it belongs in this very spread out series of posts.

THE WAR MEMORIAL

This particular memorial honours those lost at sea as well as those killed in war, because Plymouth is very much a naval town.

Memorial - distant view — A first, distant view of the memorial

Memorial base — A series of close-ups – each vertical bronze panel around the base is a list of names.

OTHER PICTURES FROM HISTORIC PLYMOUTH

There were plenty of other things to see around the sea-front…

Circualr paving pattern — A quirky pavong arrangement…

Eddystione Lighthouse — …and an explanatory plaque

AN ITEM OF SHERLOCKIANA

It will be no news to followers of this blog that I am a fan of the world’s first and greatest consulting detective, so it was pleasing to acquire a photograph with a connection in that direction:

One of Holmes’ most famous cases takes place on Dartmoor, not far from Plymouth.

THE RETURN CROSSING

It was now time to recross the county boundary into Cornwall, one again on the Edgecumbe Belle.

Open letter to all Leaders: Time’s up

Originally posted on Annas Art – FärgaregårdsAnna:
If you wanna spread this letter, you are welcome to share it worldwide. Tag it with #timesup if you want. If you want to make a translation of the text to other languages and share it, do it. We all have to help out saving our…

Please read and share Anna’s wonderful open letter to leaders. Note that this is Anna’s work and that therefore I am closing comments, as those should go direct to the original.

Annas Art - FärgaregårdsAnna

If you wanna spread this letter, you are welcome to share it worldwide. Tag it with #timesup if you want. If you want to make a translation of the text to other languages and share it, do it. We all have to help out saving our planet. This is one way among millions to help.

The image is free to share.

Anna

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A Grockle’s Eye View of Cornwall 5: Crossing the Cremyll Ferry to Plymouth

The latest installment in my series “A Grockle’s Eye View of Cornwall”. This starts my coverage of Saturday in Plymouth.

INTRODUCTION

My nephew needed some things that we had to go to Plymouth for, and so he, my mother and I took the Cremyll ferry to Plymouth, attended to the shopping and then went up on to The Hoe (subject of my next post).

THE CREMYLL FERRY

Once we were safely aboard the ferry it was time for the camera to do its work:

THE SHOPPING PART OF THE EXPEDITION

We had a substantial walk from the ferry terminal on the Plymouth side to the shopping area, during which I saw a few things to photograph:

The first (or last) pub in Devon — Depending on your viewpoint this is…

Twin signs — …either the first or last pub in Devon

**The Greedy Goose**, this is also the oldest house in Plymouth. I did not get to eat here, but it is a splendid building.

Press Releases and Triangular Bridges

Some stuff about upcoming auctions and press coverage thereof and the solution to my most recent mathematical teaser.

INTRODUCTION

This post deals with some of my work at James and Sons and also includes a solution to a problem I posed last week.

PRESS RELEASES

In my recent post about James and Sons’ upcoming gold coin and proof set auction I included a copy of the official press release I had put out about it. What I did not mention in that post is that we also have a less significant ajuction coming up this Monday, for which I had also out out a press release. Both are reproduced below to set the scene for what follows:

On Thursday morning I checked into the James and Sons twitter account and was delighted to spot a link to an article in the Fakenham and Wells Times (part of the Archant stable and therefore connected to the Eastern Daily Press) about the coin auction. Below is a scan of the print version of this article:

Then yesterday morning brought more positive news – a link to an article in that day’s Lynn News about Monday’s general collector’s auction. The focus of this article is some documents we have relating to William Hoste, after whom The Hoste in Burnham Market is named, and who was a protege of Lord Nelson and connected by marriage to Robert Walpole. Here is a scan of the print version of this article:

We have another auction in preparation, and I have already pretty much decided that this 19th century presentation conductors baton (it is too large to have been intended to be used) will be the feature image in the press release for that one:

11-a — For me the local connection revealed here clinches it.

THE TRIANGULAR BRIDGES

Here is the problem I set last week, followed by the answer and an official solution:

Here is a concise solution, courtesy of Chew-Seong Cheong :

It’s time the BBC realised that the opposite of reasonable debate is not unreasoned extremism

An excellent piece by Richard Murphy of Tax Research UK. This piece was provoked by Rupert Read’s response to being invited by the BBC (to whom I refuse to give any of my money for reasons highlighted in this post and others) to debate with a climate change denier. As Read pointed out in his … Continue reading “It’s time the BBC realised that the opposite of reasonable debate is not unreasoned extremism”

An excellent piece by Richard Murphy of Tax Research UK. This piece was provoked by Rupert Read’s response to being invited by the BBC (to whom I refuse to give any of my money for reasons highlighted in this post and others) to debate with a climate change denier. As Read pointed out in his refusal there is no serious debate on this issue – the evidence is overwhelming, and by insisting on giving climate change deniers air-time the BBC are doing great harm. Referring to his own area of expertise Murphy also points out the regularity with which folk from the Tax Payers Alliance and the Institute of Economic Affairs are given air-time, with no scrutiny of them or their organizations (at a barest minimum such organizations should be required to state publicly where their funding comes from, and the BBC should display this information whenever one of their representatives is speaking). Please read the original in full and post comments there.

Source: It’s time the BBC realised that the opposite of reasonable debate is not unreasoned extremism

A Small Auction That Could Make Big Money

An overview of James and Sons’ upcoming Gold coin and proof set auction.

INTRODUCTION

James and Sons have just finished two militaria auctions, which both went fairly well, next Monday we have a general collector’s auction which contains some interesting lots, but the auction that will shape our August is coming up on the 22nd.

GOLD COINS AND PROOF SETS

We have been consigned a lifetime collection of gold coins and proof sets, and these are forming a very small (147 lots) but potentially immensely valuable auction. As well as some seriously big money items (five 1974 Krugerrands, a James II (or VII north of Hadrian’s wall) gold Guinea and a William III gold Guinea) we have a number of half-Sovereigns and Sovereigns (60 of these latter from the reigns of Victoria through to Elizabeth II, and simply because it is pure gold even a Sovereign that has no features to appeal to a collector will fetch somewhere in the vicinity of £180-200 depending on the exact price of gold on the day). A full catalogue listing can be accessed via the James and Sons website – it is the second auction to which there is a link – look for the image of the James II (VII) coin.

FROM THE IMAGE GALLERY

This section features the official press release, some of the more significant lots and a couple of proof sets that I have at least half an eye on.

135-d — The most important coin in this set – even circulated versions of this coin fetch decent amounts.

135-e — The Darwin £2 (there is also a Burns £2 and a £5 commemorating 500 years since the accession of Henry VIII)

Lot 130 (two images), one of the two that are in my sights…

130-a — …in its case because of the Trevithick £2)

Lot 139 – four images, the second lot that is in my sights)

139-a — These two coins celebrating the 150th anniversary of the opening London (and the world’s) first underground railway.

A Grockle’s Eye View of Cornwall 4: The End of the St Ives Day

The latest post in my series “A Grockle’s Eye View of Cornwall”, concluding my account of my day out in St Ives.

INTRODUCTION

In my previous post in this spread out series about my recent visit to Cornwall (Thursday July 12 through Monday July 16) I covered a boat trip to see a seal colony. I now account for the rest of that day after the trip. Don’t forget that a more local view of St Ives is available from The Cornish Maid.

BACK ON TERRA FIRMA

I was back in St Ives at 1:15PM as scheduled, and had two definite targets for the remainder of my time there – find a cash machine and find somewhere not too extortionate for lunch. By this stage the town was packed, and far as I was able to locate there was a but a single cashpoint there, so I had a bit of a wait. Still I eventually got my money and found a place to have lunch.

Victorian house — This building may once have been a non-conformist chapel.

THE RETURN JOURNEY

I was back at the station in good time for my three stage journey back to St Germans (changes at St Erth and Liskeard, and longish waits at both). My father collected me from St Germans and we headed to Cawsand to meet my mother, sister and nephew at a pub there before heading to Fort Picklecombe together. My camera battery just made it to St Germans before giving out for the day after one more picture en route for Cawsand.

View from the car — I suspected (rightly as it turned out) that I had only one shot left by this stage, and this view, from the heights above Cawsand, seemed a worthy way to finish my photography for the day.

Walk for Wildlife

Advertising the Walk for Wildlife and attending to mathematical matters.

INTRODUCTION

The centrepiece of this post comes courtesy of the team4nature twitter account. I have also included the solution to a prnblem from brilliant.org and a new problem from the same source.

WALK FOR WILDLIFE

A SOLUTION AND A NEW PROBLEM

Here is the answer the problem I posed last week:

carrying out the subtractions in thte brackets above gives us (2 * 3^22)(2 * 3 ^23)(2 * 3^24). This becomes (2^3)(3^(22+23+24))= (2^3)(3^69). Thus m = 3 and n = 69, and 69 + 3 = 72.

As a supplement to this little problem, would you have an observation platform where the three bridge segments meet at the centre of the lake? This latter of course, unlike the mathematical question is purely a matter of opinion. I would go for a circular platform just below the level of the bridges, accessible by lifts and stairs.

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