A mostly grey month but some interesting bits and pieces here hopefully. If you remember the brilliant film about Lawrence of Arabia you might be under the assumption that after TE Lawrence rescued the Arabs from the Ottoman Empire, he popped back to Blighty, got on a motorbike and crashed it, dying instantly. However, in fact, he didn't do that, because in between he lived in Plymouth during part of the intervening seventeen year period, where he had another career in the Marine Branch of the RAF helping to develop the RAF's fast rescue boats, which ultimately saved some 13,000 lives. This unit was based at RAF Mountbatten across Plymouth Sound facing the city.
These "crash boats" featured in another famous film "The Sea Shall not Have Them" which was also the motto of the unit. Speed boats were a new idea and Lawrence was eager to bring in a fleet of fast boats to rescue aircrew from crashed planes. He had witnessed a seaplane crash in 1931 and also witnessed the existing slow and heavy navy rescue boats not reach the wreckage in time to save any of the crew.
Just up from the Mountbatten site is this small fishing village of Turnchapel. That is the Barbican and Sutton Harbour in the distance.
The village has a rich history, dating back to the 16th century when it was a busy fishing port. Today, Turnchapel is a popular destination for tourists who come to enjoy its picturesque scenery and tranquil atmosphere. Town and Village Guide
These shots, below, were from the waterfront just below Plymouth Hoe, looking out to the breakwater. On the day, two supply ships were moored up. These are Royal Navy Bay Class ships, I couldn't see their names at this distance.
Comprising of three ships (RFA Lyme Bay, Mounts Bay and Cardigan Bay), the role of the Bay Class vessels is to offload embarked troops and armoured vehicles from ship to shore using Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) and Landing Craft Utility (LCU) vessels. These versatile ships can operate in extremely rough weather to support amphibious operations and ground forces across the globe.
The standard RFA crew compliment for the Bay Class ships is 59, with accommodation for up to 75. There is also good accommodation for an embarked military force of 356 fully equipped combat troops, which can be increased to 500 using camp beds in spare compartments.
Getting in the way of the view is a rusty collection of shapes welded together and called LOOK II. It is clearly by the sculptor Antony Gormley although for some bizarre reason it is supposed to be part of the city's celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. Even more confusingly it does not stand at the Mayflower Steps where the Mayflower embarked for New England but stands at the point where Francis Chichester returned in 1967 following his circumnavigation of the globe in Gipsy Moth IV. So I can only conclude that some public money became available and somebody was told to spend it, so this mixed message of an idea got dressed up as something significant, which it isn't. It is in my opinion devoid of any significance and most people don't even know it is there.
Someone has placed a piece of litter between its knees. I'm sure if someone offered me a few thousand pounds I could come up with a significant meaning for that too.
The artist's description is as follows:
....to "evoke the yearning to travel across the horizon in order to establish a new life in another place". Through this work, Gormley aims to "transmit our old-world admiration for the skyscrapers of New York while linking them to our megalithic past"....... Only one problem, "Rusty Reg" is not even looking at the horizon or towards New York, he is facing Belgium.
The Elites who govern us claim to be saviours of democracy and they were told that after the consultation there were 23 submissions, 19 against and 4 in support. Democracy having been saved, they couldn't wait to install it.
Democracy having been saved, the people who paid for it asked how much it cost. But that was now a state secret. We don't need to know. After much legal wrangling the law decided that even the Freedom of Information Act did not apply to this one, the Information Commissioner's Office ruled that "the Council was not obliged to disclose the requested information".
In February 2021, a council budget document listing a "Mayflower 400 Monument" was unearthed, suggesting the total cost of LOOK II was £764,038.The council acknowledged that the value represented the cost incurred for "Look II and all the associated works". Wikipedia
This is the Tinside Lido under renovation and due to open before the summer. You can see it in all its glory here.
Built in 1935, Tinside is a slice of the quintessential British seaside from a bygone era. The Lido is a wonderful example of art-deco style and is Grade II listed. As well as the pool itself, the facility also features a sun deck, which is one of the best places in Plymouth to soak up the sun and a cafe, perfect for grabbing a coffee and an ice cream to help relax.
This fantastic outdoor salt water swimming pool offers both local people and visitors to Plymouth beautiful surround in which to swim, sunbathe and watch the world go by.
From a time when all large towns and cities had foundries and made what they needed locally, you will even today, commonly see metalwork like this, below. Willoughby Brothers was founded as a limited company in 1890 with an office in Rendle Street. From 1891 onwards they constructed steel ships at Plymouth Great Western Docks. Willoughby's went on to build vessels for the Royal Mail Steamship Company; the Suez Canal Company; the Hythe Ferry across Southampton Water; Messrs Beckett, Hill and Company, of Liverpool; floating bridges for the Torpoint Ferry; another one for Saltash Corporation to be used on the Saltash Ferry; Wikipedia
This small round piece of Plymouth history beneath your feet is still doing its job 112 years later. It even has a very pleasing hand made quality.
I didn't know that this was a belvedere. A belvedere is a summer house or open-sided gallery, commanding a fine view. This one, on Plymouth Hoe, built in 1891 is on the site of a former bull-ring.
The structure incorporates C17 granite Tuscan columns from the old Market. Mostly stuccoed with stucco detail. Terraced building on 3 levels each with an open colonnaded
front, each colonnade with an entablature with triglyphs and a dentilled cornice and surmounted by a turned balustrade.
Along the front of Plymouth Sound is a series of historic model ships on the sea wall.
HMS Trenchant was a Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the Royal Navy built by Vickers Shipbuilding, Barrow-in-Furness. Trenchant was based at HMNB Devonport. She was the third vessel and the second submarine of the Royal Navy to be named for the characteristic of vigour and incisiveness.
The submarine was ordered on 22 March 1983. She was laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding on 28 October 1985, and was launched on 3 November 1986 in the presence of Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Hezlet, who had commanded the World War II T-class submarine Trenchant. Trenchant's final four-month deployment in the Atlantic was filmed for a Channel 5 television documentary called Submarine: Life Beneath the Waves, which was first shown in the United Kingdom in September 2021. On 25 March 2021 she sailed into Plymouth for the last time, flying her decommissioning pennant, ahead of decommissioning later. Wikipedia
HMS Cornwall was a Batch 3 Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was the first Batch 3 to be built, and the last to decommissioned. Cornwall was based at HMNB Devonport in Devon, England, part of the Devonport Flotilla.
She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders and launched by Diana, Princess of Wales at Scotstoun on the River Clyde in October 1985 and commissioned at Falmouth in 1988 by the ship's sponsor, Diana, Princess of Wales (who was also the Duchess of Cornwall). On 26 April 2011 she returned to Plymouth for the last time, and decommissioned on 30 June 2011. Wikipedia
A phone snap from the bottom of the holloway, you can see more in my earlier post, Trimming the Holloways.
Another holloway, in an earlier post, Runaway Lane.
Modbury Church near Runaway Lane. I cover the church in more detail in this earlier post.
This is the grave of the vicar of Modbury dated 1695 and the Swete family are an interesting story that I will tell later.
William Bunker was born April 27, 1829 in Modbury, Devonshire, England. He was a farmer and bell ringer of the Modbury Bell Tower in 1867. William's name is on a plaque in St. George's Church in Modbury, as he was one of the men who rang church bells for 2 hrs and 32 minutes successfully January 3, 1867.
But I cannot find out why?
There were plenty of signs of Spring, even though the month was grey.
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