Walkie Talkies

[Mick Harper]

Coupla old faves there. Will it be good or bad news if dewponds are 'only' leftovers from clay excavations? We used to get excited by them being lined with clay -- but then again it's all grist for our 'chalklands lack water but seem otherwise essential to Megalithic life' theory. The 'herepath', named that way because Anglo-Saxon armies came tramping down them (Heer is German for army). As opposed to Green Streets which, according to TME, are produced by animals tramping down the Ridgeways which in turn cause green lanes.

You wanna get out more, Borry, that's your trouble. (I'm setting you up for a trouble-and-strife joke.)

[Boreades]

I'll try and get some video of a dewpond or two. If I can get the TME Outside Broadcast Unit to stir. At the moment it is complaining it has got a hangover, and it's cold outside and still persisting down cats & dogs. Situation normal for an English Summer.

[Boreades]

More on Savernake Forest.

Easiest way to get there on public transport is by train to Great Bedwyn. Then walk north west (over Bedwyn Common) towards the southern edge of the forest.
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/51.3846/-1.6311

Which is where one can find not only clay pits, but sand and gravel pits. No surprise that another Brick Works can be found there.
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=1 ... rs=178&b=1

If you are feeling adventurous, go south to meet the Kennet and Avon Canal at (what was) Savernake Station. Follow the canal south-east for one kilometre, then turn south, and you will get to Wolf Hall. Famously home of the Seymour dynasty.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=1 ... rs=178&b=1

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/201 ... ntel-novel

[Mick Harper]

A dripette from the family which you might understand better than me

Ball clay extraction in Dorset. Quarries close to chalk. I seem to remember that this ball clay is predominately kaolinite. Generally associated with the chemical breakdown (meta somatic) of feldspar in granite. As in China clay. This stuff could have been transported and deposited by rivers.

A disused Savernake station? Must scout it for our upcoming horror movie. Good to hear Bedwyn is an English place-name. It had hitherto been a destination on a Paddington train board that I had always supposed was somewhere beyond the Severn.

[Mick Harper]

I pass this along for what it's worth. [Intelligence grading C++]

Yeah thinking about that part of Dorset have you ever been to Creech Hill? Weird as hell. Right up your back alley, as they say.

[Boreades]

Not quite Walkie Talkies, more like Wheeler Dealers, but it has similarities. We've noticed a lot more MAMILs* riding through our village. Wos'appnin? It seems that the new King Alfred's Way has been taken-to quite keenly. What is this new King Alfred's Way?

King Alfred's Way is a 350km circular off-road adventure route through 10,000 years of history, connecting some of England’s most iconic sites. The name of the trail is inspired by Alfred the Great, who ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex.

Which sites?

King Alfred's Way starts and ends in Winchester where Alfred is buried, and connects iconic monuments including Stonehenge, Avebury stone circle, Iron Age hill forts, Farnham Castle, and Winchester and Salisbury Cathedrals.

That's nice. Strangely it doesn't go through Wantage, allegedly the birthplace of the alleged Alfie. Which one might have assumed was essential, so that our new pilgrims could touch the foot of the statue there. Holy Relics for athiests?

https://king-alfred.com/wp/2018/05/27/wantage/

Route map:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/route/king-al ... -gpx-route

* Middle Aged Men In Lycra

[Boreades]

A new attraction at Avebury, for before or after your walk round Avebury (or both).

It's the Unhenged Coffee Shop

The Clubhouse is the proud home of the Avebury’s cricket, darts and skittles teams, as well as our latest initiative, the Unhenged Coffee Shop! With its unique location, directly adjacent to the largest megalithic stone circle in the world and in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the venue is a perfect place to meet during the day or evening, and is also capable of hosting a wide variety of events. Our public car park is open all day every day and with our coffee shop now open daily from 10am to 3pm is a great place for those of you wishing to stop for a light bite and a great cup of coffee before your day out to the famous stone circle.

Ref : https://avebury-club.co.uk/wp/

They reassured me that they don't play skittles with the standing stones.

https://avebury-club.co.uk/wp/facilities/

I recommend it to t'committee as a venue for the next TME Conference.

[Mick Harper]

By the usual coincidence, I have just been listening to Stewart Lee waxing about a seventies kids' horror series, The Children of the Stones, about a mythical English village which is clearly Avebury. I hadn't heard of it before (I was an adult horror at the time) but apparently it was, and is, something of a cult classic. You can listen to Stewie here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01n1rbx

PS I have had a snackerel at the official (NT?) coffee shop and was unimpressed.

[Boreades]

We go over now to our Avebury Correspondent.

The original TV series is available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwT0wLnT7Rc

It's an excellent programme and there are lots of shots of the stones very close up. It's set in the village. Well worth watching and saving to your computer. Get behind the settee when the funny music starts.

There are rumours of a remake. Are any TME inmates interested in playing the two leading roles (of the skeptical scientist and his inquisitive offspring)?

[Boreades]

PS I have had a snackerel at the official (NT?) coffee shop and was unimpressed.

Lots of people are unimpressed by National Trust (Avebury). I was unimpressed by the expensive, small and weak cup of coffee. M'Lady was especially unimpressed by having to park in the NT car park for 10 minutes and being charged £7 for that.

You might be more impressed by this YouTube channel, which has all the "Children of the Stones" episodes as individual offerings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSIpkxM ... 84_nWje4Mx

The comments are entertaining as well
e.g.

An intelligent, engrossing, well written and well acted series which didn’t assume it’s young audience were stupid and treated them with respect. Today just the opening credits would be enough to attract numerous complaints and get it taken off air.

and

The series is frequently cited by those who remember it as one of the scariest things they saw as children.

Park this next to the Dr Who sofa we hid behind when it got too scary.