On relocating close to the Clyde Coast, it was an obvious observation that various piers that had in years past assisted in the transport between destinations had been of late sadly neglected. The first encounter with a dysfunctional pier was at Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae in 2021. The pier was essentially sound but… Continue reading All About Piers
James Watt’s walk on Glasgow Green
The Story Line In one sense the Industrial Revolution was gathering steam – but not very efficiently. The Newcomen engine which initially was developed in 1712 was in use at numerous locations in Britain but was expensive to operate on account of the system’s poor conversion of input energy – coal – to useful power… Continue reading James Watt’s walk on Glasgow Green
The Lodge at Arnisdale
Local Background The visitor is drawn to the area around Glenelg, on the shores of Kyle Rhea Narrows opposite the Isle of Skye, perhaps to become familiar with the landscapes associated with Gavin Maxwell, author of a clutch of titles including the famous ‘Ring of Bright Water’. The location described as Camusfearna by Maxwell… Continue reading The Lodge at Arnisdale
Affordable Art
A City of Delights London was still at that time – and probably still is – the major centre for art in the United Kingdom. It was always a treat to head for Cork Street in London’s West End and visit the cluster of galleries that flourished there. This would be after attending specific official… Continue reading Affordable Art
Making Use of Solar Energy
The Present The proliferation of new homes with solar panels in the United Kingdom is increasing awareness of their potential ability to reduce energy costs. There are some basic observations of these developments to note. One is that the optimum south facing configuration is not always available. For East facing panels peak sun will be… Continue reading Making Use of Solar Energy
Genetic Algorithms
It was one of those computing forums that attracted a diverse cross section of those interested in emerging software technologies. Its members were drawn from a range of backgrounds- the finance sector, the health sector and the defence sector to name but a few. There was interest around neural networks where the necessary software toolkits… Continue reading Genetic Algorithms
John Thompson: An early Scottish photographer in China
Life and Works The various accounts of the Victorian photographer John Thompson (1837 – 1921) of his travels in the Far East, notably within China, reveal surprises on many levels. These can be considered to include the then legacy of China’s past, the then contradictory nature of its observed present and insights into what it… Continue reading John Thompson: An early Scottish photographer in China
Florence Nightingale in Harley Street
While the world knows all about the exploits of Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, there is rather less awareness of her efforts at running a nursing home in Harley Street in London. Around 1970 a discovery was made of a stiff-bound notebook which contained in her own handwriting quarterly reports as Superintendent of the Upper… Continue reading Florence Nightingale in Harley Street
The White Island
The day’s journey on Skye in Scotland took us past Skeabost and I took the opportunity to call in at the well known second hand bookshop run by Gill Ferguson on the chance that I could at last obtain a copy of ‘The White Island’ by John Lister-Kaye (JLK). The proprietor durly emerged from the… Continue reading The White Island
Risks and Bricks
Many risks remain unobserved in plain sight though on occasion can be perceived by the more perceptive individual. This was perhaps the case in respect of the physical layout of an intensive care unit in an acute hospital. The link had become apparent only after the development of a model to simulate the risk of… Continue reading Risks and Bricks