MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Tizer]

You've both made a correct observation - it is a `Landing Craft Tank' (LCT) and it's usual function is as Maz describes. But this one, together with others, was converted for a quite different function after the end of WW2, but still by the military. Give some thought to what that function might have entailed. If no-one gets it quickly I'll give a clue.

[Stanley]

A similar vessel to this was used by a firm on the west coast for moving cattle and heavy wheeled vehicles between the Western Isles. So I'll guess it was for resupplying island garrisons.

[Tizer]

Not for resupplying island garrisons and it was for disposing of stuff rather than providing it. I was prompted to put this object on by one of the recent mystery objects.

[PanBiker]

Dumping redundant or surplus munitions?

[Tizer]

That's right - but where?

[PanBiker]

Probably somewhere that they thought would be deep enough at the time. Some trench in the Atlantic or Irish Sea maybe?

[Stanley]

Beaufort's Dyke. (LINK)

[Tizer]

Stanley has got it with the Beaufort Dyke which is a long, deep ravine in the seabed in the channel between SW Scotland and Northern Ireland. (To my knowledge this northern link between the Irish Sea and the Atlantic doesn't have a name, unlike the St George's Channel which is the southern link.) This LCT and many others like it were modified after WW2 to carry unwanted munitions, mostly from the Scottish port of Cairnryan, out into the channel where they were tipped overboard to sink into the deep Beaufort Dyke. The Dyke had already been used for this purpose after WW1 and this continued well beyond the dumping of WW2 munitions with the later dumping of chemical & biological weapons and even radioactive materials. The MoD estimates that over a million tons of munitions have been dumped there. Strong tidal currents flow through the ravine and it was a bad choice as a safe dumping ground. And now Boris Johnson wants to build a bridge there between Scotland and Ireland! There's a lot more interesting information on this web page which I hadn't seen before: Beaufort Dyke

[PanBiker]

This explains our Dan's "rocket" that he found on the beach round the corner from Portpatrick. He wasn't best pleased when I had to take it off him and give it to the local constable. It was a live AP round! We got him a new bucket and spade as a consolation prize.

[Gloria]

This explains our Dan's "rocket" that he found on the beach round the corner from Portpatrick. He wasn't best pleased when I had to take it off him and give it to the local constable. It was a live AP round! We got him a new bucket and spade as a consolation prize.

Crikey, someone was lucky there, could have been catastrophic.

[Tizer]

Yes, and especially when you read the later part of the article about the fishermen who suffered terrible burns from a chemical that had leaked from one of the containers.

[PanBiker]

It was in reasonably good nick and probably one of the later cast off's. Dan was about 5 so 1985, summer hols camping at Dunskey Castle on the headland above Portpatrick.

[Whyperion]

We're under pressure from all the weight of air stacked up above us.

Which I understand is why we get shorter as we get older (how come with lying down we dont get thinner ?)

[plaques]

Which I understand is why we get shorter as we get older (how come with lying down we dont get thinner ?)

Not when we get older (yes bones do collapse and cartilage shrinks) ,it was when we stand up that gravity hits us. When we lie down we do get thinner in respect that we flatten out. Its a well known fact with women that 'things' disappear when they lie down. I'm not too sure what these 'things' are but I can imagine.

[Stanley]

"I'm not too sure what these 'things' are but I can imagine. "
So they are the next mystery object?

[Stanley]

What is this image all about?

[PanBiker]

Ducking those unfortunate women who were thought to be witches? Catch 22, float or sink the outcome was the same.

[Stanley]

Sorry Ian but no. Right period.

[Cathy]

Both women look pregnant.

[Stanley]

They do Cathy but I don't think that's pertinent. This woodcut is aimed at a particular event.

[chinatyke]

I've had to resort to Bing! I thought about baptism but there is no evidence of any religious artefacts.

► Show Spoiler

3 women affected by the dancing plague.

More details here

[Big Kev]

Same as China (replace Bing with Google)

[plaques]

Without resorting to one of the big filing cabinets. This is out of my own wet wear. The bridge looks like an important feature some kind of boundary between parishes possibly. They are returning the women back to their original parish so not to be a burden on their own parish poor laws.
Worth ½ a point even if I'm wrong.

[Stanley]

It is worth noting Ken but China and Kev have got it, the dancing plague of 1518. Have a look at THIS for possible explanations.
Next one for shaving?

[Tizer]

As soon as I saw the words `dancing plague' ergot poisoning crossed my mind and I see that is one of the possible explanations given in the article. However that's often fatal and I suspect it was more likely a different, less powerful, fungus toxin or contamination of drinking water with algal toxins, especially in hot July weather.