MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Cathy]

Did creatures once live in it?

[plaques]

Some kind of clay counting tablet?

[chinatyke]

Some kind of clay counting tablet?

Similar to a cribbage board?
Or a form of calendar?

[Stanley]

Looks like some sort of tally to me.

[plaques]

Its the hole pattern that attracts me. A row of nine for digits, A row of ten for the 'ten's' column. A center row of four for the hundreds plus a single hole for five hundred. Therefore should be able to count up to 999. On the other hand????

[Tizer]

Plaques was quick off the mark with `clay counting tablet' then China with cribbage and Stanley with tally. It is made of clay and is displayed in the museum at Wells, Somerset, and Mrs Tiz took the photo last week when she went to a Christmas event at the cathedral. It has the caption `Miner's clay tally or gaming board. From Green Ore Lead Mine, Mendip. Donated by Luke Devenish in 1969. Accession number 427.' This prompted me to wonder if Devenish did more than just donate a bit of holey clay to a museum. It turns out he was a famous figure in cave exploration and was president of the Wessex Caving Club until 1993. Even the Craven Pothole Club referred to him as `Luke Devenish, a colourful long-term Mendip caver' in one of their publications. Then I found this article about him - read it and you'll see that he was what we Brits like to call `a character'! LINK

[Gloria]

A good spot Mrs Tiz, well done.

[Stanley]

Nice one Janet!

Try this one....

[Cathy]

Can’t make up my mind if it’s made of bricks, giant lego or sand (in the way a sandcastle is made) ?

[Stanley]

[Wendyf]

It's a Mallard loco designed by Sir Nigel Gresley (my bro had one of that name in his train set) built out of bricks. In the northeast somewhere...

[Big Kev]

It's a Mallard loco designed by Sir Nigel Gresley (my bro had one of that name in his train set) built out of bricks. In the northeast somewhere...

Darlington

[Stanley]

Oh Dear!! That didn't last long, you are both right of course. Back to the drawing board!



What's this cheerful image about?

[plaques]

The big stink 1853 from the effluent in the river Thames.

[Gloria]

The Black Death.
That was brilliant Mrs Tiz, very well done

[Tizer]

It led to Bazalgette's sewers.

[Stanley]

P and Tiz are right of course.



This is my favourite Black Death image....



Similar subject and too easy but what was the subject of this image?

[Tizer]

Cholera in London?

[Stanley]

Well done Tiz. Spot on.

I'll try again! What's going on here?

[Gloria]

Oooo, have we seen this before, it rings a bell in my forgetful brain?

[Stanley]

Not from me Gloria, as far as I know this is new.

[Tizer]

Is it Jacob Rees-Mogg's alarm clock?

[plaques]

I cheated in a offbeat way. The mechanism reminded of the Spirograph toys for drawing fancy ellipse type patterns. Googling Spirograph i got... In 1827 English architect and engineer Peter Hubert Desvignes developed his "Speiragraph",[1] a machine to create elaborate spiral drawings, intended to prevent bank note forgeries. Without cheating any further I'll offer this up as a replica of his machine.

[Stanley]

I like that Tiz! It's old enough to be that.
P, in a funny way you are getting very warm but not that. Sorry.

[Bodger]

Ornamental lathe related, for setting the design programme?