MYSTERY OBJECTS

[David Whipp]

Not in Alison's character to ever throw anything (thankfully, given what she's got to put up with).

Perhaps a gentle steer back to the theme of my last but one post; these objects are used almost universally by people after the sort of cardiac surgery I had.

[Tizer]

I don't want to detract from David's mystery object but here's another one. Ignore the box on the wall and look at the tubular device, which is in a museum. Also ignore the damage to the device. The main tube is about 5 foot (1500mm) long.

[Big Kev]

Not in Alison's character to ever throw anything (thankfully, given what she's got to put up with).

Perhaps a gentle steer back to the theme of my last but one post; these objects are used almost universally by people after the sort of cardiac surgery I had.

Neck support when laying on the floor?

[PanBiker]

Or to raise the feet in bed?

Tizers, could that be a lamp post but for a torch rather than an electric or gas lamp? The quadrant on the top bit is bit puzzling though, looks like it's there to measure or set an angle.

[chinatyke]

Tizer's: Lightning damage to an aerial mast?

[Tripps]

David - looks like what the physio told me to make from a rolled up towel for leg exercises?

Tizer - Radio aerials come in many funny shapes and sizes?

PS - or something to do with a windsock?

[Pluggy]

I don't know for either....

[David Whipp]

Mine is certainly a rolled up towel; not intended for use at extremities (neither legs nor neck).

Tizer's looks as though it could be a holder for something and it has a fitting to fix it at different angles? A sighting device of some sort?

[Tizer]

Panbiker and Tripps are closest so far, but still with a long way to go. I'll admit it's a difficult one and not many people would know what it is. It's in a mining museum but that could send you off on a wild goose chase - it's not for use in mining but used some of the technology familiar to miners. As it's so difficult, I'll give you another clue - it was developed in 1940.

[plaques]

David's Car seat belt protector.
Tizer's. Early Arctic particle collector. But actually I don't know!

[David Whipp]

Obviously it's a perch for canaries...

Tizer's is much more interesting than mine, so I'll give you the name of my object - all you need to do is work out what it's for; it's called a Teddy. Will reveal the answer in the morning, if no correct guesses.

[LizG]

David is it for neck support? I've no idea about the other one.

[chinatyke]

Panbiker and Tripps are closest so far, but still with a long way to go. I'll admit it's a difficult one and not many people would know what it is. It's in a mining museum but that could send you off on a wild goose chase - it's not for use in mining but used some of the technology familiar to miners. As it's so difficult, I'll give you another clue - it was developed in 1940.

Must be something to do with radar and spotting aircraft. Did spotters get the bearing and angle of elevation from a radar operator and then set it up and look for visual confirmation through the hoop arrangement? Or did the spotters need to confirm the angle of elevation for the gunners?

If so, weren't we primitive in those days?

[Stanley]

China sounds convincing. Observer Corps? Knowing Tiz it's vaguely aeronautical.
Cuddle the rolled up towel to your chest to exert gentle pressure when sitting and relaxed?

[David Whipp]

Stanley, I think you are near enough, though it's much more than a comforter.

Please read no further if of squeamish disposition....

► Show Spoiler

As mentioned earlier, the open heart surgery involves opening the chest by breaking the breast bone down the middle. The bone is wired back together after they've sorted out the plumbing. After the op, the area feels a little 'tender'. Even though you are taught a technique for clearing phlegm, coughing can be problematic and there's a risk of, erm, splitting things open...

The teddy is clutched firmly across the chest to relieve the pressure on the chest and prevent problems. The action reduces the sensation caused by coughing (or, more like houghing if you get it right).

For weeks after the op, my teddy wouldn't leave my side; it's an essential piece of kit but very much the equivalent of a child's comforter. As the name suggests, there's an awful lot of emotional investment in the rolled up towel!

[Stanley]

I love the details! I once cracked the lower part of that bone, where it is gristle and my God, coughing or sneezing was an event! Arthur Morrison cheered me no end by telling me that unlike bone which knitted in six weeks, gristle can take six months.

[David Whipp]

They told me 6 to 9 months before it would fully knit together... The strain on the breastbone is one of the reasons why you shouldn't lift anything heavier than a teacup for sometime after the op. (No good to me; I hate tea!)

[Tizer]

China's getting closer but still some way to go. Nothing to do with radar.

[PanBiker]

Putting all the clues together - If its about 5 foot high, was the pole mounted vertically, the cross member would then be about just below shoulder height so could be used as hand holds for turning and setting azimuth, the tapered cage arrangement at the top could hold some kind of optical device such as a short telescope and the elevation determined from the quadrant on the side. One of the tools used by the Observer Corps?

Having said all that it looks nowt like the range finders usually used.

Does not take into consideration the mining aspect either!

[Tizer]

Range finding comes into it and that's what the wiry bits on the end were intended for (though rather primitive in design) but the tube part had a much more destructive function than observation and was used on board ships against marauding aircraft. The one in the museum brought down a Heinkel and suffered it's damage from a second Heinkel. But that still leaves the question, what was the ammunition and what was the propellant? Here's an image of the designer with the first one set up on trial - sorry it's a poor photo. (And no, it's not Flash Gordon and his ray gun!)

[PanBiker]

Ooh I now know what it is but had to Google it from your clues above Tiz, fascinating!

Don't look if you want to continue to guess.

► Show Spoiler

Holman Projector

[David Whipp]

► Show Spoiler

I guess a rocket launcher.

[David Whipp]

(Don't put any money on my guess, folks; I've just checked out Ian's answer....)

► Show Spoiler

But I would point out that I did say the circular things were a sighting device in my first post on this one; and that's exactly what it says on Wiki... getting carried away with this spoiler thingy!

[Tripps]

Sounds like an episode of Dad's Army. Something like this one -

The great wheel

[David Whipp]

I like the way the guy with the object has his arm in a sling...