MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Tizer]

No not tea bush. Perhaps I'd better come clean on this - it's a bit devious really! Mistletoe in Britain is the species Viscum album and, as its `album' name suggests, the berries are white. Mrs Tiz took the photo above while in the mountains of Malaga, Spain, and there you can find the mistletoe species Viscum cruciatum which has red berries. Wikipedia says: `Viscum album is the only species native to the British Isles and much of Europe. A separate species, Viscum cruciatum, occurs in Southwest Spain and Southern Portugal, as well as Morocco (North Africa) and southern Africa.' It's closely related to our mistletoe but over time the name mistletoe has gradually become used for a wide range of other, unrelated parasitic plants. Wikipedia

[plaques]

Interesting YouTube clip showing how mistletoe is spread by birds. Mistletoe. Why I remembered this little gem of knowledge I don't know.

[Stanley]

At school I was told that they separated the seed from the pulp in the beak and then wiped their beak on the branch.....
On a similar subject, my dad used to get sewage soil from the filter beds to use as top dressing on the garden during the war. I was intrigued by the fact that Tomato plant seedlings grew in it. Evidently the tomato seeds, if uncooked, can survive the human digestive system......

[Stanley]

What can you tell me about this.....

[chinatyke]

I know! (Smug!)

[Stanley]

[Gloria]

Are they a set of collets for a milling machine?

[Tizer]

From the cross section they look like nozzles that employ the venturi effect, but I don't know for what purpose.

[Stanley]

Sorry, you aren't there yet. You have met these efficient safety devices before......

[chinatyke]

From the cross section they look like nozzles that employ the venturi effect, but I don't know for what purpose.

I've just ordered a venturi contraption to draw air into the water returning from my filters to my koi pond, might as well get some air entrained, it's free! The device cost £2.90 and has a pay back time of 85 days because I won't need to run my 20W air pump!


Sorry, I digress. The mystery object has been mentioned several times and was last mentioned only 7 months ago, how quickly we forget!

[Stanley]

Good lad, let them stew for a day or two.....
Venturi effect is very useful, all steam powered water injectors into boilers use it. The Miracle is that boiler pressure raises the pressure of the feed well above the original pressure. Magic!

[PanBiker]

Emergency pressure relief nipples for steam boilers.

[Stanley]

I've got to give you that one Ian. Perfect description for fusible plugs which are fitted in the water spece on the top of the furnace tube. If the water level falls below them, endangering the integrity of the tube as it losses strength because of being red hot, the insert melts and water and steam blow into the furnace as a warning and to damp the fire down. You never want one to actuate if you are running a boiler! (China knew straight away, good memory!)



Next one?

[chinatyke]

I've picked up a little about boilers over the years!

[plaques]

I've picked up a little about boilers over the years!

Yes, I remember you telling us about taxiing 'artists' to the various working men's clubs. ????

[chinatyke]

Those boilers too!

[Stanley]

All very interesting but what about a fresh object?

[PanBiker]

I have one, hang on while I get the pics off my phone....

[PanBiker]

Here we go sorry for the glare, not the easiest object to photograph.

[Stanley]

Looks like something out of the Welcome Museum. A spare part of your brain left over from the surgery?

[Tizer]

An exotic slug?

[PanBiker]

Slightly up your street Tiz, mineral based but not ancient.

[Stanley]

Example of mineral deposits in a pipe or cooling system?

[PanBiker]

Sorry no, It was brought back from a recent short holiday my lad Jack went on. I asked for it, it's a part of social and political history.

You should get it from that I reckon.

[Tizer]

If Jack has been to Italy is it claimed to be the rusty remains of the knife that Brutus used to stab Julius Caesar?
I think more clues are needed! Why is it under a plastic dome?