That was a year that was..

[Bfg]

It seems like ages since I last posted, but that's only because over the past three weeks I've been so tired from working on my old boat (project). That's a 50 year old 30ft sailing catamaran (an Aristocat, which when the moulds and production were taken to Annapolis became the Gemini catamaran). Anyway the work was to sand back the underwater areas of each hull and to reseal those with epoxy.  As an old codger I find crawling under a boat, laying on my back with my arms reaching up to hold a sander for five hours a day not quite like the popular conception of 'living the dream'.   Hey ho, it's not something needed to be done very often ..but of course it's worth doing well. . .

     

^ I also took the opportunity to mitre the previously-squared back edge of her teak keels.  I doubt if these will make 1/10th of a knot difference in hull speed but these little things help make me happy !  I've used Jotun HB - grey epoxy primer, under there. three thinned coats so far, and now that (yesterday) I've epoxy filled any pin holes and poc marks, I've just one layer to go. And that will then be an effective barrier against fibreglass osmosis for the next 30 years.

- - - 

Katie  received somewhat less attention these past weeks but I did adjust the carbs.  The choke adjustment was uneven on either, resulting in a lumpy tick-over, and it was also too fast when only part on. This meant the tickover, with even just a 1/4 choke on, was too fast - and so I'd push the lever in, but then the closure of the butterfly was too little and she'd want to stall.   It's better now, but I really need to refurbish these carbs as the rods and lifter-quadrants are unevenly worn.

To aid smooth the engine a little more I also changed the cast iron cooling-fan extension to the aluminium one Mike (East Saxon's TR group) had very kindly turned (machined) from a solid billet.  I'd discussed this many moons ago  ..actually 2 whole years ago if you can believe that ! < here >  but now I've finally go around to fitting it  . . .

^ first up was to drain and remove the radiator, and then to try and get the fan-extension bolt undone.  It was only supposed to have been tightened to 90 ft.lb. but it didn't want to shift. That wasn't helped by my having a brain fart and putting the car in 1st gear. Turning the engine, via the above lever-arm (..even with handbrake hard on !) lifted the rear wheels onto the wooden blocks I'd place there as stops.  However, when I put the car into fourth gear the bolt came undone quite easily !     What can I say ..but that we all make mistakes at some time or other.  No damage done..   moving on . . .

^ The old and the new.  That central bolt (5/8" Whitworth socket fitted very well) had been glued in place (some sort of rock-hard thread lock). NB. the corner distortion of this photo makes the aluminium fan extension appear lop-side. It is not.

The groove in the old cast-iron fan extension was of concern for when I fitted the new aluminium one (as you can see - without such a groove) but when I fitted new engine mounts, I'd also fitted a 1/4" thick body-mount-spacer under the left-hand-side engine mount. That of course lifted the front of the engine up a tad, and so now the clearance between the extension piece and the steering rack felt sufficient to give it a try.

The pulley block's boss, which goes onto the end of the crankshaft and is the sealing face for the front seal was nasty so, I've replaced that with a good one, but the wide-belt pulley's were good to reuse as they were. The six 1/4" pulley bolts were a mix and match assortment, non of the nyloc's locked very well and two were plain nuts anyways .. so they've all been replaced with new.   The short bolt I'd hoped to replace the long one with didn't work, because its shoulder locked against the thread in the end of the crankshaft, so I've cleaned it up and reused the long bolt, as per the original configuration, with the locking plate under the fan bolts.  That central bolt is tightened to 90 ft.lb and assembled with medium strength Loctite on its thread.  

Mike had tapped the end of the aluminium fan extension to take 1/4" UNC set screws, rather than the original 1/4" UNF threads (..to avoid those tending to strip out of the softer metal), and so the fan blade screws were new as well.

^ as can be seen., with the engine at tick-over, the fan extension now spins true with the crank (whereas the old cast iron one wobbled into a blur ).  As it is less than 40% of the weight of the cast-iron one and the plastic fan is 12.6% the mass of the original, any remaining out of line will not be felt.

As Marco had said in his discourse on fan extensions - the clearance between the radiator and the fan was sufficient to fit the plastic fan (which is offset further forward).  I'd already had this aluminium fan extension made some 3/8" (10mm) shorter, and as you can see the gap from the radiator is perhaps now quite generous. 

All in all, this mod may seem a lot of effort, for something that can barely be seen, but it's satisfying to have slower engine tick-over, particularly during start up and when stopped at traffic lights ..without the front of the car shaking all over the place and the bonnet rattling loudly as if it's all about to self-destruct.

Job well done - BIG thanks again to Mike.

Pete   

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Bfg

[Bfg]

Next up, the following morning to fitting the fan-extension was Duxford.  I'm always a little anxious about water levels after having drained the engine block down, and having not yet gone around the block to check all was well, but thankfully the 120 mile round trip to Duxford and back was without water loss or issue . . .

^ it was a well organised and attended local TSSC club meet, with invites to other classic car owners, all to enjoy the beautiful weather, the excellent museum and some classic aircraft flying (practice perhaps before the following weekend's Battle of Britain memorial event).

What's that sneaking off in the background   ..where's a Spitfire when you need one ?

Katie's  Sur_top (..half a Surrey_top) may look a little odd in the photos but it does work very nicely on the road, is quite practical, and psychologically feels very much more secured when left unattended.    

I rather like Triumph club meetings, more diverse and seemingly more relaxed than strictly TR meets.  

And part of the interest of such events is in seeing how others have done things . . .

^ talking of Spitfires.  At this meet, I had a look to see other's take on carburettor / throttle cables. I'm just toying with the idea of replacing Katie's  rod linkages with a Bowden cable.   

In the meantime, aside from the cars there were mostly classic aircraft to enjoy too. . .

^ Love the outfit ..I think we fellas (well me at least !) might make a little more effort.

 

It was a pleasurable drive across to Cambridgeshire and a great Day out. Many thanks to Duxford IWM, to Pete Lewis and all the volunteers of the TSSC who made this event happen.

Pete

 

 

[Lebro]

I think that Catalina was at Goodwood last week. 

Bob

[rcreweread]

38 minutes ago, Lebro said:

I think that Catalina was at Goodwood last week. 

Bob

I don't think it was Bob as it had floats hanging down from the end of the wings - I know because I had to be careful driving around them!

Cheers Rich

[Bfg]

And then the weekend before last.. Katie  and I took a little jaunt across to the now little and mostly forgotten seaside port of Orford.  In particular I wanted to enjoy a drive, through the Rendlesham Forest and on to Orford Castle.  The drive was very pleasant and then the castle's keep was particularly intriguing. .

. 

Not a whole lot of traffic, even at the weekends in this corner of the country.  

The castle itself was undergoing restoration (..and yes, I knew this before i visited) . . .

  

^ presently looking like a modern office block being built, the castle's present remains are just the 90ft high keep and the undulating grounds of what used to be the bailey.  Like many castles the site was stripped of building materials, including quarrying the grounds for sand. Before the scaffolding was put up - it looked like the second photo, but is thought to have originally been rendered on all walls, inbetween its limestone corner stones. That is what I gather they are now doing again.

Although the bailey and curtain walls have long since been lost (mostly this happened in the early 18th century) the keep itself is interesting because the inside floors have been refitted, and the original spiral-stone staircase built into the SE tower is intact, so the spaces within are pretty authentic.  The castle was said to have been built by Henry II (well not him personally, but on his commission) to help balance the crown's authority in East Anglia - versus the rich & powerful Earl of Norfolk, who was grandson of Robert Bigod, who had come to England with and been given estates in Norfolk by William-the-Conqueror.  In part this was probably an economic move as well, because by securing and promoting what was at the time an up n' coming trading port (sheltered behind Orford Ness - a natural shingle bank) he would benefit (and deprive the Earl) of the market, ship yard, port tolls and taxes. 

The castle is unusual insomuch as it was a new build (c. 1165-1173) rather than being built on an earlier-fortified site. The keep was also new in design in being a round tower (actually a multi-faceted polygon) in stone, with three disproportionately large square towers.  The square buttress towers are integral to the round towers thick wall structure, and essentially flush with the inside of the walls, yet they half protrude outwards.  The spaces within these provide a generous number (for the era) of private chambers with passages within the thick round-tower's walls, which in turn leaves generously proportioned (large diameter) halls in the centre - at the base level, as well as on the first and second floor levels.  The entrance of the keep, with the Chapel above, was built into the corner between the SE tower and the round wall.

You'll notice from the above side-view section that there are half-floor chambers too, which altogether makes it a very complex and costly build.  That is all the more intriguing because Royalty is recorded to have only ever spent one overnight stay there. Furthermore, very oddly for this period of construction - the spaces and chimney-galleries suggest kitchen activities (fireplace and sink) at the base level, and then again at the first and second floor hall levels, and then a bakery oven within the top chamber of the north turret.  There are also four latrine shoots, two individual and one double, in the west corner, another in the basement cell, and what is thought to be a urinal through-the-wall in the upper first floor.  This is a century and half before many country houses had even a single inside  latrine.  Yes I know., this is just so exciting to read ..that one can hardly contain oneself !  But for context..  "in 1313, at Kenilworth, 32 shillings was paid for enlarging & rebuilding the Earl of Lancaster's latrine".. "This presumably projected like a (wooden) hut from one of the castle's buildings because the account showed that it was covered in shingles"(..John Goodall ). 

So why or whom demanded such accommodations be made some 150 years early, in 1165 ?  A clue may lie in this keep having chapel and chaplain's chamber with its own latrine. Religious practice of strict times of prayer meant that toilets would have rush hours before and after.  Furthermore, it's likely that William de Chesney - High Sheriff of both Norfolk and Suffolk through to 1163, and founder of Sibton's Cistercian Abbey of St Mary, may have been party to the planning and design of this castle ..and he was married with three daughters.  The double latrine off the Lower Hall would have been for visitors, and those would include merchants and the like who would come to the castle to pay their tolls and other taxes to the crown.  A castle is a fortress only during times of direct conflict, at all others it was a court, the civil administrative office where matters were settled and bills were paid, and of course it was a home to all that lived and served there.

The cell in the basement is now supposed to have been a prison, but I suspect that was unlikely. Prisons were more often away from the Lord's home, perhaps in a strong outer curtain-wall tower or the gatehouse. Titled prisoners were usually treated with due respect and accommodated accordingly.  The only entrance to this cell is through a hatch in what we now call 'the entrance lobby'   I suspect that it was not a prison cell but a very secure vault for records and payments made. That it was decked out with racking for pipe-rolls and tally sticks.  And that the latrine and tiny window were for the clerk (a cleric) who spent most of his days down there.  

I further imagine that the bakery oven in the top turret was there because the towers were both for watching - out to sea for enemies and over the river to see what traders were coming and going. The west tower was thought to house a beacon, to be lit should the castle be threatened. And so that oven fire would be kept alight at all times, ready to take a flame to the signalling beacon.  And so if the fire is to be kept alight - then it makes sense to use its heat for baking. The watch guard had this chamber as shelter for between all night watches, which perhaps like on a ship were 6 hours on six hours off, with no traipsing down the sheriff's stairwell inbetween times. Their latrine was probably a bucket emptied over the wall, as indeed might be lifted food supplies and logs for the fire.    

Although a garrison was stationed at Orford,  Walton Castle was just 12 miles direct line-of-sight to the South West, and Framlingham Castle a similar distance inland to the north-west.  By horse this was less than an hours ride, and by forced-march just two hours, so Orford's castle had a curtain wall of defenses to hold off against immediate attack, but the keep itself lacks arrow slits or most any other means of retaliation. It was built as a keep  to secure whomever and whatever was locked inside until reinforcements, across land or around the shoreline arrived. The crowning towers were both an awesome statement of the King's authority on those shores, a landmark for shipping, and a signalling tower, as indeed they were again in the Napoleonic and world wars. In the second world war the top turret of that same west tower was reinforced to take new-fangled radar equipment. And in the chamber below is graffiti dated 1941. 

 

  

^ the Upper Hall, with its much older, possibly original fireplace archway clearly seen above the much later, much lower one. Even in the 12th century - great hall's fireplaces were still either away from the walls (possibly in the middle of the room but positioned closer to the Lord's table) with open roof vents (and louvers) or else extended into the room but with, often extravagantly decorated, hoods over them to the chimney.    There are 13 stone corbels around the room (two are adjacent to the higher fireplace arch in the LH photo) with recesses into the wall to take elegantly arched timber beams for the roof above.  At the higher level is a gallery door to the passageway within the wall and a chamber in the north square tower.  I don't recall how exactly this was accessed, but I believe it must have been a walk way around the domed roof (which is still some way below the tower wall's ramparts), from a similar doorway on a passage inside the south wall, besides the SE tower. I presume the domed roof was closed and so that gallery was around its outside.  This too must have been had a flat roof for access to the ramparts and turrets. 

The second of my photos shows one of the three double windows into the Upper Hall.  Actually it quite nice for a fortress tower, as that elevation does catch the sunlight. Originally, and for two or three centuries later - they'd be no glass, and so wooden shutters and heavy drapes would have lost that airiness.  The fireplace and candles would have lit it romantically dim and smokey.  You can just see arched doorway ..off the window bay, which run inside the round towers walls. 

It is, at least to me, interesting and fun to study such plans and touchable features in these ancient castles, and to try n' figure out how the spaces were used, what sort of living style the rich and privileged enjoyed, and their staff, and again what exactly was from which era in this building's 850-year history.? 

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and lengthy conversations with the friendly and informal English Heritage staff.    

^ the view from the rampart looking east over the town of Orford. The sea can seen beyond the shingle Orford Ness.  The River Ore is between the Ness and the trees, where the port now is.

In the evening I ventured down to the port, with its yacht club and mostly leisure craft and just a few fishing boats.

Katie, on the quayside - enjoying the evening air and the calls of oyster-catchers as the tide goes out...

In the distance, remembrance of this countryside's more recent military history, where over-the-horizon radar was developed and then atomic research establishment.  After military use, the powerful transmitting station was used by for BBC World Services  broadcasts around the clock.  It closed in May 2012 after 30 years of service.  in 2017 Radio Caroline started broadcasting on 648 kHz  ..which I still enjoy the music of.

It's an intriguing castle and coastline still  ..on the road-to-nowhere, and so forgotten mostly by the fast paced world.

Pete

Orford Castle c.1600

 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Bfg

[harlequin]

Is that a Fairey Albacore coming in over the Flying Fortress? Or should I say "The Fairey Albacore" as there is only one left.

George 

[Motorsport Mickey]

18 minutes ago, harlequin said:

Is that a Fairey Albacore coming in over the Flying Fortress? Or should I say "The Fairey Albacore" as there is only one left.

George 

Not sure but it looks a little “thick” around the cockpit area and short in the engine length that looks like it’s driving a 2 bladed propellor ! I thought the Albacore had a 3 blade prop to allow the “ Big boy” torpedoes to be hauled off carrier decks.

Mick Richards

[harlequin]

Hi Mick

You are right it's not an Albacore. I have been trawling the net (Strickly is on the telly) and Albacore has double wing struts, wonder what it is?

George 

[Motorsport Mickey]

1 minute ago, harlequin said:

Hi Mick

You are right it's not an Albacore. I have been trawling the net (Strickly is on the telly) and Albacore has double wing struts, wonder what it is?

George 

2 blade prop says mid to late 30s and Gloster were popular then ( Gladiator etc which it has similarities to) I think they had a couple of non descript designs in that period that after introduction faded out it may be one of them.

Mick Richards

[Lebro]

2 hours ago, rcreweread said:

I don't think it was Bob as it had floats hanging down from the end of the wings - I know because I had to be careful driving around them!

Cheers Rich

Ok, there must be more of them around than I thought !

Bob

[harlequin]

49 minutes ago, Motorsport Mickey said:

2 blade prop says mid to late 30s and Gloster were popular then ( Gladiator etc which it has similarities to) I think they had a couple of non descript designs in that period that after introduction faded out it may be one of t

Mick Richards

This has got me hooked, it looks late 30s to me maybe an artillery spotter or liason aircraft, by the end of the Strictly season I will have cracked it.

George 

[RobH]

The biplane is a Beech stagger-wing I think. Used for liaison duties and named for the back-stagger of its wings.

Edited September 24, 2022 by RobH

[harlequin]

 

1 minute ago, RobH said:

The biplane is a Beech stagger-wing I think. Used for liaison duties. 

Well done Rob you have nailed it

George 

[RobH]

4 hours ago, rcreweread said:

don't think it was Bob as it had floats hanging down from the end of the wings

That Catalina is an amphibian so the floats are usually folded upwards when flying or on land, as in the photo - they are the 'lumps' at the wingtips.  Perhaps they had been folded down for display. 

[harlequin]

Plane spotting is soooo much better then Strictly (although I think one or two on the show got so excited a little bit of wee may of come out)

George 

[harrytr5]

On 9/24/2022 at 9:36 PM, RobH said:

The biplane is a Beech stagger-wing I think. Used for liaison duties and named for the back-stagger of its wings.

I believe they are two Navy pilots and commissioned a recent Seafire restoration (Naval version of the Spifire) which is now flying.

Regards Harry TR5 Nutter

[Bfg]

On 9/24/2022 at 9:36 PM, RobH said:

The biplane is a Beech stagger-wing I think. Used for liaison duties and named for the back-stagger of its wings.

Many thanks Rob.

I was intrigued when I saw it fly because I'd not previously thought of bi-planes as having retractable undercarriage.  On the day of the TSSC meeting there was no commentary to tell us what aircraft was flying and an IWM attendant was unable to help with an identification. I guess the camouflage, of the one we saw, threw us off track a little as the yellow example you show is very much more recognizable.  I was then surprised to read that it was not of later design. To start a new company for the build of executive-travel aircraft in the early 1930's was ballsy !  And for a fabric covered bi-plane to achieve air speeds (in 1937) of over 200mph is impressive - no doubt thanks to the fold-away undercarriage, the aerodynamic wing struts, as well as its later massive (16-litre) 400+ bhp Wright Whirlwind radial engine ( ..according to < wiki > )

It's a particularly interesting aircraft, as indeed are the persons and pilots involved.

Cheers,

Pete 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

On 9/24/2022 at 9:27 PM, Lebro said:

Ok, there must be more of them around than I thought !

Bob

Link to the owners club Bob

 

https://www.catalina.org.uk/

[Bfg]

This past Sunday was the Essex classic car show in Colchester, Essex . . .

^ This annual show is held on Colchester Castle Park, which really belies its city-centre location.  

^ There's Katie  ..together with other cars from the TR Register's East Saxon  group, besides the white club banner, backed up to the Jaguar Enthusiast club. 

^ a turnout of eight TR's in attendance from this group ..although there were also also a TR3A in with the TSSC group, and other local members attended without their cars.  Fantastic weather and another great day out.

Pete.

- - -

 

 

^ Colchester castle, on the hill above the park, is of early Norman construction. It is uncertain but many scholar's believe it was built a further two stories higher.   It's built on the site of a Roman Temple, which was sacked & burnt by the forces of Boudica (..or Boadicea) < more here >. The temple was rebuilt and defensive walls built around the town. It's long since been a garrison town.  

The castle is now a museum, mostly dedicated to its Roman history.  This included an impressive audio-visual projection of historic events (depictions thereof) against the huge inside wall, around which are cabinet displays and interactions . . .

 

^ It strange to me, to think that such temples existed in Britain.  Italy, Greece, even Israel and other hot n' dusty places, but here in England !  

When the Romans left Britain c. 400AD the temple was destroyed by Anglo-Saxon and the building materials recycled.  Although the foundations remained, after it was sacked once again - I presume they were either not substantial enough, or there vaults were vulnerable to undermining ..so the Normal castle fortification was built immediately around them. The design layout is similar but larger than the White Tower of London.   

 

 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by Bfg

[Bfg]

Travel log moved from ; Where did you drive to with your TR today

 

Sunday 2nd October - and the weather was gorgeous in its colours and warmth, so I took the opportunity to get out and about while the season lasted.

destination ; Castle Acre, in Norfolk, via the Thetford forest - round trip about 125 miles . . .

Nor(se-)folk drivers seemed slower than ever, but when the road was clear it was a pleasant drive. The deciduous trees along the roadside just turning autumnal golds and red.  

  

^ 7th Armoured Division - Desert Rats.  From El Alamein to Berlin, via North Africa - Italy - Thetford Forest - France - Belgium - Holland

..stationed in Thetford Forest between January and May 1944, while they prepared for the invasion of Normandy.  This was the only time the division was in the United Kingdom in it's entire existence. The division sailed from Felixstowe on the 5th June 1944, with the first tanks landing on Gold Beach on the evening of 6th June 1944.  May your glory ever shine.

" May your laurels never fade. May the memory of this glorious pilgrimage of war you have made from Alamein, via the Baltic, to Berlin never die. It is a March unsurpassed through all the story of war.  May the fathers long tell the children about this tale"  Winston Churchill.

^ In this weather it was a pleasant trail through the trees to where the 'Desert Rat's training camp was.

Our next stop took us a little back in time  . . .

^ Castle Acre's Castle - built soon after the Norman Conquest (following the Battle of Hastings).  Although unimpressive in the photo, the site itself is ..because the scale and sharp definition of the earthworks of this round Motte & Bailey castle as well as it's outer bailey defensive embankments are so very intact.

 

^ even a composite of four of my photographs doesn't give an impression of three-dimensional scale of these earthworks  But as a reference Katie is the red dot parked next to the large house / museum to the far right of the photo.

  

It was also nice to walk the battlements and remaining curtain walls without health n' safety barriers everywhere.

- - -

I then went around to the other side of this small and historic village, to the fantastical Castle Acre Priory ...

^ This site is again extensive with the church nave, seeming to me, of cathedral proportions. The audio tour was invaluable to explain what each chamber was used for and how.. from the church itself and the cloisters, to the dormitory (for up to 32 monks aside, from the prior), and the chapter house, refectory, infirmary, kitchen block, and two story latrine building, over its own stream ..to flush its contents away.  Being of French Cluniac (an order started in Burgundy) monastry (probably England's first) the architecture of each building is impressive at every turn with its masonry detailing superb.  Far too much for me to convey here, and of course much of it destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII / Thomas Cromwell in the latter 1530's . . .

  

^ Still, aside from the ground plan and some walls, masonry details have survived the past 900 years (..and subsequent changes like glazed windows) pretty well.

     

  

 

All in all a fascinating and most enjoyable day-trip into the past.  It's amazing where a TR can take you ! 

Our run back was via Downham Market for a cuppa tea with my friend Mathew, from the TSSC, and then I headed back to my local pub for Sunday roast dinner.  Katie  of course ran impeccably although by 9:30pm, when I got home it was a bit chilly driving around with the roof open.  Still I'm very much happier driving her, than a boring modern car.

Pete 

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Bfg

[Bfg]

Two weeks later, and I'm still keeping busy on repainting the under-water-line of the old boat. 

^ Four thinned-coats of epoxy primer, sanded down twice have left me with a nasty rash, which (according to its proximity on my upper chest and on my back) I take to be an allergic reaction. I've never had it before but I guess I'm getting passed the stage of being young and forever invulnerable .  I'll know next time (well, when doing similar activities with epoxy) to wear a full one-piece disposable suit.    

..so no trip out last weekend - but this weekend I couldn't miss the opportune beautiful weather, so up along the Suffolk coast again, this time to the small town of Leiston.  the town is famous for its industrial heritage, primarily as the home of the world famous Garrett works – one of Great Britain’s finest agricultural and steam engine production lines, opened in 1852 and celebrated today at the town’s Long-Shop Museum.  Leiston is also the home of Suffolk’s oldest purpose built cinema, opened in 1914.  The steam museum holds it's final steam day of the season on the 30th October, so today I went across to visit the remains of its Abbey. It is one of Suffolk’s most impressive monastic ruins and also home to Pro-Corda, a music organisation, providing education through the medium of chamber music. . .

   

illustration by Peter Urmston of the abbey as it may have looked in the 16th century © Historic England ^^

An extraordinary thing about this monastery / Abbey is that it survived at all.  It was founded in 1182 by Ranulf de Glanville, Henry II ’s Chief Justiciar, and was dedicated to St Mary ...but it was evidently built elsewhere ..on a rather unhealthy location on swampy ground.  In about 1363 the abbey was moved (that's only 180 years of dwelling in a swamp !). So, brick by brick it was dismantled and the building materials and many of the original features carried across to the new site, where the abbey with its cloister and huge church was rebuilt and expanded upon.  Oddly, considering how costly this must have been.. many of the original architectural features in the Norman style were not updated to the fashions of the 14th century. The abbey was home to Augustinian canons who followed the Premonstratensian rule. Their domestic buildings were damaged by fire in the 1380's. These were then rebuilt. Nowadays there's just the outlines which remain.

  

After the suppression* the King bestowed the abbey on his brother-in-law Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. And a farmhouse was built into the corner of the nave and north transept. The abbey buildings were used as farm buildings, and other parts of the church itself being used as a barn.

* suppression refers to various events at different times and places when monastic foundations were abolished and their possessions were appropriated by the state. It happened across Europe, but similarly in China, Mongolia, Mexico and California at different times.  Generally known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England, and is the administrative and legal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their income, disposed of their assets and (..barely) provided for their former members.

So, having originally been built in a wholly unsatisfactory location and then moved, burnt down, and then converted into a farm and its building left to crumble ..it still survives.  A new front was added to the house in the Georgian period, and between the presbytery and the north transept is the Lady Chapel. This was restored and furnished in 1918.  It is now a very modest but freshly re-thatched chapel which is still in use, both by the chamber music school which is based here and by those on Christian retreat.  As indeed is the house, which itself retains 18th century features. 

  

The humbleness of the Lady's Chapel ..and its present use, is special.

 

The surviving 14th.century architecture of the church reflects grandeur and very fine stone masonry.  You'll note in the second of these photos the flat fint work ..with the darker flints being used as if faux windows set within their limestone frames. These of course being aside from the massive arched windows that would once have had stained glass.  For a reclusive abbey, barely noticeable along a Suffolk back-road to nowhere - the craftsmanship is very impressive.   

^ Katie enjoying this October's fine weather too !

Pete

 

 

[PodOne]

Hi Pete 

Envious of your travels with Katie!

Makes me wish mine was finished and on the road now. Next year wit a bit of luck.

Hope it keeps fine for you to allow a few more outings and photo sessions.

Andy 

[PaulAnderson]

On 7/5/2022 at 9:43 AM, Bfg said:

......

My first job, out of college, was with Anthony Stevens - Automotive Designer (he had been Chief Engine Designer for Rootes, but long since had gone 'independent'). He taught me so very much more and instilled in me the confidence to make things happen.  I found myself as if his protège, as he designed and we built. legislated & debuted the Stevens-Cipher sports car, the Ladbrooke-Stevens coach-built Jaguar estate and convertibles, and a Rapport Range-Rover shooting brake.  He also gave me a free hand to redevelop his Sienna sports car as a kit-car to be based on the Triumph Herald chassis and mechanicals.  Together with George Elliott - expert in fibreglass (including anti-ballistics) and inventor, we grafted in a rented factory space (formely a canteen) in Coventry (at the heart of the British car industry). Under-finance led to redundancy, but with the new skill set I set up in business as a one-man fibreglass workshop. 

...

Pete   

 

Hi Pete, hope this link works as it was linked from an article on my browser web page.   I recall the Cipher car being reviewed in a magazine at the time and also recall the Midas (a few cars earlier in the scrolling list) as well.

Paul

[Bfg]

1 hour ago, PodOne said:

Hi Pete 

Envious of your travels with Katie!

Makes me wish mine was finished and on the road now. Next year wit a bit of luck.

Hope it keeps fine for you to allow a few more outings and photo sessions.

Andy 

Thanks Andy,  Katie's going well for these local trips out, and I do enjoy driving her. Just today i was thinking how long it seems since we went out, so I guess that means that I have missed it.  Sort of like getting back on the old motorcycle after a good while and thinking "why didn't I use it more ..I do enjoy it".  

Mike & Carole with Brenda, continually inspire me to enjoy the TR.  Although unlike their sterling example - I have to admit that I've not yet cleaned and polished Katie .  Shame on me I know, especially as it was tree-sapped upon while at Colchester Castle Park and so has been on the to-do list (..for this weekend) - but instead we simply went out and enjoyed the drive.  Any way I'm glad Katie's  little travel-log has you wishing and motivated to use your own ..early next year I hope. 

While out and about today we waved to other open top drivers, including a couple or MX-5's and a white Triumph Stag, as well as a 1970's saloon, possibly one of the Roote's Arrow range, and then also a motorcyclist.  But to be honest considering the number of classic cars around we see very few on the roads ..away from classic car shows.  I like to take advantage of the great weather, while I can still drive with the top open (..and just wearing a sleeved shirt), and clearly many other drivers and pedestrians enjoy seeing these cars on the road too.     

Pete

 

[Bfg]

1 hour ago, PaulAnderson said:

Hi Pete, hope this link works as it was linked from an article on my browser web page.   I recall the Cipher car being reviewed in a magazine at the time and also recall the Midas (a few cars earlier in the scrolling list) as well.

Paul

Thanks Paul, yes the link worked fine, even on my old computer. 

If I recall Motor  magazine did the first test, which helped persuade the organisers of the International Motor Show (1980) to let us have a stand at the NEC.  Strictly speaking the show would only allow production cars, but we had just completed limited-volume type-approval, and so with that magazine's backing we were let in.  Autocar's  test followed and featured a stunning photo of the silver prototype against a back ground of flames (burning stubble off a corn field) and that really boosted the all important would-be-dealer enquiries.  Despite those (..and their potential for advanced sales) our venture capitalist ran away.. when the much publicised Hesketh motorcycles went under and then Delorian hit the news as a government fraud. 

That was a great shame, as I'm convinced Tony was savvy enough to have taken the car to success.  1980 was just after both the Triumph Spitfire and the MG Midget were withdrawn. Fiat had scheduled the end of the X-19 but kept it going, but in the UK that end of the market was left wide open.  Scimitar's management were I believe 'influenced' in their decision to not pursue the Cipher (they test built 2 cars) but instead to spend their children's inheritance and fours years in developing their SS1.  A Japanese contingent did show great interest in the Cipher at the motor-show, but then went home and produced their own car.  It took them a further nine years though.  

That particular lime green Cipher was #5 built.  I thought it was an unusual choice of colour at the time, but it's grown on me and now I like it.  

Pete