tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post3290555071466024572..comments2024-03-13T10:32:22.656+00:00Comments on thanetonline: Through, a Glass Darkly, some pictures and thoughts from the last few days.Michael Childhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09499435016469020417noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-85151447635067069712011-03-14T21:40:58.838+00:002011-03-14T21:40:58.838+00:00Hiya Michael
Just to say off thread, Dr Weightman...Hiya Michael<br /><br />Just to say off thread, Dr Weightman, Head of Nuclear Inspectorate who will be conducting the nuclear safety review, sent me a pretty much immediate email reply saying he looks fwd to my copy report as a contribution to his inquiry.<br /><br />I had summarised the content in my email to him.<br /><br />Just finished copying and compiling the bound file and it is going to my MP to be handed to Chris Huhne.<br /><br />WE do our best for Blighty Michael .....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-46778005066003912222011-03-14T19:21:00.136+00:002011-03-14T19:21:00.136+00:00From David Redfern, Acol: The 'Matthew', h...From David Redfern, Acol: The 'Matthew', has, as you point out, just arrived from Bristol. I was a director of the project to build the ship from 1994 to 1998, and I also sailed 3500 miles on the ship. She is 65' long on the water,and is typical of one of thousands of similar Portuguese style caravels that were the workhorses of European seas. The original Matthew sailed from Bristol in 1497 with John Cabot and 'discovered' north America, something his colleague Columbus didn't do. They both were at the same navigation school in Venice. The size of ships for a thousand years or so was governed simply by the length of a good piece of hardwood for the keel out of one tree, and similarly for the masts. The 'Matthew's keel is one giant log of hardwood and the main mast was donated by Prince Philip from the Sandringham estate and was one tree when it arrived in Bristol in 1996. The frames of the ship are all oak, and the planks are larch below the waterline and Douglas fir above. This is a very strong ship, and I was very grateful to the highly technical and intricate construction when sailing amongst the icebergs of Newfoundland. Readers are welcome to come down and have a look, although I can't say you could go aboard. On Thursday she will be converted into the Dawn Treader and then on Saturday go to London for the launch of the latest Narnia DVD. She will be back in Ramsgate on the 24th to be converted bacj to the 'Matthew' again before sailing to Cornwall.David Redfernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02542065669723229914noreply@blogger.com