Musings of an aging fan

http://www.orcadian.co.uk/2015/08/festival-of-the-horse-and-boys-ploughing-match-2/

For ladyofastolat, cmcmck, heliopausa, rthstewart and others.

ETA: And while I'm posting links:
http://boingboing.net/2015/08/14/howto-build-an-endor-speeder-b.html

Reading CJ Sansom's Dominion prompted me to find out more about this.

The Great Smog of '52 or Big Smoke was a severe air-pollution event that affected London during December 1952. A period of cold weather, combined with an anticyclone and windless conditions, collected airborne pollutants mostly from the use of coal to form a thick layer of smog over the city. It lasted from Friday 5 to Tuesday 9 December 1952, and then dispersed quickly after a change of weather.

Although it caused major disruption due to the effect on visibility, and even penetrated indoor areas, it was not thought to be a significant event at the time, with London having experienced many smog events in the past, so-called "pea soupers". Government medical reports in the following weeks estimated that up until 8 December 4,000 people had died prematurely and 100,000 more were made ill because of the smog's effects on the human respiratory tract. More recent research suggests that the total number of fatalities was considerably greater, at about 12,000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog

For book-lovers in this neck of the woods:
http://www.booksonthehill.co.uk/home

Next week's Desert Island Discs should be interesting.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29936069

Anyone looking to move house ... ?
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-…/property-45426631.html
http://www.d-s-r.co.uk/property/house-croft-braeview2.htm

May be of interest:
http://www.lifehacker.co.uk/2014/11/04/debug-brain-build-better-habits

And in planning, always remember Cole's Law.

Why did no-one tell me about this? Why? Why???

http://www.lesmachines-nantes.fr/en/machines-de-l-ile/the-grand-elephant/

Street murals made from sugar
http://boingboing.net/2012/11/02/street-murals-made-from-sugar.html

An extreme motorcycle tour of the Himalayas aboard a classic Enfield
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4a9b4482-1f6e-11e2-b273-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2B5uAeFms
(Free registration might be needed before you can read the article)

Evidence of Viking Outpost Found in Canada
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/10/121019-viking-outpost-second-new-canada-science-sutherland/

The search for Canada's Vikings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-20102566

Skeleton at Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey, sheds light on Viking Age
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-20072974

"Frankenstein" Bog Mummies Discovered in Scotland
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/07/120706-bog-mummies-body-parts-frankenstein-ancient-science/?source=hp_dl1_news_frankenstein_mummies20120709

Saxon find in Lyminge has historians partying like it's 599
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/oct/30/lyminge-kent-anglo-saxon-hall

"And so here, once again, is my annual plea for a proper biography to replace the original volume written by Humphrey Carpenter as long ago as 1977 ... A N Wilson, among half-a-dozen suitable candidates, would do a splendid job and should be signed up forthwith."
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/tories-please-note-money-isnt-everything-8210311.html

"Tolkien fans at Frankfurt Book Fair"
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/photos/7814617/Tolkien-fans-at-Frankfurt-Book-Fair

"An antiques dealer has gone on trial accused of selling books on eBay signed with fake autographs of public figures including Winston Churchill, Robert Louis Stevenson and Pablo Picasso ... Police also found the forged signatures of JRR Tolkien, Oliver Cromwell, Elizabeth I and Marie Antoinette at Mr Formhal's home, the court was told."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-19888984

"Tolkien fan paints her fantasies"
http://www.simcoe.com/news/article/1517533--tolkien-fan-paints-her-fantasies

"'No decision is taken lightly. It's unbelievably painful at times trying to find the core essence of Tolkien...,' he said."
http://www.rappler.com/entertainment/14173-the-challenge-of-making-book-based-films

"Canada cheese-smuggling ring busted - policeman charged"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19751695

Stephen Fry *and* Daleks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01m182n/Frys_English_Delight_Series_5_Intonation/

Bright red bird escapes from Edinburgh Zoo
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19346665

Can I have one please?
http://technabob.com/blog/2012/08/21/starship-enterprise-rc-plane/

What an odd bird!
http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=10989820

Peter Jackson, John Howe and Alan Lee's RotR video has now been released to the public!
http://news.mymiddleearth.com/2012/08/19/peter-jackson-alan-lee-john-howe-greetings-to-the-tolkien-society-from-new-zealand/

Richard III's remains: Leicester car park dug up
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-19361350

Life on board a British nuclear submarine: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/21/life-on-board-nuclear-submarine?newsfeed=true
Photos: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/gallery/2012/aug/21/royal-navy-military#/?picture=395010946&index=0

A new one-off / pilot comedy from the pens of Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/just-around-the-corner/4od#3400952

Fantasy Armour and Lady Bits
http://madartlab.com/2011/12/14/fantasy-armor-and-lady-bits/

Women Fighters in Reasonable Armo(u)r
http://womenfighters.tumblr.com/

A letter from Tom Shippey
http://www.swallowsndaggers.net/forum/viewthread/5253/

A podcast with Tom Shippey
http://menetspecials.mevio.com/?action=embed-flash

Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil
http://km-515.livejournal.com/1042.html

Newman and Tolkien: a conference in New York on 20 February
http://www.newmanfriendsinternational.org/newman/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/invitation-20-february-2012-newman-lecture.pdf

The Hobbit: blatant Anti-Christian bigotry and Atheist propaganda
http://christiansforamoralamerica.blogspot.com/2011/12/boycott-announcement-hobbit-movie.html