No Fixed Address

Last weekend a few of us intrepid folk (two Londoners, a Milton Keynesier and Belfastian, ventured forth to Oxford.  The reason for this expedition was the Steampunk exhibit at the History of Science Museum.

I didn’t know really what to expect as I am peripherally acquainted with the world of steampunk.  I would like to get more involved in it but I feel I need a welder and a workshop.  Anyway, it is really neat and I admire anyone who has the ability to combine modernity with 18-19th century concepts.  Some of the exhibit looked practical and other very artistic.  So here is a bit of a selection.

This was one of my favourites because the detail was amazing.  I would love to know how they manage it.  However, I think I would most likely fail at this sort of endeavour mainly because I would not have the patience for it.  Although, I am vaguely flirting with the idea of being Steampunk Sharpe for Halloween next year (I cannot describe how much I want Sharpe’s jacket), so perhaps I will have to take a year and just work steadily.  The house we moved into has lots of tools in the attic so I would not be totally bereft of equipment.  As well, if I have a plan of stuff by February I could always impose upon the brother’s mechanical skills and welding equipment to do the hard bits.

Fireman’s helmet

Again, the detail is amazing –  the goggles, breathing apparatus, fire burns and the insignia.  These first two were at the very beginning of the exhibition and I could have just sat there and stared at these for hours.

Mechanical spider!  For some reason I do not find this nearly as terrifying as real spiders.  I kind of had a giggle in my brain when I saw this because it reminded me of Wild Wild West, which kind of is Steampunk isn’t it?

This was just fantastic, you had to look at it for ages to get all the detail.  Not only the mechanical bits but the waistcoat and hat!  Combination mechanical arm and breathing apparatus.

After the main Steampunk section they had 19th century artefacts which was a really cool touch.

We wandered through the rest of the science museum checking out old sextants, microscopes, cameras and the like.  Then we all sat around thinking how screwed we would be if somehow transported back 2-300 years (hells, 50.  No mobiles, no Twitter, no internet. OH GOD) since we could not navigate without a compass or more realistically, googlemaps.

From Steampunk we went for to the Bear (really old, aces pub) for a well deserved lunch!  Onward to the Natural History and Pitt-Rivers museum.  It is unbelievably pretty in there, this picture completely does not do it justice.  What is it with gorgeous natural history museums?

Also: OXFORD DODO.

I really enjoyed the displays, I always love looking at fossils.  I need to get out a proper book to know all the ages and such.  It would be excellent to go to some of these places where fossils are found, I would really like to fossil hunt.  Future plans (like in a couple years) possibly entail driving from Alberta from the Burgess Shale down through fossil country and onward to Comic Con again.

We then went out and rejuvenated with Cream Tea; after which I nearly felt like I would explode.  I could not even finish my scones!  We poked about the Ashmolean after that but we were pretty knackered so did not see everything.  It just had a massive restoration and was absolutely gorgeous inside.

Oxford itself, of course, is a lovely place.  I enjoy just walking around and going into the schools where I can.  I need to go back to Cambridge at some point again soon because it is likewise a beautiful city to visit.  However, I should make a list of cities I haven’t been so I can comment upon their loveliness.

Londinium! There be a lot of history here.  Thus, I am making a conscious effort to explore more of the area I live in.  My last two flats in London were not located in the most historical of areas (well, sort off but there was nothing interesting to take photos of!)  Also, I am just incredibly lazy at reporting all this loveliness to those who do not dwell in such a city as this.

Last weekend, A. and I journeyed forth to the Brunel Museum, which is tiny but I still learned things which is important.  Also, managed to get another picture of a Man of Science, a Brunel obviously, who joins Einstein, Hubble and Darwin on our walls (I need to visit places where I can get some Women of Science to adorn the walls as well).

Marc Isambard Brunel, if you did not know, was a French engineer who was contracted to build a tunnel underneath the Thames for the easy flow of people and goods.  It was his son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel who is the more famous of the two Brunel’s, who also would work on the tunnel and is the Brunel adorning our flat.

Interesting fact:  the tunnel was completed in 1843 and is still in use as part of the London Underground.  This makes it the oldest part of one of the oldest transportation systems in the world.  Cool eh?

The tunnel flooded several times and at least seven people lost their lives.  It took a great deal of money to finally finish the thing.  There was a banquet held after one of the floods; the workers in one of the tunnels and the posh peeps in the other.  Finally, when it was opened people could pay to walk through it.

I complain right now because I can’t walk to work as the Thames is in the way.  There are three tunnels/bridges in the near vicinity but it would turn a two mile walk into 5+ mile trek.  The first is the Greenwich foot tunnel which is not as old as Brunel’s tunnel but still a respectable 107 years old.  The next is Tower Bridge which would take me quite far out of the way and the last is the Rotherithe Tunnel but that is mainly for vehicles and I don’t fancy inhaling exhaust for a mile before and after work every day.  Alas, perhaps we need a Canary Wharf tunnel and then my life would be easier.  Brunel’s tunnel would be useful but it, alas, is not for pedestrians but rather as mentioned above, the London Underground.

There are several other museums within walking distance: tea and coffee museum, something with a giant engine, Imperial War Museum amongst others.  So hopefully when the weather is not appalling, I will go forth and be a little more knowledgeable about my borough.

After museuming we had to stop at The Mayflower, which was an ever so pretty pub.  We enjoyed cider and an Old Speckled Hen (ale for those of forrin’ dispositions) which I must say, was was a treat.  Seriously, sometimes you can go for months on end having just end of the cask pints and being disappointed.  But no, this was a Good Pint.

Finally we took a detour through Southwark Park, which was really quite pretty with all the fall colours.

All this was about 30 minutes walk from my flat.  I really like where I live now; my other flats were okay but the location of this one means that central London is walkable.  My plan for research in the new year is to walk once a week to Conway Hall for long Saturday mornings reading about freethinkers.  I’ll have to take some pictures of that place too because it has a very interesting history all its own.