Clockwork of the Gods

Not every day an old hack like me learns a new word... But today I encountered orrery for the first time.

An orrery is a clockwork model of the solar system and is named, my dictionary tells me, after someone called The Earl of Orrery. I have been reading today about The Antikythera Mechanism which is an ancient Greek mystery object, a kind of orrery perhaps, found by a sponge diver in a Roman wreck, and is thought to be some sort of analogue computer able to predict the motion of the stars and planets. Having up to 72 gears in its workings, it is reckoned to be about 1000 years ahead of its time. Found this fascinating today. Surprised wild eyed ufologists haven't got hold of this one... Clockwork of the Gods. But the culture that produced Plato, Aristotle and Homer to name but three, certainly knew its onions.

Anyway, apart from missing my train due to losing my train pass (in my pocket all the time, duh) today was rather nice. And I was like a hot knife through butter when it came to work, and the Gnome and me generally had a bit of a laugh.

Another swim. Seeing again the older, rather tidy red-haired man. who seems to have taken a shine to me. Except that is when I splash his hair. I think he holds his head very erect above the water in case it runs.

Had coffee with Trace in the afternoon, she was telling me about her plans to move to Brook Green which is a nice area, and near work too.

The police called me to say my burglar is now going to Crown Court to be sentenced, although there is no date set for it. The Police are very good about keeping me informed about the progress of all this.

Home on time today, and am now enjoying Nina Simone's Nina Simone and Piano! album in my study, and looking forward to an early night.

Toby just Skyped me from Toronto... Updating me on the Canadian goss. Turns out he's Mad for the Mechanism too, and gave out a photocopied article to some of his school students. It made us both independently think of the alethiometer from Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. We'll see each other in Japan in a matter of weeks.

Below a photo of salvaged pieces of the mechanism, nicked from the BBC. Link above.

Comments

badgerdaddy said…
Brook Green... I used to work at the Brook Green Hotel, and lived just around the corner on Shepherds Bush Road. It's a bit rough and ready either side of the green, but good fun - and of course there's the Queen's Head on the green, which is very nice. Also a couple of good greasy spoons nearby and a shop which sells second-hand porn... Yes, really.
But the best thing? Holloway's of Ludlow. Why? I am from Ludlow and just moved back there, and last time I was in Hammersmith, I walked down past my old flat and saw Holloway's had moved nextdoor to where me and someone else from Ludlow used to share a flat. Spooky!
I'm rambling. Hi. Got a shiny new blog, too. http://thebingocalleroflove.blogspot.com/
Peter Kenny said…
nice to see you back in the blogosphere badgerdaddy!
badgerdaddy said…
Nice to be here!