Taken almost exactly a decade ago, this is the last in my short series celebrating this week's 50th anniversary of the first fare-paying passenger flight by a Boeing 747. That flight was was operated by Pan-Am from JFK - London Heathrow.

In this photo, a China Airlines Cargo is about to touch down on 05L at Ringway, Manchester Airport. Today, the company still operates just over 20 jumbos. Like the one above, most are dedicated to freight.

Long may we continue to see the Queen of the Skies!

After half a century, another old time Houston store finally closed earlier this year. It has occupied a large 19th St lot in the now highly fashionable and very expensive Heights district. I very much doubt the facade let alone the signage will survive redevelopment, what ever that might entail.

This week's Saturday Timewatch is a surprise find during a rainy day rummage through the archives.

Here is the back story. A couple of years ago, Rob Finch posted a photo of a Caravelle that stirred my memory of flying on board an Air France Caravelle from Manchester to Nice, then onward to Ajaccio, Corsica using the same aircraft. However, at the time I couldn't find any evidence to back my memory up. Indeed, I couldn't find any internet reference to that service ever existing. In fact I still can't!

Nevertheless here is as much proof as I need that my memory isn't completely shot. The photo is massively cleaned up from a very poor copy of a slide made a decade ago, from a very poor original. I can tell from the set of holiday snaps that this was taken right at the end of the trip and is the only aircraft photographed in my Corsica slides. It is an Air France (Sud Aviation) SE-210 Caravelle 111 (F-BJTQ) most likely taken on August 29th 1979. The location is Ajaccio, Corsica. A little further technical information is given for the enthusiasts below.

(No, no need to flag the photo!)

It had become something of a quest to get at least a record shot of this British Airways B747 G-BYGC. It is one of several aircraft painted with retro schemes to celebrate the carrier's centenary.

The weather was foul. It was like trying to photograph something through a waterfall. So the shot above has been titivated to within an inch of its life to become as presentable as possible. The aircraft was on short finals to 09L at London Heathrow, arriving from San Francisco.

So why the quest? It all goes back well over 40 years. A transatlantic return provided a succession of snafus and cock-ups, all of which turned out brilliantly. To begin with I had my first but by no means my last in-flight "emergency". The adventure had only just begun when we went around the Isle of Wight three times dumping fuel and it was announced the nose wheel was stuck in the down position and we would be returning to base.

Following this, second and third snafus provided my first and only flights on both the legendary DC-3 and VC-10. Fantastic! The domino effect of things going awry then topped things out nicely with my first and again unexpected flight on a Jumbo. THAT is why I was so keen to see the aircraft featured in the photo. That first 747 was indeed a BOAC flight from JFK back to Heathrow. I even remember what was playing on the sound system as we were about to leave the stand.....Junior Walker "Walk In The Night"

I was hooked on the Jumbo from that moment and it has been my favourite aircraft to fly in for more decades than I care to remember.

Taken by an unknown photographer, this pre-1957 photo shows one of five stations that used to exist between Weymouth and Dorchester. Today, just Upwey Station remains.

Opened in 1905, the halt was designed to capture tourist trade to the wishing well in Upwey, even though it was well (apologies for the play on words!) over one mile away. This can be seen from the map below. Apparently it was never that popular with locals due to the very steep steps seen in this photo. Increasing competition from both cars and buses led to the station's closure in 1957. Today, the railway bridge (and maybe the steps?) are the only things left to be seen though trains do still run across at regular intervals.

This week's Saturday Timewatch is a follow-on from Danny's recent post flic.kr/p/2r1JbPf

One of the common denominators is the lack of any telephone number. I can only assume that being local family businesses, most of their trade comes via personal recommendation. I can add that when the outside of our property was painted last year, a different father and son business were employed and they definitely came through word of mouth. They said they never needed to advertise as they had more work than they could cope with!

Hopefully someone will add details about the fine old vehicle in the photo, registration WFJ 304K.

Short for "Triangulation Point" (also known as a Benchmark) this is the detail from an Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar on top of Abbotsbury Castle, Dorset. On the O/S Explorer Map for the area, the pillar is marked by a small blue triangle with a blue dot in the middle. In this case, the map shows the height above sea level as 215 metres.

Even though the mapping use of these has been superceded by satellite and laser technologies, hundreds, possibly thousands of trig points remain in situ across the UK.

.....and ford!

Barely a mile north from the county town of Dorchester, an ancient public right-of-way crosses the water meadows of the River Frome towards the small farm settlement of Frome Whitfield. I doubt the route would be easily passable at many times of the year. However, during a dry summer it provides a delightful walk.

It was great to meet long-time flickr contact Dave G. B. at this weekend's Swanage Railway Gala. He does NOT feature in this photo. I suspect quite a few of you remember the 'good old days' of slam door trains?

Thanks for your visit Dave. Very enjoyable!

This is the scene at West Weares, Portland, in 1964. Work is being carried out to address the ever-present threat of Kimmeridge Clay landslip from the slopes whilst also trying to protect erosion from the sea to the left. Note the house to the top left, clearly visible in the 2023 photo shown below.

With my watch to give scale these are a selection of giant ammonite imprints found recently on Ringstead Beach.

This week's Saturday Timewatch features the delightful Staverton Station on the South Devon Railway. Contact David Hayes recently posted a photo and commented how this particular heritage railway made extra efforts to look and feel as much as possible as it would have done in the heyday of Great Western.

The tiny level crossing signal box is the original. The railway's website comments that when the line was preserved in the late 1960s, a local Vicar had purchased it and had the box in his garden as a green house. A suitable replacement was supplied and the 'box returned to its original task!

Being brought up in England after World War 2, I have a reasonable memory of what rationing life was like even many years after VE Day 1945. However, I am far less familiar with typical urban life in America during the war.

So I was fascinated by this exhibit at the small Commemorative Airforce Museum at West Houston Airport. Unfortunately I don't know either its date or the artist. You can click on the image for large size. However, I'll highlight a couple of things. In the bottom left corner, mostly clipped off the photo, is a Victory Garden, very reminiscent of the highly successful British "Dig For Victory" campaign in which huge numbers of open spaces were transformed into allotments to grow fresh food in a time of severe rationing.

I was puzzled by the rationing of petrol / gas. Apparently the reason had nothing to do with a shortage of fuel in itself. It was an attempt, that eventually spread across all states, to limit driving because of a drastic shortage of rubber. This was due to the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies that cut off the U.S. supply.

As far as I can see this is an original and still working wall-mounted post box installed during the reign of Queen Victoria 1837-1901. It was probably put in place during the latter years of her reign. The slit for letters is still open. The collection times information is up-to-date. Maybe only the key looks in less than good working order?

It is located at Bowood Cross on the Bridport to Broadwindsor road in Dorset. Whilst the wall seems to be 'true' the box itself is slightly off vertical.

This is clearly not my original photo. Crikey! I'm old, creaking and leaking (as my mum used to say) but not that old!

However, I love these old photo records of what life used to be like so have added it to both my Saturday Timewatch and Isle of Portland albums. Quite a bit of sleuthing was required to establish any details but this is the best I could do.

The most likely candidate is the paddle steamer P/S Premier arriving at Castletown, Portland, from Weymouth at around the turn of the 19th / 20th centuries. There are conflicting facts online but she seems to have been purchased by a local solicitor to add competition to two, possibly three existing steamers owned by Cozens (P/S Highland Maid) and The Weymouth and Portland Steam Packet Company (P/S Contractor).

Varying dates are suggested. However, the purchase of P/S Premier may, repeat *may* have been prompted by the unexpected arrival of the huge SS Great Eastern after a major boiler explosion early in her operational days. It seems this had created tremendous local interest and 'everyone' wanted to visit.

The above photo seems to be from a later date. Note the Portland stone blocks awaiting shipping. Even more, note the "Sunday best" and finery that everyone is wearing!

This week's Saturday Timewatch features a third posting taken from the excellent Rodney Legg book "Dorset Flight : The Complete History". I will of course be removing this and any other images from the book should anyone moan about copyright. However, I think the photos deserve a wider showing.

In this instance it is easiest to repeat the caption to the photo. There is no exact date given. However, it will likely have been between 1939 and 1948. I'm not sure why the caption below says "British Airways"? "BOAC" was created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways

"Splash down : An 'Empire' flying boat of British Airways, which has landed on a "trot" (water runway) in Poole Harbour on arrival from Calcutta, is led by Duty Operations Officer in his launch, as she taxis to her mooring buoy. They are off Lilliput, heading westwards, and two other flying boats can be glimpsed in the background (centre left) off Salterns Pier"

Note : I would ask you to refrain from political comments on this particular post. This is not the place. It is merely shown here as probably the most famous locomotive in Texas and one with a most interesting special livery.

Only built in 2005, this locomotive saw relatively little active service for a variety of reasons including the economic crash of 2007-2010. Painted in a scheme that reflects that of Air Force One, the number is chosen because George Bush was the 41st President of the United States. Previously, it was last in Houston to haul his funeral train in 2018, a major event.

Photographed here as part of the 'Big Boy' 4014 operation, it was moved the following day to be donated by Union Pacific to the George Bush Presidential Library at College Station, TX. After prepping, the locomotive will be on permanent display in the pavilion from next year.

This week's Saturday Timewatch features a classic retro livery that harks back to a paint scheme that came into use in 1947 before I was even born.

The aircraft is now under the United flag, B737-900 (N75436). By some near miracle it has retained the original Continental Airlines "The Blue Skyway" livery in which it was delivered 10 years ago to celebrate the 75th anniversary of that airline now merged with United.

On this occasion, the quality of the photo is just about the best I could get at George Bush Intercontinental, IAH, Houston. Firstly there was an overnight change not just of gate but terminal. That meant that by bad luck the aircraft was on stand totally out of view from any of the car park roofs. Then there were two outbound runways in use and it was impossible to second guess which would be used. So it was a matter of being eagle-eyed to spot which way it was going to go and getting to that taxiway viewpoint pronto. As can be seen the photo ended up being taken totally against the light. Nevertheless I was mighty pleased to get to see this classic retro.

A look back to Easter 2013, Almunecar, Spain.

In Catholic Spain, Easter is a massive deal. It seems the whole country comes to a halt for days on end......apart from religious events such as above, not to forget the mass feasting and drinking!

"Always look on the bright side of life"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoBL8M

(Click on image for large size)

There will be few Britains of my age who underestimate the significance of the American contribution to winning WW2 in Europe. Of course there were many facets to this. However, the poster above focuses on the huge input of the USAF in the form of "The Mighty Eighth". Click on the image to bring up the large size. At least on laptops and desktops it is easy to read the detail of dozens of their air bases, most probably in the year 1944.

To give just two indications of the scale of this, approximately one month before D-Day, over 1,300 Eighth Air Force heavy bombers made an all-out attack on the enemy's rail network, striking targets in France and Belgium. On D-Day itself, over 2,300 sorties were flown.

The poster is exhibited in the fascinating small museum operated by the Houston Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.

It is always exciting to start a new project. On the village hall book swap shelf, Kim found the excellent "Portland : Then and Now" published in 2006 by islander Stuart Morris. The idea now is to re-use the book's old photographs and bring things up-to-date in 2023, not for any sort of publication but just for personal interest....no copyright infringements intended.

However, what does the team think? Should the modern photos be in colour or black and white? Two versions of the same up-to-date photo are shown below.

To kick things off this is Victoria Square, Chiswell, where most people arrive on the island after crossing the causeway from the mainland. This photo from 1899 shows the Royal Victoria Lodge Hotel, built around 1867. Of particular interest is the building on the left, namely Portland Station opened just two years earlier. Cab drivers await fares.

(Note : The letterbox format of this post has been dictated by the original wide-angle photo. Most other "then and now" comparison photos that will follow over the coming months will be easier to see on a single page rather than having to click on the photo links)

.

Yesterday we explored the lost short railway branch line that ran for approximately 6 miles from Upwey near Weymouth to Abbotsbury, Dorset. It was opened in 1885 and finally closed in 1952. Primarily aimed at freight traffic (shale oil, stone and iron ore) it was never a success for any of the above as none of the products proved to be as plentiful as anticipated. However, the railway did provide a reasonably successful passenger service as Abbotsbury village is an attractive tourist destination. You can find out more than you'll ever need to know about the railway from this great article that also has lots of photos www.disused-stations.org.uk/a/abbotsbury/

The section between Portesham and Abbotsbury is now a public bridleway right-of-way. In this photo an old lineman's hut can still be seen, complete with coal fireplace inside! Below are two other photos. I'd be delighted if one of our railway experts can explain exactly what the first subsidiary photo shows. The second subsidiary photo shows the goods shed just to the east of where Abbotsbury station was sited. It is now used as an agricultural storage building.

Saturday Timewatch this week features a disused Texaco gas station at the junction of FM150 and FM 170, Driftwood, Texas. I would hazard a guess that it dates from around the 1930s?

Driftwood has been a tiny community ever since the 1880s, often with a population below 100. However, being not that far from the San Marcos - Austin corridor, that is all changing and we could certainly see evidence of significant residential development, not to mention several wineries, wedding venues, a golf and ranch club nearby etc etc.

Note that a sign mentions the Driftwood Historical Preservation Society so let's hope that the building survives the changes going on in the community.

More reminiscent of the north of England, this is actually taken along Fordington High Street less than half a mile from the centre of Dorchester, the county town of Dorset, in the south of England.

With operations dating from earlier in the 19th century, Lott and Walne took over the company around 1890 trading until at least 1955. The Grade 11 listed building now houses apartments. If you scroll about half way down the linked page, there is quite a lot of historical information including a 1915 advert listing the products made, many of which were agricultural implements. This reflects the rural, farming nature of the surrounding county.

www.opcdorset.org/fordingtondorset/Files/FordingtonPhotoH...

A malthouse and a mill also existed along this same street. Both of those are now also apartments.

This weekend's post combines both history and landscape. During the Middle Ages, farming was one of the most important livelihoods in Dorset, just as it is today. Many examples of Medieval farming practices still exist in the form of strip lynchets. You can see them in this photo as horizontal lines across the distant hillside that is known as "West Man" just above "Winspit Bottom" close to the village of Worth Matravers.

A lynchet is a bank of earth that builds up on the downslope of a field ploughed over a long period of time. The disturbed soil slips down the hillside to create a strip lynchet. Some believe that they were passively formed under the long-term action of gravity and weathering on the loosened soil of a ploughed slope. Others think they were intentionally formed, to prevent erosion and further slippage.

In this photo it is also easy to guess that previous lynchets have been ploughed out in the next field over.

BITHBOX # 045

Jerry Garcia "The Wheel"

Static but beautifully displayed, National Railway Company of Belgium's 12004 is back home to where she was assigned for most of her working life - Schaerbeek, near Brussels.

Designed for the fast Brussels - Ostend boat train service, six Type 12 4-4-2 steam locomotives were built between 1938-39. They were capable of 75–87 mph (120–140 km/h) though on June 12th 1939 a Type 12 locomotive completed the 65 miles (105 km) from Brussels to Ostend in 57 minutes at a maximum speed of 103mph (165 km/h). The current journey time on the route is around 1 hour 10 minutes!

Used on other services later in their life, they were finally withdrawn in 1962. One locomotive, 12004 shown above, was preserved by SNCB and actually brought back to running order for the 150th anniversary of railways in Belgium in 1985. Tragically it was then left exposed to the elements, with rescue finally arriving when the "Train World" railway museum at Schaerbeek opened in 2015. So this locomotive is back home!

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Yesterday's post flic.kr/p/2n4e8Tb showed a wave breaking that completely obscured Pulpit Rock on the Isle of Portland.

In this second of a trilogy of storm photos, Pulpit Rock can clearly be seen. According to The Encyclopaedia of Portland History, it dates from quarrying activities in the late 19th century. So how did it get the name? It is due to that huge slab on rock on the landward side that leans against the main stack. This was perceived to resemble a bible leaning on a pulpit or alternatively steps leading up to the pulpit.

The full article is here www.portlandhistory.co.uk/pulpit-rock.html

This week's Saturday Timewatch goes back exactly 13 years to a foul but wonderful morning at Manchester Airport for the departure of the one and only Antonov AN-225.

After a 5 day stay and lots of false rumours, the aircraft finally left for Tripoli, Libya en route to Lagos, Nigeria. The cargo was the stage and sound equipment for a concert that was part of Nigeria's Independence anniversary celebrations on October 7 and 8, 2006. Among those performing were Snoop Dogg, Beyonce, JayZ and numerous African-based artists.

UR-82060 is still airworthy as far as I know but doesn't seem to have had that much business of late. I suspect tension between Russia and the Ukraine may be behind the lack of current work. A second AN-225, remains in Kiev c70% built, but has never flown.

The ten-mile branch rail line from Wareham to Swanage was opened in 1885. Trains will once again be timetabled to run the whole length as from 2016.

Meanwhile, during Swanage Railway's autumn gala, No.30777 leaves Corfe Castle station for Norden. 777 belongs to the “King Arthur” class of express passenger locomotives introduced by the Southern Railway in 1918. The large driving wheels made high speed running possible up to 90 mph. Sir Lamiel was built in 1925. This class of locomotives mostly ran express services from London's Waterloo terminus to the south west, places like Salisbury and Exeter. As a result, they had names associated with the area and the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Sir Lamiel of Cardiff was a fictional minor knight of the Round Table. He might have been a "minor" knight but apparently he was a “great lover” I just thought you'd like to know that....maybe.

Meanwhile the foundations of Corfe Castle in the background date back 1,000 years with the stronghold visible today mostly dating back 700-800 years.

People in many, perhaps all villages in Dorset used to get their water from a village pump. Although no longer in use, quite a few still remain in situ. This example is in Overmoigne.

This week's Saturday Timewatch is a second item that instantly halted a modicum of spring cleaning when a forgotten box of gems was discovered in the vaults.

I suspect the source of this item was my granny. She served in the shop of Lords Limited, wine and spirit merchants in Walsall. That company's advert is actually hidden under the front cover in the top left corner of the photo so maybe they received a certain number of these to give away to chosen customers?

There is no date on the map. On the internet, I found a very small number of equivalent maps for other towns which variously dated them as either 1920s or 1930s. However, I really can't say when they were published.

If you look on large size, you will find a set of instructions at the centre bottom of the chart. It is clearly a chart for planning rather than navigating. At least you might set off in the right direction!

Rather like gas holders that existed in most British towns and cities, railways turntables are one of those relatively common 20th century sights that seemed to disappear quickly and without much fanfare.

This one, part of the Yeovil Railway Centre across the tracks from Yeovil Junction Station, is still in regular use by the steam locomotives hauling excursions on the mainline. Built for the GWR in 1947, it is operated by the vacuum or air brake system of the locomotive. Being a rare railway turntable that survives in working order, Historic England have designated it as a Grade 11 Listed Building.

In these photos, 35018 British India Line is rotated by 180 degrees.

bithbox # 217

Willie Nelson "Heaven is Closed"

A musical Saturday Timewatch wishes Texas legend Willie Nelson a great 90th birthday.

Willie has had a remarkable career, not just for the longevity but for the vast numbers of collaborations over the decades. Although there are obvious ones like Merle Haggard, Kacey Musgraves and Johnny Cash, there are even more that show his wide-ranging interests and influence. Carole King, Ray Charles, Julio Iglesias, Toots and the Maytals, Snoop Dog all come into that category.

Thanks to Kim for the collage of photos taken at various times, including the one top left that adorns a street corner just down from her house in TX.

This is the real thing.

This week's Saturday Timewatch features a grey day 'record shot' of Tiger Moth G-AOBX, originally built in 1940. Apparently owned by six ex-Concorde pilots, the aircraft is part of the display team Tiger 9. With one aircraft out of frame, seven of the others can be seen in the background during their performance at Weymouth Carnival.

Saturday Timewatch returns to the Isle of Portland with a view of warders by the original gateway to Grove convict prison. I'm not sure of the date of this photo but the prison operated from the mid-19th century to just after WW1 when it was converted to a Borstal Institution. That effectively continues today as HM Prison Portland is a male Young Offenders Institution.

In the modern photo below, although it is no longer used, you can still see the original entrance. However, just out of sight in the doorway remains a Victorian post box that IS still in use. The old Victorian houses have been replaced by a rather ugly administration block.

This week's Saturday Timewatch is a special request from Thomas Harper. It is a photo of the old Portland Town Council Offices. Tom is particularly interested in the architecture of the building. You can read all about this building's history here

www.portlandhistory.co.uk/portland-town-council-offices.html

This week's Saturday Timewatch features Riverside Swinging Bridge, the last remaining railroad swing bridge in Texas.

It was built across Trinity River in 1904 for the International & Great Northern Railroad Company. Manufactured by the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company, based in Milwaukee, the parts were shipped via rail to Texas.

The oddity is that it only ever swung twice, once during its inauguration ceremony, then during a 1926 flood to accommodate large logs and driftwood. It seems nobody realised that barges and riverboats rarely if ever came this far up river! In 1955, the Missouri Pacific Railroad absorbed the line and the Riverside Swinging Bridge was welded into a fixed bridge. It remains so today having been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Kicking off Saturday Timewatch for 2023 is a photo of some remaining and still active fishing huts along Pebble Lane, Chiswell, Isle of Portland. Commercial fishing has taken place for centuries off the island with many fishermen operating from Chesil Cove just over the shingle bank seen towards the top left of the photo. It is a hazardous occupation and a hazardous place to live and work. Numerous violent storms have raged in hereabouts over the decades and centuries, so much so that flooding in Chiswell is a fact of life. The last major flood event took place as recently as early 2014.

You can still see aspects of the original construction on the buildings, using the locally available Portland stone.

By the way, "Chesil" is olde Englsih for pebble!

Just to the north of Dorchester, is a landscape much less well known than Maiden Castle that is just to the south. Known as "Poundbury Camp" there are layers of history etched into the landscape.

To the left, but out of sight in this photo, is a prominent Bronze Age burial mound, probably between 2500 - 4000 years old. More recent, but still well over 2000 years old are the ramparts and ditch of a major Iron Age hill fort. This is the area where a white chalk path can be seen middle left of the photo.

Next come the Romans! Probably around AD50, the Romans constructed an aqueduct that ran for approximately 15kms bringing water to the town that was then known as "Durnovaria", modern day Dorchester. The line of the aqueduct is difficult to pick out, but follows the groove in the hillside that runs roughly from the centre of the photo towards the top right corner. I have added a note to help orientation.

Next we jump hundreds of years to Victorian times when railway building was at its peak. The line from Dorchester to Yeovil runs (out of view) inside the line of trees to the right of the photo. Notice the adjacent brick wall? That was a firing range used by the military during WW2.

Coming up to date but out of view to the right is the main road from Dorchester to Yeovil and also, scandalously in my opinion, is an area of land where it is proposed to build 3500 new homes.

I've previously posted several photos of derricks used in the past to load Isle of Portland stone onto boats for shipment (see example below). How difficult that must have been even in 'calm' conditions. When a storm is running....impossible!

No, I had never heard of the species either. This is also known as a Sunda flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus). However, it is not in any way related to lemurs with their closest evolutionary relatives being primates. Colugos are nocturnal, tree-dwelling mammals that can glide over some distance between trees, upto 70 metres / 230 feet and maybe further.

We found this individual at night on a week-long side trip to Langkawi. We were in Malaysia for 5 weeks to visit K's daughter who lived in Kuala Lumpur at the time.

This week's Saturday Timewatch features a classic example of railway operations equipment - the turntable. Although a couple of dozen remain in working order in the UK, it is not that easy to be in the right place at the right time to see one in action.

In the photo above, British India Line is being turned through 180 degrees on the turntable at Yeovil Junction. I can't say that I understand the technology but at this site, power is provided by the locomotive itself, a hose being connected from the engine to the turntable mechanism.

Even better, in Kim's video below you can see all of this in full operation over a period of about 5 minutes, including disconnecting the hose and then running forward off the turntable. Thanks Kim!

I love old photos, especially of places that are still recognisable today. I don't know who the original photographer was but this is on display at Swanage Railway's interesting little museum at Corfe Castle, just 5 miles up the line from Swanage.

L&SWR = London and South Western Railway.

What? Where?

This is a Bronze Age bowl barrow / tumulus / burial ground. There are some 1800 round barrows in Dorset and many are extremely obvious in the landscape. Conversely some are hidden like this, deep in a wooded landscape.

Taken from the official records, this bowl barrow has "a mound composed of earth, sand and turf, with maximum dimensions of 21 metres in diameter and c1.5 metres in height. The mound is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during its construction. The ditch is visible as an earthwork with maximum dimensions of 1.5 metres in width and c0.5 metres in depth.

A Bronze Age barrow such as this dates back some 3500 years.

Taking advantage of a free tour, this photo shows Buffalo Bayou Cistern. Built as a drinking water reservoir by the City of Houston in 1926, it once held 15 million gallons of water. However, a leak that could not be repaired finally brought its original operation to an end in 2007.

Remarkably it has survived both demolition and underground car parking proposals to emerge as an important historical site right in the heart of the city.

The photo is inevitably dark and gloomy. There is no natural light inside the essentially concrete structure and only a minimum of safety lighting. The light for this photo largely comes from a very powerful torch beam.

Quite correctly, Dorset is generally regarded as a rural and largely agricultural county. So it is not surprising that the county's industrial history is often overlooked and that many people raise a quizzical eyebrow when mention is made of Dorset's industry! However, most towns did have an industrial aspect to them.

The carving shown above illustrates Bridport's ancient industrial base, manufacturing goods from flax and hemp that were grown in the surrounding area. For centuries, it flourished as the pre-eminent source of rope, twine and netting in South-West England. One of the earliest written records of the industry goes back to the 13th century when In 1213 King John ordered “to be made at Bridport, night and day, as many ropes for ships both large and small cables as you can, and twisted yarns for cordage for ballistae”.

The industry survives to this day. For example, a company called Coastal Nets sells a wide range of netting with at least some in-house manufacturing.

This week's Saturday Timewatch features the Aermotor USA windmill. They are quite common in rural areas in various states of working order - perhaps not surprising as the company has been around since 1888. All sorts of ownership changes and manufacturing locations took place after WW2. However, in 1986 everything relocated to San Angelo, Texas.

The company has been owned by a private group of West Texas ranchers since 2006 and they restored the original name that was established in 1888…The Aermotor Company.