070729.Bathwick, Goodbye for Now…
July 29, 2007 at 1:35 AM | Posted in Architecture, Bath, Bath Abbey, Bathwick, Cathedrals and churches, cumulus clouds, Light and Shadow, Mansion, somerset, Towers | 14 CommentsI’ve been running the site for over 300 days and I’ve lived here for twelve months but I’m leaving today for a new job. It’s exciting — my first time in Ireland. I’ll return in a few months and update this periodically so for everyone who I didn’t say goodbye to (which is more or less everyone) goodbye…
070716.Bathwick, Raby Place
July 16, 2007 at 12:39 PM | Posted in Architecture, Bath, Bathwick, Chisel Marks, doorways, Light and Shadow, somerset | 5 Comments
Click here for whole block.
Click here for a section without an added balcony but with all the restored/original sill windows (without Victorian plate glass).
On Bathwick Hill Road immediately after St. Mary the Virgin Church (and thus on the slope Bathwick Hill) lies Raby Place, designed by John Pinch the Elder between 1818-1825. The street name was originally Church Street (and remains so on my really outdated ordinance map). This series of eighteen two-bay terrace houses features Pinch’s famous design of a ramped cornice, similar to what can be found on a staircase banister and equally appropriate when one tries climbing this hill while carrying a litre of milk and some groceries. (Also see the same ramped cornice detailing on Cavendish Place, also by Pinch)
070715.Bathwick, The Legendary Pitstop of the Headless Horse and Man
July 15, 2007 at 8:11 PM | Posted in Architecture, Bath, Bathwick, Bridges, Horses, Overcast, people, Pulteney Bridge, river, River Avon, somerset | 2 CommentsOn Pultney Bridge.
070714.Bathwick, “Explicit hoc totum; Pro Christo da Mihi Potum”
July 14, 2007 at 12:11 AM | Posted in Architecture, Bath, Bathwick, Columns, Conservation, Corinthian Order, Light and Shadow, Mansion, Museums, people, somerset, University of Bath, Window | 2 CommentsFrom the archives now: last day of class party in front of the Holborne Museum. The first day of class also ended in the Holborne Museum for drinks. It was quite enjoyable but with cases of champaign, one must remember that the grades aren’t all in yet and to just keep it to one social glass. The faces have been blurred to protect the innocent.
Either way, a nice coda to the end of the academic year, as the above title’s eighth-century manuscript postscript line-inspired suggests:
The job is done, I think;
For Christ’s sake, give me a drink.
I should do a post on this excellent Georgian structure, the Sydney Hotel by Thomas Baldwin, now the museum redesigned and added to during all periods. The last changes occured early in the 20th C and now there is a controversial modern extension that has planning consent.
A great skit from December 2006 by Rico Galliano of Marketplace from American Public Media (and Public Radio International)
—
KAI RYSDAAL, HOST:
Cross fragile office politics with the social minefield of a party, douse liberally with spiked eggnog, and voila: [you have] a recipe for disaster, otherwise known as the annual holiday office party.
But not to worry, the Marketplace Players are here to help with an educational primer they call:
[cue Fifties-style music and Fifties-styled Announcer:] “Holiday Party Dos and Don’ts”
ANNOUNCER:
Meet Herbert.
HERBERT:
Hi.
ANNOUNCER:
My, Herbert, don’t you look spiffy!
HERBERT:
I’m off to the Office Christmas Party!
[FOGHORN!]
HERBERT:
Ow! You blasted my ears with a foghorn!
ANNOUNCER:
That’s because you just made a big faux pas, Herbert. Never call it a Christmas party; call it a holiday party.
HERBERT:
You mean to show respect to all coworkers of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds?
ANNOUNCER:
You got it!
[At party, sound of background chattering.]
ANNOUNCER:
Boy, this is a swell party but hey, where are you headed?
HERBERT:
The open bar!
[FOGHORN!]
HERBERT:
Oww. What now?!
ANNOUNCER:
You’re not drinking on my watch, Herbert. Not at an office holiday party.
HERBERT:
…But…isn’t that the point?
ANNOUNCER:
No, the point is to put in an appearance and leave with your job and reputation intact.
HERBERT:
That’s true. Can I have just one?
ANNOUNCER:
Well alright.
HERBERT:
Bartender, give me a scotch straight up—make it a double!
[FOGHORN!]
HERBERT:
…I mean a single.
ANNOUNCER:
That-a-boy. Wow, Herbert, there’s that coworker you’re keen on.
HERBERT:
You’re right! Hey, hot mamma!
[FOGHORN!]
HERBERT:
[angrily] Look, you have no right meddling in my love life.
ANNOUNCER:
It’s your career I’m worried about, Herbert. Now that coworker thinks you’re creepy. If you must flirt, be a gentleman.
HERBERT:
OK, I’ll try with someone else.
ANNOUNCER:
Herbert…
HERBERT:
Excuse me, but…that’s a lovely dress.
LADY:
Why thank you.
HERBERT:
I haven’t seen you around the office. If I had, I would have asked you to lunch.
LADY:
Oooh-la-la.
HERBERT:
What do you do for us?
LADY:
I’m your boss’ wife! [cackles]
[FOGHORN!]
ANNOUNCER:
I tried to warn you, Herbert. Better cut your losses, circulate a little and then high-tail it home.
HERBERT:
OK, right after I finish this shrimp cocktail.
[FOGHORN!] HERBERT: [muffled curse]
ANNOUNCER:
Oops. You got cocktail sauce all over your shirt.
HERBERT:
[angrily] Only after you blew that insane horn in my ear!
ANNOUNCER:
That sauce makes it look like you got stabbed. Leave. Pronto.
HERBERT:
This is the least…fun…Christmas….
[FOGHORN!]
HERBERT:
…h…holiday…party…ever.
ANNOUNCER:
Oh silly Herbert, when will you learn: It’s not a party, it’s work!
070701.Walcot,THEME DAY: RED [Ball Express Zooming Over the Cleveland Bridge]
July 1, 2007 at 2:30 AM | Posted in Architecture, Bath, Bathwick, Bridges, Doric Order, people, river, River Avon, somerset, Walcot | 9 Comments
Here’s the [or Grandpa’s] Red Ball Express going over H. Goodridge’s Cleveland Bridge, 1827! It has four Doric pavilions and is EU compliant; this thing can carry trucks! To prevent those heavy things from going off the edge and busting the historic cast iron railing, a fiber-mesh-futuristic-material-thingy was installed between the road and pedestrian path to bounce trucks back into the road if they drift.
Like this Model A (?), I’m off! I’m going to be gone for eleven days. I wish everyone a good July!
On this 1st of July, 96 cities are participating in the City Daily Photo theme day, “Red”.
To see red right around the world, click on the following links:
Bath, UK – Shanghai, China – Mumbai, India – New York City (NY), USA – Manila, Philippines – Albuquerque (NM), USA – Hamburg, Germany – Stayton (OR), USA – Los Angeles (CA), USA – Hyde, UK – Oslo, Norway – Brookville (OH), USA – Melbourne, Australia – Stavanger, Norway – Bellefonte (PA), USA – Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia – Joplin (MO), USA – Singapore, Singapore – Selma (AL), USA – Cleveland (OH), USA – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Chandler (AZ), USA – Stockholm, Sweden – Seattle (WA), USA – Boston (MA), USA – Arradon, France – Evry, France – Baton Rouge (LA), USA – Maple Ridge (BC), Canada – Boston (MA), USA – Grenoble, France – http://www.blogger.com/ – Greenville (SC), USA – Hilo (HI), USA – Nelson, New Zealand – La Antigua, Guatemala – Brisbane (QLD), Australia – Singapore, Singapore – Tel Aviv, Israel – Hong Kong, China – Sequim (WA), USA – Paderborn, Germany – Saarbrücken, Germany – Rotterdam, Netherlands – Tenerife, Spain – Kyoto, Japan – Tokyo, Japan – Sydney, Australia – Naples (FL), USA – Cologne (NRW), Germany – Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands – Saint Louis (MO), USA – Cypress (TX), USA – Ocean Township (NJ), USA – Mainz, Germany – Toruń, Poland – Menton, France – Monte Carlo, Monaco – Singapore, Singapore – North Bay (ON), Canada – Jakarta, Indonesia – Montréal (QC), Canada – Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Minneapolis (MN), USA – Baziège, France – San Diego (CA), USA – Prague, Czech Republic – Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia – New York (NY), USA – Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia – Sharon (CT), USA – Newcastle (NSW), Australia – Port Angeles (WA), USA – Nottingham, UK – Villigen, Switzerland – Chicago (IL), USA – Torquay, UK – Brussels, Belgium – San Diego (CA), USA – Mexico (DF), Mexico – Saint Paul (MN), USA – Cape Town, South Africa – Paris, France – Seoul, Korea – Manila, Philippines – Milano, Italy – Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India – Austin (TX), USA – Chennai, India – Madrid, Spain – Seoul, South Korea – Wailea (HI), USA – Toronto (ON), Canada – Ajaccio, France – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Silver Spring (MD), USA – Zurich, Switzerland – Sydney, Australia
070615.Bathwick, Cleaning Great Pulteney Windows
June 15, 2007 at 12:28 AM | Posted in Architecture, Bath, Bathwick, Chisel Marks, people, somerset, Window | 4 Comments
Here is the necessary maintenance on the great windows of Great Pulteney Street, c. 1793. (Designed by Thomas Baldwin and considered one of the Georgian masterpieces of Bath. It’s also one of the widest, grandest streets in the country) I’ve seen this process now twice. The washer rod can reach a window fifty-feet up but with height comes necessary distance. I overheard a woman seeking the process on her windows only to be turned down since the back alley didn’t provide enough space to extend the rod.
(Coincidentally, my professor used to own #26 Great Pulteney Street, he commissioned a model of it built for the Buildings of Bath Museum. I’ll post photos of that shortly.)
The rod is quite heavy requiring it to lean on the window it is cleaning. Wind is also a factor on the ability to clean the window. You can see from the water marks dragged across the Bath stone ashlar wall that the rod is simply moved across the wall until it is lowered to begin the next level of windows.
Sash windows cannot be cleaned from the inside and the alternative involves hanging out the window or running along a cornice line (above right). I’ve seen the use of ladders on more isolated streets with less important structures. So you choose. The windows on Great Pulteney Street are typically cleaned once a month.
Glazing Bars on this window and in the rest of Bathwick are (more or less) unique in the Georgian period, they are Keel Moulds. (I may be wrong about this, they are found in later developments around Bathwick.) These are highly pointed, typically found on shopfronts. They are named thusly by Gus Astley due to its similarities to the medieval masonry columns of the same name.
(The final window is from elsewhere in Bathwick with the Kneel Mould glazing bars.)
Essentially, as the Georgian Era progressed, glazing bars became thinner, and lights became bigger. Originally, there would be nine over nine lights on a typical sash window, then nine over six, then six over six, until Victorian plate glass began replacing sash windows.
070612.Bathwick, Turning a Blind Eye to the Taxman
June 12, 2007 at 11:22 AM | Posted in Architecture, Bath, Bathwick, doorways, Overcast, somerset, Window | 11 CommentsSymmetry is important, yes, but taxes are costly. [More info soon to come.]
What’s interesting between these two blind windows on the same building is that both were originally designed to be filled with ashlar and to represent sash windows. However, the photo on the top, has glazing bars, while the one below only has them painted on! The top photo’s bay faces the corner facing the park.
The hexagonal Sydney Gardens in Bathwick is faced on its west side by two streets called Sydney Place. Between the two leads to Great Pulteney St. The northern Sydney Place was designed by Thomas Baldwin in 1792 and the southern street was designed by John Pinch the Elder in 1808. Both were Surveyors to the Pulteney Estate, respectively. At any rate, these are details of the two townhouses at each end of the row. The first six photos are from 93 SP on the corner of Sydney Place and Tourville Street with all of these blind windows, the porch above the ground floor is Victorian. During the Georgian period, these townhouses would have been rented out for the season and in fact Queen Charlotte stayed at 93 Sydeny Place.
Below: These last two photos are from the corner of Darlington and Sydney Place at 103 Sydney Place. It’s an elaborate porch for a very visible corner. 
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