The Rufus Stone

The Rufus stone, an interesting stop off of the A31 whilst driving to
the SW last week. I have meant to do so on several such trips but have
never had the nerve (what I mean is I have always missed the
turning.... approaching from the direction of London requires slowing
in the outside lane to turn right, then through the central
reservation and back a short way to the turning).
The stone was erected in the 18th century to commemorate the spot in
which King William the second (nickname Rufus) was shot accidentally
by an arrow in 1100. The stone was encased in a triangular prism of
iron in the 19th century and has the story of the death and
transportation of the body to Winchester in raised lettering on the
three sides. I drove on from there through part of the New Forest
before getting back onto the A31. A quick google search would tell you
much more of the history, the site is interesting more than
atmospheric I thought (the location of the stone is apparently a bit
approximate) but certainly well worth a visit. The iron case has an
historic feel to it, a product of the industrial revolution, a time
when a project could be over-engineered and 'built to last'.

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Cardington Hangars

On the field outside the R101 (R101 designed by Barnes Wallis) & R102 hangars in Befdordshire today this modern airship was tethered ready for takeoff. I was one of a few people using their camera phone at the time, an impressive sight. Someone told me that the R101 was about four times bigger than this one.
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LHC

Where were you when the protons were released? I was approaching the black cat roundabout on the A1, thank you radio 5. I do not understand the science but I have loved the explanations on the tv and radio in the last few days. Maybe some hype, and maybe the data crunching scientists would disagree, but this experiment seems to have profound scale and importance in all kinds of ways (for example listen to the analogies given to help people like me - gcse science 1988, thank you Mr Gower - to grasp the numbers, the complexity, the technical accomplishment as well as the possibility of recreating conditions moments after the beginning of the universe). Apt of course that the countdown was by a Welshman!
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