The Strange and Unusual

Some interesting, unusual and maybe a little strange, stories that have caught my eye.

From doorbell ringing slugs to a 19th century Astronomer with a pyramid grave, the UK certainly has some interesting and sometimes bizarre stories to tell.

Enjoy.

Slug Rings Doorbell.

An amusing story of a slug ringing someones doorbell.

A spider decided to make it’s home in front of mine. It looked like a giant spider was attacking the flats opposite.

Mystery creeper ringing woman’s doorbell late at night turns out to be a slug

Unexplained Portsmouth.

*Portchester Castle. Picture: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images*

From the disappearance of Lionel ‘Buster’ Crabb to UFOs and unsolved murders, Portsmouth has it’s fair share of mysteries.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/people/6-of-portsmouths-most-shocking-unsolved-mysteries-3394320

Lightning Folklore.

Some folklore and stories concerning lightning.

I was camping during a violent storm in Ashdown Forest and a tree next to the campsite got struck by lightning. I have never been so frightened.

Jason Goodwin: ‘No one ever quite knew if he was telling the truth and the story was too terrible either to investigate or disbelieve’

Mystery Vehicle in Devon.

*A side view of the mysterious vehicle spotted in Exmouth (Image: Tracey Pearce)*

Local people have been speculating on the origins of this unusual vehicle. I think the suggestion it’s aliens is someone having a bit of fun.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/mystery-alien-vehicle-zips-through-6031869

John Dee’s Mirror.

John Dee’s Obsidian mirror may have Aztec origins.
A very interesting article about mirrors and they’re mystical and occult history.
I would recommend going to see this and other items that belonged to John Dee in the British Museum.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-aztec-origins-of-a-mysterious-elizabethan-mirror

British Big Cats.

A Countryfile podcast on mystery big cats in the Cotswolds.
I grew up not far from the haunt of the Beast of Bluebell Hill although I never saw anything myself.
However I do know a few people who have seen big cats at Bluebell Hill and in other parts of the country.

https://www.countryfile.com/podcast/mystery-big-cats-cotswolds/

Another Welsh Dinosaur.

A dinosaur fossil, found in the 1950’s in Wales, has been discovered to be a new species and has been named Pendraig milnerae.

The Natural History Museum, Wales in Cardiff, is a great place to visit. It has a Dinosaur gallery plus a model and fossil remains of Dracoraptor hanigani, which was found in 2014 not far from Cardiff, as well as other fossils found in Wales.

Tiny “Dragon” – Mysterious New Species Is Oldest Meat-Eating Dinosaur Found in UK

Ladybird Invasion.

*There has been an explosion in the number of ladybirds across Yorkshire (Image: Alexandra Butler)*

Basically the weather is on the turn, Winter is coming and ladybirds are looking for a nice place to hibernate, which just so happens to be human dwellings.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/uk-ladybird-infestation-2021-hits-21811595

Washed up Sea Creatures.

*By-the-wind-sailor creatures have been spotted washed up at Horton Beach in Gower, Swansea (Image: Barry Gill)*

By-the-wind-sailors a colonial hydroid, have been washing up on Welsh beaches. The Autumn and Winter storms often wash them ashore around the British coast.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/strange-looking-by-wind-sailor-21805537

Letters Blaming Satan for Covid, Posted Through Residents Doors.

Residents in Birmingham are receiving letters claiming Satan is responsible for the Covid Pandemic.

‘Strange’ letters blaming Satan for Covid posted through people’s letterboxes

Mystery Wooden Head in Norfolk.

*Mr Howard with the carved head of the god Atho, left to him by an old Romany woman. – Credit: Archant Library/Local Recall*

Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a carved wooden head said to be associated with Witchcraft, that was stolen in 1967.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/weird-norfolk-witchcraft-mystery-field-dalling-8392226

Gold Necklace Discovered During Fireplace Renovation in Wales.

*The gold necklace and the foreplace where it was discovered buried in plasterwork (Image: Anna Reynolds)*

The necklace could have been deliberately placed by the fireplace to protect the cottage from bad luck.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/buried-gold-necklace-protected-north-21780475

The Irish Cave Where Halloween Was Born.

The unassuming entrance to Oweynagat cave, in Rathcroghan, Ireland, belies its central role in Celtic pagan history. It‘s known as a gateway to the demon-filled underworld and the birthplace of the Samhain festival, the ancient roots of Halloween. Now Ireland is pushing for UNESCO World Heritage status for the archaeological site.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOTOGRAPH RONAN O’CONNELL

Supposedly Halloween has it’s roots in Iron Age Ireland. I’m sceptical, Iron Age tribes weren’t restricted to Ireland and what sparse evidence we have suggests similar festivals over a wide area of Europe.

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2021/10/inside-the-irish-hell-caves-where-halloween-was-born

The 19th Century Grave of Charles Piazzi Smyth, Astronmer Royal For Scotland.

Charles Piazzi Smyth had some interesting ideas about the Egyptian Pyramids, hence his Pyramid tomb in St John’s Sharow Churchyard, Ripon.

Star of Scotland shines bright in a Sharow churchyard

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The Eclipse

Yes. After a cloudy start, I did manage to see some of the Partial Solar Eclipse here in not so sunny Suffolk.

After the last week of clear sunny skies, I awoke this morning to grey cloud. There were a few promising gaps, these soon closed of course.

I happened to be visiting my sister, and ended up sitting outside staring at a cloudy sky and cursing the elements.

Mid Eclipse and I got my first brief glimpse of the Sun. The clouds actually came in handy as they dimmed the Sun so much, I could safely observe.

It clouded over, I was happy though, I’d seen it.

At this point my young Niece came out asking for some help with school work which involved being in the garden.

Another gap appeared. I pointed up and showed my Niece the Eclipse. She shouted and jumped about with excitement. She thought it was great. That made me smile.

We kept getting brief glimpses in cloud gaps. I had my Eclipse glasses with me so when the Sun became bright we could see it properly. It was a nice experience after the rubbish start.

So that was my experience. I hope others managed to see it. Until the next one there is plenty to see in the skies day and night. Look up.

Taken with my Mobile phone. Sorry not the best quality.

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GoFund me page.

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Ko-Fi page.

https://ko-fi.com/amanda1971

My Redbubbleshop.

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My Teepublic shop.

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UK Partial Solar Eclipse, 10th June 2021

In the UK, On 10th June 2021,at just after 10.00am there will occur a partial Solar Eclipse. The further North you are the bigger the percentage of the Sun obscured.

Warning, DO NOT look at the Sun directly with either your naked eyes, binoculars or a telescope. You could permanently damage your eye sight.

Eclipse glasses can be used to safety view the event.
Projecting the Sun’s image is another safe way of doing so.
Only use proper solar observing filters which fit on the main lens/mirror, not ones that fit on the eye piece.
I’m no solar observer so here are some links on how to observe the Sun safely.

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/how-to-safely-observe-the-sun/

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/solar-eclipse-10-june-2021/

The Royal Observatory Greenwich will be live streaming the event, others may be as well.

https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/online/solar-eclipse-2021-uk-live-stream

Some Astronomical groups may well be holding observing sessions. Look up your local society to see if they’re doing anything.

The eclipse starts just after 10.00 am and finishes at about 12.30. Mid eclipse is just after 11.15am.

Happy Solar Eclipse watching.

How to see the solar eclipse on 10th June 2021

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/partial-solar-eclipse-ring-fire-20755307

Observing a Solar Eclipse by J.J. Grandville, 19th Century.

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GoFund me page.

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Ko-Fi page.

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My Redbubbleshop.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/amanda150771/shop?asc=u

My Teepublic shop.

http://tee.pub/lic/J5luNsFVkxUi

Backbone of Night

Years ago I came across an image that intrigued me called Backbone of Night by Jon Lomberg.

I found that the image was commissioned for Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series and represents the Milky Way. The image is here: https://www.jonlomberg.com/digital_prints/dp_backbone_of_night.html

The name Backbone of Night was given to the Milky Way by the !Klung people of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. They thought the Milky Way was the Backbone of the night that kept the sky in place.

We are more familiar with the Greek and Roman legend of the Milky Way which asserts that the starry path was the result of Hera’s (Juno) breastmilk spraying across the sky. Zeus (Jupiter) placed the abandoned baby Heracles (Hercules) at the sleeping Hera’s breast. Hera awoke and pushed the baby away, milk sprayed across the night sky and the Milky Way came into existence.

The Origin of The Milky Way Jacopo Tintoretto

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-tintoretto-the-origin-of-the-milky-way

The Birth of the Milky Way – Peter Paul Rubens

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-birth-of-the-milky-way/c7369ad2-f0ae-4d5d-bb23-21f51bd3283c

Interestingly even back in the era of the Ancient Greeks a philosopher named Democritus in the fifth century BC correctly surmised that the Milky Way was made of a myriad of faint stars.

Other ideas from the time were that the sky was splitting and light was shining through, that is was the seam of the sky or that it was the path burned in the sky by the out of control Sun chariot driven by Helio’s son, Phaeton.

The Fall of Phaeton by Adolphe Pierre Sunaert

https://useum.org/artwork/The-fall-of-Phaeton-Adolphe-Pierre-Sunaert-1868

The Roman writer Manilius regarded the Milky path as like the wake left by a ship and Ovid thought that on each side of the Milky Way were the abodes of the Gods.

Cultures across the globe have their own stories to tell concerning the Milky Way. I’ll dip into them another time.

If you’re lucky and are under dark skies with little light pollution, go and look up and view the majestic Milky Way. Happy Stargazing.