Today's County in the spotlight

[NewcastleFalcon]

So there was more than one from the right sport!! The one I'm looking for played for England from the mid seventies through to 1984!!

That's going to be Bob Taylor the wicketkeeper for Derbyshire and England born in Stoke on Trent

After you Mick, would you do the thread the honour of moving the County to the next one in the spotlight!

REgards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Correct Neil well done and it certainly seems that Taylor is a pretty common Staffordshire name!!

______________Staffordshire Done!_____30 done 62 to go_

and the next one please. There are 92 historic counties in England Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland, each is having a mere day-ish in the spotlight selected at random.

Our 30 numbers selected so far have been

3,5,7,8,11,12,13,15,22,24,28,34,44,48,51,52,59,61,65,66,68,69,70,72,78,79,81,84,86,89

So here is the next choice:

Screenshot

Random Number Selection is 16 (after 4 attempts)

Screenshot

New County is Caithness


If you know nothing about it....well that's what "Today's County in the Spotlight" is about...be curious find out.

[mickthemaverick]

Well to get the county on the move here is the flag, the location map and a map of places within the county:

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

Plenty of scope for stories here not to mention possibly the most famous finger signpost of them all!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

We should be up in Caithness in a few weeks so will take some modern pictures just in case, unless it arrives before I do.

Peter

Come on Peter! Caithness has arrived. Dig out some of your archives

I'll put this one up for you, bit of Caithness...



Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Many will have seen the film "Heroes of Telemark", avid followers of the FCF Off-Topic Chat Lounge may have seen this post here. The Caithness connection is the glider missions departing from Wick.

Following on from the screening of "Heroes of Telemark" yesterday there is plenty of reading around the subject, including the Scottish Connection with the training sites in the Cairngorms, and the ill fated glider missions departing from Wick.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2017011 ... ight-nazis

http://www.caithness.org/wings/freshman/index.htm

Regards Neil

[bobins]

Dounreay - strikes fear into some and interest in others

But how many knew the specifics of the "Vulcan Nuclear Reactor Testing Establishment" located there ?

"The Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) (formerly HMS Vulcan) is a Ministry of Defence (MoD) establishment housing the prototype nuclear propulsion plants of the type operated by the Royal Navy in its submarine fleet. Originally it was known as the Admiralty Reactor Test Establishment (ARTE).

For over 40 years Vulcan has been the cornerstone of the Royal Navy's nuclear propulsion programme, testing and proving the operation of five generations of reactor core. Its reactors have significantly led the operational submarine plants in terms of operation hours, proving systems, procedures and safety. The reactors were run at higher levels of intensity than those on submarines with the intention of discovering any system problems before they might be encountered on board submarines.

Rolls-Royce, which designs and procures all the reactor plants for the Royal Navy from its Derby offices, operates Vulcan on behalf of the MoD and employs around 280 staff there, led by a small team of staff from the Royal Navy. Reactors developed include the PWR1 and PWR2.

In 2011, the MoD stated that NRTE could be scaled down or closed after 2015 when the current series of tests ends. Computer modelling and confidence in new reactor designs meant testing would no longer be necessary. The cost of decommissioning NRTE facilities when they become redundant, including nuclear waste disposal, was estimated at £2.1 billion in 2005. Its final reactor shut down on 21 July 2015, with post operational work continuing to 2022.

In March 2020, it was reported that tenders were being issued to decontaminate and dismantle the reactor complex under a ten-year contract, ending in the creation of a "brownfield" site, which would be transferred to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. This decommissioning programme would start in 2023, following the removal of all fuel to the NDA Sellafield site."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dounreay

[NewcastleFalcon]

Bit of visuals on Dounreay.

Can you identify the photographer's car

Geograph Stamped image July 1986 vintage

Regards Neil

[bobins]

A long line across the landscape - long enough to be seen from The Great Wall of China Well, nearly 8km long to be precise. Qu'est-ce que c'est?

Long line on the landscape - Goog'lerf

It'll be Subsea7's pipeline bundle construction site, no less. Wot's a pipeline bundle construction site ? I hear no-one ask.

This 59 second long Yootoob should explain it a bit.

[bobins]

Bit of visuals on Dounreay.

Can you identify the photographer's car



Regards Neil

A BMWubble-U of some ilk ? Or do you mean - 'Can you spot where the photographer's car is ?' If so, then.... erm, yes, I can

[mickthemaverick]

Bit of visuals on Dounreay.

Can you identify the photographer's car



Regards Neil

Yes I agree with bobins here, a BMW 316 I'd guess!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Discovered a thread here with a bit of discussion about it (pipe/railway thing) kicked off by Aurthur Figgis

https://uk.railway.narkive.com/UslsTwqI ... -near-wick

REgards Neil

[bobins]

Unusual place names - Vol. 437.

The fabrication site for the pipeline bundles is located at the Bridge Of Gravity

Gravity Bridge - OS maps

[NewcastleFalcon]

Forner RAF Skitten nr Wick Commemorative Plaque

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

A familiar filmmaker to me, and I start the old film off at Scotscalder Station just into Caithness for the rest of the journey via Wick to Thurso.




REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Surfin' UK



Regards Neil