Author Topic: Guess the Place  (Read 1040608 times)

Offline John Walker

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9663 on: February 24, 2024, 12:54:47 PM »
A bank then?

Offline grandarog

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9662 on: February 24, 2024, 10:50:01 AM »
No and definitely nothing to do with free.

Offline John Walker

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9661 on: February 24, 2024, 01:30:16 AM »
Freemason Lodge?

Offline johnfilmer

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9660 on: February 23, 2024, 08:22:53 PM »
If only I could think of a suitable/clean “knock knock” joke…
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Offline grandarog

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9659 on: February 23, 2024, 07:35:48 PM »
Here we go with the next one. Where does this door lead to?

Offline grandarog

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9658 on: February 23, 2024, 04:06:29 PM »
Thanks John Filmer.I wasnt quite sure of my memory.Have since found it. Apparently now called St Benedict's Centre,housing a Nunnery.
An excellent place for relaxation, reflection and rest. Peaceful atmosphere with the presence of God.  You're prayed for, all the time you are there, by the Nuns.It is

Next GTP this evening.

Offline MartinR

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9657 on: February 23, 2024, 03:44:35 PM »
That inverter was as big as the battery, and however it worked (witchcraft?) it made a very loud constant buzzing noise.

At that time inverters were fairly inefficient analogue devices.  There would be a 50 Hz oscillator, amplifier, power stage, transformer and fuse.  The power stages and transformers were notorious for the hum at mains frequency (hysteresis loss in the latter if you're bothered).

Offline MartinR

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9656 on: February 23, 2024, 03:39:43 PM »
Why can't West Malling do the decent thing and keep its abbey next to the church?  >:(

Well done Grandarog.  Here's some details:
  • Grade*:                    I
  • Grid ref:                   TQ 68222 57740
  • Statutory Address:   Gatehouse and Chapel to St. Mary's Abbey, Swan Street.
  • Nearest Post Code:  ME19 6LW
  • Co-ords (WGS84):    51°17'38"N,000°24'42"E or 51.29344,0.41338

*https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1209130?section=official-list-entry

Offline johnfilmer

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9655 on: February 23, 2024, 03:07:27 PM »
That inverter was as big as the battery, and however it worked (witchcraft?) it made a very loud constant buzzing noise.

During this time there was a fuel saving overall speed limit of 50mph. Dr Nosworthy phoned me one day, as Service Manager I was a customer’s usual point of contact, to ask me to have a word with my boss. He had been seen on many occasions charging up and down the M20 at his usual 80-100mph. Unfortunately for him, he was the driver of a canary yellow Jaguar XJS (aka the flying banana) so not a lot of point denying it 8) When I did mention it, for a Polish born person his range of Anglo Saxon was pretty impressive!
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Offline johnfilmer

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9654 on: February 23, 2024, 01:17:06 PM »
I knew it as the Gatehouse to St Mary’s Abbey.

It was home to a Dr Nosworthy, a large, imposing gentleman whose function for the nuns of the Abbey I never found out.

He was most concerned that if the power went off, then his new, gas fired heating system would stop, unlike his ancient solid fuel device that would keep burning. This was about 1973 or so and power cuts commonplace. I got him a caravan battery and a 12/240volt inverter. He was quite happy as he got enough power to also power a reading light.

Over to you grandarog
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Offline grandarog

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9653 on: February 23, 2024, 12:12:32 PM »
I think I recognise your pic from visiting friends at West Malling years ago,i am sure they said it was something to do with an Abbey?

Offline johnfilmer

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9652 on: February 23, 2024, 11:29:30 AM »
The Gatehouse was the description when I knew it 50odd years ago.
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Offline grandarog

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9651 on: February 23, 2024, 10:19:41 AM »
Is it connected to an Abbey mid-Kent area?

Offline johnfilmer

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9650 on: February 22, 2024, 03:39:42 PM »
An interesting one MartinR, I must have looked around every known chalk pit, changing map dates before I found the outline on a later
map, then back tracked to the given clue. Good fun when done with added brain fog :o

Having (almost) survived Man Flu, and then Sainsbury's, I came back home to post the next GTP. It looks like the computer has, for the moment, eaten it. So here is a hastily cobbled replacement.

Should be very simple...
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Offline MartinR

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Re: Guess the Place
« Reply #9649 on: February 21, 2024, 08:25:31 PM »
Yes John, you're right.  The tramway didn't connect with the rest of the system, instead it appears to have had an unloading area above the tramway in the earlier pit.  the tramway passed through a tunnel to the Burham Brick, Lime and Cement Works down by the river.  the BBLCW had its own clay pit, and clay + lime = cement.  I've included a larger view to show the two quarries.

Location of the hut by the entrance points is at:
  • Grid ref:  TQ 74055 62012
  • Co-ords: 51°19'51"N,000°29'50"E or 51.53056,0.49700

Over to you John Filmer.