Saltmarsh, Duddon EstuaryA favourite device of pirates to mark where buried treasure lies
such as the map from Treasure Island which also has arrows
for how else would you know the direction to set sail. Although this arrow gives direction to
the top and a trig point, which are as useful as directional x marks the spot and to hill walkers, especially in bad weather, as they eXplore the countryside. These were erected by the Ordnance Survey in Britain as they mapped the country. The metal plate on the top is for securing a theodolite or reflector to make eXact triangulations. With the rise of GPS systems they are not all in use anymore and I suspect this one is not, so is an eX trig, but it has been adopted, for it was newly painted this year in time for Remembrance Sunday.
It is surrounded by a wind shelter, very welcome in eXtreme weather on this eXposed spot. If you look north from this point
in the far distance, at the eXtreme end of my camera's zoom, there are not X rays, but radiation of a different type, the eX nuclear power station, which is now being demolished, but still in use as a nuclear processing plant. Constructed in the 1950s when safety in science used to be more gung ho it used to be called Windscale but after a few leakages the name was eXcised, it had a PR makeover and renamed Sellafield.
Could X also mark the vanishing point as the eXpress train races down the line
or stand for danger at railway crossing. Sherlock Hemlock certainly says so in this short clip from Sesame Street.eXit here to see more interpretations of the letter X on the ABC Wednesday meme.
11 comments:
Yes! Those shy X's don't like being in front, do they?
Great post! Had me smiling all the way.
Wow. That is perfect! I love your creativity. Very wonderful!
Very informative thank you!
ABC Wednesday:Xerophyte
Great series!
My ABC & Watery Wednesday
Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!
Wonderful post - loved Sherlock and his informative song about X.
Very creative X and great shot!;-)
Wish you a Happy New Year!
Love the photos of the saltmarsh and the arrow pointing to the trig point.
Super collection! Beautiful photographs and narrative. Love 'em all!
Ha! Xcllent collextion of Xs! Made me laugh, too, which is always a bonus!
I'd almost forgotten about trig points. I've climbed to a few in my time, but never found one with a wind shelter.
Very creative choices for the letter X! The trig points are fascinating--I've never seen these before. Seems like a much more interesting way of finding your way than to use a GPS system.
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