Re: Chesterfield dial

[David Young]

I was dismayed to read John Moir's message regarding the talk on the radio about the huge dial at Chesterfield, if they talk about the summer equinox one is led to doubt their knowledge of the subject and the dial could land up rather like the famous church spire in the town - bent! Let us hope that the remark was a slip of the tongue and they do know what they are doing. However, my experience over some ten years as BSS secretary makes me fear the worst, so many times have I had a frantic phone call from well meaning architects or "artists" who have run into trouble. Often we can put them right and are happy to do so, but sometimes it is too late and the evidence around the country is there to be seen. It is a very long time since gnomonics was taught in the university and no one expects an architect, engineer or sculptor to specialise in sundials but they should consult those who do at an early stage. Councils and corporate bodies who commission a dial should preferably start off by consulting an experienced diallist rather than leave it to chance David Young Chingford Essex ----- From: John Moir <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sundial group <sundial@rrz.uni-koeln.de> Date: 14 June 2002 16:19 Subject: Chesterfield dial I'm a newcomer to the group (and computers-Hope I press the right buttons! A recent Radio 3 prog gave details of a proposed 40 metre high, £350,000 "Solar driven Timepiece" to be erected near Chesterfield, U.K. A project spokesman said it would open at the "Summer Equinox", midsummer day, 2003. Weird!Even the Website www.solarpyramid.co.uk confuses the summer solstice with midsummer day, 24th June. The project designers are Richard Swain and Adam Walkden. Does anyone know about the project? . It's possible that the above errors were slips of pen and tongue, otherwise there might be some very red faces.Perhaps more enquiries should be made -we don't want another Dome on our hands.   John    John Moir 24 Woodcote Road Wanstead London E11 2QA      Tel 020 8989 2584