This learner has completed ID verification. Find out more.
Bob Schofield
Retired electrical engineer and designer of geographical information systems, though mind was always on historical geography and local history. Wandered around various universities postgrad.
Location East Cheshire
Activity
-
@MadeleineCurrie Hope you weren't accosted by any amorous young gentlemen on your way home from school..
-
@MadeleineCurrie Oh dear, my memory is dragging me in to comment after 2 years! It was one of the worst experiences of my life to choose the dish of the day without reading what it was, in a cafe in Bayeux about forty years ago. What arrived was "Tripes de Caen". More like rubber in thin gravy. Most was left.
Hope you're enjoying this course, we had a lot... -
@SylviaPinches You’re quite write! :-)
My, that’s a long time ago, I can’t recall writing any of it. We were probably still reeling from the Joyce course. -
Bob Schofield made a comment
I can only think of Nursie and Elizabeth 1st in Blackadder.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
It is noteworthy that the Ming Dynasty recruited from the civilian population. How deeply down, we don't know, I would expect not far. However, it does mean that ability was part of the recruitment process, which required education and the teaching of writing and practical skills.
-
@DiamondJiang Hi there, in the Christian religion the totality of God appears in three forms, God the father, Jesus Christ his appearance on Earth as his son, wholly human yet simultaneously divine, and God the Holy Spirit, whereby He enters and communicates continually with people. Together, they form the Trinity.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Chinese medical training and practice seem way out in front of Europe in the Fifteenth century, especially the emphasis on examination. I wonder if this was reflected in mortality rates.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Bob Schofield
@SusanaBiemmi. Thanks for the comment, you've reminded me to look at the photos which put some images in my mind of the people in The Leopard by Lampedusa, which I finished reading last week (and thoroughly enjoyed, though it's a bit cheerless).
-
Famines today are newsworthy (not that the newspapers take much notice) but for everyone a couple of hundred years ago, were an ever-present problem. Zhang Juzheng certainly hit the nail on the head, agricultural improvement was the only way to handle shortage, but at what cost?
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@JudiBoutle Super!
-
Bob Schofield replied to Ineke Fioole
@JudiBoutle Agree, they're both formal (the portraits) and informal (the views of people going about their business). Just for old times sake, I'm waiting for a picture we discussed in a group we used to go to in Keighley, which might not have been the palace, but somewhere similar.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@HelenBloomer That's why I'm always pleased I didn't study history, the other things I did required a bit of fag packet calculations and you'd score. But get your numbers wrong in history and you'd have your throat cut.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
The pictures tell quite a lot. The consorts are young and attractive, so alike that I would imagine they’re stylised. But the empresses and dowagers are so different, no pretence at beautification, power is the thing.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
The lack of knowledge their names before entry into the palace seems the antithesis of how we view members of the British royal families. We seem to know everything about their lives before they enter, and then nobody is interested about them afterwards (apart from a few notable exceptions who sometimes lost their heads).
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@JudiBoutle @MichèleBethke @SusanAnneMurray @InekeFioole @YvonneWilliams Likewise, I’ve lots on over the next months. I’ve landed myself into writing up a couple of long standing projects which will take some time up. In the meantime, I really must finish this course before I’m tempted out into the summer!
-
@JudiBoutle I have all my files in One Drive and I’m using my iphone. Select the file (in this case an innocuous photo of Goatfell on Arran), then select the actions menu (three dots), choose share, then choose share photo, then choose share link to photo, then on the menu at the bottom “copy link”, and paste into the comment. Simple (not??)...
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@MichèleBethke @SusanAnneMurray @YvonneWilliams @JudiBoutle She’s back home, nothing critically wrong, but a cartload of cures for all ills. I’ve done the Te Papa course on Whales, and others on the Maori and Australian cultures from an Antipodean Mooc which I can’t seem to find, now.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
All I can add is that tragic lives are destined for blockbuster films.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Reminds me of Mary Queen of Scots being packed off to France to become Mrs Dauphin. Mind, a potentially better future was in store until he messed it up and died.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
The poem has quite deep feeling, the bed curtains hanging in vain. Makes you think.
-
@JudiBoutle @InekeFioole If you have it on the cloud you can copy a link to it.
-
Bob Schofield replied to June Grof
@InekeFioole Ah, the clogs. They weren’t too bad, once you got used to them. Still glad to take them off at the end of the day. The worst thing was when the nails holding the irons onto the wooden soles were sometimes too long and would break through and puncture your foot.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@HelenBloomer Woops, I’d forgotten about him, I was thinking of the Duke of Edinburgh. :-)
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@YvonneWilliams Not at the moment, I’ve fallen a bit behind on this one, with visit from daughter from Oz and my wife having a few days in hospital. I’ve a week respite coming up on Friday, so might start catching up. Often depends on what others have spotted - any thoughts yourself?
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I’ve enough on with one.
-
@JudiBoutle You’ve jogged my mind: we were once invited to a garden party at the Palace, and were so long in the queue outside, she’d done her tour of her loyal subjects and we had to make do with the said cucumber sandwiches and little buns with sugar paper crown shapes on the icing, washed down with a nice cup of tea, followed by a walk round the duck pond....
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
In reality this accords with my guesses. A bit like debutant balls, and so on.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I recall reading earlier one emperor had 9,000 concubines. Where did he put them all?
-
@JudiBoutle a bit like our National Health Service which should be called our National Illness Service, etc.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
There must have been time for gossip. You don’t dress up like that, unless there’s people to see you.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@HelenBloomer And don’t forget Bothwell. She made him a Duke, rather like Philip, but was he ever a Prince Consort? I suppose he got what he wanted for a month, and then fled for his life, being stripped of his titles by his victorious opponents.
-
@JudiBoutle I can just see you now, on your balcony waving graciously to the crowds below. Then followed by tea on the lawn at the back of your residence with cucumber sandwiches with the crusts removed, and the band of the Norfolk Militia playing Judi’s Song.
-
@YvonneWilliams Good thought!
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
In the painting, there’s a couple of guys next to a boat that I presume she’ll be sailing on. What are they doing with the pole and a piece of cloth?
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
The questions all rang bells for me from dim recollections of what we’ve read. Even though it’s all very confusing, some of it must be sticking to the odd brain cell hanging around. Fascinating, and I guess from the answer that there could be more than one dowager - did they ever get sacked? I suppose they were too powerful.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
1and 4 false, 2&3 true. The question in my mind is what happened to an existing empress dowager, if her “son” died before her. Did she lose her title?
-
@YvonneWilliams I’d forgotten all about this practice. It looks hideous, thanks for the links.
-
Bob Schofield replied to June Grof
@InekeFioole Nor I :-)
-
Bob Schofield replied to Michèle Bethke
@SusanAnneMurray The more tripe the better, so far as our fussy dog is concerned.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Mark Adams
@MarkJackson Now I know! Thanks for the info!
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Fascinated by cricket fighting. I presume this wasn’t a drunken brawl in the members’ enclosure at Lords, but insects. How did they tell them apart? Did they wear little boxing gloves?
-
Bob Schofield replied to Michèle Bethke
@MichèleBethke reminds me of the day in Bayeux when we ordered the dish of the day and were confronted with tripe floating in some sort of soup.
-
@MichèleBethke I was a bit disappointed that I was wrong with the Tofu Soup - I thought it was a sea anemone. I recall walking along streets in Hong Kong looking at various slimy things wriggling on the slabs and deciding that Chinese takeaways in UK aren’t quite in the same league, and opting out by buying a McDonalds.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Susan Anne Murray
@SusanAnneMurray Charles’ speech taught me more than anything before about the role and benefits of a primogeniture monarchy, and that is, whether they like it or not (and that goes for monarchs and the audience), a detached monarch is in a position to lecture others effectively without it being thought of as part of the normal cut and thrust of politics. ...
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I’m fascinated by the inscription plaque above the throne. It’s quite large, but the signwriters have copied the characters as if they were handwritten by a brush on a piece of paper, down to the fading as the brush left the surface. This puts significance into the statement, making it personal to the emperor, and not just a bland slogan.
-
Bob Schofield replied to June Grof
@JuneGrof some emperors must have been very concerned about nighttime assassination attempts. Perhaps for good reason, but I wonder if the long serving emperors had the same concern as the majority.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
It’s difficult to compare historical reigns with the current day, since we are now so influenced by global factors. However two or more hundred years ago, a long reign meant that early turbulence seems to have died down, as rivals groups were dealt with quickly and a country could settle down to economic improvement rather than wasting resources on internal...
-
@JudiBoutle Don’t recall Blackadder paying them much attention!
-
Bob Schofield replied to Martina Fricsay
@JudiBoutle Reminded me - episode 568 of Rest is History, all good fun!
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Quite shocked about the fate of the royal concubines. What a thought, when they became one, to know of their end.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@JudiBoutle Barchester is great reading - and I can still recall the BBC series, especially Rev Slope, who of course pottered on to greater things.
-
@MichèleBethke The other thing that struck me us that they’re sat on little platforms, like thrones. The guy in black isn’t. I also wonder if bright colours were reserved for the top dogs.
-
@SusanAnneMurray I even saw one last year as I was driving between Keighley and Skipton. They must be quite adventurous wandering into those parts!
-
@YvonneWilliams You could be right - never thought of that!
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I rather like the portrait. His pointed stare and general demeanour match his description of himself. He's holding something that looks like a snake or dragon's tail in his left hand, I wonder what it is?
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I’ll have to revisit a few times to get the hang of it. I suppose European titles and naming can be complex. Whether Ethelred the Unready or Vlad the Impaler would be proud of their descriptions is another question.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Like Mark, I only got one wrong (4). I suppose repetition is the key to learning. I had enough difficulties trying to learn French so at my age I think I’ll leave this alone.
Pinyin was a new word to me as well. -
Bob Schofield made a comment
I’ll need to keep pressing the back button when I’m doing the quiz!
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@InekeFioole I doubt if many people in UK know when it’s Charles’ birthday. But then he has two, which makes it even more difficult.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@JudiBoutle You’ve made me realise I know absolutely nothing about Richard II.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Michèle Bethke
When I first read the heading for this lesson, I expected something on the line of military hardware, not goldfish.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Bob Schofield
@SusanAnneMurray That tells me, that, like me, you pegged out your washing in the lovely sunshine we had over the weekend - Summer is on the way, but I haven't seen a swallow yet and they were due on Saturday - perhaps a mythical beast?
-
Bob Schofield replied to Michèle Bethke
@MichèleBethke :-D
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
What has struck me is the worry there must have been (and still is, I would imagine) about lightning, something present in the UK, but nowhere near to the same extent. Multiplied, obviously by the buildings being wooden. Off down a rabbit hole again, but I discovered that studies of lightning intensity showed that in the Po Valley it decreased considerably...
-
Bob Schofield replied to Michèle Bethke
@MichèleBethke I'm taken by the idea of sharing my drinking water with a goldfish.
-
@YvonneWilliams I suppose it's in the blood to notice them, I earned a crust pretending to be an electricity supply engineer for forty years. You learn to look up for problems all the time, to the effect that one of my colleagues managed to crash his car when his attention was diverted by some faulty overhead equipment.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Michèle Bethke
@MichèleBethke A useful list to carry in your pocket book!
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@JudiBoutle Like the punk!
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
For those who recall Kirstie’s course on mill workers, it’s reputed that the lions in the main square of Saltaire were rejected from the designs for Trafalgar Square, because one of them was licking its paw and was thought to have been too soft.
https://victorianweb.org/sculpture/milnes/2.html. (This doesn’t mention the reason). -
Bob Schofield made a comment
Like Mark, nil points. I need to read the paragraphs several times to get my head around the symbolism and to recognise each beast when I see them. I’d expect not to have to go to the Forbidden Palace but a quick trip to the local restaurant would be a good starting point.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Unicorn, cockerel, Lion, horse wearing a school scarf on last day of term.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Been off down a rabbit hole agsin, and revisiting the Norwegian Stave Church course and the dragons on the roofs, evidently a hark back to the pre Christian times when dragons were a protection from evil, as with so many things adopted by the new religion. The course is no longer available so the best I can do is give a Wiki reference to one of the more...
-
@YvonneWilliams @InekeFioole I did notice in some of the photos of the roof structures that they are surmounted by lightning protection wires run over the full length of the embellishments.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
The questions, all totally relevant, don’t appear to take into account the importance of the current function of the building, which must have a considerable bearing. For instance, any work on, say, Notre Dame or York Minster following their fires were not just to replicate something totally of the past but to maintain a fully functioning place of worship. ...
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I initially thought the photo was much before the 50s. It all goes to show how much China has changed, as have the rest of us in the last seventy years. No women in the picture for starters. Yet what a difference - here we have a course without male presenters (up to now), but what is heartening is that I hadn't really noticed, and that's what really matters.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Bob Schofield
@KirstieBlair Can I assume that you’re softening us up for a course on nineteenth century Chinese railway workers?
-
Bob Schofield replied to Bob Schofield
@InekeFioole The good thing about these quizzes, I realise, are that they're just a learning tool, not a test of my failing memory. If we have to guess, all well and good. We just learn by getting the wrong answer!
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
By good luck, I got the buildings right. I didn't know the ice tool.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
When we were kids we used to trespass into the grounds of the local hall (by then a golf club) and one of the places we'd play around was the ice house, with a nearby small reservoir lake which I presume was the source of the ice. We called the lake the Roman Bath, though it wasn't that old. We probably didn't know then what an ice house was, but found out...
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Quite spectacular. At one point, I was reminded of a slight similarity to Pantomime, where the story is already known to the audience, the actions are formalised, and the make up and costumes way over the top but quite understandable.
-
@MichèleBethke I was thinking about the three performances and wondered whether they were all part of the same storyline, but on three levels, rather like Juliet on her balcony, or whether there were three separate stories all running at the same time and it was up to the members of the audience as to which they wanted to follow.
-
@YvonneWilliams That sounds like a deeper burrow than I've been in. Must dig a bit more.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
We aren't told whether the books in this library were printed or hand-written. I suspect the latter, because of the age, but I could be wrong. Somehow, I have in mind pictures of Chinese scribes, much more than printers.
Reminds me a bit of Duke Humfrey's in the Bod, I wonder who gets permission to read them? -
Bob Schofield made a comment
Am I right in thinking he's sitting on the tortoise, which is mainly hidden by the text banner? Hope he's got a sturdy shell.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@SusanAnneMurray Something to listen to as I'm walking the dog. I've just finished one series of the Rest is History (the 2nd Punic war) so the time is right!
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@YvonneWilliams Now that's what I call Entertainment.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Very, very colourful. Most of the plum themes are allegories which unless I was told, I wouldn't recognise, other than the blue bands painted with the flowers. I've been trying to think of a building in Britain which has similar meanings to its architecture. The one that comes to mind is Rushton Lodge where everything is in threes, symbolising the Trinity....
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
The absence of a nave or people's area with pews suggests that there were no public services in the manner of the Christian tradition, no sermons either! Rituals, it appears, would be carried out by priests either alone or in company of very small groups. Alternatively the people may have been able to carry out rituals privately, though it's usual for a...
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I fear I haven't a clue about Daoism. Off down a rabbit hole to find out, Backson.
-
Bob Schofield replied to Judi Boutle
@JudiBoutle I reckon they uproot and tramp around the city at night when the tourists have gone home :-)
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Looking forward to what's in store. Hope we learn as much as last week.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
Can't delete comment.
-
@JudiBoutle The round towers were specially for you!
-
@YvonneWilliams I can see from the map that a stream runs through the city. I can't imagine sewage going into it, but possibly rainwater. I've just seen Mich has put a link onto a site, best look at it!
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
It's been an eye opener, and given much opportunity for thought. I'm sure there'll be a lot more in the next few weeks on life in the Forbidden City.
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I hadn't thought much about materials, but stone suited western architecture better than wood, though we do have to remember that tall spires often had a wooden frame (Chesterfield wouldn't have a crooked spire if it had been built of stone).
I've no idea about relative population density, but in western Europe, especially Britain, decent wood was becoming... -
I've written a time or two about the feeling of horizontality rather than the Western vertical style. The western style as developed in churches and cathedrals had two functions: approaching a Heaven imagined to be in the sky, and a domination of the population through sheer immensity. Church towers, of course, were miniature castles, complete with...
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
The overall impression of the Qing halls is one of better proportions, using the foundation tiers as more of a feature, coupled of course with the large outdoor assembly or processional area. Less space to heat may well have been in the mind, especially with the potential problem of fire, and the possibility of it spreading between buildings which were too...
-
Bob Schofield made a comment
I got the right answer for roofs, but it was only by impression, I can see now the difference.
I wasn't right with the lattice patterns, I discounted I since it looked rather like a mass produced piece of Victorian ironwork.
I was right with the number of animals, but as has already been pointed out, 10 isn't the luckiest number! -
Bob Schofield made a comment
Roofs: I would say A is the most important, it's the highest, followed by B, then C
Grillages: very difficult: H is perhaps the most complex but it's painted very dull, so I could go for D, and the least important being E.
Animals: A has most (10 small) followed by F(9) and E (8).
