#Transatlantic Tunnel

[oldfilmsflicker]

new-to-me #269 - Transatlantic Tunnel

[alrightbuckaroo]

Ada! Another one for Nice Ask Week -

Write and direct 911 lone star: the movie. Who's in it? Who isn't? What's a good genre for lone star? What's the story?

Hello Tessa!

Maybe it's because I simply just adore the Benoit Blanc mysteries, but I would love to see this gang in a whodunit! One that's both very campy and fun, but also one that provides really nuanced social commentary.

It would start with the gang showing up at a 1940s themed Murder Mystery dinner that one of Nancy's high school thespians friends invited her to and by extension, invited the rest of the 126 (plus Grace + Carlos of course).

I know what you're thinking, but yes, it has to be the 1940s because Marjan do a transatlantic accent I think she'd be perfect at it.

It takes place in a mansion out in the boonies; and we're talking mansion mansion. Secret tunnels, false bookshelves, the whole shebang.

They're all enjoying a nasty dinner of a 1940s classic Brown Sugar Meatloaf when the lights suddenly go out.

However, when the lights come back on, they see that someone was actually murdered.

Everyone but Carlos decides to take it upon themselves to solve the actual murder as opposed to waiting for law enforcement. Again, Carlos has to point at the "I'm a cop, you all are not" sign but they pay him no mind.

After hours of searching, investigating and having to pull everyone apart from their significant other at one point (TK and Carlos can simply NOT stay out of the master bedroom, for some reason); they eventually discover the killer.

After the police show up and arrest the killer, they decide to stay to finish dessert and decompress. However, when they get back to the dining room, Paul's chocolate pudding has been eaten.

They begin the investigation all over again.

[grandmaster-anne]

We'd all lose out if our heritage crumbled away

The Telegraph commentary article by Sir Tim Laurence | Published 29 December 2022

Do we care about our heritage? What is heritage? One definition is: “Features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages or buildings, which come from the past and are still important”. Is the past still important? Shouldn’t we just look ahead, not behind? As the chairman (for only a few more days sadly) of the charitable trust English Heritage, I am unsurprisingly on the side of “still important”. I’ll try to explain why.

English Heritage looks after built heritage. Over 400 of the most historically significant sites in England are in our care, from Tintagel Castle in Cornwall to Dover Castle in Kent; from Stonehenge to Hadrian’s Wall. Why do we bother? Why don’t we just let it all quietly crumble away? 

Governments have effectively suggested this in the past. There may be some taxpayers who feel the same. That is why the more historic buildings which are cared for away from the public sector, the better. Fortunately, the great majority are either in private hands or in various charities. Expecting public servants to prioritise between re-roofing a castle and providing better social care or waste collection is unfair on them. Best leave the re-roofing to us enthusiasts.

One answer to the “why bother” question is because historic buildings give us a physical connection with what has gone before. Stand in our sites and you are standing where history happened. This helps us gain a sense of where we have come from, what our values are, how hard-won were our freedoms. Dover Castle contains several of our stories at a single site, from the lighthouse built there by the Romans to the tunnels from where the evacuation of Dunkirk was directed. At Battle Abbey, you can stand on the spot where the arrow pierced King Harold’s eye.

Some parts of our history are uncomfortable or worse. We must not shy away from presenting the whole picture, set in the context of its day. The 12th century massacre of Jews at Clifford’s Tower in the centre of York was an appalling tragedy. We tell that story along with many others in a brilliant new timber structure within the Tower which gives better access at all levels. 

The curious tale of Caribbean prisoners-of-war held at Portchester Castle in Portsmouth Harbour in the 1790s was re-discovered only recently and is now told in full. The transatlantic slave trade – a ghastly stain on our nation’s history – is explained at those sites where there is a connection. But so is the story of England’s role in the abolition movement. Kenwood in Hampstead was the home of Lord Mansfield whose 1772 ruling was one of the key milestones in that journey. It doesn’t excuse what went before but it reflects another side of the national character.

The physical beauty and serene atmosphere at many historic sites are other reasons why we should look after them. A walk around Lindisfarne Priory in Northumberland or Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire is a great way to revive the soul.

Can the past help us prepare for the future? Perhaps. “If men could learn from history,” wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1831, “what lessons it might teach us! But passion and party blind our eyes, and the light which experience gives is a lantern on the stern, which shines only on the waves behind.” 

Nearly a century later, King George V toured the cemeteries of the Western Front and asked “whether there can be more potent advocates of peace upon the Earth through the years to come than this massed multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war.” Sadly, it appears that President Putin is blind to this. Nonetheless, it is important that the message remains visible for those who have the wit to understand it and the wisdom to apply it.

So we heritage bodies press on, bruised by the effects of Covid but unbowed, helped by generous government support (thank you, Prime Minister, much appreciated). To survive financially we need more members and other visitors, and that encourages us to present our sites in ever better ways, to make the experience more rewarding, to serve good coffee and to keep the loos clean. That is in everyone’s interest. We will need more philanthropic support as well. We must try out new approaches to make sure every part of our society feels welcome and well-informed, even if that generates criticism from some quarters. It’s good to test what works and what doesn’t, as long as one is prepared to recognise the latter and change course accordingly. If such public controversy and debate encourages more people to visit our sites and find out for themselves, then we have all gained.

Sir Tim Laurence is chairman of English Heritage

[how-masterful]

31 Fics Of Fright

Day 8- Slime of the Season

Simm!Master x Reader

Prompt: Slime

Notes: A very silly fic for a very silly prompt, and also my love of Ghostbusters I think I wrote this thing running on the pure adrenaline from the trailer today- who else is excited?

Warnings: None

“Can you see anything?”

Your voice called over the communicator, a silver disk stuck to the side of his jaw. The connection had begun to muffle the deeper the Master had gotten into the old underground station, your voice laced with crackles and pops like an old radio announcer. All that was missing was the transatlantic accent.

“No sign of the bugger yet, how far down does this whole thing go?”

The Master stared into the deep hole, sprawling and descending downwards, a purple mist exhuming from the cavernous drop. The head of security had attempted to scare you with old tales of people falling in and never stopping falling. The Master was utterly unconvinced.

“It likely won’t head into the deeper caves, it’s scared of the mist.” You said from the TARDIS console.

You’d pulled a chair up to the central console, notes and research sprawled across her surface in notebooks and journals, mic ghosting close to your lips as you listened through a pair of headphones.

“You should be able to corner it in one of the adjacent corridors.”

“And what can I do about beating the shit out of it for stealing my dematerialisation circuit?”

“It’s only a child, Master! Plus, it’s intangible. It can touch you-”

“But I can't touch it. Fine, fine. But I'm still going to kill it.” The Timelord grumbled, huffing as he took steps deeper into the tunnels.

“Remember, that transmitter only works once.”

You’d arrived back from your day trip to discover the TARDIS refusing to take off. Not for lack of trying, the old girl wheezing and groaning, like she was dragging herself off the ground and trying to pull herself into the vortex. A furious Master became enraged to find the circuit had been stolen, the inside of the console coated in a thick, gelatinous green gel. You’d teased that slimer had made his way into the console. A single look at the security footage suggested that you may not have been wrong.

“I’m still confused about what we’re dealing with. Slimer wasn’t real.”

“You humans often get inspired by aliens and don’t even know it. Maybe the director saw one, even in a dream, and thought he’d made it up himself. How do you think they made the Xenomorph?”

There was a terrified silence over the communicator, the Master smiling devilishly to himself.

“What.”

“Oh yeah, stay out of the 8th Quadrant of the Mancalar Planes. Also out of West Virginia.”

The Master smirked at the sound of a pen scribbling on paper, approaching the entrance to the side tunnels, torch held tightly in hand. The beam of light bounced against the old subway tile, the ancient language on the wall just out of the field of the TARDIS translator. Judging from the shape of the signs they were directions, and the Master followed as best he could. His boots crunched against the filthy floor, covered in dirt and dust, his coat hanging down to his calves.

“Ok, if you’re at the entrance you should be able to follow the path through to one of the exit tunnels. They were all blocked off years ago but there should still be the atrium… Master?”

The Master’s com had gone eerily silent, beyond the sound of his shallow breaths. You tapped on the microphone, placing down your pen atop the old subway map.

“Master? Are you alright?”

“When you were looking into this thing, what did it say about species size?”

You scoured over the table, picking up a red notebook and flipping across a few pages.

“It says, erm, that they have a relatively big species but often work in families. Or, um, hold on- ah! They can grow up to 8 foot tall, if that’s what you’re after.”

“Right,” The Master continued, voice wavering with odd apprehension.

“In that movie… with the slimer…” He started, swallowing thick. “When they find it in the hotel… what happens?”

You paused, raising an eyebrow, placing down the notebook onto the surface.

“It um, Venkman finds it and he, er, slime’s him.”

“And what makes it… slime him?”

It was more of a statement than a question, but the statement raised more questions within your mind than you thought possible. You racked your brain, trying to remember the scene.

“Oh! When Venkman sees it, and slimer looks at him.”

There was another pause, the air silent as both you nor the Master failed to speak. You could still hear the Master’s breathing, though the sound had begun to crackle once more.

“Darling…” He said quietly, and a chill spread through your body. He only called you darling when something was very, very wrong.

“Yeah?” You replied. You held your breath awaiting his reply.

“It’s looking at me.”

A reply tried to fight its way out, but was beaten to the punch by the sound of the Master’s loud yell. You could hear the screech of another creature in the background of the com, the piercing wail of the receiver making you rip the headphones from the top of your head.

In an instant the com had cut dead, a loud crash sounding behind you. You whipped around in your seat to see the Master materializing inside the TARDIS, the transmitter fizzing and dying as it clattered out of his hand and fell to the floor. The torch rolled across the grate floor, hitting the edge of the steps, just avoiding tripping you up as you ran towards the Master. He was sprawled across the floor, groaning at the impact of his back. Head to toe, he had been covered in the same thick, green slime that had filled the console.

“Oh my god, are you ok!?”

You cried, reaching down to the Master’s side, the Timelord growling in aggravation. You struggled to hold in your laugh at his disgruntled expression.

“Next time,” He gritted, wiping the slime from his eyes and throwing the globs towards the floor. You scrunched your nose in disgust, the slime sticking wet against the Master's clothes.

“You’re going exploring!”

[silodrome]

The Incredibly Futuristic Tatra T77 From 1934

The Tatra T77 is a relatively unknown vintage car today however its influence on automotive aerodynamics was gargantuan. It was the first production automobile with a streamlined, wind tunnel-tested body and it was so futuristic looking that science fiction director Maurice Elvey used one in his 1935 film Transatlantic Tunnel. So good was the aerodynamic design of the T77’s body that its…

[chsthrive]

Hidden Gems in Charleston, SC: Off-the-Beaten-Path Attractions to Explore Shop Local Charleston, SC Businesses [ad_1] Charleston, South Carolina is known for its historic charm, stunning architecture, and vibrant culinary scene. While popular attractions like The Battery, Rainbow Row, and the historic plantations draw visitors from around the world, there are also hidden gems waiting to be discovered off the beaten path. From hidden gardens to underground tunnels, here are some of Charleston's best-kept secrets. Hidden Gardens Charleston is a city of gardens, but some of the most beautiful and secluded green spaces are tucked away from the main tourist areas. One such gem is the Aiken-Rhett House garden, located behind the historic mansion on Elizabeth Street. This hidden oasis features a mix of formal beds, mature trees, and a charming carriage house. Another hidden garden worth exploring is the St. John's Reformed Episcopal Church Churchyard and Garden, located on Archdale Street. The churchyard dates back to the early 18th century and is a peaceful spot to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums While the Charleston Museum and Gibbes Museum of Art are must-visit attractions for any visitor to the city, there are also some lesser-known museums that offer unique and interesting exhibits. The Old Slave Mart Museum, located on Chalmers Street, tells the story of Charleston's role in the transatlantic slave trade. The museum is housed in a historic building that was once a slave auction market. Another hidden gem is the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, located on Spring Street. This small museum houses a collection of rare and historic manuscripts, including original documents from famous authors, musicians, and politicians. Hidden Historic Sites Charleston is known for its well-preserved historic architecture, but some of the most interesting sites are hidden from view. The Charleston Powder Magazine, located on Cumberland Street, is one such hidden gem. This historic building was used to store gunpowder during the American Revolution and is now open to the public as a museum. Another hidden historic site worth exploring is the Circular Congregational Church Graveyard, located on Meeting Street. This ancient graveyard dates back to the 17th century and features ornate headstones, crypts, and a peaceful garden. Off-the-Beaten-Path Eateries While Charleston is known for its world-class restaurants, some of the best dining experiences can be found off the beaten path. Places like Martha Lou's Kitchen, located on Morrison Drive, serve up delicious soul food in a cozy and eclectic atmosphere. For those craving a taste of Charleston's seafood scene, Shem Creek Bar & Grill, located in nearby Mount Pleasant, offers stunning views of the creek and some of the freshest seafood in the area. Conclusion Charleston is a city with no shortage of attractions for visitors to explore, but some of the most unique and interesting sites are hidden from view. From hidden gardens to off-the-beaten-path museums, historic sites, and eateries, there's plenty to discover in this charming Southern city. So the next time you find yourself in Charleston, be sure to venture off the beaten path and uncover some of the city's hidden gems. [ad_2] EXPLORE MORE: Things to do in Charleston SC CHARLESTON BUSINESS OWNERS: Get a Free Business Profile FIND BUSINESSES: Charleston Business Directory BE SEEN: Advertise Your Business Here #THINGS_TO_DO

[charlestonbusinessdirectory]

Hidden Gems in Charleston, SC: Off-the-Beaten-Path Attractions to Explore Shop Local Charleston, SC Businesses [ad_1] Charleston, South Carolina is known for its historic charm, stunning architecture, and vibrant culinary scene. While popular attractions like The Battery, Rainbow Row, and the historic plantations draw visitors from around the world, there are also hidden gems waiting to be discovered off the beaten path. From hidden gardens to underground tunnels, here are some of Charleston's best-kept secrets. Hidden Gardens Charleston is a city of gardens, but some of the most beautiful and secluded green spaces are tucked away from the main tourist areas. One such gem is the Aiken-Rhett House garden, located behind the historic mansion on Elizabeth Street. This hidden oasis features a mix of formal beds, mature trees, and a charming carriage house. Another hidden garden worth exploring is the St. John's Reformed Episcopal Church Churchyard and Garden, located on Archdale Street. The churchyard dates back to the early 18th century and is a peaceful spot to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums While the Charleston Museum and Gibbes Museum of Art are must-visit attractions for any visitor to the city, there are also some lesser-known museums that offer unique and interesting exhibits. The Old Slave Mart Museum, located on Chalmers Street, tells the story of Charleston's role in the transatlantic slave trade. The museum is housed in a historic building that was once a slave auction market. Another hidden gem is the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, located on Spring Street. This small museum houses a collection of rare and historic manuscripts, including original documents from famous authors, musicians, and politicians. Hidden Historic Sites Charleston is known for its well-preserved historic architecture, but some of the most interesting sites are hidden from view. The Charleston Powder Magazine, located on Cumberland Street, is one such hidden gem. This historic building was used to store gunpowder during the American Revolution and is now open to the public as a museum. Another hidden historic site worth exploring is the Circular Congregational Church Graveyard, located on Meeting Street. This ancient graveyard dates back to the 17th century and features ornate headstones, crypts, and a peaceful garden. Off-the-Beaten-Path Eateries While Charleston is known for its world-class restaurants, some of the best dining experiences can be found off the beaten path. Places like Martha Lou's Kitchen, located on Morrison Drive, serve up delicious soul food in a cozy and eclectic atmosphere. For those craving a taste of Charleston's seafood scene, Shem Creek Bar & Grill, located in nearby Mount Pleasant, offers stunning views of the creek and some of the freshest seafood in the area. Conclusion Charleston is a city with no shortage of attractions for visitors to explore, but some of the most unique and interesting sites are hidden from view. From hidden gardens to off-the-beaten-path museums, historic sites, and eateries, there's plenty to discover in this charming Southern city. So the next time you find yourself in Charleston, be sure to venture off the beaten path and uncover some of the city's hidden gems. [ad_2] EXPLORE MORE: Things to do in Charleston SC CHARLESTON BUSINESS OWNERS: Get a Free Business Profile FIND BUSINESSES: Charleston Business Directory BE SEEN: Advertise Your Business Here #THINGS_TO_DO

[antimony]

tradcaths flipping out about the chabad tunnel like the vatican and JFK didn't get a whole transatlantic tunnel built so the pope could tell the president what to do 🤦‍♀️

[greenbagjosh]

Tuesday 12 November 2002 - breakfast on the train - view of the Berner Oberland - revisiting the yodeling station of September 2000 - lovely Spätzle supper with Hürlimann-Mass

12 November 2002

EN  Hi everyone!  I had taken the night train from Hamburg Hbf to Zürich HB via Bremen, Basel Badischer Bahnhof and Baden in Aargau.  I arrived too early to check in at the hostel in Mutschellenstrasse, so I went to Bern for a few hours and returned to check in.  

DE  Hallo allerseits! Ich war mit dem Nachtzug von Hamburg Hbf über Bremen, Basel Badischer Bahnhof und Baden im Aargau nach Zürich HB gefahren. Ich kam zu früh an, um im Hostel an der Mutschellenstrasse einzuchecken, also fuhr ich für ein paar Stunden nach Bern und kehrte zum Einchecken zurück.  

DK  Hej allesammen! Jeg havde taget nattoget fra Hamburg Hbf til Zürich HB via Bremen, Basel Badischer Bahnhof og Baden i Aargau. Jeg ankom for tidligt til at tjekke ind på hostellet i Mutschellenstrasse, så jeg tog til Bern i et par timer og vendte tilbage for at tjekke ind.  

SE  Hej allihopa! Jag hade tagit nattåget från Hamburg Hbf till Zürich HB via Bremen, Basel Badischer Bahnhof och Baden i Aargau. Jag kom för tidigt för att checka in på vandrarhemmet i Mutschellenstrasse, så jag åkte till Bern i några timmar och återvände för att checka in.  

FR  Salut tout le monde! J'avais pris le train de nuit de Hamburg Hbf à Zürich HB via Brême, Bâle Badischer Bahnhof et Baden en Argovie. Je suis arrivé trop tôt pour m'enregistrer à l'auberge de Mutschellenstrasse, alors je suis allé à Berne pendant quelques heures et je suis revenu m'enregistrer.  

Guten Morgen!  Good morning! About 7 AM I woke up in my first class train compartment on the EuroNight train from Hamburg Hbf to Zürich HB.  The train staff gave my passport back and then served me breakfast, about the same as what I would expect to receive on an inbound transatlantic flight, namely pastries, yogurt and coffee, and I do not remember if a hard boiled egg were included.  The train stopped at Baden AG (I would stay at the youth hostel near Wettingen, the following August), before proceeding through Spreitenbach, Dietikon and Schlieren before terminating at Zürich HB, which at the time, did not have its Löwenstrasse underground station built, so it had to stop at the head-station platforms.  I exited the train, withdrew some Swiss Francs, took my wheeled bag, put it in an old locker that still took coins, and left it there for the morning.  It was only 8 AM and it was too soon to check into the youth hostel, it started accepting travellers about 2 PM.

I looked for a train that went to Bern, as I wanted to see the Zytglogge, Bundeshaus and SNB buildings there.  The train I found, a "Dosto" SBB train, was a direct train to Bern.  I had my first class ticket, valid in all of Switzerland until the 19th November, so I went to Bern, and arrived in about one hour.  I think somewhere between Lyssach and Burgdorf, there was a new rail tunnel constructed, and the train went about 120 km/h or 75 mph through it.  Eventually the signals would be recalibrated so that a journey from Zürich to Bern would take only 45 minutes.

Around 9:15 AM, I arrived at Bern SBB station.  I bought a day pass for around 7 CHF, for unlimited local transport.  I took the tram to Zytglogge where I saw the astrological clock.  There is another similar clock close to the Bundeshaus.  I walked to the Bundeshaus.  The SNB building is almost next door.  I did not go inside the Bundeshaus, but I did go to the terrace, and was able to see the Berner Oberland mountains, including the Matterhorn.  It looked like it had a nice coating of snow.  I decided the next day to go to Brig, and come back through Geneva.

I went back to the tram stop, Bundesplatz, and took a tram in the direction of Muri.  I just wanted to see what it looked like.  Somehow I was interested in the traffic signal setups, they looked like they dated back to the 1970s as I remember from my first couple of visits to Zürich and Glarus.  I took the tram back to Bern SBB.  I think it was close to 11 AM, so I took the train back to Zürich HB.  I may have returned there by 11:45 AM, almost lunchtime.  I took the S Bahn to the Migros close to the Stadelhofen train station.  Stadelhofen is one of the many structures designed by Santiago Calatrava.  I remember in Dallas he designed a vehicle bridge across the Trinity River.  I bought some food and drink, and then took the S-18, not a regular S-Bahn train line, but one that used meter gauge and the Zürich tram electricity, namely 750 volts DC.  I took the S-18 to Maiacher, where, on 10th September 2000, I did a bit of yodeling.  Sadly I did not have an Alpenhorn to go with that.  Maiacher was still the same underground station that I remembered from back then, was not refurbished until the late 2000s.  I went back again in February 2012 and it looked much nicer, with a decent color scheme.  I exited the station, to eat my lunch.  

About 1:30 PM, I returned to Zürich HB, collected my luggage and took the tram line 7 to Morgental, passing by the Enge commuter rail station.  Then I transferred to the trolleybus line 33, and rode it one stop to the Youth Hostel stop which was next to a Migros florist.  I walked to the hostel and arrived about ten to fifteen minutes later.  There was much construction going on at the hostel since early 2001.  The former entrance and the breakfast room had been swapped as a result of the renovation.  I was given a bed in a four bed room.  The room had a sink, but the toilet and shower was in a large room on the floor.  

I left the hostel around 3 PM.  I took the trolleybus from the hostel stop to Morgental, changed to the line 7, and went to HB.  I walked along the Niederdorferstrasse doing a bit of window shopping.  I had dinner at the Brasserie Johanniter.  I had a full liter of Hürlimann beer, and Spätzle with ham, onion and cheese.  It was very good.  

After supper, I went back to the hostel.  At the time, I did not have my own laptop computer, let alone even a smartphone (a Siemens S40 triband does not count), so I had to use the internet terminals at the hostel for a reasonable fee.  I needed to find out, what were the schedules for tomorrow's train journey, to Brig, Sion, St. Maurice, Geneva, Frauenfeld TG and back.  I had to go to sleep soon, and be ready to wake up for breakfast which would be served starting 6 AM.  

Please join me for tomorrow's journey to Brig through the Lötschberg tunnel, then to Sion, St. Maurice and Geneva, and also to Frauenfeld, the cantonal capital of Thurgau.  The weather will be fairly nice for spotting the southern side of the Berner Oberland.

Good night!  Gute Nacht!

[capecodguy]

Transatlantic Tunnel 1935  Richard Dix and Madge Evans

[fibula-rasa]

Quick Thoughts on The Tunnel (1935)

27 October 1935 | 94min. | B&W

Director: Maurice Elvey

Writer: Curt Siodmak (screenplay) and Bernhard Kellerman (novel)

Note before I begin: I wrote the first draft of this a day after watching The Tunnel for the first time months ago. Only getting about to editing it now!

I can say with some certainty that I’ve never seen a movie quite like this one. The Tunnel follows the progress of one man’s mission to build another Chunnel, but this time between the US and the UK. (In The Tunnel’s narrative, the Channel Tunnel is already complete.) The film starts with Richard McAllan (Richard Dix) pitching his idea for a tunnel to investors and ends with the opening of the tunnel. The film spans years and covers the trials of building the tunnel. There’s funding issues, crooked investment schemes, workers falling ill, and volcanic activity at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Meanwhile, the tunnel is estranging McAllan from his beloved wife.

The Tunnel doesn’t quite balance the technical and melodramatic, but I appreciate the effort. Maybe because the melodrama is so stiff-upper-lip British. It’s a little dry but it’s a fascinating document of an inter-war view of the future. There’s plenty of gorgeous art deco and futurist design to drink in. The effects range from cool to goofy-but-fun. For example: the video phones feature Richard Dix sitting in a box and using a simple lighting trick to start and end the call. Classic.

It’s touching to see the future that was envisioned before the horrors of the second World War and think about what could have been. In many ways the film reads like a bio-pic of McAllan, as if this is a fictionalized retelling of actual events. The Tunnel has the weight of films inspired by actual events–when the filmmakers feel obligated to cover everything.

The tech in the film is imaginative and, oddly enough, are things that many people use daily in 2018. Video phones, while not handheld, are available everywhere–on planes, tunnels, etc. Mr. Lloyd (C. Aubrey Smith), the primary investor, uses a motorized wheelchair (the suggestion being that he was injured in WWI, I believe?) that looks startlingly like a jazzy. News reporting is primarily done on television. (Remember again that this is 1935!) The one thing we don’t have, unfortunately, is no cars in city spaces. In the film, there are small-occupancy tram cars that look straight out of an Italian futurist painting. I guess gyrocopters aren’t much of a thing today either.

One of the weirdest bits of foresight is the volcanic activity midway through the Atlantic. In 1934/5, as far as I know, we didn’t know about magma pockets at the continental shelf, but that is practically what they are describing. I’d love to dig a little deeper and find out how that idea was born.

Maybe I should point out that the Chunnel hadn’t even begun construction when they made this film (it started in 1940). And, as you may know, the Chunnel wasn’t finished until 1994. So, they were very optimistic.

As someone who has taken in a lot of 5-minutes-into-the-future storytelling in past few years, (Hi, Black Mirror) it’s almost startling to encounter such ambition. The film isn’t set in a specific year, but it can be surmised that it’s the 1940s. So, the filmmakers were envisioning all this progress in under 15 years. That’s astounding. I hate being a grump about tech, but I do wish we were a little more adventurous than making our magic pocket computers different sizes and making transparent computer monitors… Both in our fiction and in real life. What I mean to say is that it feels like we’re in a bit of a self-imposed (read late-Capitalist) slump of technological imagination and I hope we can break through it soon.

Other notes:

The special effects were done by prominent miniaturist Filippo Guidobaldi and camera-trick experimenter first class, Jack Whitehead, who did work on the dazzling A Matter of Life and Death (1946).

The TatraWorld blog has collected interesting ancillary materials to the film.

[70sscifiart]

Wayne Barlowe’s 1991 cover art for A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!, by Harry Harrison

[grandmaster-anne]

Sir Tim Laurence, head of English Heritage, on the challenges of conservation in the 21st century

By Henry Mance | Published 27 May 2022

English Heritage’s chair is Sir Tim Laurence, a former naval officer who happens to be married to Princess Anne. Laurence is a non-fusty, patrician figure. “Most people call me Tim. Even the gardeners call me Tim,” he tells me, over coffee at the Marble Hill café. In royal terms, he has a low enough profile that he even travels by Tube. (Don’t expect to see his wife: “I don’t think she’s been on an Underground for a long time, if at all. She has security issues which I don’t. I’m expendable.”)

While some English people feel threatened by the new historical narratives, particularly around slavery and empire, Laurence — sitting near the top of the Establishment — is not.

“History is what happened,” he says, upper lip duly stiffened. “Telling the story of Marble Hill without making the link to the slave trade and to mahogany would be wrong, in my view. We’re telling it like it is [ . . .] The transatlantic slave trade was one of the most appalling things in British history,” he adds.

“But there’s another important side of it, which is: it shouldn’t dominate. This place is all about how you build a beautiful house, what was going on at the time, the design of that wonderful garden, and making all of that available to the local community.”

The National Trust has been lambasted by some rightwing commentators for its approach; a recent article tried to depict English Heritage as a non-woke competitor. Laurence closes ranks: “We’re very close to the National Trust. I’ve been a National Trust member practically since I left school.” Like many British people, he tempers his revulsion at the slave trade by pointing to Britain’s role in ending it. “I’m extremely proud that my background is in the Royal Navy, and the Royal Navy battled for 60 years to try and stop it.” Some of the backlash to historical research “has become too extreme”.

English Heritage’s underlying challenge is financial. Since 2015, it has been an independent charity; it no longer receives a block government grant. Only about 20 of its sites — led by Stonehenge and also including Tintagel Castle in Cornwall — make a profit. The other 400 or so are either free to access or tickets don’t cover their cost. So it relies on its 1.2mn members, its cafés and gift shops, and grants from the lottery and others.

Covid has been “a really tough time”. Visitor numbers are expected to be near 5mn this year, down from 6.2mn pre-pandemic. “We need people to come back,” says Laurence. Foreign tourists in particular. “We do make quite a lot out of inbound tourism, so that’s a worry.” The charity has missed its target of breaking even in 2022, and is now aiming for 2025.

Despite financial constraints, he wants English Heritage to expand. “We’re not very strong on the industrial revolution, and we’ve got a couple of cold war bunkers. I would hope my successor would look to acquire more sites, probably more contemporary sites.”

For the moment, many English Heritage properties are either in ruins or threatening to become so soon. Last year part of Hurst Castle(opens a new window), an English Heritage property built in the 1540s on a shingle spit in Hampshire, collapsed into the sea after years of erosion.

“We haven’t absolutely got a long-term plan,” says Laurence. “Part of the problem is because the shingle from the spit comes from the shoreline along Christchurch Bay, and gradually over the decades Christchurch Bay has been concreted in with more and more habitation, so the shingle supply is not coming in at the same rate. So we’re fighting against the tide there. But we will go on trying to protect it as long as we can.”

Critics say that English Heritage is itself eroding its greatest asset, Stonehenge, by backing a motorway tunnel. Unesco has threatened that the site will lose its world heritage status if the project goes ahead. “I very much hope when Unesco look at it, when it’s finished, they say, ‘Actually, from a heritage point of view, this is a vast improvement on what was there before,’” says Laurence. But losing the status would probably be only symbolic: “Would it really make a difference to the people wanting to go there?”

In general, Laurence argues that the focus on heritage should not impede developments: “People are very anxious about change,” but “you’ve got to modernise.” He thinks people are “a bit over-precious” about the transformation of Liverpool’s docks for Everton’s new football stadium. (The docks have lost their Unesco heritage status.)

At Marble Hill, there were objections — ranging from “those who felt we shouldn’t be talking about Henrietta at all, because she was a harlot” to those who wanted a smaller café and assurance that there would not be regular concerts.

Such resistance is part of England’s history. When the land for Marble Hill was acquired piecemeal in the 1720s, some locals initially refused to sell “because they were frightened of this incomer”. The lesson of our heritage is that conservation works, but it’s also that someone had to work to create these sites in the first place.

[areyoudoingthis]

someone wrote the volvo into the volterra scene and i don't think it's humanly possible for me to stop laughing right now

[edinburgheye]

A Portpatrick-Larne Tunnel, Hurrah

A Portpatrick-Larne Tunnel, Hurrah

This was first posted on Facebook on 13th February 2021, with support from my Ko-Fi network. On a Saturday where 43 Republican Senators decided that it didn’t matter how much Donald Trump was obviously guilty of inciting armed insurrectionists to storm the Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power for which the US used to be famous, it may seem inappropriately banal to talk about Boris…

[whosscruffylooking]

The Purest Things-A New Home

Aaron Hotchner x Fem!Reader

a/n: this is a repost considering it didn’t show up in any of the tags yesterday. have i mentioned how much i despise tumblr sometimes :) again, i want to give a special shoutout to @avengersbau for giving me a second set of eyes on this one.

word count: 2k

warnings: canon-typical violence and descriptions of injury.

The Purest Things Masterlist

gif is not mine! credit goes to @hqtchner

au! october 2007

Bookend: “It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

++++

"I am SSA Hotchner. Welcome to the team Agent Y/L/N," his voice reminds you of the transatlantic accents of Hollywood stars of old. The kind you used to hear in the old black and white movies you would watch as a child.

"It's an honor to be here sir," you stare directly into his brown, soulfully deep eyes.

"J.J., get us started, please," SSA Hotchner suggests.

Sitting down, you look to the screen that displays the frightful footage of bombs detonating in various locations.

"Yesterday, an 81-year-old woman was severely injured when a bomb exploded in the toilet of a women's restroom," J.J. informs.

"Interesting spot to hide a bomb," Agent Prentiss sneers.

Jennifer flips through the slides and shows another bombsight located in a subway station, "Last year a similar bomb that had been attached to a phone box detonated. No outstanding injuries were reported. However, the bombs' similar makeup alerted detectives to dig into other bombings throughout the years. They have positively identified attacks over the past twelve years as perpetrated by the same bomber."

Spencer adds, "His M.O. is similar to George Peter Metesky, better known as the Mad Bomber. He terrorized New York City over a period of 16 years. He planted bombs in theaters, subway stations, libraries, and offices. They were left in phone booths, storage lockers and restrooms."

"Do you think we are looking at a copycat?" Derek questions.

"If we are, we need to stop him soon," declared David.

"He's escalating-becoming bolder and more vicious," you say, scanning the report.

"Tell Boston we can be there by 9:30," Hotch notifies J.J...

++++

"It seems like he's a textbook paranoid schizophrenic. People suffering from this disorder may think that other people are regulating them or plotting against them. They tend to be reclusive, antisocial, and obsessed Hwith hatred for their presumed enemies," you twist a loose string from your shirt around your finger, unwind it, then repeat the process.

It's a nervous tick you developed over the years that has worn down numerous tops before achieving their intended lifespan. You glance at Agent Hotchner, seeking a sign of approval. His eyes meet yours, and he poignantly nods.

Did I say too much? No. Don’t overthink this. They can probably smell fear.

"In his letters left at the bombsights, he uses words like 'broad' and 'chick' to signify women," Dr. Reid chimes in.

"Do you think the unsub is motivated by hostility towards women? "

"It's possible," he continues, "These speech patterns age him significantly, however. Phrases such as these were mainly used in the 30's, 40's, and 50's."

Agent Hotchner begins to delegate tasks before the jet lands, "Morgan and Reid, I want you to head to the bombsights and see if you can't work out the motive. J.J. and Prentiss talk to the victim's families, determine our victimology. Y/L/N, Rossi, and I will head to the precinct and familiarize ourselves with the lay of the land and see if we can't formulate a geographical profile."

++++

At the precinct, you observe Agent Hotchner's ability to singlehandedly transition an entire police force's obligation to under his jurisdiction.

"Captain Moreno, this is SSA David Rossi and SSA Y/F/N Y/L/N," the Unit Chief introduces you.

The captain tilts his head at you, "Aren't you a little young to be in the FBI? How old are you anyway?"

You nail him with a you're-full-of-crap look. 

Everyone gets to be young once; your turn is over, old man.

Choosing to take the high road, you say, "I'd like to get my hands on the bombers handwritten notes. There has to be something in those letters that can give us a clue into the who, what, when, and where of this case."

Skeptical of your request, he narrows his eyes and looks to David and Agent Hotchner.

"You hear her," Dave exclaims, "Lead the way!"

Your enigmatic smirk no doubt gives away the great pleasure Dave's gibe brings you.

++++

"Agent Hotchner," you hand him your preliminary geographical profile. With his arms crossed, he intimidatingly peers into your research.

Don't burn a hole in my paperwork; I worked hard on that.

He is impressed by your work, taking in your comprehensive outline of proof that details the unsubs point of origin. For someone so young, your attention to detail puts even his most observant profilers to shame. "How did you come to this conclusion?"

"My family is from Chicago. When I was little, I used to read through my grandfather's old newspapers that he collected throughout the 1950's. On the jet, I knew some of the phrasings that Dr. Reid was using sounded familiar, so I cross-referenced it with some of the particular articles I remember from my childhood and found his wording to be exact iterations of the Chicago Crier."

Without taking his eyes off of the paperwork, he commends you, "Impressive use of your prior knowledge. Often, the information drilled into us through education is lackluster compared to that of real-world experience."

You turn to walk back to your makeshift desk when he calls out to you, "And Y/L/N, call me Hotch."

Your shoulders relax from the tension you hadn't even realized you'd been clinging onto, "Alright. Hotch."

++++

You immediately regretted your decision. In pursuit of the unsub, you had wandered off down an abandoned subway tunnel and cornered him.

"Harold Watts, FBI. Gently place the remote detonator on the ground," You shout. Grappling to keep your gun from slipping between your clammy palms, you grip the weapon tighter.

Ordinary people's first days of work are uneventful; they're given a series of mundane tasks at most. Me? Of course, my first day involves being secluded in a subway tunnel facing down a man decked from head to toe in explosives and wires.

"D-don't come any closer. I have my finger on the trigger! I'm not afraid to die, and I will not hesitate to take you up in flames with me," he stammers.

The stampede of footsteps, no doubt from your colleagues and half of the Boston police force, resonate through the echo chamber you're standing in. Watts spooks and loses his balance. You begin shouting for the people behind you to stand down.

"The tracks are live, one wrong step, and we all blow up. I repeat, stand down!"

Turning your attention back to Watts, you attempt to soothe his irrationality. You slowly return your gun to its holster, raising your hands up in surrender. Hotch yells something unintelligible from behind you, but your focus is on the unsub and trying to prevent any more casualties.

"Harold, let's just talk this through for a couple of minutes. My men behind me will leave us alone. It's you and me now. Before this, you never wanted to hurt yourself. You wanted to be heard. All of your life you felt like you were forced into the shadows, and you began to fester there in your pain and rage."

He tenses up; you have his attention now.

"Those girls who teased you and ripped your masculinity from you needed to be taught a lesson. But you didn't just stop there; you decided to do all women a favor and demonstrate to them the kind of pain they could cause, hoping to prevent them from making the same mistakes. In fact, you helped me to see what I can do better. I never want to make someone feel the way you did."

"Y-you learned that...f-from me?" Harold quietly sobs.

You nod, "Yes! Yes, Harold. And you can still be heard, but not if you die today. I could be your greatest advocate. If we walk out of here right now, think of how famous you could be. Harold, you will never be stuck in the shadows again."

It is crucial to your survival and your teams that you are brave just long enough to analyze the situation and keep your self-control. Panic won't do anyone any good right now.

Your mouth dries as you await Harold's next move. Suddenly, he hunches over, extending the hand gripping the detonator. Pausing for a moment to be sure he isn't making any drastic moves, you promptly hurry to his side and gently pull it from his clutch.

As the police officers and your colleagues rush to your aid, Harold looks up at you with hopeful eyes.

"Make me famous," he murmurs with a grin that churns your stomach.

Hotch ushers you away from the unsub, backing you up against the wall of the tunnel, "You actively defied my orders."

Searching every inch of his face for an accurate reading of his emotions, you are unsure of how to respond.

"I'd like to think it won't happen again," his eyes studying you just as intently.

You swallow hard, aware of the lump in your throat and take a deep breath, "You have my word, Agent Hotchner."

"Good," he affirms, eventually freeing his hold on your arm.

You let out a shaky sigh of relief and relax your spinning head against the wall.

Opening your eyes, you observe your new team tieing up all loose ends. They're safe. You are safe. Despite this first day not being as mundane as others, you wouldn't have it any other way. This feeling is what you signed up for, and it's already fulfilling you in ways you couldn't fathom before stepping inside the BAU office this morning.

++++

Aboard the jet, you tuck your legs underneath you and open up a book to read.

A cup of steaming hot coffee appears on the table in front of you.

Hotch sits across from you with a similar cup and offers you a subtle smile, "Impressive work out there today. I'm sorry your first day of work couldn't be more eventful."

A joke? I didn't take him as the joking kind.

Rolling your eyes, you put on a disappointed tone, "God...if you guys drag your feet like this every day, I might have to consider a transfer."

In a more serious nature, he asks, "How are you feeling?"

"Alright, I guess. You were right, you know, no amount of studying or lectures can truly prepare you for what it's like when you're staring into the eyes of a killer. I've learned the negotiation techniques and memorized the textbook 'put the gun down' speech, but all of that flies out the window when you're in the moment."

"You will find that improvisation at times is the key to success in this job. Just know that this team is a family. You will never face this alone or be at a loss for anything. Your career is in its infancy, but I can tell you have a long and triumphant journey ahead of you. We will do whatever we can to ensure that you are at home here and can use this team as an opportunity to refine your abilities. All I ask in return is that you work with us, not against us. You have nothing to prove. They see your resourcefulness. So do I. You are one of us now."

Some gazes are the promise of protection; his is all that and more. The words "at home" resonate in your mind. You've spent your whole life searching for a home, and here it is, its doors being opened to you. After a lifetime of running from place to place, perhaps this is where you can finally settle down.

"Get some rest," Hotch whispers to you. And with that, you lean your head against the chilled window and shut your eyes.

++++

Tag List 🏷

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