Solway Coast Visit with Katia Hueso

We re-visited the Solway Coast this week to show Katia Hueso salt making sites from Whitehaven to the Solway Coast. Katia is the founder of the Association of Friends of Inland Salinas in Spain, and a member of the ECOSAL-ATLANTIS project. See also the Wetland Link International listing.
Over two days we visited The Beacon at Whitehaven to see the portrait of William Brownrigg.
Crosscanonby salt works.
St Johns Church, Crosscanonby to see the tomb of John Smith, Salt Officer at Crosscanonby.
Solway Coast AONB Discovery Centre and meet Brian Irving, the AONB manager.
Campfield Marsh RSPB Reserve and meet with reserve manager Norman Holton.
The weather was dreadful, cold, driving rain and low cloud, but we persevered and completed the itinary that will for a basis for the Cumbrian part of the UK's Ecosal-Atlantis network of salt making sites, heritage and cultural route.

Salt making site at Crosscanonby, Solway Coast AONB.
Note the brine well structure in the sand below high water mark.

Katia Heuso standing by the brine well structure with the sea-defenses that protect
 the Crosscanonby salt making site located below Swarthy Hill.

Meeting with Brian Irving, manager of the Solway Coast AONB.
Brian, Katia and Andrew Fielding at the Solway Coast Discovery Centre, Silloth. 

Katia and Norman Holton, Reserver Manager at the RSPB Reserve at Campfield Marsh.
They are standing in front of a barn which will be refurbished for use of the RSPB for receiving
visitors, school groups and  as a base for the volunteers who help at the reserve.
Work starts on the centre in coming weeks and should be opened by mid-2013.

Middlewich Salt Fair 19-20 Oct 2012

Representing the Ecosal-Atlantis project at the Middlewich Salt Fair.
Kerry Fletcher's volunteers will be evaporating brine in stainless steel pans outside the hall.

Visit to Hilbre Island - salt making site

Great visit today to see the site of historic salt making at Hilbre Island 2 miles off the coast of The Wirral peninsular. The main island is the one to the right across the sand.
It is only possible to walk to the island at low tide, and knowledge of the incoming tides are essential for a safe return journey. We were fortunate in being driven across the sands in the Land Rover belonging to the Wirral Ranger Service -

Hilbre Island webcam
The Coastal Observatory webcam is located at the top of the radar tower on Hilbre Island. The camera and telemetry equipment is currently dependent on a battery/petrol generator supply. A small wind turbine power generator was installed in February 2005. 
National Oceanography Centre, Natural Environment Research Council.

The web cam takes images every 4 minutes, and a panorama every hour. These are archived and allow you to look at previous images and panoramas of the island back to 2004.
Our visit was captured on the panorama and can be see at the Hilbreimages web page.

Friends of Hilbre Island
The salt making site is being researched and recorded by Roy Foreshaw and Christine Longworth.
Hilbre will feature in the Ecosal route of historic salt making sites in the UK.

Christine Longworth and Roy Forshaw standing by rock cut channels and brine tanks. 

Links with the Association of Friends of Inland Salinas

We shall soon be meeting with Katia Heuso, the founder of the Association, and showing her the historic salt making sites of Cumbria. We first met Katia in 2003 when we organised an international meeting of salt researchers at the Lion Salt Works. We have been working together by email on the ECOSAL-ATLANTIS project.
The Friends of Inland Salinas blog site - http://www.salinasdeinterior.org/

Link to the video of the work of Katia and her husband Jesus on the salt making sites in Guadalajara, Spain.

Documental: La Sal Escondida

http://www.miguelpavon.com/?p=70

Video of Filming the Reconstructed Congregation at George Street Chapel

Our video record of the filming day at George Street Chapel on 30 September, 2012.

Filming at George Street Chapel

We spent today working with Julian Baum and Claire Duval of Take 27 filming at George Street Chapel for Age UK Oldham. To help with interpreting the history of the chapel we wanted to reconstruct how a congregation might have looked. The short section will be set about 1916 when the chapel was celebrating its first centenary year and will be inserted into 3d digital reconstructions of how the chapel was constructed and altered throughout its life.

Take 27 filming the 'congregation' at George Street Chapel.

Compilation photograph, piecing together all the shots of 25 members of the 'congregation' each shot in seven different places within the chapel to give the impression of over 150 people.
The final piece will be part of a 30 second video clip. 

Verdin Technical School

Spent the morning being given a tour of the Verdin Technical School and Gymnasium. Until lately run as an art college by Mid-Cheshire College. Donated by Sir Joseph Verdin, salt proprietor of Cheshire to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, 1897. Opened by the Duke of Westminster.
Carolyn Shepherd is seeking to take over the building for use as affordable artists studios by the London Artists Collective.
I've been asked to help to help with the heritage aspects and to help them recruit a conservation architect.
It is strange in this QE II Diamond Jubilee year, and just after the 2012 London Olympic Games, to stand next to stained glass windows celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and gymnastics, in an empty arts college!

The official opening of the Verdin Technical School and Gymnasium  by
the Duke of Westminster 24 July 1897