Saturday Scenes

Some Saturdays Things Just Don’t Happen

Filed under: #satscene —— Sylvia @ 23:57

On the 20th of April in 1964, BBC 2 failed to launch. The new channel was supposed to start off with a comedy show, a production of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate and to end with a fireworks display at Southend Pier. However, a fire at Battersea Power Station caused the Television Centre to lose all power. Instead of the entertainment scheduled, the presenter attempted to offer a news bulletin about the power outage, but it was broadcast without sound. Test cards reading “Major Power Failure” and “BBC will follow shortly” were displayed for the rest of the evening.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | TV and Radio | The launch night that never was

Robert Longman, who was in charge of engineering that night, recalls trying to negotiate the confusing corridors of Television Centre with a candle stuck in a paper cup as they desperately tried to find a way to get the new channel on air. “It got to about 6.30pm when I noticed that the power frequency was falling slightly… then we lost power completely,” he told BBC News Online.

“I went around telling everyone that we would be able to sort it out and not to panic… then we found out the whole of West London had gone.”

“I just froze and thought ‘oh dear’, because it was an engineering problem – my problem – and the place was packed with people.

“In the end we just sent everyone up to the BBC Club for a drink where there was emergency lighting.”

The channel successfully restarted the following day and broadcast the launch events that evening.

Forty-nine years later on the 20th of April in 2013, the following photographs were taken and transmitted around the world without a single technical glitch:

: London

: Worcester

: Reading

: Cheddar

: Yorkshire

: Kent

: Worcester

: Woodley

: Putrajaya

: Fulham

: Ruyton-XI-Towns

: Wales

: Scotland

: Feltham

: Cwmbran

: Chale

: Kent

: Isle of Wight

: Kings Lynn

: Otley

: Providence, RI

: Isle of Man

: Plas Newydd

: San Ramon, CA

: Halifax

: Pembrokeshire

: Lynmouth

: Rotherham

: Nerja

: San Pedro, CA

: Hampshire

: Swansea

And here are the photographers who definitely deserve a drink!

Why don’t you join us? It’s easy:

Take a photograph on a Saturday
Upload the photograph to a friendly photo-hosting site
Send a tweet to @SatScenes with the url and location

I’m looking forward to seeing your Saturday Scene in the next edition!

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New Beginnings

Filed under: #satscene —— Sylvia @ 22:28

The 13th of April 2556 is the beginning of the Cambodian New Year, a three day holiday at the end of the harvesting season. Maha Songkran, the first day, celebrates the ending of the year and the beginning of a new one. In Cambodia, the Buddhist Era is used to count the year and for this year’s new year ceremony, it is 2556BE.

Cambodian New Year – Wikipedia

Maha Songkran, derived from Sanskrit Maha Sankranti, is the name of the first day of the new year celebration. It is the ending of the year and the beginning of a new one. People dress up and light candles and burn incense sticks at shrines, where the members of each family pay homage to offer thanks for the Buddha’s teachings by bowing, kneeling and prostrating themselves three times before his image. For good luck people wash their face with holy water in the morning, their chests at noon, and their feet in the evening before they go to bed.

And on the 13th of April in 2013, the following people submitted a photograph for good luck and a super Saturday!

: Anglesey

: Kent

: Berlin

: The Channel

: Woodley

: Barkisland

: Didcot

: Bramhope

: Reading

: Manchester

: Wales

: England

: Rotherham

: Poole

: Scotland

: Worcester

: Feltham

: Sint-Pieters-Leeuw

: Worcester

: Coeur d'Alene, ID

: Cwmbran

: Mesilla, NM

: Washington

: Tattershall Lakes

: Isle of Wight

: Mt. Diablo, CA

: San Antonio, TX

: Swansea

: Orlando, FL

These are the photographers making a new start every week!

Would you like good luck for a year? It’s easy! All you have to do is take a photograph on Saturday and submit it to @Satscenes with a location. You’ll soon see the difference, especially if you take part every Saturday!

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To be toosed too and fro

Filed under: #satscene —— Sylvia @ 17:49

On the 6th of April in 1580, one of the largest earthquakes in the recorded history of England struck. It was about 6 o’clock in the evening.

English Writer Thomas Churchyard swiftly wrote a pamphlet about the event, which he published two days later. It was titled A Warning to the Wyse, a Feare to the Fond, a Bridle to the Lewde, and a Glasse to the Good; written of the late Earthquake chanced in London and other places, the 6th of April, 1580, for the Glory of God and benefit of men, that warely can walk, and wisely judge. Set forth in verse and prose, by Thomas Churchyard, gentleman.

1580 Dover Straits earthquake – Wikipedia

Mancall notes that Churchyard’s pamphlet provides a sense of immediacy so often lacking in retrospective writing. According to Churchyard, the quake could be felt across the city and well into the suburbs, as a wonderful motion and trembling of the earth shook London and Churches, Pallaces, houses, and other buildings did so quiver and shake, that such as were then present in the same were toosed too and fro as they stoode, and others, as they sate on seates, driven off their places.

Self-publishing at its finest.

Meanwhile, the following photo submissions shook the world when they were shared on Saturday:

: Los Claveles

: Otley

: Kuala Lumpur

: Los Claveles

: La Cala de Mijas

: Bournemouth

: Woodley

: Waltham Abbey

: Mesilla, NM

: London

: Isle of Wight

: England

: Cwmbran

: Brussels

: Cardiff

: Maidenhead

: Bardsey

: Liverpool

: Galway

: Las Vegas, NV

: England

: St Gervais

: Hayden, ID

: Santa Clarita, CA

: France

: Berlin

: Sofia

: Rotherham

: Windsor

: Los Claveles

: Amsterdam

: Reading

: Nerja

: Matunuck, RI

: Andalusia

And here are the spectacular snappers who provided us with a sense of immediacy with their snapshots:

Have you got a camera or a smart phone?

You should take a photograph on Saturday. It’s easy to join us!

Simply send a tweet to @SatScenes with the url and the location and all the rest happens automatically!

I’m looking forward to seeing your Saturday Scene in the next edition!

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Splice the Mainbrace

Filed under: #satscene —— Sylvia @ 20:18

On the 30th of March in 1972, the last daily rum ration was issued to Canadian naval personnel. The tradition of the rum ration was a “tot” of rum given out to every sailor at midday. Until 1740, that was half a pint of neat rum, twice a day. This was watered down and the quantity reduced as concerns rose about the sailors’ ability to operate the weapons and navigational systems until finally the “lunchtime slug” was removed completely.

The secondary tradition to splice the mainbrace however, is still celebrated in the Canadian navy. Splice the mainbrace is an order to issue the crew with an extra ration of rum or, these days, a celebratory drink. In the Royal Canadian Navy, only the Queen, the Governor General of Canada or the Chief of the Defence Staff have permission to issue the order to splice the mainbrace. The phrase, and others like it, remain a part of navy-speak:

Royal Canadian Air Force Journal 02-Editors_Message_e.pdf

Not that it was all bad. Every once in a while there was a banyan to enjoy and in port there were opportunities to splice the main brace when the Jimmy would call sliders. And there was always a minute to be ganked here and there to make and mend. Crabfat you may be, but you always acquitted yourselves handsomely and for that, before you swallow the anchor, no duff, you deserve a heartfelt Bravo Zulu!

For those of us not in the Canadian Forces, perhaps photography remains as an easier way to communicate.

On the 30th of March in 2013, the following completely comprehensible images were shared around Twitter: