2014 represented the 25th Anniversary Year for the British Sundial Society. It was marked by a number of special events, including an Extended Spring Conference, an Anniversary Year photocompetition; a Special Cake Competition - both judged at the conference; a visit to the ►Horniman Museum and its renowned 1997 sundial trail, a visit to the Greenwich Observatory Museum, an auction, by a special June edition of the BSS Bulletin (the prestigious Society Journal) and by the 2014 BSS wall calendar which was published in late January. A river trip took place on the Thursday evening and the visit to the Horniman Museum was held on the Friday afternoon.

An interesting coincidental but very apposite, commemoration in 2014 is a ►specially commissioned sundial by BSS Member Ben Jones for the ►Nature in Art Museum in Gloucestershire which also celebrated its 25th Anniversary that year. 

The 2014 Anniversary Conference was held on the Greenwich University Campus with overnight accommodation in the nearby Economy 2 Star Greenwich Ibis Hotel.  Greenwich is recognised for its cultural heritage, the grandeur and sheer beauty of its buildings, the magnificent vistas and views across London and of course its royal history, as the birthplace of both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

[BSS Map of the location of events during the Conference] [Click here to go back to your previous page] [Click here to go to the SunInfo Home Page]
Please note that in the BSS Map linked to above the National Maritime Museum is wrongly labelled M so confusing it with the Covered Market which is also labelled M.  The Covered Market is the M  nearest to the Cutty Sark Rail Station.

Accommodation

The Ibis London Greenwich is a 2 Star 'Economy' London hotel, located in the historic centre of Royal Borough of Greenwich, close to the National Maritime Museum, The Cutty Sark and The Royal Observatory. It is located in the centre of historic Greenwich, close to Greenwich Park, the Greenwich Meridian and the River Thames from where riverboat services go to the Tower of London, Westminster and Waterloo piers. There are also services to the O2 Arena. The hotel is 5.9miles (9.5km) from London City Airport and within a short walking distance of the location used for the 2012 Olympic Equestrian events. Outdoor public car parking (chargeable at £12 per day) is available nearby. Free WiFi is provided throughout the hotel. The hotel is 100% non-smoking, offers English Breakfasts (at extra charge to delegates) and has a bar that serves nibbles and even snacks 24/7.  Check In and Check out is 12 Noon.

	Hotel Contact Details	Ibis Greenwich Hotel 30 Stockwell Street Greenwich, LONDON. SE10 9JN, UK Tel: (+44)208/3051177 Fax: (+44)208/8587139 EMail: H0975@ACCOR.COM GPS: N 51° 28' 47.83'' W 0° 0' 33.74' GPS: 51.479726,-0.009144 The nearest Rail Station is Cutty Sark Station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), then it is a 350 yard walk to the hotel.	Summary of Delegate Fee Rates that were charged for the BSS 2014 Conference 1. BSS Members Residential Conference Rate: (incl lunches on Friday and Saturday and Dinner on Saturday): Single occupancy ensuite room: £427 Double occupancy ensuite room: £600 Breakfast in hotel: £5.50 per person per day extra Extra nights before or after the conference £84 per room (single or double occupancy) Day Delegate Rate: for Conference (incl lunches Friday and Saturday) £128. Add £47 for Saturday dinner. 2. Non-BSS Members with or without spouses and helpers are additionally required to pay for one year's membership of the Society: £34 UK, £40 EU, £46 World. NB Thursday and Friday dinners and Sunday lunch were not included in the Delegate Rates.                                                              E.&O.E.
	Hotel Breakfast Supplementary Charge	A discounted rate of £5.50 per person per day applied, (normally £8.50 pppd).

The Conference

The Conference itself was held in what is now the University of Greenwich, at the former Royal Naval College, which is just under half a mile's walk (actually some 705 yards/645m) from the hotel.  There were some 20 talks of varying lengths presented during the meeting, see The Programme below.

The plenary lecture of the conference is always The Andrew Somerville Memorial Lecture.  This year it was presented by Rory McEvoy, Curator of Horology at the Royal Greenwich Observatory who delivered his talk as the last paper of the conference on Saturday 26th April.  It was entitled: Supplying Time to the Royal Observatory in the Age of Enlightenment.  

The Programme

The Greenwich Edition of The Recorder

In line with past practice the Registrar, John Foad, produced a 25th Anniversary Greenwich edition of the Recorder, the four page leaflet intended to reflect on the interests and issues associated with dial recording.  This Silver Jubilee Edition dwelt predominately - though not exclusively - on the history of dial recording in the Society.

Contents include:

A Brief History of the Fixed Sundial Register - a compact history of the contributions made by the Society's various Registrars

Burglars Desist - a warning to dial thieves - A reproduction of the elaborate inscription on the equally elaborate fountain that holds the dial SRN 1209 at Dundas Castle in Lothian.

Look Inside! - A reminder that an exquisite Francis Barker EoT table is to be found inside, rather than outside, the church at Boreham in Essex.

Reports - The First Thousand; a description of the way in which Ian Wootton personally bound, free of any labour charge to the Society, the first 4001 submitted paper dial reports.  Later ones have been electronically scanned and archived.

Mass Dial Recording - A history of the way in which mass dials have been recorded by key people over the years - all held in a separate society database.

Calling All Masons - again - Answers to questions posed in the Edinburgh edition of the Recorder regarding two inscriptions on Masonic related sundials.

Sundials with Stories - RAF Bomber Command - A simple dial on a very moving memorial in East Kirkby Lincs to downed WWII airman Christopher Whitton Panton.

A Sudoku-like puzzle - Strictly a 'Wordoku' puzzle, try your hand at solving this dial related puzzle.

Digital Reporting - A succinct summary of all that is needed to report a newly found sundial using email and digital images.

***The Recorder is distributed in printed form to all attending Conference delegates and, up to and including, the time of 2012 Cheltenham Conference, it has also been published later as a PDF on the Society's website. Sadly the 2014 Greenwich edition has still not yet appeared on the BSS web site so denying this interesting publication to the majority of society members and of course to those non-members visiting the BSS web site.  When this edition is made available, we shall alert members to it.  In the meantime BSS members may contact the Registrar directly for an electronic copy of it***

The Conference Dinner

The 2014 BSS AGM

Where might you eat in Greenwich?
[NB All information and prices are given for guidance only.
Menus, Quality and Prices can all change! Check before you buy!]

The booking arrangements for the 2014 BSS Greenwich Conference did not include a number of meals.  Accordingly delegates needed to eat somewhere in the Greenwich area.  Eating in Greenwich can be very expensive yet bargains are to be had.  Here is advice on eating in Greenwich.  Please note that not all establishments are open seven days a week so this might affect delegates to a weekend conference who will need a Saturday or Sunday breakfast early and fast!

• Trafalgar Tavern
  Park Row, Greenwich, London, SE10 9NW. T: 020 8858 2909

Situated close to the Conference Venue and marked on the map above,  the Trafalgar Tavern overlooks the river.   An interesting mixture of a Pub and Good Dining with a dedication to the memory of Admiral Lord Nelson.  It serves food from Noon.  The menu can be found here.  Wine starts at £17.95 a bottle with food: Starters around £8.00, Main Courses £15-£28 each or Pub Food Classics £12.00-£15.00.  Sunday lunch Roast costs around £16.00. Desserts around £7.00. [2013 prices]

• The Plume of Feathers
  19 Park Vista, Greenwich, London, SE10 9LZ. T: 020 8858 1661

Situated close to the Queen's House and also marked on the map above is the Plume of Feathers which can even claim to be on the (Airy) meridian line with the laser of the Greenwich Meridian Beam passing directly overhead!!  It serves food from Noon. Opened in 1691 as simply 'The Feathers' (the name was changed during the Regency), it offers bar food dishes in the range £9.50 -£16.00 and on the A la Carte menu, starters in the range £5.00 - £7.00, main courses £9.95 - £16.00 and wine from £16.95 a bottle. [2013 prices]. 

1. Top 10 budget restaurants in Greenwich  In time for the 2012 Olympics, the Guardian newspaper prepared its suggested list of the then top 10 budget restaurants in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.  ►Read their article here.

2. Time Out's guide to the Best places to eat in Greenwich is here.

3. Greenwich Restaurants. Here is a list of a number of restaurants in Greenwich.

4. Greenwich Brunch Spots.  This link gives details of several restaurants that serve breakfast, lunches and brunches in the Greenwich area. Please note that not all restaurants are open seven days a week so this might affect delegates attending a weekend conference who may need a Saturday or Sunday breakfast early and fast!

Get the EoT correction that applied for the conference

During the Conference the time correction needed to convert a sundial's time to Clock time was easy to find.  There is no Longitude Correction for dials so close to the Greenwich Meridian but there is a need to correct for the Equation of Time and for British Summer Time. Full EoT information for the whole of 2014 can be found at: 2014 EoT

To convert a Sundial's time reading to Clock Time: Take the dial time, subtract the appropriate Dial Fast entry given above for the EoT and then add one hour for British Summer Time.

Things to see whilst in Greenwich

The Greenwich Time Ball

In 1833 and at the Admiralty's request, a red "Time Ball" was installed on the roof of the Royal Observatory Greenwich by the then Astronomer Royal, John Pond to allow mariners on the nearby Thames to set their chronometers. It was the first authoritative Time Ball in the world.

The five foot diameter ball drops at 1pm every day just as it has done since 1833. 1pm was originally chosen to enable the astronomers to undertake telescopic observations of the sun at noon. The tradition is maintained to this day.  In summer it drops at 13:00 (1pm) BST or 12:00 (Noon) GMT.

Each day, at 12.55, the time ball rises half way up its mast. At 12.58 it rises all the way to the top. At 13.00 exactly, the ball falls, and so provides a signal to anyone who happens to be looking. NB In very windy weather the ball may not drop.

You can listen to a spoken narrative about the time ball on ►this link.    Additionally there is an ►interesting article about the Time Ball, written in 1958, just before responsibility for its operation was transferred from the Royal Observatory to the National Maritime Museum. Finally, we hear that it is possible that one or more of the 2014 Conference presentations may discuss the history and operation of the Greenwich Time Ball.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich and its dials

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian of the World. It is also home to London's only planetarium, the Harrison timekeepers and the UK's largest refracting telescope.  Entrance to the Astronomy Centre is free though a charge (£7.00 or £5.50 concessions) is made to enter the Meridian Courtyard and Flamsteed House.  On the South wall of the Meridian Building in what was then the Old Royal Observatory at Greenwich is Christopher Daniel's recently dedicated replacement for the dial designed in 1967 by Dr Tadeusz Przypkowski. Make sure you see this! ►More information about this dial and its replacement.

Then there is Christopher Daniel's famous Dolphin Dial! Designed for latitude 50° 28' North the dial sits on an octagonal plinth made of Portland stone. A cresting wave is set on the plinth and supports the curved dial-plate, which forms part of a cylinder and is inclined so that it lies in the plane of the Equator. Two bronze dolphins hold the dial-plate in their mouths and curve over so that their tails almost meet above the dial-plate. The centre of the gap between the two tails acts as the gnomon. There are two dial-plates and two rims: the rims are set for Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time. Each rim is engraved with the names of the makers and the words 'FOR NOW IS ALL THE TIME THERE MAY BE'. The dolphin dial was designed in 1977 by Christopher Daniel, Head of Education Services at the NMM, to mark the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. The sculpture was made by Edwin Russell and the object was cast at Brookbrae in London. The dial was unveiled on 5 June 1978 at 1 pm (midday, Greenwich Mean Time) in a specially designed paved setting in the Museum's south grounds. In 2009, after removal as part of preparatory work for the Sammy Ofer Wing, it was re-sited as the centrepiece of the redesigned Astronomer's Garden at the Royal Observatory . The use of different dial rims for Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time, and of two different hour-plates with the hour-lines marked as half of the the analemma, means that the instrument is always accurate to the nearest minute.  You can see a display of all of Christopher Daniel's sundials - and more, even some of the construction of the dolphin dial - ►at his webpage.

The Greenwich Prime Meridian

The prime meridian, which is at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, was established by Sir George Airy in 1851 and was based on an earth ellipsoid that best fitted that part of the earth's surface around the British Isles.  The position of the Greenwich Meridian had been defined by the location of the Airy transit circle ever since the first observation was taken with it by Sir George Airy in 1851. It was set up in the extreme north-west corner of the Observatory between Flamsteed House and the Western Summer House. This spot, now within the boundaries of Flamsteed House, is roughly 43 metres to the west of the Airy Transit Circle, a distance equivalent to roughly 0.15 seconds of time. It was Airy's transit circle that was adopted (though with French delegates abstaining, since they had pressed for adoption of the Paris meridian) as the Prime Meridian of the world in 1884. The Meridian laser marks the route of the Greenwich Meridian by night in a northerly direction from the Royal Observatory. Under good viewing conditions, it is visible at a distance of over 36 miles with the naked eye and over 60 miles with binoculars. It may be 'conveniently' viewed overhead from the garden of the Plume of Feathers Pub - see above map!

The arrival of satellite technology brought with it a global redefinition of the whole earth's ellipsoid and in 1999 the International Reference Meridian (IRM) was decided.  This passes 5.31 arcseconds east of Airy's meridian or 102.5 metres (336.3 feet) at the latitude of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Since then and as a consequence of continental drift and plate tectonics the IRM has shifted a few centimetres West back towards the Airy meridian. ►More information here.
Photo courtesy of the RGO

The Greenwich Park Millennium Sundial

Set in a 10 m wide stone circle on the edge of the boating lake in Greenwich Park, close to the Airy meridian. The dial was designed by Christopher Daniel and is a double horizontal dial – a dial that shows not only the time, but also the direction of the Sun. The circular dial plate is in the form of a compass rose. The gnomon made from bronze in the shape of a right-angled triangle has its vertical edge rising from the centre of the compass rose. The shadow of the gnomon’s vertical edge shows the sun’s direction, whilst the shadow of the sloping edge indicates the time.  You can see a display of all of Christopher Daniel's sundials - and more at  ►at Christopher's webpage.

 

Some other sundials in Greenwich

At the junction of Greenwich High Road and Stockwell Street (50 yds from the Ibis in fact!) at 51.480077, -0.009396, there stands a polar sundial which marks Greenwich’s acceptance as a World Heritage Site and shows charts, diagrams of  stars, and of course solar time complete with an EoT correction graph.  Sadly this dial is reported to have suffered some vandalism but is still worth a look.  [We are indebted to Martins Gills for knowledge of this dial].

In the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park at 51.495594, 0.016107 is another dial that marks the Millennium.  Designed by Piers Nicholson and appropriately using exactly 2000 bricks, it was presented to English Partnerships by the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers. It was engineered and constructed by the Corps of Royal Engineers.

The Cutty Sark

Built on the Clyde in 1869 for the Jock Willis shipping line, the Cutty Sark was one of the last tea clippers to be built.  Cutty Sark has travelled across the world, sailing under both the Red Ensign and the Portuguese flag, visiting every major port in the world through the course of her working life. In admiration of her beauty and in recognition of her fame, she was preserved for the nation by Captain Wilfred Dowman in 1922. Since then, the old clipper has been berthed in Falmouth and Greenhithe, finally arriving at her current resting place in Greenwich in 1954. Cutty Sark is the last surviving British tea clipper, the fastest and greatest of her time. She is a living testimony to the bygone, glorious days of sail and, most importantly, is a monument to those that lost their lives in the merchant service.

Venture aboard and even beneath one of the world’s most famous ships. Walk along the decks in the footsteps of the merchant seamen who sailed her over a century ago. Explore the hold where precious cargo was stored on those epic voyages.  ►Read more at the Cutty Sark Blog and ►History of the Ship and ►Jock Willis' Original Specification for the Cutty Sark

Why the name Cutty Sark?  It comes from the Scottish legend of Tam O'Shanter which Robert Burns turned into a poem. A cutty sark was a lady's short underskirt but in the poem it was the nickname of the witch Nannie Dee who wore a white skirt given to her as a child - hence the shortness. The ship in full sail looked similarly 'dressed in white'. Burns however, also uses the phrase to refer to 'desirable' girls. The poem ends with the warning "Whene'er to drink you are inclin'd, Or cutty-sarks run in your mind, Think! ye may buy joys o'er dear - Remember Tam o' Shanter's mare".

STOP PRESS: A new venture is being tried on the Cutty Sark in 2014. The ship has become London's newest theatre venue called the Michael Edwards Studio Theatre
From 29 January 2014, a fortnight of special performances featured comedians such as Ross Noble and Alan Davies. The 85-seat venue is located in the lower hold of the 19th century clipper, where precious cargoes of tea and wool were stacked during its voyages. On Friday 25th April 2014 at 19:45 Ross Noble was performing "An Evening Of Improvisation With Special Guests", Spontaneous humour from the acclaimed comic. Tickets were £12.50.

The National Maritime Museum

The museum opened in 1937 in the elegant early 19th-century buildings developed around the Queen's House, which had been built for Charles I's Queen Henrietta Maria. Also part of the 'Maritime Greenwich' complex administered by the museum is the Royal Observatory on top of the hill in Greenwich Park. The world's Prime Meridian is located there and the museum houses London's only planetarium.  It also contains collections consisting of over 2.5 million objects - including many sundials and, in Flamsteed House, ►Harrison's clocks!

On 14 July 2011 the museum unveiled its spectacular new Sammy Ofer Wing. Opening out onto Greenwich Park, its provides a new exhibition space, galleries, a library and places to eat and shop. Worth a visit.  ►Read about Sammy Ofer

NB It is a 15 minute walk (0.6mile or 1km) with parts of it up-hill through Greenwich Park, from the National Maritime Museum to the Royal Observatory.

Are there any Mass Dials in or near Greenwich?

Unfortunately, in this part of Greater London, Mass Dials are relatively rare.  The only one under ten miles from the Conference is that at the Church of St Paulinus at Crayford - see picture.  It is Number #2316 in the National Mass Dial Register and is inside the South porch to the left of the door.  It is in poor condition and very little is known of it.  The Register doesn't even have a picture! Anyone who might be able to visit it during the conference is invited to record and especially to photograph it, for Tony Wood. The only other known Greater London mass dials are those at:

Cudham (St Peter & St Paul) #1172. 25.5m; Harefield (St Mary) #1170. 25.2m; Harmondsworth (St Mary)  #1171. 23.5m; Hayes (St Mary) #0953. 22.8m; Kingsbury (St Andrew) #1176. 16.9m; Tottenham (All Hallows) #1175. 16.8m

If you know - or can discover - otherwise, do please let Tony Wood know!

Eltham Palace

Enjoy 1930s Art Deco decadence at ►Eltham Palace, one of the most enchanting visitor attractions in London. Only 5 miles (15 mins drive) away. Built by the wealthy Courtauld family next to the remains of Eltham Palace, childhood home of Henry VIII, it’s among the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in England. The stunning entrance hall, marvellous panelled dining room, luxurious bathroom, and the magnificent medieval Great Hall, are just some of the highlights. And with its beautiful gardens, and plenty of places for a picnic, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Full of wonderful surprises, Eltham Palace is the perfect choice for time out in South London.

Lullingstone Roman Villa

If you have a car then there's Lullingstone Roman Villa only nineteen miles (30 mins) away.  Visitors to the villa today can still view the spectacular mosaics and prints of the rare wall paintings, a heated bath-suite and a ‘house-church’. A specially commissioned light show brings the villa to life, and galleries display Lullingstone’s fascinating collection of Roman artefacts.  It's at Lullingstone Lane, Eynsford, Kent - DA4 0JA. 1/2 mile SW of Eynsford; off A225; off junction 3 of M25.  English Heritage members: free entry and free parking. Non-members: parking fee of £2.50, Entrance for Adults £6.20 (£5.60 concessions) [2013 prices].

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Page last updated: 07/08/2015

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