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Phil Carlisle

@digitalman

Pillbox-spotter, Rush-fan, husband to an Irish wife, father of physicists, dancers,human tornados and Action Men called Jonathan. Beer drinking, book reading and thesaurus construction a speciality. Work @HistoricEngland. All views my own.

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15.10.2023
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Latest posts by Phil Carlisle @digitalman

An ornate wooden postbox in the form of a cabinet with pediment. Set in a dressed stone niche. Above is a wooden sign which reads The Linnean Society

An ornate wooden postbox in the form of a cabinet with pediment. Set in a dressed stone niche. Above is a wooden sign which reads The Linnean Society

A red hexagonal postbox standing on a slabbed pavement with kerbstones and a single yellow line. Across the road is a terrace of houses.

A red hexagonal postbox standing on a slabbed pavement with kerbstones and a single yellow line. Across the road is a terrace of houses.

Here’s a couple for #PostboxSaturday
A lovely Penfold with VR cipher on St. Leonard’s Terrace in Chelsea and the excellent Linnean Society postbox at Burlington House, Piccadilly

07.03.2026 08:32 👍 8 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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It’s #WorldBookDay and the day parents across the realm dread. On Tuesday, I was informed by number 2 son that he wanted to go as Mango from Investigators. Finally I have a use for that A Level in Stage Decor, Design and Practice…

05.03.2026 09:43 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
An ornate wooden, double postbox with a pediment with a king’s crown carved in the centre, set into a niche in the entrance portico to Burlington House. Above it a wooden plaque reads ‘The Linnean Society’

An ornate wooden, double postbox with a pediment with a king’s crown carved in the centre, set into a niche in the entrance portico to Burlington House. Above it a wooden plaque reads ‘The Linnean Society’

Hi Ed, I think it actually reads S. J. & P. M. E. L. C. So something Council or Company perhaps. But yes strange coincidence (or is it…) if AI associates it with taxonomists given, as you say it’s proximity to this. Which may be of interest to

02.03.2026 13:07 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Sadly they’re still on the other place…at least I think they are - I have no way of checking

02.03.2026 12:55 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Stone paving with a manhole cover with an iron surround. The manhole bears the inscription ‘AC 430’

Stone paving with a manhole cover with an iron surround. The manhole bears the inscription ‘AC 430’

#JustAnotherManholeMonday
In the courtyard of Burlington House, Piccadilly approximately 3m north of the prototype K2 telephone kiosk

02.03.2026 12:05 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
A brick wall with an Ordnance Survey Bench Mark highlighted in red chalk. Royal Hospital Building, junction of West Road and Royal Hospital Road. AOD 7.294m

A brick wall with an Ordnance Survey Bench Mark highlighted in red chalk. Royal Hospital Building, junction of West Road and Royal Hospital Road. AOD 7.294m

Stone wall with ornate railing. A faded OS Bench Mark. Can be seen on the wall. BM @19.505m AOD

Stone wall with ornate railing. A faded OS Bench Mark. Can be seen on the wall. BM @19.505m AOD

A couple of beauties for #BenchMarkMonday Royal Hospital Chelsea (Red Brick) and Burlington House, Piccadilly

02.03.2026 12:01 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A page from the Oxford English Dictionary showing the definition of Antiquary.

A page from the Oxford English Dictionary showing the definition of Antiquary.

A page from the Compact Oxford English Dictionary showing an alternative definition of Antiquarian.

A page from the Compact Oxford English Dictionary showing an alternative definition of Antiquarian.

The OED would appear to agree although it does seem to imply that Antiquarian is an alternative of Antiquary (see definition in B- couldn’t get the header word for Antiquarian as it was at the bottom of the previous column…)

26.02.2026 13:53 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Rush is a Band Blog: Rush extends Fifty Something tour to South America, UK & Europe in 2027 Rush has announced that they'll be extending their upcoming "Fifty Something" into South America, UK and Europe in 2027, in an exclusive new interview with the UK's Planet Rock ...

Rush has announced that they'll be extending their upcoming "Fifty Something" into South America, UK and Europe in 2027, in an exclusive new interview with the UK's Planet Rock ... www.rushisaband.com/blog/2026/02...

23.02.2026 13:54 👍 24 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 1
Fred the Homepride flour grader - a plastic container in the form of a man in a bowler hat. Originally manufactured by Airfix, for Spillers, it could be used to store flour.

Fred the Homepride flour grader - a plastic container in the form of a man in a bowler hat. Originally manufactured by Airfix, for Spillers, it could be used to store flour.

I’m pretty sure this guy was the brains behind it…

17.02.2026 07:53 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

It’s lucky we have strict gun laws…

13.02.2026 09:04 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Since when did ‘lead’ replace ‘led’ as the past participle for ‘to lead’? I’m seeing it more and more often and it’s leading me to drink. Yes, ‘lead’ can be pronounced ‘led’ when it’s being a metal but for the love of all that’s holy people let’s not fall down a homophonic well. I couldn’t bare it…

12.02.2026 15:07 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Thanks Ed! Very interesting.

09.02.2026 13:09 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
An iron manhole cover, in the form of a triangular shield set into a tarmacked roadway. The cover includes the words Charlton Ironworks Ltd, Sheffield as part of the casting.

An iron manhole cover, in the form of a triangular shield set into a tarmacked roadway. The cover includes the words Charlton Ironworks Ltd, Sheffield as part of the casting.

Nice cover from Charlton Ironworks for #JustAnotherManholeMonday
Located at the junction of the Ridgeway and Crabnook Lane, Farnsfield, Notts.

09.02.2026 11:35 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0
A stone built angle buttress of a church tower with Ordnance Survey Bench Mark carved into one of the stones. Church of St John, Mansfield, northwest angle buttress. OD @109.088m

A stone built angle buttress of a church tower with Ordnance Survey Bench Mark carved into one of the stones. Church of St John, Mansfield, northwest angle buttress. OD @109.088m

A stone built angle buttress of a church tower with Ordnance Survey Bench Mark carved into one of the stones. Church of St John, Mansfield, southwest angle buttress. OD @109.417m

A stone built angle buttress of a church tower with Ordnance Survey Bench Mark carved into one of the stones. Church of St John, Mansfield, southwest angle buttress. OD @109.417m

A church with bell tower, steeple and large porch. Church of St. John and St. Mary, Mansfield

A church with bell tower, steeple and large porch. Church of St. John and St. Mary, Mansfield

#BenchMarkMonday here’s a couple from the Church of St. John and St. Mary, Mansfield

02.02.2026 14:58 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

If I remember rightly when the BBC showed it they inadvertently showed one episode with the laugh track and had to apologise due to the number of complaints from viewers

29.01.2026 23:15 👍 10 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Possibly, although there is only one with a drain next to it.

28.01.2026 11:26 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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And for proper #BenchMarkMonday the almost obliterated bench mark on the south-east side of Waterloo Bridge at the top of the staircase leading down to the Southbank.

26.01.2026 15:17 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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As far as I know these are not bench marks but does anyone know what they are? They can be found on the side of St Pancras Station across the road from King’s Cross. I find them intriguing. Not? #BenchMarkMonday

26.01.2026 15:16 👍 2 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 0
Double triangular manhole covers, forming a square, set into a tarmacked road. The word Wrekin appears along one edge and the British Standards Institute Kite Mark can be seen in the right angles of each triangular cover.

Double triangular manhole covers, forming a square, set into a tarmacked road. The word Wrekin appears along one edge and the British Standards Institute Kite Mark can be seen in the right angles of each triangular cover.

A lovely Wrekin for #JustAnotherManholeMonday Station Road, Farnsfield, Notts. by the cricket pitch.

26.01.2026 14:36 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Pedant here. He was born in New York and lived there till he was 12, so technically he’s a yank…but your point still stands

20.01.2026 09:41 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Nice triangular one for #JustAnotherManholeMonday. Ladies and gentlemen I give you the Hartlid.
Located on Back Lane, Halam, Notts. outside the Waggon pub.

19.01.2026 15:24 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Couldn’t get it in the boot of the mini…

18.01.2026 15:03 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

That looks like a nice millstone roughout.

18.01.2026 14:09 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Shouldn’t that read ‘converts from a C*nt to a racist’…

17.01.2026 13:49 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The image shows the tops of two white chairs standing in front of a concrete wall which has the imprint of the wooden planks used as shuttering when the concrete was poured. The grain of the wood can be clearly seen.

The image shows the tops of two white chairs standing in front of a concrete wall which has the imprint of the wooden planks used as shuttering when the concrete was poured. The grain of the wood can be clearly seen.

At the @nationaltheatre.org.uk for J.M. Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’. Haven’t seen the play since we had to design stage sets for it at Clarendon College in the late 80s. Looks like a superb cast. Here’s a nice bit of brutalist architecture to look at while you wait for the review.

17.01.2026 13:32 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Petition: By-elections to be called automatically when MPs defect to another party When an MP decides they want to defect to another party a by-election should be automatically triggered to allow the constituents the opportunity have their democratic right to agree or not with their...

🚨By-elections to be called automatically when MPs defect to another party - lets get this to the 100,000 signatures needed

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

17.01.2026 09:07 👍 1944 🔁 1214 💬 126 📌 94

Butterscotch Angel Delight is the food of the Gods. That is a hill I will die on.

15.01.2026 18:23 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

We just called them ‘soldiers’. I still have hundreds from napoleonic to Cold War but never had the Romans or the fort.

15.01.2026 16:00 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

They really should. At least they have a boar banner

15.01.2026 09:50 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
A06705V Romans - Roman Fort & Figurines Set A06705V, Romans - Roman Fort & Figurines Set, Airfix, Vintage Classics, 1:76 Scale

uk.airfix.com/products/rom...

Here’s something for all you archaeologists who grew up in the 70s

2026 relaunch - Ancient Britons also available.

#archaeology #HistScaleModels

14.01.2026 19:15 👍 11 🔁 0 💬 3 📌 0