A double landmark yesterday. First, another virtual meeting. This one was with
@monstrous lie in the splendid Flax Mill Maltings in Shrewsbury. The five-storey main mill was the first iron-framed building in the world and therefore has a claim to being the first skyscraper.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ditherington_Flax_Mill
https://www.shrewsburyflaxmillmaltings.org.uk
We met outside the main mill, where I inducted him into the Fellowship of Virtual Meetees in the usual brief but moving ceremony. Having presented him with his illuminated parchment, we moved to the recently-opened café for refreshments. I suspect Mr. lie has considerable clout in Shrewsbury as an official soon appeared and offered to take me on a visit to the very highest point of the buildings, where the original iron sunflowers and coronet have now been put back in place following their renovation.
Heading southwards from the town I soon hit the 800-mile mark as I was passing a group of allotments. Jeremy Bolwell was kind enough to stop mulching his tomatoes for a second to record the moment for posterity. Photo © him (
cc-by-sa/2.0)
I intend to go back to the Maltings for a non-virtual look quite soon. I’ll wait until I’ve got to Land’s End though - I’m already planning on allowing the real and virtual walks to coincide in time and space next week, and I don’t want to provoke any cosmic unpleasantness by messing about with the relativistic fabric of the universe too much. I’ve sought advice from CERN, who tell me it should be OK if the real and virtual Marchbanks rotate in opposite directions throughout. I haven’t heard back from Brian Cox yet - he’s probably sitting on a mountain-top somewhere being filmed by the BBC while contemplating the vastness of space in voice-over. Perhaps I should ask
@Joe P. He knows all about the risks of opening up gateways to parallel universes, unleashing evil twins etc. etc.
On the subject of the real world, during yesterday’s stroll I met Anita as she was mowing the grass verges on the lane outside her farm. “Hello Marchbanks - where are you now?” she asked. I told her I was in Shrewsbury. “Not bad,” she said with the usual mixture of pity and indulgence as she climbed off the mower. “Would you like an ice-cream to help you on the journey up the Big Hill?” Would I! The simple joys of country life..
(Sorry about the fingernails, I had been potting begonias.)