A visit to the Royal Observatory Greenwich – January 2023

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This thread convinced me to buy this book when I came across it at our local bookstore

 
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If you really want to get into the history of Harrison's chronometers, a must read is "Time Restored: The Harrison Timekeepers and RT Gould, the Man Who Knew (Almost) Everything" by Jonathan Betts, published in 2006 by Oxford University Press. Jonathan Betts was the Senior Specialist, Horology, Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich and the biographer of Rupert T. Gould who initially restored the chronometers when no one really understood their significance. The book may be out of print but they are around. Highly recommended.
 
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If you really want to get into the history of Harrison's chronometers, a must read is "Time Restored: The Harrison Timekeepers and RT Gould, the Man Who Knew (Almost) Everything" by Jonathan Betts, published in 2006 by Oxford University Press. Jonathan Betts was the Senior Specialist, Horology, Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich and the biographer of Rupert T. Gould who initially restored the chronometers when no one really understood their significance. The book may be out of print but they are around. Highly recommended.

For anyone who wants to find a copy, search using the ISBN # 0-19-856802-9 and (or) 978-0-19-856802-5. If it is still in print, I am certain it will be available at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

In 2008, we visited Greenwich, and were greeted by the author, Jonathan Betts. I knew he would be there, so I took my copy of the Gould book for him to sign. The members in our group thought this was a great idea, so they descended on the gift shop at the NMM and bought them out!

Edited to add, there are lots available.

https://www.gettextbooks.com/isbn/9780198568025/
Edited:
 
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Thanks for this thread @Omegafanman , it brought back some great memories. We lived there for a few years, and loved it. In addition to the delights you sampled, the year end men's pro tennis finals were held a few minutes away at the O2 (which is in one of your photos), and my wife and daughter watched the 2012 Olympic equestrian events held in the local park(!)
Still try to go back there.
Tourist photo:


Gratuitous watch photo:


Comedy Festival photo:


Btw please do share your "please can I take a wrist-shot" technique!
 
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A really interesting read. I will have to visit on my next London visit.
Thanks for posting
 
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@Omegafanman
Thanks for sharing your story and your pics. It brings back good memories as I visited the observatory in the mid 1980s as a teenager on a family holiday. I remember having my picture taken standing astride the prime meridian but unfortunately it's lost now. Will have to return one day and take that picture again!
 
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The Search for Longitude: 18th century British clock maker and carpenter John Harrison invented a marine chronometer
 
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Btw please do share your "please can I take a wrist-shot" technique!

Do you know I have never thought about that. I was going to be flippant but instead…..

Observe the circumstances and person first (and have the camera ready set) Be open, honest, direct, smile and and communicate clearly. Make the person feel safe and not threatened (even the tough looking ones :0). Don’t act cool, don’t interrupt and don’t overstay your welcome. If any of the aforementioned are not possible don’t try it. Most people do want to chat about their watches - just the sketchy world makes them rightly cautious. With these rules and with extra care even the odd Rolex owner can be tempted from their shell (this was at a Bristol fish & chip shop) I think owning cats helps ;0)
.
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My wife and I had the great pleasure of visiting Greenwich during a opening up of restrictions during covid.we were the only visitors in the room where the Harrison clocks are displayed and had what could only be described as a personal guided tour.john Harrison was born close to where we live in Yorkshire, England and so knew his story.one piece of advice when visiting this exhibition is look closely at every clock not just the H1,2,3,4.etc.there is another clock that was built only a few years ago to Harrison’s original drawings and it’s accuracy is mind blowing.The man was a genius.
 
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This thread convinced me to buy this book when I came across it at our local bookstore


Halfway through this book, very interesting. Won it in the time4Apint Movember 2023 raffle (I never win anything!)