Just a quick update. I’ve not heard any objections to the date or venue for the RAM so I guess that’s it, RAM sorted  jobs a good-un.

I did have one request for help regarding a post-RAM visit to Ketley rock shelter. I’m guessing a few others, myself included, would probably have been heading there anyway when the RAM ended so  we could easily bolt-on a visit to Chatton/Ketley for them that wants it…and who wouldn’t!

That’s about it for my weekly postings. Please pass this on to anyone you think may want to attend. If nothing changes I’ll post an update in a few weeks.

If anyone has any queries or comments they can post them on the blog or drop me an e-mail.

ta ra for now

Gavin

it’s been just over a week since I fired out the initial call to arms so I guess I should be reporting back what has been said

• There was a good response from all the usual suspects
• Everyone is in favour of doing ‘something’
• The May dates seem to be the most favourable
• As you would expect from the group, (nice people all), there was no strong opinion put forward regarding location, a few folk have expressed the wish to go to Kilmartin others have favoured Northumberland, Ilkley Moor was suggested by one person. Most folk have said that wherever it is held they will try to attend.
• Northumberland was suggested because of the ease of access and the desire to get as many folk there as possible.
• One suggestion was that we meet at Old Bewick and go on a hunt in an attempt to find the missing stone.

So as you can see from the above points, we have kinda established May as the date. I’ll propose the date as MAY 13th 2012 unless anyone has any major objections.

As for the location, we are still no further forward so I’ll propose the location as OLD BEWICK, NORTHUMBERLAND, we know Jan loved this place and it is readily accessible for most people.

I propose that our May 2012 RAM be dedicated to our friend Jan Brouwer.

I realise this is all a bit autocratic but if we dither about with this it won’t get done,  we owe it to Jan to ‘keep on rocking’.

If anyone wants to work in the background to organise a 2nd RAM to be held later on in the year in Kilmartin please speak up on the blog and put me down as attending. I would undertake this myself but I think it would be done better by someone who was familiar with the area (know anyone Bri/ Suz????).

If someone could post the name of that lovely Guest House that Jan used to use in Northumberland, that would be handy for any overnighters.

Please pass this on to everyone you know who may want to attend.

We are still a community and this blog is our main means of communication so please use it. Anyone with transport or accomodation  problems please post on the blog or contact me and I’ll do my best to sort something out.

Keep an eye on the blog for any changes/news.

Looking Forward to seeing your lovely smiling faces in May

Gavin

So far it looks like the May/June dates are more favourable

The debate regarding the venue has opened. Apparently it was discussed at the 2011 meeting and Yorks/Durham/Northumberland was suggested as the 2012 venue. The reason being accessibility, Kilmartin is a bit of a bugger to get to, were as the other proposed venues are more accessible and served by half-decent public transport links.

So where are we going to have the RAM?

please post your ideas here or send them to me at fitzcoraldo@hotmail.com

cheers

Gavin

I was hoping someone might step up and put this whole rock art thing back on track.

I guess everyone else may be feeling the same way so I’ll kick off the debate.

I reckon there are a few questions to be answered, the main one is where do we go from here?

I don’t know if anything is going on in the background but I think we owe it to Jan to either carry on or finish it properly. I think it would be a damn shame if this blog and Jans work was just allowed to fade away without comment.

So what I propose is RAM12, we get together and discuss where we are going and what we are doing

I propose the venue is Kilmartin

I haven’t a clue regarding dates etc but would be happy to be the focal point

To get the ball rolling I propose the following dates

April 28/29

May 5/6 or 12/13

June 2/3 9/10

Drop me a line to fitzcoraldo@hotmail.com and let me know your alternative location,  preferred date, any other ideas

I’ll collate it all and then let you know what the majority  decision is.

One thing’s for sure I’m having a JanRAM this year and if you don’t come and join me I’m going to throw all of my toys out of the pram

Cheers Gavin

June the 5th saw a dozen hardy folk (and George the dog) gathered at the Lordenshaw car park. The weather did not look promising with overcast skies, but undeterred we set off to view the rock carvings at Lordenshaws.  Our route took us to the large, heavily carved outcrop on the ridge just west of the hillfort. The view from this area was dominated by the Simonside Hills and it suggested (to me at least) that the carved rocks in this area may have had some connection with this range of hills. The lack of good light made it difficult to appreciate the carvings fully, but it was still possible to pick out most of the fainter motifs and it was noted that some carvings had been quarried away in the past.

Spots of light rain prompted us to move on and so we headed eastward through the ‘hillfort’ earthworks to the opposite side of the ridge. Here the character of the carved rocks appeared different with large sloping sheets of bed rock protruding through the vegetation and some of these had been selected for carving.  Although large surfaces were available, only relatively small numbers of  cup marks and basins appear to have been carved, some connected to long channels running down the rock sheets. So much rock lay just under the soil it was easy to wonder what may come to light in the future. Further north along the ridge we noted another group of carved rocks and nearby an open cist with its large capstone.

Again, on later reflection i did wonder if the focus of this group of ‘east facing’ carvings may have been the prominent outcrop of Garleigh hill, whose craggy side was conspicuous across the moor to the east. The location of numerous carved rocks and other features around the ‘hillfort’ and its position in the landscape, does raise the question (again) of what these enclosures were actually for?

 We were getting quite soggy by this time so we headed back to the car park, stopping to look at a group of tri-radial cairns on route. Due to the wet weather it was decided to break for something to eat and then head for the Poachers Rest cafe for a chat over coffee. This gave us the opportunity to discuss the future of our informal rock art group after the passing of its founder and our good friend  – Jan Brouwer. It was good to see that all those present were keen to see the group continue, along with the annual RAMs.   

Warmer and drier, we then went to the visitors centre at Ingram, which has a large cup and ring marked boulder by the entrance. It was late afternoon by this time and some of the group decided to head homeward, while those left took in a final visit to Millstone Burn. Here again we found the hill slopes leading up to a ridge had been selected for the location of numerous cup and ring markings on outcrops and bedrock. Some of the carvings were quite complex with multiple rings and grooves and yet it was hard to see what would draw people here to carve so many rocks?  The location of another group of complex carvings on Snook Bank on the opposite side of the Millstone Burn might suggest that the burn or its head-waters may have been the focus. 

 By this time it was early evening  and so the 2011 RAM drew to a close. As Brian has already noted it was a ‘different’ RAM without Jan, but plans have been made to keep the group going, which in itself is a tribute to him. During the day i was reminded of one of Jan’s phrases as a light rain began to fall, making the carvings stand out a little more – ” time to wet it up?”
……..Perhaps he was not so far away after all.

I would like thank everyone who made it to the RAM this year at Lordenshaws. It was good to meet up with some old friends, spending the time looking at some of the panels and having a good natter. This year was a different type of meeting, with the loss of our good friend Jan, it felt good for everyone to get together and discuss how we go in the future. We have plans for another meeting in Northumberland in September when hopefully the weather is better. Plans for next years main RAM in Kilmartin are also underway.
I hope we can use this blog as a central point for our future plans for rock art in the uk, until we can find out if the BRAC site can be brought back.

BRAC on Flickr

This is a group i started on flickr about a year or so ago, so if anyone wants to post here please feel free to.

Thanks again to all our rock art friends.

With the weather being so bad, i am not sure if people could imagine what was there. This is a shot i took a couple of years ago of the horseshoe carving.

Brian

Jan was a great inspiration to us all and loved sharing his passion for cup and ring marks in the UK.

He died peacefully at home in the presence of his close family.  Jan would have liked us to keep enjoying the wonder, beauty and mystery of rock art.  Please think of Jan with a smile on your face.

As Jan would have said:  ‘Keep on Rocking!’

His loving family

Hi Folks,

It is hard to believe that amidst natural catastrophes and political turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East, another relatively small disaster took place. On the early morning of the 8th of March, apparently someone in Wakefield pulled the plug (and trigger!) of the Fotopic server, cashed the bank accounts and is now probably ordering a cool drink on some South American beach. Fotopic hosted not only the “British Rock Art Collection  (BRAC)” and the “Worldwide Rock Art Selection (WRAS)” for about six years but thousands of other websites with over 27 million photos on-line. With over 18.000 rock art photos on-line and over half a million photo hits so far, the site was used by many rock art enthusiasts from around the world. But is was not only the photos -hundreds of them contributed by our good rock art friends- that are no longer enjoyable on the web. Stories and literary thousands of links to relevant information are gone as well. Thousands of clients trusted the company and lost all their photos what makes it double sad. The chance of a re-appearance of the site gets slimmer by the day and we foresee that we will never get a glimpse of its content again. And no one saw this coming; no warning in advance…… e-mail bounced back, telephone lines dead….. over & out!

So that was that! And although we still have our family, friends, homes, database, photos (yeah…double backed up!) and good spirit, just a bit of self-pity seems to be justified! But not for long; out-living your websites is a weird experience. We will use the time to come to see how we proceed from here. It is obvious that this Blog will get a more prominent role. There are already some reactions on Facebook. Bear with us folks!

From Gus and me all the best and keep on rocking.

Jan