do you believe in the telectroscope?

A Trip To Paul's Workshop

It was with some trepidation that I set out for deepest darkest Millwall in search of Paul St George’s workshop. But amazement took the place of fear when I finally found him, sitting inside his Telectroscope! Or was that simply an image of him sitting at the other end of his Tunnel!?

The device itself is a lovely confection of brushed metal, shiny pipes, valves and stops and lenses. The drawings that we’ve seen previously are actually surprisingly accurate. I assumed Paul’s great grandfather had perhaps used a bit of artistic license but it turns out that what he’d imagined in his head is pretty much what Paul has built.

       

As for the Tunnel, everything is on course. Although Paul won’t commit to a precise date, he’s adamant that he will break through to the surface by the end of May.

So stay alert! If you spot any signs in or around the Tower Bridge area of seriously unofficial excavations, be sure to alert me here at the blog.

Experimental Broadband Setup

Stephen Herbert wrote:

"I was amused by The Times' journalist's idea that the Telectroscope would perhaps use the 'modern version of the telegraph, broadband internet cable'. Despite such popular books as The Victorian Internet (Tom Standage 1998), there is still a conception of the internet as 'new'. Somewhere around here I have a picture of an experimental broadband webcam setup, c.1890 - I'll see if I can find it........."

I'm delighted to say that Stephen was as good as his word, and has sent an engraving (see right).  Interesting to see that the Victorians had much the same idea as us about what webcams might be for...

Notion Island

Paul St George writes:

Tim, I found the drawing of the island and the start of the tunnels.

The first thing to say is that it is not really called Notion Island. I have agreed with the Council that I will do everything I can to avoid a further run of treasure seekers and prospecters.

Islands and Mirrors

Paul St George writes:

"The construction of the Telectroscopes is almost complete  and the tunnel has nearly reached its twin destinations.

Tim, when we meet, I will show you that I now have a  working Telectroscope!

During my wilderness years, I have scoured the  overlooked workshops of East London and Brooklyn to find people who still have the skills and craft to build the device. Some of the yards that were  previously hidden amongst paper factories and police car-pounds are now exposed  like solitary teeth in sore gums as the Olympic development tears down the old  East End.

When I found them, the skilled craftsmen were barely continuing  trades that had flourished a century ago.