I’m Christian Payne, autotelic, renaissance hobbyist, photographer and writer. In this weekly dispatch I seek out novelty, explore the relations between things, how we share, what we share and consume and hopefully unearth some treasures.
Thanks for joining in.
#TheAction
Last weekend I got my first proper metal detecting permission. I was so happy. Still am. I’d just stopped to chat with a farmer while out walking the dog and he said yes. I was so excited I jabbered on excitedly. He didn’t seem to mind. Lovely guy.
The area i’m allowed to detect is about 34 acres. If you zoom out on that kind of space on a map, you can see patterns on the ground. Crop and soil marks, earthwork traces and remnants beneath the surface. No idea how to read it all it’s been decades years since I studied archeology. (10 weeks at the Percival guild house in Rugby). I’ll take it one detector swing at a time.
I’ve only been out on it the once and I took photos of all that I found to report back to the farmer. I don’t have to. Just thought it polite. I started with sending him a not so exciting photo of some lead.
No idea what any of it was other than middle right. That round thing is convex on the other side and covered with brass. It’s an old lead filled button. Civilian not military.
Then I sent some of the iron and other metals.
The coin in the photo was dug up moments after it started raining and I was walking out. Before setting out, I had really wanted to find a coin older than me and at 80 year old I had done just that. Pretty chuffed. The thing to the left of it might be a sash window pulley holder. Then on the bottom row there’s a square nut.
On getting home I discovered that the bent bit of brass in the middle is in fact a Georgian shoe buckle circa 1750. It’s a bit mashed up. Probably from being ploughed for 275 years.
I’ll stick the rest in a box and at some point might be able to figure out what they are as I learn more about rusty detritus.
And in other news the shed is coming on…
#ThePictures
I watched ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’. Can’t believe I had not heard of this before. Majestical directing from Taika Waititi. You will laugh, you will cry, you will want to escape to the woods. Loved it. 4/5 perhaps more.
I also watched Superman.
Still processing this. There’s no denying it’s fun, full of energy and doesn't take itself too seriously, but instead of the myth and morality I’ve always associated with Superman, it felt like it borrowed a little from Deadpool.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The humour works in places and it’s certainly not boring. But for me, it edged slightly towards the silly more than I expected. I think I hoped for something a bit closer to Batman’s broody feel, rather than the slightly comedic super-family. 3/5
A great little intro into what an undercover journalist might need to do to keep their sources and stories safe.
I wondered if the tips and tricks being shared might put journalists working in dangerous areas at risk, but thankfully some importent tools and methods were not shared. If you were present at some of my talks at Mojofest or UNICRI you might remember them.
Also been checking out some old interviews with Robert Redford.
#TheWords
“Past memories, present experiences, and future dreams of each person are inextricably linked to the objects that comprise his or her environment.” - How to display your identity through stuff.
#TheSound
Listening to the Gorillaz featuring Sparks.
#TheConsumed
Prior to heading to Two Gallon Bob’s birthday at The Curfew in Berwick-Upon-Tweed I got to sample his birthday beer straight from the barrel at Bear Claw Brewery.
Rather than watch all the fruits die on the tree, much has been dried in my Mother-In-Law’s dehydrator. So every morning i’m cutting up bits of our dried plums and apples to have on cereal. Works well.
We had a lot of left over chilli con carne and so I could serve it again the following day, I stuck it in a pie and served it with bean and potato salad.
The ‘CP’ on the top stands for ‘Chilli Pie’ and not my name as the kids thought. :-)
#TheBody
Next Monday marks one month since I started sprinkling a spoon of creatine onto my breakfast every day. It also happens to be a month since I last had coffee. Not by design, just because I haven’t felt the need. I’ve noticed more steady energy and sometimes it feels like my body is playing catch up with this new regime. After a week of outdoor work I can sleep as long as I’m left undisturbed. That might be down to higher energy output, or simply less caffeine in my system. I still drink a little tea.
My mood feels lighter (especially in the mornings) and I can concentrate for longer stretches. The biggest change came when I doubled the dose for two days. It felt like my brain had a processor upgrade. The downside was stomach upset, so I dropped back to 3–5 g. Turns out upping the dose in one hit can do this, but I was also eating a lot of plums from the trees at the time, which may have played a role. At some point I’ll retry a slight increase throughout the day.
Overall, mood, physical strength and focus all feel improved. Though placebo can’t be ruled out. Drinking more water is essential and there is some water retention but nothing dramatic. The real test will be finishing the 315 g pouch and seeing what happens when I stop.
With 60–90 servings for about a tenner, the cost is negligible. Cutting out coffee more than pays for it. Though I only used to drink one cup a day, so your maths may differ.
Of course, less coffee alone can mean deeper sleep and better focus, so when I take a break from creatine, I’ll also stay off coffee to see how I fare. As for a control test of mental sharpness, I'm pondering a second hand Xbox. But Chess might be the cheaper option.
#TheFound
I only had an hour free, so instead of heading to the vast field on which I have permission, I took the detector down the bottom of the garden. I could have popped to the beach but they're still finding unexploded 500lb bombs in Northumberland. I thought better to play it safe.
And so in the ‘safety’ of my garden, there's mainly trash as it's an old steading. Every exploration turns up nails, bits of chicken wire and lots of underground fire pits with globules of melted aluminium or lead. I figured if I keep digging everything, I might come across some good stuff eventually.
Yesterday was different though and I got quite the surprise. The detector read a 56 as I was walking back in and I decided to stick the spade in. The earth was soft and almost immediately I saw what looked like two springs. I thought it might be a part of an old sofa or bed, so reached in to pull it out.
SNAP!
I stifled a scream and pulling out my hand, I had a weird contraption hanging off the end of it. There was a little pain so it took me a moment to realise it was a mole trap. I'd never seen one before, but It wasn't hard to work out.
What you might see in the image is something I missed at first. There are two traps. One at each end. I had set off the first reaching in. Then a little while later, I was showing my daughter and I accidentally set off the second, showering the kitchen with the remaining dirt. Thankfully the second didn't catch any fingers.
The trap (and all that potential energy) could have been waiting there for years. I searched the design and it has a patent dating back to 1924.
If I stumble upon any more traps I now know what to do. Not avoid it like the many smart moles we have in the garden... I'll still retrieve it. Just not with my hands.
#TheThings
Spotted this at a carboot sale and was immediately take back to my childhood. I loved my Strika. Mine was silver and had a peddle back break. I wish I’d bought this to do-up and hang on the wall. It brings back so many good memories.
A little over a year ago I paid homage to my trusty pestle and mortar. This week it was dropped and broke.
Luckily I found an old pack of Araldite. Must be over 5 years old. Still works. The break was so clean that the crack is invisible. Get yourself some Araldite. Invented in the late 40’s in Switzerland. Once used it can sit around for years. Unlike superglue which in my experience appears to me to be one use only .
I had the new AirPods Pro 3 delivered today.
The Pro2’s have been my go to headphones when making calls, listening to music/podcasts on the move, or sat at my desk. I love the way they can connect to multiple devices and follow my attention. Straight out of the box I can hear that the Pro3’s sound even better. Louder, more bottom end and a quieter operational noise floor.
There’s a bump of 2 hours of continuous use, from 6 to 8 hours with noise cancellation on and if you are using them as hearing aids you get 10 hours.
The water resistance has now been upgraded to IP57. that means a better dust protection and up to one meter full submersion for up to 30 mins. Protection against washing machine damage perhaps?
Noise cancelling was already amazing but this also feels greatly improved. Less wind noise with ambient sound being all but imperceivable.
The inbuilt heart rate monitor has me thinking some might consider ditching their smart watch as for some the fitness aspect is its main reason for existing. But I’m also contemplating how the heart rate data gathered in real time might be useful to the person on the other side of a phone or FaceTime call. A lie or excitement detector perhaps. All data is worth something to someone.
As wonderful as all these devices are, we need to remember, in the wrong hands, they can all be turned into the most invasive surveillance tools. More on that in the links below.
But at the moment I have a disconcerting amount of trust for Apple and love my new headphones. :-)
#TheThanks
This bit… is where I thank the supporting subscribers that pay $5/month to get all the content I share into this feed. Thank you! You are the best.
And this bit… is where I b̶e̶g̶ ..I mean, ask you to please upgrade to become a paid supporter.
Or if you prefer ‘PayWhatYouLike’ you can do that via PayPal or Monzo and i’ll give the same value (plus some) in full membership.
If none of this is possible right now, a like and a share are always appreciated.♥️
#TheWeb
Remember where I mentioned data gathering above? Some experiences are sacred precisely because they remain immeasurable.
Still no readers in Afganistan. Have you added yourself to the Documentally community map?
The Conversation discusses the recent state visit.
Countries are struggling to meet the rising energy demands of data centres.
Some of my other places include these.
Beware the AI Prophets and their horde of hype-mongers, grifters, techno-messiahs, and pseudo-intellectuals.
Harnessing the super powers of the most resilient lifeform on earth
Thanks to
for this link “…we can etch material with light, create a likeness of the world before us and then carry it forward for future generations to see. It’s a profound and beautiful mystery.
#TheEnd
Thanks for reading.
What you consume determines what you create. Without discernment, everything you take in is just noise. I hope I have managed to cut through some of it.
I have rock festival in my diary for next week. Any idea where? I don’t. And there is a gig planned for next Friday night. All the space in-between is for exploration and discovery.
Unless we get to chat in the meantime… See you on the other side!
“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” — Thomas Jefferson
Dig.
See you out there.
Over…
I can't believe you left that Strika at the car boot! I too had a Strika when I was a kid, but mine was green. VERY fond memories. Quickly stepped up to a Grifter with a coaster brake - awesome for doing skids. Once blew a tyre 😂
I was a reluctant Raleigh Chipper owner in 1970s orange... definitely a poor stand-in for the Chopper but I eventually went through the teenage years with the Grifter before the more functional racing bike...