Sundial blog post updates
Following discussion at the Oxford Conference, the BSS Discussion Forum has been set up to allow members to discuss all aspects of the Society. The link can also be found under the Members Area menu item.
Please note that as this is intended for discussion about the Society, access is limited to members only and you will have to log in to use it. Let the conversation begin!
Booking for the 2018 Conference can now be performed online, whether using Paypal or other forms of payment. To book your place, please visit The BSS 2018 Conference Booking Page.
The BSS Photo Competition is now open for entrants. All the entries will be displayed at the 2018 Conference in Norwich where the winners will be chosen by the delegates.
Previous entries and winners can be seen here. Good luck!
Please click Read More to see the full competition rules (or view, download or print them here) and note that each entry must be accompanied by a completed Entry Form, available here.
We are delighted to announce the publication of this extensive survey of English language sundial books from the 17th (and even late 16th) to early 20th centuries. The survey describes the books themselves – 99 in total – and gives details of the dials and construction methods they contain. The summaries include notes on the contents as well as reproductions of the text and images.
The survey represents and enormous amount of work and contains a mass of fascinating information. It is available under the Publications menu or by clicking on Old Sundial Books: A Survey by Mike Cowham and Fred Sawyer. Enjoy!
Frank King has generously provided a number of articles that have been gathering dust in his personal archive. While not suitable for Bulletin Articles or Monographs, they will undoubtedly be of interest to members and can be found below or via Understanding Sundials in the Sundial Craft menu:
Frank is unlikely to be alone in having such material in the deeper recesses of his computer and members are encouraged to dig through their own personal archives. Material on any aspect of dialling that may be of interest to others is very welcome – thanks in advance!
Along with many other members, I very much enjoyed a most successful conference in Oxford in April. I am sure that all delegates will join me in congratulating the Conference Team on their attention to every detail. These occasions involve a considerable amount of work over a prolonged period and this is all much appreciated.
It was especially good to welcome new members, all of whom joined the Society via the BSS Help-and-Advice service. This service is now largely in the hands of Sue Manston who frequently finds out far more than the enquirer expects.
As usual, there was an excellent programme of talks covering a wide range of topics. The talks are outlined in the June Bulletin. On Saturday morning, Allan Chapman gave us a most memorable Andrew Somerville lecture and he continued to entertain those who were on his table at the Gala dinner later.
