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Jackie Jones
March 2023
Page 6
Page 6
Details how to construct two accessible types of small, portable sundials. The first is an armillary equatorial dial made from embroidery hoops. The second is an altitude card dial, also known as a Capuchin dial, which uses a thread and bead mechanism. Both projects demonstrate less traditional dial types requiring minimal skill.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Portable
March 2023
Page 18
Page 18
Recounts sightings of four sundials during an archaeological tour. These include an IX–XI century sun clock from Mogila, an ancient sundial of Marcianopolis, a 2nd–3rd century A.D. marble dial in Varna, and a damaged 1878 dial located on the southwest corner of the Dzhumaya Mosque in Plovdiv.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Restoration projects
March 2023
Page 26
Page 26
Summary of the Society's 2022 activities, including holding the York conference and Newbury meeting, maintaining strong finances, and detailing public benefit submissions to the Charity Commissioners. Projects included restoration advice, pro bono design work, and the continued growth of the Fixed-Dial Register.
Construction Projects, Restoration projects, The BSS and Members
June 2022
Page 16
Page 16
This describes a DIY horizontal mosaic sundial constructed on a paving slab using found materials, specifically slate for the surface and pieces of clay tobacco pipe stems for the hour lines. The piece features a copper gnomon with decorative cut-outs and was successfully tested as a moon dial in the garden.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Unusual
March 2019
Page 41
Page 41
Reports on the Society reaching its 30th anniversary and maintaining core activities. Highlights successful infrastructure maintenance (Bulletin, website, registers), the publication of the first national Mass Dial Register, and progress on the Biographical Index. Notes the retirement of David Brown and the passing of Jill Wilson, and thanks volunteers.
The BSS and Members
March 2018
Page 19
Page 19
A light-hearted account of finding a British wine in a supermarket that seemed ideal for sundial enthusiasts due to its label, which mentioned grapes from 'every time zone'. They decided against purchasing it due to its low quality implied by the £3 price point.
The BSS and Members
March 2018
Page 36
Page 36
An overview of the Society's activities supporting the advancement of gnomonic education. Highlights include extensive outreach (lectures, school workshops), advice to professional bodies (e.g., Buckingham Palace, Royal Observatory Greenwich), maintenance of the national sundial database, and the healthy financial status of the BSS. Membership numbers and age distribution are discussed as a cause for concern.
The BSS and Members
March 2017
Page 29
Page 29
An account of a memorial horizontal dial in Bosham, West Sussex, dedicated to radio pioneer Eugen Gerald Marcuse (1886–1961), G2NM. Marcuse was noted for the first shortwave broadcast programmes to the Commonwealth (1927) and achieving the first radio telephone contact with New Zealand.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials
June 2017
Page 42
Page 42
A detailed report on the 2017 BSS Annual Conference in Oxford. Summaries include talks on determining wall declination, the analysis of a double vertical dial, 17th-century eclipse dials, and a presentation suggesting the Navicula originated in East Anglia.
The BSS and Members
September 2017
Page 26
Page 26
This describes the creation of a temporary analemmatic sundial on the grounds of Wroxton Primary School, intended as an educational resource. Components were made from red plastic board using stencils and spray paint. Alignment relied on Google Earth data, as the sun did not appear. The authors suggest this project, executed before the Oxford Conference, could become a BSS custom.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Analemmatic, The BSS and Members
December 2017
Page 21
Page 21
A detailed report on the BSS one-day meeting, summarising talks on topics including the Fort Belan sundial, DIY heliochronometers, multi-centre delineation, promotion via social media, the astronomical Culpeper dial, the Gnomonical Universal Nomograph (GUN), and the mechanical generation of the Equation of Time using equation clocks.
Dials: Heliochronometer, Equation of Time, Historical Dials, The BSS and Members
September 2016
Page 12
Page 12
Details the successful construction and installation of a large, square, gold-leafed vertical sundial (1860 mm square) on the newly completed gatehouse tower of Brighton College. The dial was delineated 24° west of south and manufactured by Smith of Derby, utilizing modern materials and techniques.
Construction Projects, Dials: Vertical, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2016
Page 34
Page 34
Describes the construction of a large, temporary 6x4 metre analemmatic sundial marked out in the sand at Crosby Beach, Liverpool, utilizing one of Antony Gormley’s cast-iron statues as the gnomon. The team had to use satnav and landmarks to establish the meridian due to the lack of sun.
Construction Projects, Dials: Analemmatic, Sundial Design & Layout, The BSS and Members
December 2016
Page 18
Page 18
An account of creating a temporary, solar-time horizontal sundial on a South Wales beach for the summer solstice. Natural materials, like sticks for the gnomon and coloured pebbles for the hour lines, were used. Careful calculations were made for alignment and time correction, educating curious passersby.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal
March 2015
Page 25
Page 25
Description of the process of designing and constructing a horizontal sundial to be used as a prop in a theatrical production of "The Herbal Bed", set in the garden of Hall’s Croft in 1613. The dial, based on the Hall’s Croft original, was crafted from painted cardboard for the stage set and accurately delineated for the latitude of Brighton.
Dials: Horizontal, DIY Sundial Projects, Mottoes
June 2015
Page 46
Page 46
A report outlining the Society’s activities, including celebrating the Silver Jubilee, improving the website interface (Bridol operational), holding educational workshops at Cheney School, implementing the CIO status change, and acknowledging member participation.
The BSS and Members
December 2015
Page 14
Page 14
A report on the 2015 NASS Conference in Victoria, BC, Canada, which included presentations on gnomonics and sundial tours. The tour featured several dials, including the Orca totem dial and the impressive Ogden Point analemmatic dial.
Dials: Analemmatic, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Vertical, The BSS and Members
March 2014
Page 17
Page 17
A new analemmatic dial was created in the grounds of the Emmaus Community in Brighton, which supports people moving on from homelessness. Emmaus resident Lee Radford designed the dial, and community members and local schools created the mosaic panels using recycled crockery.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Analemmatic
June 2014
Page 40
Page 40
Details the process of creating contemporary silver portable sundials, combining jewellery techniques with accurate gnomonics. The article describes various forms—polar, necklace, and box dials—and unique methods used to achieve decorative surface finishes, such as using sandpaper or wire wool in rolling mills.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Portable, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2014
Page 17
Page 17
Describes efforts to promote the British Sundial Society at the annual meeting of south-east astronomy societies at the Chichester Planetarium, featuring talks by members (Doug Bateman on the Greenwich time ball) and a display of dials and books.
The BSS and Members
December 2012
Page 22
Page 22
This article discusses mass dials on the north side of churches, specifically at Litlington and Firle in East Sussex. While a south-facing dial at Litlington is an early scientific dial, two north-facing mass dials, initially puzzling, were observed to work perfectly for evening use in summer, suggesting intentional placement.
Dials: Mass Dials, Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, How Sundials Work
June 2011
Page 26
Page 26
This note describes the discovery of the 'missing' John Rowley azimuth dial from Blenheim Palace, which was identified on a new passport design. It details the dial's distinctive features and its reinstallation in 2008.
Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials, The BSS and Members, Dials: Double Horizontal
December 2011
Page 8
Page 8
This article details the design and creation of a transparent chalice dial on a 1-pint beer glass, to be read from the outside like a shepherd's dial. The challenge was to make it simple to use, casting a beam of sunlight through a dark circle to indicate time on equal-width month columns. Calculations for sun's altitude were performed for different months and hours, leading to a functional beer-glass sundial.
Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout, Construction Projects
September 2008
Page 129
Page 129
Jackie Jones and Rob Stephenson describe painting a new vertical sundial on their Brighton house in April 2008. The dial shows hours, half-hours, solstices, equinoxes, and their wedding anniversary. The article details the process from transferring the design to the wall, the painting and installation, along with amusing public reactions to the new dial.
Dials: Vertical, Sundial Design & Layout, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects
December 2007
Page 176
Page 176
Jackie Jones describes her process of making portable sundials in silver, applying jewellery techniques learned at Art College. Her aim is to create modern, artistic, yet functional pocket dials. She details methods for showing hour lines, blackening recesses, and designing folding gnomons. The article also covers working with sterling silver, hallmarking, achieving different surface textures, and future plans for transparent enamel panels.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Portable, Sundial Design & Layout