Re: Stone circle layouts? | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

tjj wrote:

Howburn Digger wrote:

thesweetcheat wrote:

Is Thom online anywhere?

Doubt it.

He died 33 years ago.

There is loads of articles and information about Alexander Thom on the internet - which I'm sure is what thesweetcheet meant. Are stone circles a true circle or an ellipse - I'm seem to recall its been discussed here before - or maybe it was the long since defunct Avebury Forum. Avebury for example is not a true circle.

I was lucky enough to meet Margaret Curtis when visiting Lewis - she took us into her garage and did this thing with a piece of string, a stick and a bucket of sand.

Yes I understand about true circles, flattened, eggs, ovals etc. I have two of Thom's books. And one of Julian's old volumes with Alexander and Archie Thom's "Rings and Menhirs, Geometry and Astronomy in the Neolithic Age". They even illustrate (type II egg) Borrowstone Rig not far from me!

Sandy was buried in Ayrshire. Worked with the elderly next-door neighbour of my parents on the CPR nearly 100 years ago. Co-incidentally the bass-player in one of my old band's grandfather also worked on the CPR at the same time. They all returned to Scotland after completion.

Some people confuse the likes of Burl and Thom thinking them to be of the same generation (still with us in Burl's case). But they are not. Thom was of an earlier generation. I actually had a Thom Yardstick made by the Woodwork Department at a school I worked in twenty years ago. Brass swivel inlays and everything. Glad to have cleared that confusion.