Today I went back to the Science Museum, the skylight being finished. Except it isn’t. Really. Apparently someone forgot to order the automatic window opening thing (or something like that) so the contractors have to return to make them openable. According to Nick, the glass is extra, super dooper, toughened so someone falling onto them, won’t break it, just go splat. Very reassuring. The old one looked like someone had already fallen through it.
I took a photograph but the sun decided to come out and ruin it. I shall try again next week.
It has made a massive difference to the office. It’s a lot brighter for one thing. Also, because they had to clear everything out that was beneath the skylight, they put it all back very neatly. The office looked newer than it could ever possibly have looked. Almost pleasant.
What wasn’t pleasant was Barbara’s persistently aggravating cough. I know she can’t help it but I was ready to scream by 4pm. Every 30 seconds, at least, she’d cough. But not a good, solid, full-bodied, phlegm filled beauty of a cough. Oh no. A hacking, scrappy, asbestos stripping series of loud outbursts. It seriously was driving me insane. Ignoring that, it was a lovely day.
But it wasn’t just the continual referencing that was so enjoyable. After my usual lunch upstairs, I wandered over to the new James Watt area off the main entrance. Fantastic, is the only word I can think of to describe it. Actually, that’s not exactly true. I think I’ll use a few more words to describe it.
Don’t know James Watt? Well, here’s three of him, just to start things off.
Three busts of James Watt - the steam guy
He was the guy with the steam. As a youth he sat and watched a kettle boil as his disapproving aunt shook her head at his lallygagging. It was his eureka moment but all she wanted to know was when would he clean up his room. But he persisted and from this humble start came (according to the Science Museum) the man who invented the Industrial Revolution. Apparently. We’ll just ignore Newcomen.
Regardless of that, though I realise people need a heroic figure to hang their banner from, he was brilliant. So brilliant, in fact, that he was very, very messy. Clearly he didn’t listen to his aunt. How do I know that? Well, his actual workshop has been reassembled in the Science Museum. Every single last bit of it. And there’s a lot.
I hadn’t realised before that he actually developed the concept of horse power. Also, he wasn’t very good in business. Then he met Matthew Boulton and they were both set for life. The new Watt section of the museum also has a lot of stuff about Boulton.
Here’s the redesigned part of the Energy Hall. The box-like structure at the end, with the red on it, is his workshop.
What? James...what?
