SPOTLIGHT ON... ROBERT GLADSTONE - A MODERN ESSEX ANTIQUARIAN IN LOCKDOWN

MAGICAL STONES – MEET ROBERT GLADSTONE

Writers have various methods of seeking material for their essays and fiction destined for the printed page. I'm always intrigued as to what lengths and circumstances some go to collect their valuable information and photographs to illustrate their narrative. So, it was a great pleasure to meet Robert Gladstone who, on hundreds of field trips to gather information on the past, has contributed to the iconic website created by Julian Cope following his 1998-published book The Modern Antiquarian.

Robert's main interest is linked to the UK uplands, although enthusiasts post items from all across the UK and Europe.... Germany, Belgium, France, Ireland ... so it's very much a communal effort across the globe. 

Robert commented:  

"I've a passion for attempting to understand the lives of the pioneering prehistoric inhabitants of these British Isles, seeking out the remains they left behind in order to ask myself "why here ... why did it matter so... why such commitment?". Needless to say I'm still pondering such intangibles. 

Just as an empty house appears to retain echoes of past humanity... so does the stone circle, the chambered cairn, the long barrow and the mountain top funerary cairn. Visiting them, I think, helps engender a certain 'connection' with this land of ours, with ourselves - our past, our present and our future; a reference point for those of us perhaps struggling to make sense of this so-called 'computer world' Kraftwerk warned us was a'coming in 1981.... danke,my gentlemen (RIP Florian (Schneider-Esleben) 7 April 1947 – 21 April 2020.

For the record: I make no claims for my contributions. My views are based upon observations made in the field, the inevitable factual errors mine alone. Needless to say, I'm happy to be corrected by the better informed. Should my posts prove inspiration for others to venture into the Great Outdoors, why thank you! I hope you receive as much pleasure as I have. But please bear in mind hills and mountains are unpredictable, potentially dangerous places. Ensure you have the appropriate survival kit and know how to use it (even in high summer). Don't be the one airlifted to safety - or the morgue - because he/she thought it didn't apply to them."

To view more of Robert’s field trips and images,click:

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/user/10541

to view wonderful descriptions and photographs to remind us all of what was there in millennia past. This is a perfect subject for a documentary!