The Old OS Maps page lists some old, original, paper OS maps (there's a surprise) that we have.

I've added a list of each with the scale and year to identify them, and plotted the area that each paper map cover on our Google map to show the coverage.

As you'll see, they date from prewar in some cases, to the 1950s, making some of the content valid back to around 1900. The prewar maps were a real pain to plot as they aren't aligned to the National Grid, so had to have the corners aligned by eye. Not actually too hard where there is an aerial view - it's amazing how much of the ground has retained boundary and field markings. Much more difficult to identify were points where the map corners landed in areas where there are now streets, since anything that might have been matched to the original feature has gone.

Although you can't see the original maps, just the area they cover, there is one particularly interesting one, and that the one that includes Bishopton. This map predates ROF Bishopton, and there is not a scrap of the place to be seen, just field and roads, and none of them correspond to anything on the present day site.

I've not intention of spending hours scanning or digitising these maps, but might grab the ROF section from the relevant map and add that for comparison. I should really be up to creating it as an add-on for Google Earth or some sort of overlay, but can never be bothered to see how that's done.

Also, if anyone has a specific area of interest that one of the maps cover, I'd be happy to provide a scanned section.

Interesting spot you chose for the sample, well known to both of us I think.

I was almost contemplating a wander there, but the weather wasn't so hot today, and I got diverted anyway.

Intriguing to see the mill was sited there, and the weir in existence. In the riverbank, there are still the remains of a small control gate, just where the weir ends and the mill begins.

The area is also in hi-res Bird's Eye view, so you can now explore along the road to the east, along to the ruins of the buildings at the edge of the M74 without wondering who you might meet.

Just east of the weir is the old rail bridge across the river. You can see the fence that bars access from the north, but you can't see that holes have been cut in it, so you can get on the bridge. It is an exercise to keep the adrenalin flowing just a little bit more than usual. While you're weight it probably not going to cause this derelict bridge to collapse, it has never been maintained since it was abandoned, and it is just a little unnerving to wander across it and look at the Clyde hurrying along underneath the holes in the span. Go through the deck and no-one will know you're not there any more - until someone from the Glasgow Humane Society drags your lifeless corpse from the waters after a couple of days see-sawing once you reach tidal waters. Sharpens the foot placement somewhat.

The south end looks like a sheer drop, but it's actually and easy hop down the side back on to firm ground.

I did get round to reducing the Renfrewshire map with the view of Bishopton in the days before the munitions factory engulfed the area, and its on the OS Maps page as a thumbnail.

I must have missed something Captain as I find digital TV to be great - more channels, great picture and sound and no signal drop out when the Rothesay ferries cross the firth.

Agreed, we need an explanation.

Digital television is not something than the word con can be applied to, unless the term is to be applied to terrestrial television.

It provides the same services that terrestrial provides (or provided, since it is a dying technology), and supplements these with additional television and radio/music services.

There is no additional charge for these services, or they are provided from the usual sad source of advertising revenue.

The quality is way over what the old analogue system could ever provide, unless you lived under the transmitter.

The system is far from complete or in place, with another four years before it reaches that milestone, so neither its coverage or content can be considered complete at the moment.

There is also a degree of mis-selling and mis-representation being carried out, but this has nothing to do with the digital television service, system, or people involved with it, but is being carried out by the usual scum out to con the elderly and uninformed, charge then for equipment and upgrades they don't need, and sell them receivers and televisions to replace their obsolete sets - kit that would be fine, but for the fact that these conmen tell them otherwise.

The only problem I've seen is that someone's nose was put out of joint when a contract for managing the digital switchover in an area was awarded to Sky, and someone decided that they shouldn't have got the job because they would make all the people buy Sky subscriptions - which they demonstrably didn't (I won't go into detail - there's too much).

How about FreeSat, for free delivery of digital telly frm the sky where the ground based signal can't be provided. That was never ever going to happen for folk in the back of beyond who currently have to depend on creaky analogue repeaters that spend most of their life failing in remote places with no service engineers handy.

The Fox, I'm sure, will confirm that there are many areas along the Clyde coast that barely managed three, let along five analgue channels, and there are many that have never even seen Channel 5 (and that's come to be a bad thing in recent years years, given the decline in the others and the rise in 5's content).

It all depends where you live mate!  Without digital satellite TV I would be looking at evrything through a snow storm and that is when reception is not interfered with by passing shipping.  Not to mention reflected signals when the tide drops!

HDTV is available from Freesat at present a restricted service but ITV and Ch 4 are expected to join soon.  There are no monthly payments on this service.

I am not sure about that Captain.  The high tide on the Cart certainly goes past Linwood and nearly up to Johnstone.

I don't think that's right, and the effect would be very noticeable - witness the tidal bore or tidal wave so famous in some areas, which races inland against the flow of the river, and can be extremely high at its peak.

The weir on the Green has raised the water level behind it, and it is now at a level greater than the tide would raise it to. Remove the wier and the level would fall to its natural height, and then rise and fall with the tide.

As the water races inland, the natural tendency for a river is to narrow and become shallower. This tends to cause the tidal height inland to be higher than expected as the volume of water that was being accommodated in the wider and deeper mouth of the river is driven inland with the incoming tide.

Every river is different of course, but I would be wary of where I stood if they took the weir away and it was the first time the tide came in

I was looking at the Bird's Eye view of the boatyard along at Dalmarnock again, and think it looks even odder that there are boats there, as the road access looks pretty poor, and the weirs appear to make river access dodgy too. Maybe they are dropped in by large Russian helicopters

Looks like there's a visitor that might be bumping their nose against something unexpected if they got as far as any of the weirs, although I suspect the fresh water would keep them away if nothing else.

A dolphin or porpoise reported wandering around the Clyde today, as far up as the SECC.

My sympathies to the mammal's taste and smell organs, if the Clyde on Sunday morning contains the usual waste bodily materials deposited across the banks and off the bridges on Friday and Saturday nights by revellers, neds and winos. A wonder the report is not of the sighting of it on its back with its flippers in the air.