In the birthplace of Unilever, Port Sunlight village (UK), there used to be a rather impressive sundial - a 6 to 7 foot pillar, on top of which was a sphinx, on top of which was a cross sundial, originally installed in about 1895. I have seen pictures of it, with the first Lord Leverhulme standing nearby. Sadly, it had all it's "bits" knocked off over the years, and was eventually taken away. Happily, the Port Sunlight millennium committee decided to have it remade. I was not involved in the project in any way until Monday this week. I had a phone call, saying that they had 4 men and a crane on site, installing the large plinth, and asking which way it should face. This was at 10:30 am, and luckily the sun was shining - but they were not prepared to stand around until 12:24 pm - local apparent noon on that day. I hastily unscrewed a horizontal dial from it's plinth in my garden, and screwed it squarely onto a longish plank. Armed with this, two spirit levels and an accurate watch, I went to the site. We levelled the plank, and rotated it until it read the correct solar time (allowing for the EofT and longitude corrections) We used the straight edge of the plank to mark the North South line, and aligned the plinth to that line. The sphinx is now installed on top of the plinth. The cross has yet to be made. Time alone will tell how accurate we have been - the sun has not been shining since.
Has anyone else tried this technique, and how accurate did you find it? Mike Shaw Wirral, UK 53' 22" N 03' 02" W
