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I really can't stay
(but baby it's cold outside)
I've got to go away
(but baby it's cold outside)
This evening has been
(been hoping that you'd drop in)
So very nice
(i'll hold your hands, they're just like ice)
-Baby it's cold outside by Dean Martin
And an awesome cover to that song by Julia Nunes <3
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds_xhDycZpI
Okay so I keep seeing all these lovely sunny spring time pictures on flickr and I'm getting veryyyy jealous because where I live it's miserable and cold :(
This picture is actually an outtake, the flash on my camera went funny when it clicked but when I came to editing the pictures I liked this one better than the others!
Just wanted to mention that I passed 2,000 views on my stream yesterday. That means I got 1,000 views in 10 freaking days! Crazy or what?!?! Thank you very much everyone, it really means a lot to me! :)
In February 1972 some 30,000 Birmingham engineers walked out on strike in solidarity with striking miners who were fighting against austerity pay deals. Up to 15,000 then marched to join miners who were picketing Saltley coke depot. The blockade forced the police, who had kept the depot open all week, to surrender and close the gates.
Militant picketing involving tens of thousands of miners had shut down power stations, docks and coal depots. But the victory at Saltley, won through solidarity strikes, was the turning point for the miners. Within seven weeks the government was defeated.
The rally today, 40 years later, was addressed by Arthur Scargill, legendary leader of Miners union NUM, Ken Capstick former vice president of Yorkshire NUM and former editor of the NUM journal, Bob Crow RMT General Secretary, Tony Burke UNITE Deputy General Secretary, strikers and eyewitnesses from the time. They not only reflected on their experiences 40 years ago but drew attention to how today, working people face a similar assault on their living conditions. November 2011 saw millions of workers strike in Britain in the biggest show of united action in generations and that forty years on, the Battle of Saltley Gate carries powerful lessons for a working class that is once again stirring.
The speakers were also joined by the Shrewsbury pickets, Pete Jackson author of a new pamphlet on the events “Close the Gates.” Local trade union theatre group Banner and participants enjoyed performances from local choirs and poets.
How the gates were closed
In 1971 the NUM submitted a pay claim of between £5 and £9 per week depending on grade. The NCB replied offering £1.60.
A national ballot voted for strike action and the NUM declared a strike from 9 January 1972. This was their first national strike in over 40 years.
From the beginning the NUR blacked the pits and power stations, dramatically reducing the movement of coal. ASLEF told their members not to move anything unusual. The docks were solid, refusing to move imported coal. The TGWU lorry drivers were solid, refusing to cross picket lines. The TUC agreed that all trade union members should respect picket lines.
It was decided that ‘flying pickets’ should be sent out around the country to stop coal movements to power stations and other key industrial targets.
Mass picketing was shutting down the energy supplies to power stations around the country. The police were becoming desperate to get the supplies through.
Saltley Coking works in Birmingham became a flashpoint in the dispute. The NUM and the government had agreed that coking works should only supply priority customers like hospitals during the dispute.
Saltley was owned by the West Midlands Gas Board and they decided that the guidelines didn’t apply to them. As a result hundreds of trucks headed to Saltley, causing a mile long queue waiting to get into the depot.
On Friday 4th February, after negotiations with the Gas Board had failed, picketing started. Most lorries defied the 200 pickets.
The Midlands NUM, which had been picketing Saltley, called for reinforcements.
By Monday 7th February there were 2,000 pickets from Yorkshire, South Wales and the Midlands.
It was becoming clear that many more pickets were needed to close Saltley, and other miners were busy picketing elsewhere.
On Tuesday 8th February a meeting was called of the AUEW East District shop stewards. Arthur Scargill addressed the meeting and asked for a one day strike and mass picket.
Arthur Scargill reported “I told them if they wanted to give us a quid to ease their conscience, then stuff it, we didn’t want it. We wanted physical support, we wanted strike action.”
The following afternoon 200 AUEW stewards and convenors voted to support the call.
From early in the morning of Thursday 10th February workers were walking out of work and heading to Saltley.
The Birmingham Evening Mail ran the front page banner headline “The Gates Close” followed by “Siege by 10,000 halts lorries, then police step in”
The main article on the front page of the Evening Mail on 10 February 1972 included -
“Saltley Coke depot was closed today as 10,000 demonstrators surged towards the gates.
“A sea of faces stretched for as far as the eye could see, below trade union banners and there was a great roar as the gates shut for the first time since picketing began last week.
“Scores of factories were closed or totally disrupted as workers responded to the strike call from the AUEW and the National Union of Vehicle Builders.
“From early morning the contingents, hundreds strong, began arriving at the depot.
“Finally Nechells Place, scene of earlier violence, St Clement’s Road, which runs past the depot gates, and the main Saltley Road, were completely thronged with singing, chanting crowds waving banners and placards.
“Others came from the Valor factory, the GEC, the Rover car works and several other British Leyland factories. Others marched under the red banner of the East District of the AUEW. Crowds of women from the SU Carburettor factory, the GEC and Valor swelled the ranks.
“An hour after the huge crowds had massed outside the depot the gates were closed and locked by Gas Board security men.
“Tumultuous cheering broke out as Mr Scargill climbed onto the roof of a nearby building and told the crowd through a loud hailer “if working people are united they can achieve anything.”
Workers’ solidarity closed the gates. Even 700 police were unable to cope with a crowd of 15,000 strikers.
Arthur Scargill recalled
“And then over this hill came a banner and I’ve never seen in my life as many people following a banner. As far as the eye could see it was just a mass of people marching towards Saltley. There was a huge roar and from the other side of the hill they were coming the other way. They were coming from five directions, there were five approaches to Saltley; it was in a hollow, they were arriving from every direction. And our lads were just jumping up in the air with emotion—a fantastic situation.”
“The Chief Constable said: ‘That’s it, I’m not risking any more here, those gates stay closed.’ He then turned to me—this is absolutely factual—and said: ‘Will you please do us a favour? Will you please disperse the crowd?’ And I said on two conditions:
firstly that I can make a speech to the crowd. He said, ‘Agreed.’ And secondly that I can use your equipment, because mine’s knackered. He said: ‘Agreed.’ Then I spoke from the urinal in Birmingham, with this police equipment.”
To attempt to settle the dispute the Wilberforce enquiry was set up on 15 February. It reported after three days proposing pay rises of £4.50 to £6 per week.
The strike was a victory. It had broken the government pay restraint. It had improved miners’ wages. It had seen incredible solidarity action. It had restored the miners’ confidence, not seen since 1926. And the method of winning had been militant action – flying pickets, mass pickets and solidarity strikes.
The strike broke the morale of the Tory government. They had been badly defeated.
The Tory home secretary at the time, Reginald Maudling, described the government as "wandering around the battlefield looking for someone to surrender to".
Almost, but actually Astrop hill where the ironstone was once mined. Passing by is one of the occasional visits that FGW makes to Banbury where 2-car units are otherwise unknown.
The line steepens noticeably here to 1:386. Note the gap where another conifer planted during construction by the GWR was taken out recently; few remain. Personally, I would rather have seen the deciduous trees removed and the conifers left to grace the cutting as they once used to do. People who've photographed here in the past may like to compare.
Techy stuff: 165132 on the 1508 Banbury-Oxford
Oulton Park is a great circuit that has yet to be spoilt with run off areas the size of Brighton Beach and, as such, suits historic motor sport down to the ground. Drivers enjoy it as do spectators, who have the freedom to wander and watch almost at will. But it has to be said, today’s racing was boring. Maybe it’s too early in the year, maybe the grids were too small, or maybe the races, one lasting seventy-five minutes, were just too long.
Funnily enough, it was the race with the smallest entry that was the most exciting. Just eight cars started the Old Hall Trophy FF 1600 race but Douglas Crosbie and Samuel Carrington-Yates had a right ding dong battle for second place with neither giving an inch. In the end the two Van Diemans were beaten by the faster Ray GRS09 of Neil Alberico, with Douglas second.
The afternoon began with the Clay Hill Trophy 1970s Celebration Race, an easy win for Russell Paterson in the orange Morgan Plus Eight. The two Porsche 911 RSRs of Mark Bates and Paul Howells followed him home some thirty seconds adrift but it was the sideways Escort RS1800 of Mark Wright that provided a modicum of entertainment. Only eight cars finished.
The Pre-1966 Touring Car Race was jolly good fun with many battles breaking out during the sixty minutes of close encounters. Henry Mann seemed a might surprised to be given the chequered flag in his red Alan Mann Cortina, beating the similar Lotus of David Hall by seven seconds, while the Mustang of Dowd and Cooke went off song and although setting fasted qualifying time struggled to finish third. Further down in the pack, the Nick Smith Mini stormed home fourth leaving ex-F1 driver Roberto Moreno to die a death and retire. Retro-Speed favourites Andy Harrison and Tony Jardine peddled the red peril home to a well-judged thirteenth.
It should have rained for the Knickerbrook Trophy for World Sportscars but it didn’t, so the gaggle of Chevrons fought it out with the lone Lola for overall honours in the dry, depriving the spectators of at least one unpredictable race. That the Minshaws led the field home in their ultra rapid B8 was no big surprise. The same could not be said for the Lyons Lola T70 MK3b that popped and banged its way around the circuit for thirty minutes before eventually finishing well and truly last.
At 16:15 ten Pre-1966 GT cars set of on a seventy-five-minute marathon that had everybody falling asleep. The Mike Whitaker TVR Griffith stormed off into the distance and then slowed to a steady cruise after the Schryver/Hadfield Lotus 26R showed it lacked the consistent pace to mount a challenge. Everyone continued circulating, probably feeling ever lonely and unnecessarily burning fuel, until to everyone’s relief and with darkness in the air, the flag fell. The Marcos 1800GT of Tice and Conoly finished third while the pretty dark blue Diva GT of Aylett and Farrell led the Austin Healey 100/4 home at the tail end.
I came away feeling the Masters Series was jumping the gun. Like the Mille Miglia it needs glamour and sunshine to attract the crowds, both were missing from Oulton Park. For the organisers of this prestigious series of Championship gatherings, surely the season really begins in Barcelona.
The Ferrari P4/5 (officially known as the Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina) is a one-off sports car made by Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari but redesigned by Pininfarina for film director and stock exchange magnate James Glickenhaus.
The car was an Enzo Ferrari but the owner James Glickenhaus preferred the styling of Ferrari's 1960s race cars, the P Series. The project cost Glickenhaus US$ 4 million and was officially presented to the public in August 2006 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elégance. Several websites were allowed to publish images of the clay model in July 2006.
Development
In March 2005 Glickenhaus, stock exchange magnate and car collector, was approached by Pininfarina who asked if he was interested in commissioning a one-off car. Andrea Pininfarina, grandson of the company’s founder later said "The Ferrari 612 Kappa and this P4/5 are the first. But we want to grow this business." indicating that Pininfarina is interested in producing other unique cars. Glickenhaus replied that he would like a modern Ferrari P, and in June of that year he signed a contract with Pininfarina to produce the car including the price, approximately US$4 million though in an interview he said "I feel they gave me more than I expected". Glickenhaus purchased the last unsold Enzo Ferrari and upon receipt of the car he took it to Pininfarina to be redesigned similar to his 1967 Ferrari 330 P3/4 chassis 0846 which he also delivered to Pininfarina. Pininfarina's styling team leader, Ken Okuyama said that "Pininfarina wanted to stay away from retro design and move towards a more forward thinking supercar" as they were excited by the opportunity to build the car, not just design it.
Its design began in September 2005 with sketches by Jason Castriota moving through computer aided sculpture and stringent wind tunnel testing. More than 200 components were designed especially for the car. Most components, including the engine, drivetrain, are modified from the original Enzo Ferrari. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is unchanged from the Enzo from which it was derived. The P4/5 was publicly revealed on August 18, 2006 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elégance and shown again at the Paris Motor Show in late September.
Upon seeing P 4/5 Luca di Montezemolo felt that the car deserved to be officially badged as a Ferrari and along with Andrea Pininfarina and James Glickenhaus agreed that its official name would be "Ferrari P 4/5 by Pininfarina". Ted West wrote an article in Car and Driver about how this came to be "The Beast of Turin".
On September 2009, Glickenhaus announced his intention to race a new version of the P4/5 in the 2010 24 Hours Nürburgring. The car, called the P4/5 Competizione, would not be a conversion of his road car but instead an entirely new car with a Ferrari chassis, VIN and drivetrain. On May 2010 however, it was revealed that the Competizione would in fact be raced in 2011, based on a 430 Scuderia. It would be built to FIA GT2 standards and raced by Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus in an Experimental Class under the direction of Paolo Garella, former Head of Special Projects at Pininfarina. Ferrari completely distanced themselves from the P4/5 Competizione project in 2011, refusing to sell the team parts for vital engine rebuilds between races. The car finished 39th in the 2011 24 Hours Nürburgring (after bursting into flames) and in 2012 won its class and finished 12th overall.
Exterior
The exterior of the car is made entirely of carbon fibre reinforced plastic and is similar in shape to the Ferrari 330 P4 as Glickenhaus requested, however it has been called a "rolling history of Ferrari-racing-DNA" sharing elements from several historic Ferrari vehicles, not just the 330 P4. The rear window is similar to that of the Ferrari 512S, the side vents are similar to the Ferrari 330 P3 and the nose is similar to that of the Ferrari 333 SP which improves cooling and the car's frontal crash safety. The butterfly doors (similar to those of the McLaren F1) are designed such that even at 160 mph (260 km/h) there is no wind noise. The improved aerodynamics give the car greater downforce, yet less drag, than the Enzo, which makes the car more stable than the Enzo at high speeds.
Powertrain
The P4/5 has the same engine as the Enzo Ferrari it was built on, a 65° Ferrari F140 B V12. The 12 cylinders have a total capacity of 5,998 cc (366 cu in), each with 4 valves. The redline rpm at 8200 and the torque of 485 lb·ft (658 N·m) at 5500 rpm are both the same as the Enzo, but it produces marginally more power with 660 brake horsepower (492 kW) at 7800 rpm. The P4/5 uses the 6 speed semi-automatic transmission of the Enzo with black shifting paddles behind the wheel. It has two directional indicator buttons, one mounted on each side of the steering wheel.
Chassis
Much of the suspension was unchanged from the original Enzo, with the same push-rod suspension at the front and rear, and the same Brembo carbon-ceramic anti-lock disc brakes with diameter of 340 millimetres (13.4 in) at the front and rear. The aluminium alloy wheels are 510 millimetres (20 in) in diameter, the front tyres have codes of ZR 255/35 and the rear, ZR 335/30
[Text from Wikipedia]
This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari / Pininfarina / Glickenhaus P4/5 (2006), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.
Early plans
The idea of an east to west waterway link across southern England was first mentioned in Elizabethan times, between 1558 and 1603,[2] to take advantage of the proximity of the rivers Avon and Thames, only 3 miles (4.8 km) apart at their closest. Later, around 1626, Henry Briggs made a survey of the two rivers and noted that the land between them was level and easy to dig. He proposed a canal to connect them, but following Briggs' death in 1630 the plan was dropped. After the English Civil War four bills were presented to parliament, but all failed after opposition from gentry, farmers and traders worried about cheaper water transport reducing the value of fees on turnpike roads they controlled, and cheaper produce from Wales undercutting locally produced food.[2] The main alternative to road transport for the carriage of goods between Bristol and London was a hazardous sea route through the English Channel. The small coastal sailing ships of the day were often damaged by Atlantic storms, and risked being attacked by warships of the French navy and privateers during a succession of conflicts with France.[3]
Plans for a waterway were shelved until the early 18th century. In 1723 the Kennet Navigation through Reading opened. The Avon navigation from Bristol to Bath was opened in 1727; the first cargo of "Deal boards, Pig-Lead and Meal" reached Bath in December.[4] The two navigations were built to meet local needs independently of one another, but both under the supervision of surveyor and engineer John Hore. In 1788 the so-called "Western Canal" was proposed to improve trade and communication links to towns such as Hungerford, Marlborough, Wiltshire, Calne, Chippenham and Melksham. The following year the engineers Barns, Simcock and Weston submitted a proposed route for this canal, although there were doubts about the adequacy of the water supply. The name was changed from Western Canal to Kennet and Avon Canal to avoid confusion with the Grand Western Canal, which was being proposed at the same time.[5]
[edit] Construction
Surveyor, John Rennie: portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn, 1810
In 1793 a further survey was conducted by John Rennie, and the route of the canal was altered to take a more southerly course through Great Bedwyn, Devizes, Trowbridge and Newbury. The proposed route was accepted by the Kennet and Avon Canal Company, chaired by Charles Dundas, and the company started to take subscriptions from prospective shareholders. In July 1793 Rennie suggested further alterations to the route, including the construction of a tunnel in the Savernake Forest.[5] On 17 April 1794 the Kennet and Avon Canal Act received the Royal Assent and construction began. The Newbury to Hungerford section was completed in 1798, and was extended to Great Bedwyn in 1799. The section from Bath to Foxhangers was finished in 1804, and the two were linked by an iron railway until the completion of Devizes Locks in 1810.[5]
The canal opened in 1810 after 16 years of construction. Major structures included the Dundas and Avoncliff aqueducts, the Bruce Tunnel under Savernake Forest, and the pumping stations at Claverton and Crofton, needed to overcome water supply problems. The final engineering task was the completion of the Caen Hill Locks at Devizes.[6]
[edit] Operation
In 1801, trade along the canal commenced, even though goods had to be unloaded at Foxhangers at the bottom of what is now Caen Hill Locks, transported up the hill by a horse-drawn railway, and reloaded into barges at the top. When the flight of locks finally opened in 1810, allowing the same vessel to navigate the entire canal, the rate of carriage per ton from London to Bath was £2 9s 6d. This compared well with carriage by road, which cost £6 3s to £7 per ton, and therefore trade on the canal flourished. In 1812, the Kennet and Avon Canal Company bought the Kennet Navigation, which stretched from Newbury to the junction with the Thames at Kennet Mouth, near Reading. The purchase from Frederick Page cost £100,000, of which £70,000 was paid in cash with the balance paid back over a period of time. The purchase was authorised by the Kennet Navigation Act of June 1813, which enabled the company to raise the funds through the sale of 5,500 shares at £24 each. At the same time work was undertaken to improve the Avon Navigation, from Bristol to Bath, with the Kennet and Avon Canal Company purchasing a majority shareholding in the Avon Navigation in 1816.[7]
By 1818, seventy 60-ton barges were working on the canal, the majority of the tonnage being accounted for by coal and stone travelling via the Somerset Coal Canal.[8] The journey from Bath to Newbury took an average of three and a half days. By 1832, 300,000 tons of freight was being carried each year and, between 1825 and 1834, the company had an annual revenue of around £45,000.[5]
[edit] Decline
The opening of the Great Western Railway in 1841 removed much of the canal's traffic, even though the canal company lowered tariffs.[9] In 1852 the railway company took over the canal's operation, levying high tolls at every toll point and reducing the amount spent on maintenance. Ice-breaking was stopped before the winter of 1857, and traders were further encouraged by preferential tolls to use the railway rather than the canal. In 1861 a new order prohibited any traffic on the canal at night, and, in 1865, boats were forced to pass through locks in pairs to reduce water loss. By 1868 the annual tonnage had fallen from 360,610 in 1848 to 210,567. In the 1870s water abstraction from the canal near Fobney Lock followed the regulations introduced in the Reading Local Board Waterworks, Sewerage, Drainage and Improvements Act of 1870, and contributed to the silting up of locks and stretches of the canal. Several wharves and stretches of towpath were closed. In 1877 the canal recorded a deficit of £1,920 and never subsequently made any profit.[10]
The Somerset Coal Canal and Wilts and Berks Canal, which each supplied some of the trade from the Somerset coalfield to the Kennet and Avon,[11] closed in 1904 and 1906 respectively. In 1926, following a loss of £18,041 the previous year,[12] the Great Western Railway sought to close the canal by obtaining a Ministry of Transport Order, but the move was resisted and the company charged with improving its maintenance of the canal.[9] Cargo trade continued to decline, but a few pleasure boats started to use the canal.[13]
A Second World War pillbox near Kintbury
During the Second World War a large number of concrete bunkers known as pillboxes were built as part of the GHQ Line to defend against an expected German invasion, many of which are still visible along the banks of the canal.[14] They were generally built close to road and rail bridges, which would have formed important crossing points for enemy troops and vehicles.[15][16] After the war the Transport Act of 1947 meant that control of the canal passed to the British Transport Commission, but by the 1950s large sections of the canal had been closed because of poor lock maintenance following a breach in the bank west of the Avoncliff Aqueduct.[5] The last through passage was made in 1951 by nb Queen (Nicholson Guide 7 p59).
Licensed under a creative commons share-alike. Use freely but give attribution to Jennifer Conley and link to www.iliveindallas.com.
The Dallas Chapter of The American Institute of Architects will be presenting their 2nd annual Tour of Homes this Saturday and Sunday. There are nine single and multi-family modern residences being showcased this year; all homes having been designed by Texas architects. Tours are self-guided and open to the public.
Tickets are $25/pp (+$3 processing fee) and can be purchased online or on the day of tour. Online ticket orders will be available at Will Call on the first day of the tour at 4434 Abbott Avenue (GMap). Individual residences are also available to tour for $10 per home and tickets are available on the day of tour or call Dallas AIA at 214-742-3242 for purchasing. Proceeds benefit the new Dallas Center for Architecture.
2008 Tour of Homes:
4633 Cherokee Trail
708 Kessler Woods Court
709 Kessler Woods Court
4434-4340 Abbott Avenue
45 Vanguard Way
22 Vanguard Way
3110 Oliver Street
Licensed under a creative commons share-alike. Use freely but give attribution to Jennifer Conley and link to www.iliveindallas.com.
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.
TASAWWUF
"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)
SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM
Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.
BIOGRAPHY
Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.
Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)
THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL
The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.
SHARIAH & SUFISM
Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.
ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE
Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.
WHAT’S SUFISM
Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).
ZIKR-E QALBI
However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’
PAS ANFAS
Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.
SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).
SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)
The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.
THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH
1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).
THE SPIRIT OR RUH
The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.
LATAIF
The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.
FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD
There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.
SULOOK
Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.
ZIKR
Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.
KHALIFA MAJAZEEN
Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)
The approved names at that time included:
1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,
2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,
3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,
4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,
5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,
6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,
7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,
8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,
9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,
10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,
11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.
These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).
Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).
Title: Judgment in Plessy v. Ferguson
Creator(s): Supreme Court of the United States. (02/02/1790 - )
Plessy vs. Ferguson, Judgement, Decided May 18, 1896; Plessy v. Ferguson, 163, #15248; Records of the Supreme Court of the United States; Record Group 267; National Archives.
Issued on May 18, 1896, the ruling in this Supreme Court case upheld a Louisiana state law that allowed for "equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races." It was not until the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas and congressional civil rights acts of the 1950s and 1960s that systematic segregation under state law was ended.
Persistent URL: arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=1685178
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
Use Restrictions: Unrestricted
...but not likely to stay that way. Should I use black or brown leather? Stitched or glued?
Still left to do: figure out padding, make strap and buckles for said strap. Order the damn dichroic filters. What color?
Historic Naples Fishing Pier, Naples, FL
Here's another shot from the archives. I hoped to have some new shots from Naples but it wasn't meant to be.
Ivan and I wanted to end the year in Naples, shooting the last sunset of the year, then watching the fireworks and then head back to Miami for their fireworks like we did a year ago. Well that was the plan.
We left early and decided to take the "slow road" through the Everglades. Cruising along we didn't stop at Shark Valley because the place was hopping with people, we couldn't even get in because the parking lot was full, but we stopped at Kirby Storter Park which has a nice little boardwalk through the swamp. We never made it. In the parking lot I noticed that one of the tires on Ivan's car looked a tad flat.
Stuck in the middle of nowhere we decided to proceed towards Naples figuring Everglades City was closer than Miami. We made it to the gas station there, but when we tried inflating the tire the sides were already too worn and that was a no-go. We had to get the donut spare out.
I was pretty surprised how easy it was to change the tire... one, two, three... done. At least that was easy, but now we had to drive the 100 miles back to Miami... in slow-mo. We made it home eventually, and even made it to the Miami fireworks.
Although we missed sunset and the Naples fireworks, it could have been much worse. As the saying goes "Things happen for a reason". I don't even want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't stopped along the way or decided to take Alligator Alley rather than Tamiami Trail.
English text follows (taken from CIA Wikipedia, probably inaccurate but fast)"
ан-Витале
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Базилика Сан-Витале
Basilica di San Vitale
СтранаИталия
ГородРавенна
Конфессиякатолицизм
Тип зданиябазилика
Основательепископ Екклезий
Строительство527—548 годы
Состояниевключен в состав Всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО
Базилика Сан-Витале на Викискладе
Координаты: 44°25′14″ с. ш. 12°11′46″ в. д. (G) (O) (Я)
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Базилика Сан-Витале (итал. Basilica di San Vitale) — раннехристианская базилика[1] в Равенне (Италия), важнейший памятник византийского искусства в Западной Европе. В 1996 году в составе раннехристианских памятников Равенны была включена в число объектов Всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО. Выделяется среди восьми раннехристианских памятников Равенны совершенством своих мозаик, которые не имеют себе равных за пределами Константинополя.Содержание [убрать]
1 История базилики
2 Особенности архитектуры
3 Внутреннее убранство
3.1 Мозаики апсиды
3.2 «Триумфальная» и входная арки
3.3 Пресбитерий
3.3.1 Стены
3.3.2 Верхняя галерея и свод
4 Музей
5 Примечания
6 Ссылки
7 Литература
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История базилики
Базилика была заложена в 527 году равеннским епископом Экклесием после его возвращения из Византии, где он вместе с папой Иоанном I выполнял дипломатическую миссию по поручению Теодориха Великого[2]. Храм был освящён в честь раннехристианского мученика святого Виталия Миланского, чьё изображение помещено в конхе апсиды.[3] Строительство велось на средства греческого ростовщика, Юлиана Аргентария (Серебряника). Освящение храма совершил 19 апреля 548 года епископ Максимиан.[4] Все внутреннее мозаичное убранство церкви было создано одновременно в 546—547 годы, различие стиля академик В. Н. Лазарев объясняет участием в работе разных мастеров.[5]
В XIII веке к южной стене церкви была пристроена колокольня и была проведена реконструкция деревянных перекрытий аркад. Масштабная реконструкция храма была проведена в XVI веке: в целях борьбы с поднятием грунтовых вод был поднят на 80 см уровень пола, обновлён пресбитерий, убраны деревянные хоры и перестроен внутренний дворик (1562 год) и южный портал здания. В 1688 году землетрясением была разрушена колокольня XIII века, её восстановили в 1696—1698 годы.[6]
В 1780 году купол ротонды и подкупольные ниши, лишённые при строительстве церкви каких-либо украшений, были расписаны фресками работы болонцев Бароцци и Гандольфи и венецианца Гвараны (Jacopo Guarana).
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Особенности архитектуры
План базилики
Базилика построена в форме восьмиугольного мартирия византийского типа, близкого по архитектуре к церкви Сергия и Вакха в Константинополе.[5] Наружные стены не имеют каких либо декоративных элементов и расчленены вертикальными и горизонтальными контрфорсами. Здание увенчано гранёным барабаном купола. Архитектура Сан-Витале сочетает элементы классического римского зодчества (купол, порталы, ступенчатые башни) с византийскими веяниями (трёхлопастная апсида, узкая форма кирпичей, трапециевидные капители, пульван и т. д.). Низ внутренних стен базилики облицован мрамором, наборный пол храма украшен геометрическим орнаментом.
Аркада ротонды
Мозаичное украшение капители
Конструкцию здания поддерживают восемь центральных опор, на которых держится купол диаметром в 16 метров. Для уменьшения бокового давления куполу придана конусообразная форма. Купол воздвигнут из лёгкого материала — вдетых друг в друга глиняных труб, закреплённых одна над другой в становящихся всё более узкими горизонтальных кольцах[7]. Опорные столбы образуют в центре храма ротонду, на втором ярусе которой расположены хоры. В промежутки между столбами ротонды помещены полукруглые двухэтажные аркады, расположенные по дугам, выгнутым к внешним стенам церкви. Благодаря описанному устройству храма внутренняя часть церкви кажется залитой светом, а окружающие её галереи искусственно погружены в мистическую полутемноту, что сразу же обращает внимание входящего на мозаики апсиды и пресбитерия[8]. Использование данного архитектурного решения привело к достижению следующего пространственного эффекта:
Выступающие за кольцо подкупольных столбов высокие аркады открывают центральное пространство глазам посетителя сразу же, как только он входит в церковь. Ещё находясь во внешнем обходе, он чувствует, что высоко поднятый купол словно вбирает в себя всё внутреннее пространство храма. При взгляде же из центра храма аркады воспринимаются как ещё одно кольцо опор, находящееся между столбами и внешними стенами и зрительно увеличивающее интерьер. Наконец, пространственный эффект усиливается своеобразной формой столбов, объём которых не воспринимается зрителем.[9]
Перед апсидой, освещаемой тремя высокими окнами круговой обход ротонды прерывается пресбитерием, окружённым двухэтажными аркадами. Алтарь вынесен за пределы апсиды в пресбитерий, а в ней установлена стационарная мраморная кафедра. Капители аркады пресбитерия выполнены в форме ажурных корзинок и украшены изображением креста, помещённого между двумя агнцами. Такое оформление однако разрушает тектоническую природу ордера.[9]
К числу особенностей Сан-Витале следует отнести и необычное устройство нартекса, расположенного здесь под углом к основной оси здания, проходящей через пресбитерий. Причины такого устройства нартекса не установлены: по мнению различных исследователей, архитектор мог таким образом сохранить память о ранее существовавших на месте храма часовнях, теснее включить в основной объём здания две лестничных башни или просто создать, помимо основного входа по оси здания, ещё один в боковой части церкви[8].
Базилика в Равенне послужила чтимым образцом для архитектуры Каролингского возрождения в целом и для её центрального произведения — дворцовой капеллы в Ахене. Филиппо Брунеллески изучал конструкцию купола Сан Витале при разработке проекта первого европейского купола Нового времени (флорентийский собор Санта-Мария-дель-Фьоре). Особенно он отметил то, что для облегчения купола равеннской церкви вместо наполнителя использовались полые глиняные сосуды.
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Внутреннее убранство
Рабы сквозь римские ворота
Уже не ввозят мозаик.
И догорает позолота
В стенах прохладных базилик.
Александр Блок, «Равенна»
Мозаичное убранство базилики
Основное пространство базилики украшено мраморной инкрустацией, а вогнутые поверхности апсиды (аркады, своды, конха) стены (вимы) пресбитерия покрыты византийской мозаикой. Мозаики Сан Витале были призваны продемонстрировать западному миру могущество и безупречный вкус византийского императора Юстиниана во время недолгого владычества византийцев в Италии.
Мозаики Сан-Витале являются редким для Европы образцом раннехристианской монументальной живописи, созданной в технике византийской мозаики.[10] Особую значимость представляют прижизненные портреты императора Юстиниана и его супруги Феодоры.
Мастера с помощью мозаики смогли подчеркнуть архитектурные элементы базилики, сделав акценты на символическую связь элемента конструкции и нанесённого на неё изображения:
Мозаики, которые покрывают весь этот интерьер за исключением цоколя, прекрасно выявляют конструктивный смысл архитектуры. Люнеты, распалубки, стены, арки, ниши и своды эффектно выделены различными типами декора. Так, ребра крестового свода усилены растительными гирляндами, в то время как фигуры ангелов, олицетворяющих мощь несущих конструкций, поддерживают центральный медальон.[11]
— Отто Демус. Мозаики византийских храмов
В боковых галереях находятся несколько раннехристианских саркофагов. Среди них наиболее примечателен мраморный саркофаг V века, несколько переделанный в середине VI века, в котором, как гласят греческая и латинская надписи на крышке, был погребён равеннский экзарх Исаак. На боковых сторонах саркофага можно видеть барельефы, изображающие поклонение волхвов, воскрешение Лазаря, Даниила в львином рву и крест с двумя павлинами[12].
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Мозаики апсиды
Мозаика конхи
Конха апсиды
Конха украшена мозаикой изображающей Иисуса Христа в образе юноши с крестчатым нимбом, сидящего на лазоревой небесной сфере, в окружении двух ангелов. Христос в одной руке держит свиток, опечатанный семью печатями (Откр.5:1), а другой протягивает мученический венец славы святому Виталию, которого подводит к нему ангел. Второй ангел представляет Иисусу равеннского епископа Екклезия, подносящего в дар макет основанной им базилики Сан-Витале.
Из под ног Иисуса по каменистой почве, поросшей лилиями, вытекают четыре реки Эдема: Фисон, Гихон, Хиддекель и Евфрат. Эта деталь прославляет Иисуса как источник воды живой (Откр.21:6) и роднит равеннское изображение с мозаикой монастыря Латому (Греция), созданной в этот же период.[13]
В. Н. Лазарев отмечает, что мозаика конхи является одной из самых тонких по исполнению, отличается подчёркнуто симметричной композицией и торжественным характером. По его мнению, над её созданием работали мозаичисты, знавшие византийское искусство в его столичных вариантах[5]. Вместе с тем, мозаики апсиды обнаруживают и типично византийскую неподвижность фигур, все персонажи изображены анфас, стоя. Даже участники двух процессий будто остановились на мгновение, чтобы показать себя в стационарном положении, чтобы позволить зрителю полюбоваться их особами[14].
Нижний уровень апсиды
На боковых стенах апсиды по сторонам от окон расположены мозаичные портреты изображающие императора Юстиниана и его супругу Феодору в окружении вельмож, придворных дам и священнослужителей. Это исторические портреты, созданные лучшими равеннскими мастерами на основе столичных образцов (В. Н. Лазарев считает, что это были «царские портреты, рассылавшиеся в провинции Византийской империи для копирования»[5]). Создание этих композиций было символом триумфа императора, вернувшего Равенну под византийский патронат[15].
Император Юстиниан со свитойИмператрица Феодора со свитой
Император с супругой изображены как донаторы, приносящие в дар церкви драгоценные литургические сосуды. Выполненные как фриз изображения отличаются фронтальной композицией и однообразием поз и жестов. При этом мастера смогли изобразить императорскую семью с индивидуальными чертами лиц в образе идеальных правителей, а сама композиция передаёт движение двух процессий по направлению к алтарю.
Юстиниан I
Император Юстиниан приносит в дар церкви патену и изображён, как и все другие фигуры, в фронтальной позе. Его голова, увенчанная диадемой, окружена нимбом, что отражает византийскую традицию отмечать таким способом царствующую особу.[16]
Император Юстиниан
По сторонам от Юстиниана стоят придворные и священнослужители. Среди них выделяются: пожилой человек в одежде сенатора (единственный стоит во втором ряду, по одной из версий, это ростовщик Юлиан Аргентарий, финансировавший строительство базилики, по другой, полководец Велисарий, по третьей, praefectus praetorio (префект претория) — должностное лицо, представлявшее особу императора в день освящения храма[17]), епископ Максимиан с крестом в руке и два диакона (один держит Евангелие, а другой — кадило). На этой мозаике Юстиниан и Максимиан изображены как авторитарные представители светской и церковной власти, поэтому их фигуры занимают доминирующее место, а над головой епископа даже помещена горделивая надпись: Maximianus. Если портрет Юстиниана является, скорее всего, копией с официальных изображений, рассылаемых по всей империи[18], то портреты Максимиана и персонажа, стоящего во втором ряду, выделяются характерными чертами, позволяющими предположить знакомство мозаичиста с оригиналами[17] .
Роскошные одеяния дали возможность мозаичистам развернуть перед зрителем всё ослепительное богатство их палитры — начиная от нежных белых и пурпуровых тонов и кончая ярко-зелёными и оранжево-красными. Особой тонкости исполнения они достигли в лицах четырёх центральных фигур, набранных из более мелких кубиков. Это позволило им создать четыре великолепных по остроте характеристики портрета, в которых, несмотря на ярко выраженные индивидуальные черты, есть и нечто общее: особая строгость выражения и печать глубокой убеждённости.[5]
Императрица Феодора
Феодора
Императрица изображена стоящей в нарфике, перед ней стоят два телохранителя, один из которых отодвигает завесу перед дверью. В руках Феодоры дар церкви — золотой потир, голова, увенчана диадемой и окружена нимбом, на плечах лежит тяжёлое ожерелье. Подол плаща императрицы украшает сцена поклонения волхвов, что является намёком на подношение самой Феодоры. Фигура царицы (единственная из всех остальных) обрамлена нишей с конхой, которую А. Альфёльди рассматривает как «нишу прославления».[19] Группу придворных дам, идущая за Феодорой, возглавляют две женщины, чьи изображения наделены портретными чертами, (предположительно, Антония и Иоанна — жена и дочь полководца Велисария[17]), лица остальных придворных дам стереотипны.
И здесь роскошные византийские одеяния дали мозаичистам повод блеснуть изысканными колористическими решениями. Особенно красивы краски на трёх центральных женских фигурах. Их лица набраны из более мелких и более разнообразных по форме кубиков, что облегчило передачу портретного сходства. Лица остальных придворных дам, как и лица стражи в мозаике с Юстинианом, носят стереотипный характер и мало выразительны. В них высокое искусство уступает место ремеслу и рутине.[5]
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«Триумфальная» и входная арки
«Триумфальная арка»
Арка, обрамляющая конху апсиды, по причине богатого мозаичного украшения получили название триумфальной. Она украшена мозаикой с изображением семи пар рогов изобилия в окружении цветов и птиц. Около верхней пары рогов помещены изображения императорских орлов, а между ними — монограмма Иисуса Христа. Наружная сторона арки, обращённая в пресбитерий, украшена изображением двух ангелов, возносящих медальон с крестом. Они изображены между двумя центрами христианского паломничества — Иерусалимом и Вифлеемом.
«Входная арка»
На склонах входной арки пресбитерия помещены 14 медальонов (по 7 на каждой стороне) с полуфигурами апостолов и святых, а в замке арки медальон с ликом Христа. Медальоны разделяются парами дельфинов. Медальоны представлены в следующем порядке (по направлению слева направо, если смотреть из основного пространства храма): мученик Гервасий; апостолы Фаддей, Матфей, Варфоломей, Иоанн Богослов, Андрей Первозванный, Пётр; Христос; апостолы Павел, Иаков, Филипп, Фома, Иаков Алфеев, Симон Кананит, мученик Протасий. Таким образом, кроме двенадцати апостолов на арке изображено двое святых — Гервасий и Протасий, которых традиция называет сыновьями святого Виталия. Помещение этих святых в один ряд с апостолами демонстрирует, с одной стороны, связь Равенны с Миланом, где были обретены их мощи[20], и напоминает, с другой стороны, о мистическом участии этих святых в победе над арианством. Лицам апостолов преданы индивидуальные черты, так апостол Андрей изображён с всклокоченными волосами и широко раскрытыми глазами.
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Пресбитерий
Вимы пресбитерия разделены на три мозаичных регистра: стены, верхнюю галерею и свод. Художественное исполнение мозаик пресбитерия гораздо грубее по сравнению с мозаикой апсиды, вероятно, они были созданы другими мозаичистами, работавшими в местной традиции[21]. Вместе с тем, в мозаиках пресбитерия нет статичности мозаик апсиды: персонажи стоят, сидят; к зрителям они обращены анфас, в профиль, пол-оборота; на смену золотому фону апсиды пришли пейзажи[14]. Тематика мозаик посвящена символическому содержанию идеи жертвы Христовой, которая раскрывается через ветхозаветные образы в соответствии с литургической трактовкой таинства евхаристии.
Академик В. Н. Лазарев отмечает, что мозаики пресбитерия частично пострадали от грубых реставраций. При этом они отличаются сложной символикой, характерной для убранства константинопольских церквей. Это позволяет ему сделать вывод, что «иконографическая программа этих мозаик восходит к византийским источникам». В мозаиках пресбитерия особо выделяется художественное исполнение пейзажей — скалистые уступы, похожие на обломки кристалла раскрашены яркими тонами (голубой, зелёный, лиловый, пурпурный) и местами украшены золотом. Всё это создаёт иллюзию яркого цветочного ковра.
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Стены
Сцены из жизни Авраама
Левая стена
Мозаики левой стены посвящены событиям из жизни патриарха Авраама: «Гостеприимство Авраама» (или ветхозаветная Троица) и «Жертвоприношение Авраама». В первой композиции три гостя сидят на столом на котором лежат три хлеба, отмеченные знаком креста, Авраам преподносит заколотого им телёнка, а его жена Сарра наблюдает за этой сценой из хижины. На второй композиции основной акцент перенесён на божественную длань, которая отводит в сторону нож Авраама, занесённый над его сыном Исааком. По сторонам от центральных композиций изображены пророк Иеремия со свитком в руках и Моисей, получающий на Синае Скрижали Завета на глазах двенадцати старейшин Израилевых. Отмечают высокое мастерство мозаичиста, избежавшего однообразия при изображении трёх сидящих ангелов: их головы слегка наклонены, различны положения их рук и ног[22]. Мозаика также детально показывает листья дерева, под которым сидят ангелы, что позволяет сделать вывод, что это именно дуб[23].
Правая стена
Жертвоприношение Авеля и Мельхиседека
Центр правой стены занимает композиция с изображением жертвоприношений Авеля и Мельхиседека (символический намёк на крестную смерть Христа). Изображение трёх жертвоприношений (Авеля, Мельхиседека и Авраама) на стенах пресбитерия иллюстрирует молитву евхаристического канона римской литургии[24]:
Supra quae propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris: et accepta habere, sicuti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui iusti Abel, et sacrificium Patriarcha nostri Abrahae: et quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech, sanctum sacrificium, immaculatam hostiam.
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Перевод [показать]
Слева от центральной мозаики помещены две сцены из жизни Моисея: видение им Неопалимой купины на горе Хорив, и Моисей среди стада его тестя Иофора. В правой части изображён пророк Исаия (его фигура является парной по отношению к пророку Иеремии на противоположной стене). Эти два ветхозаветных пророка были выбраны по причине того, что они предсказали воплощение Сына Божьего, его страдания и крестную смерть. Необычно изображена сцена с Неопалимой купиной: огнём объят не только куст, но вся гора[26].
Иеремия и Иоанн БогословМоисей пасет стада Иофора и Неопалимая купинаМоисей получает откровение на горе Синай на глазах старейшин ИзраилевыхИсайя и Апостол Марк
Мозаика свода
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Верхняя галерея и свод
Арочные проёмы верхней галереи украшены изображениями четырёх евангелистов и их символами. Из под ног евангелистов вытекают ручьи чистой воды, символизирующей благую весть Евангелия, в этой воде купаются птицы и водные звери, в том числе цапля и черепаха[27]. В основание арок помещены вазы, из которых растут виноградные лозы и, переплетаясь, сходятся в замке арки у изображения креста.
Свод украшен медальоном с изображением апокалипсического Агнца (Откр.5:12), поддерживаемого четырьмя ангелами в позе Оранта, символизирующими стороны света. Белоснежный агнец, увенчанный нимбом, изображен на фоне звёздного неба, медальон с ним обрамлён венком. Композиция окружена райскими деревьями, растениями, птицами и животными. Божественный Агнец, взявший на себя грехи мира («Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi» из римской литургии[25]), венчает цикл мозаик пресбитерия, посвященный жертвам, приносимым людьми Богу.
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Музей
Рядом с базиликой Сан-Витале расположен Национальный музей Равенны с собранием римских монет, византийской резьбы по кости. В собрании представлен цикл фресок эпохи Треченто, снятых из церкви Санта Кьяра. Имеется коллекция тканей и живописи XVII—XVIII веков. Внутренний двор музея украшен древнеримской и ранехристианской скульптурой: каменные кресты IV—V веков, саркофаги.
Basilica of San Vitale
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For the eponymous basilica in Rome, see Basilica of San Vitale (Rome).Church of San Vitale
The Church of San Vitale
Shown within Italy
Basic information
Location Ravenna, Italy
Geographic coordinates44.42°N 12.196°ECoordinates: 44.42°N 12.196°E
RegionEmilia-Romagna
Year consecrated547
Architectural description
Architectural styleByzantine architecture
Groundbreaking527
Completed548
Construction cost26,000 solidi (gold pieces)
The Church of San Vitale — styled an "ecclesiastical basilica" in the penn state, though it is not of architectural basilica form — is a church in Ravenna, Italy, one of the most important examples of early Christian Byzantine Art and architecture in western Europe. The building is one of eight Ravenna structures inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Architecture
3 Mosaic art
3.1 Justinian and Theodora panels
4 Legacy
5 See also
6 Notes
7 Further reading
8 External links
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History
The church was begun by Bishop Ecclesius in 527, when Ravenna was under the rule of the Ostrogoths, and completed by the 27th Bishop of Ravenna, Maximian in 546 during the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna. The architect of this church is unknown.
The construction of the church was sponsored by a Greek banker, Julius Argentarius, of whom very little is known, except that he also sponsored the construction of the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare in Classe at around the same time. The final cost amounted to 26,000 solidi (gold pieces).[1]
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Architecture
Ground plan of the building
The church has an octagonal plan. The building combines Roman elements: the dome, shape of doorways, and stepped towers; with Byzantine elements: polygonal apse, capitals, and narrow bricks. The church is most famous for its wealth of Byzantine mosaics, the largest and best preserved outside of Constantinople. The church is of extreme importance in Byzantine art, as it is the only major church from the period of the Emperor Justinian I to survive virtually intact to the present day. Furthermore, it is thought to reflect the design of the Byzantine Imperial Palace Audience Chamber, of which nothing at all survives. According to legend, the church was erected on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Vitalis.[2] However, there is some confusion as to whether this is the Saint Vitalis of Milan, or the Saint Vitale whose body was discovered together with that of Saint Agricola, by Saint Ambrose in Bologna in 393.
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Mosaic art
The presbytery.
The central section is surrounded by two superposed ambulatories. The upper one, the matrimoneum, was reserved for married women. A series of mosaics in the lunettes above the triforia depict sacrifices from the Old Testament:[3] the story of Abraham and Melchizedek, and the Sacrifice of Isaac; the story of Moses and the Burning Bush, Jeremiah and Isaiah, representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the story of Abel and Cain. A pair of angels, holding a medallion with a cross, crowns each lunette. On the side walls the corners, next to the mullioned windows, have mosaics of the Four Evangelists, under their symbols (angel, lion, ox and eagle), and dressed in white. Especially the portrayal of the lion is remarkable in its feral ferocity.
The cross-ribbed vault in the presbytery is richly ornamented with mosaic festoons of leaves, fruit and flowers, converging on a crown encircling the Lamb of God. The crown is supported by four angels, and every surface is covered with a profusion of flowers, stars, birds and animals, including many peacocks. Above the arch, on both sides, two angels hold a disc and beside them a representation of the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They symbolize the human race (Jerusalem representing the Jews, and Bethlehem the Gentiles).
All these mosaics are executed in the Hellenistic-Roman tradition: lively and imaginative, with rich colors and a certain perspective, and with a vivid depiction of the landscape, plants and birds. They were finished when Ravenna was still under Gothic rule. The apse is flanked by two chapels, the prothesis and the diaconicon, typical for Byzantine architecture.
Inside, the intrados of the great triumphal arch is decorated with fifteen mosaic medallions, depicting Jesus Christ, the twelve Apostles and Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasius, the sons of Saint Vitale. The theophany was begun in 525 under bishop Ecclesius. It has a great gold fascia with twining flowers, birds, and horns of plenty. Jesus Christ appears, seated on a blue globe in the summit of the vault, robed in purple, with his right hand offering the martyr's crown to Saint Vitale. On the left, Bishop Ecclesius offers a model of the church.
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Justinian and Theodora panels
The mosaic of Emperor Justinian and his retinue.
At the foot of the apse side walls are two famous mosaic panels, executed in 548. On the right is a mosaic depicting the East Roman Emperor Justinian I, clad in purple with a golden halo, standing next to court officials, Bishop Maximian, palatinae guards and deacons. The halo around his head gives him the same aspect as Christ in the dome of the apse. Justinian himself stands in the middle, with soldiers on his right and clergy on his left, emphasizing that Justinian is the leader of both church and state of his empire.
The gold background of the mosaic shows that Justinian and his entourage are inside the church. The figures are placed in a V shape; Justinian is placed in the front and in the middle to show his importance with Bishop Maximian on his left and lesser individuals being placed behind them. This placement can be seen through the overlapping feet of the individuals present in the mosaic.[4]
Another panel (not pictured) shows Empress Theodora solemn and formal, with golden halo, crown and jewels, and a train of court ladies. She is almost depicted as a goddess. As opposed to the V formation of the figures in the Justinian mosaic, the mosaic with Empress Theodora shows the figures moving from left to right into the church. Theodora is seen holding the wine.
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Legacy
The Church of San Vitale inspired the design of the church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Constantinople, then was the model used by Charlemagne for his Palatine Chapel in Aachen in 805, and centuries later its dome was the inspiration for Filippo Brunelleschi in the design for the dome of the Duomo of Florence.
St Peter, Walpole St Peter, Norfolk
A wonderful church. East Anglia's best large church, and one of the best large churches in England. But St Peter is not just special for its size. It is indeed magnificent, but also infinitely subtle, the fruit of circumstance and the ebb and flow of centuries. There is a sense of community and continuity as well; this is no mere museum, and it is not simply St Peter's historic survivals that attract its champions. This is a building to visit again and again, to delight in, and always see something new.
How did it get to be so big? Today, the Norfolk marshland villages tend to be rather mundane, apart from their churches of course. In this curiously remote area between Lynn and Boston, there is an agro-industrial shabbiness accentuated by the flat of the land. This part of the county has a character more commonly associated with Cambridgeshire. But you need to imagine the enormous wealth of this area in the late medieval period. The silt washed by the great rivers out of the Fens was superb for growing crops. East Anglia, with the densest population in England, provided a ready market, and the proximity of the great ports gave easy access for exports. And then there was the Midlands - Walpole is as close to Leicester as it is to Norwich.
The landowners and merchants became seriously wealthy, and according to custom bequeathed enhancements to their parish churches to encourage their fellow parishioners to pray for their souls after they were dead. This was nothing to do with the size of the local population; in England's Catholic days, these buildings were not intended merely for congregational worship. The fixtures and fittings of the parish churches reflected the volume of devotion, not just the volume of people. In areas where there was serious wealth, the entire church might be rebuilt.
But here at Walpole St Peter there was another imperative for rebuilding the church. In the terrible floods of the 1330s, the church here was destroyed, apart from its tower. Before it could be rebuilt in the fashionable Decorated style, the Black Death came along and took away fully half of the local population. However, the economic effects of the pestilence would turn out to be rather good for East Anglia in the long term, and by the early-15th century churches were being rebuilt on a grand scale all over Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Walpole has two late medieval churches - St Andrew on the other side of the village is very fine, but St Peter is the one that puts it in the shade.
The nave came first, the chancel following a few decades after. Eventually, the tower would also have been rebuilt, in a similar scale to the rest of the church. How amazing it might have been! We only need to look a few miles over the border to Boston to see what could have been possible. But the English Reformation of the 16th century brought an end to the need for bequests, and so the late 13th century tower remains in place to this day.
The vast church sits hemmed in to the north and east by its wide churchyard. The battlemented nave and chancel are a magnificent sight, most commonly first seen from the village street to the north. Rendering accentuates the reddishness of the stone, and the finest moment is probably the conjunction between nave and chancel; spired roodstair turrets rise to the gable, and at the apex is a glorious sanctus bell turret. The stairway on the north side is supported by a small figure who has been variously interpreted as the Greek god Atlas, the Fenland giant Hickathrift, or as anyone else I suppose.
The chancel is beautiful, but its most striking feature is the tunnel that goes beneath its eastern end. One of the features of the late medieval English Catholic church was liturgical processions, but when this chancel was extended in the 15th century it took the building right up to the boundary of consecrated ground. To enable processions still to circumnavigate this building, the tunnel was placed beneath the high altar. Such passageways are more common under towers, and there are several examples of this in Norfolk, but that option was obviously not possible here.
There are lots of interesting bosses in the vaulting, some of which you can see at the very bottom of this page. It isn't just the past that has left its mark here. The floor of the tunnel is flagged, and there are horse-rings in the wall from the 18th and 19th century when it served the more mundane purpose of stabling during services.
Views of the south side of the church are hindered by a vast and beautiful copper beech, but there is no hiding the vastness of the south porch, one of the biggest and finest in Norfolk. The parvise window is as big as nave windows elsewhere; the keys of St Peter decorate the footstool of one of the niches.
And here are some of the finest medieval bosses in Norfolk. The two main ones are the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and the Last Judgement. There are characterful animals in the other bosses. Figures in niches include a Pieta, a Madonna and child, and a pilgrim with a staff, pack, and shell on his hat.So much to see, then, even before you come to push open the original medieval door! And then you do, and the birdsong and leaf-thresh of the summer morning outside falls away, and you enter the cool of a serious stone space. The first impression is of height, because the vista to the east is cut off by an elegant 17th century screen, as at Terrington St Clement. The unifying of nave and tower, almost a century apart, is accomplished by sprung buttresses high up on the west wall, each carved with a figure. Here are the Elizabethan communion table, a hudd ( the sentry box-like device intended to keep 18th century Rectors dry at the graveside) and the perpendicular light through the west windows.
And then you step through the pedimented entrance through the screen into the body of the church, and the building begins to unfold before you. Your journey through it begins.
Some huge churches impose themselves on you. St Peter doesn't. It isn't Salle or Long Melford. But neither is it jaunty and immediately accessible like Terrington St Clement or Southwold, nor full of light and air like Blythburgh. St Peter is a complex space, the sum of its parts, like Cley, and yet more than them, with a sense of being an act of worship in itself. Simon Jenkins, in the often-maligned England's Thousand Best Churches, tends to cast a cold and even sardonic eye on most buildings as he passes by, but at Walpole St Peter even his breath was taken away: it is a place not of curiosity but of subtle proportion, of the play of light on stone and wood. If English churches were Dutch Old Masters, this would be St Pieter de Hooch.
She's not afraid; she just likes to use her night light
When she gets paid, true religion gets it all
If they fit right.
She's a little bit manic, completely organic
Doesn't panic for the most part.
She's old enough to know, and young enough not to say no
To any chance that she gets for home plate tickets to see the Mets.
Like everybody, she's in over her head,
Dreads Feds, Grateful Dead, and doesn't take meds.
She's a Gemini Capricorn
Thinks all men are addicted to porn.
I don't agree with her half the time,
But, damn I'm glad she's mine.
Her eyes, that's where hope lies.
That's where blue skies
Meet the sunrise.
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home.
She got the kinda strength that every man wishes he had.
She loved Michael Jackson up until he made Bad.
She doesn't know the word 'impossible'
Don't care where I've been and doesn't care where we're goin' to.
She takes me as I am, and that ain't easy.
She's beautiful. So beautiful.
And sometimes I think she's truly crazy.
And I love it.
Model: I.Vielba
Para Victor,señor oca, gracias por tus letras!
But I wanna moustache
a moustache, a moustache
I wanna have a moustache
a moustache, a moustache
quiero un bigote
~ Moustache - TWIN TWIN (ESC 2014)
Meet Mr. Fantastic, my Danbo who wormed his way into my Blythe's storyline (which I will one day share... fear this). Edward is delighted with his new friend and decided they needed to match. Cue the MOUSTACHE (that and the fact that the song with the same name is firmly stuck in my head since this year's ESC).
Week 8
A lot of adventure but not much sleep. This week was packed with adventure upon adventure. I don't think I spent a single afternoon after work at my house. I consider that an accomplishment. I took so many photos throughout this week but what makes me happy the most is that I am proud of each and every one of them. I feel like I am finally getting back into the swing of things with my photography. After being in the same place for so long it can be hard to find originality but now, I am coming up with new ideas and I have a lot of video projects coming up that I want to work on. Also a few of these shots were edited using photoshop. The one that I love the most being the star trail vortex. I had the idea for a super long, eleven minute exposure of the stars and then photoshopping a photo of George peaking through the Elevator shaft door. I am so happy it came out at beautiful as I had intended. I want to try out more of this photoshop stuff. I have a good understanding of photoshop, I have just never shot photos with the intention of editing them as such. Well another week comes with more opportunity.
I can't wait to see what this next week will bring!
James Cook visited Trinity Inlet in 1770 and named it. But the town started much later as a frontier town to support the ongoing gold rush in the area in 1876. The main access into the surrounding area was via the Barron River up to the Atherton tablelands. The main reason for Cairns being established was that it had a sheltered port and a relatively flat hinterland.
It was named after QLD’s third Governor, Sir William Cairns. Cairns only looked like becoming a permanent town when it was chosen as the starting point for a railway line to the Atherton Tablelands, taking up workers and supplies and bringing back tin, gold and timber. The Cairns to Herberton railway began in 1886, only reaching the future site of Kuranda in 1891. (The railway reached Mareeba in 1893.) Today the railway up to Kuranda is a tourist attraction in its own right as it was a feat of engineering to get a rail line up the steep mountains. The gold soon was exhausted but the rich volcanic soils of the Atherton Tablelands attracted farmers- dairy farmers, coffee growers, tobacco and fruit growers. Sugar cane farms were developed closer to Cairns and the fledgling town survived. Many of the first settlers and workers on the flats around Cairns were Chinese. As the railway pushed further westward the township of Cairns grew and prospered as the port facilities expanded. Gradually the large local Aboriginal population moved into an Anglican mission near Cairns. By 1900 the local Chinese population was producing rice, corn, bananas and pineapples. A local tramway went south of Cairns to Mulgrave and opened up those areas to the port of Cairns. By 1903 Cairns had a population of 3,500 people.
In the 20th century major changes have been the start of the hydroelectric power station on the Barron River Falls in 1936 and the introduction of cane toads about the same time! The new power supply began the industrial development of the Cairns region. Earlier the arrival of a rail line from Brisbane finally linked the city with its southern counterparts in 1924. This happened one year after Cairns became a city. But the big growth came with World War Two when the American and Australian fleets and troops were based in the city because of its proximity to the South Pacific war arena. To combat the disastrous effects of cyclones the major historical structures of the city that have survived were all built solidly in concrete. Look for: the School of Arts (Lake St and Shields St) we can visit the Cairns Historical Museum there for a $5 admission fee; and Cairns City Council Offices, the Court House, and the Catholic convent – all in Abbott Street. By the mid 1970s tourism became increasingly important to the city and the international airport opened in 1984 beginning an influx of overseas, especially Japanese tourists.
The Grange was the home of Augustus Pugin, and the design and decoration of the house, and of course the church next door are simply stunning.
And yet, I could not get away from the feeling this was not a house, or did not feel like one. Of course I am looking at it with modern eyes, but an effigy of the Madonna and child in the entrance hall, and one of the Virgin Mary looking down on the marital bed does not seem normal to me, but then who am I to judge.
As we climb up the house, we come to the bedrooms, the master bedroom has the Virgin Mary looking on over the marital bed.
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The Grange is important today because it is the house Augustus Pugin built for himself and his family. Listed Grade I, it was rescued from development by the Landmark Trust in 1997 with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The HLF provided a further grant for its repair and restoration (2004-6), with generous additional support from English Heritage, Thanet District Council, charitable trusts and many private individuals.
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-52) was one of the most influential and prolific architects and designers of the 19th century. Only 40 years old when he died, Pugin spent his life trying to revive medieval Gothic architecture and design as the only fit architecture for a Christian society, part of a movement known as the Gothic Revival. He looked back wistfully and sometimes whimsically to medieval society, which he thought morally superior to the increasingly mechanised and secular society he saw around him. A devout convert to English Catholicism, Pugin built many churches, schools, convents, monasteries and country houses. He also designed the interiors for the Houses of Parliament. As a man, Pugin was passionate, intense, naïve, impatient, combative and funny. He worked ceaselessly to recreate, in his own life and works, the Gothic life that he idealised, supported by a loyal team of craftsmen and builders who translated into reality his countless designs.
Pugin built few domestic houses and the site in Ramsgate is particularly important because here he was building for himself, to create his ideal setting for his family. He wanted to bring Catholicism back to this part of Kent and so a church and monastery were also part of his plan, to recreate the medieval social structure that he so admired. Here he was able to build according to his own true principles, imposing ‘No features … which are not necessary for convenience, construction or propriety.’ Built of yellow stock brick and surrounded by walls of knapped flint, The Grange was not an inherently extravagant house despite the richness of its interiors. However, it is quietly revolutionary in the arrangement of rooms and their outward expression in architecture. Pugin was reacting against mainstream Classical architecture, which had been the most popular style for the past hundred years and which he considered pagan. Pugin’s starting point for The Grange was not outward symmetry but internal function - how he and his large family were to live in the house. Windows, roofs and chimneys were placed to suit life inside rather than external appearance. This cheerful and uncontrived asymmetry became and remains such a familiar feature of English domestic architecture that it is easy to forget how radical it was after the formal terraces of the 18th century. The principle it reflects, that form should follow function, remains central to much of today’s architecture.
Pugin bought the site on the West Cliff at Ramsgate in 1841. The house was built between 1843 and 1844 by his builder, George Myers. The original floorplan (now reinstated) was a distinctive ‘pinwheel’ arrangement: three principal ground floor rooms (the drawing room, library and dining room) grouped around a square entrance hall, with a corridor leading off to a small kitchen, a square tower (from which Pugin would watch for vessels in distress on the Goodwin Sands) and a private chapel. The house was designed to enjoy views of the sea and the monastic site next door from all angles and was richly wallpapered, painted and panelled. It was full of furniture to Pugin’s own designs and of the paintings and 'objets' that he collected avidly.
As his second wife Louisa died in 1844 just before the family moved into the house, it was only after his marriage to Jane Knill in 1848 that the house became the happy family home he dreamed of. Sadly, Pugin himself died in 1852, just two years after the interiors were completed, worn out by his pace of work and unbalanced and poisoned by the mercury prescribed to cure recurring eye inflammation.
After a decade away, Augustus’s eldest son Edward Pugin returned to live in the house in 1862 with his stepmother Jane and other family members. Edward too was an architect and became a substantial local figure in his own right. It was Edward who designed and built most of St. Augustine’s monastery and finished the church. He also altered his father’s house, adding the entrance corridor and the gate piers, extending the drawing room, adding a conservatory and making various extensions and changes to the internal layout to adapt it for mid-Victorian life. The house remained in family ownership until the death of Augustus’s last son Cuthbert in 1928, after which its contents were dispersed and it became a school run by the monks of St Augustine’s monastery next door. It passed into private ownership in the early 1990s, but sadly continued to deteriorate until it was put on the market again with talk of turning it into flats. By now, its importance was more widely recognised and the Heritage Lottery Fund stepped in to enable Landmark to acquire it.
www.landmarktrust.org.uk/our-landmarks/properties/grange-...
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1 March 1812 – 14 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic, chiefly remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival style; his work culminated in the interior design of the Palace of Westminster. Pugin designed many churches in England, and some in Ireland and Australia.[1] Pugin was the son of Auguste Pugin, and the father of E.W. and Peter Paul Pugin, who continued his architectural firm as Pugin & Pugin.
A visit to Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. Our 2nd visit in around 20 years.
Within the Inner Wall of Beaumaris Castle.
Beaumaris Castle (Welsh: Castell Biwmares), located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales after 1282. Plans were probably first made to construct the castle in 1284, but this was delayed due to lack of funds and work only began in 1295 following the Madog ap Llywelyn uprising. A substantial workforce was employed in the initial years under the direction of James of St George. Edward's invasion of Scotland soon diverted funding from the project, however, and work stopped, only recommencing after an invasion scare in 1306. When work finally ceased around 1330 a total of £15,000 had been spent, a huge sum for the period, but the castle remained incomplete.
Beaumaris Castle was taken by Welsh forces in 1403 during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr, but was recaptured by royal forces in 1405. Following the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, the castle was held by forces loyal to Charles I, holding out until 1646 when it surrendered to the Parliamentary armies. Despite forming part of a local royalist rebellion in 1648 the castle escaped slighting and was garrisoned by Parliament, but fell into ruin around 1660, eventually forming part of a local stately home and park in the 19th century. In the 21st century the ruined castle is managed by Cadw as a tourist attraction.
Historian Arnold Taylor described Beaumaris Castle as Britain's "most perfect example of symmetrical concentric planning". The fortification is built of local stone, with a moated outer ward guarded by twelve towers and two gatehouses, overlooked by an inner ward with two large, D-shaped gatehouses and six massive towers. The inner ward was designed to contain ranges of domestic buildings and accommodation able to support two major households. The south gate could be reached by ship, allowing the castle to be directly supplied by sea. UNESCO considers Beaumaris to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe", and it is classed as a World Heritage site.
Grade I listed building
History
Beaumaris Castle was begun in 1295, the last of the castles built by Edward I to create a defensive ring around the N Wales coast from Aberystwyth to Flint. The master mason was probably James of St George, master of the king's works in Wales, who had already worked on many of Edward's castles, including Harlech, Conwy and Caernarfon. Previously he had been employed by Philip of Savoy and had designed for him the fortress palace of St Georges d'Esperanche.
Unlike most of its contemporaries, Beaumaris Castle was built on a flat site and was designed on the concentric principle to have 4 defensive rings - moat, outer curtain wall, outer ward and inner curtain wall. It was originally intended to have 5 separate accommodation suites. In the event they were not built as work ceased c1330 before the castle was complete. A survey made in 1343 indicates that little has been lost of the fabric in subsequent centuries, despite being besieged during the revolt of Owain Glyndwr. However it was described as ruinous in 1539 and in 1609 by successive members of the Bulkeley family, who had settled in Anglesey and senior officials at Beaumaris from the C15, although they were probably unaware that the castle had never been finished. During the Civil War the castle was held for the king by Thomas, Viscount Bulkeley, who is said to have spent £3000 on repairs, and his son Colonel Richard Bulkeley. After the Restoration it was partly dismantled. The castle was purchased from the crown by the 6th Viscount Bulkeley in 1807, passing to his nephew Sir Richard Bulkeley Williams-Bulkeley in 1822. Sir Richard opened the castle grounds to the public and in 1832 Princess Victoria attended a Royal Eisteddfod held in the inner ward. Since 1925 it has been in the guardianship of the state, during which time the ruins have been conserved and the moat reinstated.
Exterior
A concentrically planned castle comprising an inner ward, which is square in plan, with high inner curtain wall incorporating gatehouses and towers, an outer ward and an outer curtain wall which is nearly square in plan but has shallow facets to form an octagon. The outer curtain wall faces the moat. The castle is built mainly of coursed local limestone and local sandstone, the latter having been used for dressings and mouldings. Openings have mainly shouldered lintels.
The main entrance was the S side, or Gate Next the Sea. This has a central gateway with tall segmental arch, slots in the soffit for the drawbridge chains, loop above it and machicolations on the parapet. The entrance is flanked by round gatehouse towers which, to the L, is corbelled out over a narrower square base set diagonally, and on the R is corbelled out with a square projecting shooting platform to the front. The towers have loops in both stages, and L-hand (W) tower has a corbelled latrine shaft in the angle with the curtain wall. The shooting platform has partially surviving battlements, and is abutted by the footings of the former town wall, added in the early C15. On the R side of the gatehouse is the dock, where the curtain wall has a doorway for unloading provisions. The dock wall, projecting at R angles further R has a corbelled parapet, a central round tower that incorporated a tidal mill and, at the end, a corbelled shooting platform, perhaps for a trebuchet, with machicolations to the end (S) wall. The E side of the dock wall has loops lighting a mural passage.
The curtain walls have loops at ground level of the outer ward, some blocked, and each facet to the E, W and N sides has higher end and intermediate 2-stage round turrets, and all with a corbelled parapet. The northernmost facet of the W side and most of the northern side were added after 1306 and a break in the building programme. The towers at the NW and NE corners are larger and higher than the other main turrets. On the N side, in the eastern facet, is the N or Llanfaes Gate. This was unfinished in the medieval period and has survived much as it was left. The gateway has a recessed segmental arch at high level, a portcullis slot and a blocked pointed arch forming the main entrance, into which a modern gate has been inserted. To the L and R are irregular walls, square in plan, of the proposed gatehouse towers, the N walls facing the moat never having been built. Later arches were built to span the walls at high level in order to facilitate a wall walk. The NE tower of the outer curtain wall has a corbelled latrine shaft in the angle with the E curtain wall, and in the same stretch of wall is a corbelled shaft retaining a gargoyle. The SE tower also has a corbelled latrine shaft in the angle with the E curtain wall.
In the Gate Next the Sea the passage is arched with 2 murder slots, a loop to either side, and a former doorway at the end, of which draw-bar slots have survived. In the R-hand (E) gatehouse is an irregular-shaped room with garderobe chamber. On its inner (N) side are mural stair leading to the wall walk and to a newel stair to the upper chamber. The upper chamber has a fireplace with missing lintel, and a garderobe. The L-hand (W) gatehouse has an undercroft. Its lower storey was reached by external stone steps against the curtain wall, and retains a garderobe chamber and fireplace, formerly with projecting hood. The upper chamber was reached from the wall walk.
On the inner side facing the outer ward, the outer curtain wall is corbelled out to the upper level, except on the N side where only a short section is corbelled out. To the W of the gatehouse are remains of stone steps to the gatehouse, already mentioned, and stone steps to the wall walk. Further R the loops in the curtain wall are framed by an arcade of pointed arches added in the mid C14. The curtain wall towers have doorways to the lower stage, and were entered from the wall walk in the upper stage. In some places the wall walk is corbelled out and/or stepped down at the entrances to the towers. On the W side, the southernmost facet has a projecting former garderobe, surviving in outline form on the ground and with evidence of a former lean-to stone roof. Just N of the central tower on the W side are the footings of a former closing wall defining the original end of the outer ward before the curtain wall was completed after 1306. Further N in the same stretch of wall are stone steps to the wall walk. The NW corner tower has a doorway with draw-bar socket, passage with garderobe chamber to its L, and a narrow fireplace which formerly had a projecting hood. The upper stage floor was carried on a cross beam, of which large corbels survive, and corbel table that supported joists. In the upper stage details of a former fireplace have been lost.
In the Llanfaes Gate the proposed gatehouses both have doorways with ovolo-moulded surrounds. The L-hand (W) doorway leads to a newel stair. The NE curtain wall tower is similar to the NW tower, with garderobe, fireplaces and corbels supporting the floor of the upper stage. Both facets on the E side have remains of garderobes with stone lean-to roofs, of which the northernmost is better preserved. The SE tower was heated in the upper stage but the fireplace details are lost. In the dock wall, a doorway leads to a corbelled mural passage.
The inner ward is surrounded by higher curtain walls with corbelled parapets. It has S and N gatehouses, and corner and intermediate round towers in the E and W walls. The towers all have battered bases and in the angles with the curtain walls are loops lighting the stairs. The curtain walls have loops lighting a first floor mural passage, and the S and N sides also have shorter passages with loops in the lower storey. The inner curtain wall has a more finely moulded corbel table than the outer curtain wall, and embattlements incorporating arrow loops. The main entrance to the inner ward was by the S Gatehouse. It has an added barbican rectangular in plan. The entrance in the W end wall has a plain pointed arch, of which the voussoirs and jamb are missing on the L side. The S wall has 3 loops and 2 gargoyles, the L-hand poorly preserved, and has a single loop in the E wall. Inside are remains of stone steps against the E wall leading to the parapet. The 2-storey S gatehouse has a 2-centred arch, a pointed window above, retaining only a fragment of its moulded dressings, spanned by a segmental arch with murder slot at high level. The towers to the R and L are rounded and have loops in the lower stage, and square-headed windows in the middle stage.
The SW, W (Middle) and NW towers have similar detail, a loop in the lower stage and blocked 2-light mullioned window in the middle stage. The 3-storey N Gatehouse, although similar in plan and conception to the S Gatehouse, differs in its details. It has a central 2-centred arch and pintles of former double gates. In the middle storey is a narrow square-headed window and in the upper storey a 2-light window with cusped lights and remains of a transom. A high segmental arch, incorporating a murder slot, spans the entrance. The rounded towers have loops in the lower stage. The R-hand (W) has a window opening in the middle storey, of which the dressings are missing, and in the upper storey a single cusped light to the N and remains of a pair of cusped lights, with transom, on the W side. The L-hand (E) tower has a single square-headed window in the middle storey (formerly 2-light but its mullion is missing) and in the upper storey a single cusped light and square-headed window on the E side. The NE and SE towers are similar to the towers on the W side. In the middle of the E curtain wall is the chapel tower, which has 5 pointed windows in the middle storey.
The S gateway has a well-defended passage. The outer doorway has double draw-bar sockets, followed by a portcullis slot, 4 segmental arches between murder slots, loops in each wall, then another portcullis slot and a segmental arch where the position of a doorway is marked by double draw-bar sockets. Beyond, the passage walls were not completed, but near the end is the position of another doorway with draw-bar socket and the base of a portcullis slot.
The gatehouses have a double depth plan, but only the outer (S) half was continued above ground-floor level. The N side has the footings of guard rooms, each with fireplaces and NE and NW round stair turrets, of which the NW retains the base of a newel stair. Above ground floor level the N wall of the surviving building, originally intended as a dividing wall, has doorways in the middle storey. Both gatehouses have first-floor fireplaces, of which the moulded jambs and corbels have survived, but the corbelled hood has been lost.
Architectural refinement was concentrated upon the N gatehouse, which was the principal accommodation block, and the chapel. The S elevation of the N gatehouse has a central segmental arch to the entrance passage. To its R is a square-headed window and to its L are 2 small dressed windows, set unusually high because an external stone stair was originally built against the wall. In the 5-bay middle storey are a doorway at the L end and 4 windows to a first-floor hall. All the openings have 4-centred arches with continuous mouldings, sill band and string course at half height. The R-hand window retains a transom but otherwise no mullions or transoms have survived. Projecting round turrets to the R and L house the stairs, lit by narrow loops. To the N of the R-hand (E) stair tower the side wall of the gatehouse has the segmental stone arch of a former undercroft.
The N gate passage is best described from its outer side, and is similar to the S gate. It has a doorway with double draw-bar sockets, portcullis slot, springers of former arches between murder slots, loops in each wall, another portcullis slot, a pointed doorway with double draw-bar sockets, doorways to rooms on the R and L, and a 3rd portcullis slot. The gatehouses have, in the lower storey, 2 simple unheated rooms. The first-floor hall has pointed rere arches, moulded C14 corbels and plain corbel table supporting the roof, a lateral fireplace formerly with corbelled hood, and a similar fireplace in the E wall (suggesting that the hall was partitioned) of which the dressings are mostly missing. Rooms on the N side of the hall are faceted in each gatehouse, with fireplaces and window seats in both middle and upper storeys. Stair turrets have newels stairs, the upper portion of which is renewed in concrete on the W side.
The Chapel tower has a pointed rubble-stone tunnel vault in the lower storey. In the middle storey is a pointed doorway with 2 orders of hollow moulding, leading to the chapel. Above are 2 corbelled round projections in the wall walk. The chapel doorway opens to a small tunnel-vaulted lobby. Entrance to the chapel itself is through double cusped doorways, which form part of a blind arcade of cusped arches with trefoiled spandrels, 3 per bay, to the 2-bay chapel. The chapel has a polygonal apse and rib vault on polygonal wall shafts. The W side, which incorporates the entrance, also has small lancet openings within the arcading that look out to the mural passage. Windows are set high, above the arcading. The W bay has blind windows, into which small windows were built that allowed proceedings to be viewed from small chambers contained within the wall on the N and S sides of the chapel, reached from the mural passage and provided with benches.
The SW, NW, NE, SE and the Middle tower are built to a standard form, with round lower-storey rooms, octagonal above. They incorporate newel stairs, of which the NW has mostly collapsed, and the SW is rebuilt in concrete at the upper level. The lower storey, which has a floor level lower than the passage from the inner ward, was possibly used as a prison and has a single inclined vent but no windows. Upper floors were supported on diaphragm arches, which have survived supporting the middle storeys of the Middle and SE towers, whereas the SW and NE towers retain only the springers of former arches, and the NE tower has a diaphragm arch supporting the upper storey. In the middle storey of each tower is the remains of a fireplace with corbelled hood.
Each section of curtain wall contains a central latrine shaft, with mural passages at first-floor level incorporating back-to-back garderobes. The N and S walls also have short mural passages in the lower storey to single garderobes in each section of wall. Mural passages have corbelled roofs. The S side is different as it has tunnel-vaulted lobbies adjacent to the towers, between which are short sections of corbelled passage with garderobes. The wall walk also incorporates back-to-back latrines, in this case reached down stone steps.
There is evidence of buildings within the inner ward. Footings survive of a building constructed against the E end of the N wall. In the curtain wall are 2 fireplaces, formerly with corbelled hoods, to a first-floor hall. On the S side of the chapel tower is the stub wall of a larger building. On the N side of the W curtain wall are the moulded jambs of a former kitchen fireplace, and adjacent to it against the N wall is the base of a bake oven. On the E side of the S curtain wall the wall is plastered to 2-storey height.
Reasons for Listing
Listed grade I as one of the outstanding Edwardian medieval castles of Wales.
Scheduled Ancient Monument AN001
World Heritage Site
corridor - South-West Tower to North-West Tower. While here I also went up to the top of the walls for the Inner Wall Walk.
The Middle Tower.
Much of the world has similar, but distinctively different, signs for road crossings. So, I want to build a collection of them.
I currently have the following taken by myself:
France + France (2),
Hungary + Hungary (2) + Hungary (3),
Kosovo + Kosovo (2),
Plus some unofficial variations:
I also know of the following others on Flickr:
Help me find a complete set. Please comment or message me if you know of others!
A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name snail is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have a coiled shell that is large enough for the animal to retract completely into. When the word "snail" is used in this most general sense, it includes not just land snails but also numerous species of sea snails and freshwater snails. Gastropods that naturally lack a shell, or have only an internal shell, are mostly called slugs, and land snails that have only a very small shell (that they cannot retract into) are often called semi-slugs.
Snails have considerable human relevance, including as food items, as pests, as vectors of disease, and their shells are used as decorative objects and are incorporated into jewelry. The snail has also had some cultural significance, and has been used as a metaphor.
OVERVIEW
Snails that respire using a lung belong to the group Pulmonata. As traditionally defined, the Pulmonata were found to be polyphyletic in a molecular study per Jörger et al., dating from 2010. But snails with gills also form a polyphyletic group; in other words, snails with lungs and snails with gills form a number of taxonomic groups that are not necessarily more closely related to each other than they are related to some other groups.
Both snails that have lungs and snails that have gills have diversified so widely over geological time that a few species with gills can be found on land and numerous species with lungs can be found in freshwater. Even a few marine species have lungs.
Snails can be found in a very wide range of environments, including ditches, deserts, and the abyssal depths of the sea. Although land snails may be more familiar to laymen, marine snails constitute the majority of snail species, and have much greater diversity and a greater biomass. Numerous kinds of snail can also be found in fresh water.
Most snails have thousands of microscopic tooth-like structures located on a banded ribbon-like tongue called a radula. The radula works like a file, ripping food into small pieces. Many snails are herbivorous, eating plants or rasping algae from surfaces with their radulae, though a few land species and many marine species are omnivores or predatory carnivores. Snails cannot absorb colored pigments when eating paper or cardboard so their feces are also colored.
Several species of the genus Achatina and related genera are known as giant African land snails; some grow to 38 cm from snout to tail, and weigh 1 kg). The largest living species of sea snail is Syrinx aruanus; its shell can measure up to 90 cm in length, and the whole animal with the shell can weigh up to 18 kg.
The snail Lymnaea makes decisions by using only two types of neurons: one deciding whether the snail is hungry, and the other deciding whether there is food in the vicinity.
The largest known land gastropod is the African giant snail Achatina achatina, the largest recorded specimen of which measured 39.3 centimetres from snout to tail when fully extended, with a shell length of 27.3 cm in December 1978. It weighed exactly 900 g. Named Gee Geronimo, this snail was owned by Christopher Hudson (1955–79) of Hove, East Sussex, UK, and was collected in Sierra Leone in June 1976.
TYPES OF SNAILS BY HABITAT
SLUGS
Gastropods that lack a conspicuous shell are commonly called slugs rather than snails. Some species of slug have a red shell, some have only an internal vestige that serves mainly as a calcium repository, and others have no shell at all. Other than that there is little morphological difference between slugs and snails. There are however important differences in habitats and behavior.
A shell-less animal is much more maneuverable and compressible, so even quite large land slugs can take advantage of habitats or retreats with very little space, retreats that would be inaccessible to a similar-sized snail. Slugs squeeze themselves into confined spaces such as under loose bark on trees or under stone slabs, logs or wooden boards lying on the ground. In such retreats they are in less danger from either predators or desiccation, and often those also are suitable places for laying their eggs.
Slugs as a group are far from monophyletic; biologically speaking "slug" is a term of convenience with little taxonomic significance. The reduction or loss of the shell has evolved many times independently within several very different lineages of gastropods. The various taxa of land and sea gastropods with slug morphology occur within numerous higher taxonomic groups of shelled species; such independent slug taxa are not in general closely related to one another.
HUMAN RELEVANCE
Land snails are known as an agricultural and garden pest but some species are an edible delicacy and occasionally household pets.
IN AGRICULTURE
There are a variety of snail-control measures that gardeners and farmers use in an attempt to reduce damage to valuable plants. Traditional pesticides are still used, as are many less toxic control options such as concentrated garlic or wormwood solutions. Copper metal is also a snail repellent, and thus a copper band around the trunk of a tree will prevent snails from climbing up and reaching the foliage and fruit. A layer of a dry, finely ground, and scratchy substance such as diatomaceous earth can also deter snails.
The decollate snail (Rumina decollata) will capture and eat garden snails, and because of this it has sometimes been introduced as a biological pest control agent. However, this is not without problems, as the decollate snail is just as likely to attack and devour other gastropods that may represent a valuable part of the native fauna of the region.
AS FOOD
In French cuisine, edible snails are served for instance in Escargot à la Bourguignonne. The practice of rearing snails for food is known as heliciculture. For purposes of cultivation, the snails are kept in a dark place in a wired cage with dry straw or dry wood. Coppiced wine-grape vines are often used for this purpose. During the rainy period, the snails come out of hibernation and release most of their mucus onto the dry wood/straw. The snails are then prepared for cooking. Their texture when cooked is slightly chewy.
As well as being relished as gourmet food, several species of land snails provide an easily harvested source of protein to many people in poor communities around the world. Many land snails are valuable because they can feed on a wide range of agricultural wastes, such as shed leaves in banana plantations. In some countries, giant African land snails are produced commercially for food.
Land snails, freshwater snails and sea snails are all eaten in a number of countries (principally Spain, Philippines, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroon, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, Belgium, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Cyprus, Ghana, Malta, Terai of Nepal, China, Northeast India states such as Manipur, Tripura and parts of the United States). In certain parts of the world, snails are fried. For example, in Indonesia, they are fried as satay, a dish known as sate kakul. The eggs of certain snail species are eaten in a fashion similar to the way caviar is eaten.
In Bulgaria, snails are traditionally cooked in an oven with rice or fried in a pan with vegetable oil and red paprika powder. Before they are used for those dishes, however, they are thoroughly boiled in hot water (for up to 90 minutes) and manually extracted from their shells. The two species most commonly used for food in the country are Helix lucorum and Helix pomatia.
FAMINE FOOD
Snails and slug species that are not normally eaten in certain areas have occasionally been used as famine food in historical times. A history of Scotland written in the 1800s recounts a description of various snails and their use as food items in times of plague.
COSMETIC
Skin creams derived from Helix aspersa snails are sold for use on wrinkles, scars, dry skin, and acne. A research study suggested that secretions produced under stress by Helix aspersa might facilitate regeneration of wounded tissue.
Cultural depictions
SYMBOLISM
Because of its slowness, the snail has traditionally been seen as a symbol of laziness. In Christian culture, it has been used as a symbol of the deadly sin of sloth. Psalms 58:8 uses snail slime as a metaphorical punishment. In Mayan mythology, the snail is associated with sexual desire, being personified by the god Uayeb.
DIVINATION AND OTHER RELIGIOUS USES
Snails were widely noted and used in divination. The Greek poet Hesiod wrote that snails signified the time to harvest by climbing the stalks, while the Aztec moon god Tecciztecatl bore a snail shell on his back. This symbolised rebirth; the snail's penchant for appearing and disappearing was analogised with the moon.
LOVE DARTS AND CUPID
Professor Ronald Chase of McGill University in Montreal has suggested the ancient myth of Cupid's arrows might be based on early observations of the love dart behavior of the land snail species Helix aspersa.
In contemporary speech, the expression "a snail's pace" is often used to describe a slow, inefficient process. The phrase "snail mail" is used to mean regular postal service delivery of paper messages as opposed to the delivery of email, which can be virtually instantaneous.
IN INDONESIAN MYTHOLOGY
DEWI SEKARTAJI AS KEONG EMAS
Keong Emas (Javanese and Indonesian for Golden Snail) is a popular Javanese folklore about a princess magically transformed and contained in a golden snail shell. The folklore is a part of popular Javanese Panji cycle telling the stories about the prince Panji Asmoro Bangun (also known as Raden Inu Kertapati) and his consort, princess Dewi Sekartaji (also known as Dewi Chandra Kirana).
TEXTILES
Certain varieties of snails, notably the family Muricidae, produce a secretion that is a color-fast natural dye. The ancient Tyrian purple was made in this way as were other purple and blue dyes. The extreme expense of extracting this secretion is sufficient quantities limited its use to the very wealthy. It is such dyes as these that led to certain shades of purple and blue being associated with royalty and wealth.
WIKIPEDIA
This is me. No make up, no jewelry, no flashy clothes just me. This is who I am and who I will always be. I'm pretty plain. But no one ever said plain was a bad thing. I like to pretend I am the girl next door always your best friend but never your love. I'm quiet, but I speak when there is something worth saying. I am who I am and I'm pretty content.
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Also thank you hannah.elizabeth for your super nice testimonial. I rarely get them so I get giddy when I do.
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Get to know me
Read: www.blogger.com/home
Ask Anything: www.formspring.me/meetelizabeth
Title: Beauty Blocks the Train - But it is All Part of an Official Ceremony
Creator: Pacific & Atlantic Photos, Inc.
Date: April 22, 1925
Part of: U.S. West: Photographs, Manuscripts, and Imprints
Series: Union Pacific Railroad
Place: Boise, Idaho
Description: A group of flower girls stopping the first train of the new Union Pacific main line in Boise, Idaho.
Physical Description: 1 photographic print: gelatin silver; 20 x 25 cm
File: ag1982_0064_11_r_opt.jpg
Rights: Please cite DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University when using this file. A high-resolution version of this file may be obtained for a fee. For details see the sites.smu.edu/cul/degolyer/research/permissions/ web page. For other information, contact degolyer@smu.edu.
For more Information, see: digitalcollections.smu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/wes/...
We found some amazing things inside the shop, but as much as I was amazed by the objects left behind, I was also in awe of the amazing amounts of storage space the shop had. This truly was a guy's dream shop before it was abandoned!
This is a video I took of the inside of the shop, no we did not ruin or take anything we simply looked around:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa61eqX_RbE
I hope everyone who sees this photo can think of this as more than just a room full of "junk". These things used to belong to the Borntrager family, Glenn, Esther and Floyd--just a few names of people who have been in this house (their history is below).
Here are two videos I took (in June and April respectively) of the homestead. They can give you a better feeling for this wonderful place:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibDcmhZEmiI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJZ5H-p66XY
If you would like to see more photos of this amazing place, check out the set I took in April! Look out for the photos I took of the old letters--they are interesting!
www.flickr.com/photos/openspacesprairieplaces/sets/721576...
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I've decided to post photos of the Borntrager homestead. It's not spooky, but it is haunting. This farm house (and outbuildings) are full of things left behind by the family who last lived there-the Borntragers. From all that I have found they were very spiritual people--Mennonites and from exploring their home I feel that I have also gotten to know the people who used to live there. This homestead is very near and dear to my heart and it was hard for me to return and see it all again but I feel that this place deserves to be remembered somehow. Please enjoy the photos I'll be posting in the coming weeks of the Borntrager homestead and keep in mind that everything left behind belonged to a family who hopefully enjoyed living their life on their beautiful eastern Montana farm.
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The Borntrager Homestead is my favorite abandoned homestead I have ever happened upon. I feel that in my short time exploring the property I got to know the family. I learned some of their names, saw their abandoned belongings and read their handwritten letters left behind. Even though I haven't visited the homestead for awhile now, I think of it often, wishing I could save it and everything left behind in it. It's a peaceful home, not creepy at all, formerly owned by a Mennonite family.
I always respect the homesteads I explore. This one did not have a no trespassing sign. I did not take or ruin anything, I simply took pictures to remember this place by long after it is gone.
Here is a history of the people who lived in the home.
Esther Kauffman died Feb. 12, 2006, at Brendan House in Kalispell, Mont. She was born Feb. 13, 1920, to Glen Joseph and Cora May (Chupp) Borntrager in rural Dawson County near Bloomfield.
She was baptized upon confession of faith at Red Top Mennonite Church in 1933, and on Nov. 8, 1946, was received into membership at Mountain View Mennonite Church, Creston, where she remained a lifelong member.
She was a 1940 graduate of Dawson County High School. As a young woman she lived a year in Oregon, where she worked at various jobs, mainly as a housekeeper or maid.
On May 31, 1943, she married Paul S. Kauffman at Red Top Mennonite Church, Bloomfield. They lived in the Bloomfield area, and in Glendive, in the first years of their marriage, where she worked variously in a laundry and taught school for most of a year.
In 1946 she moved to Creston with her husband. As the mother of seven children her life was full of homemaking, and her assistance as go-getter, bookkeeper and general helper in both logging and farming were indispensable.
Her sweet Christian spirit, her depth of spirituality and her commitment to Christ were appreciated. She was a good musician. The alto section in church choral groups leaned on her accuracy, and for a number of years she enjoyed singing in the Sweet Adelines.
Survivors include her husband, Paul S. Kauffman; three sons, Daniel D. Kauffman and his wife, Debbie, Kenneth G. Kauffman and his wife, Frieda, and Stephen G. Kauffman and his wife, Ginger, all of Kalispell; three daughters, E. Elaine Kauffman of Mountain Lake, Minn., Brenda M. Younger and her husband, Steven, of Stratton, Colo., and Alice L. Arneson and her husband, Richard, of Bothell, Wash.; a brother, Mahlon Borntrager of Glendive; two sisters-in-law, Effie Borntrager of Glendive and Violetta Borntrager of Mobile, Ala.; 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by three daughters, Eileen, Arlene and Rebecca Ann; two sisters, Lillie Greiman and Lena Boese; and three brothers, Floyd Borntrager, Elmer Borntrager and Oscar Borntrager.
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Glen was born on February 27, 1886 and passed away in April 1968.
Glen was last known to be living in Bloomfield, Montana.
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Kauffman, Esther Borntrager, 85, of Kalispell, MT died February 12, 2006 at Kalispell, Flathead Co., MT of heart failure. She was born February 13, 1920 at Bloomfield, Dawson Co., MT to Glen Joseph & Cora May (Chupp) Borntrager.
Cora May (Chupp) Borntrager was born May 31, 1891 and died September 25, 1982.
Glen Joseph Borntrager was born February 27, 1886 and died April 14, 1968.
On May 31, 1943 Esther was married to Paul S. Kauffman, who survives.
Surviving are children, E. Elaine Kauffman; Daniel D Kauffman (Debbie); Kenneth G Kauffman (Frieda); Stephen G Kauffman (Ginger); Brenda M Younger (Steven); Alice L Arneson (Richard), 14 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
Three daughters are deceased: Eileen; Arlene; and Rebecca Ann.
Also surviving is a brother, Mahlon Borntrager. She was predeceased by siblings: Floyd Borntrager; Elmer Borntrager; Lena Boese; Lillie Greiman; and Oscar Borntrager.
The funeral was held February 17, 2006 at Mountain View Mennonite Church, Kalispell, MT with burial in the Fairview Cemetery, Kalispell, Flathead Co., MT.
She was a member of Mennonite Church USA.
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Borntrager, Glen Joseph, son of Joseph J. and Barbara (Moyer) Borntrager, was born at Harper, Kan., Feb. 27, 1886; died at Bloomfield, Mont., Apr. 13, 1968; aged 82 y. 1 m. 17 d. On Dec. 3, 1907, he was married to Cora May Chupp, who survives. Also surviving are 4 sons (Floyd, Elmer, Mahlon, and Oscar), 3 daughter (Lillie-Mrs. Loyd Greiman, Lena-Mrs. Alfred Boese, and Esther-Mrs. Paul Kauffman), 30 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. He was the last survivor of his family. Five grandchildren also preceded him in death. He was a member of the Red Top Church, where funeral services were held Apr. 17, with Jonas Beachy and Floyd Kauffman officiating.
But do I really want my alarm clock to be smarter than me in the morning?
Source: National Geographic, December 1979
I went to a market on Sunday. We had been for a long drive along the coastline and the temperature had soared. Mid Summer madness. The sun was scorching, but the market was on the top of a grassy cliff and the cool winds gusted in over the sea.
We bought a couple of samoosas and shared a coke as we strolled around looking at the clothes and the second hand books.
At the back of the market, in the corner, was a stall run by an antique dealer, an English woman in her 50s. She had a few display boxes of jewellery, mostly brooches from the 1940s and 1950s. There were several that I liked, but one caught my eye, a large blue one in the shape of grapes and leaves. I asked the lady to open the display case and she took it out carefully, cooing "Oh, this one is such a little darling, isn't it". As she picked it up from amidst the clutter of sparkles, I realised that it was not a brooch after all, but a necklace, chunky, heavy, quirky, and very hand made. It was lovely. "It has all the original stones" she added "1940s, I'd say". I had never seen anything like it. I asked how much it was, and it was a good price ... I had just enough in my wallet. "Hmmm" I mused, and looking up at me she edged "I'll take another $5 off the price if you buy it today ... ". I asked her to put it back in the display case while I thought about it, but my mind was already made up.
I looked at the other jewellery and we talked about several pieces, how they were made, and how interesting the designs were.
The wind was blowing the tablecloth up and creating havoc, and then the ladies dog began barking at the flapping tablecloth ... it was all starting to become a bit chaotic, so I called out to her "I'll take it", indicating the blue necklace with my pointed finger. She battled the wind, opening the display case and then wrapped the necklace in a tissue for me to slip into my pocket.
And so the blue necklace became mine.
It's lovely, don't you think?
I wonder what sort of woman owned the necklace before me.
And I wonder how she felt about it.
The necklace doesn't look like the sort of thing a man would give as a gift, ... no, she would have chosen it herself.
I wonder if she had a special dress that she wore with it.
I shall never know.
33 Postcards Movie Premiere At Randwick Ritz Sydney, by Eva Rinaldi
Tonight saw 33 Postcards enjoy its premiere at the Randwick Ritz, in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
The night was not only a movie premiere but also an event somewhat designed to raise awareness and funds for educational and arts programs, tied into the film.
33 Postcards enjoyed strong media support by popular radio station 2UE and benefiting Sydney Children’s Choir and their Bursary Program, giving disadvantaged kids musical and educational opportunities that would have otherwise likely been out of their grasp.
The acclaimed cast and crew of 33 Postcards enjoyed drinks and bites with their fan base, insiders, and entertainment media, and also lapped up performances from the Sydney Children’s Choir and Chinese Lion Dancers.
Then it was time for the Australian theatrical premiere of the flick.
The film was shot in both China and Sydney, Australia in 2010. It's the story of Chinese orphan Mei Mei (Zhu Lin) who for a decade of dreams about embracing her Australian sponsor Dean Randall (Guy Pearce). It's not until she reaches 16 years of age, when her orphanage travels down under to Australia to attend a Choir Festival, Mei Mei takes the opportunity to look him up. What she finds however is a far cry from the idyllic life he depicted in his postcards. Initially mismatched, together they begin a journey in search of belonging, family, redemption, love and acceptance. It's trial, tribulation, and living to fight and survive another day.
Dean is actually a convict in prison for manslaughter, so you can imagine the issues that brings on.
33 postcards won the Community Relations Commission Award at Sydney Film Festival and Victor Dominello MP NSW Minister aptly stated "33 Postcards, inspired by real life stories, explores how two individuals come together despite two different cultures, ages and unexpected circumstances." This evocative film portrays sensitively how people of vastly different cultural backgrounds can interact effectively in our society."
This is an unique and touching story that is rarely told about the relationship that some Aussies have with Chinese Orphans.
It's not quite for everyone, but if you like a story of survival, beating the odds and the world coming together as one sort of thing, this is likely for you.
Well done to everyone involved in making the event a success.
Stars:
Guy Pearce, Zhu Lin, Claudia Karvan, and Lincoln Lewis
Produced by: Australia-China co-production
Websites
33 Postcards
www33postcardsthemovie.com
Randwick Ritz
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography
Eva Rinaldi Photography
Music News Australia
Vaslav Nijinsky was expected to create choreography for and assume the leading role in "The Legend of Joseph," but he was fired in 1913. Diaghilev then turned to Michel Fokine to create the choreography. Leonide Massine was Diaghilev's new protege and Nijinsky's successor, but he didn't hold a candle to Nijinsky as a dancer. So, Massine let his stage presence and acting ability make up for the lack of dancing technique.
Famed opera singer Maria Kuznetsova participated in, and helped to finance, Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in London and Paris on the eve of World War I. With the help of her friend, the artist and designer Léon Bakst, Kuznetsova won the role of Potiphar's wife in Richard Strauss's ballet “La Légende de Joseph” in 1914. It was produced by Diaghilev, composed and conducted by Strauss, choreographed by Michel Fokine, and designed by Leon Bakst, Alexandre Benois and José Maria Sert, while the lead was danced by Léonide Massine.
It was an important role, and Kuznetsova was certainly in good company, but they were held to a punishing schedule with little time to rehearse. To make matters worse, Strauss was in a foul mood because his lover, Ida Rubinstein, who was to have danced Lydia Sokolova's role, had abruptly abandoned the project. Furthermore, Strauss abhorred working with French musicians, and was constantly at daggers drawn with the orchestra. Diaghilev, meanwhile, had not yet recovered from Vaslav Nijinsky's departure the previous year from the Ballets Russes. Nijinsky had choreographed and created the title role – replaced after his marriage and fall from grace by Fokine and Massine.
Despite the problems backstage and an outraged British press, who found the work obscene, the ballet successfully debuted in both London and Paris that spring. The initial run lasted seven performances. This was shortly followed by a further seven in London conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, who had loaned the money for the commission to Diaghilev. With the looming war, Strauss never received his fee of 6,000 francs. In 1947 Strauss prepared a Symphonic Fragment from The Legend of Joseph, for reduced orchestra. This was premiered in March 1949 in Cincinnati under Fritz Reiner.
The ballet is based on the biblical story of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers. Of all the brothers, Joseph was loved the most and given a long coat of many colors by his father. Jealousy led the brothers to sell Joseph to serve Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Joseph found favor with Potiphar and prospered in everything he did, eventually becoming overseer of Potiphar’s entire household. Potiphar’s wife began to desire Joseph and sought to have an affair with him. He refused but she persisted and, after some days of begging for him, she made a false claim against him by charging that he tried to rape her. This resulted in Joseph’s imprisonment. [Based on Information in Wikipedia]
Different ballet companies offer portions of Strauss’ “Legend of Joseph” in the following Youtube videos:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6Axre3KPP8
But a later front Grafted on to P&D Yorks 2002 Bova Futura T10PDY a C70F example seen next to me at Drayton Manor. Photo taken 18/07/18
since she got her selfie stick...and voice control...it's been difficult to get her attention for my DSLR.
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From Open Doors:
Trees were not plentiful in Israel and most grew by sources of water like an oasis or a stream. Jeremiah’s simile indicates a person with confidence in the Lord is like a deep-rooted tree by the stream that bears fruit faithfully year after year in all kinds of weather.
The most remarkable report I’ve heard from China is about a Christian lady in prison during the “anti-spiritual pollution campaign” in the mid-eighties. She spent her time in prison hand carving Scripture verses in miniature lettering with a sharpened end of a toothbrush on the walls and even on the frame of the cot in her cell. Years later she actually met another person who subsequently spent time in the same cell and came to Christ through reading those verses over and over.
One year when visiting Christians in the north of China, I asked the whereabouts of Aunty Mei Bo. This short octogenarian medical doctor, I was told, she was away on a missions outreach in spiritually needy Tibet. The next summer she was home and very anxious to hear of our group’s experience in Tibet—the rooftop of the world—since she was planning another mission trip there soon. She concluded, “Jesus is saying, ‘Hurry up and get the job done so I can come back again!’”
Aunty Mei Bo often stored Bibles from foreign couriers in her home where she lived alone. One day the Public Security Police raided her home and confiscated all the Christian materials they found. Later in the day she found a JESUS video they had missed. So off to the police station she headed with the video.
The young lady at the desk looked askance in her direction. “I want to talk to the Chief of Police!” Mei Bo demanded firmly. “Today his men were at my house and they did not see this,” she said waving the video tape in the air. The receptionist ushered Mei Bo into the police chief’s office. He acted oblivious to her arrival yet grunted a question of intent.
“Sir,” Mei Bo began slowly. “Earlier today your men raided my house and took all the Bibles I had stored there. I understand that they were just doing their job. But after they left, I noticed that they missed this video tape. I need to know from you if this is acceptable material or not. Would you and your staff check it for me?”
“Very well, come back in two weeks,” he muttered dismissing her with a wave of the hand. Mei Bo almost skipped out the door with overflowing joy as she headed toward home. “Thank you Lord! How else could I get the Beijing chief of police with his staff to watch the JESUS video?”
Aunty Mei Bo led many to the Lord all through her long life and spent her time in discipling them. She never failed to bear fruit.
What took me so long? I´ve been living in Portland for over 40 years, but it wasn´t until yesterday that I crossed the threshold of Portland´s historic Norse Hall.
We went there to see this year´s Lucia Festival. While I was there, I took a few photos.
About Lucia Day
Saint Lucy's Day, also called Lucia Day or the feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day observed on 13 December, commemorating Lucia of Syracuse, an early-4th-century martyr under the Diocletianic Persecution,[1] who according to legend brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs, wearing a candlelit wreath on her head to light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible.[2][3] Her feast day, which coincided with the shortest day of the year prior to calendar reforms, is widely celebrated as a festival of light.[4][5] Falling within the Advent season, Saint Lucy's Day is viewed as a precursor of Christmastide, pointing to the arrival of the Light of Christ in the calendar on Christmas Day.[1][6]
Saint Lucy's Day is celebrated most widely in Scandinavia and in Italy, with each emphasising a different aspect of her story.[2] In Scandinavia, where Lucy is called Santa Lucia in Norwegian and Danish and Sankta Lucia in Swedish, she is represented as a lady in a white dress symbolizing a baptismal robe and a red sash symbolizing the blood of her martyrdom, with a crown or wreath of candles on her head.[7]
In Norway, Sweden and Swedish-speaking regions of Finland, as songs are sung, girls dressed as Saint Lucy carry cookies and saffron buns in procession, which symbolizes bringing the Light of Christ into the world's darkness.[7][8] In both Protestant and Catholic churches, boys participate in the procession as well, playing different roles associated with Christmastide, such as that of Saint Stephen. The celebration of Saint Lucy's Day is said to help one live the winter days with enough light.[7]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy%27s_Day
About the Norse Hall:
SONS OF NORWAY GRIEG LODGE 2-15 – BRIDGING GENERATIONS SINCE 1910
Grieg Lodge is the Portland chapter of International Sons of Norway. From our very beginning in 1910, Grieg Lodge has been all about service, fraternity and celebrating Norwegian and Nordic culture (old and new!) Whether your family has been here for five generations or five weeks – or you just think Norway rocks – Grieg Lodge is the place to get in touch with your “inner Scandinavian.” Based at Norse Hall, our home since 1928, we are an all-ages, all-volunteer, non-profit fraternal organization dedicated to community service and social, cultural, educational and humanitarian pursuits. Norwegian heritage is not required to join Grieg Lodge. Our community bonds are based on our mission of service, fraternity and an interest or background in Norwegian or Nordic culture. Click here for more information…
PORTLAND’S HISTORIC NORSE HALL – HOME TO MEMORIES & DREAMS SINCE 1928
Norse Hall was built and dedicated in 1928 by Norwegian immigrants, members of Grieg Lodge, and has served the Lodge and the community as a home and cultural center ever since. Located just across the Willamette River from the city’s downtown core in the vibrant Lower East Burnside neighborhood, Norse Hall is among the last remaining original ‘ethnic halls’ in Portland. It features one of the finest ballrooms in town, a large stage, two dining rooms and kitchens, spacious meeting room, beautiful library, Nordic arts showcase and comfortable lounge. The building was designed by well-known Portland architect Elmer Feig, and covers a quarter of a city block at 111 N.E. 11th & Couch Street. It is available for use by the community on a private basis.
But it is for a good cause!
The auction item was a piece of the duct tape bridge built in the most recent season of Mythbusters. It sold for over $700.
I have always thought that Elmstone was the only Kent church without dedication to a Saint/King or Martyr, but it seems East Farleigh has has St Mary foisted upon it.
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Many churches that one spends years trying to see inside of, turn out to be disappointments.
But not so of the Farleighs, East and West.
With West being open and being a delight, what then of East, hidden as it is behind the village hall and old schoolhouse?
I went down the alleyway, round the corner and through the gate and saw that the porch was open, and in the inner door was too.
Again, I was greeted warmly, and once inside I saw a large and impressive church that stay almost hidden from the road above it.
I have always arrived at East Farleigh from West Farleigh, meaning that I arrive at the car park, and then go through the narrow passage way between the old school and village hall.
But looking on GSV, there are fine views from the crossroads opposite the Bull Inn, through the lych gave and down the sunken path to the church.
I am usually speeding away to my next destination at this point, so don't look in my rear view mirror.
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Who would have thought that 150 years ago the picturesque church perched high above the River Medway was the scene of fierce dissent over ritualistic practices? The church was one of the first in the country to have a robed choir. The sunken path from the south shows how much the ground level has risen over the centuries and leads to a porch with a fine parvise. Although the church has been rather heavily restored it contains much of interest. Of special note is the Tudor font cover which sits on a fourteenth century font. The chancel and south chapel were both embellished by the firm of Powell's and much glass and wall decoration is by them. They created a rich focus for Eucharistic worship as a contrast to the rather plain nave and aisles. The south chancel window, with WW1 scenes is a fine example of their work.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=East+Farleigh
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EAST FARLEIGH.
NORTH-WESTWARD from Linton, on the opposite side of Cocks-heath, and on the southern bank of the river Medway lies the parish of East Farleigh, so called to distinguish it from the adjoining parish of West Farleigh, in Twyford hundred. It is called by Leland, in his Itinerary, Great Farleigh.
In the record of Domesday it is written Ferlaga, and in the Textus Roffensis, FEARNLEGA, and most probably took its name, as well as the parish of West Farleigh, from the passage over the river Medway at one or both of these places, fare in Saxon signifying a journey or passage, and lega, a place, i. e. the place of the way or passage.
THE PARISH of East Farleigh is situated about two miles from Maidstone, it lies on high ground, the soil a loam, covering but very slightly a bed of quarry stone. It is exceeding fertile, especially for fruit trees and the hop-plant, of which, especially about the village, there are many plantations. Its extent is about two miles each way; the river Medway is its northern boundary, over which here is an old gothic stone bridge of five arches, which is repaired at the county charge. The tide, in memory of some now living, flowed up as high as this bridge, but since the locks have been erected on this river to promote the navi gation, it has stopped from flowing higher than that just above Maidstone bridge. From the river the ground rises suddenly and steep southward, forming a beautiful combination of objects to the sight, having the village and church on the height, intersected with large spreading oaks and plantations of fruit, and the luxuriant hop, whilst the river Medway gliding its silver stream below, reflects the varied landscape. The village, through which the road leads from Tovill to West Farleigh, stands on the knole of the hill, about a quarter of a mile from the river, having the church and vicarage in it; eastward lies the hamlet of Danestreet, and further on Pimpes-court, at the extremity of this parish next to Loose, in which part of the lands belonging to it lie. At a small distance westward of the village of East Farleigh, is a genteel house, formerly belonging to a family of the name of Darby, some of whom are mentioned in the parish register as inhabitants of it, as far back as the year 1653. Mr. John Darby, the last of them, died in 1755, and by will gave this house to his widow, (Mary, daughter of Captain Elmstone, of Egerton) who re-married Mr. James Drury, of Maidstone, by whom she had one daughter, Mary. Since his death in 1764, she again became possessed of it, and resides in it; from hence the ground keeps still rising southward to Cocksheath, between which and the village is the manor of Gallants, part of the heath is within this parish, which reaches within a quarter of a mile of the house called Boughton Cock, part of Loose parish intervening, and separating the eastern extremity of it entirely from the rest. In this part of the parish are some quarries of Kentish rag stone, commonly called the Boughton quarries, from their lying mostly in that parish, and on the banks of the Medway there are more of the same fort, wholly in this of Farleigh.
A younger branch of the clerks of Ford, in Wrotham, resided here in the reigns of queen Elizabeth and king James I. as appears by the parish register. Dr. Plot mentions in his natural history of Oxfordshire, some large teeth having been dug up here, one of which was seven inches round, and weighed five ounces and an eighth, but I can gain no further information of them.
THIS PLACE was given by queen Ediva, or as she is called by some Edgiva, the mother of king Edmund and Eadred, in the year 961, to Christ-church, in Canterbury, free from all secular service, excepting the repairing of bridges, and the building of castles; (fn. 1) and it continued in the possession of that church at the time of the taking the general survey of Domesday, in the year 1080, being the 15th of the Conqueror's reign, in which it is thus described, under the general title of Terra Monachorum Archiepi, or lands of Christ-church, in Canterbury.
The archbishop himself holds Ferlaga. It was taxed at six sulings. The arable land is 26 carucates. In demesne there are four, and 35 villeins, with 56 borderers, having 30 carucates. There is a church and three mills of twenty-seven shillings and eight pence. There are 8 servants, and 6 fisheries, of one thousand two hundred eels. There are 12 acres of pasture. Wood for the pannage of 115 hogs.
Of the land of this manor Godefrid held in fee half a suling, and has there two carucates, and seven villeins with 10 borderers having three carucates, and four servants, and one mill of twenty pence, and four acres of meadow, and wood for the pannage of 30 hogs.
The whole manor, in the time of king Edward the Confessor was worth sixteen pounds, and afterwards as much, and now twenty-two pounds. What Abel now holds is worth six pounds, what Godefrid nine pounds, what Richard in his lowy, four pounds.
In the time of king Edward I. the manor of East Farleigh, together with the estate belonging to Christchurch, in the neighbouring parish of Hunton, was valued at forty-two pounds per annum.
King Edward II. in his 10th year, confirmed to the prior of Christ-church free warren, in all the demesne lands which he possessed here in the time of his grandfather, or at any time since. (fn. 2) This manor continued part of the possessions of the priory, till its dissolution in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. when it was surrendered into the king's hands, who that year granted it, among other premises, to Sir Thomas Wyatt, and his heirs male, to hold in capite by knight's service, but his son, Sir Thomas Wyatt, having raised a rebellion in the 1st year of queen Mary was attainted, and his estates became forfeited to the crown, and were together with the reversion of them, assured to the queen and her heirs, by an act passed for that purpose. After which, though the queen made a grant of the scite and capital messuage of this manor, to Sir John Baker, as will be further mentioned hereafter, yet the manor itself continued in the crown, and remained so at the death of king Charles I. in 1648. After which the powers then in being, passed an ordinance to vest the royal estates in trustees, in order for sale, to supply the necessities of the state, when on a survey taken of this manor it appeared, that there were quit-rents due to the lord from freeholders, in free socage tenure in this parish, and within the townships of Linton and East Peckham, and from several dens in the Weald; that there were common fines from the borsholders of Stokenburie, in East Peckham, and of Badmonden, Stoberfield and Rocden, the produce of all which yearly, with the fines, profits, &c. of courts, coibus annis, amounted in the total to 56l. 7s. 7½d. That there was a court ba ron and court leet; that the freeholders paid a heriot on demise, or death of the best living thing of any such tenant, or in want of it, 3s. 4d. (fn. 3)
Soon after which this manor was sold by the state to colonel Robert Gibbon, with whom it continued till the restoration of king Charles II. when it again became part of the revenues of the crown.
The grant of it has been many years in the family of his Grace the duke of Leeds, who now holds it at the yearly fee farm rent of ten shillings.
BUT THE SCITE and capital messuage of the manor of East Farleigh, now called the COURT LODGE, with all the demesne lands of the manor, about two hundred acres, in East Farleigh and Linton, was granted, anno 1st and 2d Philip and Mary, to Sir John Baker, one of the queen's privy council, (fn. 4) to hold in capite by knights service. (fn. 5) He died in the 5th and 6th years of that reign, and by will devised it to his second son, Mr. John Baker, of London; whose son, Sir Richard Baker, the chronicler, about the latter end of queen Elizabeth's reign, alienated it to Sir Thomas Fane, of Burston, in Hunton; who died in 1606, without issue, and bequeathed this among the rest of his estates to Sir George Fane, second son of Sir Thomas Fane, of Badsell, by Mary his wife, baroness le Despenser; he was succeeded in 1640, by his eldest son, colonel Thomas Fane, of Burston, who in the reign of king Charles II. alienated it to Mr. John Amhurst, who then resided at the court lodge as tenant under him.
He was the grandson of Nicholas Amerst, for so he spelt his name, who was of East Farleigh, in 1616, to whom William Camden, clarencieux, in 1607, assigned this coat of arms, Gules, three tilting spears, two and one, erected in pale or, headed argent, who dying in 1692, was buried in this church, as were his several descendants. His eldest son, Nicholas Amherst, for so he wrote his name, became his heir, and resided as tenant at the Court lodge, and died in 1679.
John Amhurst, gent. his eldest son, resided at the Court lodge, which he afterwards purchased of Col. Fane above mentioned; he served the office of sheriff in 1699, and kept his shrievalty here; though married, he died in 1711, s. p. and by will gave this estate to his brother, captain Nicholas Amhurst, of Barnjet, who died in 1715.
He married Susannah Evering, by whom he had issue fifteen children; John, who resided at the Court lodge, and died in his life time, whose grandson, John Amhurst, esq. is now of Boxley abbey; and George, the second son, who was twice married, but left issue only by his second wife, Susan, the eldest of whose sons was John Amhurst, esq. late of Rochester. Nicholas, the next son, died in 1736, unmarried. Stephen, another of the sons, was of West Farleigh, and dying in 1760, was buried at West Farleigh, leaving three sons; John Amhurst, esq. now of Barnjet; Edward, who was of Barnjet, and died in 1762, aged 20, and was buried near his father; and Stephen Amhurst, esq. now of West Farleigh, and four daughters. Edward, another son, was of Barnjet, and died in 1756, without issue, and was buried at Barming.
Of the daughters, Susan married Edward Walsingham, of Callis court, in Ryarsh, who left by her two daughters; Susan, married to Sir Edw. Austen, bart. of Boxley abbey; and Mary, married to John Miller. Jane, married to James Allen, by whom she had two sons, James, now deceased; and William, devisees in the will of Sir Edward Austen; and a daughter, married to Nicholas Amhurst, father of John, of Boxley abbey.
George Amhurst, gent. above mentioned, the second but eldest surviving son of Nicholas, by Susan nah Evering, had the Court lodge by his father's will, who having neglected to cut off an entail of it, his three other sons, Nicholas, Stephen, and Edward, claimed their respective shares in it; the entire fee of which, after much dispute, partly by purchase, and partly by agreement, became vested in Edward Amhurst, gent. the youngest son, who died, s. p. in 1756, and devised it by will to his next elder brother, Stephen Amhurst, esq. gent. of West Farleigh; who, at his death, in 1760, gave it to his eldest son, John Amhurst, esq. now of Barnjet, the present possessor of the Court lodge, and the estate belonging to it.
The mansion of the court lodge is situated adjoining to the west side of the church yard; it has not been inhabited but by cottagers for many years; great part of it seems to have been pulled down, and the remains make but a very mean appearance.
GALLANT'S is a manor in this parish, which seems to have been in early times the estate of a branch of the eminent family of Colepeper, whose arms yet remain in the windows of this church, and in which there is an ancient arched tomb, under which one of them was buried.
By inquisition, taken after the death of Walter Colepeper, at Tunbridge, anno 1 Edward III. it was found that he held in gavelkind in fee, certain tenements in East Farleigh, of the prior of Christ church, by service, and making suit at the court of the prior of East Farleigh, that there were there one capital messuage, with lands, and rents in money and in hens, by which it appears to have been a manor, and that his sons, Thomas, Jeffry, and John, were his next heirs. The above premises seem very probably to have been what is now called the manor of Gallant's, which afterwards passed into the family of Roper, who held it for some length of time, this branch of them, who possessed this manor, being created by king James I. barons of Teynham, one of whom, John Roper, the third lord Teynham, died possessed of it in 1627, as appears by the inquisition then taken. His grandson, Christopher lord Teynham, gave it in marriage with his daughter Catharine, to Wm. Sheldon, esq. whose descendant, Richard Sheldon, esq. of Aldington, in Thurnham, gave it by will to his widow, who soon afterwards, in 1738, carried it in marriage to Wm. Jones, M. D. who died in 1780, leaving his two daughters his coheirs; Mary, married to Lock Rollinson, esq. of Oxfordshire, and Anne to Tho. Russel, esq. and they, in right of their wives, are at this time respectively entitled to this manor.
The manor house has an antient appearance, both within and without, the doors being arched, and as well as the windows, cased with ashlar stone, and much of the walls built with flint.
PIMPE'S-COURT is a manor and antient seat in this parish, the mansion of which is situated at the southern extremity of it next to Loose. It was formerly part of the possessions of the family of Pimpe, being one of the seats of their residence, whence it acquired their name in process of time, among other of their possessions in this neighbourhood and else where in this county. It appears to have been antiently held of the family of Clare, earls of Gloucester; of whom, as chief lords of the fee, it was again held by this eminent family of Pimpe, from whom though it acquired its name of Pimpe'scourt, yet their principal habitation seems to have been in the parish of Nettlested, not far distant. Rich. de Pimpe of Nettlested held it in the reigns of Edward I. and III. as did his descendant, Sir Philip de Pimpe, in the begining of that of Edward I. being at that time a man of great repute. His widow, Joane, married John de Coloigne, who together with her son, Thomas de Pimpe, paid aid for this manor in the 20th year of king Edward III. Philipott says, Margaret de Cobham, wife of Sir William de Pimpe, died in 1337, and was buried in this church. Her tomb is yet remaining, but the inscription, then visible, is gone. Wil liam, son of Thomas de Pimpe, of Nettlested, died in the time of his shrievalty, anno 49 Edward III. and his son, Reginald, who then resided here at East Farleigh, served out the remainder of the year. His descendant of the same name resided here at the time of his shrievalty, in the 10th year of king Henry IV. to whose son, John, two years afterwards, John de Fremingham, of Loose, gave by will his estate there and elsewhere, in this county, in tail mail, remainder to Roger Isle, as being of the nearest blood to him. His descendant, John Pimpe, esq. kept his shrievalty here in the 2d year of king Henry VII. whose only daughter and heir, Winifrid, carried this seat in marriage to Sir John Rainsford, who passed it away to Sir Henry Isley, who by the act of the 2d and 3d of king Edward VI. procured his lands in this county to be disgavelled.
Soon after which he seems to have settled this manor on his son, William Isley, esq. but being both concerned in the rebellion raised by Sir Thomas Wyatt, in the 1st year of queen Mary, they were then attainted, and Sir Henry was executed at Sevenoke, and the lands of both became forfeited to the crown; after which, queen Mary that year granted this manor, by the name of Lose, alias Pimpe's court, with its appurtenances, in Lose, East Farleigh, Linton, &c. to Sir John Baker, her attorney general, to hold in capite by knights service. (fn. 6) In his descendants the manor of Pimpe's court continued till Sir John Baker, bart, about of the end of king Charles I.'s reign, alienated it to Thomas Fsloyd, esq. of Gore court in Otham; one of whose descendants alienated it to Browne, in which name it remained till, by the daughter and heir of Tho. Browne, esq. it went in marriage to Holden; and their son, Richard Holden, of Coptford hall, in Essex, died without issue, in 1772, and by will gave it to his widow, whose maiden name was Anne Blackenbury; and after her decease, to his sister's daughter's son, a minor, by Mr. William Vechell, of Cambridgeshire.
The present house of this manor is a modern building; the ruins of the antient mansion are still to be seen about the present house; the south-west end is still remaining, and by tradition was called the Old chapel. Further towards the north is a room with a very large chimney, and an oven in it, no doubt the old kitchen. The gateway, with a room over it, was taken down within memory; by the remains, it seems as if the house and offices belonging to it, when intire, formed a quadrangle. There is a court baron held for this manor.
CHARITIES.
JOHN FRANCKELDEN, citizen of London, in 1610, left 100l. to build six cottages for poor people to live in, rent free, vested in the parish officers.
THE REV. ARTHUR HARRIS gave, by will, in 1727, 2l. 10s. per annum for ever, to be paid out of Half Yoke farm, to be distributed in linen.
THOMAS HARRIS, esq. who died in 1769, left 5l. per ann. for fifty years, to be given to the poor in bread, 2s. every Sunday, excepting Easter and Whitsunday, vested in the executors of John Mumford, esq.
Mr. THOMAS FOSTER, in 1776, gave by will 130l. the interest of it to be laid out in linen and woollen, and to be given to the poor who do not receive alms at Christmas; from which money, 225l. confol. 3 per cent. Bank ann. was bought in the name of trustees, now of the annual produce of 6l. 15s.
EAST FARLEIGH is within the ECCLESTASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Rochester, and being a peculiar of the archbishop, is as such within the deanry of Shoreham.
The church, which is a handsome building, with a spire steeple at the west end, stands at the east end of the village, and consists of two isles and two chancels; that on the south side belongs to Pimpe's-court. It was repaired in 1704, by Dr. Griffith Hatley, who had married the widow of Mr. Browne, and possessed that estate in her right. The whole was, through the laudable care of the late vicar, Mr. De la Douespe, new pewed and handsomely ornamented.
In the rector's chancel are several memorials of the family of Amhurst, and within the altar rails two of Goldsmith. On the north side of this chancel is a very antient altar tomb for one of the family of Colepeper, having their shield, a bend engrailed, at one corner of it, most probably for Sir T. Colepeper, who lived in the reign of king Edward III. and is reputed to have been the founder of this church. His arms, quartered with those of Joane Hadrreshull, his mother, Argent, a chevron gules between nine martlets, are still remaining in the east window of the south chancel, called Pimpe's chancel, in which is an antient plain altar tomb, probably for one of either that or of the Pimpe family. There seems once to have been a chapel dependent on this church, called in the Textus Roffensis, Liuituna capella Anfridi.
The patronage of the church of East Farleigh was part of the antient possessions of the crown, and remained so till it was given to the college or hospital for poor travellers, in Maidstone, founded by archbishop Boniface. Archbishop Walter Reynolds, about 1314, appropriated this church to the use and support of the hospital. In the 19th year of king Richard II. archbishop Courtney, on his making the church of Maidstone collegiate, obtained the king's licence to give and assign that hospital and its revenues, among which was the advowson and patronage of the church of Farleigh, among others appropriated to it, and then of the king's patronage, and held of the king in capite, to the master and chaplains of his new collegiate church, to hold in free, pure, and perpetual alms for ever, for their better maintenance; (fn. 7) to which appropriation Adam Mottrum, archdeacon of Canbury, gave his consent.
¶The collegiate church of Maidstone was dissolved by the act of the 1st of king Edward VI. anno 1546, and was surrendered into the king's hand accordingly with all its lands, possessions, &c. Since which the patronage and advowson of the vicarage of East Farleigh has remained in the hands of the crown; but the parsonage or great tithes was granted to one of the family of Vane, or Fane, in whom it continued down to John Fane, earl of Westmoreland, who at his death, in 1762, gave it by will, among the rest of his Kentish estates, to his nephew, Sir Francis Dashwood, lord Despencer; since which it has passed, in like manner as Mereworth and his other estates in this county, by the entail of the earl of Westmoreland's will, to Thomas Stapleton, lord Despencer, the present owner of it.
In the 15th year of king Edward I. the vicarage was valued at ten marcs; in the year 1589, it was estimated at 16l. 8s. yearly income. In the reign of king Richard II. the church of Ferleghe was valued at 13l. 16s. 8d. This vicarage is valued in the king's books at 6l. 16s. 8d. and the yearly tenths at 13s. 8d.
John, son of Sir Ralph de Fremingham, of Lose, 12 Henry IV. by his will gave certain lands therein mentioned to John Pympe, and his heirs male, to find a chaplain in this church, in the chapel of the Blessed Mary, newly built, to celebrate there, for twenty-four years, for the souls of himself, his wife, &c. and all of whom he then held lands, the said John Pympe, paying to the above chaplain the salary of ten marcs yearly, &c.
The vicar of East Farleigh is endowed with the tithes of corn growing on the lands belonging to the parsonage of East Farleigh, and of certain pieces of land, called garden spots, which lie dispersed in this parish. It is now of the clear yearly value of about one hundred and thirty guineas.