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Protea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of South African flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes or fynbos. In local tradition, the protea flower represents change and hope. The extraordinary richness and diversity of species characteristic of the Cape flora are thought to be caused in part by the diverse landscape, where populations can become isolated from each other and in time develop into separate species. The main vectors responsible for the transfer of pollen in protea cultivation are birds, insects, and wind. Some Protea species exhibit both self-pollination and cross-pollination as a method of reproduction. Cross-pollination is preferred, though, as a method of reproduction because it provides genetic diversity in the population. When cultivating proteas, breeders use hand pollination as a controlled method to transfer pollen from one flower to another. Proteas usually flower during spring. The general structure of their flower heads consists of a mass of flowers on a woody receptacle. The ovary is protected by the receptacle, thus is not seen when looking at the flower, but the anthers are present at the top of the flower, which can then easily transfer the pollen to the vectors. 17529
The distinctive sound of a Napier Deltic engine could be heard as 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier receives some attention at Loughborough, Great Central Railway, 12th March 2022.
Locomotive History
Royal Highland Fusilier was originally D9019 and entered service on the 29th December 1961, based at Haymarket MPD. Renumbered 55019 in November 1973, the locomotive was one of only five members of the class to undergo and extensive general overhaul, this being carried out during an eight month visit to Doncaster Works between January and September 1976. 55019 was withdrawn on December 31st 1981, after hauling the 16.30 Aberdeen-York between Edinburgh and York, this was the final BR Deltic hauled service train. It was therefore appropriate that the locomotive should be one of those saved from being broken up and also that it should become the first Deltic to operate a train in preservation, an event which took place at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway eight months after withdrawal, on August 22nd 1982. Royal Highland Fusilier is currently (March 2022) owned by the Deltic Preservation Society, is nominally based at Barrow Hill but is not main line certified.
Another winter evening version of what has become a favourite scene of mine over the past several years ... our shoreline on Hay Bay.
blogged here: djenglandphotography.blogspot.com/2021/02/photo-of-week-2...
The kind & generous Ron from hdrsoft have invited me to become a partner & affiliate of their software - Photomatix Pro. I guess with a photostream as awesome as mine, its hard not to be impressed by anyone lol! :P Seriously i'm only jokin'!! Really a big thanks for the offer Ron! :))
Let's go straight to the point. I have a Photomatix code for you hdr fanatics out there ! If you have been thinking of buying yourself a copy of Photomatix Pro all along...this might just be the right time to do so! :P (haha! Just kiddin' I'm no salesman here.. guess I watch too many TV commercials :P) I know most of my flickrs friends here are already using photomatix.. that is just too bad too sad :P This is especially for those hdr lovers out there who have been (quietly) following my photostream & wish to kick off this new found interest ;)
Here's the important part!
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Now you can get a fifteen percent off any photomatix software (both Windows & Mac) just by entering -> “A R T I E N G 1 5” (no spacing between letters :)) in the coupon code box of the Photomatix purchase website. With that money u can save, you can also treat yourself to another awesome dinner & tell yourself how good life is! haha! Btw this code is valid from 06 August 2009 to 06 August 2013 so lots of time to think about it :)
Of coz..before you decide to part with your hard-earned cash (like i always do :P), you should always download a free trial version of Photomatix from w w w . h d r s o f t . c o m to play around & see if you like it. Beware tho.. it can be addictive! :P
Last but not least, TGIF!!!!! Its party time! Hope everyone has a wonderful end to the week & a lovely weekend!
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About
The Victor Harbor Causeway, South Australia
Music
Jim Brickman & Martina Mcbride - The Gift
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OUR JOB IN THIS LIFETIME IS NOT SHAPE OURSELVES INTO SOME IDEAL WE IMAGINE WE OUGHT TO BE, BUT TO FIND OUT WHO WE ALREADY ARE AND BECOME IT.
BLOG CREDITS:
The Scala dei Turchi (Italian: "Stair of the Turks") is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle, southern Sicily, Italy. It has become a tourist attraction due to its unusual white color, as well as by its mention in Andrea Camilleri's series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano.
The Scala is formed by marl, a sedimentary rock with a characteristic white color. It lies between two sandy beaches, and is accessed through a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part of the name derives from the frequent raids carried on by Moors.
In August 2007, the municipality of Realmonte applied for the inclusion of the Scala dei Turchi (together with the nearby Roman Villa Aurea) in the UNESCO Heritage List.
his hands adjust the dials like he’s setting the light itself — not just on his camera, but in the moment. shadows dissolve into thought, and silence turns tactile.
adam
Chance and I have become amazing friends. For AGES I have wanted to step out on friend date with her and FINALLY we got to!
We went to Fogbound because the music is good, the dance machines always updated and the place crowded enough that nobody knows us.
She wore the sweetest dress, so I wore the swankiest slacks and we just danced the night away.
Both of us have had experiences there with people who later didn't do right by either of us, so us, together there, rewrote over allll the bad as we made some good memories together.
Also I got to dip her. A lot ;-)
Je t'aime ma ami belle!
- O'Katie xoxo
It becomes increasingly easier for Hares to play hide and seek in the growing crops. I truly enjoy laying flat on the ground and capture them as they come by.
The area that was to become West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity "Lake Worth Country." These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the world. They included founding families such at the Potters and the Lainharts, who would go on to become leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, then an enclosed freshwater lake, named for Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who had fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what would become West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.
On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century, most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and West Palm Beach became the county seat. In 1916, a new neo-classical courthouse was opened, which has been painstakingly restored back to its original condition, and is now used as the local history museum.
The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many of the city's landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.
The land boom was already faltering when city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-Boats sank dozens of merchant ships and oil tankers just off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under black out conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.
The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who had served in the vicinity during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became the one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many of the city's residents still lived within a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.
In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.
Since the 1990s, developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization, in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight and crime, as well as lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was then redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. A station for All Aboard Florida, a high speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, is under construction as of July 2015.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
I find so much joy in looking back and comparing where I've been to where I am now. A year ago, while living in Berlin, free and lazy mornings were indeed rare. This year, however, I start every day whenever I am ready. Sometimes I stay in bed for a while, and sometimes I get up right after waking up to enjoy the morning sun on the balcony and maybe read a book. Berlin was exciting and adventurous and fast, whereas life back in Stuttgart is quiet and slow. And I appreciate all of those stages in my life exactly for what they are.
Since life was so hectic a year ago, I never got around to uploading the photos I took, so you might see quite a few from around that time every once in a while. :)
Photo shoot in McKees Rocks, PA with Ashley (MM# 1317898) as part of a local group shoot event. Lighting was a combination of the natural sunlight and a 22" white beauty dish on an Alien Bee 800 and boom arm. Fashion provided by Angie at Sew Addicted.
Want to see more photos from recent shoots or get the latest updates? Become a friend on my 412foto Facebook Page.
Want to see more photos from recent shoots or get the latest updates? Become a friend on my 412foto Facebook Page.
~Ella Mai has become one of my favorite music artist! One of her songs stuck in my head this week and it wasn't so much as her lyrics to the song 'Didn't Say', but the rap lyrics of Latto! We all come across songs that speaks exactly how we feel, what we wish we could've/should've said or simply goes with relationships discussions between you & your Bestie (IndiRare Gold Hooly)😂🌹!
'It's what you didn't say and what you didn't do'
'Sat back & played it cool, now I know how to move'
'These b$tches couldn't walk a mile in the Bottega boots'
'So, when that message turn green, it ain't no gettin' through'
'Nothin' was reciprocatin, mentally manipulatin'
'Call when I'm intoxicated'
'When I'm sober, I can fake it'
'Fake it like I'm over you'
'In denial, I know it's true'
'Thinking' 'bout the old you and not the shit you put me through'
"I wish I could cut these soul ties, no lie'
'Took you back when the hope died, both times'
'You weren't there to cry w/me, thought you was gon'ride w/me'
'Too used to them simple hoes & that sh$t ain't gon' fly w/me'
~Blog Credits:
Explored July 7, 2010 #54
“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.”
Leo F. Buscaglia
Are you want to become a morning person? Do you hate getting up early in the morning?Best ideas are here to get rid this problem. goo.gl/gKHk3K
... to be human
is to become visible
while carrying
what is hidden
as a gift to others...”
― David Whyte
A water sandwich
Sun warms sea, sea becomes cloud, cloud becomes rain, rain becomes river, river becomes sea.
Illustration for "Blood Becomes Water" art zine, issue 07 - Catastrophe
markers, pencil and digital
Thanks for visiting!
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“A Story Teller" by Cheryl Chan Photography
Updated Blog:
"The Past and Future of Mistress Lane"
Tokyo in Spring 2015 : 春に東京での旅 Tokyo in Spring 2015
check out more Malaysia Streets & Candid shots here:
Taking the Streets in Malaysia
More Found Still Life: By The Streets
if you like the colorful markets:
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God Bless & hugs, Chris
Please go to the first comment to see the gif movement...
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Kerk_(The_Hague):
The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) is a Dutch Baroque Protestant church in The Hague, located across from the modern city hall on the Spui. It was built in 1649 after the Great Church had become too small. Construction was completed in 1656.
The church was designed by the architect Peter Noorwits, who was assisted by the painter and architect Bartholomeus van Bassen. The church is considered a highlight of the early Protestant church architecture in the Netherlands. Like many churches of that time was the New Church, a central building. Unlike other central building, the church is no simple circular or multifaceted plan but there is a space of two octagonal sections which are connected by a slightly smaller proportion in which the pulpit was prepared. The Dutch Baroque architecture of the church shows elements of both Renaissance and Classicism. Two church bells by Coenraat Wegewaert in 1656 hang in their original bell-chairs, 100,2 cm and 81,5 cm in diameter. He also designed the clock.
The church has an organ built by the Dutch organ builder Johannes Duyschot (1645-1725) in 1702. The construction has left most of the pipework and the case. The organ was rebuilt in 1867 by one of the best organ builders of that time, the business of Christian Gottlieb Friedrich Witte. They adjusted the design of the organ to make it suitable for modern Romantic music.
Up until these canals in The Hague were filled in at the end of the 19th century, the church was accessed by boat or from the Wagenstraat on a square island between the Spui river, the St. Anthonisburgwal or Rotterdam Veerkade (the old trekschuit route to Rotterdam), the Stille Veerkade or Amsterdam Veerkade (the old trekschuit route to Amsterdam), and the Paviljoensgracht.
In the 20th century, acoustical adjustments were made to the interior in a modern face. In the thirties the church was notable as the most impressive building on the Spui, which was one of the streets in the Dutch game of Monopoly. The church was closed in 1969 after a long restoration and reopened as a concert hall.
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The Gamechangers Tour
Warehouse Live (Ballroom)
Houston Tx
4.13.11
-PLEASE do not use this image without my permission flickr mail me or email me at RebekahS.Photography@gmail.com-
What has become an annual event that just keeps on keeping on, is the Auto fest Spring car Nats held in Shepparton. Here is a link to the event organisers page, autofest.com.au/.
The event has been going for over 30 years, and for many there is no better way to spend the weekend than with like-minded people, as the entrants burn rubber with an excess of horsepower, that is thankfully quite obscene : )
There was and is everything from the go to woe, handling events, drifting, and of cause burn outs! Burnouts bouncing of the rev limiting, literally hitting the redline burnouts. How much rubber do they burn, enough so I can smell it from my house nearly a mile away : ) PS the smoke signals might be cultural appropriation, so some one should bring along a Pontiac and make it officially ok : P
Jack Danniels www.jackdaniels.com/en-au has a bar, so Tennessee is represented, although in the main part, not much American iron turns up at the event in comparison to the Australian contingent and Japanese cars.
V8s are the flavour, although you might be surprised like I was this year to see a Honda S2000 turn up, a pleasant inclusion, with one of the all-time great 4 bangers in it.
Black snot is a thing, that is if you can handle the close quarters action! You might like to take some year plugs, even then for about mile you will still be able to hear the cars at it.
As a car enthusiast I enjoy the day, friendly people getting their thing on, and having a great time.
PS. Make sure you drink lots of water, and keep hydrated!
Indian Sands has become one of my favorite spots along the Oregon coast. I have only been there a handful of times but each visit has me exploring it further and further. If you visit Indian Sands and walk down to the craggy cliffs covered by unusual dunes and turn right, to your north, you can walk until you hit a cliff. The view has you looking down into the ocean and a small inlet. It is as far as you can go.
Unless...
When I am in the mood to explore a place, I try to keep my eye on the horizon so to speak. I remember a year photographing the bridges of Portland and I spent many evenings wandering around their structures. But I started to teach myself to look for buildings, hills or other distant vantage points that I could see from the bridge, for theoretically I could go to those places and in turn be able to see the bridge from them. I was at the Ross Island Bridge one night and noticed I had a clear view of OHSU up on its hill. So on a later night I went up to OHSU and had a clear view of the Ross Island Bridge. In this was I was able to see more of the bridge but not by looking around the bridge itself. The same applies with Indian Sands. Standing at that northern edge I noticed the rising landscape even farther to the north. It occurred to me that I would be able to get a different perspective of Indian Sands from that distant point. And so on the next day, or the day after, we drove a bit farther north on 101 and hiked a short path that took us out onto a promontory, and sure enough to the south was the northern cliffs that had previously ended my explorations of this bit of the Oregon Coast. The view from here gave me a new understanding that just wasn't possible when I was standing in the middle of it.
Hasselblad Flexbody
Kodak Ektar
***Become an advocate for land and habitat protection***
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, which gives it its name.Name[›] It has become an iconic symbol of London.
The bridge consists of two towers which are tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways which are designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the land-ward sides of the towers. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. Its present colour dates from 1977 when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Originally it was painted a chocolate brown colour.[1]
Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly referred to as London Bridge, which is actually the next bridge upstream.[2] A popular urban legend is that in 1968, Robert McCulloch, the purchaser of the old London Bridge that was later shipped to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, believed that he was in fact buying Tower Bridge. This was denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, the seller of the bridge.[3]
The nearest London Underground station is Tower Hill on the Circle and District Lines.
The nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Tower Gateway.
In the second half of the 19th century, increased commercial development in the East End of London led to a requirement for a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge. A traditional fixed bridge could not be built because it would cut off access to the port facilities in the Pool of London, between London Bridge and the Tower of London.
A Special Bridge or Subway Committee was formed in 1876, chaired by Sir Albert Joseph Altman, to find a solution to the river crossing problem. It opened the design of the crossing to public competition. Over 50 designs were submitted, including one from civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The evaluation of the designs was surrounded by controversy, and it was not until 1884 that a design submitted by Horace Jones, the City Architect (who was also one of the judges),[4] was approved.
Jones' engineer, Sir John Wolfe Barry, devised the idea of a bascule bridge with two towers built on piers. The central span was split into two equal bascules or leaves, which could be raised to allow river traffic to pass. The two side-spans were suspension bridges, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways.
Construction started in 1886 and took eight years with five major contractors – Sir John Jackson (foundations), Baron Armstrong (hydraulics), William Webster, Sir H.H. Bartlett, and Sir William Arrol & Co.[5] – and employed 432 construction workers. E W Crutwell was the resident engineer for the construction.[6]
Two massive piers, containing over 70,000 tons of concrete,[4] were sunk into the riverbed to support the construction. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways.[4] This was then clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone, both to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the bridge a pleasing appearance.
Jones died in 1887 and George D. Stevenson took over the project.[4] Stevenson replaced Jones' original brick facade with the more ornate Victorian Gothic style, which makes the bridge a distinctive landmark, and was intended to harmonise the bridge with the nearby Tower of London.[6] The total cost of construction was £1,184,000.[6]
The bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII), and his wife, The Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark).[7]
The bridge connected Iron Gate, on the north bank of the river, with Horsleydown Lane, on the south – now known as Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Bridge Road, respectively.[6] Until the bridge was opened, the Tower Subway – 400 m to the west – was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street in Southwark. Opened in 1870, Tower Subway was the world's first underground ('tube') railway, but closed after just three months and was re-opened as a pedestrian foot tunnel. Once Tower Bridge was open, the majority of foot traffic transferred to using the bridge, there being no toll to pay to use it. Having lost most of its income, the tunnel was closed in 1898.[8]
Tower Bridge is one of five London bridges now owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation. It is the only one of the Trust's bridges not to connect the City of London to the Southwark bank, the northern landfall is in Tower Hamlets.
The bridge is 800 feet (244 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimize the force required and allow raising in five minutes.
The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide.[6]
The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurised water stored in several hydraulic accumulators.Hydraulics[›][clarification needed]
The system was designed and installed by Sir W. G. Armstrong Mitchell & Company of Newcastle upon Tyne. Water, at a pressure of 750 psi, was pumped into the accumulators by two 360 hp stationary steam engines, each driving a force pump from its piston tail rod. The accumulators each comprise a 20-inch ram on which sits a very heavy weight to maintain the desired pressure.
In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House. The only components of the original system still in use are the final pinions, which engage with the racks fitted to the bascules. These are driven by modern hydraulic motors and gearing, using oil rather than water as the hydraulic fluid.[9]
Some of the original hydraulic machinery has been retained, although it is no longer in use. It is open to the public and forms the basis for the bridge's museum, which resides in the old engine rooms on the south side of the bridge. The museum includes the steam engines, two of the accumulators and one of the hydraulic engines that moved the bascules, along with other related artefacts.
During World War II, as a precaution against the existing engines being damaged by enemy action, a third engine was installed in 1942:[10] a 150 hp horizontal cross-compound engine, built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd. at their Elswick works in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was fitted with a flywheel having a 9-foot diameter and weighing 9 tons, and was governed to a speed of 30 rpm.
The engine became redundant when the rest of the system was modernised in 1974, and was donated to the Forncett Industrial Steam Museum by the Corporation of the City of London.
To control the passage of river traffic through the bridge, a number of different rules and signals were employed. Daytime control was provided by red semaphore signals, mounted on small control cabins on either end of both bridge piers. At night, coloured lights were used, in either direction, on both piers: two red lights to show that the bridge was closed, and two green to show that it was open. In foggy weather, a gong was sounded as well.[6]
Vessels passing through the bridge had to display signals too: by day, a black ball at least 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter was to be mounted high up where it could be seen; by night, two red lights in the same position. Foggy weather required repeated blasts from the ship's steam whistle.[6]
If a black ball was suspended from the middle of each walkway (or a red light at night) this indicated that the bridge could not be opened. These signals were repeated about 1,000 yards (910 m) downstream, at Cherry Garden Pier, where boats needing to pass through the bridge had to hoist their signals/lights and sound their horn, as appropriate, to alert the Bridge Master.[6]
Some of the control mechanism for the signalling equipment has been preserved and may be seen working in the bridge's museum.
Although the bridge is an undoubted landmark, professional commentators in the early 20th century were critical of its aesthetics. "It represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure", wrote H. H. Statham,[11] while Frank Brangwyn stated that "A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river".[12]
Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected the bridge as one of his four choices for the 2002 BBC television documentary series Britain's Best Buildings.[13]
Tower Bridge is still a busy and vital crossing of the Thames: it is crossed by over 40,000 people (motorists and pedestrians) every day.[14] The bridge is on the London Inner Ring Road, and is on the eastern boundary of the London congestion charge zone. (Drivers do not incur a charge by crossing the bridge.)
In order to maintain the integrity of the historic structure, the City of London Corporation have imposed a 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) speed restriction, and an 18-tonne weight limit on vehicles using the bridge. A sophisticated camera system measures the speed of traffic crossing the bridge, utilising a number plate recognition system to send fixed penalty charges to speeding drivers.[citation needed]
A second system monitors other vehicle parameters. Induction loops and piezoelectric detectors are used to measure the weight, the height of the chassis above ground level, and the number of axles for each vehicle.[citation needed]
River traffic
The bascules are raised around 1000 times a year.[15] River traffic is now much reduced, but it still takes priority over road traffic. Today, 24 hours' notice is required before opening the bridge. In 2008, a local web developer created a Twitter feed to post live updates of the bridge's opening and closing activities.[16]
A computer system was installed in 2000 to control the raising and lowering of the bascules remotely. Unfortunately it proved less reliable than desired, resulting in the bridge being stuck in the open or closed positions on several occasions during 2005, until its sensors were replaced.[14]
The high-level walkways between the towers gained an unpleasant reputation as a haunt for prostitutes and pickpockets and were closed in 1910. In 1982 they were reopened as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, an exhibition now housed in the bridge's twin towers, the high-level walkways and the Victorian engine rooms. The walkways boast stunning views of the River Thames and many famous London sites, serving as viewing galleries for over 380,000 tourists[citation needed] who visit each year. The exhibition also uses films, photos and interactives to explain why and how Tower Bridge was built. Visitors can access the original steam engines that once powered the bridge bascules, housed in a building close to the south end of the bridge.
In April 2008 it was announced that the bridge will undergo a 'facelift' costing £4m, and taking four years to complete. The work entails stripping off the existing paint and repainting in blue and white. Each section will be enshrouded in scaffolding to prevent the old paint from falling into the Thames and causing pollution. Starting in mid-2008, contractors will work on a quarter of the bridge at a time to minimise disruption, but some road closures are inevitable. The bridge will remain open until the end of 2010, but is then expected to be closed for several months. It is hoped that the completed work will stand for 25 years.[17]
The walkway section of the renovation was completed in mid 2009. Within the walkways a versatile new lighting system has been installed, designed by Eleni Shiarlis, for when the walkways are in use for exhibitions or functions. The new system provides for both feature and atmospheric lighting, the latter using bespoke RGB LED luminares, designed to be concealed within the bridge superstructure and fixed without the need for drilling (these requirements as a result of the bridge's Grade I status).[18]
In December 1952, the bridge opened while a number 78 double-decker bus (stock number RT 793) was on it. At that time, the gateman would ring a warning bell and close the gates when the bridge was clear before the watchman ordered the lift. The process failed while a relief watchman was on duty. The bus was near the edge of the south bascule when it started to rise; driver Albert Gunter made a split-second decision to accelerate the bus, clearing a three-foot drop on to the north bascule, which had not started to rise. There were no serious injuries.[19]
Main article: Hawker Hunter Tower Bridge incident
On 5 April 1968 a Hawker Hunter FGA.9 jet fighter from No.1 Squadron RAF, flown by Flt Lt Alan Pollock, flew under Tower Bridge. Unimpressed that senior staff were not going to celebrate the RAF's 50th birthday with a fly-past, Pollock decided to do something himself. Without authorisation, Pollock flew the Hunter at low level down the Thames, past the Houses of Parliament, and continued on to Tower Bridge. He flew the Hunter beneath the bridge's walkway, remarking afterwards it was an afterthought when he saw the bridge looming ahead of him. Pollock was placed under arrest upon landing, and discharged from the RAF on medical grounds without the chance to defend himself at a court martial.[20][21]
In May 1997,[22] the motorcade of United States President Bill Clinton was divided by the opening of the bridge. Thames sailing barge Gladys, on her way to a gathering at St Katharine Docks, arrived on schedule and the bridge was duly opened for her. Returning from a Thames-side lunch at Le Pont de la Tour restaurant, with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Clinton was less punctual, and arrived just as the bridge was rising. The bridge opening split the motorcade in two, much to the consternation of security staff. A spokesman for Tower Bridge is quoted as saying, "We tried to contact the American Embassy, but they wouldn't answer the 'phone."[23]
On 19 August 1999, Jef Smith, a Freeman of the City of London, drove a "herd" of two sheep across the bridge. He was exercising an ancient permission, granted as a right to Freemen, to make a point about the powers of older citizens and the way in which their rights were being eroded.[24] However, this was a hollow gesture as the so-called right is to drive sheep across London Bridge into the City of London, and Tower Bridge does not have its northern landfall in the City.[citation needed]
Before dawn on 31 October 2003, David Crick, a Fathers 4 Justice campaigner, climbed a 120 ft (37 m) tower crane near Tower Bridge at the start of a six-day protest dressed as Spider-Man.[25] Fearing for his safety, and that of motorists should he fall, police cordoned off the area, closing the bridge and surrounding roads and causing widespread traffic congestion across the City and east London. The Metropolitan Police were later criticised for maintaining the closure for five days when this was not strictly necessary in the eyes of some citizens.[26][27]
On May 11, 2009, six persons were trapped and injured after a lift fell 10 ft inside the north tower.[28][29]
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinckneyville,_Illinois
Pinckneyville is a city in and the county seat of Perry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,066 at the 2020 census. It is named for Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, an early American diplomat and presidential candidate.
Pinckneyville is the location of the Pinckneyville Power Plant, a combustion turbine generator (CTG)-type power plant run by Ameren.
Source: www.americanthresherman.com/history.html
ATA HISTORY
The American Thresherman Association (ATA) was organized in March of 1959.
At the annual meeting in 1962, Amos Rixman commented that the Association "organized three years ago this month for the purpose of furnishing some enjoyment to its members and to be the beginning of something very worthwhile." Already in its brief life the Association had earned such a reputation that three towns vied for the chance to become the permanent site for the show. The Pinckneyville Chamber of Commerce invited the ATA with open arms and pledges of support, and the Perry County community was chosen over Mascoutah and Highland for the 1962 show site.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis"
(Illinois) "الينوي" "伊利诺伊州" "इलिनोइस" "イリノイ" "일리노이" "Иллинойс"
(Pinckneyville) "بينكنيفيل" "平克尼维尔" "पिंकनीविले" "ピンクニービル" "핀크니빌" "Пинкнивилль"
I have become increasingly interested in making my Pentax 6x7, which otherwise produces nice, sharp, "perfect" into something that makes imperfect images. Using it out of focus, with lenses turned around, with the lens turned right but not mounted fully, and in this case, with a homemade tilt-shift contraption. I borrowed a lens from an old RA4 printing machine because I needed something that would cover the 7 centimeter long Pentax negative and still have room for movements. It is basically the Lensbaby effect, which itself is basically the same tilt-shift effect large format photographers have enjoyed for decades. Unlike the Lensbaby, this method has a sharper plane of focus, which I prefer.
But yeah, as technical as it sounds, it really isn't. Auxiliary lens crammed onto camera body (recycled cloth bag for bellows) and away I go loose on the beach.
Mental note to self, do more of this.