Croome Park is a landscaped country park surrounding Croome Court, in Worcestershire. It was Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's first complete landscape design, begun in 1751 for George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry. The mansion house was also designed by Brown and is a rare example of his architectural work.

The Court has recently been acquired by the National Trust and is currently being renovated.

Croome Court is a grade 1 listed building.

This professional Ribbon potato slicer has the capability of cutting up to 6 inch long potatoes into 3/8 inch Spiral Potato on stick. If you have lots of curly fries to make then this is a recommended tool that you should have. On average, this Tornado Fries cutter machine will turn up to 50 lbs of potatoes into curved chips in just 60 minutes for chipstix business.This French fry cutter can easily be mounted on any flat surface. All the components and blades can easily be detached for quick cleaning. Since stainless steel material is used in blades, you can rest assure that these will never catch rust or corrode. If you want to make thicker or thinner Spiral Fry with this machine, you can buy their respective blades. All the parts are easily available.

Chip Twister machine is a lot of fun but cutting potatoes to make curly fries deters many people from making them frequently. To make life easier for such people the Potato ribbon chips peeling Tornado Potato machine was invented and is now readily available in the market. You will be able to find many different kinds of tornado potato machines that have different capacities and mechanisms. Also known as Chip Twister machines, they come in handy for home owners with a liking for eating French fries as well as restaurants and fast food joints.A host of companies produce their own versions of the Spiral Potato cutter. more details call us 0091 - 9703202020

47757 Capability Brown (ex.D1779) [ fresh to EWS colours ] enters Guildford station from the Reading line with the Derby Research train, tailed by RES 47781 Isle of Iona (Ex. D1674 Samson). 26th Feb 2003 AM.

Temple Newsam is a 15th centuryTudor-Jacobean house in Leeds, famous as the birthplace of Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown.

The manor of Newsam was owned by the Knights Templar in the 12th century before the estate passed to the Darcy family, and Thomas, Lord Darcy built the first manor house here in about 1500. One wing of Darcy's original manor survives as the central block of the current house.

Darcy was executed for treason for his part in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1537and his lands were seized by the crown. Henry VIII gave Newsam to the Countess of Lennox, and her son, Henry, Lord Darnley was born and raised here. After Darnley's murder, Elizabeth I seized the estate, and the house languished in a state of neglect until 1622 when it was purchased by Sir Arthur Ingram. Ingram tore down much of the earlier manor house and built two large new wings to form the basis of the house we see today.

In 1758 Charles, 9th Lord Irwin, married a rich heiress and used her money to transform the interior of Temple Newsam and fill it with a collection of fine art including Old Master works. They hired James Wyatt to build a grand staircase, and Capability Brown to create the landscape garden that surrounds the house.

The house was the home of the Ingram family for over 300 years until 1922 when Lord Halifax sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future. The house and estate are now owned by Leeds City Council and open to the public.

From the sand dunes of Essaouira to the peaks of the Atlas Mountains, the all-new Range Rover demonstrates its full breadth of capability in Morocco.

The Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept of Target (PATRIOT) Missile protects ground forces and critical assets at all echelons from advanced aircraft, cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles (TBM). The PATRIOT Advanced Capability – 3 (PAC-3) is the Army’s premier guided air and missile defense (AMD) system providing highly reactive hit-to-kill capability in both range and altitude while operating in all environments.

Read more at asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/ms-pac-3_mse/.

CAPABILITY DEMO TAKES CROWD BY SURPRISE

Seated, hearing protection in place, evacuation directives issued, potential Army Recruits, families and friends, attending 9 BDE’s annual Smithfield Careers Day on Sunday 18 April 2010 at 3/9 LH (SAMR) Broadmeadows Road, Elizabeth Training Depot, Smithfield, failed to noticed the slow moving Light Cavalry Patrol entering the designated demonstration area. Without notice or any time to digest the situation, the crowd was abruptly startled by the crack of a simulated improvised roadside bomb.

With the threat of further mines still at hand and the lead Light Cavalry Patrol vehicle disabled, the remaining vehicles with their 10/27 RSAR Infantry soldiers, were forced to request the support, ironically, from the Engineers from 3 FD SQN to clear the road of any additional simulated mines.

To the crowd’s delight, the display continued with heavy radio traffic from a small Forward Observation Patrol, finally resulting in the detection of an enemy Observation Point. A request for Artillery support ensued and a four man team from 9 BDE’s 48 FD BTY provided suppressing fire to the target, denying the enemy the ability to further impact the patrols mission.

With Artillery Fire called in and the area eventually cleared, the scenario called for the Engineers and the Cavalry Patrol to withdraw and return to their base for refurbishment prior to continuing the simulated mission.

For more information contact “Chop” on 0413 645 099 or (08) 8254 6177

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

A late April 2019 visit to Croome in Worcestershire, the estate is now run by the National Trust. Croome Park is quite big, and you can walk around the grounds and see the various landmarks there.

Croome Court

Croome Court is a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire, England. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Croome Court is a Grade I listed building.

Listing Text

SO 84 SE CROOME D'ABITOT CROOME COURT

3/12 Croome Court

(formerly listed as

Croome Court with Stables,

11.8.52 Garden Room or Temple,

Principal Lodge, Lodge on

west, and Panorama)

GV I

Country House 1751-2 by Lancelot (Capability) Brown with advice from Sanderson

Miller. Interior work from 1760 by Robert Adam. Built for 6th Earl of

Coventry. Limestone ashlar Palladian mansion with principal North and South

fronts of 11 bays. Basement and 2 storeys with 3 storey end pavilions. Slate

roofs, pyramidal over corner towers and 3 paired axial chimneys, pair linked

by arches. 1-3-3-3-1 division with pedimented centre to North and fine pro-

jecting Ionic tetrastyle portico to South. Modillion cornice and balustrade to

flanking wings. Moulded window architraves enriched with flat cornices on

ground floor main range, pediments to North front pavilions and Venetian win-

dows to South front pavilions. Roman Doric curved pediment doorcase to North

front, flat cornice on consoles over South door. Chamfered quoins to project-

ing centre and to end pavilions. Fine 2 armed balustraded stair to North door

and broad straight flight up to South door flanked by cast stone sphinxes.

INTERIOR partly Brown with plasterwork by G Vassalli, partly Robert Adam with

plaster by J Rose Jr. 2 Adam rooms removed to New York and London. Spine

corridor with stone stair at East end with moulded underside and iron balu-

strade. NORTH SIDE: Entrance hall with 4 fluted Doric columns and Palladian

moulded doorcases, to East, dining-room with plaster cornice and ceiling,

original pelmets, to West, billiard-room with fielded panelling, plaster cor-

nice and rococo fireplace. These rooms, probably decorated c.1758-9, probably

by Brown. SOUTH SIDE: Fine central Saloon with elaborate deep coved ceiling

with 3 embellished panels and rich cornice, fine Palladian doorcases and 2

marble Ionic columned fireplaces. Room probably by Brown and Vassalli. To

East former tapestry room now dismantled; ceiling a copy of original by R Adam

and J Rose. Beyond, former library by R Adam, largely dismantled; marble fire-

place. To West, drawing-room with shallow rococo-style plaster and marble

fireplace. At WEST END, Gallery by R Adam 1764, with half-hexagonal bay to

garden, elaborate octagonal panelled ceiling by J Rose, plaster reliefs of

griffins, painted grisaille panels and marble caryatid fireplace by J Wilton.

Attached at East end, SERVICE WING: L plan, red brick and stone with slate

hipped roofs. 2 storey. Stone plinth, band, moulded eaves cornice and

Chamfered quoins. Glazing bar sash windows with gauged brick heads. Red brick

wall joins service wing to stable court beyond: 2 rusticated stone gate piers,

one still with ball finial. CL 10.4.1915. A T Bolton: The architecture of

R and J Adam 1922. D Stroud: Capability Brown 1975. G Bead: Decorative

Plasterwork 1975. R Adam and Croome Court Connoisseur October 1953.

Listing NGR: SO8849444596

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.

This view from the other side of the Croome River. Was after crossing the Chinese Bridge, and heading towards the Lake. The Croome River is man made.

The 36th Fighter Squadron is a combat ready Block 40 F-16/C/D squadron with the capability to conduct air interdiction, close air support and counter-air missions in both day and night conditions.

The 36th FS, more recently, have began training with the AIM-9X Sidewinder and the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR Advanced Targeting Pod. Additionally, in the Spring of 2012 the Fiends acquired the AN/ASQ-213 HARM Targeting System.

A pre-booked visit to Westbury Court Garden in Gloucestershire. Was a rainy couple of hours. The garden was quite small, but the rain eventually stopped.

Westbury Court Garden is a Dutch water garden in Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, England, 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Gloucester.

It was laid out in 1696–1705, a rare survival not to have been replaced in the 18th century by a naturalistic garden landscape as popularised by Capability Brown. It is situated facing the high street of the rural village, extending on low-lying water meadows adjacent to the River Severn; the flat watery ground makes the site well suited to a Dutch-style garden, of which Westbury is the outstanding survival in Britain.

I kept seeing the massive spire of the Church of St Mary, St Peter and St Paul from the garden.

Grade II* Listed Building

Church of St Peter and St Paul

Listing Text

SO 71 SW WESTBURY-ON-SEVERN WESTBURY VILLAGE

11/215 Church of St. Peter and

St. Paul

GV II*

Large parish church: early C14, restored 1862 and 1878. North

facade thin, roughly squared grey stone brought to courses, larger,

squared stone to quoins, ashlar to windows, south and most of west

faces smooth reddish render lined as ashlar, chancel south and east

well-squared stone approaching ashlar: roof late C20 machine-made

red clay tile. Nave, aisles, north and south porches, chancel,

organ chamber and vestry: tower detached (q.v.). North facade:

high porch in centre of unbuttressed aisle: chamfered, 2-centred

archway, with hoodmould: wrought-iron gates, 2 rails at about 1

metre up, St. Andrews cross between, spiral dog bars with

spearheads. Top rail follows arch with another to nearly similar

line below: main bars with spear and volute heads. To right of

porch one 2-light window, trefoil heads to lights, solid stone

panel to flat hoodmould. To left one similar 3-light window and

one 3-light with flying ogee heads to lights below pointed head.

Gable parapets to porch, aisle, nave and chancel with cross-gablet

apex with stone cross to each: only porch has projecting moulded

kneelers. 2-bay chancel with large, central buttress: 2-light

windows with cinquefoil ogee heads to lights, quatrefoil over, and

hoodmould. West face, 3 gables, square-set buttress to nave only,

with splayed plinth. Ridges and windows to aisles offset towards

centre: windows 2-light, ogee heads, with recessed spandrels to

flat hoodmould. Nave wide 2-centred moulded doorway with

hoodmould and double boarded doors with applied timber tracery.

Above a flat cinquefoiled ogee-headed niche containing a calvary:

3-light Perpendicular window with hoodmould above.

Interior plastered: 7-bay nave arcade, alternate octagonal and

lobed pillars, with moulded caps and bases: hoodmoulds to plain

moulded arches, with small carved heads as stops. Quatrefoil

clerestory windows in alternate bays. Archbraced collar trusses

off corbels, crown post but no longitudinal timber. Aisles

exposed collar rafters; scissor-braced trusses to chancel, all

roofs C19. Tall Early English style arch to chancel, with leaf

capitals: similar on south and from south aisle to organ chamber.

Old cross-boarded door to vestry. 8-lobed piscina reset in south

chancel window sill. Carved reredos (1878) stone and alabaster

extended as blind arcading across east wall: aumbry to match on

left. Plain 6-sided 1862 stone pulpit, blind quatrefoils above

plinth: octagonal C19 stone font, with crosses, symbols of

evangelists and dove on bowl, over trefoil-headed blind arcading on

stem. An older octagonal stone bowl set on octagonal stem dated

1583, with royal arms, on a splayed base. A number of good C18

and early C19 wall monuments in chancel and at west end of aisles,

including one to T. Sinderby with violin and score in white marble

by J. Pearce of Frampton. 1686 monument in north porch, and

benefactions board. A number of good late C17 and C18 headstones

in churchyard not separately listed. Church restored 1862 by

Medland and Maberley, 1864 and 1876-78. (Victoria County History,

Gloucestershire, Vol X, 1972; D. Verey, Gloucestershire, The Vale

and the Forest of Dean, 1970).

Listing NGR: SO7171513886

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.

this is where the magic happens.

i was fairly productive today. researched branding ideas, made some mockups, and sought out new clients.

after my thoughts last night, i made a few gifts for a few people. just to let them know how i feel.

today i had a rousing twitter conversation with my new friend eric. it was pretty funny, and normally i wouldn't really think to mention it, but two good things came out. first, it got me to fix a few things that were broken on my blog. nothing important, really, just stuff like log in and log out capability, and new user signups. but second, he told me about this post he made in his own blog. he had nothing but flattering things to say, and even the fact that he wrote it speaks a lot about the kinda dude he is. and eric, since i'm pretty sure you're reading this now, i just have to say: thanks, man. to get such high praise from somebody whose name i knew before i met him feels pretty darn good. i hope we can return the favor someday, help him out somehow, too.

last thing. i signed up for a pro flickr account today. it's cheap and gives me unlimited, high res photo storage with unlimited bandwidth for _half_ the price of my limited, medium bandwidth hosting. i figure that way, i can not only display the image low-res, but always have a high-res archive stored.

now that i've payed for it, i naturally want to _use_ it. and i was thinking. so far, i've got three exports for every photo i want to post. a low-res one for the blog, a high-res one for the book, and a different high-res one for flickr. this seems silly. i have a better idea.

particularly after going thru all the crazy, old, duct-taped code for my blog this afternoon, i started thinking that i could use flickr as both my archive and my backend. all i'd need to do is make a blog that could fetch the information from flickr, and i'd have merged 2/3s of my steps into one. and since i can go directly from lightroom (my photo program of choice) to flickr, that'd be super simple to update.

what's that mean for you? hopefully nothing. i'm gonna work on it in my spare time, and once it's ready, i'll switch over. i'm gonna try really hard to make sure commenting, RSS feeds, and generally viewability aren't at all compromised. i'm probably gonna get rid of the whole user system, that was sort of a failed experiment anyway. but it'll be a fun side project, to see how easy i can make it for myself and how quickly i can do it. that's all. goodnight.

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

170807-N-KB401-275 THE MINCH, Scotland (Aug. 7, 2017) An MH-60S Sea Hawk, attached to the "Tridents" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9, patrols while the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) transits the Minch, Scotland, during exercise Saxon Warrior 2017, Aug. 7. Saxon Warrior is a United States and United Kingdom co-hosted carrier strike group exercise that demonstrates interoperability and capability to respond to crises and deter potential threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael B. Zingaro/Released)

Lieutenant Colonel Paul (centre), Polish Air Force F-16 pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Lasse Ostbye (left), Norweigen Air Force, and Hauptfeldwebel Pfaller (right), German Air Force, during planning for their next mission during Exercise BRILLIANT ARROW 13 at Oerland Main Air Station, Norway, on Sep 4, 2013.

Exercise BRILLIANT ARROW is a live-fly exercise conducted by HQ Allied Air Command involving some 50 military aircraft and approx. 800 personnel from Aug. 25 to Sep. 5, 2013. In addition to Norway, nine other NATO members – France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey and the United Kingdom – have made their personnel and material available for the exercise.

The exercise is conducted to prepare allied air forces and hone their skills in orchestrating air operations. This capability may be needed when the involved units are activated under the NATO Response Force (NRF). The participating units and HQ AIRCOM will be on standby for 2014 ready to be stood up for a potential NRF mission.

(NATO Photo/SSgt Ian Houlding, GBR Army)

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

Class 60 60002 'Capability Brown' on Leicester depot in 1991.

With the capability for near-silent insertion by skis, stealth armor and a full ECM suite, the Dominator is a perfect arctic recon vehicle. Breaker and Avalanche hide the tank while they cross the next hill on foot. If Cobra is indeed there, the Joes have a 152mm cannon/launcher and two .50 caliber machine guns to make sure they get back to base camp.

Breaker is pretty much done, though I'd like to rework his hood. Avalanche needs paint still; I can't leave him silver. The Dominator needs some touching up, but at least it's white now.

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photos by Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

Highcliffe-on-Sea ( usually shortened to Highcliffe ) is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast. The town lies on a picturesque stretch of Solent coastline with views of the Isle of Wight and its Needles rock formation. In 1838 a large ship the Herman Julius 336 tons, was wrecked at Chuton ( Chewton ) Bunny. The crew of 11 were saved, one was lost overboard before she struck. Bemister and Holloway purchased the wreck.

Highcliffe Castle is a Grade I listed building now owned by Christchurch Council, and described as the most important remaining example of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture. It holds events open to the general public throughout the year open, and can be used for weddings and other private events. Highcliffe Castle, situated on the cliffs at Highcliffe, Dorset, was built between 1831 and 1835 by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay in a Gothic Revival style on the site of High Cliff house, a Georgian Mansion designed for the 3rd Earl of Bute ( a founder of Kew Gardens) with the gardens laid out by Capability Brown. The design, by William Donthorne, a founder member of RIBA, incorporated large quantities of carved Medieval stonework salvaged from the Norman Benedictine Abbey of St Peter at Jumieges and the Grande Maison des Andelys. The Earl's fourth son, General Sir Charles Stuart sold the estate apart from the nearby smaller Bure Homage House.

All that remains of the original High Cliff are the two entrance lodges, now used as a restaurant, also some of the garden walls and features in the lands. The son of Sir Charles Stuart, also Charles Stuart, decided to buy his grandfather's estate and build a new house there. In 1828 Sir Charles Stuart became Lord Stuart de Rothesay. Early retirement from the diplomatic service meant Lord Stuart could now start on the project to build the new house and by 1830 he had purchased much of the eastern end of the estate. The castle is built on an L shaped plan, oriented on a south-east axis, so the oriel window is central on the south east elevation, providing a vista across the landscaped gardens to a panorama of the needles and Isle of Wight. The house remained in the family until 1950 when much of the estate was sold and eventually developed up to the castle walls. For a time from 1950 to 1953 the Castle was a children's home before being sold to Claretian Missionary fathers as firstly a noviciate, then for use as a seminary. The castle was put up for sale in 1966, after many years of uncertainty and neglect the castle was eventually restored. Today the Castle’s renovated exterior is testimony of the remarkable skills of craftsmen and women who carried out a huge repair and conservation programme in the 1990s, jointly funded by Christchurch Borough Council, English Heritage and a £2.65 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

All that remains of the original High Cliff are the two entrance lodges, now used as a restaurant, also some of the garden walls and features in the lands. The son of Sir Charles Stuart, also Charles Stuart, decided to buy his grandfather's estate and build a new house there. In 1828 Sir Charles Stuart became Lord Stuart de Rothesay. Early retirement from the diplomatic service meant Lord Stuart could now start on the project to build the new house and by 1830 he had purchased much of the eastern end of the estate. The castle is built on an L shaped plan, oriented on a south-east axis, so the oriel window is central on the south east elevation, providing a vista across the landscaped gardens to a panorama of the needles and Isle of Wight. The house remained in the family until 1950 when much of the estate was sold and eventually developed up to the castle walls. For a time from 1950 to 1953 the Castle was a children's home before being sold to Claretian Missionary fathers as firstly a noviciate, then for use as a seminary. The castle was put up for sale in 1966, after many years of uncertainty and neglect the castle was eventually restored. Today the Castle’s renovated exterior is testimony of the remarkable skills of craftsmen and women who carried out a huge repair and conservation programme in the 1990s, jointly funded by Christchurch Borough Council, English Heritage and a £2.65 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Highcliffe lies close to the historic town of Christchurch, the resort town of Bournemouth, and the New Forest National Park. Highcliffe's position on the middle of England's south coast gives it a climate with milder winters than inland areas and less rainfall than locations further west. This helped establish the town as a popular health and leisure resort during the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. What is now regarded as Highcliffe has developed over the last several hundred years from the hamlet of Slop Pond, the Chewton Estate, and Chewton Common. The latter two also contained large farmsteads. Slop Pond was a collection of thatched cottages, named from the large pond on its common. The cottages wereoccupied by farm workers and fishermen, who engaged in the smuggling and poaching trade now notorious in local history. When the area became a more popular tourist destination in the Victorian era, Slop Pond was renamed Newtown. It was later then changed to Highcliff, after the first High Cliff house, and soon became known as Highcliffe on Sea.

Chewton Bunny Nature Reserve is an ancient wooded river valley which forms the county boundary between Dorset and Hampshire. The Walkford Brook flows through the site, entering a culvert and eventually flowing out to sea. A chine is a steep-sided river valley where the river flows to the sea through, typically, soft eroding coastal cliffs of sandstone or clays. The word chine originates from the Saxon Cinan meaning a gap or yawn. The word is in still use in central Southern England; in East Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight to describe such topographical features. However, bunny is also used to describe a chine in Hampshire, Chewton Bunny is designated as a Site of Nature Conservation Interest and is rich in woodland wildlife, including a number of Ancient Natural Woodland Indicator species. The mill house in the centre of the site previously used a waterwheel in the Brook to mill grain and the cover given by the site made it a convenient smuggling route for contraband in the past. At the north end of the site the Brook also passes under the first ever reinforced concrete bridge.

ROME, NY (5/23/17) - Pilots from the NUAIR Alliance test unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in preparation for an upcoming Technology Capability Level (TCL) flight test demonstration in conjunction with NASA and four other FAA UAS Test Sites taking place June 6, 2017. The test will focus on beyond visual line-of-sight operations in sparsely populated areas.

You may view more of my images of Ickworth House, Park and gardens, by clicking "here" !

Please do not insert images, of group invite, thank you!

Ickworth Park. With over 1,800 acres of parkland designed by Capability Brown, the house and its grounds were created as an homage to Italy, the country so beloved by Frederick Augustus Hervey, the 4th Earl of Bristol. The Earl-Bishop spent his life travelling the continent, gathering together a vast collection of paintings, sculpture and artefacts. Already possessed of several houses, he conceived Ickworth primarily as a museum for his treasures. At his death only the Rotunda - the giant circular structure at the centre of the two wings, described by Hervey's wife as 'a stupendous moment of Folly' - was nearing completion. The house was eventually finished by his son. Although Hervey's treasures, confiscated during the French invasion of Italy, were destined never to occupy Ickworth, his descendants made it their life's work to rebuild what has become an exceptional collection of art and silver. Paintings housed in the galleries include works by Velázquez, Titian and Poussin, while the collection of 18th-century portraits of the family is exceptionally fine, featuring canvases by Gainsborough, Reynolds, Vigée-Lebrun and Hogarth. In addition to one of the very best British collections of Georgian Huguenot silver, Ickworth is also home to an impressive array of Regency furniture, porcelain, and domestic objects. More made a career of producing idealised Italian landscapes. His Landscape with Classical Figures, Cicero at his Villa, painted in 1780 and funded in 1993, is a typical work, the misty soft-focus and pastel light adding to its appeal. Hugh Douglas Hamilton's The Earl Bishop of Bristol and Derry Seated before the Prospect of Rome shows Hervey seated at what is thought to be the southern tip of the Borghese Gardens.

Ickworth's parklands and gardens can provide a day's activity in their own right. The south gardens are modelled on the formal Italian style, while the gardens to the west of the house are more informal. Visitors can walk or cycle out into the park itself and up to the Fairy Lake. Bright and modern, The West Wing Restaurant overlooks the gardens and can be guaranteed to catch any sunlight on offer. It serves everything from hot meals to snacks, and at weekends the restaurant is open for breakfast. If you're after something rather more formal, try Frederick's restaurant at Ickworth Hotel in the grounds.

The sheep is a quadrupedal, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep. An adult female sheep is referred to as a ewe (/juː/), an intact male as a ram or occasionally a tup, a castrated male as a wether, and a younger sheep as a lamb. Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes, sheep are raised for fleece, meat (lamb, hogget or mutton) and milk. A sheep's wool is the most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by shearing. Ovine meat is called lamb when from younger animals and mutton when from older ones. Sheep continue to be important for wool and meat today, and are also occasionally raised for pelts, as dairy animals, or as model organisms for science. Sheep husbandry is practised throughout the majority of the inhabited world, and has been fundamental to many civilizations. In the modern era, Australia, New Zealand, the southern and central South American nations, and the British Isles are most closely associated with sheep production. Sheepraising has a large lexicon of unique terms which vary considerably by region and dialect. Use of the word sheep began in Middle English as a derivation of the Old English word scēap; it is both the singular and plural name for the animal. A group of sheep is called a flock, herd or mob. Many other specific terms for the various life stages of sheep exist, generally related to lambing, shearing, and age. Being a key animal in the history of farming, sheep have a deeply entrenched place in human culture, and find representation in much modern language and symbology. As livestock, sheep are most often associated with pastoral, Arcadian imagery. Sheep figure in many mythologies—such as the Golden Fleece—and major religions, especially the Abrahamic traditions. In both ancient and modern religious ritual, sheep are used as sacrificial animals. Domestic sheep are relatively small ruminants, usually with a crimped hair called wool and often with horns forming a lateral spiral. Domestic sheep differ from their wild relatives and ancestors in several respects, having become uniquely neotenic as a result of selective breeding by humans. A few primitive breeds of sheep retain some of the characteristics of their wild cousins, such as short tails. Depending on breed, domestic sheep may have no horns at all, or horns in both sexes, or in males only. Most horned breeds have a single pair, but a few breeds may have several. Another trait unique to domestic sheep as compared to wild ovines is their wide variation in color. Wild sheep are largely variations of brown hues, and variation within species is extremely limited. Colors of domestic sheep range from pure white to dark chocolate brown and even spotted or piebald. Selection for easily dyeable white fleeces began early in sheep domestication, and as white wool is a dominant trait it spread quickly. However, colored sheep do appear in many modern breeds, and may even appear as a recessive trait in white flocks. While white wool is desirable for large commercial markets, there is a niche market for colored fleeces, mostly for handspinning. The nature of the fleece varies widely among the breeds, from dense and highly crimped, to long and hairlike. There is variation of wool type and quality even among members of the same flock, so wool classing is a step in the commercial processing of the fibre. Depending on breed, sheep show a range of heights and weights. Their rate of growth and mature weight is a heritable trait that is often selected for in breeding. Ewes typically weigh between 45 and 100 kilograms (99 and 220 lb), and rams between 45 and 160 kilograms (99 and 353 lb). When all deciduous teeth have erupted, the sheep has 20 teeth. Mature sheep have 32 teeth. As with other ruminants, the front teeth in the lower jaw bite against a hard, toothless pad in the upper jaw. These are used to pick off vegetation, then the rear teeth grind it before it is swallowed. There are eight lower front teeth in ruminants, but there is some disagreement as to whether these are eight incisors, or six incisors and two incisor-shaped canines. There is a large diastema between the incisors and the molars. For the first few years of life it is possible to calculate the age of sheep from their front teeth, as a pair of milk teeth is replaced by larger adult teeth each year, the full set of eight adult front teeth being complete at about four years of age. The front teeth are then gradually lost as sheep age, making it harder for them to feed and hindering the health and productivity of the animal. For this reason, domestic sheep on normal pasture begin to slowly decline from four years on, and the average life expectancy of a sheep is 10 to 12 years, though some sheep may live as long as 20 years. Sheep have good hearing, and are sensitive to noise when being handled. Sheep have horizontal slit-shaped pupils, possessing excellent peripheral vision; with visual fields of approximately 270° to 320°, sheep can see behind themselves without turning their heads. Many breeds have only short hair on the face, and some have facial wool (if any) confined to the poll and or the area of the mandibular angle; the wide angles of peripheral vision apply to these breeds. A few breeds tend to have considerable wool on the face; for some individuals of these breeds, peripheral vision may be greatly reduced by "wool blindness", unless recently shorn about the face. Sheep have poor depth perception; shadows and dips in the ground may cause sheep to baulk. In general, sheep have a tendency to move out of the dark and into well lit areas, and prefer to move uphill when disturbed. Sheep also have an excellent sense of smell, and, like all species of their genus, have scent glands just in front of the eyes, and interdigitally on the feet. The purpose of these glands is uncertain, but those on the face may be used in breeding behaviors. The foot glands might also be related to reproduction, but alternative reasons, such as secretion of a waste product or a scent marker to help lost sheep find their flock, have also been proposed.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

This magnificent informal landscape garden was laid out in the 18th century by 'Capability' Brown and further developed in the early years of the 20th century by its owner, Arthur G. Soames. The original four lakes form the centrepiece. There are dramatic shows of daffodils and bluebells in spring, and the rhododendrons and azaleas are spectacular in early summer. Autumn brings stunning colours from the many rare trees and shrubs, and winter walks can be enjoyed in this garden for all seasons. Visitors can now also explore South Park, 107 hectares (265 acres) of historic parkland, with stunning views.

Temple Newsam is a 15th centuryTudor-Jacobean house in Leeds, famous as the birthplace of Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown.

The manor of Newsam was owned by the Knights Templar in the 12th century before the estate passed to the Darcy family, and Thomas, Lord Darcy built the first manor house here in about 1500. One wing of Darcy's original manor survives as the central block of the current house.

Darcy was executed for treason for his part in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1537and his lands were seized by the crown. Henry VIII gave Newsam to the Countess of Lennox, and her son, Henry, Lord Darnley was born and raised here. After Darnley's murder, Elizabeth I seized the estate, and the house languished in a state of neglect until 1622 when it was purchased by Sir Arthur Ingram. Ingram tore down much of the earlier manor house and built two large new wings to form the basis of the house we see today.

In 1758 Charles, 9th Lord Irwin, married a rich heiress and used her money to transform the interior of Temple Newsam and fill it with a collection of fine art including Old Master works. They hired James Wyatt to build a grand staircase, and Capability Brown to create the landscape garden that surrounds the house.

The house was the home of the Ingram family for over 300 years until 1922 when Lord Halifax sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future. The house and estate are now owned by Leeds City Council and open to the public.

SANDF Capability demonstration at the Rand Easter Show – Helicopters inserted and Parabatt Team to secure the Landing Zone then secure a casualty and extracted using the Hot Extraction method, while Rooivalk Attack Helicopter provided Top Cover

Photos: Lourens Badenhorst

Temple Newsam is a 15th centuryTudor-Jacobean house in Leeds, famous as the birthplace of Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown.

The manor of Newsam was owned by the Knights Templar in the 12th century before the estate passed to the Darcy family, and Thomas, Lord Darcy built the first manor house here in about 1500. One wing of Darcy's original manor survives as the central block of the current house.

Darcy was executed for treason for his part in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1537and his lands were seized by the crown. Henry VIII gave Newsam to the Countess of Lennox, and her son, Henry, Lord Darnley was born and raised here. After Darnley's murder, Elizabeth I seized the estate, and the house languished in a state of neglect until 1622 when it was purchased by Sir Arthur Ingram. Ingram tore down much of the earlier manor house and built two large new wings to form the basis of the house we see today.

In 1758 Charles, 9th Lord Irwin, married a rich heiress and used her money to transform the interior of Temple Newsam and fill it with a collection of fine art including Old Master works. They hired James Wyatt to build a grand staircase, and Capability Brown to create the landscape garden that surrounds the house.

The house was the home of the Ingram family for over 300 years until 1922 when Lord Halifax sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future. The house and estate are now owned by Leeds City Council and open to the public.

XM2010 IKPT-2 Provides extended range capability and incorporates the latest in weapons technology for the Army Sniper.

The XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle (ESR), formerly known as the M24 Reconfigured Sniper Weapon System, is a sniper rifle developed by PEO Soldier for the U.S. Army.It is derived from the M24 Sniper Weapon System and is intended to replace existing M24s. After winning a competitive bidding process, Remington was awarded the production contract. Up to 3,600 weapons will be procured. The Army expects to begin fielding 250 upgraded weapons to deployed U.S. Army Snipers by the end of December 2010.Later project manager for Soldier weapons Colonel Douglas Tamilio said the XM2010 expected fielding will happen from January 2011

The XM2010 is distinguished by its advanced design and represents a quantum upgrade over the M24. The shooter interface can be tailored to accommodate a wide range of shooter preferences and its folding stock provides Soldier flexibility in transporting the weapon during operations. The weapon also incorporates advanced corrosion resistant coatings to ensure longevity. The aluminum, steel, and high impact polymers used in the weapon’s construction are lightweight and rugged.

The ESR is equipped with a Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20x50mm scope. The variable power scope includes a first focal plane reticle so when the user dials in, the reticle pattern scales with the zoom enabling the sniper to estimate range at any power setting. The scope also employs a reticle pattern that facilitates faster and more accurate range estimation and utilizes mil turret adjustments to eliminate MOA to mil conversion. The targeting stadia reticle allows for simultaneous elevation and windage holds that eliminate the need to dial in adjustments.

These are a fine, high quality Leicaflex variant with fully programmable exposure and TTL flash metering.

One of the later film Leicaflexes, these were very fast handling and versatile, and had motor winder capability, but no high speed motor setup.

Closer look at the F-22 Raptor .....

========================

- The F-22 has a significant capability to attack surface targets. In the air-to-ground configuration the aircraft can carry two 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions internally and will use on-board avionics for navigation and weapons delivery support. In the future air-to-ground capability will be enhanced with the addition of an upgraded radar and up to eight small diameter bombs. The Raptor will also carry two AIM-120s and two AIM-9s in the air-to-ground configuration.

- A combination of sensor capability, integrated avionics, situational awareness, and weapons provides first-kill opportunity against threats. The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite allowing the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected. Significant advances in cockpit design and sensor fusion improve the pilot's situational awareness. In the air-to-air configuration the Raptor carries six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders.

- The F-22 engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine. The combination of sleek aerodynamic design and increased thrust allows the F-22 to cruise at supersonic air speeds (greater than 1.5 Mach) without using afterburner -- a characteristic known as super cruise. Super cruise greatly expands the F-22 's operating envelope in both speed and range over current fighters, which must use fuel-consuming afterburner to operate at supersonic speeds.

- The sophisticated F-22 aerodesign, advanced flight controls, thrust vectoring, and high thrust-to-weight ratio provide the capability to outmaneuver all current and projected aircraft. The F-22 design has been extensively tested and refined aerodynamically during the development process.

- The F-22's characteristics provide a synergistic effect ensuring F-22A lethality against all advanced air threats. The combination of stealth, integrated avionics and supercruise drastically shrinks surface-to-air missile engagement envelopes and minimizes enemy capabilities to track and engage the F-22. The combination of reduced observability and supercruise accentuates the advantage of surprise in a tactical environment.

=========================================

General characteristics :-

-----------------------------------

- Primary function: air dominance, multi-role fighter.

- Contractor: Lockheed-Martin, Boeing.

- Power plant: two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles.

- Thrust: 35,000-pound class (each engine).

- Wingspan: 44 feet, 6 inches (13.6 meters).

- Length: 62 feet, 1 inch (18.9 meters).

- Height: 16 feet, 8 inches (5.1 meters).

- Weight: 43,340 pounds (19,700 kilograms).

- Maximum takeoff weight: 83,500 pounds (38,000 kilograms).

- Fuel capacity: internal: 18,000 pounds (8,200 kilograms); with 2 external wing fuel tanks: 26,000 pounds (11,900 kilograms).

- Payload: same as armament air-to-air or air-to-ground loadouts; with or without two external wing fuel tanks.

- Speed: mach two class with supercruise capability.

- Range: more than 1,850 miles ferry range with two external wing fuel tanks (1,600 nautical miles).

- Ceiling: above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers).

- Armament: one M61A2 20-millimeter cannon with 480 rounds, internal side weapon bays carriage of two AIM-9 infrared (heat seeking) air-to-air missiles and internal main weapon bays carriage of six AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles (air-to-air loadout) or two 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAMs and two AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles (air-to-ground loadout).

- Crew: one .

- Unit cost: $143 million .

- Initial operating capability: December 2005 .

- Inventory: total force, 183 .

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photos by Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

A late April 2019 visit to Croome in Worcestershire, the estate is now run by the National Trust. Croome Park is quite big, and you can walk around the grounds and see the various landmarks there.

Croome Court

Croome Court is a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire, England. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Croome Court is a Grade I listed building.

Listing Text

SO 84 SE CROOME D'ABITOT CROOME COURT

3/12 Croome Court

(formerly listed as

Croome Court with Stables,

11.8.52 Garden Room or Temple,

Principal Lodge, Lodge on

west, and Panorama)

GV I

Country House 1751-2 by Lancelot (Capability) Brown with advice from Sanderson

Miller. Interior work from 1760 by Robert Adam. Built for 6th Earl of

Coventry. Limestone ashlar Palladian mansion with principal North and South

fronts of 11 bays. Basement and 2 storeys with 3 storey end pavilions. Slate

roofs, pyramidal over corner towers and 3 paired axial chimneys, pair linked

by arches. 1-3-3-3-1 division with pedimented centre to North and fine pro-

jecting Ionic tetrastyle portico to South. Modillion cornice and balustrade to

flanking wings. Moulded window architraves enriched with flat cornices on

ground floor main range, pediments to North front pavilions and Venetian win-

dows to South front pavilions. Roman Doric curved pediment doorcase to North

front, flat cornice on consoles over South door. Chamfered quoins to project-

ing centre and to end pavilions. Fine 2 armed balustraded stair to North door

and broad straight flight up to South door flanked by cast stone sphinxes.

INTERIOR partly Brown with plasterwork by G Vassalli, partly Robert Adam with

plaster by J Rose Jr. 2 Adam rooms removed to New York and London. Spine

corridor with stone stair at East end with moulded underside and iron balu-

strade. NORTH SIDE: Entrance hall with 4 fluted Doric columns and Palladian

moulded doorcases, to East, dining-room with plaster cornice and ceiling,

original pelmets, to West, billiard-room with fielded panelling, plaster cor-

nice and rococo fireplace. These rooms, probably decorated c.1758-9, probably

by Brown. SOUTH SIDE: Fine central Saloon with elaborate deep coved ceiling

with 3 embellished panels and rich cornice, fine Palladian doorcases and 2

marble Ionic columned fireplaces. Room probably by Brown and Vassalli. To

East former tapestry room now dismantled; ceiling a copy of original by R Adam

and J Rose. Beyond, former library by R Adam, largely dismantled; marble fire-

place. To West, drawing-room with shallow rococo-style plaster and marble

fireplace. At WEST END, Gallery by R Adam 1764, with half-hexagonal bay to

garden, elaborate octagonal panelled ceiling by J Rose, plaster reliefs of

griffins, painted grisaille panels and marble caryatid fireplace by J Wilton.

Attached at East end, SERVICE WING: L plan, red brick and stone with slate

hipped roofs. 2 storey. Stone plinth, band, moulded eaves cornice and

Chamfered quoins. Glazing bar sash windows with gauged brick heads. Red brick

wall joins service wing to stable court beyond: 2 rusticated stone gate piers,

one still with ball finial. CL 10.4.1915. A T Bolton: The architecture of

R and J Adam 1922. D Stroud: Capability Brown 1975. G Bead: Decorative

Plasterwork 1975. R Adam and Croome Court Connoisseur October 1953.

Listing NGR: SO8849444596

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.

Weather vanes seen from the Walled Gardens.

This magnificent informal landscape garden was laid out in the 18th century by 'Capability' Brown and further developed in the early years of the 20th century by its owner, Arthur G. Soames. The original four lakes form the centrepiece. There are dramatic shows of daffodils and bluebells in spring, and the rhododendrons and azaleas are spectacular in early summer. Autumn brings stunning colours from the many rare trees and shrubs, and winter walks can be enjoyed in this garden for all seasons. Visitors can now also explore South Park, 107 hectares (265 acres) of historic parkland, with stunning views.

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

Croome, Worcestershire. Both house and gardens at Croome Court were designed by Capability Brown between 1751-2, rebuilding an earlier house from the 1640s. The estate was requisitioned in WW2, but was not used for troops, being offered to the Dutch Royal family, but nearby, and partly within the grounds, RAF Defford was established, an important location for the Telecommunications Research Establishment. They left in 1957 as the runways were too short. The house was sold by the Croome Estate Trust in 1948, and became St Josephs Special School until 1979. Taken over by the Hare Krishna movement, it became known as Chaitanya College with involvement from George Harrison, who created recording studios within the house. They left in 1984 and the house was used for several short-term activities, including a training centre; apartments; a restaurant and conference centre; a hotel and golf course, and a private family home. In 2007, it was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust, who leased it to the National Trust. Croome Court is grade 1 listed.

Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore, Worcestershire, West Midlands, England - Croome Court, High Green

June 2025

SAC 02

Boeing C-17A Globemaster III

NATO Strategic Airlift Capability

08-0002

cn F-210

477FF2

BRK Hungarian Air Force

based LHPA Papa AB for NATO

EYSA 030850Z 31012KT 9999 BKN010 BKN015 OVC019 15/13 Q1008 GRN NOSIG

A late April 2019 visit to Croome in Worcestershire, the estate is now run by the National Trust. Croome Park is quite big, and you can walk around the grounds and see the various landmarks there.

Croome Court

Croome Court is a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore in south Worcestershire, England. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.

The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust, and is leased to the National Trust which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.

Croome Court is a Grade I listed building.

Listing Text

SO 84 SE CROOME D'ABITOT CROOME COURT

3/12 Croome Court

(formerly listed as

Croome Court with Stables,

11.8.52 Garden Room or Temple,

Principal Lodge, Lodge on

west, and Panorama)

GV I

Country House 1751-2 by Lancelot (Capability) Brown with advice from Sanderson

Miller. Interior work from 1760 by Robert Adam. Built for 6th Earl of

Coventry. Limestone ashlar Palladian mansion with principal North and South

fronts of 11 bays. Basement and 2 storeys with 3 storey end pavilions. Slate

roofs, pyramidal over corner towers and 3 paired axial chimneys, pair linked

by arches. 1-3-3-3-1 division with pedimented centre to North and fine pro-

jecting Ionic tetrastyle portico to South. Modillion cornice and balustrade to

flanking wings. Moulded window architraves enriched with flat cornices on

ground floor main range, pediments to North front pavilions and Venetian win-

dows to South front pavilions. Roman Doric curved pediment doorcase to North

front, flat cornice on consoles over South door. Chamfered quoins to project-

ing centre and to end pavilions. Fine 2 armed balustraded stair to North door

and broad straight flight up to South door flanked by cast stone sphinxes.

INTERIOR partly Brown with plasterwork by G Vassalli, partly Robert Adam with

plaster by J Rose Jr. 2 Adam rooms removed to New York and London. Spine

corridor with stone stair at East end with moulded underside and iron balu-

strade. NORTH SIDE: Entrance hall with 4 fluted Doric columns and Palladian

moulded doorcases, to East, dining-room with plaster cornice and ceiling,

original pelmets, to West, billiard-room with fielded panelling, plaster cor-

nice and rococo fireplace. These rooms, probably decorated c.1758-9, probably

by Brown. SOUTH SIDE: Fine central Saloon with elaborate deep coved ceiling

with 3 embellished panels and rich cornice, fine Palladian doorcases and 2

marble Ionic columned fireplaces. Room probably by Brown and Vassalli. To

East former tapestry room now dismantled; ceiling a copy of original by R Adam

and J Rose. Beyond, former library by R Adam, largely dismantled; marble fire-

place. To West, drawing-room with shallow rococo-style plaster and marble

fireplace. At WEST END, Gallery by R Adam 1764, with half-hexagonal bay to

garden, elaborate octagonal panelled ceiling by J Rose, plaster reliefs of

griffins, painted grisaille panels and marble caryatid fireplace by J Wilton.

Attached at East end, SERVICE WING: L plan, red brick and stone with slate

hipped roofs. 2 storey. Stone plinth, band, moulded eaves cornice and

Chamfered quoins. Glazing bar sash windows with gauged brick heads. Red brick

wall joins service wing to stable court beyond: 2 rusticated stone gate piers,

one still with ball finial. CL 10.4.1915. A T Bolton: The architecture of

R and J Adam 1922. D Stroud: Capability Brown 1975. G Bead: Decorative

Plasterwork 1975. R Adam and Croome Court Connoisseur October 1953.

Listing NGR: SO8849444596

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.

Seen opposite the Temple Greenhouse.

Temple Newsam is a 15th centuryTudor-Jacobean house in Leeds, famous as the birthplace of Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown.

The manor of Newsam was owned by the Knights Templar in the 12th century before the estate passed to the Darcy family, and Thomas, Lord Darcy built the first manor house here in about 1500. One wing of Darcy's original manor survives as the central block of the current house.

Darcy was executed for treason for his part in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1537and his lands were seized by the crown. Henry VIII gave Newsam to the Countess of Lennox, and her son, Henry, Lord Darnley was born and raised here. After Darnley's murder, Elizabeth I seized the estate, and the house languished in a state of neglect until 1622 when it was purchased by Sir Arthur Ingram. Ingram tore down much of the earlier manor house and built two large new wings to form the basis of the house we see today.

In 1758 Charles, 9th Lord Irwin, married a rich heiress and used her money to transform the interior of Temple Newsam and fill it with a collection of fine art including Old Master works. They hired James Wyatt to build a grand staircase, and Capability Brown to create the landscape garden that surrounds the house.

The house was the home of the Ingram family for over 300 years until 1922 when Lord Halifax sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future. The house and estate are now owned by Leeds City Council and open to the public.

Broadway Tower is a folly on Broadway Hill, near the village of Broadway, in Worcestershire. It stands on a hill 1,024 feet above sea level. The tower itself stands 65 feet high.

The idea for the tower was conceived by Capability Brown and designed by James Wyatt. It was built in 1798.

CAPABILITY DEMO TAKES CROWD BY SURPRISE.

.

Seated, hearing protection in place, evacuation directives issued, potential Army Recruits, families and friends, attending 9 BDE’s annual Smithfield Careers Day on Sunday 18 April 2010 at 3/9 LH (SAMR) Broadmeadows Road, Elizabeth Training Depot, Smithfield, failed to noticed the slow moving Light Cavalry Patrol entering the designated demonstration area. Without notice or any time to digest the situation, the crowd was abruptly startled by the crack of a simulated improvised roadside bomb. .

.

With the threat of further mines still at hand and the lead Light Cavalry Patrol vehicle disabled, the remaining vehicles with their 10/27 RSAR Infantry soldiers, were forced to request the support, ironically, from the Engineers from 3 FD SQN to clear the road of any additional simulated mines. .

.

To the crowd’s delight, the display continued with heavy radio traffic from a small Forward Observation Patrol, finally resulting in the detection of an enemy Observation Point. A request for Artillery support ensued and a four man team from 9 BDE’s 48 FD BTY provided suppressing fire to the target, denying the enemy the ability to further impact the patrols mission. .

.

With Artillery Fire called in and the area eventually cleared, the scenario called for the Engineers and the Cavalry Patrol to withdraw and return to their base for refurbishment prior to continuing the simulated mission..

.

For more information contact “Chop” on 0413 645 099 or (08) 8254 6177

This magnificent informal landscape garden was laid out in the 18th century by 'Capability' Brown and further developed in the early years of the 20th century by its owner, Arthur G. Soames. The original four lakes form the centrepiece. There are dramatic shows of daffodils and bluebells in spring, and the rhododendrons and azaleas are spectacular in early summer. Autumn brings stunning colours from the many rare trees and shrubs, and winter walks can be enjoyed in this garden for all seasons. Visitors can now also explore South Park, 107 hectares (265 acres) of historic parkland, with stunning views.

This has been a turning point in the history of the Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast (HQ MNC NE). With the successful completion of the exercise „Brilliant Capability 2016”, the Corps – Custodian of Regional Security – has become operationally capable to assume command of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, also referred to as the “spearhead force”. I strongly believe that our team effort will provide tremendous value to NATO. – said Lieutenant General Manfred Hofmann, the Corps Commander, on the occasion of the Distinguished Visitors Day, which took place in Szczecin, 2nd June.

Temple Newsam is a 15th centuryTudor-Jacobean house in Leeds, famous as the birthplace of Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown.

The manor of Newsam was owned by the Knights Templar in the 12th century before the estate passed to the Darcy family, and Thomas, Lord Darcy built the first manor house here in about 1500. One wing of Darcy's original manor survives as the central block of the current house.

Darcy was executed for treason for his part in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1537and his lands were seized by the crown. Henry VIII gave Newsam to the Countess of Lennox, and her son, Henry, Lord Darnley was born and raised here. After Darnley's murder, Elizabeth I seized the estate, and the house languished in a state of neglect until 1622 when it was purchased by Sir Arthur Ingram. Ingram tore down much of the earlier manor house and built two large new wings to form the basis of the house we see today.

In 1758 Charles, 9th Lord Irwin, married a rich heiress and used her money to transform the interior of Temple Newsam and fill it with a collection of fine art including Old Master works. They hired James Wyatt to build a grand staircase, and Capability Brown to create the landscape garden that surrounds the house.

The house was the home of the Ingram family for over 300 years until 1922 when Lord Halifax sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future. The house and estate are now owned by Leeds City Council and open to the public.

Enhancing the capability of your weblog or web site to be discovered is what lookup motor optimization is all about, but it can nevertheless be a fairly perplexing idea for numerous individuals out there. Comprehending how to properly optimize webpages is an obtained capability, and right here are a couple of suggestions you can use to develop… Study the relaxation www.serprank.com/articles/seo-articles/seo-strategies-to-...

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo

The Fort Knox energy team demonstrated during an Energy Security Project ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday the installation’s capability to operate independently of external power sources using natural gas from beneath the post’s surface – a first for a U.S. military installation.

The project was originally conceived to address mission readiness issues experienced in 2009 when an ice storm left Fort Knox and much of Kentucky without power for several consecutive days.

The harvesting of renewable methane gas on post in recent years and the installation’s six new energy substations that include gas generators now allow Fort Knox to continue 100 percent of its operations if power from the external utility provider is cut off. The post’s 3.7 megawatts of solar arrays and 6 million square feet of building space that is heated and cooled using geothermal energy has allowed the post to reduce its dependency on using other power sources, such as gas, as well.

“We’re giving back gold to the taxpayers,” said Garrison Commander Col. T.J. Edwards. “Our (Directorate of Public Works) estimates that we will save about $8 million per year from peak shaving.”

Peak shaving des-cribes another primary purpose of the Energy Security Project – switching to Fort Knox-produced power when energy demand strains the off-post energy utility, which is also when costs to purchase energy are at its highest. Com- bined with the savings achieved through geothermal heating and cooling, Fort Knox’s annual energy utility bill is projected to be $18 million less.

“Our energy team is special,” said Edwards. “We’ve won nine conse- cutive Secretary of the Army energy awards. But we don’t sit on our laurels. We’re constantly getting after it, asking how do we get better.”

Katherine Ham-mack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, addressed the criticality for installations to maintain operating capability at all times.

“Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly de- ploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe, she

said. “And it’s for that

reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations.”

Fort Knox’s ability to achieve this “resilience” was credited by the secretary and garrison commander as a result of Fort Knox Director-ate of Public Works, contracting command and legal officials working to establish partnerships with third parties whose expertise is in the energy field. As an example, Edwards singled out Brandon Marcum, an engineer and Harshaw Trane subcontractor for Nolin RECC, as a central figure in creating and developing the concept that became the Energy Security Project.

“We have authorities to work with third parties, leveraging core competency, capability and funding to enable us to meet our mission,” said Hammack. “The private sector partners have stepped up to help the Army in meeting our mission requirements.”

Nolin RECC staff gave the audience of about 150 area and military leaders, Fort Knox employees and area community members an inside look at its energy security bunker through a live video stream. Attendees were told how all of the systems function to achieve energy independence and peak shave. The built-in redundancies to prevent power failure – such as an off-site energy security bunker and the multiple, secured substations – were touted as well during the demonstration.

The formal celebration of the occasion involved a unique twist. Dignitaries and Army leaders didn’t cut a ribbon, they unplugged a ribbon. The ribbon was an LED cord, and when it was unplugged in the middle, the side connected to the Fort Knox power source stayed lit, symbolizing Fort Knox’s energy independence.

“Kentucky is very proud of the efforts here,” said Dave Thompson, Kentucky Commission on Mili-tary Affairs executive director. “We see Fort Knox as a growing in- stallation with undeniable potential for the future. Job well done.”

For more information about Fort Knox’s energy initiatives, read Capt. Jo Smoke’s story in the March 26 edition of The Gold Standard, titled “The Army’s only green island: 20 years of energy investments pay off,” which can be found at bit.ly/1FY4MT5. To learn more about the Energy Security Project visit youtu.be/CxNH7m0cdfw.

Photo By Renee Rhodes Fort Knox Photo