Special thanx to Mike

Doyle and ALL of the No Starch Press staff. Also to my Mom from whom my creativity springs

German bunker - Utah beach - Normandy, France

 

Utah Beach - Normandy, France.

 

Utah beach is the codename for the westernmost of the 5 Allied landing zones during D-day. It is the only beach on the Cotentin peninsula and closest to the vital harbour city of Cherbourg. Together with Omaha beach it is the sector where the American forces were disembarked. The amphibious assault, primarily by the US 4th Infantry Division and 70th Tank Battalion, was supported by airborne landings of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division. These Airborne troops were dropped on the Cotentin penisula.

 

In stark contrast with Omaha beach where the landing turned into a near disaster with most of the troops pinned down for hours with heavy losses in both men and material the landings at Utah went relatively smooth. This does not mean the GI's came ashore unopposed: some 200 casualties were suffered by the 4th division.

 

One of the factors that contributed to this success was that the preliminary bombing of the target areas here was accurate and the German forces - in contrast with what happened at Omaha beach - were in disarray at H-hour, 06:30, when the first wave of 20 landing craft approached the beach. The GI's of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry landed on Uncle Red and Tare Green sectors. What they didn't know initially was that pushed to the south by strong currents they landed some 1.8 kilometres south of their designated landing spot!

 

Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was the first high ranking officer that landed and , not discouraged by the dviation, he decided to "start the war from right here". He ordered further landings to be re-routed. As it was this was a good decision because the Americans landed on a relative weak spot in the German defenses. Only one "Widerstandsnest" (WN5) opposed them and it was severely affected by the preliminary bombardments. It took the GI's about an hour to clear the defenses. Today the remains of this German widestandsnest can still be seen and are partly incorporated into the Utah beach museum. Well worth a visit.

 

After the succesful landings the real difficulties started because of the inundated areas behind the beach and the increasing German resistance which lead to weeks of fighting on the Cotentin peninsula.

 

On the Photo:

German type R 667 bunker on the coastal road just behind Utah beach. Part of the "Atlantic wall" .

 

Tonemapped using three (handheld) shots made with a Fuji X-Pro3 and Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens, augustus 2020.

 

A set of photo's with notes of Utah Beach and the Cotentin peninsula with the Airborne sectors.

 

Here's the complete set of photo's made on Pointe du Hoc over the past years

 

My Omaha beach photo's with several viewpoints, panorama shots and notes on the fighting

 

These are my photo's and notes of the British and Canadian sectors: Gold, Juno and Sword.

Casa Batlló is a renowned building located in the centre of Barcelona and is one of Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after that. Gaudí's assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta and Joan Rubió also contributed to the renovation project. The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality.

 

Like everything Gaudí designed, it is only identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, has unusual tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work. There are few straight lines, and much of the façade is decorated with a colorful mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís). The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the lance of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudí's home), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.

 

Palermo, Sicily

 

Saint George of the Genoese (Italian: San Giorgio dei Genovesi) is a Renaissance-style, Roman Catholic church located near the port of La Cala, on Via Buon Pastore in the ancient quarter of the Loggia, in Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy.

 

Before the construction of this church the Genoese community of Palermo celebrated its religious services in a chapel located in the complex of San Francesco d'Assisi. In 1576 the Genoese bought the little church of San Luca and the surrounding land, located near the port. They demolished the old church and planned the construction of a new temple dedicated to their patron, Saint George.

 

The architectural project was produced by Giorgio Di Faccio with the assistance of Battista Carabbio. The construction of the church was the result of the new financial balance of power of the city. In fact, the Genoeses overtook the Pisans in the context of banking in the Kingdom of Sicily. Many rich Genoese families contributed to the construction. The church was completed in 1596.

 

The church hosts the burial of the famous female painter Sofonisba Anguissola.

 

The church now lies at the edge of the urban settlement, cornered by the interstate highway and Via Cavour. To the north are is the dilapidated monument to the Obelisk for the 13 Victims dedicated to the revolutionaries shot near here by Bourbon authorities a month prior to the liberation by Garibaldi.

This grand landmark structure has greeted railway passengers arriving in the city for more than 80 years. The Adelaide Railway Station marks a period of transformation in the state’s railway system. It was a celebrated achievement at the time, but it was also mired in controversy.

 

In the early 1920s South Australia’s railway system was in a dismal state. The state government brought out Ohio-born William Alfred Webb from the United States to make improvements.

 

As the new Railway Commissioner, Webb made major changes. He built stronger bridges and bought bigger locomotives. He also decentralised railway administration, giving greater control to divisional superintendents. Within a few years, he had revolutionised the state’s railways.

 

Unfortunately, Webb did not foresee that automobiles would soon outpace rail.

 

Although mainly positive, Webb’s program and the building of the railway station came with a big price tag. The Railway Commissioner was heavily criticised and was the subject of debate in Parliament. His spending contributed to the near bankruptcy of the State Government by 1929. As the Great Depression set in, Webb returned to the US with a tarnished reputation. [Ref: Adelaide City Explorer]

 

THE RAILWAY STATION BUILDING

Foundation Stone Laying. Mr Gunn's Final Official Act

A noteworthy ceremony in the history of the State will take place at 11 am today, when the retiring Premier (Hon J Gunn) will lay the foundation stone of the new railway station at North Terrace.

 

Invitations for the occasion have been sent to members of the Ministry, members of both Houses of Parliament, and other representative citizens. It is also expected that the public generally will attend in large numbers. The Premier, who has authorized the whole of the detailed expenditure, in the work to date, and manifested a keen interest in its progress will, by this act, fittingly celebrate in a public way the termination of his position as Minister of Railways. The stone is to be set in the main portion of the facade, near the entrance to the ramp.

 

The building was begun at the end of last year, and it is expected to be completed by July, 1928. In addition to the usual railway facilities, accommodation will be provided for the whole of the clerical staff in Adelaide, numbering approximately 400. The frontage to North terrace is 225 ft and to a new roadway on the east, 390 ft. The whole construction is to be of reinforced concrete and steel frame, with brick cement walls. The height for the present will be of four floors with flat roof, and allowance has been made in the design for the addition of three extra floors at a future date. The floor area of the building is 303,000 super feet. The main passenger concourse is 370 ft by 41 ft by 40 ft high, covering 16 railheads. The main waiting hall is in the form of a Maltese cross, measuring 120 ft each way, with a concrete dome in the centre, 45 ft diameter, of a height of 70 ft above the floor level, supported by eight Ionic columns each 30 ft high, the four annexes each being 45 ft by 38 ft by 25 ft high. Country and suburban ticket halls each 100 ft by 25 ft by 25 ft high are arranged on the street level, with ramp and stair approaches to the passenger concourse, which is 18 ft 6 in below. The area of the parcels and luggage offices is approximately 30,000 super feet. In the construction of the building 2,250,000 bricks will be used, 20,000 cubic yards of concrete, and 1,200 tons of structural steel. The whole of the exterior elevations, the passenger concourse, the main waiting room, and ticket halls, will be finished with white cement and brown sand. All windows, doors, and office partitions throughout will be of steel: thus the whole building will be entirely fireproof. Immediately under the main waiting hall on the platform level will be a large, public dining room, 90 ft each way, adjoining which is to be a quick-lunch cafe, 70 ft by 36 ft. A hot water heating system is to be installed throughout, and the building will be replete with the most modern appliances, including a vacuum cleaning plant and tube system. The total cost is approximately £400,000.

 

The cloak room is the first office to have permanent quarters in the new building, and it is located on the extreme northeastern corner, and a start has already been made in the demolition of the old office near the assembly platform. The counters of the new quarters are polished hardwood, and the racks are convenient and commodious, the windows forming an artistic design in Flemish leadlight. The work on the station is being carried out departmentally, and 140 men are employed thereon. Up-to-date appliances are in use, including air compressors, concrete mixers, and other mechanical devices. At one period it was thought that work would be delayed, owing to the acceptance of the tender for steel girders being hung up. but it was kept going by the substitution of concrete piers, which incidentally, occupy more room. The acting chief engineer of railways (Mr C B Anderson) has the direct supervision of the undertaking, and the superintending officer (Mr J G Carson), who was formerly in charge of the construction of the new railway bridge over the River Murray at Murray Bridge, has charge of the outside work. The plans were drawn by Messrs Garlick & Jackman, architects, and the details for departmental purposes have been worked out by Mr A M Bonython (structural draftsman). [Ref: Register 24-8-1926]

 

New Railway Station

It has been decided by the Railway Department officials that there will be no official opening of the new Adelaide Station.

 

Following a previous announcement that a limited number would be asked to make an inspection of the premises, Mr W A Webb (Railways Commissioner) was besieged with applications for invitations. [Ref: News 16-7-1928]

 

NEW RAILWAY STATION

An inspection of. the new Railway Station offices in Adelaide will be made this morning by citizens who have been invited to do so by the Minister of Railways (Hon R LButler). [Ref: Register 30-7-1928]

 

WEIGH BABY AT THE ADELAIDE RAILWAY STATION

In many countries in the world at the present time there are Baby Health Centres at large railway depots where mothers, arriving in a strange city with babies, or waiting to catch a train can take their infants to be weighed and get advice on all matters pertaining to feeding and general care from a competent certified nurse.

 

Fully appreciating the value of the splendid work done at railway stations by Baby Welfare institutions, the Commissioner of Railways (Mr W A Webb) has placed a room in the new Adelaide railway station at the disposal of the Mothers' and Babies' Health Association, better known under the old title of School for Mothers.

 

This centre will be opened on Monday, 16 July. A trained nurse will be in attendance each week day from 9.30 am, 1 pm and from 2.0, 4.30 pm.

The large comfortable room that is to be the centre of the nurse’s activities has an entrance off the main waiting room on a level with North Terrace.

 

Numerous signs boards are being erected by the railway authorities to direct mothers to this room.

Take your baby to be weighed and seek the nurse's advice when next you are at the Adelaide station. [Ref: Bunyip (Gawler) 13-7-1928]

 

2019 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling National Championships. Held at the PPG Arena in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Photos by Tech-Fall contributing photographers

A group of Italian tourists waited patiently while I took the previous shot at the entrance to this picturesque alley. They politely waited for me to finish - very considerate indeed. I thanked them for their kindness and suggested they should proceed since they would vanish from a long exposure shot. Cheerfully they complied, calling out bona sera, except for one man who seemed rather suspicious. He waited to see proof of vanishing Italians (and one woman with a urinating dog whose nationality I did not check). He was visibly impatient and fidgeting by half way into the minute exposure. When the shutter closed and the image came up he acknowledged, a little sniffily, that I was right and continued a little unsteadily on his way.

 

Honfleur is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy en.normandie-tourisme.fr/normandy-tourism-109-2.html in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. Its inhabitants are called Honfleurais. It is especially known for its old, beautiful picturesque port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted many times by artists, including in particular Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind, forming the école de Honfleur (Honfleur school) which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement. The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a bell tower separate from the principal building, is the largest church made out of wood in France. The first written record of Honfleur is a reference by Richard III, Duke of Normandy, in 1027. By the middle of the 12th century, the city represented a significant transit point for goods from Rouen to England. Located on the estuary of one of the principal rivers of France with a safe harbour and relatively rich hinterland, Honfleur profited from its strategic position from the start of the Hundred Years' War. The town's defences were strengthened by Charles V in order to protect the estuary of the Seine from attacks from the English. This was supported by the nearby port of Harfleur. However, Honfleur was taken and occupied by the English in 1357 and from 1419 to 1450. When under French control, raiding parties often set out from the port to ransack the English coasts, including partially destroying the town of Sandwich, in Kent, England, in the 1450s. At the end of the Hundred Years' War, Honfleur benefited from the boom in maritime trade until the end of the 18th century. Trade was disturbed during the wars of religion in the 16th century. The port saw the departure of a number of explorers, in particular in 1503 of Binot Paulmierde Gonneville to the coasts of Brazil. In 1506, local man Jean Denis departed for Newfoundland island and the mouth of the Saint Lawrence. An expedition in 1608, organised by Samuel de Champlain, founded the city of Quebec in modern day Canada. After 1608, Honfleur thrived on trade with Canada, the West Indies, the African coasts and the Azores. As a result, the town became one of the five principal ports for the slave trade in France. During this time the rapid growth of the town saw the demolition of its fortifications on the orders of Colbert. The wars of the French revolution and the First Empire, and in particular the continental blockade, caused the ruin of Honfleur. It only partially recovered during the 19th century with the trading of wood from northern Europe. Trade was however limited by the silting up of the entrance to the port and development of the modern port at Le Havre. The port however still functions today. On August 25, 1944, Honfleur was liberated together by the British army - 19th Platoon of the 12th Devon's, 6th Air Landing Brigade, the Belgian army (Brigade Piron) on 25 August 1944.[1] and the Canadian army without any combat. en.normandie-tourisme.fr/articles/honfleur-278-2.html

Delaware & Hudson Bldg. - Albany Evening Journal - Flemish Gothic - 1918

The SUNY System Administration Building, formerly the Delaware & Hudson Railroad Building, is a public office building located at the intersection of Broadway and State Street in downtown Albany, New York. Locally the building and land it sits on is referred to as State University Plaza, or the D&H Plaza;[2][3] prior to the construction of the Empire State Plaza it was simply "The Plaza".[4][5] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 as Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company Building.[1] In 1980, when the Downtown Albany Historic District was listed on the Register, it was included as a contributing property.

 

The central tower is thirteen stories high and is capped by an 8-foot-tall (2.4 m) working weathervane that is a replica of Henry Hudson's Half Moon. The State University of New York is centrally administered from this location. The southern tower's four top floors are the official residence of the Chancellor of SUNY. 228

contributed to my wife

Spectacular view of Multnomah Falls, Oregon, especially contributed by the viewing bridge 100 ft above the lower cascade.

The Glasshouse is an international centre for musical education and concerts on the Gateshead bank of Quayside in northern England. Opened in 2004 as Sage Gateshead and occupied by North Music Trust The venue's original name honours a patron: the accountancy software company The Sage Group.

 

History

Planning for the centre began in the early 1990s, when the orchestra of Sage Gateshead, Royal Northern Sinfonia, with encouragement from Northern Arts, began working on plans for a new concert hall. They were soon joined by regional folk music development agency Folkworks, which ensured that the needs of the region's traditional music were taken into consideration and represented in Sage Gateshead's programme of concerts, alongside Rock, Pop, Dance, Hip Hop, classical, jazz, acoustic, indie, country and world, Practice spaces for professional musicians, students and amateurs were an important part of the provision.

 

The planning and construction process cost over £70 million, which was raised primarily through National Lottery grants. The contractor was Laing O'Rourke. The centre has a range of patrons, notably Sage Group which contributed a large sum of money to have the building named after it. Sage plc has helped support the charitable activities of Sage Gateshead since its conception. The venue opened over the weekend 17–19 December 2004.

 

Sage Gateshead was developed by Foster and Partners following an architectural design competition launched in 1997 and managed by RIBA Competitions. Over 100 architects registered their interest and 12 – a mixture of local, national and international talent – were invited to prepare concept designs. A shortlist of six was then interviewed with Foster and Partners unanimously selected as the winner. The Design has gone on to win a number of awards: the RIBA Inclusive Design Award, Civic Trust Award and The Journal North East Landmark of the Year Award.

 

As a conference venue, the building hosted the Labour Party's Spring conference in February 2005 and the Liberal Democrat Party conference in March 2012. On 18 August 2009, Sage Gateshead was selected to host the 2010 and 2011 National Union of Students annual conference. The 2010 Annual Conference took place 13–15 April 2010.

 

In 2022 The Sage Group announced that they were also sponsoring a new development that is being built next to Sage Gateshead which will be called The Sage. Sage Gateshead announced that they will be finding a new name for the venue prior to The Sage opening in 2024. On 13 September 2023 the venue announced its new name, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.

 

Building

The centre occupies a curved glass and stainless steel building designed by Foster and Partners, Buro Happold (structural engineering), Mott MacDonald (engineering consultants) and Arup (acoustics), with views of Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides, the Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

 

The Glasshouse contains three performance spaces; a 1,700-seater, a 450-seater, and a smaller rehearsal and performance hall, the Northern Rock Foundation Hall. The rest of the building was designed around these three spaces to allow for maximum attention to detail in their acoustic properties. Structurally it is three separate buildings, insulated from each other to prevent noise and vibration travelling between them. The gaps between them may be seen as one walks around inside. A special 'spongy' concrete mix was used in the construction, with a higher-than-usual air capacity to improve the acoustic. These three buildings are enclosed (but not touched) by the now-famous glass and steel shell. Sage One was intended as an acoustically perfect space, modelled on the Musikverein in Vienna. Its ceiling panels may be raised and lowered and curtains drawn across the ribbed wooden side walls, changing the sound profile of the room to suit any type of music. Sage Two is a smaller venue, possibly the world's only ten-sided performance space.

 

The building is open to the public throughout the day.

 

Concerts

The Glasshouse will host concerts from a wide range of internationally famous artists, and those who have played at the venue include Above and Beyond, Blondie, James Brown, Bonobo, Andy Cutting, De La Soul, Nick Cave, George Clinton, Bill Callahan, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dillinger, Grace Jones, Gretchen Peters, Elbow, Explosions in the Sky, the Fall, Herbie Hancock, Mogwai, Morrissey, Mumford & Sons, Pet Shop Boys, Sunn O))), Nancy Sinatra, Snarky Puppy, Sting, Yellowman, Shane Filan of Westlife and others. In February 2015, it was one of the hosts of the second annual BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.

 

It is also home to Royal Northern Sinfonia, of which The Guardian wrote there is "no better chamber orchestra in Britain", and frequently hosts other visiting orchestras from around the world. The current music director for Royal Northern Sinfonia is the pianist and conductor Lars Vogt. In late 2014, Royal Northern Sinfonia collaborated with John Grant, performing at Sage Gateshead, and other venues throughout the UK. Recordings from this tour were made available as a limited edition CD and 12" record via Rough Trade Records in 2015.

 

Opinion

There has been popular debate surrounding what was Sage Gateshead. The venue is popular in the local area because of its concerts, and also its accessible learning courses for all ages and its constant interaction with local schools and academies through programmes such as Sing Up and the option of school visits.

 

Awards

2019: UK National Lottery 25th Birthday Award - Best Arts, Culture and Film

2019: Julie's Bicycle Creative Green 2 Star

2019: Gold Standard - Attitude is Everything

2018: Gold Award for Inclusive Tourism (North East Tourism Awards)

2018: Gold Award for Business Tourism (Visit England Awards for Excellence)

2005: Local Authority Building of the Year

2005: British Construction Industry Awards

2005: RIBA Award for Inclusive Design

 

Gateshead is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. The town shares the Millennium Bridge, Tyne Bridge and multiple other bridges with Newcastle upon Tyne.

 

Historically part of County Durham, under the Local Government Act 1888 the town was made a county borough, meaning it was administered independently of the county council.

 

In the 2011 Census, the town had a population of 120,046 while the wider borough had 200,214.

 

History

Gateshead is first mentioned in Latin translation in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People as ad caput caprae ("at the goat's head"). This interpretation is consistent with the later English attestations of the name, among them Gatesheued (c. 1190), literally "goat's head" but in the context of a place-name meaning 'headland or hill frequented by (wild) goats'. Although other derivations have been mooted, it is this that is given by the standard authorities.

 

A Brittonic predecessor, named with the element *gabro-, 'goat' (c.f. Welsh gafr), may underlie the name. Gateshead might have been the Roman-British fort of Gabrosentum.

 

Early

There has been a settlement on the Gateshead side of the River Tyne, around the old river crossing where the Swing Bridge now stands, since Roman times.

 

The first recorded mention of Gateshead is in the writings of the Venerable Bede who referred to an Abbot of Gateshead called Utta in 623. In 1068 William the Conqueror defeated the forces of Edgar the Ætheling and Malcolm king of Scotland (Shakespeare's Malcolm) on Gateshead Fell (now Low Fell and Sheriff Hill).

 

During medieval times Gateshead was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Durham. At this time the area was largely forest with some agricultural land. The forest was the subject of Gateshead's first charter, granted in the 12th century by Hugh du Puiset, Bishop of Durham. An alternative spelling may be "Gatishevede", as seen in a legal record, dated 1430.

 

Industrial revolution

Throughout the Industrial Revolution the population of Gateshead expanded rapidly; between 1801 and 1901 the increase was over 100,000. This expansion resulted in the spread southwards of the town.

 

In 1854, a catastrophic explosion on the quayside destroyed most of Gateshead's medieval heritage, and caused widespread damage on the Newcastle side of the river.

 

Sir Joseph Swan lived at Underhill, Low Fell, Gateshead from 1869 to 1883, where his experiments led to the invention of the electric light bulb. The house was the first in the world to be wired for domestic electric light.

 

In the 1889 one of the largest employers (Hawks, Crawshay and Company) closed down and unemployment has since been a burden. Up to the Second World War there were repeated newspaper reports of the unemployed sending deputations to the council to provide work. The depression years of the 1920s and 1930s created even more joblessness and the Team Valley Trading Estate was built in the mid-1930s to alleviate the situation.

 

Regeneration

In the late noughties, Gateshead Council started to regenerate the town, with the long-term aim of making Gateshead a city. The most extensive transformation occurred in the Quayside, with almost all the structures there being constructed or refurbished in this time.

 

In the early 2010s, regeneration refocused on the town centre. The £150 million Trinity Square development opened in May 2013, it incorporates student accommodation, a cinema, health centre and shops. It was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup in September 2014. The cup was however awarded to another development which involved Tesco, Woolwich Central.

 

Governance

In 1835, Gateshead was established as a municipal borough and in 1889 it was made a county borough, independent from Durham County Council.

 

In 1870, the Old Town Hall was built, designed by John Johnstone who also designed the previously built Newcastle Town Hall. The ornamental clock in front of the old town hall was presented to Gateshead in 1892 by the mayor, Walter de Lancey Willson, on the occasion of him being elected for a third time. He was also one of the founders of Walter Willson's, a chain of grocers in the North East and Cumbria. The old town hall also served as a magistrate's court and one of Gateshead's police stations.

 

Current

In 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972, the County Borough of Gateshead was merged with the urban districts of Felling, Whickham, Blaydon and Ryton and part of the rural district of Chester-le-Street to create the much larger Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead.

 

Geography

The town of Gateshead is in the North East of England in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear, and within the historic boundaries of County Durham. It is located on the southern bank of the River Tyne at a latitude of 54.57° N and a longitude of 1.35° W. Gateshead experiences a temperate climate which is considerably warmer than some other locations at similar latitudes as a result of the warming influence of the Gulf Stream (via the North Atlantic drift). It is located in the rain shadow of the North Pennines and is therefore in one of the driest regions of the United Kingdom.

 

One of the most distinguishing features of Gateshead is its topography. The land rises 230 feet from Gateshead Quays to the town centre and continues rising to a height of 525 feet at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Sheriff Hill. This is in contrast to the flat and low lying Team Valley located on the western edges of town. The high elevations allow for impressive views over the Tyne valley into Newcastle and across Tyneside to Sunderland and the North Sea from lookouts in Windmill Hills and Windy Nook respectively.

 

The Office for National Statistics defines the town as an urban sub-division. The latest (2011) ONS urban sub-division of Gateshead contains the historical County Borough together with areas that the town has absorbed, including Dunston, Felling, Heworth, Pelaw and Bill Quay.

 

Given the proximity of Gateshead to Newcastle, just south of the River Tyne from the city centre, it is sometimes incorrectly referred to as being a part of Newcastle. Gateshead Council and Newcastle City Council teamed up in 2000 to create a unified marketing brand name, NewcastleGateshead, to better promote the whole of the Tyneside conurbation.

 

Economy

Gateshead is home to the MetroCentre, the largest shopping mall in the UK until 2008; and the Team Valley Trading Estate, once the largest and still one of the larger purpose-built commercial estates in the UK.

 

Arts

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art has been established in a converted flour mill. The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, previously The Sage, a Norman Foster-designed venue for music and the performing arts opened on 17 December 2004. Gateshead also hosted the Gateshead Garden Festival in 1990, rejuvenating 200 acres (0.81 km2) of derelict land (now mostly replaced with housing). The Angel of the North, a famous sculpture in nearby Lamesley, is visible from the A1 to the south of Gateshead, as well as from the East Coast Main Line. Other public art include works by Richard Deacon, Colin Rose, Sally Matthews, Andy Goldsworthy, Gordon Young and Michael Winstone.

 

Traditional and former

The earliest recorded coal mining in the Gateshead area is dated to 1344. As trade on the Tyne prospered there were several attempts by the burghers of Newcastle to annex Gateshead. In 1576 a small group of Newcastle merchants acquired the 'Grand Lease' of the manors of Gateshead and Whickham. In the hundred years from 1574 coal shipments from Newcastle increased elevenfold while the population of Gateshead doubled to approximately 5,500. However, the lease and the abundant coal supplies ended in 1680. The pits were shallow as problems of ventilation and flooding defeated attempts to mine coal from the deeper seams.

 

'William Cotesworth (1668-1726) was a prominent merchant based in Gateshead, where he was a leader in coal and international trade. Cotesworth began as the son of a yeoman and apprentice to a tallow - candler. He ended as an esquire, having been mayor, Justice of the Peace and sheriff of Northumberland. He collected tallow from all over England and sold it across the globe. He imported dyes from the Indies, as well as flax, wine, and grain. He sold tea, sugar, chocolate, and tobacco. He operated the largest coal mines in the area, and was a leading salt producer. As the government's principal agent in the North country, he was in contact with leading ministers.

 

William Hawks originally a blacksmith, started business in Gateshead in 1747, working with the iron brought to the Tyne as ballast by the Tyne colliers. Hawks and Co. eventually became one of the biggest iron businesses in the North, producing anchors, chains and so on to meet a growing demand. There was keen contemporary rivalry between 'Hawks' Blacks' and 'Crowley's Crew'. The famous 'Hawks' men' including Ned White, went on to be celebrated in Geordie song and story.

 

In 1831 a locomotive works was established by the Newcastle and Darlington Railway, later part of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway. In 1854 the works moved to the Greenesfield site and became the manufacturing headquarters of North Eastern Railway. In 1909, locomotive construction was moved to Darlington and the rest of the works were closed in 1932.

 

Robert Stirling Newall took out a patent on the manufacture of wire ropes in 1840 and in partnership with Messrs. Liddell and Gordon, set up his headquarters at Gateshead. A worldwide industry of wire-drawing resulted. The submarine telegraph cable received its definitive form through Newall's initiative, involving the use of gutta-percha surrounded by strong wires. The first successful Dover–Calais cable on 25 September 1851, was made in Newall's works. In 1853, he invented the brake-drum and cone for laying cable in deep seas. Half of the first Atlantic cable was manufactured in Gateshead. Newall was interested in astronomy, and his giant 25-inch (640 mm) telescope was set up in the garden at Ferndene, his Gateshead residence, in 1871.

 

Architecture

JB Priestley, writing of Gateshead in his 1934 travelogue English Journey, said that "no true civilisation could have produced such a town", adding that it appeared to have been designed "by an enemy of the human race".

 

Victorian

William Wailes the celebrated stained-glass maker, lived at South Dene from 1853 to 1860. In 1860, he designed Saltwell Towers as a fairy-tale palace for himself. It is an imposing Victorian mansion in its own park with a romantic skyline of turrets and battlements. It was originally furnished sumptuously by Gerrard Robinson. Some of the panelling installed by Robinson was later moved to the Shipley Art gallery. Wailes sold Saltwell Towers to the corporation in 1876 for use as a public park, provided he could use the house for the rest of his life. For many years the structure was essentially an empty shell but following a restoration programme it was reopened to the public in 2004.

 

Post millennium

The council sponsored the development of a Gateshead Quays cultural quarter. The development includes the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, erected in 2001, which won the prestigious Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2002.

 

Former brutalism

The brutalist Trinity Centre Car Park, which was designed by Owen Luder, dominated the town centre for many years until its demolition in 2010. A product of attempts to regenerate the area in the 1960s, the car park gained an iconic status due to its appearance in the 1971 film Get Carter, starring Michael Caine. An unsuccessful campaign to have the structure listed was backed by Sylvester Stallone, who played the main role in the 2000 remake of the film. The car park was scheduled for demolition in 2009, but this was delayed as a result of a disagreement between Tesco, who re-developed the site, and Gateshead Council. The council had not been given firm assurances that Tesco would build the previously envisioned town centre development which was to include a Tesco mega-store as well as shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, offices and student accommodation. The council effectively used the car park as a bargaining tool to ensure that the company adhered to the original proposals and blocked its demolition until they submitted a suitable planning application. Demolition finally took place in July–August 2010.

 

The Derwent Tower, another well known example of brutalist architecture, was also designed by Owen Luder and stood in the neighbourhood of Dunston. Like the Trinity Car Park it also failed in its bid to become a listed building and was demolished in 2012. Also located in this area are the Grade II listed Dunston Staithes which were built in 1890. Following the award of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of almost £420,000 restoration of the structure is expected to begin in April 2014.

 

Sport

Gateshead International Stadium regularly holds international athletics meetings over the summer months, and is home of the Gateshead Harriers athletics club. It is also host to rugby league fixtures, and the home ground of Gateshead Football Club. Gateshead Thunder Rugby League Football Club played at Gateshead International Stadium until its purchase by Newcastle Rugby Limited and the subsequent rebranding as Newcastle Thunder. Both clubs have had their problems: Gateshead A.F.C. were controversially voted out of the Football League in 1960 in favour of Peterborough United, whilst Gateshead Thunder lost their place in Super League as a result of a takeover (officially termed a merger) by Hull F.C. Both Gateshead clubs continue to ply their trade at lower levels in their respective sports, thanks mainly to the efforts of their supporters. The Gateshead Senators American Football team also use the International Stadium, as well as this it was used in the 2006 Northern Conference champions in the British American Football League.

 

Gateshead Leisure Centre is home to the Gateshead Phoenix Basketball Team. The team currently plays in EBL League Division 4. Home games are usually on a Sunday afternoon during the season, which runs from September to March. The team was formed in 2013 and ended their initial season well placed to progress after defeating local rivals Newcastle Eagles II and promotion chasing Kingston Panthers.

 

In Low Fell there is a cricket club and a rugby club adjacent to each other on Eastwood Gardens. These are Gateshead Fell Cricket Club and Gateshead Rugby Club. Gateshead Rugby Club was formed in 1998 following the merger of Gateshead Fell Rugby Club and North Durham Rugby Club.

 

Transport

Gateshead is served by the following rail transport stations with some being operated by National Rail and some being Tyne & Wear Metro stations: Dunston, Felling, Gateshead Interchange, Gateshead Stadium, Heworth Interchange, MetroCentre and Pelaw.

 

Tyne & Wear Metro stations at Gateshead Interchange and Gateshead Stadium provide direct light-rail access to Newcastle Central, Newcastle Airport , Sunderland, Tynemouth and South Shields Interchange.

 

National Rail services are provided by Northern at Dunston and MetroCentre stations. The East Coast Main Line, which runs from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley, cuts directly through the town on its way between Newcastle Central and Chester-le-Street stations. There are presently no stations on this line within Gateshead, as Low Fell, Bensham and Gateshead West stations were closed in 1952, 1954 and 1965 respectively.

 

Road

Several major road links pass through Gateshead, including the A1 which links London to Edinburgh and the A184 which connects the town to Sunderland.

 

Gateshead Interchange is the busiest bus station in Tyne & Wear and was used by 3.9 million bus passengers in 2008.

 

Cycle routes

Various bicycle trails traverse the town; most notably is the recreational Keelmans Way (National Cycle Route 14), which is located on the south bank of the Tyne and takes riders along the entire Gateshead foreshore. Other prominent routes include the East Gateshead Cycleway, which connects to Felling, the West Gateshead Cycleway, which links the town centre to Dunston and the MetroCentre, and routes along both the old and new Durham roads, which take cyclists to Birtley, Wrekenton and the Angel of the North.

 

Religion

Christianity has been present in the town since at least the 7th century, when Bede mentioned a monastery in Gateshead. A church in the town was burned down in 1080 with the Bishop of Durham inside.[citation needed] St Mary's Church was built near to the site of that building, and was the only church in the town until the 1820s. Undoubtedly the oldest building on the Quayside, St Mary's has now re-opened to the public as the town's first heritage centre.

 

Many of the Anglican churches in the town date from the 19th century, when the population of the town grew dramatically and expanded into new areas. The town presently has a number of notable and large churches of many denominations.

 

Judaism

The Bensham district is home to a community of hundreds of Jewish families and used to be known as "Little Jerusalem". Within the community is the Gateshead Yeshiva, founded in 1929, and other Jewish educational institutions with international enrolments. These include two seminaries: Beis Medrash L'Morot and Beis Chaya Rochel seminary, colloquially known together as Gateshead "old" and "new" seminaries.

 

Many yeshivot and kollels also are active. Yeshivat Beer Hatorah, Sunderland Yeshiva, Nesivos Hatorah, Nezer Hatorah and Yeshiva Ketana make up some of the list.

 

Islam

Islam is practised by a large community of people in Gateshead and there are 2 mosques located in the Bensham area (in Ely Street and Villa Place).

 

Twinning

Gateshead is twinned with the town of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen in France, and the city of Komatsu in Japan.

 

Notable people

Eliezer Adler – founder of Jewish Community

Marcus Bentley – narrator of Big Brother

Catherine Booth – wife of William Booth, known as the Mother of The Salvation Army

William Booth – founder of the Salvation Army

Mary Bowes – the Unhappy Countess, author and celebrity

Ian Branfoot – footballer and manager (Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton)

Andy Carroll – footballer (Newcastle United, Liverpool and West Ham United)

Frank Clark – footballer and manager (Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest)

David Clelland – Labour politician and MP

Derek Conway – former Conservative politician and MP

Joseph Cowen – Radical politician

Steve Cram – athlete (middle-distance runner)

Emily Davies – educational reformer and feminist, founder of Girton College, Cambridge

Daniel Defoe – writer and government agent

Ruth Dodds – politician, writer and co-founder of the Little Theatre

Jonathan Edwards – athlete (triple jumper) and television presenter

Sammy Johnson – actor (Spender)

George Elliot – industrialist and MP

Paul Gascoigne – footballer (Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers and Middlesbrough)

Alex Glasgow – singer/songwriter

Avrohom Gurwicz – rabbi, Dean of Gateshead Yeshiva

Leib Gurwicz – rabbi, Dean of Gateshead Yeshiva

Jill Halfpenny – actress (Coronation Street and EastEnders)

Chelsea Halfpenny – actress (Emmerdale)

David Hodgson – footballer and manager (Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Sunderland)

Sharon Hodgson – Labour politician and MP

Norman Hunter – footballer (Leeds United and member of 1966 World Cup-winning England squad)

Don Hutchison – footballer (Liverpool, West Ham United, Everton and Sunderland)

Brian Johnson – AC/DC frontman

Tommy Johnson – footballer (Aston Villa and Celtic)

Riley Jones - actor

Howard Kendall – footballer and manager (Preston North End and Everton)

J. Thomas Looney – Shakespeare scholar

Gary Madine – footballer (Sheffield Wednesday)

Justin McDonald – actor (Distant Shores)

Lawrie McMenemy – football manager (Southampton and Northern Ireland) and pundit

Thomas Mein – professional cyclist (Canyon DHB p/b Soreen)

Robert Stirling Newall – industrialist

Bezalel Rakow – communal rabbi

John William Rayner – flying ace and war hero

James Renforth – oarsman

Mariam Rezaei – musician and artist

Sir Tom Shakespeare - baronet, sociologist and disability rights campaigner

William Shield – Master of the King's Musick

Christina Stead – Australian novelist

John Steel – drummer (The Animals)

Henry Spencer Stephenson – chaplain to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II

Steve Stone – footballer (Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Portsmouth)

Chris Swailes – footballer (Ipswich Town)

Sir Joseph Swan – inventor of the incandescent light bulb

Nicholas Trainor – cricketer (Gloucestershire)

Chris Waddle – footballer (Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday)

William Wailes – stained glass maker

Taylor Wane – adult entertainer

Robert Spence Watson – public benefactor

Sylvia Waugh – author of The Mennyms series for children

Chris Wilkie – guitarist (Dubstar)

John Wilson - orchestral conductor

Peter Wilson – footballer (Gateshead, captain of Australia)

Thomas Wilson – poet/school founder

Robert Wood – Australian politician

Ruins of 'Old' Castlemacadam Church outside Avoca - County Wicklow

 

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Seven Tubs Nature Area is a publicly accessible recreation area located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Continuously flowing glacial meltwater gouged a line of smooth tubs in gritty sandstone over 12,000 years ago. The tubs are potholes formed by the flowing water. The site is part of a 537-acre (2.17 km2) recreation area in the Pennsylvania mountains about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of downtown Wilkes-Barre. The site is popular among hikers for its easy accessibility and beginner-level hiking environment.

 

The glaciers of the Ice Age were instrumental in shaping the physical features of the natural world that we see today. They too are responsible for the formations of the tubs. As ice melts over long periods of time, its eroding capabilities become much more substantial. Glacial melting produced large volumes of flowing water for many years, contributing to formations in the different types of rock common to the area. Common geological rock classifications in the area are limestone, shale, and coal, but the tubs are formed mainly out of gritty sandstone.

 

Wheelbarrow Run is a stream that runs through the tubs and eventually meets up with the larger Laurel Run. Both flows have cut gorges and canyons out of the surrounding landscapes that have created an opportunity for hikers to explore. This area is known as Whirlpool Valley.

 

The information above comes from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Tubs_Recreation_Area

Swimming-Book invited nine illustrators to contribute to their printing project entitled: Postcards from places I´ve never been. I choose Yemen, therefore a Niqab is formed by two eagles, the animal of the country's emblem.

 

The whole set of 16 postcards is available on their online shop swimmingbook.bigcartel.com/product/postcards-from-places-...

Contributed to Sliders Sunday -- Post Processed To The MAX!

Honfleur is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy en.normandie-tourisme.fr/normandy-tourism-109-2.html in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. Its inhabitants are called Honfleurais. It is especially known for its old, beautiful picturesque port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted many times by artists, including in particular Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind, forming the école de Honfleur (Honfleur school) which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement. The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a bell tower separate from the principal building, is the largest church made out of wood in France. The first written record of Honfleur is a reference by Richard III, Duke of Normandy, in 1027. By the middle of the 12th century, the city represented a significant transit point for goods from Rouen to England. Located on the estuary of one of the principal rivers of France with a safe harbour and relatively rich hinterland, Honfleur profited from its strategic position from the start of the Hundred Years' War. The town's defences were strengthened by Charles V in order to protect the estuary of the Seine from attacks from the English. This was supported by the nearby port of Harfleur. However, Honfleur was taken and occupied by the English in 1357 and from 1419 to 1450. When under French control, raiding parties often set out from the port to ransack the English coasts, including partially destroying the town of Sandwich, in Kent, England, in the 1450s. At the end of the Hundred Years' War, Honfleur benefited from the boom in maritime trade until the end of the 18th century. Trade was disturbed during the wars of religion in the 16th century. The port saw the departure of a number of explorers, in particular in 1503 of Binot Paulmierde Gonneville to the coasts of Brazil. In 1506, local man Jean Denis departed for Newfoundland island and the mouth of the Saint Lawrence. An expedition in 1608, organised by Samuel de Champlain, founded the city of Quebec in modern day Canada. After 1608, Honfleur thrived on trade with Canada, the West Indies, the African coasts and the Azores. As a result, the town became one of the five principal ports for the slave trade in France. During this time the rapid growth of the town saw the demolition of its fortifications on the orders of Colbert. The wars of the French revolution and the First Empire, and in particular the continental blockade, caused the ruin of Honfleur. It only partially recovered during the 19th century with the trading of wood from northern Europe. Trade was however limited by the silting up of the entrance to the port and development of the modern port at Le Havre. The port however still functions today. On August 25, 1944, Honfleur was liberated together by the British army - 19th Platoon of the 12th Devon's, 6th Air Landing Brigade, the Belgian army (Brigade Piron) on 25 August 1944.[1] and the Canadian army without any combat. en.normandie-tourisme.fr/articles/honfleur-278-2.html

 

Contributed to Sliders Sunday -- Post Processed To The MAX!

 

AAW April 6 - 13: Something Wild

WIT: Well, I am stuck inside the house because of the lockdown, but I still wanted to contribute something, so the only "wild" animal I can shoot is this polar bear who is wearing shoes that are too big for him. In post, just cropped to square and brightened the colours.

Taken during the "Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk" in Baltimore, MD.

 

This was judged as the winner for the Baltimore Photowalk. I am so honored, there were so many incredible photos. I am looking forward to reading Scott's book, he is one of my favorite authors. And Lightroom 2 contributed hugely to this shot. I lowered the Clarity slider to -62 to achieve that dreamy look. That's one of my favorite new features in Version 2.

 

Here are some particulars:

6 exposures 1EV apart (originally 7, but the +3EV one was blurry)

RAW files Combined and Tone Mapped in Photomatix using Details Enhancer with the following settings (approximate)

 

Strength - 85

Color Saturation - 81

Light Smoothing - Med. High

Luminosity - 10

 

Once I brought it back into Lightroom, I adjusted the following:

 

Exposure - +.19

Blacks - 14

Brightness - +11

Contrast - +11

Clarity - -62

Vibrance - +7

Saturation - -45

 

And then I applied a little Split Toning to the Shadows:

Hue - 34

Saturation - 15

 

And

 

Post-Crop Vignette of -43

This full size Hawker Hurricane replica, standing near the River Thames in Windsor, is a memorial to Sir Sydney Camm and his contribution to British aircraft design.

Sir Sydney Camm, CBE, FRAeS (5 August 1893 – 12 March 1966) was an English aeronautical engineer who contributed to many Hawker aircraft designs, from the biplanes of the 1920s to jet fighters. One particularly notable aircraft he designed was the Hawker Hurricane fighter.

Sydney Camm was born at 10 Alma Road in Windsor, Berkshire, the eldest child of the twelve children of Frederick Camm, a carpenter/joiner and Mary Smith. The Camm family lived near Windsor & Eton Central railway station. His brother Frederick James Camm became a technical author and created the Practical Wireless magazine.

In 1901 he began attending the Royal Free School on Bachelors Acre in Windsor (The Royal Free school became the Royal Free Middle School with the secondary school becoming the Princess Margaret Royal Free School on Bourne Avenue). In 1906 he was granted a Foundation Scholarship. In 1908 Camm left school to become an apprentice carpenter.

Camm developed an interest in aeronautics and together with his brothers began building model aircraft, which they supplied to Herbert's Eton High Street shop. After finding that they could obtain a higher price they began making direct sales to boys at Eton College, which were delivered in secret to avoid attracting the attention of Herbert and the school authorities.

These activities led him to being one of the founders of the Windsor Model Aeroplane Club in early 1912. His accomplishments as a model aeroplane builder culminated in a man-carrying glider which he and others at the club built in 1912.

Shortly before the start of the World War I, Camm obtained a position as a shop-floor carpenter at the Martinsyde aircraft company ,which was located at the Brooklands racing circuit in Weybridge, Surrey. His ability soon led to his being promoted to the drawing office, where he spent the war period. After the company went into liquidation in 1921, Camm was employed by George Handasyde, who had created his own aircraft manufacturing company, which was responsible for the creation of the Handasyde Monoplane.

In November 1923 Camm joined the Hawker Aircraft Company (later Hawker Siddeley) based at Canbury Park Road in Kingston upon Thames as a senior draughtsman. His first design was the Cygnet, the success of which led to his being appointed chief designer in 1925.

In 1925, in association with Fred Sigrist, Hawker's managing director, Camm developed a form of metal construction, using cheaper and simpler jointed tubes, rather than the alternative welded structure.

During his employment at Hawker he was responsible for the creation of 52 different types of aircraft, of which a total of 26,000 were manufactured. Among his early designs were the Tomtit, Hornbill, Nimrod, Hart and Fury. At one time in the 1930s 84 per cent of the aircraft in the RAF were of Camm’s design.

He then moved on to designing aeroplanes that would become mainstays of the RAF in the Second World War including the Hawker Hurricane, Hawker Typhoon and Hawker Tempest.

"Camm had a one-tracked mind – his aircraft were right and everybody had to work on them to get them right. If they did not, then there was hell to pay. He was a very difficult man to work for, but you could not have a better aeronautical engineer to work under. With regard to his own staff, he did not suffer fools gladly and at times many of them appeared to be fools. One rarely got into trouble for doing something either in the ideas line, or in the manufacturing line, but woe betide those who did nothing, or who put forward an indeterminate solution."

Among the engineers who worked with Camm at Hawker were Sir Frederick Page (later to design the English Electric Lightning), Leslie Appleton (later to design the advanced Fairey Delta 2 and Britain's first air-to-air missile, the Fairey Fireflash), Stuart Davies (joined Avro in 1936 and later to be chief designer of the Avro Vulcan), Roy Chaplin (became chief designer at Hawker in 1957) and Sir Robert Lickley (chief project engineer during the war, and later to be chief engineer at Fairey).

The Hawker Hurricane was designed by Sir Sydney Camm.

With the Hurricane, Sydney Camm moved from the technology of the biplane to contemporary monoplane fighter aircraft. The result was that fighters flew faster, and with the improved engine technology of the time, higher and could be made more deadly.

The Hawker engineer Frank Murdoch was responsible for getting the Hurricane into production in sufficient numbers before the outbreak of the war, after an eye-opening visit to the MAN diesel plant in Augsburg in 1936.

When the Hawker Typhoon’s design first emerged and entered squadron service, pilots became aware that there was elevator flutter and buffeting at high speeds, due to the positioning of the heavy Napier Sabre engine intake very close to the wing root.

The engineering of the aircraft to travel at higher speeds and handle compressibility effects was one of the challenges of the day, but with his small design team of one hundred members at Hawker, Camm managed to solve these problems and make the Typhoon an effective combat weapon even at these speeds. As operational requirements changed, the Typhoon was used more as a fighter-bomber, in which role its low level performance, weapon-carrying capabilities and ability to absorb damage made it very effective. It was much used in the Battle of the Falaise Pocket, in which ground-attack aircraft proved very destructive. German losses were so severe that most of France was retaken less than two weeks after the conclusion of this operation.

The lessons learned from the Hawker Typhoon were incorporated into its successor, the Hawker Tempest. As soon as the Typhoon entered service, the Air Ministry requested a new design. C amm recommended that they keep the existing design of the Typhoon for the most part, with modifications to the aerofoil. He also considered the new and powerful Napier Sabre and Bristol Centaurus engines as the powerplant. Camm decided that both engines would be used: the Tempest Mk 5 was fitted with the Napier Sabre, while the Tempest Mk 2 had the Bristol Centaurus. The design modifications to be made to the aircraft to switch from one engine type to another were minimal, so that little assistance was needed in ferrying these aircraft all the way to India and Pakistan, in the final days of the conflict.

The Sea Fury was a higher performance development of the Tempest with a reduced wing area, a Centaurus engine, and a considerably improved view for the pilot. Named the Fury, only the carrier-based Hawker Sea Fury went into service, serving with the Royal Navy from 1947 to 1955.

After the Second World War, Camm created many jet-powered designs which would become important aircraft in the Cold War era.

Notable among these are his contributions to the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 / Kestrel FGA.1, the progenitor of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. The Harrier is a well-known vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed at Hawker Siddeley, which would later merge into British Aerospace, now known as BAE Systems. The Harrier was one of the radical concept aircraft which took shape in postwar Britain, which required the coming together of many important technologies, such as vectored thrust engines like the Bristol Siddeley (later Rolls-Royce) Pegasus and technologies like the Reaction Control System. Camm played a major role in determining these and other vital Harrier systems. In 1953, Camm was knighted for these and other achievements and his contribution to British Aviation. The P.1127 first flew on 21 October 1960. Working with Camm on this aircraft and the Hunter was Prof John Fozard, who became head of the Hawker design office in 1961 and would write a biography of Camm in 1991.

Camm worked on many aircraft built by Hawker before the Harrier, including what is probably his most significant aircraft after the Second World War, the Hawker Hunter. The Hawker Hunter, designed by Camm, made its first flight in 1951.

Camm was President of the Royal Aeronautical Society(RAeS) from 1954 to 1955. Since 1971 the RAeS has held the biennial Sir Sydney Camm Lecture in June, given by the current commander-in-chief of RAF Air Command.

Camm retired as chief designer at Hawker in 1965 and was succeeded by John Fozard. He, however, remained on the board of its successor, Hawker Siddeley until his death.

Before he died, Camm was planning the design of an aircraft to travel at Mach 4, having begun his life in aircraft design with the building of a man-carrying glider in 1912, just nine years after the first powered flight.

In 1966, Camm was awarded the Guggenheim Gold Medal, which had to be presented posthumously, as on 12 March 1966 he died aged 73, whilst playing golf at the Richmond Golf Club. He was buried in Long Ditton Cemetery, Long Ditton, in the County of Surrey.

 

It's been awhile since I've contributed to the Flickr community. With the years that has passed, came with much change. I primarily shoot with an iPhone and my approach to photography as also changed. I'm looking forward to connecting with the community

Nerines are prominent ... with euonymous and acer contributing

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (French: Cathédrale de l'Immaculée-Conception de Mobile) is a cathedral serving Roman Catholics in the U.S. city of Mobile, Alabama. It is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. The cathedral is named for Mary, mother of Jesus, under her title, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Church Street East Historic District and Lower Dauphin Street Historic District and is listed on the Historic Roman Catholic Properties in Mobile Multiple Property Submission.

 

Mobile’s Cathedral Parish was established on July 20, 1703, by Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier, Bishop of Quebec. Bishop de Saint-Vallier named Father Roulleaux de La Vente, first pastor of the parish church, which was located at the French settlement of Mobile at the citadel of Fort Louis de la Louisiane. The parish is the first established on the Gulf Coast.

 

When the Mobile settlement was relocated to its present site in 1711, a new parish church was built and was known as Notre Dame de la Mobile (Our Lady of Mobile). In 1781, during the Spanish occupation of Mobile, the parish took its current name, Immaculate Conception.

 

Mobile was elevated to a diocese in 1829, and Frenchman, Michael Portier, was named its first bishop. Bishop Portier’s first “cathedral” was a small wooden structure located in the Old Spanish Burying Ground, site of the present cathedral. Portier soon set out to construct a "real" cathedral.

 

The cathedral, designed in 1833, by Claude Beroujon, a former seminarian turned architect, is laid out in a Roman basilica design. Construction began in 1835, but the Panic of 1837, caused a shortage of funds and delayed progress. The cathedral was consecrated for public worship in 1850, by Bishop Portier, though Beroujon’s design was not yet fully realized. The portico and towers were to come later.

 

The classical portico, with eight massive columns of the Roman Doric order, was added in the 1870s, under the direction of Bishop John Quinlan. The two towers were completed in 1884, during the watch of Bishop Jeremiah O'Sullivan.

 

Located on South Claiborne Street in downtown, it is bounded by Dauphin Street on the north, Franklin Street on the west, and Conti Street on the south. The front of the church faces east, toward the Mobile River, and overlooks Cathedral Square.

 

The building, laid out in an east-west axis, is 164 ft (50 m) long and 90 ft (27 m) wide. The ceiling is 60 ft (18 m) at its highest point, and its twin towers rise to 103 ft (31 m).

 

One of the cathedral’s finest attributes is its stained glass windows. The windows were made in Munich, Germany by Franz Mayer & Co., and installed beginning in 1890. The last window was installed in 1910, during the time of Bishop Edward Patrick Allen.

 

The twelve main windows, six on the south wall and six on the north wall, are approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and 23 feet (7.0 m) tall. Each window depicts an event involving Mary in the life of her son, Jesus. The subjects of the south wall windows are Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Presentation of Mary at the Temple, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of Jesus, and the Holy Family. The themes of the north wall are the Finding of the Child Jesus at the Temple, the Marriage Feast of Cana, the Crucifixion of Jesus, Pentecost, the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, and the Coronation of Mary, Queen of Heaven.

 

Two large windows flank the portico, one under each of the two towers. The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, by John the Baptist is the subject of the window in the Reconciliation Room, under the north tower. The window under the south tower, in the stairway to the choir loft, appropriately depicts St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians.

 

Smaller windows are found in each of the eight doors in the foyer, behind the cathedral’s main doors, at the church’s front entrance. These depict, from left to right, St. Augustine of Hippo, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Presentation of Mary at the Temple, St. Louis IX, King of France, St. Patrick, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, St. Agnes of Rome, Virgin & Martyr , and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Above the four middle doors is the Holy Spirit window.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

www.mobilecathedral.org/cms/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_the_Immaculat...(Mobile,_Alabama)

   

883/9/384 ST LUKE'S ROAD 02-AUG-74 (Southwest side) CHURCH OF ST LUKE

 

II 1896-7 by W H Seth-Smith. 1971-2 baptistry largely demolished and new foyer and church hall built. Parish lounge 1982.

 

MATERIALS: Semi-coursed ragstone rubble from Vinters' quarries. The dressings and internal stone work are of Monks Park stone. Roofs covered with red clay Broseley tiles. Oak shingles on the bell-turret.

 

PLAN: Nave, chancel, N and S aisles, N transept/organ chamber, N and S vestries, octagonal turret (N). (The church is oriented to the NE and all directions given here are liturgical).

 

EXTERIOR: St Luke's is built in Free-style Gothic of a kind popular at the end of the C19 but more often associated with nonconformist chapels rather than Anglican churches. The principal façade is on the N where there is a large catslide roof covering both nave and aisle. The aisle has a plain parapet and is divided into bays by buttresses with offsets and broad windows which span the entire width of the bays: they are of four lights and have freely-treated Perpendicular tracery under depressed heads. In the angle of the aisle and N transept/organ chamber is an octagonal turret with a timber top stage which is capped by a concave-sided, shingled spirelet. The transept/organ chamber has a five-light N window with inventive tracery fusing Perpendicular with Kentish-style tracery of the early C14. The chancel too has an inventive E window with a pair of thick mullions dividing it into three lights and with an Art Nouveau interpretation of Perpendicular in the tracery. The S elevation of the nave and aisle is similar to that on the N. Towards the W end of the nave a small lead-covered cupola straddles the roof. The W window is broad and, with its pair of thick pierced mullions, derives from the large E and W windows in churches by Norman Shaw and J D Sedding and combines Perpendicular and Decorated details.

 

INTERIOR: The walls are plastered and whitened. Between the nave and aisles there are unusually treated three-bay arcades. These have round arches with fleurons placed round a hollow moulding and pairs of square capitals to pairs of round columns set on a high rectangular base. The capitals have stylised foliage at the corners which taper down through inverted half pyramids into the piers. The stone carving in chancel is by a Mr Aumonier and in body of the church by Gilbert Seale. The chancel arch too is round and is carried on semi-circular responds. The nave roof is arch-braced to a collar which carries a crown post and raked struts; in the tower lower tiers of the roof are short, curved wind-braces. The aisle roofs are plain lean-tos. The chancel has a semi-circular ceiling divided up into panels. On the S side of the chancel is an attractive mural of c1918 by Ivor Hutchins depicting the Tree of Life, Garden of Eden etc, in the style of Italian quattrocentro artists.

 

PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: Although the original seating in the nave and chancel has been almost entirely removed, there are still some fixtures of interest from the late C19 and early C20. The altar rails are by W. Bainbridge Reynolds and have metal cartouche-like detail. The organ case is particularly inventive and is to Seth-Smith's design with a depressed arch over the console and above this three curved towers of pipes with flats between. The reredos was made by Jones and Willis and was also probably designed by Seth-Smith and has rectangular traceried panels bearing gilded texts. The teak pulpit is in Free-style Gothic with pierced traceried sides and was designed by Seth-Smith and Monro, and dedicated in 1911 (carving by E J Bottle of Harrietsham). The war memorial tablet of 1920 in the N aisle is also by Seth-Smith and Monro. The pulpit is a conventional, plain octagonal piece. A few items of pews and chancel stallwork remain, such as a reading desk with an open traceried frontal but not in their original positions.

 

HISTORY: St Luke's parish was created out of those of St Paul and Holy Trinity and came into existence on 20 August 1895. The foundation stone of the church was laid on 21 October 1896 and the consecration took place on 10 September 1897. The architect was W Howard Seth-Smith (1858-1928). He had been articled to the London architects Habershon and Pite and commenced practice in 1879. He went into partnership with A R G Fenning and, from 1905, with W E Monro. He was President of the Society of Architects in 1888-91 and of the Architectural Association 1900-2. He enjoyed an extensive practice with commissions in London, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire and elsewhere. The key to his gaining the commission for St Luke's seems to be that he was the son-in-law of Col. H B Urmston, one of the leading figures in the early history of the church. The contractors for the building were G E Wallis and Sons. The site was given by Mrs Whatman and Messrs Fremlin Brothers, the local brewers, contributed generously to the building costs. In 1971-2 the W baptistry was largely demolished and a new foyer and church hall built. The parish lounge dates from 1982. In the early 1990s plans to remove the pews led to a consistory court in 1993. The chancellor upheld the objections but an appeal to the Court of Arches overturned this judgement and the pews were removed and the church carpeted.

 

The style of the building is unusual. John Newman in the Buildings of England volume covering Maidstone describes it as 'an all-out Art Nouveau affair, expensive, designed with the intensest care for details, but absolutely no delicacy of feeling.' This is rather a hard judgement and his strong emphasis on 'Art Nouveau' as the descriptor has been followed by others, such as Homan. There are certainly features that could aptly be described as Art Nouveau, such as the treatment of the E window and the organ case bit it seems more appropriate to see this as a building in Free-style Gothic of the kind popular around 1900 and used in many nonconformist churches and chapels. It is certainly an eclectic blend of architectural ideas and details.

 

SOURCES: Anon., The History of St Luke's Church 1897-1997 [1997], 12pp. Anon., The History of St Luke's Church since 1897 [c2005], 22pp. Roger Homan, The Victorian Churches of Kent, 1984, p 72. John Newman, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, 1980, pp 383-4. Antonia Brodie et al, Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, vol 2, 2001, p 579

 

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The church of St Luke, Maidstone, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * It is of special interest as an Anglican church built in Free-style Gothic at the end of the C19, blending a variety of architectural forms and details, and as such is unusual. * Despite the removal of nearly all the seating which has considerably affected the character of the building, it does still retain some late C19 and early C20 fittings and decoration of special interest, such as the mural.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool

 

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, United Kingdom along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. It is the fourth most populous British city, and third most populous in England, with a 2011 population of 466,400[3] and is at the centre of a wider urban area, the Liverpool City Region, which has a population of around 2 million people.[4]

Historically a part of Lancashire, the urbanisation and expansion of Liverpool were both largely brought about by the city's status as a major port. By the 18th century, trade from the West Indies, Ireland and mainland Europe coupled with close links with the Atlantic Slave Trade furthered the economic expansion of Liverpool. By the early 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through Liverpool's docks, contributing to Liverpool's rise as a major city. Liverpool is also well known for its inventions and innovations, particularly in terms of infrastructure, transportation and general construction. Railways, ferries and the skyscraper were all pioneered in the city.

Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians but are also colloquially known as "Scousers", in reference to the local dish known as "scouse", a form of stew. The word "Scouse" has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect.[5] Liverpool's status as a port city has contributed to its diverse population, which, historically, were drawn from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, particularly those from Ireland. The city is also home to the oldest Black African community in the country and the oldest Chinese community in Europe.

Labelled the World Capital City of Pop by Guinness World Records, Liverpool has produced a wealth of musical talent since the mid-20th century. The popularity of The Beatles, Billy Fury, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the other groups from the Merseybeat era, and later bands such as Echo & the Bunnymen and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, contributes to Liverpool's status as a tourist destination; tourism forms a significant part of the city's modern economy. The city celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007, and it held the European Capital of Culture title together with Stavanger, Norway, in 2008.[6]

Liverpool is noted for its rich architectural heritage and is home to many buildings regarded as amongst the greatest examples of their respective styles in the world. Several areas of the city centre were granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2004. Referred to as the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, the site comprises six separate locations in the city including the Pier Head, Albert Dock and William Brown Street and includes many of the city's most famous landmarks.[7]

Liverpool is also well known for its strong sporting identity. The city is home of two Premier League football clubs, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.. Matches between the two clubs are known as the Merseyside derby. The world-famous Grand National also takes places annually at Aintree Racecourse on the outskirts of the city.

  

History

 

Early history

King John's letters patent of 1207 announced the foundation of the borough of Liverpool, but by the middle of the 16th century the population was still only around 500. The original street plan of Liverpool is said to have been designed by King John near the same time it was granted a royal charter, making it a borough. The original seven streets were laid out in a H shape: Bank Street (now Water Street), Castle Street, Chapel Street, Dale Street, Juggler Street (now High Street), Moor Street (now Tithebarn Street) and Whiteacre Street (now Old Hall Street).

In the 17th century there was slow progress in trade and population growth. Battles for the town were waged during the English Civil War, including an eighteen-day siege in 1644. In 1699 Liverpool was made a parish by Act of Parliament, that same year its first slave ship, Liverpool Merchant, set sail for Africa. As trade from the West Indies surpassed that of Ireland and Europe, and as the River Dee silted up, Liverpool began to grow. The first commercial wet dock was built in Liverpool in 1715.[8][9] Substantial profits from the slave trade helped the town to prosper and rapidly grow, although two prominent local men, William Roscoe and Edward Rushton, were at the forefront of the abolitionist movement.

In the early 19th century Liverpool played a major role in the Antarctic sealing industry, in recognition of which Liverpool Beach in the South Shetland Islands is named after the city.[10]

By the start of the 19th century, 40% of the world's trade was passing through Liverpool and the construction of major buildings reflected this wealth. In 1830, Liverpool and Manchester became the first cities to have an intercity rail link, through the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The population continued to rise rapidly, especially during the 1840s when Irish migrants began arriving by the hundreds of thousands as a result of the Great Famine. By 1851, approximately 25% of the city's population was Irish-born. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Liverpool was drawing immigrants from across Europe. This is evident from the diverse array of religious buildings located across the city, many of which are still in use today. The Deutsche Kirche Liverpool, Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, Gustav Adolfus Kyrka, Princes Road Synagogue and St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church were all established in the late 1800s to serve Liverpool's growing German, Greek, Jewish, Nordic and Polish communities respectively.

 

20th century

 

The Housing Act 1919 resulted in mass council housing building across Liverpool during the 1920s and 1930s. Thousands of families were rehoused from the inner-city to new suburban housing estates, based on the pretext that this would improve their standard of living, though this is largely subjective. A large number of private homes were also built during this era. The process continued after the Second World War, with many more new housing estates being built in suburban areas, while some of the older inner city areas were also redeveloped for new homes. The Great Depression of the early 1930s saw unemployment in the city peak at around 30%.

During the Second World War there were 80 air-raids on Merseyside, killing 2,500 people and causing damage to almost half the homes in the metropolitan area. Significant rebuilding followed the war, including massive housing estates and the Seaforth Dock, the largest dock project in Britain. Much of the immediate reconstruction of the city centre has been deeply unpopular, and was as flawed as much town planning renewal in the 1950s and 1960s – the portions of the city's heritage that survived German bombing could not withstand the efforts of urban renewal. Since 1952 Liverpool has been twinned with Cologne, Germany, a city which also experienced severe aerial bombing during the war.

Like most British cities and industrialised towns, Liverpool became home to a significant number of Commonwealth immigrants after World War II, mostly settling in older inner city areas such as Toxteth. However, a significant West Indian black community had existed in the city as long ago as the first two decades of the 20th century.

In the 1960s Liverpool was the centre of the "Merseybeat" sound which became synonymous with The Beatles and fellow Liverpudlian rock bands.

From the mid-1970s onwards Liverpool's docks and traditional manufacturing industries went into sharp decline. The advent of containerisation meant that the city's docks became largely obsolete. By the early 1980s unemployment rates in Liverpool were once again among the highest in the UK,[11] standing at 17% by January 1982 - although this was just over half of the level of unemployment that was affecting the city in an economic downturn 50 years previously.[12]

In recent years, Liverpool's economy has recovered and has experienced growth rates higher than the national average since the mid-nineties.

At the end of the 20th century Liverpool was concentrating on regeneration, a process which still continues today.

Previously part of Lancashire, and a county borough from 1889, Liverpool became in 1974 a metropolitan borough within the newly created metropolitan county of Merseyside.

 

21st century

 

To celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002, the conservation charity Plantlife organised a competition to choose county flowers; the sea-holly was Liverpool's final choice.

Capitalising on the popularity of 1960s rock groups, such as The Beatles, as well as the city's world-class art galleries, museums and landmarks, tourism has also become a significant factor in Liverpool's economy.

In 2004, property developer Grosvenor started the Paradise Project, a £920 m development centred on Paradise Street, which involved the most significant changes to Liverpool's city centre since the post-war reconstruction. Renamed 'Liverpool ONE', the centre opened in May 2008.

In 2007, the city celebrated the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the borough of Liverpool, for which a number of events were planned. Liverpool is a joint European Capital of Culture for 2008. The main celebrations, in September 2008, included La Princesse, a large mechanical spider which is 20 metres high and weighs 37 tonnes, and represents the "eight legs" of Liverpool: honour, history, music, the Mersey, the ports, governance, sunshine and culture. La Princesse roamed the streets of the city during the festivities, and concluded by entering the Queensway Tunnel.

Spearheaded by the multi-billion Liverpool ONE development, regeneration has continued on an unprecedented scale through to the start of the early 2010s in Liverpool. Some of the most significant regeneration projects to have taken place in the city include the new Commercial District, King's Dock, Mann Island, the Lime Street Gateway, the Baltic Triangle, RopeWalks and the Edge Lane Gateway. All projects could however soon be eclipsed by the Liverpool Waters scheme which if built will cost in the region of £5.5billion and be one of the largest megaprojects in the UK's history. Liverpool Waters is a mixed use development which will contain one of Europe's largest skyscraper clusters. The project received outline planning permission in 2012, despite fierce opposition from the likes of UNESCO who claim it will have a damaging effect on Liverpool's World Heritage status.

Second city of Empire

 

For periods during the 19th century the wealth of Liverpool exceeded that of London itself,[13] and Liverpool's Custom House was the single largest contributor to the British Exchequer.[14] Liverpool's status can be judged from the fact that it was the only British city ever to have its own Whitehall office.[15]

The first United States consul anywhere in the world, James Maury, was appointed to Liverpool in 1790, and remained in office for 39 years.

As early as 1851 the city was described as "the New York of Europe"[16] and its buildings, constructed on a heroic, even megalomaniacal scale stand witness to the supreme confidence and ambition of the city at the turn of the 20th century.

Liverpool was also the site of the UK's first provincial airport, operating from 1930.

Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No.1, often seen as Britain's Imperial anthem, was dedicated by the composer to the Liverpool Orchestral Society and had its premiere in the city in October 1901.

During the Second World War, the critical strategic importance of Liverpool was recognised by both Hitler and Churchill, with the city suffering a blitz second only to London's,[17] and the pivotal Battle of the Atlantic being planned, fought and won from Liverpool.[18]

 

Inventions and innovations

 

Railways, transatlantic steamships, municipal trams,[19] electric trains[20] were all pioneered in Liverpool as modes of mass transit. In 1829 and 1836 the first railway tunnels in the world were constructed under Liverpool. From 1950–51, the world's first scheduled passenger helicopter service ran between Liverpool and Cardiff.[21]

The first School for the Blind,[22] Mechanics' Institute,[23] High School for Girls,[24][25] council house[26] and Juvenile Court[27] were all founded in Liverpool. The RSPCA,[28] NSPCC,[29] Age Concern,[30] Relate, Citizen's Advice Bureau[31] and Legal Aid all evolved from work in the city.

In the field of public health, the first lifeboat station, public baths and wash-houses,[32] sanitary act,[33] medical officer for health, district nurse, slum clearance,[34] purpose-built ambulance,[35] X-ray medical diagnosis,[36] school of tropical medicine, motorised municipal fire-engine,[37] free school milk and school meals,[38] cancer research centre,[39] and zoonosis research centre[40] all originated in Liverpool. The first British Nobel Prize was awarded in 1902 to Ronald Ross, professor at the School of Tropical Medicine, the first school of its kind in the world.[41] Orthopaedic surgery was pioneered in Liverpool by Hugh Owen Thomas,[42] and modern medical anaesthetics by Thomas Cecil Gray.

In finance, Liverpool founded the UK's first Underwriters' Association[43] and the first Institute of Accountants. The Western world's first financial derivatives (cotton futures) were traded on the Liverpool Cotton Exchange in the late 1700s.[44]

In the arts, Liverpool was home to the first lending library, athenaeum society, arts centre[45] and public art conservation centre.[46] Liverpool is also home to the UK's oldest surviving classical orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.[47]

In 1864, Peter Ellis built the world's first iron-framed, curtain-walled office building, Oriel Chambers, the prototype of the skyscraper. The UK's first purpose-built department store was Compton House, completed in 1867 for the retailer J.R. Jeffrey, to replace a previous building which had burned down in 1865.[48] It was the largest store in the world at the time.[49]

Between 1862 and 1867, Liverpool held an annual Grand Olympic Festival. Devised by John Hulley and Charles Melly, these games were the first to be wholly amateur in nature and international in outlook.[50][51] The programme of the first modern Olympiad in Athens in 1896 was almost identical to that of the Liverpool Olympics.[52] In 1865 Hulley co-founded the National Olympian Association in Liverpool, a forerunner of the British Olympic Association. Its articles of foundation provided the framework for the International Olympic Charter.

Shipowner Sir Alfred Lewis Jones introduced the banana to Great Britain in 1884.[53]

In 1897, the Lumière brothers filmed Liverpool,[54] including what is believed to be the world's first tracking shot,[55] taken from the Liverpool Overhead Railway – the world's first elevated electrified railway.

Liverpool inventor Frank Hornby was a visionary in toy development and manufacture and produced three of the most popular lines of toys in the 20th century: Meccano, Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys.

In 1999, Liverpool was the first city outside the capital to be awarded blue plaques by English Heritage in recognition of the "significant contribution made by its sons and daughters in all walks of life."

 

Government

 

Liverpool has three tiers of government; the Mayor & Local Council, the National Government and the European Parliament. Liverpool is officially governed by a Unitary Authority, as when Merseyside County Council was disbanded civic functions were returned to a district borough level. However several services such as the Police and Fire and Rescue Service, continue to be run at a county-wide level.

 

Mayor and local council

 

The City of Liverpool is governed by the Directly elected mayor of Liverpool and Liverpool City Council, and is one of five metropolitan boroughs that combine to make up the metropolitan county of Merseyside. The Mayor is elected by the citizens of Liverpool every four years and is responsible for the day to day running of the council. The council's 90 elected councillors who represent local communities throughout the city, are responsible for scrutininsing the Mayor's decisions, setting the Budget, and policy framework of the city. The Mayor's responsibility is to be a powerful voice for the city both nationally and internationally, to lead, build investor confidence, and to direct resources to economic priorities.[57] The Mayor also exchanges direct dialogue with government ministers and the Prime minister through his seat at the 'Cabinet of Mayors'. Discussions include pressing decision makers in the government on local issues as well as building relationships with the other Directly elected mayors in England and Wales.[58] The current Mayor is Joe Anderson.

The city of Liverpool effectively has two Mayors. As well as the directly elected Mayor, there is the ceremonial 'Lord Mayor' (or civic Mayor) who is elected by the full city council at its annual general meeting in May, and stands for one year in office. The Lord Mayor acts as the 'first citizen' of Liverpool and is responsible for promoting the city, supporting local charities & community groups as well as representing the city at civic events.[59] The current Lord Mayor is Councillor Frank Prendergast.[60]

During the most recent local elections, held in May 2011, the Labour Party consolidated its control of Liverpool City Council, following on from regaining power for the first time in 12 years, during the previous elections in May 2010.[62] The Labour Party gained 11 seats during the election, taking their total to 62 seats, compared with the 22 held by the Liberal Democrats. Of the remaining seats the Liberal Party won three and the Green Party claimed two. The Conservative Party, one of the three major political parties in the UK had no representation on Liverpool City Council.[62][63]

In February 2008, Liverpool City Council was revealed to be the worst-performing council in the country, receiving just a one star rating (classified as inadequate). The main cause of the poor rating was attributed to the council's poor handling of tax-payer money, including the accumulation of a £20m shortfall on Capital of Culture funding.[64]

While Liverpool through most of the 19th and early 20th Century was a municipal stronghold of Toryism, support for the Conservative Party recently has been among the lowest in any part of Britain, particularly since the monetarist economic policies of prime minister Margaret Thatcher after her 1979 general election victory contributed to high unemployment in the city which did not begin to fall for many years.[65] Liverpool is one of the Labour Party's key strongholds; however the city has seen hard times under Labour governments as well, particularly in the Winter of Discontent (late 1978 and early 1979) when Liverpool suffered public sector strikes along with the rest of the United Kingdom but also suffered the particularly humiliating misfortune of having grave-diggers going on strike, leaving the dead unburied.[66]

 

Parliamentary constituencies and MPs

 

Liverpool has four parliamentary constituencies entirely within the city, through which Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected to represent the city in Westminster: Liverpool Riverside, Liverpool Walton, Liverpool Wavertree and Liverpool West Derby.[67]

 

Geography

 

At 53°24′0″N 2°59′0″W (53.4, −2.98), 176 miles (283 km) northwest of London, located on the Liverpool Bay of the Irish Sea the city of Liverpool is built across a ridge of sandstone hills rising up to a height of around 230 feet (70 m) above sea-level at Everton Hill, which represents the southern boundary of the West Lancashire Coastal Plain.

The Mersey Estuary separates Liverpool from Birkenhead, Wallasey and the Kirby[disambiguation needed] sands to the south west. The boundaries of Liverpool are adjacent to Bootle, Crosby and Maghull in south Sefton to the north, and Kirkby, Huyton, Prescot and Halewood in Knowsley to the east.

 

Climate

 

Liverpool experiences a temperate maritime climate, like much of the British Isles, with relatively cool summers and mild winters. Its coastal location and urban situation means diurnal temperature ranges are particularly subdued, ranging from an average of 7.0 °C in May to just 3.8 °C during December. Historically, Bidston Observatory (actually located on the Wirral Peninsula) has provided the longest and most unbroken weather data for the Merseyside area. More recently, the Met Office has operated a weather station at Crosby.

The absolute minimum temperature recorded at Bidston was −12.8 °C (9.0 °F) during January 1881, typically the coldest night of the year should fall to −4 °C (24.8 °F) (1971–2000 average) However, the variability of the local climate was exposed as the weather station at Crosby fell to −17.6 °C (0.3 °F)[70] during December 2010.

The absolute maximum temperature recorded at Bidston was 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) in August 1990 - typically the warmest day of the year should reach 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) (1971–2000 average). The absolute maximum at Crosby is 33.5 °C (92.3 °F), recorded in July 2006.

 

Demography

Population

 

At the 2011 UK Census the recorded population of Liverpool was 466,400.[3] Liverpool's population peaked in 1930s with 846,101 recorded in the 1931 census.[78] Since then the city has experienced negative population growth every decade, with at its peak over 100,000 people leaving the city between 1971 and 1981.[79] Between 2001 and 2006 it experienced the ninth largest percentage population loss of any UK unitary authority.[80] The "Liverpool city region", as defined by the Mersey Partnership, includes Wirral, Warrington, Flintshire, Chester and other areas, and has a population of around 2 million.[81] The European Spatial Planning Observation Network defines a Liverpool metropolitan area consisting of the Merseyside metropolitan county, the borough of Halton, Wigan in Greater Manchester, the city of Chester as well as number of towns in Lancashire and Cheshire including Ormskirk and Warrington.[82] Liverpool and Manchester are sometimes considered as one large polynuclear metropolitan area,[83][84][85] or megalopolis.[86]

In common with many cities, Liverpool's population is younger than that of England as a whole, with 42.3 per cent of its population under the age of 30, compared to an English average of 37.4 per cent.[87] 65.1 per cent of the population is of working age.[87]

 

Ethnicity

As of June 2009, an estimated 91.0 per cent of Liverpool's population was White British, 3.0 per cent Asian or Asian British, 1.9 per cent Black or Black British, 2.0 per cent mixed-race and 2.1 per cent Chinese and other.[2]

Liverpool is home to Britain's oldest Black community, dating to at least the 1730s, and some Black Liverpudlians are able to trace their ancestors in the city back ten generations.[88] Early Black settlers in the city included seamen, the children of traders sent to be educated, and freed slaves, since slaves entering the country after 1722 were deemed free men.[89]

The city is also home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe; the first residents of the city's Chinatown arrived as seamen in the 19th century.[90] The gateway in Chinatown, Liverpool is also the largest gateway outside of China. The city is also known for its large Irish population and its historical Welsh population.[91] In 1813, 10 per cent of Liverpool's population was Welsh, leading to the city becoming known as "the capital of North Wales".[91] Following the start of the Great Irish Famine, two million Irish people migrated to Liverpool in the space of one decade, many of them subsequently departing for the United States.[92] By 1851, more than 20 per cent of the population of Liverpool was Irish.[93] At the 2001 Census, 1.17 per cent of the population were Welsh-born and 0.75 per cent were born in the Republic of Ireland, while 0.54 per cent were born in Northern Ireland,[94] but many more Liverpudlians are of Welsh or Irish ancestry. Liverpool is also noted for its large African-Caribbean,[95] Ghanaian,[96] Indian,[95] Latin American,[97] Malaysian,[98] Somali[99] and Yemeni.[100] communities which number several thousand each.

 

Religion

The thousands of migrants and sailors passing through Liverpool resulted in a religious diversity that is still apparent today. This is reflected in the equally diverse collection of religious buildings,[101] and two Christian cathedrals.

Christ Church, in Buckingham Road, Tuebrook, is a conservative evangelical congregation and is affiliated with the Evangelical Connexion.[102] They worship using the 1785 Prayer Book, and regard the Bible as the sole rule of faith and practice.

The parish church of Liverpool is the Anglican Our Lady and St Nicholas, colloquially known as "the sailors church", which has existed near the waterfront since 1257. It regularly plays host to Catholic masses. Other notable churches include the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas (built in the Neo-Byzantine architecture style), and the Gustav Adolfus Kyrka (the Swedish Seamen's Church, reminiscent of Nordic styles).

Liverpool's wealth as a port city enabled the construction of two enormous cathedrals, both dating from the 20th century. The Anglican Cathedral, which was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and plays host to the annual Liverpool Shakespeare Festival, has one of the longest naves, largest organs and heaviest and highest peals of bells in the world. The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, on Mount Pleasant next to Liverpool Science Park was initially planned to be even larger. Of Sir Edwin Lutyens' original design, only the crypt was completed. The cathedral was eventually built to a simpler design by Sir Frederick Gibberd; while this is on a smaller scale than Lutyens' original design, it still manages to incorporate the largest panel of stained glass in the world. The road running between the two cathedrals is called Hope Street, a coincidence which pleases believers. The cathedral is colloquially referred to as "Paddy's Wigwam" due to its shape.[103][104]

Liverpool contains several synagogues, of which the Grade I listed Moorish Revival Princes Road Synagogue is architecturally the most notable. Princes Road is widely considered to be the most magnificent of Britain's Moorish Revival synagogues and one of the finest buildings in Liverpool.[105] Liverpool has a thriving Jewish community with a further two orthodox Synagogues, one in the Allerton district of the city and a second in the Childwall district of the city where a significant Jewish community reside. A third orthodox Synagogue in the Greenbank Park area of L17 has recently closed, and is a listed 1930s structure. There is also a Lubavitch Chabad House and a reform Synagogue. Liverpool has had a Jewish community since the mid-18th century. The current Jewish population of Liverpool is around 3000.[106]

Liverpool also has an increasing Hindu community, with a Mandir on 253 Edge Lane, Edge Hill, L7 2PH; the Shri Radha Krishna Temple from the Hindu Cultural Organisation, Liverpool based there.[107] The current Hindu population in Liverpool is about 1147.[citation needed] Liverpool also has the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara based at Wellington Avenue, Wavertree, L15 0EJ,[108] and Liverpool's Bahá'í Centre is located on 3 and 5 Langdale Road, Wavertree, L15 3LA.[109]

The city had the earliest mosque in England, and possibly the UK, founded in 1887 by William Abdullah Quilliam, a lawyer who had converted to Islam, and set up in a terraced house on West Derby Road.[110] The building was used as a house of worship until 1908, when it was sold to the City Council and converted into offices.[111] Plans have been accepted to re-convert the building where the mosque once stood into a museum.[112] Currently there are three mosques in Liverpool: the largest and main one, Al-Rahma mosque, in the Toxteth area of the city and a mosque recently opened in the Mossley Hill district of the city. The third mosque was also recently opened in Toxteth and is on Granby Street.

 

LGBT community

Liverpool has a large lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender/transsexual population, as well as the UK's only official 'gay quarter'. Despite cities such as Manchester and Brighton being historically more noted for their LGBT communities, Liverpool now has an LGBT comparable per capita to that of San Francisco.

 

Economy

 

The Economy of Liverpool is one of the largest within the United Kingdom, sitting at the centre of one of the two core economies within the North West of England.[113] In 2006, the city's GVA was £7,626 million, providing a per capita figure of £17,489, which was above the North West average.[114] After several decades of decline, Liverpool's economy has seen somewhat of a revival since the mid-1990s, with its GVA increasing 71.8% between 1995 and 2006 and employment increasing 12% between 1998 and 2006.[114]

In common with much of the rest of the UK today, Liverpool's economy is dominated by service sector industries, both public and private. In 2007, over 60% of all employment in the city was in the public administration, education, health, banking, finance and insurance sectors.[114] Over recent years there has also been significant growth in the knowledge economy of Liverpool with the establishment of the Liverpool Knowledge Quarter in sectors such as media and life sciences.[115] Liverpool's rich architectural base has also helped the city become the second most filmed city in the UK outside of London,[116] including doubling for Chicago, London, Moscow, New York, Paris and Rome.[117][118]

Another important component of Liverpool's economy are the tourism and leisure sectors. Liverpool is the 6th most visited city in the United Kingdom[119] and one of the 100 most visited cities in the world by international tourists.[120] In 2008, during the city's European Capital of Culture celebrations, overnight visitors brought £188m into the local economy,[119] while tourism as a whole is worth approximately £1.3bn a year to Liverpool.[118] The city's new cruise liner terminal, which is situated close to the Pier Head, also makes Liverpool one of the few places in the world where cruise ships are able to berth right in the centre of the city.[121] Other recent developments in Liverpool such as the Echo Arena and Liverpool One have made Liverpool an important leisure centre with the latter helping to lift Liverpool into the top five retail destinations in the UK.[122]

Historically, the economy of Liverpool was centred around the city's port and manufacturing base, although today less than 10% of employment in the city are in these sectors.[114] Nonetheless the city remains one of the most important ports in the United Kingdom, handling over 32.2m tonnes of cargo in 2008.[123] It is also home to the UK headquarters of many shipping lines including Japanese firm NYK and Danish firm Maersk Line.[124][125] Future plans to redevelop the city's northern dock system, in a project known as Liverpool Waters, could see £5.5bn invested in the city over the next 50 years, creating 17,000 new jobs.[126]

Car-manufacturing also takes place in the city at the Halewood plant where the Jaguar X-Type and Land Rover Freelander models are assembled.

 

Landmarks

 

Liverpool's history means that there are a considerable variety of architectural styles found within the city, ranging from 16th century Tudor buildings to modern-day contemporary architecture.[127] The majority of buildings in the city date from the late-18th century onwards, the period during which the city grew into one of the foremost powers in the British Empire.[128] There are over 2,500 listed buildings in Liverpool, of which 27 are Grade I listed[129] and 85 are Grade II* listed.[130] The city also has a greater number of public sculptures than any other location in the United Kingdom aside from Westminster[131] and more Georgian houses than the city of Bath.[132] This richness of architecture has subsequently seen Liverpool described by English Heritage, as England's finest Victorian city.[133] The value of Liverpool's architecture and design was recognised in 2004, when several areas throughout the city were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known as the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, the sites were added in recognition of the city's role in the development of international trade and docking technology.[134]

 

Waterfront and docks

 

As a major British port, the docks in Liverpool have historically been central to the city's development. Several major docking firsts have occurred in the city including the construction of the world's first enclosed wet dock (the Old Dock) in 1715 and the first ever hydraulic lifting cranes.[135] The best-known dock in Liverpool is the Albert Dock, which was constructed in 1846 and today comprises the largest single collection of Grade I listed buildings anywhere in Britain.[136] Built under the guidance of Jesse Hartley, it was considered to be one of the most advanced docks anywhere in the world upon completion and is often attributed with helping the city to become one of the most important ports in the world. The Albert Dock currently houses a number of restaurants, bars, shops, two hotels as well as the Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Tate Liverpool and The Beatles Story. North of the city centre is Stanley Dock, home to the Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse, which was at the time of its construction in 1901, the world's largest building in terms of area[137] and today stands as the world's largest brick-work building.[138]

One of the most famous locations in Liverpool is the Pier Head, renowned for the trio of buildings – the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building – which sit upon it. Collectively referred to as the Three Graces, these buildings stand as a testament to the great wealth in the city during the late 19th and early 20th century. Built in a variety of architectural styles, they are recognised as being the symbol of Maritime Liverpool, and are regarded by many as contributing to one of the most impressive waterfronts in the world.[139][140][141][142]

In recent years, several areas along Liverpool's waterfront have undergone significant redevelopment. Amongst the notable recent developments are the construction of the Echo Arena Liverpool and BT Convention Centre on Kings Dock, Alexandra Tower and 1 Princes Dock on Princes Dock and Liverpool Marina around Coburg and Brunswick Docks.

 

Commercial District and Cultural Quarter

 

Liverpool's historic position as one of the most important trading ports in the world has meant that over time many grand buildings have been constructed in the city as headquarters for shipping firms, insurance companies, banks and other large firms. The great wealth this brought, then allowed for the development of grand civic buildings, which were designed to allow the local administrators to 'run the city with pride'.[143]

The commercial district is centred around the Castle Street, Dale Street and Old Hall Street areas of the city, with many of the area's roads still following their medieval layout. Having developed over a period of three centuries the area is regarded as one of the most important architectural locations in the city, as recognised by its inclusion in Liverpool's World Heritage site.[144] The oldest building in the area is the Grade I listed Liverpool Town Hall, which is located at the top of Castle Street and dates from 1754. Often regarded as the city's finest piece of Georgian architecture, the building is noted as one of the most extravagantly decorated civic buildings anywhere in Britain.[145][146] Also on Castle Street is the Grade I listed Bank of England Building, constructed between 1845 and 1848, as one of only three provincial branches of the national bank.[145] Amongst the other noted buildings in the area are the Tower Buildings, Albion House (the former White Star Line headquarters), the Municipal Buildings and Oriel Chambers,[147] which is considered to be one of the earliest Modernist style buildings ever built.[148]

The area around William Brown Street is referred to as the city's 'Cultural Quarter', owing to the presence of numerous civic buildings, including the William Brown Library, Walker Art Gallery, Picton Reading Rooms and World Museum Liverpool. The area is dominated by neo-classical architecture, of which the most prominent, St George's Hall,[149] is widely regarded as the best example of a neo-classical building anywhere in Europe.[150] A Grade I listed building, it was constructed between 1840 and 1855 to serve a variety of civic functions in the city and its doors are inscribed with "S.P.Q.L." (Latin senatus populusque Liverpudliensis), meaning "the senate and people of Liverpool". William Brown Street is also home to numerous public monuments and sculptures, including Wellington's Column and the Steble Fountain. Many others are located around the area, particularly in St John's Gardens, which was specifically developed for this purpose.[151] The William Brown Street area has been likened to a modern recreation of the Roman Forum.[152]

  

To read more about the Transport, Culture, Education, Media, Sports, Quotes and International Links of Liverpool please click:-

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool

The Thomas County Historic Courthouse is a government building built in 1858 and located on North Broad Street in Thomasville, Georgia, the seat of Thomas County. It was designed by architect John Wind.

 

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1970.

 

It is also a contributing building in the NRHP-listed Thomasville Commercial Historic District.

 

Thomas County was created in 1825 from portions of Decatur and Irwin counties. Georgia's 63rd county, and its county seat, Thomasville, were named for a hero of the War of 1812, General Jett Thomas. In addition to his military career, General Thomas built the first university building in Athens.

 

The county has seven municipalities, the largest is Thomasville. Others include Barwick, Boston, Coolidge, Meigs, Ochlocknee, and Pavo. Ochlocknee is named for the river flowing through Thomas County. Meigs was named for several Meigs families who came from Marlboro County, South Carolina. Pavo is Latin for Peacock, which was the name of the first postmaster in the area.

 

Thomasville was a popular, turn-of-the-century, winter resort for wealthy northern families. Non-residents still maintain many large estates and hunting preserves. Many of these estates are listed on the National Register of Historic Places including the Susina Plantation Inn and the Lapham-Patterson House. The latter is a large, Victorian house, that was built by a survivor of the great fire of Chicago. He designed the house with 45 doors, 26 of which were exterior. Every room had its own fire extinguisher.

 

Thomasville is known for its annual Rose Festival; for the "Big Oak," which has a limb spread of 175 feet; and for the McKinley Memorial Tree planted in 1896 as a salute to candidate William McKinley, who became the 25th President of the United States.

 

Bailey White, a National Public Radio essayist and author of Mama Makes Up Her Mind, is from Thomas County.

 

Limestone sinks are common in this section which was once part of the ocean floor. A great limestone aquifer in subterranean South Georgia offers a nearly limitless fresh water supply.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_County_Courthouse_(Georgia)

thomascountyboc.org/about-us/our-history

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Place...

npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/e2205cdb-ec9c-4b7a-8723-05b...

qpublic.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=682&...

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

 

The Sun blows a robust prominence out into space (Dec. 10, 2102). The outer image, from the STEREO-A's COR1 coronagraph, has been changed from green to red to complement the green Sun image, taken in extreme UV light. The movie covers six hours of activity. Kind of Christmassy looking, isn't it? Some of the prominence falls back towards the sun, although the disturbance as a whole continues out into the solar system.

 

Credit: NASA/GSFC/STEREO

 

NASA image use policy.

 

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

 

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Swim Wear Fashion for Bikini.Com. I am a Contributing Photographer for Bikini.Com

In Cairns Queensland.

HARTLEY'S CREEK

CROCODILE FARM

Hartley’s Creek Crocodile Farming Company Pty Ltd has operated a commercial crocodile farm since 1989.

 

Saltwater (Estuarine) Crocodiles are bred and raised on the property for their skins and meat. Visitors have the opportunity to participate in a guided tour of nearby farm to learn how it works and why the sustainable utilisation of farmed crocodiles contributes to the conservation of wild populations and their habitats.

 

ABOUT THE FARM

HOW DOES THE FARM WORK?

The skin from the Estuarine Crocodile is highly sought after within the fashion industry due to its comparatively small scale and lack of osteoderm (small bones within the skin).

Adult crocodiles are kept in pairs or colonies for breeding. Female estuarine crocodiles reach sexual maturity at lengths of 2.2 to 2.5m. while males mature later at approximately 3.2m.

 

Approximately six weeks before nesting, the female will signal the male by using body language. Mating takes place in the water.

 

Between the months of November and March, the female Estuarine crocodile builds a nest of soil and grass about one-metre-high, using her feet. Mounding the nest helps to keep the clutch of about 50 eggs safe from flooding during the wet season and assists in maintaining the correct temperature for incubation.

  

Each morning, during the nesting season, the breeding enclosures are checked for nests. The eggs are removed from the nest and placed in an incubator. Removing the eggs from the nest gives the embryos the best chance of survival. In wild ecosystems, nests are susceptible to flooding, overheating and predation. The sex of a crocodile is determined by incubation temperature. Males are produced with an incubation temperature around 32 degrees Celsius, while females are produced above and below that temperature. For farming purposes, the majority of eggs are incubated to produce the faster growing males. A clutch of crocodile eggs takes around 86 days to hatch.

   

The hatchlings are housed in a specially designed building called a Hatchery where the environment is carefully controlled. The air and water temperatures are maintained at a constant 32-degree C and the water is regularly changed and reused. The hatchlings are fed special mince, five times a week made from red meat and chicken with a mineral and vitamin supplement.

 

The hatchlings are relocated to a Grow Out Building once they reach a length of 70cm at approximately six months of age and remain there until they are ready for market. Strict hygiene and good quality foods are essential for health, fast growth and superior quality skins.

 

The crocodiles reach market size of 1.5 to 1.8 metres at approximately 3 years of age. They are humanely euthanised and transported to a registered processing plant. The average carcass produces 4kg of saleable meat, which is popular with local restaurants. The skins used for our Croctique leather goods are cleaned, salted and graded before export to Japan for tanning and production into premium quality leather goods under our own brands.

  

Great Scott, This is Heavy!

 

You might see a DeLorean zipping around Greenbelt, Maryland, on Oct. 21, 2015, the day Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrive from 1985 in "Back to the Future, Part II," but don't look for flaming tread marks in its wake.

 

The DeLorean DMC-12, commonly seen on the roads of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is better known for the version that starred as a plutonium-powered time machine in the “Back to the Future” trilogy.

 

After some investigation, Goddard’s Office of Communications found the owner of the stainless steel, gull-winged, two-door coupe. Goddard software test engineer, Brendan Rebo bought the 1982 DeLorean off eBay about four and a half years ago. “The car attracts a lot more attention than I expected,” Rebo admitted. “I hear a lot of jokes about whether or not I’ve reached 88 miles per hour yet.”

 

As “Back to the Future” fans around the world celebrate today, Rebo also celebrates his birthday.

 

While the second film predicted technology, such as flying cars, that doesn’t yet exist, people can still marvel at the classic car and movie reference.

 

Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth

 

NASA image use policy.

 

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

 

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This picture is #11 in Round Two of my 100 Strangers project.

Facebook | Website

 

Vietnam has a wide variety of ethnic minority groups, the largest of which is the Tay people. During a recent holiday to the northern part of the country, I had the unique experience of attending a local Tay funeral in the mountain village of Trung.

 

As we arrived at the village for a guided walk, our tour guide, Ha, became quite animated. He explained that just to the side of the road a funeral was taking place. We were strongly encouraged to bring our cameras, take a closer look and even join the gathering.

 

Personally, I was quite apprehensive about intruding on what is commonly viewed as a deeply emotional and personal ceremony in Western cultures. However, Ha insisted that everything would be okay and he even seemed intrigued by the local Tay customs which he had not witnessed before.

 

The group was very welcoming to my parents, girlfriend and me. They made room for us to join them at a communal table, shared tea with us and even made friendly jokes (translated for us by Ha). We learned that the deceased was a young man in his 30’s and had only passed away that morning. Everyone in the village would eventually attend to pay their respects and contribute to the gathering.

 

Relatives of the deceased were easily identified by the white cloth wrapped around their heads. There was also a small shrine nearby where offerings were being made and prayers were being said.

 

Ha encouraged us to take photographs and after he had provided a great deal of reassurance, I still requested that he explicitly ask if I could take some individual portraits. My stranger readily agreed to a portrait and was one of two relatives of the deceased. He joined the larger group after paying his respects at the shrine and was understandably melancholy and more reserved than the rest of the group; the expression in his eyes really drew me in.

 

Having really pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone, I could not bring myself ask too much of my subject. Therefore, I made do with the lighting and background that was available. As a result, I’ve taken a very different approach for post-processing which is a whole new area of exploration for me.

 

While I have no problems interrupting people at work or while they are eating to ask for a portrait, it was very challenging to overcome my fear of insulting the bereaved. Many thanks to Ha for translating and encouraging me to take pictures in the first place, as it turns out everyone was very accomodating.

 

Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!

--

To find out more about the project, visit the 100 Strangers Flickr Group

You can see my original 100 Strangers here and round two in this set.

++++++++++ FROM WKIPEDIA +++++++++

 

Kolkata /koʊlˈkɑːtə/ ([kolkata] (About this soundlisten), also known as Calcutta /kælˈkʌtə/, the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River approximately 75 kilometres (47 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh, it is the principal commercial, cultural, and educational centre of East India, while the Port of Kolkata is India's oldest operating port and its sole major riverine port. The city is widely regarded as the "cultural capital" of India, and is also nicknamed the "City of Joy".[1][2][3].According to the 2011 Indian census, it is the seventh most populous city. the city had a population of 4.5 million, while the population of the city and its suburbs was 14.1 million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India. Recent estimates of Kolkata Metropolitan Area's economy have ranged from $60 to $150 billion (GDP adjusted for purchasing power parity) making it third most-productive metropolitan area in India, after Mumbai and Delhi.[11][12][13]

 

In the late 17th century, the three villages that predated Calcutta were ruled by the Nawab of Bengal under Mughal suzerainty. After the Nawab granted the East India Company a trading licence in 1690,[15] the area was developed by the Company into an increasingly fortified trading post. Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah occupied Calcutta in 1756, and the East India Company retook it the following year. In 1793 the East India company was strong enough to abolish Nizamat (local rule), and assumed full sovereignty of the region. Under the company rule, and later under the British Raj, Calcutta served as the capital of British-held territories in India until 1911, when its perceived geographical disadvantages, combined with growing nationalism in Bengal, led to a shift of the capital to New Delhi. Calcutta was the centre for the Indian independence movement; it remains a hotbed of contemporary state politics. Following Indian independence in 1947, Kolkata, which was once the centre of modern Indian education, science, culture, and politics, suffered several decades of economic stagnation.

 

As a nucleus of the 19th- and early 20th-century Bengal Renaissance and a religiously and ethnically diverse centre of culture in Bengal and India, Kolkata has local traditions in drama, art, film, theatre, and literature. Many people from Kolkata—among them several Nobel laureates—have contributed to the arts, the sciences, and other areas. Kolkata culture features idiosyncrasies that include distinctively close-knit neighbourhoods (paras) and freestyle intellectual exchanges (adda). West Bengal's share of the Bengali film industry is based in the city, which also hosts venerable cultural institutions of national importance, such as the Academy of Fine Arts, the Victoria Memorial, the Asiatic Society, the Indian Museum and the National Library of India. Among professional scientific institutions, Kolkata hosts the Agri Horticultural Society of India, the Geological Survey of India, the Botanical Survey of India, the Calcutta Mathematical Society, the Indian Science Congress Association, the Zoological Survey of India, the Institution of Engineers, the Anthropological Survey of India and the Indian Public Health Association. Though home to major cricketing venues and franchises, Kolkata differs from other Indian cities by giving importance to association football and other sports.

 

Etymology

 

The word Kolkata derives from the Bengali term Kôlikata (Bengali: কলিকাতা) [ˈkɔlikat̪a], the name of one of three villages that predated the arrival of the British, in the area where the city eventually was to be established; the other two villages were Sutanuti and Govindapur.[16]

 

There are several explanations about the etymology of this name:

 

The term Kolikata is thought to be a variation of Kalikkhetrô [ˈkalikʰːet̪rɔ] (Bengali: কালীক্ষেত্র), meaning "Field of [the goddess] Kali". Similarly, it can be a variation of 'Kalikshetra' (Sanskrit: कालीक्षेत्र, lit. "area of Goddess Kali").

Another theory is that the name derives from Kalighat.[17]

Alternatively, the name may have been derived from the Bengali term kilkila (Bengali: কিলকিলা), or "flat area".[18]

The name may have its origin in the words khal [ˈkʰal] (Bengali: খাল) meaning "canal", followed by kaṭa [ˈkata] (Bengali: কাটা), which may mean "dug".[19]

According to another theory, the area specialised in the production of quicklime or koli chun [ˈkɔlitɕun] (Bengali: কলি চুন) and coir or kata [ˈkat̪a] (Bengali: কাতা); hence, it was called Kolikata [ˈkɔlikat̪a] (Bengali: কলিকাতা).[18]

 

Although the city's name has always been pronounced Kolkata [ˈkolkat̪a] (Bengali: কলকাতা) or Kôlikata [ˈkɔlikat̪a] (Bengali: কলিকাতা) in Bengali, the anglicised form Calcutta was the official name until 2001, when it was changed to Kolkata in order to match Bengali pronunciation.[20] (It should be noted that "Calcutt" is an etymologically unrelated place name found at several locations in England.)

History

 

The discovery and archaeological study of Chandraketugarh, 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Kolkata, provide evidence that the region in which the city stands has been inhabited for over two millennia.[21][22] Kolkata's recorded history began in 1690 with the arrival of the English East India Company, which was consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Job Charnock, an administrator who worked for the company, was formerly credited as the founder of the city;[23] In response to a public petition,[24] the Calcutta High Court ruled in 2003 that the city does not have a founder.[25] The area occupied by the present-day city encompassed three villages: Kalikata, Gobindapur, and Sutanuti. Kalikata was a fishing village; Sutanuti was a riverside weavers' village. They were part of an estate belonging to the Mughal emperor; the jagirdari (a land grant bestowed by a king on his noblemen) taxation rights to the villages were held by the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family of landowners, or zamindars. These rights were transferred to the East India Company in 1698.[26]:1

  

In 1712, the British completed the construction of Fort William, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River to protect their trading factory.[27] Facing frequent skirmishes with French forces, the British began to upgrade their fortifications in 1756. The Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, condemned the militarisation and tax evasion by the company. His warning went unheeded, and the Nawab attacked; he captured Fort William which led to the killings of several East India company officials in the Black Hole of Calcutta.[28] A force of Company soldiers (sepoys) and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the city the following year.[28] Per the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad following the battle of Buxar, East India company was appointed imperial tax collector of the Mughal emperor in the province of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, while Mughal-appointed Nawabs continued to rule the province.[29] Declared a presidency city, Calcutta became the headquarters of the East India Company by 1773.[30] In 1793, ruling power of the Nawabs were abolished and East India company took complete control of the city and the province. In the early 19th century, the marshes surrounding the city were drained; the government area was laid out along the banks of the Hooghly River. Richard Wellesley, Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William between 1797 and 1805, was largely responsible for the development of the city and its public architecture.[31] Throughout the late 18th and 19th century, the city was a centre of the East India Company's opium trade.[32]

  

By the 1850s, Calcutta had two areas: White Town, which was primarily British and centred on Chowringhee and Dalhousie Square; and Black Town, mainly Indian and centred on North Calcutta.[33] The city underwent rapid industrial growth starting in the early 1850s, especially in the textile and jute industries; this encouraged British companies to massively invest in infrastructure projects, which included telegraph connections and Howrah railway station. The coalescence of British and Indian culture resulted in the emergence of a new babu class of urbane Indians, whose members were often bureaucrats, professionals, newspaper readers, and Anglophiles; they usually belonged to upper-caste Hindu communities.[34] In the 19th century, the Bengal Renaissance brought about an increased sociocultural sophistication among city denizens. In 1883, Calcutta was host to the first national conference of the Indian National Association, the first avowed nationalist organisation in India.[35]

Bengali billboards on Harrison Street. Calcutta was the largest commercial centre in British India.

  

The partition of Bengal in 1905 along religious lines led to mass protests, making Calcutta a less hospitable place for the British.[36][37] The capital was moved to New Delhi in 1911.[38] Calcutta continued to be a centre for revolutionary organisations associated with the Indian independence movement. The city and its port were bombed several times by the Japanese between 1942 and 1944, during World War II.[39][40] Coinciding with the war, millions starved to death during the Bengal famine of 1943 due to a combination of military, administrative, and natural factors.[41] Demands for the creation of a Muslim state led in 1946 to an episode of communal violence that killed over 4,000.[42][43][44] The partition of India led to further clashes and a demographic shift—many Muslims left for East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh), while hundreds of thousands of Hindus fled into the city.[45]

 

During the 1960s and 1970s, severe power shortages, strikes, and a violent Marxist–Maoist movement by groups known as the Naxalites damaged much of the city's infrastructure, resulting in economic stagnation.[46] The Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 led to a massive influx of thousands of refugees, many of them penniless, that strained Kolkata's infrastructure.[47] During the mid-1980s, Mumbai (then called Bombay) overtook Kolkata as India's most populous city. In 1985, prime minister Rajiv Gandhi dubbed Kolkata a "dying city" in light of its socio-political woes.[48] In the period 1977–2011, West Bengal was governed from Kolkata by the Left Front, which was dominated by the Communist Party of India (CPM). It was the world's longest-serving democratically elected communist government, during which Kolkata was a key base for Indian communism.[49][50][51] In the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 2011, Left Front was defeated by the Trinamool Congress. The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after the 1990s, when India began to institute pro-market reforms. Since 2000, the information technology (IT) services sector has revitalised Kolkata's stagnant economy. The city is also experiencing marked growth in its manufacturing base.[52]

 

Geography

 

Spread roughly north–south along the east bank of the Hooghly River, Kolkata sits within the lower Ganges Delta of eastern India approximately 75 km (47 mi) west of the international border with Bangladesh; the city's elevation is 1.5–9 m (5–30 ft).[53] Much of the city was originally a wetland that was reclaimed over the decades to accommodate a burgeoning population.[54] The remaining undeveloped areas, known as the East Kolkata Wetlands, were designated a "wetland of international importance" by the Ramsar Convention (1975).[55] As with most of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the soil and water are predominantly alluvial in origin. Kolkata is located over the "Bengal basin", a pericratonic tertiary basin.[56] Bengal basin comprises three structural units: shelf or platform in the west; central hinge or shelf/slope break; and deep basinal part in the east and southeast. Kolkata is located atop the western part of the hinge zone which is about 25 km (16 mi) wide at a depth of about 45,000 m (148,000 ft) below the surface.[56] The shelf and hinge zones have many faults, among them some are active. Total thickness of sediment below Kolkata is nearly 7,500 m (24,600 ft) above the crystalline basement; of these the top 350–450 m (1,150–1,480 ft) is Quaternary, followed by 4,500–5,500 m (14,760–18,040 ft) of Tertiary sediments, 500–700 m (1,640–2,300 ft) trap wash of Cretaceous trap and 600–800 m (1,970–2,620 ft) Permian-Carboniferous Gondwana rocks.[56] The quaternary sediments consist of clay, silt, and several grades of sand and gravel. These sediments are sandwiched between two clay beds: the lower one at a depth of 250–650 m (820–2,130 ft); the upper one 10–40 m (30–130 ft) in thickness.[57] According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, on a scale ranging from I to V in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes, the city lies inside seismic zone III.[58]

Urban structure

Howrah Bridge from the western bank of the Ganges

 

The Kolkata metropolitan area is spread over 1,886.67 km2 (728.45 sq mi)[59]:7 and comprises 3 municipal corporations (including Kolkata Municipal Corporation), 39 local municipalities and 24 panchayat samitis, as of 2011.[59]:7 The urban agglomeration encompassed 72 cities and 527 towns and villages, as of 2006.[60] Suburban areas in the Kolkata metropolitan area incorporate parts of the following districts: North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, and Nadia.[61]:15 Kolkata, which is under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), has an area of 185 km2 (71 sq mi).[60] The east–west dimension of the city is comparatively narrow, stretching from the Hooghly River in the west to roughly the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in the east—a span of 9–10 km (5.6–6.2 mi).[62] The north–south distance is greater, and its axis is used to section the city into North, Central, and South Kolkata. East Kolkata is also a section.

 

North Kolkata is the oldest part of the city. Characterised by 19th-century architecture, dilapidated buildings, overpopulated slums, crowded bazaars, and narrow alleyways, it includes areas such as Shyambazar, Hatibagan, Maniktala, Kankurgachi, Rajabazar, Shobhabazar, Shyampukur, Sonagachi, Kumortuli, Bagbazar, Jorasanko, Chitpur, Pathuriaghata, Cossipore, Kestopur, Sinthee, Belgachia, Jorabagan, and Dum Dum.[63]:65–66 The northern suburban areas like Baranagar, Durganagar, Noapara, Dunlop, Dakshineswar, Nagerbazar, Belghoria, Agarpara, Sodepur, Madhyamgram, Barasat, Birati, Khardah up to Barrackpur are also within the city of Kolkata (as a metropolitan structure).

Central Kolkata

 

Central Kolkata hosts the central business district. It contains B. B. D. Bagh, formerly known as Dalhousie Square, and the Esplanade on its east; Strand Road is on its west.[64] The West Bengal Secretariat, General Post Office, Reserve Bank of India, High Court, Lalbazar Police Headquarters, and several other government and private offices are located there. Another business hub is the area south of Park Street, which comprises thoroughfares such as Chowringhee, Camac Street, Wood Street, Loudon Street, Shakespeare Sarani, and A. J. C. Bose Road.[65] The Maidan is a large open field in the heart of the city that has been called the "lungs of Kolkata"[66] and accommodates sporting events and public meetings.[67] The Victoria Memorial and Kolkata Race Course are located at the southern end of the Maidan. Other important areas of Central Kolkata are Park Circus, Burrabazar, College Street, Sealdah, Taltala, Janbazar, Bowbazar, Entally, Chandni Chowk, Lalbazar, Chowringhee, Dharmatala, Tiretta Bazar, Bow Barracks, Mullick Bazar, Park Circus, Babughat etc. Among the other parks are Central Park in Bidhannagar and Millennium Park on Strand Road, along the Hooghly River.

South Kolkata

 

South Kolkata developed after India gained independence in 1947; it includes upscale neighbourhoods such as Ballygunge, Alipore, New Alipore, Lansdowne, Bhowanipore, Kalighat, Dhakuria, Gariahat, Tollygunge, Naktala, Jodhpur Park, Lake Gardens, Golf Green, Jadavpur, Garfa, Kalikapur, Haltu, Nandi Bagan, Santoshpur, Baghajatin, Garia, Ramgarh, Raipur, Kanungo Park, Ranikuthi, Bikramgarh, Bijoygarh, Bansdroni and Kudghat.[16] Outlying areas of South Kolkata include Garden Reach, Khidirpur, Metiabruz, Taratala, Majerhat, Budge Budge, Behala, Sarsuna, Barisha, Parnasree Pally, Thakurpukur, Maheshtala and Joka. The southern suburban neighbourhoods like Mahamayatala, Pratapgarh, Kamalgazi, Narendrapur, Sonarpur, Subhashgram and Baruipur are also within the city of Kolkata (as metropolitan, urban agglomeration area). Fort William, on the western part of the city, houses the headquarters of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army;[68] its premises are under the jurisdiction of the army.

East Kolkata

 

East Kolkata is largely composed of newly developed areas and neighbourhoods of Saltlake, Rajarhat, Tangra, Topsia, Kasba, Anandapur, Mukundapur, Picnic Garden, Beleghata, Ultadanga, Phoolbagan, Kaikhali, Lake Town, etc. Two planned townships in the greater Kolkata region are Bidhannagar, also known as Salt Lake City and located north-east of the city; and Rajarhat, also called New Town and sited east of Bidhannagar.[16][69] In the 2000s, Sector V in Bidhannagar developed into a business hub for information technology and telecommunication companies.[70][71] Both Bidhannagar and New Town are situated outside the Kolkata Municipal Corporation limits, in their own municipalities.[69]

Climate

  

Kolkata is subject to a tropical wet-and-dry climate that is designated Aw under the Köppen climate classification. According to a United Nations Development Programme report, its wind and cyclone zone is "very high damage risk".[58]

Temperature

 

The annual mean temperature is 26.8 °C (80.2 °F); monthly mean temperatures are 19–30 °C (66–86 °F). Summers (March–June) are hot and humid, with temperatures in the low 30s Celsius; during dry spells, maximum temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in May and June.[72] Winter lasts for roughly two-and-a-half months, with seasonal lows dipping to 9–11 °C (48–52 °F) in December and January. May is the hottest month, with daily temperatures ranging from 27–37 °C (81–99 °F); January, the coldest month, has temperatures varying from 12–23 °C (54–73 °F). The highest recorded temperature is 43.9 °C (111.0 °F), and the lowest is 5 °C (41 °F).[72] The winter is mild and very comfortable weather pertains over the city throughout this season. Often, in April–June, the city is struck by heavy rains or dusty squalls that are followed by thunderstorms or hailstorms, bringing cooling relief from the prevailing humidity. These thunderstorms are convective in nature, and are known locally as kal bôishakhi (কালবৈশাখী), or "Nor'westers" in English.[73]

 

Rains brought by the Bay of Bengal branch of the south-west summer monsoon[74] lash Kolkata between June and September, supplying it with most of its annual rainfall of about 1,850 mm (73 in). The highest monthly rainfall total occurs in July and August. In these months often incessant rain for days brings live to a stall for the city dwellers. The city receives 2,528 hours of sunshine per year, with maximum sunlight exposure occurring in March.[75] Kolkata has been hit by several cyclones; these include systems occurring in 1737 and 1864 that killed thousands.[76][77]

  

Environmental issues

 

Pollution is a major concern in Kolkata. As of 2008, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide annual concentration were within the national ambient air quality standards of India, but respirable suspended particulate matter levels were high, and on an increasing trend for five consecutive years, causing smog and haze.[80][81] Severe air pollution in the city has caused a rise in pollution-related respiratory ailments, such as lung cancer.[82]

 

Economy

 

Kolkata is the main commercial and financial hub of East and North-East India[61] and home to the Calcutta Stock Exchange.[83][84] It is a major commercial and military port, and is the only city in eastern India, apart from Bhubaneswar to have an international airport. Once India's leading city, Kolkata experienced a steady economic decline in the decades following India's independence due to steep population increases and a rise in militant trade-unionism, which included frequent strikes that were backed by left-wing parties.[52] From the 1960s to the late 1990s, several factories were closed and businesses relocated.[52] The lack of capital and resources added to the depressed state of the city's economy and gave rise to an unwelcome sobriquet: the "dying city".[85] The city's fortunes improved after the Indian economy was liberalised in the 1990s and changes in economic policy were enacted by the West Bengal state government.[52]

 

Flexible production has been the norm in Kolkata, which has an informal sector that employs more than 40% of the labour force.[16] One unorganised group, roadside hawkers, generated business worth ₹ 8,772 crore (US$ 2 billion) in 2005.[86] As of 2001, around 0.81% of the city's workforce was employed in the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, mining, etc.); 15.49% worked in the secondary sector (industrial and manufacturing); and 83.69% worked in the tertiary sector (service industries).[61]:19 As of 2003, the majority of households in slums were engaged in occupations belonging to the informal sector; 36.5% were involved in servicing the urban middle class (as maids, drivers, etc.), and 22.2% were casual labourers.[87]:11 About 34% of the available labour force in Kolkata slums were unemployed.[87]:11 According to one estimate, almost a quarter of the population live on less than 27 rupees (equivalent to 45 US cents) per day.[88] As of 2010, Kolkata, with an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) by purchasing power parity of 150 billion dollars, ranked third among South Asian cities, after Mumbai and Delhi.[89] Kolkata's GDP in 2014 was Rs 1.84 trillion, according to a collaborative assessment by multiple universities and climate agencies.[90] As in many other Indian cities, information technology became a high-growth sector in Kolkata starting in the late 1990s; the city's IT sector grew at 70% per annum—a rate that was twice the national average.[52] The 2000s saw a surge of investments in the real estate, infrastructure, retail, and hospitality sectors; several large shopping malls and hotels were launched.[91][92][93][94][95] Companies such as ITC Limited, CESC Limited, Exide Industries, Emami, Eveready Industries India, Lux Industries, Rupa Company, Berger Paints, Birla Corporation and Britannia Industries are headquartered in the city. Philips India, PricewaterhouseCoopers India, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Steel have their registered office and zonal headquarters in Kolkata. Kolkata hosts the headquarters of three major public-sector banks: Allahabad Bank, UCO Bank, and the United Bank of India; and a private bank Bandhan Bank. Reserve Bank of India has its eastern zonal office in Kolkata, and India Government Mint, Kolkata is one of the four mints in India.

Panoramic view of the Down town Sector V one of the major IT hubs of Kolkata as seen from the lakes surrounding Bidhannagar. Major Buildings such as Technopolis, Godrej Waterside, TCS Lords, Eden and Wanderers Park, Gobsyn Crystal, South City Pinnacle, RDB Boulevard, West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation (WEBEL) Bhawan can be seen.

Demographics

See also: Ethnic communities in Kolkata

A skyline consisting of several high-rise buildings

Residential high-rise buildings in South City

A slum area of the city

 

The demonym for residents of Kolkata are Calcuttan and Kolkatan.[96][97] According to provisional results of the 2011 national census, Kolkata district, which occupies an area of 185 km2 (71 sq mi), had a population of 4,486,679;[98] its population density was 24,252/km2 (62,810/sq mi).[98] This represents a decline of 1.88% during the decade 2001–11. The sex ratio is 899 females per 1000 males—lower than the national average.[99] The ratio is depressed by the influx of working males from surrounding rural areas, from the rest of West Bengal; these men commonly leave their families behind.[100] Kolkata's literacy rate of 87.14%[99] exceeds the national average of 74%.[101] The final population totals of census 2011 stated the population of city as 4,496,694.[8] The urban agglomeration had a population of 14,112,536 in 2011.[9]

 

Bengali Hindus form the majority of Kolkata's population; Marwaris, Biharis and Muslims compose large minorities.[102] Among Kolkata's smaller communities are Chinese, Tamils, Nepalis, Odias, Telugus, Assamese, Gujaratis, Anglo-Indians, Armenians, Greeks, Tibetans, Maharashtrians, Konkanis, Malayalees, Punjabis, and Parsis.[26]:3 The number of Armenians, Greeks, Jews, and other foreign-origin groups declined during the 20th century.[103] The Jewish population of Kolkata was 5,000 during World War II, but declined after Indian independence and the establishment of Israel;[104] by 2013, there were 25 Jews in the city.[105] India's sole Chinatown is in eastern Kolkata;[103] once home to 20,000 ethnic Chinese, its population dropped to around 2,000 as of 2009[103] as a result of multiple factors including repatriation and denial of Indian citizenship following the 1962 Sino-Indian War, and immigration to foreign countries for better economic opportunities.[106] The Chinese community traditionally worked in the local tanning industry and ran Chinese restaurants.[103][107]

Kolkata urban agglomeration population growth Census Total %±

1981 9,194,000 —

1991 11,021,900 19.9%

2001 13,114,700 19.0%

2011 14,112,536 7.6%

Source: Census of India[9]

Others include Sikhism, Buddhism & Other religions (0.03%)

Religion in Kolkata[108]

Religion Percent

Hinduism

 

76.51%

Islam

 

20.60%

Christianity

 

0.88%

Jainism

 

0.47%

Others

 

1.54%

 

Bengali, the official state language, is the dominant language in Kolkata.[109] English is also used, particularly by the white-collar workforce. Hindi and Urdu are spoken by a sizeable minority.[110][111] According to the 2011 census, 76.51% of the population is Hindu, 20.60% Muslim, 0.88% Christian, and 0.47% Jain.[112] The remainder of the population includes Sikhs, Buddhists, and other religions which accounts for 0.45% of the population; 1.09% did not state a religion in the census.[112] Kolkata reported 67.6% of Special and Local Laws crimes registered in 35 large Indian cities during 2004.[113] The Kolkata police district registered 15,510 Indian Penal Code cases in 2010, the 8th-highest total in the country.[114] In 2010, the crime rate was 117.3 per 100,000, below the national rate of 187.6; it was the lowest rate among India's largest cities.[115]

 

As of 2003, about one-third of the population, or 1.5 million people, lived in 3,500 unregistered squatter-occupied and 2,011 registered slums.[87]:4[116]:92 The authorised slums (with access to basic services like water, latrines, trash removal by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation) can be broadly divided into two groups—bustees, in which slum dwellers have some long term tenancy agreement with the landowners; and udbastu colonies, settlements which had been leased to refugees from present-day Bangladesh by the Government.[116][87]:5 The unauthorised slums (devoid of basic services provided by the municipality) are occupied by squatters who started living on encroached lands—mainly along canals, railway lines and roads.[116]:92[87]:5 According to the 2005 National Family Health Survey, around 14% of the households in Kolkata were poor, while 33% lived in slums, indicating a substantial proportion of households in slum areas were better off economically than the bottom quarter of urban households in terms of wealth status.[117]:23 Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for founding and working with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata—an organisation "whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after".[118]

Government and public services

Civic administration

Main article: Civic administration of Kolkata

A red-and-yellow building with multiple arches and towers standing against a backdrop of blue sky and framed by trees

Calcutta High Court

 

Kolkata is administered by several government agencies. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation, or KMC, oversees and manages the civic infrastructure of the city's 15 boroughs, which together encompass 141 wards.[109] Each ward elects a councillor to the KMC. Each borough has a committee of councillors, each of whom is elected to represent a ward. By means of the borough committees, the corporation undertakes urban planning and maintains roads, government-aided schools, hospitals, and municipal markets.[119] As Kolkata's apex body, the corporation discharges its functions through the mayor-in-council, which comprises a mayor, a deputy mayor, and ten other elected members of the KMC.[120] The functions of the KMC include water supply, drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management, street lighting, and building regulation.[119]

 

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation was ranked 1st out of 21 Cities for best governance & administrative practices in India in 2014. It scored 4.0 on 10 compared to the national average of 3.3.[121]

 

The Kolkata Port Trust, an agency of the central government, manages the city's river port. As of 2012, the All India Trinamool Congress controls the KMC; the mayor is Firhad Hakim, while the deputy mayor is Atin Ghosh.[122] The city has an apolitical titular post, that of the Sheriff of Kolkata, which presides over various city-related functions and conferences.[123]

 

Kolkata's administrative agencies have areas of jurisdiction that do not coincide. Listed in ascending order by area, they are: Kolkata district; the Kolkata Police area and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, or "Kolkata city";[124] and the Kolkata metropolitan area, which is the city's urban agglomeration. The agency overseeing the latter, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, is responsible for the statutory planning and development of greater Kolkata.[125]

 

As the seat of the Government of West Bengal, Kolkata is home to not only the offices of the local governing agencies, but also the West Bengal Legislative Assembly; the state secretariat, which is housed in the Writers' Building; and the Calcutta High Court. Most government establishments and institutions are housed in the centre of the city in B. B. D. Bagh (formerly known as Dalhousie Square). The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It was preceded by the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William which was established in 1774. The Calcutta High Court has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Kolkata has lower courts: the Court of Small Causes and the City Civil Court decide civil matters; the Sessions Court rules in criminal cases.[126][127][128] The Kolkata Police, headed by a police commissioner, is overseen by the West Bengal Ministry of Home Affairs.[129][130] The Kolkata district elects two representatives to India's lower house, the Lok Sabha, and 11 representatives to the state legislative assembly.[131]

Utility services

A telecommunications tower belonging to services provider Tata Communications

 

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation supplies the city with potable water that is sourced from the Hooghly River;[132] most of it is treated and purified at the Palta pumping station located in North 24 Parganas district.[133] Roughly 95% of the 4,000 tonnes of refuse produced daily by the city is transported to the dumping grounds in Dhapa, which is east of the town.[134][135] To promote the recycling of garbage and sewer water, agriculture is encouraged on the dumping grounds.[136] Parts of the city lack proper sewerage, leading to unsanitary methods of waste disposal.[75]

 

Electricity is supplied by the privately operated Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation, or CESC, to the city proper; the West Bengal State Electricity Board supplies it in the suburbs.[137][138] Fire services are handled by the West Bengal Fire Service, a state agency.[139] As of 2012, the city had 16 fire stations.[140]

 

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Reliance, Idea Cellular, Aircel, Tata DoCoMo, Tata Teleservices, Virgin Mobile, and MTS India, are the leading telephone and cell phone service providers in the city.[141]:25–26:179 with Kolkata being the first city in India to have cell phone and 4G connectivity, the GSM and CDMA cellular coverage is extensive.[142][143] As of 2010, Kolkata has 7 percent of the total Broadband internet consumers in India; BSNL, VSNL, Tata Indicom, Sify, Airtel, and Reliance are among the main vendors.[144][145]

Military and diplomatic establishments

 

The Eastern Command of the Indian Army is based in the city. Being one of India's major city and the largest city in eastern and north-eastern India, Kolkata hosts diplomatic missions of many countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, People's Republic of China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Srilanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States. The U.S Consulate in Kolkata is the US Department of State's second oldest Consulate and dates from 19 November 1792.[146]

 

Transport

 

Public transport is provided by the Kolkata Suburban Railway, the Kolkata Metro, trams, rickshaws, and buses. The suburban rail network reaches the city's distant suburbs.

 

According to a 2013 survey conducted by the International Association of Public Transport, in terms of a public transport system, Kolkata ranks among the top of the six Indian cities surveyed.[147][148] The Kolkata Metro, in operation since 1984, is the oldest underground mass transit system in India.[149] It spans the north–south length of the city and covers a distance of 25.1 km (16 mi).[150] As of 2009, five Metro rail lines were under construction.[151] Kolkata has four long-distance railway stations, located at Howrah (the largest railway complex in India), Sealdah, Chitpur and Shalimar, which connect Kolkata by rail to most cities in West Bengal and to other major cities in India.[152] The city serves as the headquarters of three railway Zone out of Seventeen of the Indian Railways regional divisions—the Kolkata Metro Railways, Eastern Railway and the South-Eastern Railway.[153] Kolkata has rail and road connectivity with Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.[154][155][156]

 

Buses, which are the most commonly used mode of transport, are run by government agencies and private operators.[157] Kolkata is the only Indian city with a tram network, which is operated by the Calcutta Tramways Company.[158] The slow-moving tram services are restricted to certain areas of the city. Water-logging, caused by heavy rains that fall during the summer monsoon, can interrupt transportation networks.[159][160] Hired public conveyances include auto rickshaws, which often ply specific routes, and yellow metered taxis. Almost all of Kolkata's taxis are antiquated Hindustan Ambassadors by make; newer air-conditioned radio taxis are in service as well.[161][162] In parts of the city, cycle rickshaws and hand-pulled rickshaws are patronised by the public for short trips.[163]

 

Due to its diverse and abundant public transportation, privately owned vehicles are not as common in Kolkata as in other major Indian cities.[164] The city has witnessed a steady increase in the number of registered vehicles; 2002 data showed an increase of 44% over a period of seven years.[165] As of 2004, after adjusting for population density, the city's "road space" was only 6% compared to 23% in Delhi and 17% in Mumbai.[166] The Kolkata Metro has somewhat eased traffic congestion, as has the addition of new roads and flyovers. Agencies operating long-distance bus services include the Calcutta State Transport Corporation, the South Bengal State Transport Corporation, the North Bengal State Transport Corporation, and various private operators. The city's main bus terminals are located at Esplanade and Babughat.[167] The Kolkata–Delhi and Kolkata–Chennai prongs of the Golden Quadrilateral, and National Highway 34 start from the city.[168]

 

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, located in Dum Dum some 16 km (9.9 mi) north-east of the city centre, operates domestic and international flights. In 2013, the airport was upgraded to handle increased air traffic.[169][170]

 

The Port of Kolkata, established in 1870, is India's oldest and the only major river port.[171] The Kolkata Port Trust manages docks in Kolkata and Haldia.[172] The port hosts passenger services to Port Blair, capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; freighter service to ports throughout India and around the world is operated by the Shipping Corporation of India.[171][173] Ferry services connect Kolkata with its twin city of Howrah, located across the Hooghly River.[174][175]

 

The route from North Bengal to Kolkata is set to become cheaper and more efficient for people travelling by bus. Through April 2017 to March 2018, the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) will be introducing a fleet of rocket buses equipped with bio-toilets for the bus route.[176]

Healthcare

See also: Health care in Kolkata

A big building in cream colour with many columns and a portico

Calcutta Medical College, the second institution in Asia to teach modern medicine(after 'Ecole de Médicine de Pondichéry')

IPGMER and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata is the largest hospital in West Bengal and one of the oldest in Kolkata.

 

As of 2011, the health care system in Kolkata consists of 48 government hospitals, mostly under the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, and 366 private medical establishments;[177] these establishments provide the city with 27,687 hospital beds.[177] For every 10,000 people in the city, there are 61.7 hospital beds,[178] which is higher than the national average of 9 hospital beds per 10,000.[179] Ten medical and dental colleges are located in the Kolkata metropolitan area which act as tertiary referral hospitals in the state.[180][181] The Calcutta Medical College, founded in 1835, was the first institution in Asia to teach modern medicine.[182] However, These facilities are inadequate to meet the healthcare needs of the city.[183][184][185] More than 78% in Kolkata prefer the private medical sector over the public medical sector,[117]:109 due to the poor quality of care, the lack of a nearby facility, and excessive waiting times at government facilities.[117]:61

 

According to the Indian 2005 National Family Health Survey, only a small proportion of Kolkata households were covered under any health scheme or health insurance.[117]:41 The total fertility rate in Kolkata was 1.4, The lowest among the eight cities surveyed.[117]:45 In Kolkata, 77% of the married women used contraceptives, which was the highest among the cities surveyed, but use of modern contraceptive methods was the lowest (46%).[117]:47 The infant mortality rate in Kolkata was 41 per 1,000 live births, and the mortality rate for children under five was 49 per 1,000 live births.[117]:48

 

Among the surveyed cities, Kolkata stood second (5%) for children who had not had any vaccinations under the Universal Immunization Programme as of 2005.[117]:48 Kolkata ranked second with access to an anganwadi centre under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme for 57% of the children between 0 and 71 months.[117]:51 The proportion of malnourished, anaemic and underweight children in Kolkata was less in comparison to other surveyed cities.[117]:54–55

 

About 18% of the men and 30% of the women in Kolkata are obese—the majority of them belonging to the non-poor strata of society.[117]:105 In 2005, Kolkata had the highest percentage (55%) among the surveyed cities of anaemic women, while 20% of the men in Kolkata were anaemic.[117]:56–57 Diseases like diabetes, asthma, goitre and other thyroid disorders were found in large numbers of people.[117]:57–59 Tropical diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya are prevalent in Kolkata, though their incidence is decreasing.[186][187] Kolkata is one of the districts in India with a high number of people with AIDS; it has been designated a district prone to high risk.[188][189]

 

As of 2014, because of higher air pollution, the life expectancy of a person born in the city is four years fewer than in the suburbs.[190]

 

Education

  

Kolkata's schools are run by the state government or private organisations, many of which are religious. Bengali and English are the primary languages of instruction; Urdu and Hindi are also used, particularly in central Kolkata.[191][192] Schools in Kolkata follow the "10+2+3" plan. After completing their secondary education, students typically enroll in schools that have a higher secondary facility and are affiliated with the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, the ICSE, or the CBSE.[191] They usually choose a focus on liberal arts, business, or science. Vocational programs are also available.[191] Some Kolkata schools, for example La Martiniere Calcutta, Calcutta Boys' School, St. James' School (Kolkata), St. Xavier's Collegiate School, and Loreto House, have been ranked amongst the best schools in the country.[193]

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

 

As of 2010, the Kolkata urban agglomeration is home to 14 universities run by the state government.[194] The colleges are each affiliated with a university or institution based either in Kolkata or elsewhere in India. Aliah University which was founded in 1780 as Mohammedan College of Calcutta is the oldest post-secondary educational institution of the city.[195] The University of Calcutta, founded in 1857, is the first modern university in South Asia.[196] Presidency College, Kolkata (formerly Hindu College between 1817 and 1855), founded in 1855, was one of the oldest and most eminent colleges in India. It was affiliated with the University of Calcutta until 2010 when it was converted to Presidency University, Kolkata in 2010. Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) is the second oldest engineering institution of the country located in Howrah.[197] An Institute of National Importance, BESU was converted to India's first IIEST. Jadavpur University is known for its arts, science, and engineering faculties.[198] The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, which was the first of the Indian Institutes of Management, was established in 1961 at Joka, a locality in the south-western suburbs. Kolkata also houses the prestigious Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, which was started here in the year 2006.[199] The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences is one of India's autonomous law schools,[200][201] and the Indian Statistical Institute is a public research institute and university. State owned Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal (MAKAUT, WB), formerly West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) is the largest Technological University in terms of student enrollment and number of Institutions affiliated by it. Private institutions include the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute and University of Engineering & Management (UEM).

 

Notable scholars who were born, worked or studied in Kolkata include physicists Satyendra Nath Bose, Meghnad Saha,[202] and Jagadish Chandra Bose;[203] chemist Prafulla Chandra Roy;[202] statisticians Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis and Anil Kumar Gain;[202] physician Upendranath Brahmachari;[202] educator Ashutosh Mukherjee;[204] and Nobel laureates Rabindranath Tagore,[205] C. V. Raman,[203] and Amartya Sen.[206]

 

Kolkata houses many premier research institutes like Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bose Institute, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI), S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) and Indian Centre for Space Physics. Nobel laureate Sir C. V. Raman did his groundbreaking work in Raman effect in IACS.

 

Culture

  

Kolkata is known for its literary, artistic, and revolutionary heritage; as the former capital of India, it was the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought.[207] Kolkata has been called the "City of Furious, Creative Energy"[208] as well as the "cultural [or literary] capital of India".[209][210] The presence of paras, which are neighbourhoods that possess a strong sense of community, is characteristic of the city.[211] Typically, each para has its own community club and, on occasion, a playing field.[211] Residents engage in addas, or leisurely chats, that often take the form of freestyle intellectual conversation.[212][213] The city has a tradition of political graffiti depicting everything from outrageous slander to witty banter and limericks, caricatures, and propaganda.[214][215]

 

Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Indo-Islamic and Indo-Saracenic architectural motifs. Several well-maintained major buildings from the colonial period have been declared "heritage structures";[216] others are in various stages of decay.[217][218] Established in 1814 as the nation's oldest museum, the Indian Museum houses large collections that showcase Indian natural history and Indian art.[219] Marble Palace is a classic example of a European mansion that was built in the city. The Victoria Memorial, a place of interest in Kolkata, has a museum documenting the city's history. The National Library of India is the leading public library in the country while Science City is the largest science centre in the Indian subcontinent.[220]

 

The popularity of commercial theatres in the city has declined since the 1980s.[221]:99[222] Group theatres of Kolkata, a cultural movement that started in the 1940s contrasting with the then-popular commercial theatres, are theatres that are not professional or commercial, and are centres of various experiments in theme, content, and production;[223] group theatres use the proscenium stage to highlight socially relevant messages.[221]:99[224] Chitpur locality of the city houses multiple production companies of jatra, a tradition of folk drama popular in rural Bengal.[225][226] Kolkata is the home of the Bengali cinema industry, dubbed "Tollywood" for Tollygunj, where most of the state's film studios are located.[227] Its long tradition of art films includes globally acclaimed film directors such as Academy Award-winning director Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha, and contemporary directors such as Aparna Sen, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Goutam Ghose and Rituparno Ghosh.[228]

 

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Bengali literature was modernised through the works of authors such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.[229] Coupled with social reforms led by Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, and others, this constituted a major part of the Bengal Renaissance.[230] The middle and latter parts of the 20th century witnessed the arrival of post-modernism, as well as literary movements such as those espoused by the Kallol movement, hungryalists and the little magazines.[231] Large majority of publishers of the city is concentrated in and around College Street, "... a half-mile of bookshops and bookstalls spilling over onto the pavement", selling new and used books.[232]

 

Kalighat painting originated in 19th century Kolkata as a local style that reflected a variety of themes including mythology and quotidian life.[233] The Government College of Art and Craft, founded in 1864, has been the cradle as well as workplace of eminent artists including Abanindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, and Nandalal Bose.[234] The art college was the birthplace of the Bengal school of art that arose as an avant garde and nationalist movement reacting against the prevalent academic art styles in the early 20th century.[235][236] The Academy of Fine Arts and other art galleries hold regular art exhibitions. The city is recognised for its appreciation of Rabindra sangeet (songs written by Rabindranath Tagore) and Indian classical music, with important concerts and recitals, such as Dover Lane Music Conference, being held throughout the year; Bengali popular music, including baul folk ballads, kirtans, and Gajan festival music; and modern music, including Bengali-language adhunik songs.[237][238] Since the early 1990s, new genres have emerged, including one comprising alternative folk–rock Bengali bands.[237] Another new style, jibonmukhi gaan ("songs about life"), is based on realism.[221]:105 Key elements of Kolkata's cuisine include rice and a fish curry known as machher jhol,[239] which can be accompanied by desserts such as roshogolla, sandesh, and a sweet yoghurt known as mishti dohi. Bengal's large repertoire of seafood dishes includes various preparations of ilish, a fish that is a favourite among Calcuttans. Street foods such as beguni (fried battered eggplant slices), kati roll (flatbread roll with vegetable or chicken, mutton, or egg stuffing), phuchka (a deep-fried crêpe with tamarind sauce) and Indian Chinese cuisine from Chinatown are popular.[240][241][242][243]

 

Though Bengali women traditionally wear the sari, the shalwar kameez and Western attire is gaining acceptance among younger women.[244] Western-style dress has greater acceptance among men, although the traditional dhoti and kurta are seen during festivals. Durga Puja, held in September–October, is Kolkata's most important and largest festival; it is an occasion for glamorous celebrations and artistic decorations.[245][246] The Bengali New Year, known as Poila Boishak, as well as the harvest festival of Poush Parbon are among the city's other festivals; also celebrated are Kali Puja, Diwali, Holi, Jagaddhatri Puja, Saraswati Puja, Rathayatra, Janmashtami, Maha Shivratri, Vishwakarma Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Ganesh Chathurthi, Makar Sankranti, Gajan, Kalpataru Day, Bhai Phonta, Maghotsab, Eid, Muharram, Christmas, Buddha Purnima and Mahavir Jayanti. Cultural events include the Rabindra Jayanti, Independence Day(15 August), Republic Day(26 January), Kolkata Book Fair, the Dover Lane Music Festival, the Kolkata Film Festival, Nandikar's National Theatre Festival, Statesman Vintage & Classic Car Rally and Gandhi Jayanti.

  

Media

See also: Kolkata in the media and List of Bengali-language television channels

A five storied building in cream colour with multiple columns in front

Akashvani Bhawan, the head office of state-owned All India Radio, Kolkata

 

The first newspaper in India, the Bengal Gazette started publishing from the city in 1780.[247] Among Kolkata's widely circulated Bengali-language newspapers are Anandabazar Patrika, Bartaman, Sangbad Pratidin, Aajkaal, Dainik Statesman and Ganashakti.[248] The Statesman and The Telegraph are two major English-language newspapers that are produced and published from Kolkata. Other popular English-language newspapers published and sold in Kolkata include The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Indian Express, and the Asian Age.[248] As the largest trading centre in East India, Kolkata has several high-circulation financial dailies, including The Economic Times, The Financial Express, Business Line, and Business Standard.[248][249] Vernacular newspapers, such as those in the Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Odia, Punjabi, and Chinese languages, are read by minorities.[248][103] Major periodicals based in Kolkata include Desh, Sananda, Saptahik Bartaman, Unish-Kuri, Anandalok, and Anandamela.[248] Historically, Kolkata has been the centre of the Bengali little magazine movement.[250][251]

 

All India Radio, the national state-owned radio broadcaster, airs several AM radio stations in the city.[252] Kolkata has 12 local radio stations broadcasting on FM, including two from AIR.[253] India's state-owned television broadcaster, Doordarshan, provides two free-to-air terrestrial channels,[254] while a mix of Bengali, Hindi, English, and other regional channels are accessible via cable subscription, direct-broadcast satellite services, or internet-based television.[255][256][257] Bengali-language 24-hour television news channels include ABP Ananda, Tara Newz, Kolkata TV, 24 Ghanta, News Time and Channel 10.[258]

Sports

See also: Football in Kolkata, Kolkata Marathon, and Kolkata derby

Salt Lake Stadium during Indian Super League opening ceremony

 

The most popular sports in Kolkata are football and cricket. Unlike most parts of India, the residents show significant passion for football.[259] The city is home to top national football clubs such as Mohun Bagan A.C., East Bengal F.C., Prayag United S.C., and the Mohammedan Sporting Club.[260][261] Calcutta Football League, which was started in 1898, is the oldest football league in Asia.[262] Mohun Bagan A.C., one of the oldest football clubs in Asia, is the only organisation to be dubbed a "National Club of India".[263][264] Football matches between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, dubbed as the Kolkata derby, witness large audience attendance and rivalry between patrons.[265]

A Twenty20 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Pune Warriors during Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens

 

As in the rest of India, cricket is popular in Kolkata and is played on grounds and in streets throughout the city.[266][267] Kolkata has the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders; the Cricket Association of Bengal, which regulates cricket in West Bengal, is also based in the city. Kolkata also has an Indian Super League franchise known as Atlético de Kolkata. Tournaments, especially those involving cricket, football, badminton, and carrom, are regularly organised on an inter-locality or inter-club basis.[211] The Maidan, a vast field that serves as the city's largest park, hosts several minor football and cricket clubs and coaching institutes.[268]

 

Eden Gardens, which has a capacity of 68,000 as of 2017,[269] hosted the final match of the 1987 Cricket World Cup. It is home to the Bengal cricket team and the Kolkata Knight Riders.

 

The multi-use Salt Lake Stadium, also known as Yuva Bharati Krirangan, is India's largest stadium by seating capacity. Most matches of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup were played in the Salt Lake Stadium including both Semi-Final matches and the Final match. Kolkata also accounted for 45% of total attendance in 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup with an average of 55,345 spectators.[270] The Calcutta Cricket and Football Club is the second-oldest cricket club in the world.[271][272]

 

Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium served as host of the 1981 Asian Basketball Championship, where India's national basketball team finished 5th, ahead of teams that belong to Asia's basketball elite, such as Iran. The city has three 18-hole golf courses. The oldest is at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, the first golf club built outside the United Kingdom.[273][274] The other two are located at the Tollygunge Club and at Fort William. The Royal Calcutta Turf Club hosts horse racing and polo matches.[275] The Calcutta Polo Club is considered the oldest extant polo club in the world.[276][277][278] The Calcutta Racket Club is a squash and racquet club in Kolkata. It was founded in 1793, making it one of the oldest rackets clubs in the world, and the first in the Indian subcontinent.[279][280] The Calcutta South Club is a venue for national and international tennis tournaments; it held the first grass-court national championship in 1946.[281][282] In the period 2005–2007, Sunfeast Open, a tier-III tournament on the Women's Tennis Association circuit, was held in the Netaji Indoor Stadium; it has since been discontinued.[283][284]

 

The Calcutta Rowing Club hosts rowing heats and training events. Kolkata, considered the leading centre of rugby union in India, gives its name to the oldest international tournament in rugby union, the Calcutta Cup.[285][286][287] The Automobile Association of Eastern India, established in 1904,[288][289] and the Bengal Motor Sports Club are involved in promoting motor sports and car rallies in Kolkata and West Bengal.[290][291] The Beighton Cup, an event organised by the Bengal Hockey Association and first played in 1895, is India's oldest field hockey tournament; it is usually held on the Mohun Bagan Ground of the Maidan.[292][293] Athletes from Kolkata include Sourav Ganguly and Pankaj Roy, who are former captains of the Indian national cricket team; Olympic tennis bronze medallist Leander Paes, golfer Arjun Atwal, and former footballers Sailen Manna, Chuni Goswami, P. K. Banerjee, and Subrata Bhattacharya.

It was captured during Pavarana Purnima festival. Pavarana is a Buddhist holy day celebrated on the full moon of the eleventh lunar month. It marks the end of the month of Vassa, sometimes called "Buddhist Lent." This day marks the end of the rainy season in some Asian countries like Thailand, where Theravada Buddhism is practiced. On this day, each monk (Pali: bhikkhu) must come before the community of monks (Sangha) and atone for an offense he may have committed during the Vassa.

In Bangladesh Buddhist devotees fly Fanush (Hot Air Balloon) to honor Lord Buddha and all the departed soul during the eve of Pavarana Purnima.

 

Here in this picture a devotee was contributing to fire that Fanush.

 

Place : Buddhist Pavarana Purnima Festival, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Camera : D90.

Date : 22 Oct, 2010.

 

Please don't use this image anywhere without my permission.

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nrhp # 91000311- Built between 1904 and 1907, the Severs Block at 101 E. 6th St. in Okmulgee, Oklahoma is a two-story generally rectangular brick building which incorporates an earlier two-story stone building (now the west wall and a part of the rear wall). The 1882 F.B. Severs’ General Store was a Romanesque structure, the second stone building in all of Okmulgee and the first two-story stone building. Frederick Severs himself expanded his building with the new construction that included storefronts and office space. The canted corner entrance faces the Creek National Capitol. The building was rehabilitated in 1989; that renovation reversed extensive remodeling efforts made in 1954, reconstructed the entry from historical photographs, and generally returned the building to its appearance at the time of its construction.

 

Severs Block is significant in the area’s history. The original Severs Building was the primary supplier of general goods in the Creek Nation from 1882 until the turn of the century, and the Severs Block played a significant role In Okmulgee’s commercial development through the first half of the 20th Century. It is also an excellent example of pre-Statehood commercial buildings.

 

The Severs Block was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 3, 1991.

 

It was further included on the National Register again as a contributing building in the 1992 listing of the Okmulgee Downtown Historic District.

 

from Wikipedia

Many things contribute to a violin's sound. One of the more important is the spruce top. The denser the lines, the better the sound, usually...

The Grade I Listed church of St. Peter and St. Paul ('Bath Abbey') is the third to have occupied this location, itself possibly the site of a earlier pagan temple.

Founded in 675 as a convent then a monastery, the first substantial church was built for King Offa of Mercia in 781. As a plaque on the building states, Edgar, the first King of All England, was crowned in the Saxon church by Archbishop Dunstan of Canterbury on Whitsunday 973. The service devised by Dunstan has been used at the coronations of all subsequent English monarchs.

 

In the political upheaval following the Norman invasion of 1066, the seat of the Bishop of Wells was moved to Bath Abbey, with the Saxon church hence being replaced by a 101m-long cathedral church between 1090 and 1161. In 1245 Roger of Salisbury became the first Bishop of Bath and Wells and susequent encumbents favoured Wells Cathedral. By 1499, the Norman church – much larger than the monastery alone could afford to maintain – was in a poor physical state and the monks demoralised.

 

The current abbey church, "the last of the great medieval churches of England", was begun in 1502 and largely completed by 1533, on the site of just the Norman nave.

The style is Perpendicular Gothic, though atypically proportioned with low side aisles and arcades and an unusually tall clerestory. The cruciform floorplan was also unusual for a parish church of the period, the result of its monastic context.

 

This was just in time for the Dissolution of the Monasteries; in 1539 the diocese was consolidated to Wells Cathedral (though the name was retained) and, after the city declined to buy the abbey church, it was stripped of its windows and roof lead.

In 1574, Elizabeth I encouraged restoration of the building, founding a national fund to finance the work and in 1583 decreeing that it should become Bath's parish church. However, it wasn't until 1616 that the Bishop of Bath and Wells provided £1,000 for a new, wooden nave roof, allegedly after sheltering there during a thunderstorm, and the church returned to essentially its current form.

 

Following the rise of Bath as England's preeminent spa town, the church was restored by George Manners from 1833, with substantial changes made to the exterior. However, more work was required by 1859; repairs were made to the exterior but the interior was totally transformed by Sir George Gilbert Scott 1864–74, in the Victorian Gothic style. Most significantly, sightlines were cleared, allowing one to see the full 69 m length of the church (as this image does), and the lath-and-plaster nave ceiling was replaced with this marvellous stone fan vaulting, matching that already in the chancel, in the background.

 

Combined with the unusually tall clerestory, pale Bath stone and 52 windows occupying ~80% of the wall space, the result is, as one can see here, an extraordinarily airy space with none of the oppressive sense of weight encountered in some Great Churches.

The fan vaulting is a feature particularly associated with English Gothic church architecture. Transferring the weight of the ceiling through numerous narrow ribs rather than fewer and bulkier structures, it contributes to a sense of lightness – and simply blocks less light.

The image shows a corner of what appears to be a vintage shop or cafe.

 

The focal point is a dark brown wooden cabinet with glass doors, containing various items such as old records or papers. On top sits a vintage karaoke machine. Above the cabinet, a glass-fronted display case holds a collection of beer bottles. To the right of the cabinet, a small, dark-colored Red Bull mini-fridge rests on a simple wooden stool.

 

The walls are aged, with visible cracks and imperfections, contributing to an overall vintage or retro aesthetic. Plants are visible, adding a touch of life to the space. A "No Smoking" sign is prominently displayed. The overall mood is dark, moody, and nostalgic, suggesting a feeling of history and perhaps slow, quiet contemplation. The scene suggests a place that blends old and new, with the modern mini-fridge contrasting nicely against the vintage furniture and decor.

Contributed by an admirer

I missed out on contributing for awhile

so I'll try to be back here n there!

 

Hope you don't mind the little clipping of the 1/4 round tiles for headlights; as easily stickered IRL as they are "beta versions" in my current(ly outdated) Ldraw folder ;D

Some say a river is a flow of sufficient amount of water that runs north to south in the U.S., however the Red River runs south to north. Some say a stream is a flow of shallow water that contributes to a river, others say a creek is the same as a stream but is deeper and with a slower flow. This desert water, stream, creek or river flows all year albeit very little by summers end, is whatever one wishes to call it. Your choice. Just thought it was interesting to see in this environment.

www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/m/marshside/index.aspx

  

www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/m/marshside/about.aspx

  

There's something for everyone all year round at this delightful coastal reserve. In the spring you can see brown hares boxing in the fields, while in the early summer you'll spot nesting birds like avocets and lapwings. During the winter months the skies fill with visiting waterfowl such as pink-footed geese and wigeons, not to mention birds of prey that can set flocks wheeling over the marshes.

 

There are two hides, a viewing platform and three viewing screens. If you're new to birdwatching, why not come on one of our special event days?

 

Opening times

8.30 am to 5 pm every day.

 

Entrance charges

Free, but donations to help us continue our work here are welcome.

 

If you are new to birdwatching...

Extensive events programme and ABB events take place - all aimed at beginners. Birds all-year and plenty of them.

 

Information for dog owners

Some access for dogs - please contact reserve for details

  

Star species

Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.

  

Avocet

Watch elegant avocets 'scooping up' microscopic, aquatic life in their amazing, sickle-shaped beaks. They nest in mini colonies on the islands.

  

Black-tailed godwit

Flocks of black-tailed godwits can be seen on in spring - when they rest and feed here before heading north to Iceland to breed - they are resplendent in their 'tomato soup-red' breeding attire. On their return in autumn, you can pick out the scaly-backed juvenile birds if you look closely. Some birds also spend summer here.

  

Lapwing

Watch the nesting lapwings here chasing predators that may come too close to their nests or show too much of an interest in their chicks. The protective parents regularly give chase to crows and do not stop their 'mobbing' attacks until the danger has passed.

  

Pink-footed goose

Many pink-footed geese assemble here from late September through to March. They roost on the mudflats and fly inland at dawn to feed in nearby fields.

  

Wigeon

During winter, flocks of wigeons are a daily sight, with several thousand often on the reserve. Wintering birds arrive from early September and numbers build up to a peak, usually in January.

  

Seasonal highlights

Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.

 

Spring

Lapwings tumble in excitable displays over the nesting areas. Early morning is the best time to see the hares 'boxing'. Watch out for the first wheatears and swallows to arrive from Africa. The flood-waters are retreating, leaving muddy edges - look out for migrating waders like common sandpipers and ruffs. There are still large numbers of wigeons, teals, black-tailed godwits and other water birds biding their time or passing through on their way north.

  

Summer

Redshanks and avocets scold you from a distance as they watch over their chicks. The grass is peppered with the colours of wildflowers. Wall brown and common blue butterflies are found along the paths on warm, sunny days. Grey herons stalk the ditches. Summering black-tailed godwits can be found in the wetter spots.

  

Autumn

A dashing falcon at this time of year could be a merlin just in from Iceland. Look for skeins of pink-footed geese flying to and from their roost out on the mudflats at dusk and dawn. Migrant hawker dragonflies patrol the ditches on sunny days. Wigeon and teal numbers begin to build up.

  

Winter

You will be sure to see huge flocks of wigeons, teals, lapwings and golden plovers wheeling and turning over the marshes. Look out for the bird of prey that has caused the panic. It could be a kestrel, merlin, peregrine or sparrowhawk or perhaps one of the voracious great black-backed gulls that patrol these marshes.

  

Facilities

 

Facilities

•Information centre

•Car park : Free car park (local authority). Bicycle rack at Sandgrounders Hide.

•Toilets

•Disabled toilets

•Group bookings accepted

•Guided walks available

•Good for walking

•Pushchair friendly

 

Viewing points

Two hides - both glazed, one heated. One viewing platform and three viewing screens.

 

Nature trails

Trail to Sandgrounders Hide from car park 200 m, wheelchair/pushchair-suitable. Trail from Nel's Hide to car park 550 m wheelchair/pushchair-suitable. Footpaths along old sea-wall and coast road make round trips of 1.8 miles (3 km), 2.5 miles (4 km) and 4.3 miles (7 km) possible for able-bodied.

  

Accessibility

This is a natural site with unimproved paths and trails - the access around this site may not be suitable for all visitors. If you have concerns, please contact the reserve or regional office before your visit to discuss your requirements.

  

How to get here

 

By train

Southport (Chapel Street Station) - follow London Street till it joins Lord Street and then go straight across Lord Street and on down Nevill Street to the Promenade; turn right to follow Marine Lake to its northern end; turn left onto Fairway and then right on to Marine Drive. Reserve begins at Hesketh Road after 0.6 mile (1 km; first turning on right). Total distance 1.8 miles (3 km).

 

By bus

Southport (War Memorial, Lord Street) to Crossens via Marshside Road. No.44 every 15 minutes. Get off at Elswick Road junction. Walk north 200 m along Marshside Road to start of reserve.

 

By road

From Southport, follow coast road north (1.5 miles or 2.5 km from Southport Pier) to small car park by sand works.

  

Our work here

Marshside protects 94 ha of coastal grassland and pools on the shores of the Ribble estuary.

The RSPB is managing the reserve to protect important populations of breeding waders and wintering wildfowl, plus other wildlife such as brown hares and wintering birds of prey. We are also developing the reserve as a popular visitor attraction.

 

Top targets

We are working towards five-year mean targets for key breeding birds. These include 80 pairs of lapwings, 10 pairs of avocets and 30 pairs of redshanks. We will also ensure that black-tailed godwits remain present through the breeding season and that breeding wildfowl numbers are stable.

Meanwhile, our October-March targets for non-breeding birds include at least 900 black-tailed godwits, 300 pink-footed geese, 6,000 wigeons, 1,500 teals, 100 shovelers and 750 golden plovers.

 

Grassland gains

We are improving our grassland for breeding waders, using summer grazing with cattle and topping, where necessary, to create suitable sward heights. We will retain a tussocky structure, and will ensure that up to 33 ha of grassland holds permanent surface water in winter. We will also increase our small area of ungrazed grassland and preserve the extent of our ‘dune-slack’ grassland, which is rich in wildlife.

 

Water and swamp

We will ensure that all permanent water bodies are at least 10 cm deep from the start of June. We will also increase the extent of open water in pools and ditches, by rotationally cleaning and re-profiling ditches. We will dig new ditches and create small pools to break up waterless ‘plain’ areas, and will excavate to create 1 ha of open water and an additional 1 ha of swamp.

 

Keeping tabs

Constant monitoring helps us to manage the site and contribute to research projects elsewhere. We focus on breeding waders, lapwing nest productivity and wintering wildfowl, as well as water voles, natterjack toads and butterflies. We also monitor sward height, cattle numbers, the levels and quality of water, and the extent and quality of grassland.

 

People

We are continuing to improve visitor facilities, making our hides, nature trails and footpaths accessible to all. We also run a varied events programme and will keep developing our volunteer scheme.

  

Contact us

•Tel: 01704 226190

Where is it?

•Lat/lng: 53.67694,-2.98096

•Grid reference: SD353205

•Nearest town: Southport, Merseyside

•County: Merseyside

•Country: England

 

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City

 

New York City (NYC), often called the City of New York or simply New York (NY), is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2018 population of 8,398,748 distributed over about 302.6 square miles (784 km2), New York is also the most densely populated major city in the United States. Located at the southern tip of the U.S. state of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass. With almost 20 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and approximately 23 million in its combined statistical area, it is one of the world's most populous megacities. New York City has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, significantly influencing commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy.

 

Situated on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City is composed of five boroughs, each of which is a county of the State of New York. The five boroughs—Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898. The city and its metropolitan area constitute the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. New York is home to more than 3.2 million residents born outside the United States, the largest foreign-born population of any city in the world as of 2016. As of 2019, the New York metropolitan area is estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $2.0 trillion. If greater New York City were a sovereign state, it would have the 12th highest GDP in the world. New York is home to the highest number of billionaires of any city in the world.

 

New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded by colonists from the Dutch Republic in 1624 on Lower Manhattan; the post was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York. New York was the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790, and has been the largest U.S. city since 1790. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the U.S. by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a symbol of the U.S. and its ideals of liberty and peace. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a global node of creativity and entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability, and as a symbol of freedom and cultural diversity. In 2019, New York was voted the greatest city in the world per a survey of over 30,000 people from 48 cities worldwide, citing its cultural diversity.

 

Many districts and landmarks in New York City are well known, including three of the world's ten most visited tourist attractions in 2013. A record 62.8 million tourists visited New York City in 2017. Times Square is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Many of the city's landmarks, skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Manhattan's real estate market is among the most expensive in the world. New York is home to the largest ethnic Chinese population outside of Asia, with multiple distinct Chinatowns across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service and contributing to the nickname The City that Never Sleeps, the New York City Subway is the largest single-operator rapid transit system worldwide, with 472 rail stations. The city has over 120 colleges and universities, including Columbia University, New York University, Rockefeller University, and the City University of New York system, which is the largest urban public university system in the United States. Manhattan is home to the world's two largest stock exchanges by total market capitalization, namely the New York Stock Exchange, located on Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, and NASDAQ, headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.

There was a flickr group called Naked Flickring. It seems to have been started around 2005 by someone who liked to be naked while on the web. There were others, so we contributed our pictures. This group seems to have ended, but the pictures are still here. Pictures of nakedness seems to have blossomed into the millions. Glad to have done my part.

On the way from Speke's Mill Mouth to Hartland Quay.

 

Auf dem Weg von Speke's Mill Mouth nach Hartland Quay.

 

The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for 630 miles (1,014 km), running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more challenging trails. The total height climbed has been calculated to be 114,931 ft (35,031 m), almost four times the height of Mount Everest. It has been voted 'Britain's Best Walking route' twice in a row by readers of the Ramblers Walk magazine, and regularly features in lists of the world's best walks.

 

The final section of the path was designated as a National Trail in 1978. Many of the landscapes which the South West Coast Path crosses have special status, either as a national park or one of the heritage coasts. The path passes through two World Heritage Sites: the Dorset and East Devon Coast, known as the Jurassic Coast, was designated in 2001, and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape in 2007.

 

In the 1990s it was thought that the path brought £150 million into the area each year, but new research in 2003 indicated that it generated around £300 million a year in total, which could support more than 7,500 jobs. This research also recorded that 27.6% of visitors to the region came because of the Path, and they spent £136 million in a year. Local people took 23 million walks on the Path and spent a further £116 million, and other visitors contributed the remainder. A further study in 2005 estimated this figure to have risen to around £300 million. Following investment through the Rural Development Programme for England, more detailed research was undertaken in 2012, and this found the annual spend by walkers to have risen to £439 million which sustains 9771 full-time equivalent jobs.

 

The path originated as a route for the Coastguard to walk from lighthouse to lighthouse patrolling for smugglers. They needed to be able to look down into every bay and cove: as a result, the path closely hugs the coast providing excellent views but rarely the most direct path between two points. The South West Coast Path is no longer used by the Coastguard but it has been transformed from a practical defence system into a resource for recreational walkers. The path is covered by England's right-of-way laws, as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which keep historic footpaths open to the public even when they pass through private property. Sections of the path are maintained by the National Trust, which owns parts of the coast.

 

The path is a designated National Trail, largely funded by Natural England. It was created in stages, with its final section, Somerset and North Devon, opening in 1978. It is maintained by a dedicated South West Coast Path Team.

 

The South West Coast Path Association, a registered charity, exists to support the interests of users of the path. The Association was formed in 1973 and since then it has campaigned for improvements to the path and undertakes considerable fundraising to help care for and improve the path. Its services include accommodation guides and completion certificates.

 

The route is described here anticlockwise, from Minehead to Poole. The distance and total ascent between any two points, in either direction, can be obtained from The South West Coast Path Association Distance Reckoner. A survey carried out in 1999 and 2000 found that at that time the path had 2,473 signposts or waymarks, and included 302 bridges, 921 stiles, and 26,719 steps. In practice, any such calculation is soon out of date because of path diversions due to landslips or access changes.

 

Many walkers take about eight weeks to complete the path, often dividing this into sections walked over several years. In contrast, a team of six Royal Marines, taking turns in pairs to run two-hour sections, completed the path in six days in 2004 and in 2012 a runner ran the entire path in 16 days, 9 hours and 57 minutes. New records for completing the path were set on 11 May 2013, when two runners completed the trail in 14 days, 14 hours and 45 minutes and 23 April 2015, when a runner completed the trail in 14 days, 8 hours and 2 minutes. This record was however quickly broken by Mark Berry, who ran it in 11 days, 8 hours and 15 minutes. On 24 May 2016 outdoor journalist and GB ultra runner Damian Hall set a new fastest known time of 10 days, 15 hours and 18 minutes.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der South West Coast Path ist Großbritanniens längster ausgeschilderter Fernwanderweg und ein National Trail. Er verläuft über 1.014 km (630 Meilen) von Minehead in Somerset entlang der Küsten von Devon und Cornwall nach Poole Harbour in Dorset.

 

Da er bei jeder Flussmündung steigt und fällt, gilt er als eine vergleichsweise anstrengende Langstreckenwanderung. Die zu erklimmende Gesamthöhe wurde mit 35.031 m (114.931 ft) berechnet, fast das Vierfache der Höhe des Mount Everest.

 

Der letzte Abschnitt des Weges wurde 1978 als National Trail anerkannt. Viele der Landschaften, die der South West Coast Path durchquert, haben einen Sonderstatus, entweder als Nationalpark oder als Heritage Coast. Der Weg führt durch zwei UNESCO-Welterbe-Stätten: Die Küste von Dorset und East Devon, die als Jurassic Coast bekannt ist, bekam im Jahr 2001 den UNESCO-Welterbe-Status, und die Bergbaulandschaft von Cornwall und West Devon im Jahr 2007.

 

In den 1990er Jahren hat man berechnet, dass der Weg jährlich jeweils 15.000.000 £ für die Region eingebracht hat, aber neuere Untersuchungen haben im Jahr 2003 darauf hingewiesen, dass insgesamt rund 300.000.000 £ pro Jahr erzeugt werden, was mehr als 7.500 Arbeitsplätze unterstützt. Diese Arbeit dokumentiert auch, dass 27,6 % der Besucher wegen dieses Weges in die Region kamen und 136.000.000 £ pro Jahr dort ausgaben. Die örtliche Bevölkerung hat 23 Millionen Spaziergänge auf dem Weg gemacht und gab weitere 116.000.000 £ aus, und andere Besucher trugen den Rest bei. Eine weitere Studie im Jahr 2005 schätzte, dass diese Zahl inzwischen auf rund 300.000.000 £ angestiegen sei.

 

Der Weg wurde für die Coast Guard angelegt, um im Kampf gegen Schmuggler zu Fuß von Leuchtturm zu Leuchtturm zu patrouillieren. Die Küstenwächer mussten in der Lage sein, einen Blick nach unten in jede Bucht zu werfen. Als Ergebnis schmiegt sich der Weg eng an die Küste an und bietet eine hervorragende Aussicht, aber nur selten einen direkten Weg zwischen zwei Punkten. Der South West Coast Path wird von der Küstenwache nicht mehr zur Schmugglerabwehr verwendet, sondern hat sich in ein Angebot für Freizeit-Wanderer verwandelt.

 

Der Pfad wird durch ein öffentliches Wegerecht abgedeckt, aktuell durch den Countryside and Rights of Way Act, das historische Wanderwege für die Öffentlichkeit zugänglich hält, auch wenn sie über Privateigentum führen. Abschnitte des Weges werden durch den National Trust gepflegt, der Teile der Küstengrundstücke besitzt.

 

Der Pfad ist ein ausgewiesener National Trail, der weitgehend von Natural England finanziert wird. Er wurde in Etappen erstellt, mit der Eröffnung des letzten Abschnitts in Somerset und North Devon im Jahr 1978. Er wird von einem engagierten South West Coast Path Team betreut.

 

Die South West Coast Path Association existiert, um die Interessen der Nutzer des Weges zu unterstützen. Der eingetragene Verein wurde 1973 gegründet und ist seither um Verbesserungen des Weges bemüht. Die Dienstleistungen umfassen unter anderem Unterkunftsvermittlung, Führer und Abschluss-Zertifikate.

 

(Wikipedia)

STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) is seen as a thin purple ribbon of light accompanied by green light.

 

Credit: ©Megan Hoffman

 

Read more: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/mystery-of-purple-light...

 

NASA image use policy.

 

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

 

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippi

  

Philippi (/fɪˈlɪpaɪ, ˈfɪləˌpaɪ/; Greek: Φίλιπποι, Philippoi) was a city in eastern Macedonia, established by Philip II in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest. The present municipality Filippoi is located near the ruins of the ancient city and it is part of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace in Kavalla Greece.

  

History

  

Philippi was established by the king of Macedon, Philip II, on the site of the Thasian colony of Krinides or Crenides (Κρηνἱδες, "Fountains"), near the head of the Aegean Sea at the foot of Mt. Orbelos about 8 miles north-west of Kavalla, on the northern border of the marsh that in Antiquity covered the entire plain separating it from the Pangaion hills to the south of Greece.

 

The objective of founding the town was to take control of the neighbouring gold mines and to establish a garrison at a strategic passage: the site controlled the route between Amphipolis and Neapolis, part of the great royal route which crosses Macedonia from the east to the west and which was reconstructed later by the Roman Empire as the Via Egnatia. Philip II endowed the new city with important fortifications, which partially blocked the passage between the swamp and Mt. Orbelos, and sent colonists to occupy it. Philip also had the marsh partially drained, as is attested by the writer Theophrastus. Philippi preserved its autonomy within the kingdom of Macedon and had its own political institutions (the Assembly of the demos). The discovery of new gold mines near the city, at Asyla, contributed to the wealth of the kingdom and Philip established a mint there. The city was finally fully integrated into the kingdom under Philip V.

 

The city remained. It contained 2,000 people. When the Romans destroyed the Antigonid dynasty of Macedon in 168 BC and divided it into four separate states (merides), it was Amphipolis and not Philippi that became the capital of the eastern Macedonian state.

 

Almost nothing is known about the city in this period, aside from the walls, the Greek theatre, the foundations of a house under the Roman forum and a little temple dedicated to a hero cult. This monument covers the tomb of a certain Exekestos, is possibly situated on the agora and is dedicated to the κτίστης (ktistès), the foundation hero of the city.

  

The Roman era

  

The city reappears in the sources during the Roman civil war that followed the assassination of Julius Caesar. His heirs Mark Antony and Octavian confronted the assassins of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, at the Battle of Philippi on the plain to the west of the city during October in 42 BC. Antony and Octavian were victorious in this final battle against the partisans of the Republic. They released some of their veteran soldiers, probably from legion XXVIII and colonized them in the city, which was refounded as Colonia Victrix Philippensium. In 30 BC, Octavian became Roman emperor, reorganized the colony, and established more settlers there, veterans possibly from the Praetorian Guard and other Italians. The city was renamed Colonia Iulia Philippensis, and then Colonia Augusta Iulia Philippensis after January, 27 BC, when Octavian received the title Augustus from the Roman Senate.

 

Following this second renaming, and perhaps after the first, the territory of Philippi was centuriated (divided into squares of land) and distributed to the colonists. The city kept its Macedonian walls, and its general plan was modified only partially by the construction of a forum, a little to the east of the site of Greek agora. It was a "miniature Rome," under the municipal law of Rome and governed by two military officers, the duumviri, who were appointed directly from Rome.

 

The colony recognized its dependence on the mines that brought it its privileged position on the Via Egnatia. This wealth was shown by the many monuments that were particularly imposing considering the relatively small size of the urban area: the forum, laid out in two terraces on both sides of the main road, was constructed in several phases between the reigns of Claudius and Antoninus Pius, and the theatre was enlarged and expanded in order to hold Roman games. There is an abundance of Latin inscriptions testifying to the prosperity of the city.

  

The early Christian era

  

According to the New Testament, in AD 49 or 50, the city was visited by the apostle Paul (Acts 16:9-10). From the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16:12) and the letter to the Philippians (Philippians 1:1), early Christians concluded that Paul had founded their community. Accompanied by Silas, Timothy and possibly Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles, Paul is believed to have preached for the first time on European soil in Philippi (Acts 16:12-40). According to the New Testament, Paul visited the city on two other occasions, in 56 and 57. The Epistle to the Philippians dates from around 61-62 and is believed to show the immediate effects of Paul's instruction.

 

The development of Christianity in Philippi is indicated by a letter from Polycarp of Smyrna addressed to the community in Philippi around AD 160 and by funerary inscriptions.

 

The first church described in the city is a small building that was probably originally a small prayer house. This Basilica of Paul, identified by a mosaic inscription on the pavement, is dated around 343 from a mention by the bishop Porphyrios, who was present at the Council of Serdica that year.

 

The prosperity of the city in the 5th and 6th centuries was attributed to Paul and to his ministry.[citation needed] As in other cities, many new ecclesiastical buildings were constructed at this time. Seven different churches were constructed in Philippi between the mid-4th century and the end of the 6th, some of which competed in size and decoration with the most beautiful buildings in Thessalonica, or those of Constantinople. The relationship of the plan and of the architectural decoration of Basilica B with Hagia Sophia and Saint Irene in Constantinople accorded a privileged place to this church in the history of early Christian art. The complex cathedral which took the place of the Basilica of Paul at the end of the 5th century, constructed around an octagonal church, also rivaled the churches of Constantinople.

 

In the same age, the fortifications of the city were rebuilt in order to better defend against the growing instability in the Balkans. In 473 CE, the city was besieged by the Ostrogoths, who were unable to take it but burned down the surrounding villages.

  

The Byzantine and Ottoman era

  

Already weakened by the Slavic invasions at the end of the 6th century, which ruined the agrarian economy of Macedonia and probably also by the Plague of Justinian in 547, the city was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake around 619, from which it never recovered. There was a small amount of activity there in the 7th century, but the city was now hardly more than a village.

 

The Byzantine Empire possibly maintained a garrison there, but in 838 the city was taken by the Bulgars under kavhan Isbul, who celebrated their victory with a monumental inscription on the stylobate in Basilica B, now partially in ruins. The site of Philippi was so strategically sound that the Byzantines attempted very soon to recapture it ca. 850. Several seals of civil servants and other Byzantine officials, dated to the first half of the 9th century, prove the presence of Byzantine armies in the city.

 

Around 969, Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas rebuilt the fortifications on the acropolis and in part of the city. These gradually helped weaken Bulgar power and strengthen the Byzantine presence in the area. In 1077, Bishop Basil Kartzimopoulos rebuilt part of the defenses inside the city. The city began to prosper once more, as witnessed by the Arab geographer Al Idrisi, who mentions it as a centre of business and wine production around 1150.

 

After a brief occupation by the Franks after the Fourth Crusade and the capture of Constantinople in 1204, the city was captured by the Serbs. Still, it remained a notable fortification on the route of the ancient Via Egnatia; in 1354, the pretender to the Byzantine throne, Matthew Cantacuzenus, was captured there by the Serbs.

 

The city was abandoned at an unknown date, but when the French traveller Pierre Belon visited it in the 16th century, there were nothing but ruins, used by the Turks as a quarry. The name of the city was preserved at first by a Turkish village on the nearby plain, Philibedjik (Filibecik, "Little Filibe" in Turkish), which has since disappeared and then by a Greek village in the mountains.

  

Archaeological excavation of the site

  

Noted or briefly described by 16th century travellers, the first archaeological description of the city was made in 1856 by Perrot, then in 1861 by Léon Heuzey and Henri Daumet in their famous Mission archéologique de Macédoine.[1] The first excavations did not begin until the summer of 1914, and were soon interrupted by the First World War. The excavations, carried out by the École française d'Athènes, were renewed in 1920 and continued until 1937. During this time the Greek theatre, the forum, Basilicas A and B, the baths and the walls were excavated. After the Second World War, Greek archaeologists returned to the site. From 1958 to 1978, the Société Archéologique, then the Service archéologique and the University of Thessalonica uncovered the bishop's quarter and the octagonal church, large private residences, a new basilica near the Museum and two others in the necropolis to the east of the city.

  

In the Bible

  

According to the New Testament, in AD 49 or 50 the apostle Paul visited the city, guided there by a vision (Acts 16:9-10). Accompanied by Silas, Timothy and possibly Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles, Paul preached for the first time on European soil in Philippi (Acts 16:12-40) and baptized Lydia, a purple dye merchant, in a river to the west of the city. While in Philippi, his exorcism of a demon from a slave girl caused a great uproar in the city, which led to the arrest of Paul and Silas and a public beating (Acts 16:16-24). An earthquake caused their prison to be opened. When the jailer awoke, he prepared to kill himself, thinking all the prisoners had escaped and knowing that he would be severely punished. Paul stopped him, indicating that all the prisoners were in fact still there. The jailer then became one of the first Christians in Europe (Acts 16:25-40).

 

Paul visited the city at least on two other occasions, in 56 and 57. The Epistle to the Philippians dates from around 61-62 and shows the immediate effects of Paul's instruction.

The Individual Research and Combat Device is designed to help the operator get the most from the environment serving not only as a weapon but as an extension of the user's own body.

 

The IRCD features the J-Tac's TAT-5 (Telemetry Aiming Tool). Inspired by technology made for space probes, this small computer makes readings of the surrounding area, indicating levels of H2O, O2, C and other elements. This way, the operators can find not only hostile individuals but important resources for the exploration mission. The readings are constantly updated and the data is sent to the main research center, contributing for further reconnaissance of the ambient. The TAT-5 also works as a red dot sight unit and has a built in compass.

 

Due to concerns with ammo, J-Tac installed an ultra sonic repellent in the stock, similar to the one used against bats but with more efficiency. It's able to stun the creatures living in the forest due to their enhanced hearing, allowing an emergency escape if ammo runs out. It's battery lasts for 2 hours, leaving the soldiers with plenty of time for a back-up plan.

 

The IRCD can be used for a great number of roles from Assault Squads to Security Teams due to its folding and collapsible stock and barrel extension.

 

Sorry for any mistakes. I'm not used to a more formal and technical language.

A special credit to this issue goes to Lord Allo, who contributed to and provided a couple of my favourite Injustice League moments in this issue. Enjoy.

 

==GCPD. Major Crimes Precinct==

 

"Yo, Mac, Sarge said you're the go-to for the Kyle case?"

 

Macdonald looked up from her desk, smirking. "Sure am. Been chasing that one for years. Reports can't seem to decide whether he's dead, alive or something in-between-"

 

"-Need those files on the Arkham escapees. Crane and Dent may be in custody, but that doesn't mean we get to rest easy. Joker, Day, and a dozen others are still in the wind," Captain Sawyer yelled, drowning them out, as she exited her office.

 

"Yes, Captain," the bullpen replied in chorus, as the station erupted into a flurry of activity. On the balcony above, a couple more officers talked to one another. The first approaching his superior, report in hand. "Sir, I need a signature on the Radium gear before we can transport it, anyone know where the DA's hiding?"

"That's a negative, kid. Forensics wanted to go over the toxicity levels one last time before they let them go. No stone unturned kinda deal-" Sarge explains, as he makes his way towards the break room.

Down the hall, three more cops stood outside the interview room, coffees in hand. Behind the glass, the inmate, had been yammering all morning, a high pitched melody echoing throughout the room. "Frabjous Day, callooh callay! The time is now, the world shall pay.

Societies are on the move with leagues in hot pursuit! Their armies dream of winning, with a world beneath their boot!

Other factions chart a course- the base atop the hill. Men once filled with honour, care only who they kill."

"What's his problem?" a cop asks, peering into the interview room. Inside, the small, red haired man taps his fingers on the table, singing tunelessly to himself.

 

"Who, Tetch? Some rookie forgot to take his hat off when he booked him. The wee bastard mind controlled him into raiding the kitchens. Stole all our teabags. Think he got a sugar rush, or something," a second cop explains.

 

"Teabags? Why not the armoury? Why not free himself?"

 

"Paranoid schizo, Tom. I'll sleep easy when they open another loony bin," the third cop mutters.

 

"Like that'll happen, Nate. Their last one nearly killed all the inmates."

 

"If it works, it works," Nate mutters as he walks past the interview room. "Chandler, let me know if you need some back-up in there," he calls back to his partner.

 

"He's four foot tall, Nate, I think I'll manage," she smiles back, opening the door. Hatter gazes up at her, and joyfully bursts into song once more.

"Assassins! Misfits! Knights and Thugs, across Earth far and wide! But no one could forever live, and many of them died!

Darkness grew in hearts of men, promises were made! The bug, now just a widower knew vengeance must be paid.

The Caped Crusader, pointed ears, remembered his first vow. Though evil's power grew and grew, never would he bow.

The Merc to once have broke the bat, had a heart now snapped in two. He thought about the daughter, and his attempts to woo.

Disaster rose, his powers grew, forgotten he may be. But now he yearned for his own seat, and, just in time for tea."

 

Outside, the main door opens, pushed inwards by an invisible hand. Making their way past cop after cop, the unseen figure arrives at the evidence room, a home run, he thinks. But just as he steps through the doorframe, the metal detector sets off, and a loud, ear piercing siren erupts throughout the precinct. He looks down to the ground, and mutters under his breath, as the cops swarm his way.

 

"Shit."

 

=====Star City====

 

Far from the hustle and bussle of the Financial District, Starling Court Drive is situated in the middle of suburbia. The people are kind, honest, unassuming and unsuspecting. The perfect cover for any supervillain hoping to maintain a low profile.

William Tockman was one such man. He exits his house at 10:30 exactly- as he did every day, his red dressing gown draped around his shoulders, a cup of hot cocoa in his hand. He walks down the driveway and opens his mailbox, wrapping the contents under his free arm: bills, bills and the newest issue of his favourite clock magazine (His newest German antique was coming along wonderfully).

Across the road, exiting a shabby old ford, three gaudily dressed men slam the car door closed, and proceed to bicker with each other.

"Hey King," their leader, Disaster, yells cheerily.

Tockman looks at the trio, then at his watch- waving, then promptly running back inside.

 

“Cmon man, let us in! We just wanna talk!” Disaster calls out, rapping at the door impatiently.

 

“I haven’t the time!” Tockman exclaims, now barricading the door with whatever he can find.

 

“Of course you do, man, you always have the time, it’s your thing!” Disaster fires back indignantly.

 

“Right right, I’m looking at the clock now, it says it’s time to leave me the fuck alone o’clock!” Tockman bellows.

 

Cluemaster pauses, letting go off the doorknob. “He said ‘o’clock’, Maj., that’s solid proof of the time. Let’s go get a burger or something,” he mutters sheepishly.

 

“Shut up Artie, and help me kick this idiot’s door in.”

 

With a single strike the door falls off it's hinges. Big Sir beams at Disaster proudly. It's not returned. Tockman sighs to himself, just add that to the list of repairs... The trio push him aside, track dirt across the floor, and make themselves comfortable on his coach. The group finally static, he gets a good look at Cluemaster.

 

"Good god, Arthur, what happened to your face?"

 

"Plane crash," he mutters.

 

"Ah. Again?"

 

"No, no, this time it was Black Adam."

 

Tockman lowers his glasses, confused. "What was he doing flying a plane? The man can fly!"

 

"No, really- Did you text Multi Man?" Cluemaster asks Disaster, desperate to change the subject to something other than his latest embarrassment.

 

"I did he hasn't- Wait, hang on that's him now."

 

"Give me that, it's... a YouTube link."

 

"Well, dammit man, spit it out, what did he want?" Disaster yells expectantly.

 

Cluemaster braces himself, clicks the link, and the noise of Rick Astley fills the room.

 

-----

 

Disaster sits down in the kitchen, now a makeshift confessional, camera aimed at his face. "Multi-Man... Has been getting into memes. Old memes. It's harmless, really. Well, physically. Mentally, it's very, very draining."

 

------

 

"You brought a camera crew..." Tockman scowls.

 

"I *bought* a camera crew! You remember Bruce don't you? Bruce is heavy into cinematography!"

 

"I, uh, I wouldn't say "heavy," I mean, I dabble, I guess-" The once mighty Bruce stammers.

 

"Sure he is! Don't you get it, King, I want the final, brilliant downfall of the JLI to be televised. Live! On Netflix."

 

...

 

"Major, the JLI has been disbanded for years."

 

...

 

"I... I did not know that," Disaster pauses, as he returns to the kitchen confessional.

"Well how was I supposed to know, Bruce? I was in community service! Big Sir traded my TV for some magic beans Queen of Fables gave him, and- What? Oh, no, I don't know how Netflix works. Ironically it's the one thing Big Sir's good at. His password's pasword. With one "S" "

 

=The Headquarters of the Secret Society=

 

"The armies are ready," Kuttler says, as he struggles to keep up with Bane. He's wearing his costume- *that* he hadn't worn in a while. It was heavier than he remembered.

 

"Good, we depart in an hour. First, I need to make a stop in Gotham," he replies, as they enter his quarters. It's sparse, filled mainly with training equipment, books, a couple of chairs, and a small television.

 

"An hour? What could we possibly need now?" Kuttler asks, as the two sit down.

 

"Who. A useful distraction."

 

With that, Kuttler immediately knows who he's talking about. He sighs, and places his glasses on the desk. "Bane, I'm all for power, control, order. But I also want to *live.* You've seen the files, after what he pulled with the Walker kids-on our watch I might add-"

 

Bane raises a hand to stop him. "Walker will come for Ra's. When he does, with his band of Outcasts-"

 

"-Misfits."

 

"-Rejects... we will need someone to occupy them," he mutters calmly.

 

"Zod's in the brig, guarded by Corben and Jones. I can fetch him. He could rip them *all* in half," Noah interjects

 

"Excessive."

 

"From you, Bane, that's a compliment. I'll inform the council. But, by now, The Justice League will be right on our tails... I'd like to be free, too, when this is all said and done. I'd say unharmed, but I suppose that's an... impossibility." Kuttler trails off, as he looks at the TV screen, and reaches for the remote.

 

"-interrupt this broadcast to bring you to the GCPD Cauldron Precinct, where, just ten minutes ago, a hail of gunfire was reported from within- No reported casualties yet, but-"

 

A frown appears on Bane's face. His confidence falters. "Get me Tetch on the line."

 

======GCPD=======

 

"I need a run down on everything that was in that evidence room, understand? Guns, gizmos, you name it. This skel thinks they can bust into our house, they've got another thing coming."

 

"One for every freak in Gotham, ma'am," a young cop yells feverishly. "Freeze rays, shock gloves, think we've got one of Quakemaster's drills in there. But ain't none of them got any juice in them."

 

"Not good enough officer, we need a list, and we need it now. Sooner we know what we're up against, the... better." She runs her hand against the wall where Pinkey'd been shot. Webs-?

"Listen up people, we've reason to believe that Black Spider, aka Johnny LaMonica has infiltrated our precinct. Already, six of our brothers have been incapacitated. Let's not let him get anyone else."

 

Blam. Blam. Another two down.

 

"Boss, I just got off my cell. Blackgate says he's been in isolation for months."

 

"Call him again. Could be a shape-shifter. Probson, I want the files on Needham. Webs, knives, all of it. Probson-?"

 

Sawyer turns around. Strung up against the wall.

 

"They're not webs... They're cocoons," the voice mutters, as he pins her to the wall.

 

====Star City====

 

Disaster sits at Tockman's computer, trying to break the dozens of firewalls Netflix has set up. All around him, King's clocks tick, making it hard for him to concentrate. "Could you maybe turn those clocks down? Do you even have to have so many?"

 

Sir nods in agreement. "Big Sir stop the ticker," he smiles, as he rips a clock off the wall, and tries taking the battery out without breaking it. At this, King leaps from his armchair, and starts wrestling it out of Sir's enormous fist.

"No, you brute, if even one of those clocks is a second out of place, the entire space time equilibrium will become imbalanced!"

 

...

 

Cluemaster leans back in his chair. "You're shitting us," he remarks tiredly.

 

"Time is my life, dammit!" yells King in-between screams of exertion.

 

"Ach, Sir, leave King alone and give me a hand, will you?" Disaster calls back, agitated.

 

"Coming Major," Sir replies cheerily, as he marches towards the computer, clock still in his hand.

"Give me that," Tockman hisses, successfully snatching it from Sir's hands now that his attention has been diverted.

“Big Sir also has YouTube. Free to upload. Maybe easier?”

 

“Shut up, Big Sir, let me think!” Disaster screams, battling with Netflix *and* Tockman's poor WiFi.

 

“Perhaps it *is* time we gave YouTube our consideration. It would only take five minutes and twenty three seconds," Tockman suggests, still panting, as he examines his clock.

 

“Now we’re talking. Good idea, King, now the world will see the Justice League brought to its knees! And we won’t even have to wait for a submission process!”

 

Artie turns to Big Sir, his massive arms now wrapped around him passionately. “What’s the password to your YouTube account, Biggie?”

 

“Pasword. One S”

 

--------

 

Once more, Disaster takes a seat at the kitchen, Artie at his side- their work done for now. "Sir said that the Society was rendezvousing at this place called "Panda or Rat." I think it's Chinese or something."

 

Artie turns to him, defeated. "Nanda Parbat... I told you, he means *Nanda* Parbat."

 

Disaster looks away from the camera, as the cogs turn in his head. "That, makes a little bit more sense. Here, I thought it was a Takeaway."

 

=======GCPD=====

 

One cop left... The cloaking tech did wonders, it must be said, the figure thought. The kid was young, no older than... Simon. His breath trickled down the boy's neck. Though he couldn't see him, the kid knew he was right behind him, an invisible gun pressed into the back on his head.

 

"I want everything you have on the Dan Twag case, his gear, his assets, everything he stole."

 

The boy stammered, as he turned around. "Y-you mean the moth gear? Why... Why would anyone want that."

 

The voice sighed, as it deactivated the cloaking tech. "Call it, uh, personal reasons. Where are they?"

 

The boy fell out of his seat, backing slowly away from the purple clad assailant. "Oh, jeez, I didn't mean, I- The impound lot, it's by Port Addams!"

 

"Thanks."

 

...

 

"Are you going to kill me?" The cop stuttered suddenly.

 

Drury was taken aback. He'd not... He'd never... He looked at the bullpen, dozens of incapacitated officers. In one corner, The Mad Hatter squealed in delight, a phone in one hand, a cup of tea in the other. He lowered the gun, and whispered, maybe to the kid, maybe to himself, in reassurance.

"I- no. Never."

 

The cop had closed his eyes as soon as he'd seen Drury. When he felt safe enough to open them again, Killer Moth was gone, leaving just him and Tetch, singing to himself.

 

====Van Cleer Manor, later====

 

"You can't go in there."

 

Gar stood guard at the door, flamethrower in hand. In the basement, Drury remained hard at work. Though he'd not told him where he'd got the new gear, to Gar it didn't matter. He had a drive, something he'd not had in weeks. That had to mean something.

Gaige stared at him for a moment, then, with alarming strength, he flung him- and the door aside. "Fuck off Freddy. Walker, I'm coming in. Put down your hankie, zip up your trousers and turn off A Bug's Life!"

 

"Ah, Gaige," Drury murmured, blowtorch in hand, a large piece of metal propped up by Rigger.

 

"I don't care what you've been told, an AC/DC montage isn't going to make you a badass. That requires training, perseverance and an attention span longer than your namesake- Is that kinetic armour?" Gaige pauses, as he examines his son in-laws' handiwork.

 

"I mastered in electrical engineering, how do you think I built the car?"

 

"To be frank, I thought you had it commissioned," Gaige murmurs.

 

Drury turns around, as he rests the metal against the wall. "Oh, and who'd I commission to slap a big Moth face and half a dozen stripes of pink and yellow to a Roll's Royce? ...Don't answer that."

 

"Lady Gaga?"

 

"I said don't answer that, Gar."

 

...

 

Gaige stammers- a rarity, as he ponders Drury's words. "Wait, fuck... A Royce? That mother fucking eyesore was once a Roll's Royce? ...I've seen a Doll-o-Tron in progress... But that, that's the most disgusting transformation I've ever heard of! Fuck! How the hell did you even get a Roll's Royce?!"

 

"Probably the same place he got the house."

 

"*Cough* The Mob *Cough*" Chancer interjects, as he finishes loading their guns onto a cart.

 

"I got the house for dirt cheap really, the money was just for refurbishments," Drury says, trying to ignore Gaige's shrieks of utter disbelief.

 

"Hang on, you had the chance to make a spy car and you didn't choose an Aston Martin? Shame," Sharpe muses.

 

"I've told you, not all Aston Martins come equipped with machine guns and scuba gear," Chuck adds, as he finishes sketching some new kite designs.

 

"How'd you know, Working Class, you've never set foot in one," Chancer shoots back, as The Misfits start bickering with one another. The last to arrive, Ten, taps Drury on the shoulder, as he glances at the various guns, swords and kites.

"Drury, can I talk to you?"

 

"Ten, we can re-enact Riverdale later, right now I'm kinda busy," Drury mutters.

 

"It's important, please. Riverdale-?"

 

"Oh, right, prison. Best you don't know."

 

Ten cocks his head to one side, confused. "Right. Anyway, Drury, what I wanted to say was... I know what it's like. The allure of vengeance, to hurt those who hurt you.

When Deacon Blackfire had me drink his elixir, each word he spoke made it seem oh so... appealing. Beautiful. I had Harry Simms at my mercy, and if I hadn't fought his programming... He'd be dead, and I'd be left with nothing. Are you *sure* this is what you want?"

 

Drury looks at him, and whispers coldly "More than anything."

 

Needham's the next to speak. "Revenge... Ha. Revenge doesn't make it better. I tried. Had Sionis dead to rights. But the thing is, killing him wouldn't bring my family back, and killing Ra's won't bring back yours,"

 

"Ra's is staying alive somehow, if I find that machine, I don't know, maybe I could."

 

Ten places his hand on his shoulder, the Misfits are all looking at them now. "Drury! She's gone."

 

...

 

"I can save Norbert, I have to save Norbert," Drury repeats to himself.

 

"Then save him for god's sake! You don't need to fight Ra's to do that," Reardon pleads.

 

...

 

Drury nudges past Ten, and stares Needham dead in the eye. "You. You should've killed Roman. Think about all the other families he's killed. Think of everyone Simms will keep hurting. Tell me, how did mercy work out for Roman? He threw Chuck off a building."

 

At this Needham, punches Drury in the face, blood pouring from his nose. As he tries to get up, he trips him over again. "Bam. Punch to the gut. You're disorientated, barely on your feet. Bam. Strike to the throat, you can't breathe, you're choking. Bam. Sword in your chest, blood on the floor. Miranda was a fighter, trained by Ra's himself. You aren't. She couldn't have lasted, what, three minutes? You won't even last one. It doesn't matter how vengeful you are, you fight the Demon's Head and you're done."

 

"You got a point to this-?" Drury wheezes, as Gar rushes to his aid.

 

"Yeah. Your path of self-destruction only ends one way. I know, I lived it. You want to save your brother? Avenge your wife? Then you'll need all of us."

Drury looked up at Needham. At Chancer and Rigger. Chuck and Gar. Gaige... The Misfits, his Misfits stood assembled... Maybe Ten was right. Maybe this was a suicide mission, but they, *they* believed in him, just like she did. And that, that was all he needed.

 

~

 

"The game was set, the players poised, the battle had begun!

The Moth sat with his Misfits, for his colleagues, this was fun.

The Bat prepared to fight a war he'd prepped for like the rest.

The Luchador stood in the sun, his armies were the best.

The Major led his underlings, though folly was his quest

The Demon in his quarters smirked, and so began the test."

   

"Inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’, the 675LT features striking carbon fibre bodywork that increases downforce by an astonishing 40 percent over any other model in the Super Series.

 

Performance is similarly striking. The re-engineered M838TL V8 twin-turbocharged engine produces 675PS (666bhp) and 700Nm (516lb ft) – increases of 25PS (25bhp) and 22Nm (16lb ft) – and the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is now twice as fast.

 

The carbon fibre MonoCell provides the 675LT with an unrivalled combination of lightness, safety and stiffness, in common with all models in the McLaren Super Series. But an obsessive weight-saving strategy unlocks a further 100kg reduction compared with the 650S. From lightweight carbon fibre racing seats to a 1mm thinner windscreen, no opportunity to save weight has been overlooked.

 

Ultra lightweight forged alloy wheels and Pirelli P-ZERO™ Trofeo R tyres, carbon ceramic brakes and an uprated suspension system that embraces technology from the McLaren P1™ also contribute to the radical specification...."

~McLaren

 

Photographed driving around Monaco during Top Marques Monaco 2016.

 

mclaren.com

topmarquesmonaco.com/

 

________________________________________________

 

www.facebook.com/MarcinWojciechowskiPhotography/