View allAll Photos Tagged Demand
Tu demandes pourquoi je reste sans rien dire ?
C’est que voici le grand moment,
l’heure des yeux et du sourire,
le soir, et que ce soir je t’aime infiniment !
Serre-moi contre toi. J’ai besoin de caresses.
Si tu savais tout ce qui monte en moi, ce soir,
d’ambition, d’orgueil, de désir, de tendresse, et de bonté !…
Mais non, tu ne peux pas savoir !…
Baisse un peu l’abat-jour, veux-tu ? Nous serons mieux.
C’est dans l’ombre que les cœurs causent,
et l’on voit beaucoup mieux les yeux
quand on voit un peu moins les choses.
Ce soir je t’aime trop pour te parler d’amour.
Serre-moi contre ta poitrine!
Je voudrais que ce soit mon tour d’être celui que l’on câline…
Baisse encore un peu l’abat-jour.
Là. Ne parlons plus. Soyons sages.
Et ne bougeons pas. C’est si bon
tes mains tièdes sur mon visage!…
Mais qu’est-ce encor ? Que nous veut-on ?
Ah! c’est le café qu’on apporte !
Eh bien, posez ça là, voyons !
Faites vite!… Et fermez la porte !
Qu’est-ce que je te disais donc ?
Nous prenons ce café… maintenant ? Tu préfères ?
C’est vrai : toi, tu l’aimes très chaud.
Veux-tu que je te serve? Attends! Laisse-moi faire.
Il est fort, aujourd’hui. Du sucre? Un seul morceau?
C’est assez? Veux-tu que je goûte?
Là! Voici votre tasse, amour…
Mais qu’il fait sombre. On n’y voit goutte.
Lève donc un peu l’abat-jour.
Paul Geraldy - Toi et Moi - 1885
Un poème que je n'ai jamais oublié et dont l'intimité me faisait rêver quand j'étais une ado romantique....
The SVR's hybrid Class 101/108 DMU arrives into Kidderminster Town on 21st April 2025, forming the 0952 am departure from Highley. Leading is Derby-built Class 108 Driving Motor Composite No. 52064 with Brake Open Second No. 59250 in the centre and Metropolitan-Cammell Class 101 Motor Brake Second at the rear. Although a diesel operating in the SVR's Spring Steam Gala, it was well loaded perhaps due the former guards compartment being converted into 'The Travelling Tavern' with a reported well stocked bar of real ales! On the blocks is Class 20 No. 20048. Copyright Photograph John Whitehouse - all rights reserved.
La basilique Saint-Amable de Riom est le plus vaste édifice clérical d’Auvergne après la cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Clermont-Ferrand. Située à Riom elle est basilique mineure depuis 1912, date à laquelle l'évêque de Clermont demanda au pape Saint Pie X son élévation à ce titre.
Bonkers figured out that we were going to have beef shabu-shabu for dinner and wanted a steak for himself. He had to content himself with a few small pieces of beef we gave him.
In 2019, Premier Minibus & Car Hire (PMCH) aka A to B Executive Hire acquired two Volvo B7TL/Presidents from First West of England; originally, these were classed as VP's from Metroline's Harrow Weald garage.
These two deckers now carry the fleetname 'Tates Coaches', a company that used to operate many years ago.
LR52BNL (fleetnumber 13 and former Metroline VP334) is seen here at the pick up point in Luton where it will transport Amazon staff to their warehouse at Ridgmont, just outside Milton Keynes. The service is usually operated with coaches but their deckers can appear if there is demand for it.
OK, someone asked to see another picture of the blue dress! And I always like to oblige my lovely friends on Flickr!
- Keefer Lake, Ontario, Canada -
I have a few contacts who have been requesting a Keefer Lake sunrise/sunset ... it has been a long while since I posted one so ...
Blog on (other people's) photography
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I was a little surprised by The Evening Standard's crusade for the poor in London in their recent week-long series of articles on those who don't live in Notting Hill or Knightsbridge. It was probably just an attempt to gather a bit of support for the Tories by blaming everything wrong in the world on the Labour Government now that the General Election is on the horizon.
Now, reporting the poverty that still exists in London (and the rest of the UK of course) is very important and it is a good thing that somebody is doing it. What I object to is the utter ignorance of this poverty in the paper for the other 51 weeks of the year, and the attempt to turn this poverty into a political issue to use to the advantage of a political party. That's not going to breed positive results is it?
The opening paragraph on day one of the Standard's campaign was:
"London is a shameful tale of two cities. In the richest capital in Europe almost half our children live below the poverty line. These families are cut off from the life most Londoners take for granted. They are the dispossessed.
The Evening Standard will shine a light on their plight. With the general election imminent, we demand action."
As the only citywide newspaper in London you'd think that the poverty that exists here wouldn't come as such a surprise to the staff of the Standard. Yet reading the paper you realise that its target audience live in another world of minor Royals, book launches, West End theatres, disputes with architects, and restaurants where the price of a meal for two, with wine, would feed the dispossessed for 6 months.
You probably won't be surprised to learn that the Evening Standard is owned by a Russian billionaire and it's editor is an ex Etonion who went to Oxford, lives in Notting Hill and "has never let up his devotion to the privileged social scene". Average Londoners then. The absence of any criticism for London's multi-millionaire Conservative Mayor was also noticeable by it's absence.
I believe that the only thing the Standard had in mind with its light shining plight is to stoke up right wing fury (check out the comments on any of the articles to see how successful they were in this) and boost support for their equally rich Conservative friends in the election in May. Be careful what you wish for.
original painting by: Bill Rogers
Please visit The Mermaid And The Mythologist and all my recent works.
Autumn, the wind blows colder than summer
Autumn, my love's gone with another
I can't demand anything of myself now
So I guess I'll stay here in New England
For autumn
Buildings look tall and gray
Birds flying, haven't much to say
They all know that it's coming again
So I guess they'll stay here in New England
For autumn, autumn
Did you ever lose something
That you thought you knew?
Did you ever lose someone
Who was close to you?
Well I lost my lover
And my summer too
To autumn, the wind blows colder than summer
Autumn, my love's gone with another
I can't demand anything of myself now
So I guess I'll stay here in New England
For autumn, autumn
~ Edgar Winter
Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience. And every wealth is the product of their hard labor.
Les deux fontaines, de la place de la Concorde, inspirées de celles de Saint-Pierre de Rome, ont été installée entre 1835 et 1840 par l'architecte Jacques Hittorff à la demande du roi Louis Philippe. La fontaine des fleuves du côté de la rue Royale et la fontaine des mers du côté de la Sein . Ces références marines évoquent l'emblème de la capitale et sa devise Fluctuat nec mergitur.
La fontaine des Mers (Côté Seine)
Groupe de statues en bronze (hauteur 3m) : L’Océan et la Méditerranée, par Auguste-Hyacinthe Debay (1804-1865), La Pêche des perles et La Pêche des coquillages par Achille Valois (1765-1862), La Pêche des poissons et La Pêche des coraux, par Antoine Desboeufs (1793-1862).
Sous la vasque supérieure : La Navigation maritime, Le Commerce et l'Astronomie, par Isidore Hippolyte Brion
Rameswaram (Inde) - Après ce bain sacré, les pèlerins en profitent pour - moyennant quelques centaines de roupies -, demander l’aide d’un gourou, d’un mage ou d’un astrologue. Certains se revendiquent les trois à la fois. Pas la peine d’aller dans un temple, la plage sacrée fait très bien l’affaire. Les hindous ont recours à ces « saints hommes » pour prédire l’avenir et surtout pour s’attirer les bonnes grâces des dieux. Certaines familles ont même des astrologues attitrés qui les suivent tout au long de leur vie pour les aider dans leurs prises de décisions. Un bref résumé pour une pratique finalement très complexe.
Sur la photo, « l’astrologue-mage-gourou » (de dos au premier plan) vient de demander au pèlerin de bénir une pomme avec quelques gouttes d'eau de mer. Ne me demandez pourquoi ? Je n'en sais rien. Je ne suis pas devin.
Côté photo, comme vous pouvez le constater, ma présence, pourtant bien visible, ne dérange pas les dévots en pleine pratique religieuse. Cela dit, lors de mes deux derniers voyages en Inde, j’ai réalisé que si les Indiens sont toujours favorables à se faire photographier, de plus en plus de temples sont désormais interdits aux « non hindous » et aux appareils photos. Ça non plus je ne l’avais pas prévu. Chacun son boulot.
Ramaswaram (India) - After the sacred bath in sea water, pilgrims take the opportunity - for a few hundred rupees - to ask for the help of a guru, a magus or an astrologer. Some claim all three at the same time. No need to go to a temple, the sacred beach does the job very well. Hindus use these "holy men" to predict the future and especially to gain the favor of the gods. Some families even have dedicated astrologers who follow them throughout their lives to assist them in their decision-making. A brief summary for a practice that is ultimately very complex.
In the photo, the "astrologer-mage-guru" (back to foreground) has just asked the pilgrim to bless an apple with a few drops of seawater. Don't ask me why? I do not know.
On the photo side, as you can see, my presence, although clearly visible, does not disturb the devotees in full religious activity. Having said that, on my last two trips to India, I realized that while Indians are still favorable to having their picture taken, more and more temples are now off limits to "non-Hindus" and cameras.
demand unconditional love
but love me with conditions
I can't keep up with these changing positions
and it never seems to end
the constant misery is a game
that you love to pretend works for you
while secretly drowning in shame
but you're not the only one hurting
your pain isn't more important than mine
yet it's always what took over
and bulldozed over mine, every time
then you cornered me into my triggers
and I reacted as expected
what a good trap
to name me with your "crazy exes"
and who the fuck do you think you are?
those who call others narcissists as much as you
are almost always narcissists too
diagnose yourself and read the room
you're not the only one here
whenever you treated me like garbage
you'd always blame it on fear
and yes, I know that I'm not perfect
I know my own faults and failure
I took accountability for everything
and if you claim I didn't, you're a liar
but if you think you can control me
you better think again
I'm a lover and I'm a fighter
with no time for weak men
• • • • • • • • • •
Poem by me, December 2021
Demander pour utilisation merci - Ask for use thanks.
© Michel Guérin. Tous droits réservés - All rights reserved ©.
(Woliwon)
Merci beaucoup pour vos visites et commentaires ♥, thank you so much for the visit and kind comments.
Un gros merci à ceux qui partagent leur découverte.
Demander pour utilisation merci - Ask for use thanks.
© Michel Guérin. Tous droits réservés - All rights reserved ©.
(Woliwon)
Merci beaucoup pour vos visites et commentaires ♥, thank you so much for the visit and kind comments.
Un gros merci à ceux qui partagent leur découverte.
Tu t'demandes si tu es une bête féroce ou bien un saint
Mais tu es l'un et l'autre et tellement de choses encore.
Tu es infiniment nombreux
Celui qui méprise, celui qui blesse,
Celui qui aime, celui qui cherche
Et tous les autres ensemble.
Trompe-toi, sois imprudent, tout n'est pas fragile.
N'attends rien que de toi, parce que tu es sacré,
Parce que tu es en vie, parce que le plus important n'est pas ce que tu es
Mais ce que tu as choisi d'être.
Demonstrators march during a protest to demand humane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, in Sydney.
Back to redhead for Madame - the black, while dramatic does demand a younger countenance - anyway, this fiery look does describe Madame's temperament to a 'T'!!!
Catedral de la Asunción de El Burgo de Osma, Soria.
La catedral de El Burgo de Osma (Soria, España) es un edificio de estilo gótico que sustituyó a otro anterior románico. Comenzada su construcción en 1232, muestra también otros aportes estilísticos, concluyendo con el neoclásico (1784). Como otras muchas catedrales españolas del siglo XIII, fue dedicada a la Asunción de la Virgen. Es el principal monumento de la localidad de El Burgo de Osma.
La catedral románica.
La construcción de la catedral románica, iniciada por Pedro de Bourges en 1101, fue continuada por sus sucesores: Raimundo (1109–1126) —después, arzobispo de Toledo—, Beltrán (1128–1140), Esteban (1141–1147) y Juan (1148–1174). La catedral debió de estar casi terminada a mediados del siglo XII, gracias a las limosnas que aportaban los numerosos peregrinos que, camino de Santiago de Compostela, acudían a venerar los restos del obispo restaurador de la sede oxomense, San Pedro de Osma.
La primitiva catedral románica, como otras de la época, debió tener tres naves —más alta, larga y ancha la central—, capillas absidiales y un crucero. Además, contaba con un claustro y diferentes dependencias anejas. De ella, quedan pocos aunque destacables restos en el claustro y la sala capitular.
La catedral gótica.
La catedral románica tuvo poca vida, pues el crecimiento y creciente importancia del El Burgo de Osma exigían espacios más amplios. Imbuido totalmente por las corrientes espirituales de la época, el obispo Juan Díaz de Medina —conocido tradicionalmente como Juan Domínguez— (1231–1240), ordenó la demolición de la catedral románica, para reedificarla inmediatamente (1232) en estilo Gótico. Las obras continuaron con su sucesor, Pedro Peñafiel (1240–1246). La obra principal de la catedral pertenece a esta época.
En 1235 fue celebrada en la catedral la canonización de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, nacido en las cercanías de Osma, y que fue canónigo de esta catedral.
Diversos obispos continuaron realizando obras a lo largo de la Edad Media, atestiguándolas con sus respectivos escudos. Entre ellos, Pedro García de Montoya (1454–1474), Alonso de Fonseca Quijada (1493–1505) o Pedro González de Mendoza, obispo electo de Osma, en 1482.
The cathedral of El Burgo de Osma (Soria, Spain) is a Gothic style building that replaced a previous Romanesque one. Beginning its construction in 1232, it also shows other stylistic contributions, concluding with the neoclassic (1784). Like many other Spanish cathedrals of the thirteenth century, it was dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. It is the main monument of the town of El Burgo de Osma.
The Romanesque cathedral.
The construction of the Romanesque cathedral, begun by Pedro de Bourges in 1101, was continued by his successors: Raimundo (1109-1126) -after archbishop of Toledo-, Beltran (1128-1140), Esteban (1141-1147) and Juan (1148-1174). The cathedral must have been almost completed by the middle of the twelfth century, thanks to the alms provided by the numerous pilgrims who came to Santiago de Compostela to venerate the remains of the restoring bishop of the oxomense headquarters, San Pedro de Osma.
The primitive Romanesque cathedral, like others of the time, had to have three ships - more high, long and wide the central one, absidiales chapels and a cruise ship. In addition, it had a cloister and different dependencies attached. Of her, few remain but remarkable remains in the cloister and the room capitular.
The Gothic cathedral.
The Romanesque cathedral had little life, as the growing and growing importance of El Burgo de Osma demanded larger spaces. Imbued wholly by the spiritual currents of the time, Bishop Juan Diaz de Medina - traditionally known as Juan Domínguez - (1231-1240), ordered the demolition of the Romanesque cathedral, to rebuild it immediately (1232) in Gothic style. The works continued with his successor, Pedro Peñafiel (1240-1246). The main work of the cathedral belongs to this period.
In 1235 was celebrated in the cathedral the canonization of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, born in the neighborhoods of Osma, and that was canon of this cathedral.
Several bishops continued to carry out works throughout the Middle Ages, attesting them with their respective shields. Among them, Pedro García de Montoya (1454-1474), Alonso de Fonseca Quijada (1493-1505) or Pedro González de Mendoza, bishop-elect of Osma, in 1482.
Demander pour utilisation merci - Ask for use thanks.
© Michel Guérin. Tous droits réservés - All rights reserved ©.
Merci beaucoup pour vos visites et commentaires ♥, thank you so much for the visit and kind comments.
Un gros merci à ceux qui partagent leur découverte.
[Fond d'écran 4K / Affiche — Tirages meilleurs jusqu'à 141 x 79 cm maximum]
[4K Wallpaper / Poster Art — Prints best within 141 x 79 cm /
55 x 31 inches]
Jeanne d'Arc relevant l'épée de la France - Antonin Mercié, 1902. Dédié aux morts de la Première Guerre mondiale.
J’ai pris cette photo au milieu des vents forts et des pluies abondantes... et je me sentais heureux. /
I took this photo amidst strong wind and heavy rain... and I felt blissful.
During my recent Thanksgiving visit to Domrémy, Joan of Arc's birthplace in Northern France, I think I received the greatest compliment that any von Richthofen ever got upon hearing these words — "You've come back home."
The purpose for my second deployment to the French region of Lorraine was much the same as the first—that is, to ask, "How do you say I love you?"... How do you say it? Though the question became more poignant the second time around, the overwhelming feeling I got from my Saint Joan was that it didn't matter... what matters is that you ask.
Codi von Richthofen,
Saint Joan of Arc Superstar ©
This brave woman was one of several people arrested in Trafalgar Square for daring to peacefully resist the government's inaction on the climate and cost of living crisis. She had been participating in a "Just Stop Oil" demo, by sitting on the road, on the south side of the square and had been holding a placard declaring "We will not pay for greed."
Another activist explained his own interpretation of the placard - "We refuse to go hungry to feed your profits, we refuse to sacrifice our planet on the altar of greed."
This and other similar protests occur as a tiny corporate minority are profiteering from the surge in the oil price, inflicting misery on working families, and while also benefiting the government's backing for new oil fields.
The UK's mainstream TV network Sky News network reported in August 2022 that "the country has seen a huge spike in the number of people becoming billionaires." - Yes, that's right, a "huge spike" in the middle of the UK's longest decline in working families' living standards in 200 years.
news.sky.com/story/sunday-times-rich-list-2022-uk-has-a-r...
The UK government claims that it doesn't have enough funds to support the NHS, the disabled, the homeless or working families who can't afford to heat their homes. It also explains its inability to take any of the steps desperately needed to avert catastrophic climate change, due to the supposed cost.
All the while it allows UK oil companies to profit from the Ukraine War by setting the maximum possible market price thereby plunging ordinary families into poverty. It also continues to allow individuals and corporations to hide their wealth in tax havens, hands out billions by propping up, via the Bank of England's open market operations, the assets of wealthy bond holders and it still privileges multinationals with the lowest corporation tax, by a significant margin, in the G7, and also in the G20.
According to the Just Stop Oil website, just a few days prior to when this photo was taken, a spokesperson for the activist group set out their demands -
“Rishi Sunak is about to U-turn on attending COP27. We demand that he also U-turn on new oil and gas. This genocidal policy will kill millions of people, while failing to address the worst cost of living crisis this country has ever seen.
“It's time for a serious windfall tax on big oil, without the get-out-of-jail-free tax credits that will encourage more oil and gas that we cannot afford. Vulnerable people will be freezing to death in their homes this winter, unable to afford a can of soup, while his government refuses to tax the rich and the big energy companies that are profiting from our misery.
“We owe it to our young people to stop fossil fuels, we owe it to our workers to create a just transition to a zero-carbon economy, we owe it to our old people to enable them to live with dignity. We are not prepared to stand by and watch while everything we love is destroyed."
juststopoil.org/2022/11/01/day-32-just-stop-oil-target-do...
Just about an hour after departing Marshfield Station, the A & B sections of an 11 AM summit trip are now above Skyline, with the summit in sight, about 10 minutes running time away. For many years, when passenger demand is high for a given hourly departure, the Mt. Washington Cog Railway has elected to add second sections to their summit trains, assuming power was available. This kind of situation is less common during weekdays and more common on weekends and holidays. It is also more common at mid-day than early or late in the day. This particular scene was captured during the Fourth of July holiday period in 2008.
During the all-steam era, it was relatively rare to see more than two sections on an hourly departure, as the railroad typically held some power in reserve in case a spike in demand were to occur over several hours. Today, with the line primarily using faster, diesel-hydraulic locomotives, which can make the summit in 40 minutes, if needed, it is not uncommon to see 3 or even 4 sections on an hourly train during peak demand times.
NZ's first lighthouse, Pencarrow, lit for the first time
1 January 1859
Pencarrow Lighthouse arrived in Wellington on 21 June 1858 on board the barque Ambrosine. The 480 packages were initially unloaded at Rhodes and Company's wharf. They remained there for a number of months, the provincial government having unsuccessfully tendered for a vessel to transfer them to Pencarrow Head.
Finally in September 1858 the local brigantine Caroline was used to transfer the packages. This took a number of days, and once ashore the packages still needed to be hauled up the hillside to the lighthouse site. A tramway with a steam-driven winch was reportedly used to haul up the heavier parts.
Pencarrow Lighthouse, 1880
Despite these delays, Edward Wright, who was supervising the lighthouse's construction, made good progress. By 20 October 1858 the provincial government was able to advise the general government that the lighthouse would be ready by 1 January 1859 and ask that a notice be issued to mariners. The government agreed to publish the notice amid murmurings that this did not indicate support for the province's actions.
On New Year's Day 1859, almost 20 years after Wakefield had first raised the need for a light, Pencarrow Lighthouse was lit for the first time. Wellington's settlers celebrated not only the facility they had long demanded, but also the opening of the first lighthouse in New Zealand.
The surrounding area
Aside from maintenance to the tower and changes to the light mechanism, the lighthouse itself has hardly changed in 150 years. But there were significant additions to the surrounding area, particularly to address the ‘constant problem' of fog.
In 1898 an audible guncotton fog signal was erected beside the lighthouse. Another New Zealand first, it produced explosions of guncotton at 15-minute intervals whenever the light from the lighthouse was obscured by fog. This system was replaced with a compressed-air diaphone signal in 1927; this gave a blast of three seconds every minute.
Lighthouses at Pencarrow Head
In 1906 a second lighthouse, which would become known as Lower Pencarrow, was erected at the bottom of the Pencarrow cliffs. It was designed to be used when fog, or cloud, obscured the upper level light, and also to work with the upper light as a day mark.
Baring Head lighthouse under construction
In latter years the presence of the fog signal would prove more significant to those living at the lighthouse than the light itself. Its presence ensured an ongoing role for a keeper after a new automated lighthouse at Baring Head became operational in 1935 and Pencarrow was used solely as a day mark.
Keepers and their families lived on land at Pencarrow Head from 1852, before the permanent lighthouse had even been erected. Members of the Bennett family, the first lighthouse keepers, had to put up with ‘temporary' accommodation until they left in the 1860s. It wasn't until 1871 that the government erected new residences for the keepers. These remained largely unchanged until the late 1940s, when they were renovated and bath and wash houses were added. Other structures erected at the station over the years included a schoolhouse, cowshed and store.
When the fog signal was automated in 1959 it took away the need to have staff permanently stationed at Pencarrow. In 1960 the last keeper was transferred from the station and three years later the station buildings, including the keepers' residences, were demolished.
Changing role
As the lighthouse's significance as a navigational aid declined, recognition of its importance as a historic place increased. On 20 February 1959 a plaque was unveiled by the Minister of Marine, W. A. Fox, celebrating the lighthouse's centenary. The plaque had been provided by the recently formed National Historic Places Trust, which had recognised Pencarrow Lighthouse as an historic place under the Historic Places Act 1954.
At the time the land and buildings were owned by the Marine Department (the province having sold the lighthouse to the general government in 1865). It transferred the land and station buildings to the Department of Lands and Survey in 1960, but retained ownership of the lighthouse. In 1966 it decided the lighthouse was no longer required as a navigational aid and it was transferred to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT — now Heritage New Zealand). In 1979 the lighthouse was gazetted as part of an historic reserve of 2044 square metres and NZHPT was appointed to control and manage the reserve.
Pencarrow Lighthouse documentary
For a number of years after the building stopped being used as a lighthouse repairs and maintenance had been neglected. Between 1974 and 1980 a significant restoration project was completed by the Ministry of Works and Development, at the request of the NZHPT. Maintenance is now a regular feature of the building's life. For example, in 2008 the roof and corroded rafters were replaced, and the ceiling, wall panels and weather vane were repaired.
NZHPT celebrated the lighthouse's sesquicentenary on 1 January 2009 with a tour led by Helen Beaglehole, author of Lighting the coast: a history of New Zealand's coastal lighthouse system.
A family tradition
In 1852 George Bennett began what was to become a family tradition of lighthouse-keeping at Pencarrow. His wife, Mary Bennett, took on the role after his death in 1855, while their youngest son, William Bennett, was an assistant keeper during the 1880s.
First lighthouse at Pencarrow Head
George was one of Wellington's first settlers, arriving from England on board the New Zealand Company ship Cuba on 3 January 1840. His future wife, Mary Jane Hebden, arrived just over a month later on board the Duke of Roxburgh. They married in November that year.
By the time George became lighthouse keeper at Pencarrow in early 1852, he and Mary had five children. The living conditions they encountered were appalling. In a letter to the Colonial Secretary in August 1852, George complained that the house was ‘neither wind or water proof'. The authorities were unsympathetic. The harbour master noted that the house was ‘as proof against the weather as wooden houses usually are in an exposed situation'. George's request for a salary increase was also declined.
Later that year the Bennetts' two-and-a-half year old daughter Eliza died. Her death can probably be attributed to their poor living conditions, which C. R. Carter observed first hand on an 1853 visit:
The interior of this building – a lighthouse and dwelling combined – was accessible to rain on all sides and in heavy gales it rocked and shook so much as to frighten the keeper and his family out of it, who in that case, took refuge in a sort of cave or cabin, which he had scooped out of the side of a hill, over which he had fixed a thatched roof and in which he had built a rude stone chimney. This cabin was his house of refuge and his cooking place. Altogether it was a most wretched place for any civilised human being to live in, even in New Zealand.
The family suffered another blow in June 1855 when George was killed in a boating accident. He and others were thrown out of the pilot's boat when crossing Barrett Reef in bad weather. While the others swam to safety, George clung to a rock and was washed away.
The Bennett children
Mary stayed on at Pencarrow and took over manning the light. She probably had little alternative. At the time of George's death she had five children and was pregnant with another. It would have been difficult for her to find another position, and widows' pensions were not introduced until 1911. And despite George's earlier complaint, the position may have been comparatively well paid. Certainly after Mary's official appointment as lighthouse keeper in 1859 her salary of £125 pounds per annum (plus firewood) compared well to the £20 or £30 per annum a domestic servant could expect at the time.
Women lighthouse keepers
Taking over from an absent or deceased husband was common for daughters and wives in the United States during the 19th century. Mary Clifford's book Women who kept the lights: an illustrated history of female lighthouse keepers describes how ‘members of [keepers'] families, including wives and daughters, learned to keep the lights burning when their men were away. When a male keeper fell ill or died, many of these women simply took over their husband's or father's duties, often receiving official appointments because there was no pension system for them’.
Mary Bennett remains the only woman to have been a lighthouse keeper in New Zealand. In her history Lighting the coast, Helen Beaglehole notes that it was uncommon for wives to even assist their husbands in light-tending duties: ‘mostly the women's lives were separate'.
Mary's assistant keeper, William Lyall, was less impressed with a woman being appointed lighthouse keeper. A year later he complained that he could not ‘undertake another winter with the help of a woman only'. He asked that something be done, but ‘without disadvantage to Mrs Bennett'. His request appears to have been ignored. In 1864 Marine Board officials reported that both Mary and Lyall had held their ‘respective offices' since 1859 and had ‘apparently conducted their duties in an orderly and efficient manner'. According to family sources, Mary returned to England with her children in 1865.
The family's connection to Pencarrow did not end there. In 1871 the Bennetts' three sons returned to New Zealand. William, the youngest, perhaps forgetful of the deprivations of lighthouse life, joined the lighthouse service in 1880 and was appointed an assistant keeper at Pencarrow. He and his family lived there until 1885, when he was transferred to Portland Island, Mahia. He left the service two years later.
Later keepers
Because of a policy that ensured keepers were transferred between lighthouses every three years, no other keeper or family would stay at Pencarrow as long as the Bennetts did. As a result far less has been written about the experiences of the keepers that followed them.
Houses near Pencarrow Lighthouse
Certainly, their living conditions improved over time, the government finally erecting new residences in 1871. But these could not prevent the loss of another keeper's child during the 1890s: Evelyn, the seven-month old daughter of Sidney and Sarah Woods, died of dysentery and convulsions on 9 March 1896. There is no further record of significant improvements to the residences until they were renovated and repaired during the 1940s.
Pencarrow Lighthouse, c.1900
One aspect that barely improved during the period keepers were stationed at Pencarrow was access. When the wife of principal keeper Parks took ill in 1910 it was quicker for the doctor to sail on a ship the following morning than to come overland on horseback. The situation improved when a road was constructed out to the lighthouse as part of the Hutt Valley Drainage Board's new sewage scheme during the 1950s. Even then, a trip into ‘town' still took a few hours, although keeper R. J. Jones and his wife were reportedly pleased that supplies could be ordered and delivered weekly.
This is the inside of BMW Welt. It is a striking building inside and out. Curves and straight lines and lots of glass. It is very wide and it feels open. On the ground floor lots of BMWs, a couple of Mini's and a RR convertible and also an M Sport store and a brasserie. It feels like you are walking on a part of a car show floor. All is very clean and has a sense of high qualityness and premiumness and I-can't-afford-all-this-ness.
People also collect their new bespoke BMWs in the 'Premium Lounge' on the second floow and drive it down (here on the left). These is also a BMW-on-Demand desk were you can rent/ test an M series car for a couple of hours for not too much money. Great for BMW fans or any petrolhead. Entrance is free and parking in the garage underneath was €4 for a couple of hours.
Le Passage d'Agen,
rue Victor Duruy.
On se demande souvent si les élus ne se moquent pas ouvertement des usagers en gaspillant l'argent public de la sorte!
Ici l'entrée de la voie cyclable obligatoire et à double sens se fait perpendiculairement à la chaussée, au niveau du passage piéton et entre les deux potelets PMR !!!
(C'est le seul endroit où le trottoir est abaissé.)
Il faut supprimer les voitures de fonction aux panoupanous qui sont censés gérer l'agglomération d'Agen et les obliger à se rendre à leur emploi à vélo!
De cette manière, ils se rendront peut-être compte de l'ineptie de l'urbanisme qu'ils infligent aux usagers !
Et puis il y a, comme souvent, ces poteaux plantés au milieu de la voie piétonne qui gênent la circulation des piétons.
C'est la constante des projets d'urbanisme dans l'agglomération d'Agen : chaque nouveau projet d'aménagement ne semble absolument pas tenir compte de l'environnement ni des autres usagers!
Des travaux récents, pourtant.
Comme d'habitude, il n'y a manifestement eu aucune réflexion de la part du service d'urbanisme!
Comme d'habitude, mépris pour les usagers et je-m'en-foutisme semblent être les maîtres mots.
Quelle honte et quel gaspillage d'argent public!
Coal is still Queensland’s major mineral export, despite reductions in demand as coal fired power stations go offline. That is called thermal coal. We often forget that coal is still an important ingredient in other metal processes and metallurgical coal is still fundamental to steel making all round the world. Coal leaves Queensland from four major ports at Abbott Point, Hay Point, Gladstone and also Brisbane where coal from the Darling Downs is loaded onto ships after a sinuous trip over the Great Dividing Range. Large exports of coal also are handled at Newcastle and Port Kembla in New South Wales, while iron ore heads out from the Pilbara and south coast of Western Australia. No one would suggest we go without steel.
This shot sees Aurizon’s 2311 ** and 2308* powering out of the Port of Brisbane at Fisherman Island (the bridge marks the entry to the island port) with 49 empties for the Darling Downs.
I was standing here alone when I looked around to find another enthusiast beside me. Turns out he was a Canadian out here for a railway bash for four months, that’s what I call a great holiday. I wonder if he got home early. It was nice to be able to give an unassuming and friendly fellow enthusiast some tips.
Aurizon coal train, Fisherman Island, Brisbane, Queensland.
* Detailed observers may just be able to see that 2308 has a moustache painted on the side of its cab. This is in support of the Movember Foundation which uses the logo in support of its goal of raising awareness of men’s health issues. Men often neglect their health for various reasons, but guys, amongst other things, ask your doctor to give you the finger on an annual basis. It may just save your life!
** The 2300 class are ex. Queensland Railways locomotives, QR’s freight arm being privatised as Aurizon. They were converted from the 1550, 2400, 2450 and 2470 classes. Many are now stored as Aurizon traffic levels have reduced or they have withdrawn from traffic of a non-mineral nature across Queensland. Some locos of the class remained with Queensland Rail.
Locos from both companies now wear old and new liveries, in fact as far as I know, Aurizon still has locos in two ex. QR liveries (Bronco and Eagle) as well as the first Aurizon livery shown here and the cheap latest basic scheme which is mostly just yellow.
A couple have been recently converted to lighter locomotives with complete upgrades of just about everything into the 2700 class. However, traffic changes may preclude further conversions.
Here is the 2300 story
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland_Railways_2300_class
The 2700 class, 2701- is yet to be written!