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Flying is the opposite of traveling: you go through a vacuum of space, you disappear into a vacuum, you accept not to be anywhere for a duration that is also a kind of vacuum in time....
(Italo Calvino )
Thank you very much for the comments , favorites and views ❤️
Sunflower bed in the Staff Landscape Park in Lemgo, Germany
Velvia colors- directly out of the scanner with standard settings - no tweaking
Film is not dead.
Slide Film
Fujifilm Velvia
Minolta XD5
Minolta Rokkor 50 mm f/1.7
Vuescan and Plustek 7500i
Mid-res scan does not show the full information of that film
One Watermark Place is located directly on the Intracoastal waterway in downtown West Palm Beach and has incredible water views. The property features resort-style amenities including valet parking, an Intracoastal-front pool and spa with private cabanas, a fitness center, available dock slips, and an outdoor kitchen. Condos at One Watermark Place feature large floor plans, water views from almost every room, high-end finishes, and large balconies. Property owners can have up to 2 pets. Tenants can have pets based on landlord preference. One Watermark Place has a Walk Score of 70.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.emporis.com/buildings/133629/one-watermark-place-west...
wpb.condos/one-watermark-place/
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
This squirrel had his eye on me watching my every move. Little did he know, that I had my camera directly on his eye, and this is what ensued after. His pupil appeared so big, that I was taken aback. I don't use all the fancy editing programs, most of if not all my photos are straight out of camera. So except for a mere crop, this photo has not been altered.
Cosmos (pale blue)
printed directly from negative film: 120 film (Kodak TRI-X 400), Shingashi-river side, Saitama, Japan (October 7, 2017), Voigtländer Superb (1933), Skopar 75mm F/3.5 with Y filter & Close-up lenses (Voigtländer W/w FOCAR 30) on vif Art (B5 H.P. surface) paper / exposed for 5hrs
Jacquard cyanotype kit (Potassium Ferricyanide & Ferric Ammonium Citrate)
Toning: none
Enlarger: Lucky II-C (Fujinar-Ｅ75mmF4.5)
Film carrier: glass plates
Light source: High power (30w) UV LED unit (SMD=surface mounted LED modules)
New group was created. If you like, please join.
White frost is a solid deposition of ice which forms directly from water vapour contained in air.
White frost forms when there is a relative humidity above 90% and a temperature below −8 °C (18 °F) and it grows against the wind direction, since air arriving from windward has a higher humidity than leeward air, but the wind must not be strong or it damages the delicate icy structures as they begin to form. White frost resembles a heavy coating of hoar frost with big, interlocking crystals, usually needle-shaped.
Discover Wild Iceland offers wide variety of exciting and private day tours, photo tours, Photo workshop tours and Wedding Photography tours - all year round.
All our tours are operated by highly experienced guides and professional photographers.
The south or rear of Staten Island Borough Hall on a beautiful warm sunny summer day in 2015 taken late in the afternoon. Staten Island Borough Hall was designed by John Carrere and Thomas Hastings, begun in 1904 and finished in 1906. When Staten Island integrated with New York City in 1898, the decision was made to move the county seat from Richmondtown to St. George and the new borough hall was built there. Carrere and Hastings were archetitects at the firm of McKim, Mead and White before they ventured out their own, I’ve mentioned them before as the designers of the Steven A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library [ flic.kr/p/spAwrT ] and the Manhattan Bridge’s stunning entrance [ flic.kr/p/pqXEUq ]. It was their firm that was chosen to do this project.
John Carrere in particular had a special affinity for this project being a Staten Island resident and was deeply involved in the design, including selection of the location, on the dramatic hilltop directly opposite the St. George Ferry Terminal so when people arrived at the terminal, the borough hall would be the first thing they would see as they arrived on Staten Island. Both Carrere and Hasting were alumni of Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris France and the red brick borough hall is a French Renaissance building with a high clock tower which because of its high perch is visible from the harbor and throughout St. George and can clearly been seen in this image.
The atmosphere on Staten Island is quite different from Manhattan and the other boroughs, not as crowded and being from New Jersey, I’d say almost Jersey like and I had a wonderful encounter with sweet bartender who really went above and beyond when someone asked her for drink requiring apple juice. She actually ran next door to deli to get some leaving the bar unattended and gave the customer just what he and his date wanted, very sweet and diligent…a shoutout to the bar maid at Jimmie Steiny’s at Baker Square adjacent to Staten Island Borough Hall (I’m bad with names sorry). Don’t forget, the ferry ride over is free, and you get spectacular views of lower Manhattan, the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, the Central New Jersey Railroad Terminal, Ellis Island, Governors Island and the Statue of Liberty going and coming, definitely would recommend it to anyone visiting the city.
Taken with an Olympus E-5 with a 12-60mm F/2.8-4.0 Olympus Zuiko Digital Lens hand held, HDR of 5 images tone mapped using Photomatix, cleaned up in Adobe Lightroom.
"Gate tower, seat of the Torturmtheater since 1950, solid building with gate passage with stepped gable and gable roof as well as neighboring gatekeeper's house, small solid building with hipped roof, 15th/16th Century.
Sommerhausen is a market in the Würzburg district of Lower Franconia and a member of the Eibelstadt administrative community. Apart from the main town there are no other parts of the municipality.
Sommerhausen is located on the right bank of the Main, 13 kilometers south of Würzburg. In addition to viticulture, tourism and the art scene play a major role. Sommerhausen is surrounded by Ochsenfurt in the east and south, and Eibelstadt borders the municipality in the north. Directly opposite Sommerhausen, on the west bank of the Main, is the town of Winterhausen. The curious names of the two towns have their origins in the church patrons. The Sommerhäuser church patron Bartholomew has his memorial day in the summer (August 24th), the Winterhäuser church patron Nicholas in the winter (December 6th).
Sommerhausen has been an important community on the Main since the Middle Ages. It was not subordinate to the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. The Limpurg taverns came to Sommerhausen in 1413 through the marriage of the tavern Friedrich and Elisabetha von Hohenlohe. As part of the Speckfeld rule of the heirs of Counts Schenk von Limpurg (first Counts Pückler, then Counts Rechteren-Limpurg), which was mediated by Bavaria, Sommerhausen belonged to the Franconian Imperial Circle from 1500. From 1540 onwards, the Reformation was introduced in the Limpurg region, so that Sommerhausen became a Protestant enclave in the predominantly Catholic Main Franconia.
In 1810 it came to the Grand Duchy of Würzburg during territorial consolidation, with which it returned to Bavaria in 1814. As part of the administrative reforms in Bavaria, today's municipality was created with the municipal edict of 1818. In 1896/1897 the community had a Main bridge built.
The place, nestled in the valley of the Main under vineyards, has been the flagship of Franconian romanticism for decades. The medieval city wall has been preserved. All the buildings in the town center in the narrow, winding streets look back on several hundred years of history. The town hall dates back to the 16th century.
Lower Franconia (German: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. It consists of nine districts and 308 municipalities (including three cities).
After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally reorganised and, in 1808, divided into 15 administrative government regions (German: Regierungsbezirke, singular Regierungsbezirk), in Bavaria called Kreise (singular: Kreis). They were created in the fashion of the French departements, quite even in size and population, and named after their main rivers.
In the following years, due to territorial changes (e. g. loss of Tyrol, addition of the Palatinate), the number of Kreise was reduced to 8. One of these was the Untermainkreis (Lower Main District). In 1837 king Ludwig I of Bavaria renamed the Kreise after historical territorial names and tribes of the area. This also involved some border changes or territorial swaps. Thus the name Untermainkreis changed to Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg, but the city name was dropped in the middle of the 20th century, leaving just Lower Franconia.
From 1933, the regional Nazi Gauleiter, Otto Hellmuth, (who had renamed his party Gau "Mainfranken") insisted on renaming the government district Mainfranken as well. He encountered resistance from Bavarian state authorities but finally succeeded in having the name of the district changed, effective 1 June 1938. After 1945 the name Unterfranken was restored.
Franconia (German: Franken, pronounced [ˈfʁaŋkŋ̍]; Franconian: Franggn [ˈfrɑŋɡŋ̍]; Bavarian: Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: Fränkisch).
Franconia is made up of the three Regierungsbezirke of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia in Bavaria, the adjacent, Franconian-speaking, South Thuringia, south of the Thuringian Forest—which constitutes the language boundary between Franconian and Thuringian— and the eastern parts of Heilbronn-Franconia in Baden-Württemberg.
Those parts of the Vogtland lying in Saxony (largest city: Plauen) are sometimes regarded as Franconian as well, because the Vogtlandian dialects are mostly East Franconian. The inhabitants of Saxon Vogtland, however, mostly do not consider themselves as Franconian. On the other hand, the inhabitants of the Hessian-speaking parts of Lower Franconia west of the Spessart (largest city: Aschaffenburg) do consider themselves as Franconian, although not speaking the dialect. Heilbronn-Franconia's largest city of Heilbronn and its surrounding areas are South Franconian-speaking, and therefore only sometimes regarded as Franconian. In Hesse, the east of the Fulda District is Franconian-speaking, and parts of the Oden Forest District are sometimes regarded as Franconian for historical reasons, but a Franconian identity did not develop there.
Franconia's largest city and unofficial capital is Nuremberg, which is contiguous with Erlangen and Fürth, with which it forms the Franconian conurbation with around 1.3 million inhabitants. Other important Franconian cities are Würzburg, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Ansbach and Coburg in Bavaria, Suhl and Meiningen in Thuringia, and Schwäbisch Hall in Baden-Württemberg.
The German word Franken—Franconians—also refers to the ethnic group, which is mainly to be found in this region. They are to be distinguished from the Germanic people of the Franks, and historically formed their easternmost settlement area. The origins of Franconia lie in the settlement of the Franks from the 6th century in the area probably populated until then mainly by the Elbe Germanic people in the Main river area, known from the 9th century as East Francia (Francia Orientalis). In the Middle Ages the region formed much of the eastern part of the Duchy of Franconia and, from 1500, the Franconian Circle. The restructuring of the south German states by Napoleon, after the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, saw most of Franconia awarded to Bavaria." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Legends Corner is located directly diagonal to Bridgestone Arena on Lower Broadway in Downtown Nashville, TN. One of the original honky tonk saloons in Nashville, it features a live stage where some of the city's finest contemporary acts make their mark. Crowds typically feature a great mix of tourists and locals most every night of the week.
Technical Information (or Nerdy Stuff):
Camera - Nikon D7200 (handheld)
Lens – Nikkor 18-300mm Zoom
ISO – 800
Aperture – f/6.3
Exposure – 1/200 second
Focal Length – 72mm
The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
Somerset coal loads roll up Conrail's Youngstown Line along E McGaffney St. in Lowellville, OH. During my first six months working for CSX, I was assigned to the former B&O terminal at nearby New Castle, PA, and lived in a second story apartment in the building at right foreground in the photo.
Sandy and I moved into the apartment with my friend Tom Kraemer, who split the $200 a month rent with us 50/50. That $100 a month rent got us a room with a view of both Conrail's Youngstown Line and CSX's New Castle Sub directly across the Mahoning River.
A visit to a good local spot but now compromised by roadworks directly through bushland. This species is now often there but was originally really unusual to find west of the escarpment. There were a few young birds present.
Featuring Tantrum!
Shot taken directly from Second Life with no retouching in photoshop.
Style card:
*PRIMA* Femme Elite body (busty)
LeLutka Briannon with my own custom shape
Prima Swirls swimsuit (NEW! at the Prima Faire)
SIGMA Ethnic rings
Tantrum Mi Amor toe nails (french!!!) - Updated! Now there are fittings for flat, low, mid and high foot shapes :D
Tantrum Mi Amor fingernails
Tantrum Ayana wedges - Sooo cuteeeee!
Analog Dog Fruitopia hair
The Lakeview motel. I assume the free fishing in the lake directly behind.
Great sign, right? Not anymore. They completely gutted the motel and use it like a shed, the sign... well, it's completely ruined.
Sketched directly in pen and ink on location at bike night. The builder of the bike (he owns the red one in the back), insisted I sketch this side as it has more interesting details... and it did. I had to sit close as it was a very crowded night, and my paper wasn't quite looooong enough.
Shine or snow, this former doctor's home and current office building stands across the river but directly opposite townhall.
©AnvilcloudPhotography
Part of my "Raytraced Secondlife" album. All of its photos are completely unedited, simply screenshot directly from Secondlife.
The biggest problem I faced with these shots was dealing with the car headlights at the turnout where I was shooting. Even after 9pm, a car would park every few minutes, and seem to always point their headlights directly at me and the camera. I had to ask more than one gawker to turn off their lights. I guess a guy photographing the bridge is more interesting than the bridge itself?
Carved directly into the limestone cliff of Bonifacio, the King of Aragon's Stairs comprises 187 steps, inclined on 45 degrees. The steps overhang the sea for 65 metres and a path runs from the bottom giving access to an otherwise inaccessible cave: St Barthélemy's well. According to the legend, the steps were carved in one night by the soldiers of the King of Aragon when attacking Bonifacio in 1420. More likely, it was built on a longer period, by monks to reach the well.
This shot was taken at the bottom of the stairs, looking up.
+2 in first comment to give you an idea of the impressiveness....
Follow me:
19890713DE Unknown Mutoid Waste member with Käfer-man and Friedensvogel on Görlitzer Bahnhof, directly in front of the still-existing Berlin Wall, Berlin Germany #blackandwhite #158 #berlinstagram #knownknowns&unknownknowns #art #berlinwall #mutoidwaste #käfer-man #görlitzerbahnhof #realpeople #reallives #truestories #portraits #b&w #photography #instagram #street www.hughes-photography.eu www.hughes-photography.eu www.flickr.com/photos/michael_hughes www.flickr.com/photos/michael_hughes www.hughes.berlin @michaelcameronhughes
Situated in Downtown's vibrant historic district, the CenturyLink (formerly Embarq) Building provides 41,000 sq ft of contiguous office space. Ample parking directly adjacent to the building and across the street. Close to shoppes, restaurants and all local government centers. Priced at $7.00 psf, plus NNN Expenses of $4.50.
Located on Lee Street with frontage on Second and Hendry Streets.
Building Hightlights:
7 Story Building Historic District NNN Expenses: $4.50 PSF Ample Parking and Signage Available On-site security personnell
Broker cooperation encouraged
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.loopnet.com/Listing/16267698/1520-Lee-Street-Fort-Mye...
leepa.org/Display/DisplayParcel.aspx?FolioID=10162405
www.emporis.com/buildings/219460/sprint-communications-bu...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
The Great Barred Spiral Galaxy ( NGC 1365 ) in the Constellation Fornax
Below the equator, not seen from much of the Northern hemisphere, NGC 1365 passes very nearly directly overhead an observer situated near Cape Town, as Sir John Herschel was in November of 1837, or near Sydney, as I was, almost exactly 180 years later, when I photographed this “remarkable nebula” that is numbered 2552 in his book of observations from the Cape.
Not called a “nebula” now, of course, this striking object is one of the nearest and most studied examples of a barred spiral ( SB ) galaxy that also has an active galactic nuclei resulting in its designation as a Seyfert galaxy.
At around 60 M light years from Earth, NGC 1365 is still seen to occupy a relatively large area ( 12 by 6 arc minutes ) due to its great size; at some 200,000 light years or so across, NGC 1365 is nearly twice as wide as the Milky Way and considerably wider than both the Sculptor and Andromeda galaxies.
This High Dynamic Range ( HDR ) image is built up from multiple exposures ranging from 4 to 120 seconds with the aim of capturing the faint detail in the spiral arms of the galaxy whilst also retaining colour in the brightest star ( the orange-red 7th magnitude giant, HD 22425 ). Also, scattered throughout the image, and somewhat more difficult to see, are numerous and far more distant galaxies with apparent magnitudes of 16 to 18 or greater.
Mike O'Day
.................
Identification:
The Great Barred Spiral Galaxy
New General Catalogue - NGC 1365
General Catalogue - GC 731
John Herschel ( Cape of Good Hope ) # 2552 - Nov 28, 29 1837
Principal Galaxy Catlogue - PCG 13179
ESO 358-17
IRAS 03317-3618
RA (2000.0) 3h 33m 37.2 s
DEC (2000.0) -36 deg 8' 36.5"
10th magnitude Seyfert-type galaxy in the Fornaux cluster of galaxies
200 Kly diameter
60 Mly distance
..................
Capture Details:
Telescope: Orion Optics CT12 Newtonian ( mirror 300mm, fl 1200mm, f4 ).
Corrector: ASA 2" Coma Corrector Quattro 1.175x.
Effective Focal Length / Aperture : 1400mm f4.7
Mount: Skywatcher EQ8
Guiding: TSOAG9 Off-Axis-Guider, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2, PHD2
Camera:
Nikon D7500 (unmodified) (sensor 23.5 x 15.7mm, 5568x3712 @ 4.196um pixels)
Location:
Blue Mountains, Australia
Moderate light pollution ( pale green zone on darksitefinder.com map )
Capture ( 24 Nov 2017 )
6 sets of sub-images with exposure duration for each set doubling ( 4s to 120s ) all at ISO400.
70 x 120s + 5 each @ 4s to 60s
total around 2.5hrs
Processing ( Pixinsight )
Calibration: master bias, master flat and no darks
Integration in 6 sets
HDR combination
Links:
500px.com/MikeODay
photo.net/photos/MikeODay
www.flickr.com/photos/mike-oday
Image Plate Solution
===================================
Resolution ........ 1.328 arcsec/px
Rotation .......... -0.008 deg ( North is up )
Field of view ..... 58' 8.6" x 38' 47.5"
Image center ...... RA: 03 33 41.182 Dec: -36 07 46.71
===================================
Cavell Pond, which is directly below Angel Glacier shown here as it looked back in August 1994. The pond is formed of meltwater from Angel Glacier and from the glaciation that adjoins it. The original photo was taken on Kodak Gold 200 ASA 35mm colour negative film, using a superb Leica M2 35mm rangefinder camera with a Leica Elmar 50mm f/2.8 collapsible lens. Frames were digitised to DNG raw using a Plustek 8200Ai 35mm film scanner and then processed and stitched using Capture One Pro 23. I subsequently post-processed the image using Topaz Denoise v3.7 to reduce the film grain.
Sitting directly across from the Old Port, the church was originally known as the Augustinian Chapel, for the religious order that built it (between 1542-88) and had their monastery adjacent to it. With the French Revolution, these buildings - like many other religious buildings in France - were confiscated and put up for sale. In the end, the monastery was demolished, but the church survived with only its front end amputated (to allow for street widening) and was eventually returned to worshippers, who had the bright new facade built over the opening of the original beige structure.
The name St.-Ferréol was also added, to commemorate a nearby parish whose church was in fact reduced to rubble during the Revolutionary frenzy.
It continues to offer daily masses.
I just love the way you can see weather and light coming towards you when at the coast (west facing anyway). There is a magical congruent feeling to it, calming and real. This shaft of light slowly came directly towards me and eventually passed strait overhead.
Yes as a landscape photographer you are watching the weather all the time, it helps you predict the conditions for dramatic light, but there isn’t normally so much time to watch it coming towards you. What this coast has in particular, (Bedruthan Steps in Cornwall) is wide open vistas, high cliffs and lots of weather! A fantastic mix of elements that really speak to the elemental, helping me live in the moment. Whilst waiting for the shaft of light to be in the right place, I felt totally at peace. I saw it coming, saw its direction, and enjoyed the moment. It felt very real.
A couple of bits of news. I’ve posted a Cornish view here, as I’m in preliminary talks to exhibit my work in Cornwall. I’ve been talking about it for years, but was prompted into action by a very kind lady who was enquiring about a print for her office. She passed my details on through her local networks, thanks so much for that (o: (sorry don’t mention names here)
Secondly, thanks to a Cornish company “the Heart of the Garden”, I’m about to be in 700 outlets across the country with a new charity greetings cards range. Sadly I cannot claim credit for all of them, but I’ve five cards in the mix...
Adult Owl in an Aspen Tree, Rocky Mountain Front Range, Denver, Colorado, October/Autumn Morning.
I heard several birds loudly calling and went outside to see what was happening. I looked up in this tree and saw a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. Above it were two Black-Billed Magpies, joined by four other Magpies perched on our gutter.
Meanwhile, two American Jays had also gathered in this same tree. And then two Western Scrub Jays joined in the cacophony, leaning in from an adjacent tree. They, too, loudly protested what I thought was the sole presence of this Hawk.
I went inside and quickly retrieved my camera. As I walked under this tree and looked up again, I saw The Source of all complaints - a Great Horned Owl, camouflaged within the aspen leaves! The Hawk was a few feet directly above the Owl, leaning down and making a distinctive, clucking sound of disapproval as well!
The Owl looked at me, then dipped, spread its wings, and flew from the aspen tree to a nearby pine tree. The Hawk flew very close to and above this Owl, appearing to peck at the Owl's tail.
This same mix of crowd-sourced birds - a.k.a. the Corvid Collective - launched and followed the Owl/Hawk pair. Their harsh protests persisted.
What a dynamic scene to witness! There were a lot of predators and prey in the same territory. Whew!
Can you still remember the photos I took that morning in the port of Hamburg? There were two poles in the picture that were sticking out of the water directly in front of me and made the composition a little difficult for me.
Here it is a few hours later (just before sunset) on the same day and we are looking in the opposite direction. The two poles can be seen quite clearly in the middle of the photo in front of the yellow building.
The photo was taken from the viewing platform of the Elbphilharmonie. The perfect place to experience a sunset in the Hafencity.
From this perspective you can also see what a powerful river the Elbe is when it flows through Hamburg at around 5 km/h. After all, between 450 and 1400 m³ of water flows past this point every second.
Currently it is 711 m³ (i.e. 711,000 liters per second), which corresponds to almost 4,000 bathtubs.
That's pretty huge.
Könnt Ihr Euch noch an die Fotos erinnern, die ich an diesem Morgen im Hafen von Hamburg aufgenommen habe? In diesen waren zwei Pfähle im Bild, die direkt vor mir aus dem Wasser ragten und mir die Komposition etwas schwierig gestaltet hatten.
Hier ist es nun ein paar Stunden später (kurz vor Sonnenuntergang) am selben Tag und wir blicken in die entgegengesetzte Richtung. Die beiden Pfähle sind in der Mitte des Fotos vor dem gelben Gebäude, ziemlich gut zu erkennen.
Das Foto entstand von der Aussichtsplattform der Elbphilharmonie aus. Dem perfekten Ort um einen Sonnenuntergang in der Hafencity zu erleben.
Aus dieser Perspektive erkennt man auch, was für gewaltiger Strom die Elbe ist, wenn sie hier mit ca. 5 km/h durch Hamburg fliesst. Immerhin fliessen an dieser Stelle pro Sekunde zwischen 450 und 1400 m³ Wasser vorbei.
Aktuell sind es gerade 711 m³ (also 711.000 Liter pro Sekunde) was knapp 4000 Badewannenfüllungen entspricht.
Das ist schon ganz schön gewaltig.
more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bournemouth
Bournemouth Listeni/ˈbɔərnməθ/ is a large coastal resort town on the south coast of England directly to the east of the Jurassic Coast, a 96-mile (155 km) World Heritage Site.[1] According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 183,491 making it the largest settlement in Dorset. With Poole to the west and Christchurch in the east, Bournemouth forms the South East Dorset conurbation, which has a total population of over 465,000.
Before it was founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell, the area was a deserted heathland occasionally visited by fishermen and smugglers. Initially marketed as a health resort, the town received a boost when it appeared in Dr Granville's book, The Spas of England. Bournemouth's growth really accelerated with the arrival of the railway and it became a recognised town in 1870. Historically part of Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974. Since 1997, the town has been administered by a unitary authority, giving it autonomy from Dorset County Council although it remains part of the ceremonial county. The local council is Bournemouth Borough Council.
The town centre has notable Victorian architecture and the 202-foot (62 m) spire of St Peter's Church, one of three Grade I listed churches in the borough, is a local landmark. Bournemouth's location has made it a popular destination for tourists, attracting over five million visitors annually with its beaches and popular nightlife. The town is also a regional centre of business, home of the Bournemouth International Centre or BIC, and a financial sector that is worth more than £1,000 million in Gross Value Added.
Toponymy
The first mention of Bournemouth comes in the Christchurch cartulary of 1406, where a monk describes how a large fish ("uni magno piscis"), 18 ft. long, was washed up at "La Bournemowthe" in October of that year and taken to the Manor of Wick; six days later, a portion of the fish was collected by a canon from Christchurch Priory and taken away as tithe.[2] "La Bournemowthe", however, was purely a geographic reference to the uninhabited area around the mouth of the small river which, in turn, drained the heathland between the towns of Poole and Christchurch.[3][4][5] The word bourne, meaning a small stream, is a derivative of burna, old English for a brook.[4][6] From the latter half of the 16th century "Bourne Mouth" seems to be preferred, being recorded as such in surveys and reports of the period, but this appears to have been shortened to "Bourne" after the area had started to develop.[4][5] A travel guide published in 1831 calls the place "Bourne Cliffe" or "Tregonwell's Bourne" after its founder.[7] The Spas of England, published ten years later, calls it simply "Bourne"[8] as does an 1838 edition of the Hampshire Advertiser.[9] In the late 19th century "Bournemouth" became predominant, although its two-word form appears to have remained in use up until at least the early 20th century, turning up on a 1909 ordnance map.[
History
In the 12th century the region around the mouth of the River Bourne was part of the Hundred of Holdenhurst. The hundred later became the Liberty of Westover when it was also extended to include the settlements of North Ashley, Muscliff, Muccleshill, Throop, Iford, Pokesdown, Tuckton and Wick, and incorporated into the Manor of Christchurch.[11] Although the Dorset and Hampshire region surrounding it had been the site of human settlement for thousands of years, Westover was largely a remote and barren heathland before 1800.[12] In 1574 the Earl of Southampton noted that the area was "Devoid of all habitation", and as late as 1795 the Duke of Rutland recorded that "... on this barren and uncultivated heath there was not a human to direct us".[4][13]
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the Borough of Bournemouth would grow to encompass a number of ancient settlements along the River Stour, including Longham where a skull thought to be 5,500 years old was found in 1932. Bronze Age burials near Moordown, and the discovery of Iron Age pottery on the East Cliff in 1969, suggest there may have been settlements there during that period. Hengistbury Head, added to the borough in 1932, was the site of a much older Palaeolithic encampment.[14][15][16] During the latter half of the 16th century James Blount, 6th Baron Mountjoy, began mining for alum in the area, and at one time part of the heath was used for hunting, although by the late 18th century little evidence of either event remained.[17][18] No-one lived at the mouth of the Bourne river and the only regular visitors to the area before the 19th century were a few fishermen, turf cutters and gangs of smugglers.[19]
Prior to the Christchurch Inclosures Act 1802, more than 70% of the Westover area was common land. The act, together with the Inclosure Commissioners' Award of 1805, transferred five thousand acres into the hands of five private owners, including James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury, and Sir George Ivison Tapps.[20][21] In 1809 the Tapps Arms public house appeared on the heath. A few years later, in 1812, the first official residents, retired army officer Lewis Tregonwell and his wife, moved into their new home built on land purchased from Tapps. The area was well known to Tregonwell who, during the Napoleonic wars, spent much of his time searching the heath and coastline for French invaders and smugglers.[22]
Anticipating that people would come to the area to indulge in the newly fashionable pastime of sea-bathing, an activity with perceived health benefits, Tregonwell built a series of villas on his land between 1816 and 1822, which he hoped to let out.[23][24] The common belief that pine-scented air was good for lung conditions, and in particular tuberculosis, prompted Tregonwell and Tapps to plant hundreds of pine trees. These early attempts to promote the town as a health resort meant that by the time Tregonwell had died in 1832, Bournemouth had grown into a small community with a scattering of houses, villas and cottages.[23][25] The town would ultimately grow up around the scattered pines and tree-lined walk to the beach, later to become known as the Invalids' Walk.[26][27]
After the death of Tapps in 1835, his son Sir George William Tapps-Gervis inherited his father's estate. He hired the young local architect Benjamin Ferrey to develop the coastal area on the east side of the stream.[28] Bournemouth's first hotel, later to become part of the Royal Bath Hotel, opened in 1838 and is one of the few buildings designed by Ferrey still standing.[25][28] Bournemouth started to grow at a faster rate as Tapps-Gervis began developing the area similarly to the south coast resorts of Weymouth and Brighton. Despite enormous investment, the town's share of the market remained modest.[26] In 1841 Tapps-Gervis invited the physician and writer Augustus Granville to stay. Granville was the author of The Spas of England, which described health resorts around the country, and as a result of his visit he included a chapter on Bournemouth in the second edition of his book. The publication of the book, and the increase in visitors seeking the medicinal use of seawater and the pine-scented air, helped the town to grow and establish itself as an early tourist destination.[29][30]
In the 1840s Benjamin Ferrey was replaced by Decimus Burton, whose plans for Bournemouth included the construction of a garden alongside the Bourne stream, an idea first mooted by Granville. The fields south of the road crossing (later Bournemouth Square) were drained and laid out with shrubberies and walks. Many of these paths, including the Invalids' Walk, remain in the town today.[30][31] A second suggestion of Granville's, a sanatorium, was completed in 1855 and greatly raised Bournemouth's profile as a place for recuperation.[32]
At a time when the most convenient way to arrive in the town was by sea, a pier was considered to be a necessity. Holdenhurst Parish Council were reluctant to find the money, and an attempt to raise the money privately in 1847 had only succeeded in financing a small 100 feet (30 m) jetty.[33] The Bournemouth Improvement Act of 1856 granted greater financial autonomy to the town and a pier was approved that year. A number of wooden structures were built before an 838 feet (255 m) cast iron design by Eugenius Birch was completed in 1880.[33][34] Under the Act, a board of 13 Commissioners was established to build and organise the expanding infrastructure of the town, such as paving, sewers, drainage, street lighting and street cleaning.[35]
The arrival of the railways in 1870 precipitated a massive growth in seaside and summer visitors to the town, especially from the Midlands and London. In 1880 the town had a population of 17,000, but by 1900, when railway connections to Bournemouth were at their most developed, the town's population had risen to 60,000 and it had become a favourite location for visiting artists and writers.[23] The town was improved greatly during this period through the efforts of Sir Merton Russell-Cotes, the town's mayor and a local philanthropist, who helped to establish the town's first library and museum. The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum was housed in his mansion, and after his death it was given to the town.[36] Bournemouth became a municipal borough in 1890 and a county borough in 1900.[35]
As Bournemouth's growth increased in the early 20th century, the town centre spawned theatres, cafés, two art deco cinemas and more hotels. Other new buildings included the war memorial in 1921 and the Bournemouth Pavilion, the town's concert hall and grand theatre, finished in 1925.
The town escaped heavy bombing during the Second World War, but the sea front incurred great damage when it was fortified against invasion.[37] The cast iron lamposts and benches along the front were removed and melted down for munitions, as was much of the superstructure from both Bournemouth and Boscombe piers before they were breached to prevent their use by enemy ships.[37] The large amounts of barbed wire and anti-tank obstacles along the beach, and the mines at the foot of the chines, took two years to remove when peace was finally achieved.[38]
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution stationed an inshore lifeboat at Bournemouth between 1965 and 1972. Coverage for the area has otherwise been provided from Poole Lifeboat Station.[39] The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), a large conference and exhibition centre, was constructed near the seafront in 1984,[40] and in the following year Bournemouth became the first town in the United Kingdom to introduce and use CCTV cameras for public street-based surveillance.[25]
The Waterfront complex, which was intended to hold an IMAX cinema, was constructed on the seafront in 1998.[41] The 19 m (62 ft)-high concrete and smoked glass building featured a wavy roof design, but was despised by residents and visitors alike because it blocked views of the bay and the Isle of Purbeck.[41][42] In 2005 it was voted the most hated building in England in a 10,000-people poll conducted by the Channel 4 programme 'Demolition', and was pulled down in Spring 2013.[41][43] The site is to be used as an outdoor event arena. The council still plan a larger redevelopment of the site and adjoining council land in the long term.
In 2012 Bournemouth was unsuccessful in its bid for city status, losing out to Chelmsford in competition with 26 other towns to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.[
Governance
Historically Bournemouth was part of Hampshire, with neighbouring Poole, just to the west of the border, in Dorset. At the time of the 1974 local government re-organisation, it was considered desirable that the whole of the Poole/Bournemouth urban area should be part of the same county. Bournemouth therefore became part of the non-metropolitan county of Dorset on 1 April 1974.[35] On 1 April 1997, Bournemouth became a unitary authority, independent from Dorset County Council.[45] For the purposes of the Lieutenancy it remains part of the ceremonial county of Dorset.
For local elections the district is divided into 18 wards,[46] and the Bournemouth Borough Council is elected every four years.[47] In the 2011 local elections the Conservatives held overall control, winning 45 of the available 51 seats.[48] The Council elects a Mayor and Deputy Mayor annually.[49] For 2014–15 the mayor is Chris Mayne.[50]
Bournemouth is represented by two parliamentary constituencies in the House of Commons; Bournemouth East and Bournemouth West.[51] In the 2010 general election, the former was held for the Conservatives by Tobias Elwood with 48.4% of the vote, while the latter was also held for the Conservatives by Connor Burns with 45.1%.[52][53]
Geography
Bournemouth is about 94 miles (151 km) southwest of London at 50°43′12″N 1°52′48″WCoordinates: 50°43′12″N 1°52′48″W.[54] The borough borders the neighbouring boroughs of Poole and Christchurch to the west and east respectively and the East Dorset District to the north. Poole Bay lies to the South.[55][56] The River Stour forms a natural boundary to the north and east, terminating at Christchurch Harbour;[56][57] while the River Bourne rises in Poole and flows through the middle of Bournemouth town centre, into the English Channel.[58] The towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch form the South East Dorset conurbation with a combined population of over 400,000. Bournemouth is both a retail and commercial centre.[59] Areas within Bournemouth include: Boscombe, Kinson, Southbourne, Springbourne, Throop, Westbourne and Winton.[60]
The area's geology has little variety, comprising almost entirely of Eocene clays which, prior to urbanisation, supported a heathland environment.[61][62] Patches of the original heath still remain, notably Turbary Common, a 36-hectare (89-acre) site, much of which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[63] This heathland habitat is home to all six species of native reptile, the Dartford Warbler and some important flora such as Sundew and Bog Asphodel. Small populations of Exmoor pony and Shetland cattle help to maintain the area.[64] Bournemouth is directly north of Old Harry Rocks, the easternmost end of the Jurassic Coast, 96 miles (155 km) of coastline designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.[65] Bournemouth's own coastline stretches from Sandbanks to Christchurch Harbour and comprises mainly sandy beaches backed by gravel and sandy clay cliffs. These cliffs are cut by a number of chines which provide natural access to the shore.[66] At the easternmost point lies Hengistbury Head, a narrow peninsula that forms the southern shore of Christchurch Harbour. It is a local nature reserve and the site of a Bronze Age settlement.
Climate
Due to its location on the south coast, Bournemouth has a temperate climate with moderate variation in annual and daily temperatures. From 1981 to 2010 the annual mean temperature was 10 to 11 °C (50 to 52 °F).[69] The warmest months are July and August, which have an average temperature range of 12 to 22 °C (54 to 72 °F), while the coolest months are January and February, which have an average temperature range of 1 to 8 °C (34 to 46 °F).[70] Average rainfall in Bournemouth is around 800 mm (31 in) annually, well below the national average of 1,126 millimetres.[71] Since 1960, temperature extremes as measured at Bournemouth Hurn Airport have ranged from 34.1 °C (93.4 °F) in August 1990,[72] down to −13.4 °C (7.9 °F) in January 1963.[73] The lowest temperature recorded in recent years was −10.4 °C (13.3 °F) in December 2010.[
Demography
Religious demography
Christian 57.1
Buddhist 0.7
Hindu 0.7
Jewish 0.7
Muslim 1.8
Sikh 0.1
Other religion 0.7
No religion 30.5
Not stated 7.8
The 2011 census records the population of Bournemouth as 183,491, comprising 91,386 males and 92,105 females, which equates to 49.8% and 50.2% of the population respectively.[77][78] The mean average age of all persons is 40 years.[79] With 4,000 residents per square kilometre, Bournemouth has the highest population density of any authority in the South-West region, and is the eighth most populated.[80]
Much of the population, 83.8%, describe their ethnicity as 'white British' while other white groups account for a further 8.1%. Asian groups; Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and other Asian, make up 3.9%. Black British, black African, black Caribbean and other black groups form 1.0% of the population, Those of a mixed race make up 2.3% of the population, and 0.9% are from other ethnic groups.[81]
Christians made up 57.1% of the population but 30% of residents said they had no religion and 7.8% refused to say whether they were religious or not. Muslims were 1.8%, Budhists, Hindus and Jews each had a 0.7% share, Sikhs were 0.1%. and other religions made up 0.7%.[76]
Of all Bournemouth residents aged 16 or over, 19.1% had no qualifications at all, although 35% said they had between one and four O-levels, CSEs, GCSEs or equivalent, and 36.5% have more than five O-level equivalents (grade C and above), an A-level or two to three AS-levels. Those with an NVQ level 1 comprise 8.0% of the population while 15.2% have a level 2 NVQ, a City and Guilds craft certificate, BTEC or general diploma. Just over 20% of residents had two or more A-levels, four or more AS-Levels or an advanced diploma while 15.8% possessed a degree, such as a BA or BSc or a higher degree such as an MA or PhD. An NVQ level 4 or 5, HNC, HND, higher BTEC or higher diploma, is held by 4.2% and a professional qualification is held by 13.9% of residents. An apprenticeship has been completed by 6.3% of the population while 16.9% have some other work related or vocational qualification and 8.3% hold a foreign qualification.[82]
Historical population of Bournemouth
Year
Population
1801 726
1821 877
1841 1,605
1851 2,029
1871 13,160
1891 34,098
1941 128,099
1961 149,106
1981 140,216
1991 158,711
2001 163,441
Historical population figures are for an area that equates to the modern Unitary Authority of Bournemouth[83]
Source: GIS / University of Portsmouth, A Vision of Britain through Time.[84]
Historically Bournemouth has suffered from negative rates of natural increase and has relied on immigration to maintain population growth. In 2007 however, births exceeded deaths for the first time, and this trend has continued through to 2011. This, coupled with a substantial increase in people moving into the area, has led to a sharp rise in the resident population since 2001.[80][85] Of the total population, 3.3% are 85 or over, compared to 2.2% nationally; however the largest group of people moving into the area are students in the 16-24-year age group, and 9% of the current population are between 20 and 24. In England this age group accounts for only 7%.[85]
Economy
Similarly to the rest of Dorset, Bournemouth's economy is primarily in the service sector, which employed 95% of the workforce in 2010.[86] This was 10% higher than the average employment in the service sector for Great Britain and 11% higher than the South West.[86] Of particular importance are the financial and public service sectors which through 2011 continued to show sustained growth. Compared to the rest of the country, Bournemouth performed well in these two areas but under performed in transport and communications.[87]
The smallest geographical region for which Gross Value Added information is available is the NUTS3 area, Bournemouth and Poole. The latest figures, as of 2012, are for the year 2009 which showed that the Bournemouth and Poole area enjoyed the strongest annualised growth in the South-West region.[88][89] In 2009 the South West Regional Accounts showed that the Financial Services sector in Bournemouth was worth £1,031.8 million in Gross Value Added. Important employers in this sector include: JPMorgan, Nationwide Building Society, and the Liverpool Victoria, Unisys, and RIAS insurance companies.[89] The manufacturing sector is predominantly based in neighbouring Poole, but still employed 2% of the workforce in 2010 and 2.6% in 2011.[86][90][Note 2]
Tourism is also important to the local economy. In 2011, domestic and overseas visitors made more than 5.6 million trips to the town and spent over £460 million between them. The equivalent of 8,531 full-time jobs exist as a result which accounts for 15% of all employment in the town.[91] Bournemouth seafront is one of the UK's biggest attractions with 4.5 million visitors in 2011.[92]
With a third of all town centre businesses in the leisure industry, Bournemouth has a booming nightlife economy and is a popular destination for stag and hen parties.[93][94] These party-goers contribute £125 million a year to the economy and support 4,000 jobs. In 2010 the town was awarded a Purple Flag for providing a wide variety of night-time activities while maintaining the safety of both residents and visitors.[94] An independent report published in 2012 indicates there has been a rise in antisocial behaviour which it attributes to the increase in nightlife.[93]
Those of working age make up approximately 65% of Bournemouth's population and of these, 74.6% are economically active although not necessarily employed within the Bournemouth area.[89] Industry in Bournemouth employed more than 76,400 people in 2011 but not all of these were Bournemouth residents.[90] Of those employed in Bournemouth based industries, 29.32% were employed in the public administration, education and health sector. This compares favourably with Dorset, the South-West region, and the country as a whole, as do the other large sectors; distribution, hotels & restaurants (29.06%), and banking, finance and insurance (24.48%). 37.2% of Bournemouth's resident population are employed full-time while 13.3% are employed part-time. An additional 7.1% full-time workers are self-employed, 3.1% are self-employed part-time. Full-time students with jobs account for 5.3% and 3.8% are unemployed.[95]
The shopping streets are mostly pedestrianised with modern shopping malls, Victorian arcades and a large selection of bars, clubs and cafés. North of the centre there is an out-of-town shopping complex called Castlepoint. The 41 acre site has 40 units and was the largest shopping centre in the UK when it opened it 2003.[96] Other major shopping areas are situated in the districts of Westbourne and Boscombe.
Culture
Bournemouth is a tourist and regional centre for leisure, entertainment, culture and recreation. Local author and former mayor, Keith Rawlings, suggests that Bournemouth has a thriving youth culture due to its large university population and many language school students.[97][98] In recent years, Bournemouth has become a popular nightlife destination with UK visitors and many clubs, bars and restaurants are located within the town centre.[98][99] In a 2007 survey by First Direct, Bournemouth was found to be the happiest place in the UK, with 82% of people questioned saying they were happy with their lives.[100]
Major venues for concerts include BIC, Pavilion Theatre and O2 Academy.[101] Built in 1984, the BIC is also a popular place for party political conferences and has been used by all three major political parties.[102] Its four auditoria make it the largest venue on the south coast.[103] The O2 and Pavilion are older and are both Grade II listed buildings. The O2, which opened in 1895 as The Grand Pavilion Theatre, was initially used as a circus and later for music hall theatre. The Pavilion opened in 1929 as concert hall and tea room while also providing a venue for the municipal orchestra. It continues to provide traditional entertainment today, presenting West End stage shows, ballet and operas.[104][105][106] Bournemouth has more than 200 listed buildings, mainly from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, including three grade I churches; St Peter's, St Clement's and St Stephen's.[106]
The Russell-Cotes Museum is a Grade II* listed, villa completed in 1901. It houses artefacts and paintings collected by the Victorian philanthropist Merton Russell-Cotes and his wife during their extensive travels around the world.[107] The four art galleries display paintings by William Powell Frith, Edwin Landseer, Edwin Long, William Orchardson, Arthur Hughes, Albert Moore, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.[108] It was Russell-Cotes who successfully campaigned to have a promenade built; it runs continuously along the Bournemouth and Poole shoreline.[109]
The Lower, Central and Upper Gardens are Grade II* public parks, leading for several miles down the valley of the River Bourne through the centre of the town to the sea.[110] Bournemouth has a further 425 acres (172 ha) of parkland. Initially serving to compensate for the loss of common rights after common land was enclosed in 1802, it was held in trust until 1889 when ownership passed to Bournemouth Corporation and the land became five public parks: King's Park, Queen's Park, Meyrick Park, Seafield Gardens and Redhill Common.[7][111]
The detailed Land Use Survey by the Office for National Statistics in 2005 noted that the local authority area of Bournemouth had the third highest proportion of land taken up by domestic gardens, 34.6%, of the 326 districts in England; narrowly less than the London Boroughs of Harrow and Sutton at the time with 34.7% and 35.1%.[112]
One of Bournemouth's most noted cultural institutions is the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra which was formed in 1893 under Dan Godfrey.[113][114] It became the first municipal orchestra in the country when in 1896, Bournemouth Borough Council took control and Godfrey was appointed musical director and head of the town's entertainments.[113][115] Originally playing three concerts a day during the summer season, in the great glass palm house known as the Winter Gardens;[114][116] the orchestra is now based in Poole and performs around 130 concerts a year across Southern England.[117]
Bournemouth is currently host to a number of festivals. The Bournemouth Food and Drink Festival is a ten-day event which combines a market with live cookery demonstrations.[118] The Arts by the Sea Festival is a mix of dance, film, theatre, literature, and music[119] which was launched in 2012 by the local university, The Arts University Bournemouth, and is set to become an annual event.[120] The Bourne Free carnival is held in the town each year during the summer. Initially a gay pride festival, it has become a celebration of diversity and inclusion.[121] Since 2008, Bournemouth has held its own air festival over four days in August.[122] This has featured displays from the Red Arrows as well as appearances from the Yakovlevs, Blades, Team Guinot Wing-Walkers, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight including Lancaster, Hurricane, Spitfire and also the last flying Vulcan. The festival has also seen appearances from modern aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon.[123] The air festival attracts up to a million people over the four-day event.
The town was especially rich in literary associations during the late 19th century and earlier years of the 20th century. P. C. Wren author of Beau Geste, Frederick E. Smith, writer of the 633 Squadron books, and Beatrice Webb, later Potter, all lived in the town.[126] Paul Verlaine taught at Bournemouth a preparatory school[127][128] and the writer J. R. R. Tolkien, spent 30 years taking holidays in Bournemouth, staying in the same room at the Hotel Miramar. He eventually retired to the area in the 1960s with his wife Edith, where they lived close to Branksome Chine. Tolkien died in September 1973 at his home in Bournemouth but was buried in Oxfordshire. The house was demolished in 2008.[129]
Percy Florence Shelley lived at Boscombe Manor; a house he had built for his mother, Mary Shelley, the writer and author of the gothic horror novel, Frankenstein. Mary died before the house was completed but she was buried in Bournemouth, in accordance with her wishes. The family plot in St Peter's churchyard also contains her parents William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, and the heart of her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley.[130] Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and most of his novel Kidnapped from his house "Skerryvore" on the west cliff, Westbourne.[131] Vladimir Chertkov established a Tolstoyan publishing house with other Russian exiles in Iford Waterworks at Southbourne, and under the 'Free Age Press' imprint, published the first edition of several works by Leo Tolstoy.[126] Author Bill Bryson worked for a time with the Bournemouth Echo newspaper and wrote about the town in his 1995 work Notes from a Small Island.[132]
Landmarks
Bournemouth has three Grade I listed churches, St Peter's and St Stephen's in the town centre and St Clemment's in Boscombe.[106] St Peter's was the town's first church, completed in 1879 and designed by George Edmund Street.[133] In his book, England's Thousand Best Churches, Simon Jenkins describes the chancel as "one of the richest Gothic Revival interiors in England", while the 202 feet (62 m) spire dominates the surrounding skyline.[134][135] When the architect, John Loughborough Pearson, designed St Stephen's his aim was to,"bring people to their knees". It has a high stone groined roof, twin aisles and a triforium gallery, although the tower lacks a spire.[136][137]
The borough has two piers: Bournemouth Pier, close to the town centre, and the shorter but architecturally more important Boscombe Pier. Designed by the architect Archibald Smith, Boscombe Pier opened in 1889 as a 600 feet (180 m) structure which was extended to 750 feet (230 m) in 1927 when a new head was constructed.[138] Added in 1958, the boomerang-shaped entrance kiosk and overhanging concrete roof is now a Grade II listed building. In 1961 a theatre was added but this was demolished in 2008 when the rest of the pier was renovated.[138][139] In 2009, fashion designer Wayne Hemingway described Boscombe Pier as "Britain's coolest pier". It was also voted Pier of the Year 2010 by the National Piers Society.[140]
In 1856, Bournemouth Pier was a simple, wooden jetty. This was replaced by a longer, wooden pier five years later, and a cast iron structure in 1880.[34] Two extensions to the pier in 1894 and 1905, brought the total length to 305 metres (1000 feet). After World War II, the structure was strengthened to allow for the addition of a Pier Theatre, finally constructed in 1960. Between 1979 and 1981, a £1.7 million redevelopment programme, saw a great deal of reconstruction work, and the addition of a large two-storey, octagonal-shaped entrance building.[34]
Built as the Mont Dore Hotel in 1881, Bournemouth Town Hall was designated a Grade II listed building in 2001. Designed by Alfred Bedborough in the French, Italian and neo-classical styles, the foundation stone was laid by King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway and the hotel opened in 1885.[141][142][143] The buff brick exterior features Bath stone dressings and terracotta friezes. The main entrance is sited within a projected façade that reaches to the eaves and is topped with a pediment, while above sits a belvedere with turrets and a pavilion roof.[142] During the First World War the hotel was used as a hospital for British and Indian soldiers and after as a convalescent home. It never opened as a hotel again and was purchased by Bournemouth Borough Council in 1919.[144]
Built in the Art Deco style in 1929, situated close to the seafront, the Pavilion Theatre was at the time considered to be the greatest ever municipal enterprise for the benefit of entertainment.[145] Built from brick and stone, the frontage features square Corinthian columns.[141] Still a popular venue, it is today a Grade II listed building.[145]
The Bournemouth Eye is a helium-filled balloon attached to a steel cable in the town's lower gardens. The spherical balloon is 69 m (226 ft) in circumference and carries an enclosed, steel gondola. Rising to a height of 150 m (492 ft), it provides a panoramic view of the surrounding area for up to 28 passengers.[
Sport
The town has a professional football club, AFC Bournemouth, known as the Cherries, who were promoted to the Championship in 2013 and Premier League in 2015,[148] AFC Bournemouth play at Dean Court near Boscombe in Kings' Park, 2 miles (3 km) east of the town centre.[149]
Bournemouth Rugby Club, which competes in the National League Division Two South, has its home at the Bournemouth Sports Club, next to Bournemouth Airport, where it hosts an annual Rugby sevens tournament and festival.[150][151][152] Bournemouth Cricket Club also plays at Bournemouth Sports Club and is reported to be one of the biggest cricket clubs in the country. Its first team plays in the Southern Premier League.[153] Dean Park is a former county cricket ground, once home to Hampshire County Cricket Club and later Dorset County Cricket Club. Today it is a venue for university cricket.[154]
The BIC has become a venue for a round of the Premier League Darts Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation.[155]
The Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club, is the town's coastal rowing club. Established in 1865, it is reported to be the oldest sporting association in the county. The club regularly competes in regattas organised by the Hants and Dorset Amateur Rowing Association which take place on the South Coast of England between May and September.[156]
Other watersports popular in Poole Bay include sailing and surfing, and there are a number of local schools for the beginner to learn either sport.[157] Bournemouth has the third largest community of surfers in the UK and in 2009 an artificial surf reef, one of only four in the world, was constructed there.[158] The reef failed to deliver the promised grade 5 wave, suffered a series of delays and ran over budget, finally costing £3.2 million.
Transport
Road
The principal route to the town centre is the A338 spur road, a dual carriageway that connects to the A31 close to the Hampshire border. The A31 joins the M27 at Southampton and from there the M3 to London and the A34 to the Midlands and the North can be accessed.[161] The main road west is the A35 to Honiton in Devon which runs through the South East Dorset Conurbation and continues east as far as Southampton, albeit as a non-primary route.[162][163] The A350 in the neighbouring borough of Poole provides the only northern route out of the conurbation.[164] National Express coaches serve Bournemouth Travel Interchange & Bournemouth University. There are frequent departures to London Victoria Coach Station and Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airports.[165][166] Local buses are provided mainly by two companies, More Bus, the former National Bus Company subsidiary and now owned by the Go-Ahead group, and Yellow Buses, the former Bournemouth Council-owned company and successors to Bournemouth Corporation Transport, which began operating trams in 1902.[166][167] Other operators serving the town include Damory Coaches and the Shaftesbury & District bus company.[166]
Rail
There are two stations in the town, Bournemouth railway station and Pokesdown railway station to the east.[168] Parts of western Bournemouth can also be reached from Branksome station. All three stations lie on the South Western Main Line from Weymouth to London Waterloo.[169] South West Trains operates a comprehensive service along this line, which also serves Southampton Central, Winchester and Basingstoke to the east, and Poole, Wareham, and Dorchester South to the west.[169][170] Before its closure in 1966, Bournemouth was also served by the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway which provided direct access to Somerset and the Midlands.[171]
Air
Originally an RAF airfield, Bournemouth Airport was transferred to the Civil Aviation Authority in 1944 and was the UK's only international airport before the opening of Heathrow in 1946.[172] Acquired by the Manchester Airports Group in 2001, the airport underwent a £45 million phased expansion programme between 2007 and 2011.[173][174] Situated in the village of Hurn on the periphery of Bournemouth, the airport is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the town centre and serves around 600,000 passengers annually.[175] There are direct flights to more than 35 international destinations in 19 countries including: Croatia, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States.[175]
Education
The Bournemouth local education authority was first set up in 1903 and remained in existence until local government was reorganised in 1974 when Bournemouth lost its County Borough status and became part of the county of Dorset. Under the later reforms of 1997, Bournemouth became a unitary authority and the Bournemouth local education authority was re-established.[176][177]
The local council operates a two-tier comprehensive system whereby pupils attend one of the 26 primary schools in the borough before completing their education at secondary school.[178] Bournemouth is one of the minority of local authorities in England still to maintain selective education, with two grammar schools (one for boys, one for girls) and ten secondary modern/comprehensive schools.[179] There are also a small number of independent schools in the town, and a further education college.[180] Bournemouth has two universities: Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth, both of which are located across the boundary in neighbouring Poole.[181]
In 2012, 60.7% of the borough's school leavers gained 5 GCSEs of grade C or above. This was slightly better than the national average of 59.4% and above the average for the rest of Dorset, with 58.8% of pupils from the local authority of Poole, and 54.1% from the remainder of the county, managing to do likewise.[182]
Le plus grand tapis artisanal réalisé dans le monde est iranien et couvre le sol de cette mosquée, un privilège de près de 6 millions de dollars. Il mesure 5625 m2.
2,3 millions de dollars ont été directement versés aux villages où le tapis a été confectionné, près de la ville de Neishabbor, dans la province de Khorasan.
The biggest home-made carpet realized in the world is Iranian and covers the ground of this mosque, a privilege of about 6 millions dollars. It measures 5625 m2.
2,3 million dollars were directly paid in the villages where the carpet was made, near the city of Neishabbor, in the province of Khorasan.
Directly into the sun, an 8K video frame of 'Hastings' diesel 1001 seen at Buckland en route from Hastings to Alton working 'The Medstead Mountaineer' on 2 April 2022.
Directly up the Mississippi River from the Big Easy, N188FE completes its New Orleans to Memphis flight by landing on Runway 36L.
Shot taken directly from Second Life with no retouching in photoshop.
Showing off (a bit...) one of the new things coming to Prima Premium mesh bodies!
Style card:
*PRIMA* Femme Elite body (busty shape)
LeLutka Ceylon with my own custom shape
*PRIMA* Shira ruched dress
Hilly Haalan Jen platform heels
SIGMA Ethnic rings
Tantrum Mi Amor toe nails (french!!!)
Stealthic Fallen hair
*PRIMA* Dangle heart earrings
Soft & Squishy is coming soon and like all PRIMA addons will be INCLUDED FOR FREE for Elite owners! Included with the addon are some heart garters - for the mid thigh (seen on the right) and the high thigh.
This walkway, directly under the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, is seething with people during the day, but can be appreciated for its geometry early in the morning. The arches seem to stretch into infinity, an illusion I exaggerated in post-processing. 39mm 0.5sec@f/18, ISO100
Leura, Blue Mountains,
New South Wales, Australia.
Elevation: 985m
Population: 4,400 approx.
The village of Leura is one of the most popular attractions in the Blue Mountains.
On the weekends it’s a regular getaway for Sydneysiders & Leura Mall is packed with luxury cars & 4WD’s.
The numerous tourist buses add to the hustle & bustle with tourists visiting the cafes & boutique shops.
Just a short trip south of Leura down Cliff Drive is a completely different world, away from the shops & the crowds.
The natural world of rainforests with ancient trees, waterfalls & cascades, wildflowers, orchids & fungi.
The forests around Leura are abundant with wildlife - here the only noises you’ll hear are the sound of birds,
the rustle of the wind in the trees and the sound of cascading water.
This area is a mecca for bushwalkers, birdwatchers & photographers.
Leura Cascades.
A short walk from the car park brings you to one of the most popular & photographed landmarks in the Blue Mountains.
The cascades run for a few hundred metres. Near the car park you’ll also find the upper Leura cascades.
Bridal Veil Falls.
The end of the cascades brings you to the top of the escarpment with stunning views across the Jamison Valley to Mount Solitary.
Here is the first glimpse of Bridal Veil Falls. A steep descent via some metal ladders takes you to the base of the falls.
Bridal Veil falls are not easy to photograph due to their large scale & close proximity of the vantage point below them.
Either a very wide-angle lens is required or shooting a multi- level panorama.
It’s more easier to document smaller sections of the waterfall.
Leura Weeping Rock.
Slightly below Bridal Veil is one of the hidden gems of the Blue Mountains - Leura’s Weeping Rock.
Though the falls are quite small they are quite picturesque & the area is quite atmospheric.
The area below this point is recommended for experienced walkers only!
Beyond Weeping Rock if you traverse to the right you will pass a large amphitheatre, before arriving at the lovely Fern Bower.
Turn left & towards the lower section of Fern Bower, you will find Lila Falls, Linda Falls, then further down - Margeurite Cascades.
Downstream from Weeping Rock, Leura Falls can be visited along with Adelina Cascades directly below the falls.
Below the cascades is Leura Forest - one of the most beautiful spots in the area with a Lord of the Rings-like charm.
This area can be accessed via the Fern Bower track or more directly downstream from Weeping Rock via a high metal ladder.
Caution must be taken if using this ladder as its dangerous, especially if you are carrying camera gear & a tripod.
Extended bushwalks - some ideas for further exploration for the fit & experienced:
Leura - Katoomba.
From the base of the escarpment, near Leura forest, are two tracks that take you to Katoomba (and beyond).
The Federal Pass or the Dardenelles Pass wind their way along the base of the cliffs and eventually form one route.
The Federal Pass track can be followed as far as even Mt Solitary or the Ruined Castle.
Exit points could be the Grand Stairway or the Scenic Railway or even the Golden Stairs at Narrow Neck.
Leura - Wentworth Falls.
At the base of Leura Falls is the legendary Lindeman Pass track which will bring you to near The Valley of the Waters at Wentworth falls area.
This is not really a track, but a negotiable route & is not sign-posted & is quite rough - some scrambling & route-finding involved.
Exit points include Gladstone Pass or Roberts Pass (both require exposed scrambling).
Allow for a full day to get to Valley of the Waters.
Do not attempt this route unless you have experience with off-track walking & rugged terrain!
Leura - Kings Tableland - Wentworth Falls.
It is possible to follow an old route that was used by workers to get to the decommissioned Sewerage plant at Leura.
This is a fairly long walk to the Kedumba Valley near Mount Solitary, followed by a steep climb up Kedumba Pass to the top of Kings Tableland.
From the top of Kings Tableland there is a fire trail that will take you back towards the Wentworth Falls area.
The 2nd half of the walk across the plateau can be done on walking tracks including the Charles Darwin walk.
Enjoy!
The Albaicin (a district of Granada) was directly connected to the Alhambra by a fortified bridge called Puente del Cadí - the "bridge of the judge". All that is left of it today is the stump of a tower on the left bank and part of its single arch. It was built by the Moors in 1055.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/leightonmoss/index.asp
Leighton Moss is the largest reedbed in north-west England, and home to some really special birds such as breeding bitterns, bearded tits and marsh harriers. You might see deer too, not to mention butterflies aplenty!
Opening times
The reserve and visitor centre are open daily all year round (except 25 December). The reserve is open from 9 am to dusk and the visitor centre from 9.30 am-5 pm (4.30 pm November-January inclusive).
Entrance charges
Free to the visitor centre and tearoom. Admission to hides and nature trails: £4.50 adults, £3 concessions, £1 children, £9 family. Free to RSPB members and those who come by public transport or on bike.
Avocet
Avocets can be seen from the hides overlooking the Allen and Eric Morecambe Pools in spring and summer.
Bearded tit
A year-round attraction here in the extensive reedbeds. They form flocks in autumn and can often be seen picking up grit from special tables on the causeway or directly from the paths.
Bittern
Bitterns can be heard 'booming' from the causeway between march and May. Scan over the reedbeds and you may catch a glimpse of one in flight - particularly in May and June. You may also see one sitting at the edge of the pools on frosty winter days.
Marsh harrier
Spring brings displaying marsh harriers to Leighton Moss. The males and females are busy feeding their young throughout summer and can often be seen hunting over the reedbed.
Water rail
Watch from the hides for water rails emerging to feed on the edge of the channels and pool within the reedbed. They may venture out onto exposed mud when the water drops in late summer and autumn or onto ice in winter.
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
Booming bitterns in the reedbeds, best heard from the Causeway. Marsh harriers displaying high above the reedbeds. Butterflies along the reserve trails. The arrival of summer-visiting birds fills the reedbed with the rattling calls of sedge and reed warblers. Birdsong can be enjoyed in the woodland. Buzzards can be seen daily flying over the reserve. On the Allen and Eric Morecambe pools, large flocks of migrant black-tailed godwits stop off on their way to Iceland and the first avocets return to nest.
Summer
The special sight of marsh harriers passing food to each other in flight. Red deer grazing the Jackson and Griesdale meres in the evenings. The sight and sound of a busy black-headed gull colony. A chance to see young bitterns venturing out into the edges of the pools to feed, as well as a variety of young waterbirds. A succession of marsh flowers along the reserve tracks. Avocets and their chicks on the Allen and Eric Morecambe pools.
Autumn
Parties of bearded tits flying across the reeds and picking up grit from the paths. Huge flocks of starlings wheeling above the reedbed before pouring into the reeds to roost. Migrant wading birds, especially greenshanks, ruffs and returning black-tailed godwits on the pools viewed from the Allen and Eric Morecambe hides.
Winter
Teals, shovelers and gadwalls join the resident ducks to congregate in large numbers in the pools. Bitterns and water rails can be seen out on the ice during cold spells. Flocks of siskins feed in the alders. Flocks of wigeons and greylag geese graze the saltmarsh at the Allen and Eric Morecambe pools, and are regularly disturbed by wintering peregrines and merlins.
Viewing points
Seven hides with the nearest hide to visitor centre only 160 yards (150 m) away.
Nature trails
Three nature trails: 0.5 miles, 0.8 km to 2 miles, and 3.2 km.
Tearoom
A wide selection of hot and cold food and drinks throughout the day. Parties catered for on request.
Refreshments available
•Hot drinks
•Cold drinks
•Hot meals
•Cold meals
•Sandwiches
•Snacks
Shop
The shop stocks:
•Binoculars and telescopes
•Books
•Bird food
•Gifts
Educational facilities
Education visits to Leighton Moss offer an exciting opportunity for your pupils to explore nature through the first-hand study of birds, other animals and plants. Led by professional RSPB educators, the curriculum-linked programmes are safe, hands-on, thought-provoking and fun. Approved as a safe provider of outdoor education activities by Lancashire County Council, Leighton Moss's risk-assessed programmes help children to understand the value of wildlife and natural places through experiential learning. Leighton Moss has the largest remaining reedbed in north-west England - a magical place where you and your pupils could hear the bitterns booming in the spring, watch the marsh harriers swooping in the summer or see the meres full of over-wintering ducks and geese in the winter. With a well-equipped classroom, shop, picnic area, trails and bird hides, Leighton Moss is the ideal place to bring your class for an unforgettable experience of nature. You can visit any day of the year. Our start times are flexible to suit you. It is advisable to book well in advance for the summer term, which is our busiest time. We can cater for two classes (or approximately 60 children), which will be divided into smaller groups of approximately 15.
Access to hides and viewpoints
Bird-feeding station has a screen, with varied height viewing slots and knee hole extension, which overlooks the birdtables and feeders. Lilian's hide is accessed via 1:20 ramp; a large, glazed, picture window overlooks the lagoon and reedbeds; an induction loop is available. Jackson's hide is accessed via 1:10 ramp; there are no adapted wheelchair places.
Griesdale hide is accessed via 1:10 ramp; there are no adapted wheelchair places. Public hide is accessed via a very shallow, 1:40 ramp; specially adapted places for wheelchairs are at left end of hide. Lower hide is accessed via three steep steps.
Access to visitor centre, shop and tearoom
The front entrance is accessed through double doors, which open both ways, to reception desk on ground floor. The upper floor, with tearoom, is accessed via a stair-lift from the shop and rear entrance of the visitor centre. This lift does not accommodate wheelchairs; transfer from chair to lift via shallow ramp; staff are available to help.
Shop is on the ground floor of the visitor centre; staff are available to help. Tearoom is on the first floor of visitor centre, staff are available to help with carrying trays etc.
Path surfaces and gradients
There are 8 km of trails on the nature reserve. There is a bird-feeding station 50 m from visitor centre, down 1:15 and 1:40 gradients with an adverse camber; the path is surfaced with compacted gravel/rolled stone. From the feeding station to Lilian's hide is 100 m, initially down a 1:20 slope, levelling and then another 1:20 slope to the hide entrance; the path is surfaced with compacted gravel/rolled stone.
From Lilian's hide to Jackson's hide is 535 m. From Lilian's hide to Griesdale hide is 735 m; the path is surfaced with compacted gravel/rolled stone, and narrows to one metre in places. From Lilian's hide to Public hide is 1,000 m; the path is undulating, rolled stone with two non-wheelchair accessible kissing gates; it has a steep gradient of 1:10 along some of its length. There is a 100 m stretch along the public highway.
The final approach to the hide is along a public causeway of rough, rolled stone with a 1:10 slope. Visitors with limited mobility can drive to the start of the public causeway. From Public hide to Lower hide is 820 m; the path is surfaced with compacted mud and stone; it is narrow in places and accessible to semi-ambulant visitors.
Car parking
Visitors can park in front of and behind the visitor centre; the surface is rolled stone. There is an alternative car park on the opposite side of the road from the visitor centre.
Toilets
One adapted, unisex toilet accessed via shop and rear entrance to visitor centre.
Wheelchair loan
One wheelchair available for loan, contact reserve staff for availability.
Directly in the center of the Slobodište memorial park, there is a 'portal' sculpture built between two mounds of earth which is called the 'Solar Arch'. To the south of the Solar Arch, the pathway leads to the 'Valley of the Living', while on the north side of the portal is a circular stone paved courtyard.
Namely, this monument at Kruševac commemorates the hundreds Partisan soldiers and civilians that were executed in the city between 1941 and 1944 during the German occupation of Yugoslavia.
This female Bald Eagle is directly atop a deer carcass along the banks of the Couderay river which runs within the boundaries of the Chippewa nation(Lac Court Oreilles)... At this time of year this is quite the common sight here in far Northwestern Wisconsin, the lakes & rivers are still frozen over and the eagles are literally frozen out from their favorite prey, which is fish.
As the snow melt accelerates fewer deer are killed in vehicle collisions, thus this ridiculously easy food source begins to dry up, as a consequence the great raptors become more and more reluctant to retreat from them even in the face of close human proximity, or even encroachment, which is exactly what we are witness to here... Disappointingly, the sun was buried in heavy overcast...