“In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.” – ~Aaron Rose

p.p. done with a texture by Tota!

Thank you so much my dear!

musk Stork’s Bill: A leaf tea has been used to induce sweating and is diuretic. The leaves were also soaked in bath water to treat rheumatism. Plant contains tannin, is astringent and a hemostatic. It has been used for uterine and other bleeding, roots and were eaten by nursing mothers to increase milk flow, externally used as a wash on animal bites and skin infections. A poultice of the chewed root has been applied to sores and rashes. It is reputed to contain an antidote for strychnine.Also a source for the scent musk.

Linguella Tower, Portoferraio, Elba Island

The fortified structure of the tower was built in the early 16th century on the spot where stood the remains of an ancient Roman Villa. It owes its creation to Medici, who would in the Tower, one more defensive structure to protect the port of Portoferraio. The coastal Tower has an octagonal plan, with a crease articulated in the lower part bordering the below base, which on six of the eight sides rests directly on the rocky strand of the sea.

The top of the Linguella Tower has a greater overhang than the bottom, where on the summit ends with some mighty brackets that surround the terrace originally used for sighting. The walls of the tower is entirely covered with red bricks with some finishing touches of white marble and with traces of stone curtain walls that are at the north-western corner of the tower, going to delimit externally a bastion structure with shoe base, which previously gave it an additional element of security to the entire complex.

The Navy installed a lighthouse on the western corner of walls of the tower for the night lighting of the port area of Portoferraio.

This supreme example of military architecture to defend the port of Portoferraio was designed by Giovanni Camerini in 1548. In the past the Linguella Tower, was linked to the Gallo Tower from a big chain, which prevented for defensive purposes the entrance into the dock of Portoferraio.

In the 17th century, Grand Duke Ferdinando II, did reinforce the ramparts overlooking the sea. The bastion of St. Francis and the sentry box on which stands the cross of Lorena was rebuilt after the war devastation.

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FAVES

ON THE REACTIONS I WILL TRY TO RESPOND BACK

Can you feel the light warming the cool autumn air?

Happy Bokeh Wednesday!

Beningbrough Hall is a large Baroque mansion near the village of Beningbrough, North Yorkshire, England, and overlooks the River Ouse.

It has baroque interiors, cantilevered stairs, wood carving and central corridors which run the length of the house. Externally the house is a red-brick Baroque mansion with a grand drive running to the main frontage and a walled garden, The house is home to changing exhibitions on the first floor art gallery and stories of the estate on the ground floor. It has a restaurant, shop and garden shop, and was shortlisted in 2010 for the Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award.

The Hall is set in extensive grounds and is separated from them by a ha-ha (a sunken wall to prevent sheep and cattle entering the Hall's gardens or the Hall itself. Wikipedia

The Perth Royal Mint.

On the corner of Hay Street and Victoria Avenue. Perth, Western Australia.

(Wikipedia)

The Perth Mint is Australia's official bullion mint and wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia. Established on 20 June 1899, two years before Australia's Federation in 1901, the Perth Mint was the last of three Australian colonial branches of the United Kingdom's Royal Mint (after the now-defunct Sydney Mint and Melbourne Mint) intended to refine gold from the gold rushes and to mint gold sovereigns and half-sovereigns for the British Empire. Along with the Royal Australian Mint, which produces coins of the Australian dollar for circulation, the Perth Mint is the older of Australia's two mints issuing coins that are legal tender.

History Swan Perth Mint...

Perth Mint, as a business entity, was established during the 1890s, as a subsidiary of the Royal Mint in the United Kingdom.

The foundation stone of the Mint building was laid in 1896 by Sir John Forrest. The building was officially opened on 20 June 1899. At that time, the population of Western Australia (WA) was growing rapidly (23,000 in 1869 and 180,000 in 1900) due to the discovery of rich gold deposits at Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie and the Murchison region.

The Mint initially served two purposes. Firstly, it minted coins for circulation in WA – this had previously been done externally, and as a result, there had often been insufficient currency in circulation. Secondly, the Mint bought the vast majority of gold mined in WA; at the time, a large proportion of mining was done by "diggers" (prospectors and/or small-scale, independent miners), who had migrated to WA in thousands from other parts of Australia and overseas. Mining businesses were able to sell their raw gold directly to the Mint, where it was made into gold coins and bullion.

Although WA took part in the Federation of the Australian colonies in 1901, the Mint remained under the control of the UK government for a further 69 years. On 1 July 1970, ownership was acquired by the state government of Western Australia, as a statutory authority.

In the 32 years up to 1931, the Perth Mint struck more than 106 million gold sovereigns, and nearly 735,000 half-sovereigns (intermittently between 1900 and 1920), for use as currency in Australia and throughout the British Empire. The Mint stopped making gold sovereigns when Britain abandoned the gold standard in 1931. Nevertheless, the refinery remained busy as staff turned their skills to making fine gold bullion bars. But it was not long before the Perth Mint was involved again in the production of coins. During World War II, the Perth Mint began minting the Australian coinage from base metals. Up until the end of 1983, the Perth Mint also manufactured much of Australia's lower-denomination coin currency.

The Perth Mint achieved "arguably the purest of all gold" in 1957 when the mint produced a 13-troy-ounce (400 g) proof plate of almost six nines. It was verified by the Goldsmiths’ Company and deemed to have results of “nearly 999.999 parts per 1000”. 58  The Royal Mint was so impressed that it ordered some of the gold as the benchmark for its own standards.

The Mint's new direction was formalised in 1987 with the creation of Gold Corporation by a State Act of Parliament. Under a unique agreement with the Commonwealth of Australia's Department of the Treasury, the Perth Mint's new operator was empowered to mint and market gold, silver and platinum Australian legal tender coinage to investors and collectors worldwide. Prime Minister Bob Hawke launched the Australian Nugget Gold Coins Series in 1987. The first day's trading yielded sales of 155 thousand troy ounces (4.8 tonnes) of gold worth A$103 million, well above the sales target of 130 thousand troy ounces (4.0 tonnes) to the end of June.

Up to 2000, the Perth Mint's refined gold output totalling 4.5 thousand tonnes (9.9 million pounds), representing 3.25% of the total weight of gold produced by humankind. This is about the current holdings of gold bullion in the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox.

In 2003, the Perth Mint officially opened an 8,400-square-metre (90,000 sq ft) state-of-the-art manufacturing facility next door to its original limestone building.

Don't forget to tell yourself positive things daily! You must love yourself internally to glow externally.

Hannah Bronfman

Right after the sun escapes over the horizon the shadows become more nuanced. But the tube in the center of the flower (the style I believe) appears to be glowing - as though it was releasing the light it captured during the direct sunlight. That's the way it looked to me - and Lightroom!

The unedited version available for viewing for those designated as friends. If you would like to see it let me know and I'll designate you as a friend!

www.flickr.com/photos/143140233@N06/29559594478/in/datepo...

This is a fruit called Hau (Nutmeg) in Hmong, held by Khu. It is used to cure the common cold, either by chewing slowly the seeds inside, or by cooking it and applying externally to the neck and other parts of the body. It works.

Sufficiently clear

Occasion consequence

Environmental entities

Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine II 3332 (R332WVR) is about to depart Liverpool Airport for a trip back to the city centre via Garston, Brodie Avenue and Toxteth on the 80A route. Externally it retains its original Arriva repaint complete with the "Serving Merseyside" strapline. Photo taken on 29/03/12.

Camera: Leica IIF with the 50mm/3.5 Elmar lens, 1952.

Film: Kodak Portra 160.

Processing: Walkens House of Film, Melbourne, Australia.

This view of the "new" front entrance was started in 1840 and finally completed in 1845. It opens onto a beautifully designed formal front garden.

The light here is perfect for film photography, and my vintage 1952 Leica IIf handles the conditions superbly. The camera is completely mechanical and all light metering was done externally with my Sekonic light meter.

“LRV-2 Deploy from LM Simulator using FLT no. 3 SSE. REF. no. Boeing 1-4081.”

What’s SSE you ask? Even if you didn’t:

“1.9. SPACE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT (SSE)

The Space Support Equipment (SSE) consists of two basic subsystems of hardware, the structural support subsystem and the deployment hardware subsystem. The function of the structural support subsystem is to structurally support the LRV in the LM during launch boost, earth-lunar transit and landing. The function of the deployment hardware subsystems is to deploy the LRV from the LM to the lunar surface after landing.”

Above per/at:

www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/LRV_OpsNAS8-25145Pt1.pdf

Credit: ALSJ website

And, based on the above, one can deduce that - despite being MSFC issued - the photograph was taken at the Boeing Company’s Kent, WA facility, prior to shipment to KSC. That’s the only place the SSE associated with “FLT no. 3”, aka LRV-3/Apollo 17, would be “externally/pre-installation” available

Also, check out the deformed front left wheel…damn…along with the cool shadow cast by the left rear wheel on the wall/partition. A great visual demonstrating its ingenious “transparent” mesh design. Finally, the sequence of previous? LRV deployment photos posted, visible on the far left. Now, if I could only identify the Great American in the image.

● 1935 Bugatti Type 57sc La Aérolithe

Code-named the "Elektron Coupé" or "Competition Coupé" Bugatti finished the prototype at the end of July 1935 and only four months later, made its first public appearance at the Paris Motor Show. The production car which followed would be a faithful recreation of Jean Bugatti's stunning Art Deco inspired design complete with distinctive dorsal type fin which ran the entire length of the car. While the prototype used Elektron composite for its body panels, known for being a very lightweight and durable material, but also for being extremely flammable when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, being unable to weld the body panels, the engineers riveted them externally, a technique frequently used in the aviation industry, thus creating the signature seam. Production models were made from aluminium but also included this unusual feature.

Possibly due to its contraversial shape, only three examples were ever ordered. A few lucky people, those who showed interest in buying the vehicle, were offered a demonstration next to Bugatti race driver William Grover-Williams, in an extended tour of Paris to demonstrate the vehicle's impressive performance. It was called "La Aérolithe" after the phrase "Rapide comme une aérolithe" ( Fast as a meteorite ) a name that was later adopted by Bugatti.

3.3 L ( 3,257 ccs ) engine delivering 210 hp which could achieve a maximum speed of 124 mph. Four speed gearbox, drum brakes

1936 Bugatti chasis No. 57374 now resides in the Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard, California, US

( thanks to Trabantino, supercars.net and Bing for background photos )

BR/WR 'Warship' diesel-hydraulic passing Reading General station in July 1960, with a solitary trainspotter taking numbers..

The loco is in as-built condition, with steam-era headcode discs and 'clip-on' route/train indicator. These were later modified with inbuilt scrolling route/train indicators, and had the discs removed. The BR-built version became Class 42, and the North British version became Class 43, although externally they were virtually identical.

The NB Class 43 locos had all been withdrawn by the end of 1971, and none were preserved. The last BR Class 42s were withdrawn by the end of 1972, and two examples have been preserved..

Reading General station later became just 'Reading' and has been rebuilt several times over the years, and today (2023) the main lines though here are electrified..

Restored from a cyan colour shifted original..

Original slide - property of Robert Gadsdon

See where this photo was taken

Day 146 of the 365 days of photography project.

A snowdrop in the Mersey.

“The MV Snowdrop is a Mersey Ferry in operation on the River Mersey, England. From launch until a major refit in 2003, she was named MV Woodchurch.

The MV Woodchurch was the sister ship of the MV Mountwood. Both ferries were built for Birkenhead Corporation and were based loosely on the designs of the Wallasey ferries Leasowe and Egremont. They were built by the same company, Messrs. Philip & Son Ltd. of Dartmouth and designed by naval architects Graham and Woolnough. There was some local surprise when the contract was awarded to Philip & Son because Cammell Laird Shipbuilders were "next door" to the Birkenhead Ferry Terminal and it was thought that Lairds would automatically build the new ferry boats. However, their price was not considered competitive.

Named after an overspill post-war housing development of Birkenhead, the Woodchurch was the second of the new Birkenhead diesel ferries. Launched by Gwendoline M. McRonald, wife of the Birkenhead Transport Committee Chairman, Charles S. McRonald M.B.E., her hull left the Noss slipway at 3:45 pm and into the River Dart on Thursday 29 October 1959. Other Birkonian dignitaries attending the launch were Mrs Louisa Baker, Mayor of Birkenhead and Alderman Hugh Platt, Leader of the Council and the Mayor of Dartmouth was present. In the evening there was a formal dinner at the Grand Hotel, Torquay.

After fitting out and sea trials, the ferry was delivered to the Mersey in 1960. The Woodchurch was a popular ship. She was externally and internally identical to the Mountwood. The vessel was 152 ft long (46 m), with a beam of 40 ft (12 m), gross tonnage of 464 and a passenger capacity of 1,200 passengers.

She was given Birkenhead Corporation's orange and black livery. The Woodchurch was powered by two medium speed Crossley diesel engines, which were fitted with air brakes for rapid speed change and could be controlled directly from the bridge via the three pairs of connected Chadburn Synchrostep engine order telegraphs.

The Woodchurch remained in near constant operation up until 1980 when she was withdrawn from service and laid up in Morpeth Dock for reasons of economy. Up until this period there had been minimal maintenance work carried out on the vessel and at one point she even lost the forward port side rubbing strake. She was put up for sale, but no buyer was found. During this time she was cannibalised for parts to keep the other ferries running. By 1983, the ferry was re-painted and overhauled and returned to passenger service.

Alongside her sister, the vessel was withdrawn from service for extensive refurbishment in 1989. The six-month absence from the river was the result of a major rebuild and life extension programme. During this, her bridge wings and wheelhouses were plated over to form one single bridge. Curiously she retained all her original navigation equipment. She returned to service in July 1990.

MV Snowdrop

The Woodchurch was again withdrawn in 2003. The ferry's superstructure was totally removed and replaced. New engines and electrical equipment were installed. The original funnel of Woodchurch was found to be suffering from rust upon removal, so a new funnel was installed on the vessel She was relaunched in 2004. A few months later it was revealed that she would be renamed Snowdrop, alongside the Royal Iris of the Mersey and Royal Daffodil. This renewed a 125-year-old link with the past, with all Mersey ferries now carrying traditional Wallasey "flower" names. The ferry’s redesign was not as well received as her two sisters. There appears to be stark contrast between the ships original fine lines and the harsh welding of the Mersey Heritage Ship Repair contractors. The ferry has a large square and box like wheelhouse which does not follow the contours of the ship.

In December 2007, the Snowdrop featured in the Liverpool Nativity, which was broadcast live on BBC Three and repeated on BBC One. Gerry Marsden also made a cameo appearance as the ferry's captain. The ferry is the regular boat used on the Manchester Ship Canal cruises, held over most weekends during the summer months.

In January 2015, the ferry was selected as a "dazzle ship"; she was given a unique new livery inspired by the First World War dazzle camouflage. Designed by Sir Peter Blake and entitled Everybody Razzle Dazzle, the livery was commissioned by Liverpool Biennial, 14-18 NOW and Tate Liverpool. Snowdrop is one of three vessels commissioned to carry a dazzle livery.

Snowdrop is the only one of these three vessels to be a working vessel.”

- Wikipedia

Discovered in Liverpool

iPhone XS max

Thanks for all your visits, faves, and comments. Much appreciated.

Unfortunately I can't show you my photograph of a platypus, because I didn't see any. But this little bay is regarded as the primary home and breeding centre for the platypus on Lake St Clair. They are largely nocturnal creatures and very shy, so all I can do is direct you to the excellent National Geographic page on this incredible mammal.

www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/p/platypus/

When specimens were discovered by the early scientists (they are only found in Australia), most European zoologists considered it to be a hoax. I mean what self-respecting creature has a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver and fur like a seal. What's more, it is one of only two mammals (the echidna is the other one, also only found in Australia) that reproduce using externally laid eggs.

A Platypus is a freshwater amphibious creature, but likes to burrow and nest underground, often through tunnels that start in the water system itself. So although we didn't see any Platypi on this trip, it was nice to see the environment where they thrive.

Gray langurs, sacred langurs, Indian langurs or Hanuman langurs are a group of Old World monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent constituting the entirety of the genus Semnopithecus.

These langurs are largely gray (some more yellowish), with a black face and ears. Externally, the various species mainly differ in the darkness of the hands and feet, the overall color and the presence or absence of a crest. Typically all north Indian gray langurs have their tail tips looping towards their head during a casual walk whereas all south Indian and Sri Lankan gray langurs have an inverted "U" shape or a "S" tail carriage pattern. There are also significant variations in the size depending on the sex, with the male always larger than the female. The head-and-body length is from 51 to 79 cm (20 to 31 in). Their tails, at 69 to 102 cm (27 to 40 in) are never longer than their bodies. Langurs from the southern part of their range are smaller than those from the north. At 26.5 kg (58 lb), the heaviest langur ever recorded was a male Nepal gray langur. The larger gray langurs are rivals for the largest species of monkey found in Asia. The average weight of gray langurs is 18 kg (40 lb) in the males and 11 kg (24 lb) in the females.

Langurs mostly walk quadrupedally and spend half their time on the ground and the other half in the trees. They will also make bipedal hops, climbing and descending supports with the body upright, and leaps. Langurs can leap 3.6–4.7 m (12–15 ft) horizontally and 10.7–12.2 m (35–40 ft) in descending.

The entire distribution of all gray langur species stretches from the Himalayas in the north to Sri Lanka in the south, and from Bangladesh in the east to Pakistan in the west. They possibly occur in Afghanistan. The bulk of the gray langur distribution is within India, and all seven currently recognized species have at least a part of their range in this country.

Gray langurs can adapt to a variety of habitats.They inhabit arid habitats like deserts, tropical habitats like tropical rainforests and temperate habitats like coniferous forests, deciduous habitats and mountains habitats. They are found at sea level to altitudes up to 4,000 m (13,000 ft). They can adapt well to human settlements, and are found in villages, towns and areas with housing or agriculture.They live in densely populated cities like Jodhpur, which has a population numbering up to a million.

Gray langurs are diurnal. They sleep during the night in trees but also on man-made structures like towers and electric poles when in human settlements. When resting in trees, they generally prefer the highest branches.

Ungulates like bovine and deer will eat food dropped by foraging langurs.Langurs are preyed upon by leopards, dholes and tigers.Wolves, jackals, Asian black bears and pythons may also prey on them

Gray langurs are primarily herbivores. However, unlike some other colobines they do not depend on leaves and leaf buds of herbs, but will also eat coniferous needles and cones, fruits and fruit buds, evergreen petioles, shoots and roots, seeds, grass, bamboo, fern rhizomes, mosses, and lichens. Leaves of trees and shrubs rank at the top of preferred food, followed by herbs and grasses. Non-plant material consumed include spider webs, termite mounds and insect larvae.They forage on agricultural crops and other human foods, and even accept handouts. Although they occasionally drink, langurs get most of their water from the moisture in their food.

In one-male groups, the resident male is usually the sole breeder of the females and sires all the young. In multiple-male groups, the highest-ranking male fathers most of the offspring, followed by the next-ranking males and even outside males will father young. Higher-ranking females are more reproductively successful than lower-ranking ones.

Female gray langurs do not make it obvious that they are in estrous. However, males are still somehow able to reduce the reproduction state of females.Females signal that they are ready to mate by shuddering the head, lowering the tail, and presenting their anogenital regions. Such solicitations do not always lead to copulation. When langurs mate, they are sometimes disrupted by other group members. Females have even been recorded mounting other females.

The gestation period of gray langur lasts around 200 days, at least at Jodhpur, India. In some areas, reproduction is year-around. Year-round reproduction appears to occur in populations that capitalize on human-made foods. Other populations have seasonal reproduction.

Infanticide is common among gray langurs. Most infanticidal langurs are males that have recently immigrated to a group and driven out the prior male. These males only kill infants that are not their own.Infanticide is more commonly reported in one-male groups, perhaps because one male monopolizing matings drives the evolution of this trait. In multiple-male groups, the costs for infanticidal males are likely to be high as the other males may protect the infants and they can't ensure that they'll sire young with other males around. Nevertheless, infanticide does occur in these groups, and is suggested that such practices serve to return a female to estrous and gain the opportunity to mate.

Females usually give birth to a single infant, although twins do occur. Most births occur during the night. Infants are born with thin, dark brown or black hair and pale skin. Infants spend their first week attach themselves to their mothers' chests and mostly just suckle or sleep. They do not move much in terms of locomotion for the first two weeks of their life. As they approach their sixth week of life, infants vocalize more.They use squeaks and shrieks to communicate stress. In the following months, the infants are capable of quadrupedal locomotion and can walk, run and jump by the second and third months. Alloparenting occurs among langurs, starting when the infants reach two years of age. The infant will be given to the other females of the group. However, if the mother dies, the infant usually follows.Langurs are weaned by 13 months.

TCF wharf

Lotus Esprit S3 (1981-87) Engine 2174cc S4 Type 910/910S

Registration Number A 70 OAH (Norwich)

LOTUS SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623671671113...

The third generation of Lotus Esprit launched in 1981. Still to the original Giorgetto Giugiaro penned design. with both the normally aspirated and Turbo versions sharing a common chassis, inheriting much of the configuration of the Essex cars, whilst body production was based on a single common set of moulds. The interior for both cars was revised and featured new trim; combined with changes to the body moulds this resulted in more headroom and an enlarged footwell.

Externally, the Turbo Esprit retained the full aerodynamic body kit of the Essex cars, and featured prominent 'turbo esprit' decals on the nose and sides; the S3 gained the more substantial bumpers, yet retained the simpler sill line and glazed rear hatch of the S2.2 body style. Both models were supplied with 15" BBS alloy wheels.

For the 1985 model year, the S3 and Turbo underwent some slight alterations to the bodywork and to the front suspension.

Diolch yn fawr am 70,259,718 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mwynhewch ac arhoswch yn ddiogel

Thank you 70,259,718 amazing views, enjoy and stay safe

Shot 13.04.2019 iat the GT Cup and MSVR Championships at Donington Park Ref 138-428

The yellow-legged gull is a large gull, though the size does vary, with the smallest females being scarcely larger than a common gull and the largest males being roughly the size of a great black-backed gull. They range in length from 52 to 68 cm (20 to 27 in) in total length, from 120 to 155 cm (47 to 61 in) in wingspan and from 550 to 1,600 g (1.21 to 3.53 lb) in weight. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 40.8 to 47.2 cm (16.1 to 18.6 in), the bill is 4.6 to 6 cm (1.8 to 2.4 in) and the tarsus is 5.6 to 7.5 cm (2.2 to 3.0 in).

Adults are externally similar to herring gulls but have yellow legs. They have a grey back, slightly darker than herring gulls but lighter than lesser black-backed gulls. They are much whiter-headed in autumn, and have more extensively black wing tips with few white spots, just as lesser black-backed. They have a red spot on the bill as adults, like the entire complex. There is a red ring around the eye like in the lesser black-backed gull but unlike in the herring gull which has a dark yellow ring.

First-year birds have a paler head, rump and underparts than those of the herring gull, more closely resembling first-year great black-backed gulls in plumage. They have a dark bill and eyes, pinkish grey legs, dark flight feathers and a well-defined black band on the tail.

They become lighter in the underparts and lose the upper part pattern subsequently. By their second winter, birds are essentially feathered like adults, save for the patterned feathers remaining on the wing coverts. However, their bill tips are black, their eyes still dark, and the legs are a light yellow flesh colour.

The call is a loud laugh which is deeper and more nasal than the call of the herring gull.

This image was taken in the Mediterranean in the harbour at Cartagena in Spain on 21st October 2021.

At the time a popular bridge for photographers on the Erewash.....Bridge 34a at Lee Lane ,Langley Mill was in a poor state as can be seen here the day before it was replaced.....The extra strengthening had been put in on the wider trackbed of the former Ripley route, some would say to hold up all the gricers that would stand in that corner....While the bridge had been left to rot externally.....an equally neglected 58040 "Cottam Power Station" heads an unidentified south bound MGR from the Nottinghamshire coalfield on 13th Feb 98....Today we have the new replacement green footbridge,but unfortunately its becoming increasingly surrounded by trees.

Beauty is a reflection of divine bliss and, since God is Truth, the reflection of His bliss will be that mixture of happiness and truth which is to be found in all beauty.

Forms allow of a direct, 'plastic' assimilation of the truths - or of the realities - of the spirit. The geometry of the symbol is steeped in beauty, which in its turn and in its own way is also a symbol. The perfect form is that in which truth is incarnate in the rigour of the symbolical formulation and in the purity and intelligence of the style.

Beauty mirrors happiness and truth. Without the element of 'happiness' there remains only bare form - geometrical, rhythmical or other - and without the element of 'truth' there remains only a wholly subjective enjoyment or, it might be said, luxury. Beauty stands between abstract form and blind pleasure, or rather so combines them as to imbue veridical form with pleasure and veridical pleasure with form.

Beauty is a crystallization of some aspect of universal joy; it is something limitless expressed by means of a limit.

Beauty is in one sense always more than it gives, but in another sense it always gives more than it is. In the first sense the essence shows as appearance; in the second the appearance communicates the essence.

Beauty is always beyond compare; no perfect beauty is more beautiful than another perfect beauty. One may prefer this beauty to that, but this is a matter of personal affinity or of complementary relationship and not of pure aesthetics. Human beauty, for instance, can be found in each of the major races, yet normally a man prefers some type of beauty in his own race rather than in another; inversely, sometimes affinities between qualitative and universal human types show themselves to be stronger than racial affinities.

Like every other kind of beauty artistic beauty is objective, and so can be discovered by intelligence, not by "taste". Taste is indeed legitimate, but only to the same extent as individual peculiarities are legitimate, that is, just in so far as these peculiarities translate positive aspects of some human norm.

Different tastes should be derived from pure aesthetic and should be of equal validity, just as are the different ways in which the eye sees things. Myopia and blindness are certainly not different ways of seeing - they are merely defects of vision.

In beauty man ’realizes’, passively in his perception and externally in his production of it, that which he should himself 'be' after an active or inward fashion.

When man surrounds himself with the ineptitudes of an art that has gone astray how can he still 'see' what he should 'be'? He runs the risk of 'being' what he 'sees' and assimilating the errors suggested by the erroneous forms among which he lives.

Modern satanism is manifested, no doubt in a very external way but in the most directly tangible way and in the way which makes the greatest inroads, in the unintelligible ugliness of forms. 'Abstracted' people, who never 'see' things, none the less allow themselves to be influenced in their general mental outlook by the forms around them to which they sometimes, with astonishing superficiality, deny all importance, just as though traditional civilizations did not unanimously proclaim the contrary. In this connection the spiritual aesthetics of some of the great contemplatives will be recalled as evidence that, even in a world of normal forms, the sense of the beautiful may acquire a special spiritual importance.

This is one cool building! When you come across it wedged in amongst all the other blocks in London's financial district it's immediately recognisable with all the externally mounted, staircases, lifts, and services.

Sitting at No 1 Lime Street it was completed 28 years ago at a cost of 75 million quid. it still looks the business. Sometimes known as the Inside-Out Building it's the home of the insurance institution Lloyd's of London.

The building is a leading example of radical Bowellism architecture in which the services are located on the exterior to maximise space in the interior. Twenty-five years after completion in 1986 it received a Grade I listing; it was the youngest structure ever to obtain this status. It is said by English Heritage to be "universally recognised as one of the key buildings of the modern epoch.

It was designed by architect Richard Rogers and built between 1978 and 1986. The building consists of three main towers and three service towers around a central, rectangular space. Its core is the large Underwriting Room on the ground floor, which houses the famous Lutine Bell within the Rostrum. The Underwriting Room (often simply called "the Room") is overlooked by galleries, forming a 60 metres (197 ft) high atrium lit naturally through a huge barrel-vaulted glass roof. The first four galleries open onto the atrium space, and are connected by escalators through the middle of the structure. The higher floors are glassed in and can only be reached via the exterior lifts.

6 exp tripod mounted hdr +3 to -2 long exposure hdr. Post processing in acr, photomatix, photoshop, topaz de-noise and topaz clarity. Fuji X-E2 with 14mm f2.8, f11, ISO 800, av exposure 7.5 secs.

Excerpt from www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/community/art_archi_adm_green....:

Art in station architecture

Artwork Title:

Sense of Green

Artist Name:

Tony Ip (Hong Kong)

Artwork Location:

Admiralty Station – Harcourt Garden

Form of Artwork:

Reinforce Concrete & Metal Tubes

Artwork Completion Date:

December 2017

Artist's Concept:

Situated on the southern bank of Victoria Harbour in the heart of Harcourt Garden, Sense of Green is a multi-purpose sculpture that is inspired by and dedicated to the movement of air.

Externally, it comprises of several hundred bamboo-like poles that stand in the prevailing wind. As the wind increases in speed, the poles flex and bend to become stronger. The contrasting colours of the poles reflect their exposure to the wind, the paler the colour, the more frequent it has been touched by the wind.

Internally, the sculpture conceals a ventilation shaft for MTR Admiralty Station below. When viewed from the surrounding high-rise buildings above, the sculpture takes on yet another dimension – that of a super-sized potted plant that sits within the garden.

Tony Ip is a sustainable design architect and urban designer. He studied engineering, architecture and urban design at the University of Hong Kong and interdisciplinary design for the built environment at the University of Cambridge. Tony received the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Young Architect Award 2010 and the EcoStar Award 2014.

Tony’s well-recognised research papers on urban living with sky gardens and green neighbourhoods have been presented at leading international sustainable design conferences; while his artworks reflecting on urban ecology have been shown in local and overseas exhibitions. Tony's art installations were exhibited in Venice Architecture Biennale Exhibition 2016.

Polydrusus flavipes, Green Weevil.

There are over 4000 species of beetle found in Britain, Ireland and surrounding islands.

Polydrusus is a Holarctic genus of about 200 species in 19 subgenera, the greatest diversity is in the western Palaearctic region and about 112 species of 18 subgenera occur in Europe, mostly in warmer southern regions, while 7 species are recorded from the United States and of these 4 extend north into Canada. They are generally absent further south but several extend into North Africa and the oriental region and a few are known from Central America, Mexico and the West Indies.

Polydrusus are superficially similar to Phyllobius and Pachyrhinus but readily separated by the form of the scrobes, (the groove in the side of the rostrum in which the scape or basal joint of the antenna is received). They are generally more elongate and slender and the genus includes more arboreal species, some of which are occasionally serious pests of fruit and nut trees. Most are clothed in round scales which may be brown, grey, green or yellow and many are patterned or metallic. Most have at least partially pale legs and antennae and the femora, (the third segment of the leg), may be toothed or smooth. Unlike our Phyllobius species, all have the claws fused at the base. Most are fully winged and can fly.

Most follow a typical lifestyle with adults occurring between March and September.

Adults may emerge from the pupa in the Autumn and remain dormant in the soil until the following Spring, or larvae may overwinter in the soil and complete their development in the Spring and pupate in the soil to produce adults in the Spring. Either way mating occurs in the Spring and larvae develop through the Summer. Adults are generally polyphagous, (able to feed on various kinds of food), or oligophagous, (eating only a few specific kinds of food), on broadleaf trees and shrubs, but herbaceous plants are also attacked.

The larvae develop in the soil and feeding externally on roots.

Polydrusus flavipes is a widespread though very local and generally scarce species of England and Wales, it occurs on a range of deciduous trees and shrubs though rarely in large numbers and often only single specimens or pairs are found.

The Last Judgment (1538-1544) - Girolamo Bedoli-Mazzola - Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta - Parma

La cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, luogo di culto cattolico più importante di Parma, sorge in piazza Duomo, accanto al Battistero e al Palazzo Vescovile.

Esternamente è in stile romanico, con la facciata a capanna, tipica anche delle chiese di altre città del settentrione d'Italia (ad esempio Piacenza e Cremona). Internamente l'impianto romanico è rimasto, anche se gran parte degli interni (navata centrale, cupola, transetto) sono dovuti a successivi interventi rinascimentali. Alcune delle cappelle laterali sono state successivamente affrescate in stile gotico.

Inizio costruzione: ante 1074

Consacrazione: 1106

Stile architettonico: Romanico lombardo, rinascimentale

Completamento: 1178

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the most important Catholic place of worship of Parma, located in Cathedral Square, next to the Baptistery and the Bishop's Palace.

Externally it is in the Romanesque style, with the façade, also typical of churches of other cities of the north of Italy (for example, Piacenza and Cremona). Inside, the Romanesque is left, although much of the interior (nave, cupola, transept) are due to successive interventions Renaissance. Some of the side chapels were subsequently frescoed Gothic.

Start construction: before 1074

consecration: in 1106

architecture style: Lombard Romanesque, Renaissance

completion: in 1178

An externally perfect example of a small fortified tower house, Smailholm occupies a prominent position atop Lady Hill, near Sandyknowe in the Scottish Borders. The location gives wide-ranging views to the Cheviot, Lammermuir, and Eildon Hills. The tower was built in the early 15th century by the Pringle family, squires of the powerful Black Douglasses who ruled much of the Borders.

The tower stands five storeys high, reaching 20 metres (65 feet), on an rectangular plan, with walls over 2 metres thick.

The Mithraic Mysteries were a mystery religion practised in the Roman Empire from about the 1st to 4th centuries AD. The name of the Persian god Mithra (proto-Indo-Iranian Mitra), adapted into Greek as Mithras, was linked to a new and distinctive imagery. Writers of the Roman Empire period referred to this mystery religion by phrases which can be anglicized as Mysteries of Mithras or Mysteries of the Persians; modern historians refer to it as Mithraism,[1] or sometimes Roman Mithraism.The mysteries were popular in the Roman military.

Worshippers of Mithras had a complex system of seven grades of initiation, with ritual meals. Initiates called themselves syndexioi, those "united by the handshake".They met in underground temples (called mithraea), which survive in large numbers. The cult appears to have had its centre in Rome.

Numerous archaeological finds, including meeting places, monuments and artifacts, have contributed to modern knowledge about Mithraism throughout the Roman Empire.The iconic scenes of Mithras show him being born from a rock, slaughtering a bull, and sharing a banquet with the god Sol (the Sun). About 420 sites have yielded materials related to the cult. Among the items found are about 1000 inscriptions, 700 examples of the bull-killing scene (tauroctony), and about 400 other monuments.[9] It has been estimated that there would have been at least 680 mithraea in Rome.[10] No written narratives or theology from the religion survive, with limited information to be derived from the inscriptions, and only brief or passing references in Greek and Latin literature. Interpretation of the physical evidence remains problematic and contested.

The Romans regarded the mysteries as having Persian or Zoroastrian sources. Since the early 1970s the dominant scholarship has noted dissimilarities between Persian Mithra-worship and the Roman Mithraic mysteries. In this context, Mithraism has sometimes been viewed as a rival of early Christianity with similarities such as liberator-saviour, hierarchy of adepts (archbishops, bishops, priests), communal meal and a hard struggle of Good and Evil (bull-killing/crucifixion).The name Mithras (Latin, equivalent to Greek “Μίθρας” is a form of Mithra, the name of an Old Persian god– a relationship understood by Mithraic scholars since the days of Franz Cumont. An early example of the Greek form of the name is in a 4th century BC work by Xenophon, the Cyropaedia, which is a biography of the Persian king Cyrus the Great.

The exact form of a Latin or classical Greek word varies due to the grammatical process of declension. There is archeological evidence that in Latin worshippers wrote the nominative form of the god’s name as “Mithras”. However, in Porphyry’s Greek text De Abstinentia («Περὶ ἀποχῆς ἐμψύχων»), there is a reference to the now-lost histories of the Mithraic mysteries by Euboulus and Pallas, the wording of which suggests that these authors treated the name “Mithra” as an indeclinable foreign word.

Related deity-names in other languages include

Sanskrit Mitra (मित्रः), the name of a god praised in the Rig Veda.In Sanskrit, "mitra" means "friend" or "friendship"

the form mi-it-ra-, found in an inscribed peace treaty between the Hittites and the kingdom of Mitanni, from about 1400 BC.

Iranian "Mithra" and Sanskrit "Mitra" are believed to come from an Indo-Iranian word mitra meaning "contract, agreement, covenant".

Modern historians have different conceptions about whether these names refer to the same god or not. John R. Hinnells has written of Mitra / Mithra / Mithras as a single deity worshipped in several different religions. On the other hand, David Ulansey considers the bull-slaying Mithras to be a new god who began to be worshipped in the 1st century BC, and to whom an old name was applied.

Mary Boyce, a researcher of ancient Iranian religions, writes that even though Roman Empire Mithraism seems to have had less Iranian content than historians used to think, still "as the name Mithras alone shows, this content was of some importance.Much about the cult of Mithras is only known from reliefs and sculptures. There have been many attempts to interpret this material.

Mithras-worship in the Roman Empire was characterized by images of the god slaughtering a bull. Other images of Mithras are found in the Roman temples, for instance Mithras banqueting with Sol, and depictions of the birth of Mithras from a rock. But the image of bull-slaying (tauroctony) is always in the central niche.Textual sources for a reconstruction of the theology behind this iconography are very rare. (See section Interpretations of the bull-slaying scene below.)

The practice of depicting the god slaying a bull seems to be specific to Roman Mithraism. According to David Ulansey, this is "perhaps the most important example" of evident difference between Iranian and Roman traditions: "... there is no evidence that the Iranian god Mithra ever had anything to do with killing a bull."n every Mithraeum the centrepiece was a representation of Mithras killing a sacred bull, called the tauroctony.

The image may be a relief, or free-standing, and side details may be present or omitted. The centre-piece is Mithras clothed in Anatolian costume and wearing a Phrygian cap; who is kneeling on the exhausted bull, holding it by the nostrils[33] with his left hand, and stabbing it with his right. As he does so, he looks over his shoulder towards the figure of Sol. A dog and a snake reach up towards the blood. A scorpion seizes the bull's genitals. A raven is flying around or is sitting on the bull. Three ears of wheat are seen coming out from the bull's tail, sometimes from the wound. The bull was often white. The god is sitting on the bull in an unnatural way with his right leg constraining the bull's hoof and the left leg is bent and resting on the bull's back or flank.[34] The two torch-bearers are on either side, dressed like Mithras, Cautes with his torch pointing up and Cautopates with his torch pointing down. Sometimes Cautes and Cautopates carry shepherds' crooks instead of torches.

Tauroctony from the Kunsthistorisches Museum

The event takes place in a cavern, into which Mithras has carried the bull, after having hunted it, ridden it and overwhelmed its strength.[38] Sometimes the cavern is surrounded by a circle, on which the twelve signs of the zodiac appear. Outside the cavern, top left, is Sol the sun, with his flaming crown, often driving a quadriga. A ray of light often reaches down to touch Mithras. At the top right is Luna, with her crescent moon, who may be depicted driving a biga.[39]

In some depictions, the central tauroctony is framed by a series of subsidiary scenes to the left, top and right, illustrating events in the Mithras narrative; Mithras being born from the rock, the water miracle, the hunting and riding of the bull, meeting Sol who kneels to him, shaking hands with Sol and sharing a meal of bull-parts with him, and ascending to the heavens in a chariot.[39] In some instances, as is the case in the stucco icon at Santa Prisca mithraeum, the god is shown heroically nude. Some of these reliefs were constructed so that they could be turned on an axis. On the back side was another, more elaborate feasting scene. This indicates that the bull killing scene was used in the first part of the celebration, then the relief was turned, and the second scene was used in the second part of the celebration.Besides the main cult icon, a number of mithraea had several secondary tauroctonies, and some small portable versions, probably meant for private devotion, have also been found.[The second most important scene after the tauroctony in Mithraic art is the so-called banquet scene.The banquet scene features Mithras and the Sun god banqueting on the hide of the slaughtered bull. On the specific banquet scene on the Fiano Romano relief, one of the torchbearers points a caduceus towards the base of an altar, where flames appear to spring up. Robert Turcan has argued that since the caduceus is an attribute of Mercury, and in mythology Mercury is depicted as a psychopomp, the eliciting of flames in this scene is referring to the dispatch of human souls and expressing the Mithraic doctrine on this matter. Turcan also connects this event to the tauroctony: the blood of the slain bull has soaked the ground at the base of the altar, and from the blood the souls are elicited in flames by the caduceus.Mithras is depicted as being born from a rock. He is shown as emerging from a rock, already in his youth, with a dagger in one hand and a torch in the other. He is nude, standing with his legs together, and is wearing a Phrygian cap.

However, there are variations. Sometimes he is shown as coming out of the rock as a child, and in one instance he has a globe in one hand; sometimes a thunderbolt is seen. There are also depictions in which flames are shooting from the rock and also from Mithras' cap. One statue had its base perforated so that it could serve as a fountain, and the base of another has the mask of the water god. Sometimes Mithras also has other weapons such as bows and arrows, and there are also animals such as dogs, serpents, dolphins, eagles, other birds, lion, crocodiles, lobsters and snails around. On some reliefs, there is a bearded figure identified as Oceanus, the water god, and on some there are the gods of the four winds. In these reliefs, the four elements could be invoked together. Sometimes Victoria, Luna, Sol and Saturn also seem to play a role. Saturn in particular is often seen handing over the dagger to Mithras so that he can perform his mighty deeds.

In some depictions, Cautes and Cautopates are also present; sometimes they are depicted as shepherds.

On some occasions, an amphora is seen, and a few instances show variations like an egg birth or a tree birth. Some interpretations show that the birth of Mithras was celebrated by lighting torches or candles.[One of the most characteristic features of the Mysteries is the naked lion-headed figure often found in Mithraic temples, named by the modern scholars with descriptive terms such as leontocephaline (lion-headed) or leontocephalus (lion-head). He is entwined by a serpent (or two serpents, like a caduceus), with the snake's head often resting on the lion's head. The lion's mouth is often open, giving a horrifying impression. He is usually represented as having four wings, two keys (sometimes a single key), and a scepter in his hand. Sometimes the figure is standing on a globe inscribed with a diagonal cross. In the figure shown here, the four wings carry the symbols of the four seasons, and a thunderbolt is engraved on the breast. At the base of the statue are the hammer and tongs of Vulcan, the cock, and the wand of Mercury. A more scarcely represented variant of the figure with a human head is also found.

Although animal-headed figures are prevalent in contemporary Egyptian and Gnostic mythological representations, an exact parallel to the Mithraic leontocephaline figure is not found.

The name of the figure has been deciphered from dedicatory inscriptions to be Arimanius (though the archeological evidence is not very strong), which is nominally the equivalent of Ahriman, a demon figure in the Zoroastrian pantheon. Arimanius is known from inscriptions to have been a god in the Mithraic cult (CIMRM 222 from Ostia, 369 from Rome, 1773 and 1775 from Pannonia).

While some scholars identify the lion-man as Aion (or Zurvan, or Cronus) others assert that it is Ahriman.[51] There is also speculation that the figure is the Gnostic demiurge, (Ariel) Ialdabaoth. Although the exact identity of the lion-headed figure is debated by scholars, it is largely agreed that the god is associated with time and seasonal change.[53] An occultist, D. J.Cooper, speculates to the contrary that the lion-headed figure is not a god, but rather represents the spiritual state achieved in Mithraism's "adept" level, the Leo (lion) degree. Rituals and worship[edit]

According to M. J. Vermaseren, the Mithraic New Year and the birthday of Mithras was on December 25. However, Beck disagrees strongly.Clauss states: "the Mithraic Mysteries had no public ceremonies of its own. The festival of natalis Invicti [Birth of the Unconquerable (Sun)], held on 25 December, was a general festival of the Sun, and by no means specific to the Mysteries of Mithras." Mithraic initiates were required to swear an oath of secrecy and dedication, and some grade rituals involved the recital of a catechism, wherein the initiate was asked a series of questions pertaining to the initiation symbolism and had to reply with specific answers. An example of such a catechism, apparently pertaining to the Leo grade, was discovered in a fragmentary Egyptian papyrus (P.Berolinensis 21196),and reads:

... He will say: 'Where ... ?

... he is/(you are?) there (then/thereupon?) at a loss?' Say: ... Say: 'Night'. He will say: 'Where ... ?' ... Say: 'All things ...' (He will say): '... you are called ... ?' Say: 'Because of the summery ...' ... having become ... he/it has the fiery ... (He will say): '... did you receive/inherit?' Say: 'In a pit'. He will say: 'Where is your ...?... (Say): '...(in the...) Leonteion.' He will say: 'Will you gird?' The (heavenly?) ...(Say): '... death'. He will say: 'Why, having girded yourself, ...?' '... this (has?) four tassels. Very sharp and ... '... much'. He will say: ...? (Say: '... because of/through?) hot and cold'. He will say: ...? (Say): '... red ... linen'. He will say: 'Why?' Say: '... red border; the linen, however, ...' (He will say): '... has been wrapped?' Say: 'The savior's ...' He will say: 'Who is the father?' Say: 'The one who (begets?) everything ...' (He will say): '('How ?)... did you become a Leo?' Say: 'By the ... of the father'. ... Say: 'Drink and food'. He will say '...?'

'... in the seven-...

Almost no Mithraic scripture or first-hand account of its highly secret rituals survives;with the exception of the aforementioned oath and catechism, and the document known as the Mithras Liturgy, from 4th century Egypt, whose status as a Mithraist text has been questioned by scholars including Franz Cumont. The walls of Mithraea were commonly whitewashed, and where this survives it tends to carry extensive repositories of graffiti; and these, together with inscriptions on Mithraic monuments, form the main source for Mithraic texts.

Nevertheless, it is clear from the archeology of numerous Mithraea that most rituals were associated with feasting – as eating utensils and food residues are almost invariably found. These tend to include both animal bones and also very large quantities of fruit residues.The presence of large amounts of cherry-stones in particular would tend to confirm mid-summer (late June, early July) as a season especially associated with Mithraic festivities. The Virunum album, in the form of an inscribed bronze plaque, records a Mithraic festival of commemoration as taking place on 26 June 184. Beck argues that religious celebrations on this date are indicative of special significance being given to the Summer solstice; but this time of the year coincides with ancient recognition of the solar maximum at midsummer, whilst iconographically identical holidays such as Litha, St John's Eve, and Jāņi are observed also.

For their feasts, Mithraic initiates reclined on stone benches arranged along the longer sides of the Mithraeum – typically there might be room for 15 to 30 diners, but very rarely many more than 40 men. Counterpart dining rooms, or triclinia, were to be found above ground in the precincts of almost any temple or religious sanctuary in the Roman empire, and such rooms were commonly used for their regular feasts by Roman 'clubs', or collegia. Mithraic feasts probably performed a very similar function for Mithraists as the collegia did for those entitled to join them; indeed, since qualification for Roman collegia tended to be restricted to particular families, localities or traditional trades, Mithraism may have functioned in part as providing clubs for the unclubbed.However, the size of the Mithraeum is not necessarily an indication of the size of the congregation.

Each Mithraeum had several altars at the further end, underneath the representation of the tauroctony, and also commonly contained considerable numbers of subsidiary altars, both in the main Mithraeum chamber and in the ante-chamber or narthex.[68] These altars, which are of the standard Roman pattern, each carry a named dedicatory inscription from a particular initiate, who dedicated the altar to Mithras "in fulfillment of his vow", in gratitude for favours received. Burned residues of animal entrails are commonly found on the main altars indicating regular sacrificial use. However, Mithraea do not commonly appear to have been provided with facilities for ritual slaughter of sacrificial animals (a highly specialised function in Roman religion), and it may be presumed that a Mithraeum would have made arrangements for this service to be provided for them in co-operation with the professional victimarius of the civic cult. Prayers were addressed to the Sun three times a day, and Sunday was especially sacred.

It is doubtful whether Mithraism had a monolithic and internally consistent doctrine. It may have varied from location to location. However, the iconography is relatively coherent. It had no predominant sanctuary or cultic centre; and, although each Mithraeum had its own officers and functionaries, there was no central supervisory authority. In some Mithraea, such as that at Dura Europos, wall paintings depict prophets carrying scrolls,but no named Mithraic sages are known, nor does any reference give the title of any Mithraic scripture or teaching. It is known that intitates could transfer with their grades from one Mithraeum to another.

Mithraeum

See also: Mithraeum

A mithraeum found in the ruins of Ostia Antica, Italy

Temples of Mithras are sunk below ground, windowless, and very distinctive. In cities, the basement of an apartment block might be converted; elsewhere they might be excavated and vaulted over, or converted from a natural cave. Mithraic temples are common in the empire; although unevenly distributed, with considerable numbers found in Rome, Ostia, Numidia, Dalmatia, Britain and along the Rhine/Danube frontier; while being somewhat less common in Greece, Egypt, and Syria.According to Walter Burkert, the secret character of Mithriac rituals meant that Mithraism could only be practiced within a Mithraeum.Some new finds at Tienen show evidence of large-scale feasting and suggest that the mystery religion may not have been as secretive as was generally believed.

For the most part, Mithraea tend to be small, externally undistinguished, and cheaply constructed; the cult generally preferring to create a new centre rather than expand an existing one. The Mithraeum represented the cave to which Mithras carried and then killed the bull; and where stone vaulting could not be afforded, the effect would be imitated with lath and plaster. They are commonly located close to springs or streams; fresh water appears to have been required for some Mithraic rituals, and a basin is often incorporated into the structure. There is usually a narthex or ante-chamber at the entrance, and often other ancillary rooms for storage and the preparation of food. The extant mithraea present us with actual physical remains of the architectural structures of the sacred spaces of the Mithraic cult. Mithraeum is a modern coinage and mithraists referred to their sacred structures as speleum or antrum (cave), crypta (underground hallway or corridor), fanum (sacred or holy place), or even templum (a temple or a sacred space).

In their basic form, mithraea were entirely different from the temples and shrines of other cults. In the standard pattern of Roman religious precincts, the temple building functioned as a house for the god, who was intended to be able to view through the opened doors and columnar portico, sacrificial worship being offered on an altar set in an open courtyard; potentially accessible not only to initiates of the cult, but also to colitores or non-initiated worshippers.Mithraea were the antithesis of this.

Degrees of initiation

In the Suda under the entry "Mithras", it states that "no one was permitted to be initiated into them (the mysteries of Mithras), until he should show himself holy and steadfast by undergoing several graduated tests."Gregory Nazianzen refers to the "tests in the mysteries of Mithras".

There were seven grades of initiation into the mysteries of Mithras, which are listed by St. Jerome.Manfred Clauss states that the number of grades, seven, must be connected to the planets. A mosaic in the Ostia Mithraeum of Felicissimus depicts these grades, with symbolic emblems that are connected either to the grades or are just symbols of the planets. The grades also have an inscription beside them commending each grade into the protection of the different planetary gods. In ascending order of importance, the initiatory grades were:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraic_mysteries

In the Mithraic ceremonies, there were seven degrees of initiations: Corax (Raven), Nymphus (Bridegroom), Miles (Soldier), Leo (Lion), Perses (Persian),Heliodromus (Courier of the Sun), and Pater (Father). Those in the lowest ranks, certainly the Corax, were the servants of the community during the sacred meal of bread and water that formed part of the rite.

The area where the concentration of evidence for Mithraism is the most dense is the capital, Rome, and her port city, Ostia. There are eight extant mithraea in Rome of as many as seven hundred (Coarelli 1979) and eighteen in Ostia. In addition to the actual mithraea, there are approximately three hundred other mithraic monuments from Rome and about one hundred from Ostia. This body of evidence reveals that Mithraism in Rome and Ostia originally appealed to the same social strata as it did in the frontier regions. The evidence also indicates that at least some inhabitants knew about Mithraism as early as the late first century CE, but that the cult did not enjoy a wide membership in either location until the middle of the second century CE.

As the cult in Rome became more popular, it seems to have "trickled up" the social ladder, with the result that Mithraism could count several senators from prominent aristocratic families among its adherents by the fourth century CE. Some of these men were initiates in several cults imported from the eastern empire (including those of Magna Mater and Attis, Isis, Serapis, Jupiter Dolichenus, Hecate, and Liber Pater, among others), and most had held priesthoods in official Roman cults. The devotion of these men to Mithraism reflects a fourth-century "resurgence of paganism," when many of these imported cults and even official Roman state religion experienced a surge in popularity although, and perhaps because, their very existence was increasingly threatened by the rapid spread of Christianity after the conversion of the emperor Constantine in 313 CE.

global.britannica.com/topic/heliodromus

Mithraism had a wide following from the middle of the second century to the late fourth century CE, but the common belief that Mithraism was the prime competitor of Christianity, promulgated by Ernst Renan (Renan 1882 579), is blatantly false. Mithraism was at a serious disadvantage right from the start because it allowed only male initiates. What is more, Mithraism was, as mentioned above, only one of several cults imported from the eastern empire that enjoyed a large membership in Rome and elsewhere. The major competitor to Christianity was thus not Mithraism but the combined group of imported cults and official Roman cults subsumed under the rubric "paganism." Finally, part of Renan's claim rested on an equally common, but almost equally mistaken, belief that Mithraism was officially accepted because it had Roman emperors among its adherents (Nero, Commodus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and the Tetrarchs are most commonly cited). Close examination of the evidence for the participation of emperors reveals that some comes from literary sources of dubious quality and that the rest is rather circumstantial. The cult of Magna Mater, the first imported cult to arrive in Rome (204 BCE) was the only one ever officially recognized as a Roman cult. The others, including Mithraism, were never officially accepted, and some, particularly the Egyptian cult of Isis, were periodically outlawed and their adherents persecuted.

ecole.evansville.edu/articles/mithraism.html

Some words were enough for God to precipitate the most beautiful of his creatures at the bottom of the abyss. Lucifer, the carrier of Light, pulled(entailed) with him a third(third party) of the angels in its revolt. Hell was created for him. We know the continuation(suite) … The column of July Place de la Bastille, was set up between 1833 and 1840. In its summit, thrones the "Spirit of liberty" conceived(designed) by the sculptor Auguste Dumont. Curious tribute returned by Louis Philippe to the insurgents who knocked down(spilled) Charles X and the Absolute monarchy three years earlier. Lucifer picked up. No detail misses(is lacking) … Torch in the hand, the Angel has just broken his chains(channels) and dashes to new conquests. Under its impressive base is a crypt sheltering some 500 rests of Fighters of 1830, as well as Egyptian mummy brought back(reported) by Napoleon.Durant la commune de Paris en 1870, après avoir abattu la colonne Vendôme, les communards s’en prirent à celle de la Bastille… sans succès. Ni le dispositif d’explosifs souterrains, ni le tir d’une trentaine d’obus depuis les buttes Chaumont n’en virent pas à bout. La flamme du porteur de Lumière refusa de s’éteindre…

During the municipality of Paris in 1870, having brought(shot) down the column Vendôme, the Communards took themselves in that of the Bastille unsuccessfully. Neither the device(plan) of subterranean explosives, nor the shooting(firing) of around thirty shells since mounds Chaumont transfer(fire) it to end. The flame of the carrier of Light refused to go out …Lucifer was so far away...?

« Non Serviam »- « Je ne servirai pas ! »

Quelques mots suffirent à Dieu pour précipiter la plus belle de ses créatures au fond de l’abîme. Lucifer, le porteur de Lumière, entraîna avec lui un tiers des anges dans sa révolte. L’enfer fut créé pour lui. Nous connaissons la suite…La colonne de Juillet Place de la Bastille, fut érigée entre 1833 et 1840. À son sommet, trône le « Génie de La Liberté » conçu par le sculpteur Auguste Dumont. Curieux hommage rendu par Louis Philippe aux insurgés qui renversèrent Charles X et la Monarchie absolue trois ans plus tôt. Lucifer a repris du poil de la bête. Aucun détail ne manque… Torche à la main, l’Ange vient de briser ses chaînes et s’élance vers de nouvelles conquêtes. Sous son imposant piédestal se trouve une crypte abritant quelques 500 restes des combattants de 1830, ainsi qu’une momie égyptienne rapportée par Napoléon.Durant la commune de Paris en 1870, après avoir abattu la colonne Vendôme, les communards s’en prirent à celle de la Bastille… sans succès. Ni le dispositif d’explosifs souterrains, ni le tir d’une trentaine d’obus depuis les buttes Chaumont n’en virent pas à bout. La flamme du porteur de Lumière refusa de s’éteindre…

www.pariszigzag.fr/histoire-insolite-paris/qui-est-vraime...

Handley Page Victor K2 XL231 "Lusty Lindy" at Elvington.

History taken from the XL231 web page:

"This aircraft was built by Handley Page Ltd at Radlett in Hertfordshire as part of Britain’s Nuclear Deterrent known as ‘The V Force’. It was built in 1961 and maid her maiden flight of 1 hour and 20 minutes on the 28th December 1961. After 6 test flights, some at the hands of Test Pilot Pete Baker, she was granted her air-worthiness certificate and was delivered to RAF Wittering on the 1st February 1962.

XL231 was the first Victor B2 to be taken on strength with the newly re-formed No 139 (Jamaica) Sqn at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire. No 139 Sqn shared the Station with No 100 Sqn which was also a Victor B2 Squadron and this became known as ’The Wittering Wing’.

Initially the aircraft of both squadrons were painted in a Nuclear flash proof white paint scheme and were operated at high altitude and high Mach numbers, the crews wore partial pressure suits for this role and the aircraft were capable of carrying up to 35 1,000lb iron bombs or the free-fall ’Blue Danube’ Nuclear bomb.

In 1963 the AVRO ’Blue Steel’ stand-off Nuclear warhead missile became operational for both the Avro Vulcan and Victor bombers and both Wittering squadrons were converted to Blue Steel. The aircraft were flown back to Handley Page and fitted with a special cradle mechanism in the bomb bay and shaped bomb doors that contoured to the missile as it was carried semi-externally. The missile had to be adapted with a folding lower fin in order for the Victor to carry it.

1964 saw a change in tactics for the V Force as it became apparent that Soviet surface to air (SAM) missiles were becoming extremely capable of shooting down high altitude aircraft and the entire V Force were brought down to operate at very low levels. The aircraft were also repainted in a grey/green camouflage scheme on the upper surfaces and the crews no longer needed to wear pressure suits.

The low-level role of the V Force continued until 1968 for the Victor, the third V bomber the Vickers Valiant could not take the low level buffet conditions and was withdrawn in 1965 from operations due to severe metal fatigue problems associated with the role.

The Vulcan and Victors also suffered from the low level role and the Victor was withdrawn from operations in 1968 due to fatigue problems with the wing mounting points known as ’club feet’. The Nuclear Deterrent was passed to the Royal Navy’s Polaris submarines and the Victor bomber squadrons were disbanded. Blue Steel was withdrawn in 1970 and the Vulcan fleet reverted to conventional bomb delivery systems."

A small college town in southwest Florida was planned with this large Oratory church in the center. The facade of the building displays sculptor Márton Váró's 30-foot-tall (9 m) sculpture of the Annunciation, depicting the Archangel Gabriel greeting the Virgin Mary with the words "Ave Maria" (Hail Mary). Váró's "Good Shepherd" sculpture is also featured inside the Oratory, also carved in marble from Cave Michelangelo in Carrara, Italy.

This Oratory serves as the home of the Roman Catholic Quasi-parish of Ave Maria Oratory, part of the Diocese of Venice, which serves as the parish for the university and the local residents. One of the oratory's most distinctive characteristics is its steel structure, much of which is exposed internally and externally.

The landmark church received an architectural award from the American Institute of Steel Construction in 2008. Tom Monaghan, Ave Maria founder, has had a significant interest in architecture for more than 50 years and has been one of the world's largest collectors of the works and memorabilia of Frank Lloyd Wright. He drew the oratory's first sketches himself on a tablecloth and then Cannon Design, a Grand Island, N.Y.-based architecture firm, took it from there.

This massive chapel to date is the largest concrete pour in Florida and stands out as the largest structure in the town of Ave Maria. The project is the architectural design of Harry L. Warren, AIA, of Cannon Design, Grand Island, NY. Original plans for this church called for a 185-foot-tall building with 3,300 seats. Due to rising costs, the structure was reduced to 104 feet with 1,100 seats and an overall size of 25,755 square feet.

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

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ave_Maria,_Florida

www.avemaria.com/

www.sacredarchitecture.org/articles/everglade_oratory/

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

Morris Minor 1000 Convertible (1962-71) Engine 1098cc S4 OHV Production 303,443 (2nd Gen Minor 1000's)

Registration Number WDB 937 (Stockport)

MORRIS SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690377489...

The Minor 1000 (1956-62) was a direct descendant of the earlier Minor series II with a 948cc S4 OHV engine it had a revised front grille, a curved one piece windscreen, larger rear window, dished steering wheel, and painted 14inch wheels, flashing direction indicators replaced semaphore trafficators.

This (1962-71) version had a larger 1098cc S4 OHV engine boosting output to 48bhp and a top speed of 77 mph bracket. Differences were however slight a new dashboard layout with a lidded glove box on the passenger side and open cubby hole in front of the driver, and a different heater, externally the new car gained a new larger tail flasher and front side/flasher lights

Diolch am 78,149,365 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.

Thanks for 78,149,365 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.

Shot 06.10.2019 at Bicester Scramble, Bicester, Oxon. 143-1342

A small college town in southwest Florida was planned with this large Oratory church in the center. The facade of the building displays sculptor Márton Váró's 30-foot-tall (9 m) sculpture of the Annunciation, depicting the Archangel Gabriel greeting the Virgin Mary with the words "Ave Maria" (Hail Mary). Váró's "Good Shepherd" sculpture is also featured inside the Oratory, also carved in marble from Cave Michelangelo in Carrara, Italy.

This Oratory serves as the home of the Roman Catholic Quasi-parish of Ave Maria Oratory, part of the Diocese of Venice, which serves as the parish for the university and the local residents. One of the oratory's most distinctive characteristics is its steel structure, much of which is exposed internally and externally.

The landmark church received an architectural award from the American Institute of Steel Construction in 2008. Tom Monaghan, Ave Maria founder, has had a significant interest in architecture for more than 50 years and has been one of the world's largest collectors of the works and memorabilia of Frank Lloyd Wright. He drew the oratory's first sketches himself on a tablecloth and then Cannon Design, a Grand Island, N.Y.-based architecture firm, took it from there.

This massive chapel to date is the largest concrete pour in Florida and stands out as the largest structure in the town of Ave Maria. The project is the architectural design of Harry L. Warren, AIA, of Cannon Design, Grand Island, NY. Original plans for this church called for a 185-foot-tall building with 3,300 seats. Due to rising costs, the structure was reduced to 104 feet with 1,100 seats and an overall size of 25,755 square feet.

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

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ave_Maria,_Florida

www.avemaria.com/

www.sacredarchitecture.org/articles/everglade_oratory/

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

To view more of my images, of Beningbrough Hall, please click "here" !

Please, do not insert images, and/or group invites; thank you!

Beningbrough Hall is a large Georgian mansion near the village of Beningbrough, North Yorkshire, England, and overlooks the River Ouse. It has baroque interiors, cantilevered stairs, wood carving and central corridors which run the length of the house. Externally the house is a red-brick Georgian mansion with a grand drive running to the main frontage and a walled garden, The house is home to over 100 portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery. It has a restaurant, shop and garden shop, and was shortlisted in 2010 for the Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award. The Hall is set in extensive grounds and is separated from them by an example of a ha-ha (a sunken wall) to prevent sheep and cattle entering the Hall's gardens or the Hall itself. The Hall, situated 8 miles north of York, was built in 1716 by a York landowner, John Bourchier III to replace his family's modest Elizabethan manor, which had been built in 1556 by Sir Ralph Bourchier on his inheritance to the estate. Local builder William Thornton oversaw the construction, but Beningbrough's designer remains a mystery; possibly it was Thomas Archer. Bourchier was High Sheriff of Yorkshire for 1719-1721 and died in 1736 at the age of 52. John Bourchier (1710-1759) followed his father as owner of Beningbrough Hall and was High Sheriff in 1749. It then passed to Dr. Ralph Bourchier, a 71 year old physician and from him to his daughter, Margaret, who lived there for 70 years. Today a Bourchier knot is cut into a lawn adjoining the house. After over 100 years in the Bourchiers' possession, the estate passed in 1827 to the Rev. William Henry Dawnay, the future 6th Viscount Downe, a distant relative. He died in 1846 and left the house to his second son, Payan, who was High Sheriff for 1851. The house was neglected, prompting fears that it might have to be demolished. In 1916 however, a wealthy heiress, Enid Scudamore-Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield, bought it and immediately set about its restoration, filling it with furnishings and paintings from her ancestral home, Holme Lacy. During the Second World War the hall was occupied by the Royal Air Force. Lady Chesterfield died in 1957 and in June 1958 the estate was acquired by the National Trust after it had been accepted by the government in lieu of death duties at a cost of £29,250. In partnership with the National Portrait Gallery the hall exhibits more than 100 18th-century portraits and has seven new interpretation galleries called 'Making Faces: 18th century Style'. Outside the main building there is a Victorian laundry and a walled garden with vegetable planting, the produce from which is used by the walled garden restaurant. Beningbrough Hall includes a wilderness play area, community orchard, an Italianate border and garden shop. It hosts events, activity days, family art workshops, and an annual food and craft festival which in 2010 was a Big Green Festival.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Das Dorf Steinhöfel ist in östlicher Richtung mit dem Auto knapp 70 km von Berlin entfernt. Etwa um 1730 errichtete die ortsansässige Familie von Wulffen, ein Herrenhaus, den Grundbau des heutigen Schlosses. Etwa um 1730 errichtete die ortsansässige Familie von Wulffen ein Herrenhaus, den Grundbau des heutigen Schlosses. m Jahr 1790 erwarb es Valentin von Massow. Massow war Regimentskamerad des preußischen Kronprinzen Friedrich Wilhelm, der ihn wegen seines Kunstverstands schätzte. Massow, der später Oberhofmarschall des Kronprinzen wurde, ließ in den Jahren 1790 bis 1795 die vorhandene, märkische Herrenhausanlage in programmatischer Weise durch David Gilly, der seinen Sohn Friedrich Gilly zur Mitarbeit heranzog, im Stil des Frühklassizismus vollständig umbauen. Das „Mustergut“ Steinhöfel wurde zu einem Vorbild für andere Brandenburger Landgüter. Die Wirtschaftsgebäude, die bis dahin gegenüber dem Herrenhaus gestanden hatten, wurden restlos abgerissen. An ihrer Stelle des entstand ein von einer Wiese umgebener, baumgesäumter, langgestreckter Teich, den am Ende als point de vue eine kleine Brücke überspannte, als Mitte einer Parkanlage. Das Ganze erschien nun als Verlängerung des Dorfangers. Zu betreten war der Park von dort durch ein von Gottfried Schadow mit zwei Sphingen flankiertes Portal. Das Schloss wirkte wie in den Park seitwärts hineingerückt und seine Hauptachse hatte nicht länger die übliche, herrschaftlich axiale Ausrichtung innerhalb der Guts- und Gartenanlage. Hinzu kamen im Park Gebäude der Gartenarchitektur, ein Tempel, genutzt als Bibliothek, ein Chinesisches Haus, eine Grotte, ein künstlicher Wasserfall und ein Vogelhaus. Mehrere Bauerngehöfte entlang des Angers und die Bauten des Wirtschaftshofs an dessen anderem Ende errichtete Gilly neu. Um 1820 und um 1840 veranlassten die Eigentümer Veränderungen, die Gillys Hauptbau unkenntlich machten. Um 1880 ließen sie das Gebäude spätklassizistisch umbauen. 1930 wurde das Gut an einen zahlungskräftigen Bauern verkauft. Im Zuge der Bodenreform wurde das Gut 1945 zugunsten der Gemeinde enteignet. Das bald baulich entstellte Schloss diente der Konsumgenossenschaft als Warenhaus und galt 1958 als „verwahrlost“, der Park als „durch Traktoren verwüstet, aber wenig abgeholzt“. Nach der deutschen Wiedervereinigung wurde das Schloss 1991 bis 93 äußerlich restauriert. Ab 2000 wurde das Schloss vollständig restauriert und für seine heutige Nutzung als Hotel ausgebaut.

Quelle: Wikipedia.de

The village of Steinhöfel is about 70 km away from Berlin in eastern direction by car. It was around 1730 that the local von Wulffen family built thecore part of the present Manor, called "Palace" as is the use for manors all over Brandenburg region. Around 1730 the local von Wulffen family built a manor house, the foundation of the present castle. This was acquired by Valentin von Massow in 1790. Massow was a regimental comrade of the Prussian crown prince Friedrich Wilhelm, who appreciated him for his artistic sense. Massow, who later became Lord Chamberlain of the Crown Prince, had the existing modest manor house complex completely rebuilt in the style of early Neoclassical architecture in the years 1790 to 1795 in a programmatic manner by David Gilly, who enlisted his son Friedrich Gilly as assistant. The "model estate" Steinhöfel became a model for other Brandenburg estates. The farm buildings, which until then had stood opposite the manor house, were completely demolished. They were replaced by a tree-lined, elongated pond surrounded by a meadow. At its end the pond was spanned by a small bridge as a point de vue, as the centre of the park. The whole thing now appeared as an extension of the Village Green. The park was accessed from there through a portal flanked by two sphinxes created by the eminent sculptor Gottfried Schadow. The Manor appeared as if it had been moved sideways into the park. In addition, there were buildings of garden architecture, a temple used as a library, a Chinese house, a grotto, an artificial waterfall and an aviary. Gilly rebuilt several farmhouses along the village green and the buildings of the farm at the other end. Around 1820 and around 1840 the owners made changes that made Gilly's main building unrecognisable. Around 1880 they had the building rebuilt in late Neoclassical style. In 1930 the estate was sold to a wealthy farmer. In the course of the land reform, the estate was expropriated in 1945 for the benefit of the community. The manor, which was soon structurally disfigured, served the consumer cooperative as a department store and was considered "neglected" in 1958, the park as "devastated by tractors, but little deforested".After the German reunification the castle was externally restored from 1991 to 93. From 2000 it was completely restored and extended for its current use as a hotel.

Source: Wikipedia.de

The black magpie is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. Despite its name, it is neither a magpie nor, as was long believed, a jay, but a treepie. Treepies are a distinct group of corvids externally similar to magpies.

Scientific name: Platysmurus leucopterus

Wolseley 16/60 (1961-71) Engine 1622cc S4 OHV Production 63,082

Registration Number ARB 569 A (Derbyshire)

WOLSELEY SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623738922097...

The 15/60 was replaced by the Wolseley 16/60 in September 1961 powered by a 1622cc S4 version of the BMC B Series engine with an output of 61bhp, driving through a four speed manual gearbox, with the option of a f Borg Warner 35 automatic transmission. The Wolseley shared the mechanics and bodyshell of the less luxurious BMC stablemates the Austin A60 and Morris Oxford, though without the performance of the more lively MG Magnette Mk.IV and Riley 4-72. Viewed from the outside, the Wolseley 16/60 was differentiated from the 15/60 by the overriders on the bumpers which protruded more than on the earlier car, lower more rounded rear fins and rear lights.

Where as the majority of the BMC Farina models were replaced in 1968 the Wolseley continued remained on sale until early 1971.

The Wolseley 16-60 had an Australian built sibling the Wolseley 24-80 produced by British Motor Corporation (Australia) from May 1962 through to October 1965. It was externally identical to the Wolseley 15/60 but powered by a six cylinder 2433cc version of the BMC B Series engine known as the Blue Streak with an output of 80bhp. The Mark II version of July 1964 was identical to the 16-60 The 24/80 Mark II became the last Wolseley model to be assembled in Australia.

Diolch am 83,935,110 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn 90cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.

Thanks for 83,935,110 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.

Shot 25.07.2021 at Beaumanor Hall, Woodhouse, Leic. 148-165

Swinging into the muted morning sun a former Missouri Pacific GP15AC leads Union Pacific's Troy Grove Subdivision Job (LPJ04) as it comes up to the junction with UP's Geneva Subdivision in DeKalb, IL as the large former Chicago & North Western coaling tower looms in the background. The MoPac exclusive GP15AC is externally identical to the GP15-1 and UP may have rebuilt this unit into what they call a GP15N.

This 'chocolate box' lighthouse is still operational, having first been lit in 1884. It was one of the last two wooden lighthouses to be built in New Zealand, and was constructed in response to one of the country's worst shipping disasters and its worst civilian shipwreck. The passenger steamer Tararua was wrecked on rocky reefs off Waipapa Point on 29 April 1881, with the loss of 131 lives.

In 1975 the lighthouse was automated, and the site was converted to solar power and a modern filament lamp beacon was installed in 1988. In December 2008 a new LED beacon was installed externally on the balcony, and restoration work was conducted to ensure the lighthouse remained weatherproof and secure.

Waipapa Point is at the southernmost tip of mainland New Zealand. Stewart Island is off the south coast, then next stop Antarctica!

A rather shabby looking G523 leads 8155 down Bell Post Hill, away from Moorabool, as 7720V loaded grain train from Dimboola GrainFlow to Geelong for unloading.

G523 has just re-entered traffic, after being stored at Port Kembla for several years. However the harsh sea air had deteriorated the exterior, requiring the engine to have body work done before it came back into service. This end of G523 has noticeably had work done, however the other end is immaculate.

Sunday 26th March 2017

Originally dating to around 1320, the building is important because it has most of its original features; successive owners effected relatively few changes to the main structure, after the completion of the quadrangle with a new chapel in the 16th century. Pevsner described it as "the most complete small medieval manor house in the county", and it remains an example that shows how such houses would have looked in the Middle Ages. Unlike most courtyard houses of its type, which have had a range demolished, so that the house looks outward, Nicholas Cooper observes that Ightham Mote wholly surrounds its courtyard and looks inward, into it, offering little information externally.[9] The construction is of "Kentish ragstone and dull red brick,"[10] the buildings of the courtyard having originally been built of timber and subsequently rebuilt in stone.[11]

The moat of Ightham Mote

The house has more than 70 rooms, all arranged around a central courtyard, "the confines circumscribed by the moat."[10] The house is surrounded on all sides by a square moat, crossed by three bridges. The earliest surviving evidence is for a house of the early 14th century, with the great hall, to which were attached, at the high, or dais end, the chapel, crypt and two solars. The courtyard was completely enclosed by increments on its restricted moated site, and the battlemented tower was constructed in the 15th century. Very little of the 14th century survives on the exterior behind rebuilding and refacing of the 15th and 16th centuries.

The structures include unusual and distinctive elements, such as the porter's squint, a narrow slit in the wall designed to enable a gatekeeper to examine a visitor's credentials before opening the gate. An open loggia with a fifteenth-century gallery above, connects the main accommodations with the gatehouse range. The courtyard contains a large, 19th century dog kennel.[12] The house contains two chapels; the New Chapel, of c.1520, having a barrel roof decorated with Tudor roses. [13] Parts of the interior were remodelled by Richard Norman Shaw.[14] wikipedia

16th century-late 19th century

The house remained in the Selby family for nearly 300 years.[3] Sir William was succeeded by his nephew, also Sir William, who is notable for handing over the keys of Berwick-upon-Tweed to James I on his way south to succeed to the throne.[4] He married Dorothy Bonham of West Malling but had no children. The Selbys continued until the mid-19th century when the line faltered with Elizabeth Selby, the widow of a Thomas who disinherited his only son.[5] During her reclusive tenure, Joseph Nash drew the house for his multi-volume illustrated history Mansions of England in the Olden Time, published in the 1840s.[6] The house passed to a cousin, Prideaux John Selby, a distinguished naturalist, sportsman and scientist. On his death in 1867, he left Ightham Mote to a daughter, Mrs Lewis Marianne Bigge. Her second husband, Robert Luard, changed his name to Luard-Selby. Ightham Mote was rented-out in 1887 to American Railroad magnate William Jackson Palmer and his family. For three years Ightham Mote became a centre for the artists and writers of the Aesthetic Movement with visitors including John Singer Sargent, Henry James, and Ellen Terry. When Mrs Bigge died in 1889, the executors of her son Charles Selby-Bigge, a Shropshire land agent, put the house up for sale in July 1889.[6]

Late 19th century-21st century

The Mote was purchased by Thomas Colyer-Fergusson.[6] He and his wife brought up their six children at the Mote. In 1890-1891, he carried out much repair and restoration, which allowed the survival of the house after centuries of neglect.[7] Ightham Mote was opened to the public one afternoon a week in the early 20th century.[7]

Sir Thomas Colyer-Fergusson's third son, Riversdale, died aged 21 in 1917 in the Third Battle of Ypres, and won a posthumous Victoria Cross. A wooden cross in the New Chapel is in his memory. The oldest brother, Max, was killed at the age of 49 in a bombing raid on an army driving school near Tidworth in 1940 during World War II. One of the three daughters, Mary (called Polly) married Walter Monckton.

On Sir Thomas's death in 1951, the property and the baronetcy passed to Max's son, James. The high costs of upkeep and repair of the house led him to sell the house and auction most of the contents. The sale took place in October 1951 and lasted three days. It was suggested that the house be demolished to harvest the lead on the roofs, or that it be divided into flats. Three local men purchased the house: William Durling, John Goodwin and John Baldock. They paid £5,500 for the freehold, in the hope of being able to secure the future of the house.[8]

In 1953, Ightham Mote was purchased by Charles Henry Robinson, an American of Portland, Maine, United States. He had known the property when stationed nearby during the Second World War. He lived there for only fourteen weeks a year for tax reasons. He made many urgent repairs, and partly refurnished the house with 17th-century English pieces. In 1965, he announced that he would give Ightham Mote and its contents to the National Trust. He died in 1985 and his ashes were immured just outside the crypt. The National Trust took possession in that year.[8]

In 1989, the National Trust began an ambitious conservation project that involved dismantling much of the building and recording its construction methods before rebuilding it. During this process, the effects of centuries of ageing, weathering, and the destructive effect of the deathwatch beetle were highlighted. The project ended in 2004 after revealing numerous examples of structural and ornamental features which had been covered up by later additions.[1]

This is a micrometeorite. Measuring between a quarter and a third of a millimeter in diameter, it is one of the smallest gems I have had the privilege of photographing. At such small scales, very specialized equipment needs to be used to get photographic results like this – but wait – did you say micrometeorite?!

This porphyritic micrometeorite is on loan to me from Scott Peterson, who has a passion for hunting these down; often found on the roofs of shopping malls with techniques and extra information available on his website ( micro-meteorites.com/ ), Scott and I have been discussing these gems for some time. As Scott puts it, “Porphyritic micrometeorites were exposed to lower temperatures on the scale. They were heated to around 1600 degrees C. Because of this “low” temperature it allows for this specific arrangement of crystals to form, internally and externally”. I might add, I see lots of tiny bubbles too!

Much to my surprise, these microscopic gems actually originate as tiny (albeit larger than their final form) meteors in space, not broken-off pieces of larger rocks that burn up in the atmosphere. Scott does a great job at describing this also: “The size is based on what Mother Nature will allow. If too small then they will burn up, if too “large” they will burn up. So the average size is .2-.4mm. Although there are smaller and larger ones”. This particular specimen has an uncommon make-up that allows it to be translucent, and at least somewhat hollow. Because of the mostly non-metallic ingredients at play, it became very alluring for me to photography… but where do you start?

This was shot with a Mitutoyo Plan APO 50x microscope objective to gather has much possible detail from the subject as possible. Microscope objectives have a number of key features to consider including their numerical aperture and working distance, and this was the best bet to use a combination of reflected and transmitted light to image. This particular objective has a numerical aperture of 0.55 and a working distance of 1.3cm, giving just enough room for light to be shaped in front of the subject. I could have gone with a slightly wider aperture for higher resolution, but the working distance would fall to an unusable 5.2mm (for this kind of work, anyhow). With a maximum resolving power down to 0.5 microns, I set to work.

It’s important to note that I also have a 20x objective with a resolving power of 0.7 microns. More than doubling the magnification to 50x only increases the true resolution by maybe 30% at best. Higher-megapixel cameras are useless in this scenario, because the resolution bottleneck occurs far away from the sensor!

It’s trivially easy to shoot with a microscope objective – especially at lower magnifications. These objectives are infinity corrected with a label of “f=200” on the side. Effectively, if you attach this to a 200mm camera lens with a step-down filter, set the camera lens to focus at infinity, boom. You’re now shooting with the microscope objective. I used an ancient Canon FF 200mm F/4 lens as the camera lens, which was really the cheapest thing I could find. The Canon lens as well as the Mitutoyo objectives are all eBay purchases – lots of great second hand material for these experiments, with 2x objectives being by far the least expensive.

The setup: three flashes off camera, lying flat on the table to shoot horizontally into the subject. I cut a pie-shaped wedge out of a translucent water bottle cap as a light diffuser, placed over top of the micrometeorite where the open “slice” was to shoot the subject clearly. Modelling the light and finding the best subject angle was, in a word, nightmarish. No substitute for trial & error experimentation here. And then comes the focus stacking.

This would be impossible without a good focusing rail. I used a Cognisys Stackshot which is automated, it took 450 shots of the subject of which I used 428 (throwing away a few out of focus shots on either side). Processing that many shots for these subjects, my preferred software is either Zerene Stacker or Helicon Focus; I always try them both to see what gives the best results, and Zerene Stacker (zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker ) tends to handle micrometeorites the best. It offers a nice high dynamic range output which ensures that highlights are not over exposed or shadows too crunched, like Log video footage that needs to be graded as a secondary step. After a few hours of massaging pixels in post-processing, this is what you get.

Oh, this will be in my upcoming book too. :) If you haven’t check that out yet, you’ll love it if you’ve read this far: skycrystals.ca/product/pre-order-macro-photography-the-un...

Today Monday 7th May 2018 I visited The town of Huntly that is a 40 minute drive from my home in Aberdeen Scotland, they have a Falconry Centre there that I have never been to though always had on my to do list, we set off around 1045am, overcast sky’s with a drizzle of rain dampened out spirits, though we carried on, stopping off for a bite to eat on the way hoping the rain would stop and the sky would clear, our luck was in, the rain stopped, and a fine blue sky opened up as we continued our journey arriving at he centre at 1230, just in time for the bird’s flying demonstration about to start.

Huntly Falconry Centre is located just outside the village of Huntly in Aberdeenshire. established in 1991 and is one of the first falconry centres of its kind in Scotland, Today, demonstrations of their birds of prey at the Centre take place every day throughout the season and externally at events and shows in Scotland.

We had an excellent visit, it was well worth the time taken to get to the location, plenty of birds of prey to see and photograph, the flying demonstration was excellent, we visited the little cafe which was friendly warm and cosy and a fine way to end our visit before the drive home with a three year old in the back of the car repeatedly imitating owl noises after loving her participation in the flying display when the Falconer had the owl fly over to her gloved arm, all in all a great day out and highly recommended, we loved it.

Please find belo some information on Huntly that I have taken from the internet.

Huntly (Scottish Gaelic: Srath Bhalgaidh or Hunndaidh) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlements include Keith and Rothiemay. Both Huntly and the surrounding district of Gordon are named for a town and family that originated in the Border country.

Huntly

Scottish Gaelic: Srath Bhalgaidh or Hunndaidh

Huntly is located in Aberdeen Huntly

Huntly OS grid reference NJ5353

Council area : Aberdeenshire

Country : Scotland

Sovereign state : United Kingdom

Post town :HUNTLY

Postcode district : AB54

Huntly Castle

Huntly is the historic home of the Gordon Highlanders regiment which traditionally recruited throughout the North-East of Scotland.[3] Huntly has a primary school (Gordon Primary) and a secondary school (The Gordon Schools) beside Huntly Castle. There is an active cultural centre in the market muir toilets .

It is the home of the Deans bakers, which produce shortbread biscuits. In November 2007, Deans of Huntly opened their new visitor centre.

There is also a falconry centre just outside the town which does flying displays in their visitor centre during the season between April and October

Proliferating Anemone (Epiactis prolifera) with its externally brooded young. A large mass of larvae have been expelled from the parent's gastrovascular cavity and have attached themselves to its column. Pillar Point. Princeton, San Mateo Co., Calif.