View allAll Photos Tagged Expectations
Newly re-located and weak in local knowledge, I'm not sure what this was. It is close to the opencast coal site at Cwmbargoed, near Merthyr Tydfil. Perhaps it is an abandoned part of that operation, but the framework of a signboard (Carpetland? ...Heads of the Valleys Tyre & Exhaust?) suggests some enterprise, inaugurated amid high hopes, but now, alas, as one with Nineveh and Tyre.
I've been using a new developer ...new to me that is. This was from the second film I'd developed in Kodak XTOL. I've been pleased with both. The first had been Ilford Delta 400; this was the same manufacturer's HP5+. XTOL is one of those two-part powdered developers. Of course, you can't whack the one-shot liquids for convenience. These two-part powders have to be mixed and stored. I store mine in brown-glass beer bottles, filled to the top to exclude "ullage" and sealed with crown caps by the capping machine I use for home brewing. The only other powdered developer I've tried is the market leader, Kodak's D76. This too was excellent. It's only laziness that makes me use the liquids.
Some people prefer digital, but I found it very uninteresting.
This highly complex beauty is based upon two constraints-
One being the shape or opening of the clients hand carved Limestone Fireplace Surround-
and the 2nd
being the love and affection for the work of Art Deco Metal maestro-
Edgar Brandt.
Edgar Brandt was considered by many to be the PREMIER metalsmith
of the Art Deco Era.
Currently, at auction- his original signed works go for $100's of thousands of dollars.
This design is based upon a decorative grill he produced in N.Y.C.- the only,
commission he ever received in The US- The Madison + Belmont Building
(also called Cheney Silk Building) is located @ 40 E. 34th > 34th & Madison in Manhattan.
Creating this amazing piece took many,many hours- not just of forging and forming the Steel,
but in pre-polishing all of the individual parts and then again rePolishing after
being TIG welded together- all prior to the final clear Powder Coat .
I trust that you'll enjoy
this piece as much as I do-
and hopefully,
the client's desires and expectations have
been met.
;D
"You really caught the soul of Art Deco in this piece. I can just imagine young women
in "flapper" outfits smoking cigarettes in long cigarette holders and drinking cocktails
in tall glasses."
Terrence Faircloth
"Hedge Funds Struggle With Steep Losses and High Expectations" by ALEXANDRA STEVENSON and MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN via NYT t.co/6dqO6mZVqU (via Twitter twitter.com/felipemassone/status/681632420286861312)
The great Big Black Things that have loomed against the horizon of my life, threatening to devour me, simply loomed and nothing more. The things that have really made me miss my train have always been sweet, soft, pretty, pleasant things of which I was not in the least afraid.
-- Elbert Hubbard
"Super Nova Expulsion"
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In July of 2011, while photographing and freezing fireworks no longer felt like a challenge, and I began to realize that a lot of the pictures had seemed to look way too similar to each other. To solve this problem, I wanted to get a little experimental and spice things up a bit with some creativity. I developed a few deeply thought out techniques to be executed within the camera at the time of the photo being taken, to that make the fireworks look like anything except for what we are used to perceiving as an actual "firework".
This experimentation and creative technique, had proven fireworks to be my favorite things to photograph, as well as leading me to win 3rd place in the Popular Photography Magazine's "Your Best Shot Contest", with this photo:
"Abstract Explosion"
www.flickr.com/photos/nickbenben/5939053732
(Which can be found in the April Issue of Popular Photography Magazine)
When the celebrations began in 2012 for the anniversary of America's independence, I set out with a mission to photograph as many firework displays as I possibly had the time and energy for. My goal was to refine and improve my techniques and experiment further, to get and idea of what other immense and colorful designs I would be able to create - with no expectations.
***Instead of uploading a whole batch all at once, I will be revealing a new abstract firework photograph DAILY, for the next 30 days - to keep things more interesting***
Thank you so much for taking your time to read what I wrote, and for spending the time to look at my work.
Please, don't be afraid to share your thoughts- I'd love to know what you think.
I hope you enjoy some of my most recent results!
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© Nick Benson, All rights reserved. Use of this image without permission is illegal.
If you like my work and you would like to see more, please feel free to visit my website, nickbensonphoto.com.
One of the best ways you can stay updated with my current and most recent work, is by liking my fan page on Facebook!
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Books About Town
This is one of many book benches that are dotted around London. This one is near London Bridge Station by the River Thames.
Does anyone know what what book is this?
Just found out, 'Great Expectations'
I might just do a few more of these benches in the following weeks!
Just before the sun went down, temperature dropped and we had last look at Sandy bay before we went home to have glass of wine.
With Ronel my friend, taken in Hout bay dunes.
[ by Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Manage Your Life ]
[...]The Pew Research Center recently found that 40 percent of Americans think marriage is becoming obsolete. Another recent Pew study found that Millennials (people age 18 to 29) say they think being a good parent is way more than having a good marriage.
Once considered an imperative of sorts, traditional marriage is getting a second look—and research suggests that it may be coming up short. Instead of considering themselves to be happily married, some people are discovering that they're only "semi-happy," and their quest for fulfillment can lead them to extramarital affairs and divorce.
A semi-happy marriage is one of low conflict, low passion, and low satisfaction. "One minute, you love the stability and contentment. The next minute, you think it’s not the right marriage, and there are flaws in the marriage that are serious, even though there are also great things about the marriage," says historian Pamela Haag, author of "Marriage Confidential: The Post-Romantic Age of Workhorse Wives, Royal Children, Undersexed Spouses, and Rebel Couples Who Are Rewriting the Rules." In other words, "one minute you can't imagine staying, the next you can't imagine leaving," Haag says. "It’s these kinds of marriages that are 'low-conflict' but not all that satisfying that contribute the lion’s share to divorce court each year."
Her own 13-year-long marriage almost fit the bill. "Often, in my own case, I really can't tell if my marriage is woeful or sublime," she writes in her book. "Maybe I'm just so profoundly content that it feels like unhappiness, because nirvana is dull in this way, it lacks frisson." (She adds that she thinks her husband is "an amazing sport, and brave, to let me write about this topic of mixed feelings at all, even though a good number of husbands and wives have mixed feelings.")
Boredom can also cause major marital problems. A national survey of 3,341 people by advice website Good in Bed and Kristen Mark of The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction found that 25 percent of people are are bored in their current monogamous relationship, and another 25 percent admit to being "on the brink" of boredom.
“Boredom is basically like an attack on a relationship’s immunity system," says Ian Kerner, PhD, founder of Good in Bed and author of "Love in the time of Colic: A New Parents' Guide to Getting It On Again." "It’s not a coincidence that a fifth of respondents admitted to being unfaithful to their partner as a result of being bored."
While most of the women Haag interviewed said they felt lonely in their semi-happy marriages, men told her that they felt "trapped" or "penned in." It didn't seem to matter if they married "too young" or waited until they were older; what mattered was what people expected from their marriages. And for many, the traditional blueprint that their parents followed is simply no longer a good fit.
"It’s sometimes said that marriage is on the decline because our expectations are too high," says Haag. "I think it’s that our expectations for marriage may be too low—such that single people feel, perhaps rightly, that there isn’t much that marriage would add to their lives."
"My generation—people in their 30s, and 40s, and early 50s—are perhaps caught betwixt and between the old romantic ideals and the new post-romantic expectations," she adds.
Haag emphasizes the fact that she's a historian and not a marriage therapist, and says that she does not "endorse a particular marital style." In her book, she explores several suggestions for "forging a third way between melancholy persistence and divorce," ranging from slightly outside-the-box (rewriting your vows to more accurately reflect your life as it is now, for instance, or sleeping in separate bedrooms) to the extreme (redefining marriage as a temporary parenting agreement or giving the green-light to discreet extramarital affairs, among other things.)
Even so, people can still end up feeling only semi-happy. "There's a part of your soul that isn't nourished in marriage, and it's too big a part to live without," Haag writes. "You've tried, but you fear that you're in the wrong marriage, however wonderful your spouse may be."
When the sun comes up at the start of a new day it gives me the feeling of what is to come. The expected or the unexpected.
The next few months are filled with great expectations for me as I head off to Chattanooga to pursue an M.A. in English Literature. Change will bring challenges, but I look forward to the opportunity to grow.
With this image, I felt that it was time for me to "get back to basics," the style that I began my Flickr journey with months ago. Props to Joel Robison for the inspiration!
Also, for The Teleidoscope Week 28: Monochrome!
Elections at the capital, Buenos Aires.
Copyright © 2007 Tatiana Cardeal. All rights reserved.
Reprodução proibida. © Todos os direitos reservados.
Photo of a road-side waterfall captured via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkoar-X 35-70mm F/3.5 lens across from Lake Crescent and alongside U.S. Highway 101. Olympic National Park. Olympic Peninsula. Clallam County, Washington. On the first day of April 2016.
Exposure Time: 0.6 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-100 * Aperture: F/22 * Bracketing: None
On the Saturday, I decided only a vest would suffice for keeping me cool on my upper body. My lower body isn't a problem usually, and so I used it as an opportunity to just try on a new pleated skirt that had been delivered.
As is the case with online purchases that are sourced from China, I wasn't sure what to expect, but the skirt surpassed my expectations and I'm extremely pleased with it :-)
Expectations.
Probably my favourite photo from yesterdays shoot.
I'm learning to follow my instincts more and more and not worry too much about how sharp an image is or how I should have changed this pose and that angle and blah blah... If anything I guess you only fail when you don't learn from your mistakes.
What has become apparent to me is that letting go of the expectations of others and having an honest conversation with yourself is the start of truly creating something important with your own voice and vision.
Det här skulle varit min bild till Fotosöndags sommartema men samma kväll som jag skulle lägga upp den gick min frus vatten och sen var det annat som pockade på uppmärksamheten :D
A business trip brought me to the Finnish capital. Great people, yet weather in January as expected ;)
Olympus EM5
Panasonic Vario 12-32mm
This, of course, is the beautiful Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta.
As mentioned in one of my other pics of Moraine I really made a point of going there a few times on my 2013 Autumn Photography trip because I wanted to get a nicer than average shot of this iconic location.
On this particular chilly morning I really thought there was a good chance of getting the full enchilada; orange glow on the peaks along with some great colour in the skies, and so I stood there anticipating something grand.
When that didn't happen I was a little bit disappointed but now that some time has passed by and as I was looking at these images this morning I can't help to be grateful that I got some nice colour in the skies on that particular morning and so I guess that I can't complain............. but I will be back and I will get my full enchilada some day!!!!!!!
Rochester is a town and historic city in the unitary authority of Medway in Kent, England. It is situated at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway about 30 miles (50 km) from London.
Rochester was for many years a favourite of Charles Dickens, who owned nearby Gads Hill Place, Higham,[1] basing many of his novels on the area. The Diocese of Rochester, the second oldest in England, is based at Rochester Cathedral and was responsible for the founding of a school, now The King's School in 604 AD,[2] which is recognised as being the second oldest continuously running school in the world. Rochester Castle, built by Bishop Gundulf of Rochester, has one of the best preserved keepsin either England or France, and during the First Barons' War (1215–1217) in King John's reign, baronial forces captured the castle from Archbishop Stephen Langton and held it against the king, who then besieged it.[3]
Neighbouring Chatham, Gillingham, Strood and a number of outlying villages, together with Rochester, nowadays make up the MedwayUnitary Authority area. It was, until 1998,[4]under the control of Kent County Council and is still part of the ceremonial county of Kent, under the latest Lieutenancies Act.[5]
Toponymy[edit]
The Romano-British name for Rochester was Durobrivae, later Durobrivis c. 730 and Dorobrevis in 844. The two commonly cited origins of this name are that it either came from "stronghold by the bridge(s)",[6] or is the latinisation of the British word Dourbruf meaning "swiftstream".[7]Durobrivis was pronounced 'Robrivis. Bede copied down this name, c. 730, mistaking its meaning as Hrofi's fortified camp (OE Hrofes cæster). From this we get c. 730 Hrofæscæstre, 811 Hrofescester, 1086 Rovescester, 1610 Rochester.[6] The Latinised adjective 'Roffensis' refers to Rochester.[7]
Neolithic remains have been found in the vicinity of Rochester; over time it has been variously occupied by Celts, Romans, Jutes and/or Saxons. During the Celtic period it was one of the two administrative centres of the Cantiaci tribe. During the Roman conquest of Britain a decisive battle was fought at the Medway somewhere near Rochester. The first bridge was subsequently constructed early in the Roman period. During the later Roman period the settlement was walled in stone. King Ethelbert of Kent(560–616) established a legal system which has been preserved in the 12th century Textus Roffensis. In AD 604 the bishopric and cathedral were founded. During this period, from the recall of the legions until the Norman conquest, Rochester was sacked at least twice and besieged on another occasion.
The medieval period saw the building of the current cathedral (1080–1130, 1227 and 1343), the building of two castles and the establishment of a significant town. Rochester Castle saw action in the sieges of 1215 and 1264. Its basic street plan was set out, constrained by the river, Watling Street, Rochester Priory and the castle.
Rochester has produced two martyrs: St John Fisher, executed by Henry VIII for refusing to sanction the divorce of Catherine of Aragon; and Bishop Nicholas Ridley, executed by Queen Mary for being an English Reformation protestant.
The city was raided by the Dutch as part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The Dutch, commanded by Admiral de Ruijter, broke through the chain at Upnor[8] and sailed to Rochester Bridge capturing part of the English fleet and burning it.[9]
The ancient City of Rochester merged with the Borough of Chatham and part of the Strood Rural District in 1974 to form the Borough of Medway. It was later renamed Rochester-upon-Medway, and its City status transferred to the entire borough. In 1998 another merger with the rest of the Medway Towns created the Medway Unitary Authority. The outgoing council neglected to appoint ceremonial "Charter Trustees" to continue to represent the historic Rochester area, causing Rochester to lose its City status – an error not even noticed by council officers for four years, until 2002.[10][11]
Military History
Rochester has for centuries been of great strategic importance through its position near the confluence of the Thames and the Medway. Rochester Castle was built to guard the river crossing, and the Royal Dockyard's establishment at Chatham witnessed the beginning of the Royal Navy's long period of supremacy. The town, as part of Medway, is surrounded by two circles of fortresses; the inner line built during the Napoleonic warsconsists of Fort Clarence, Fort Pitt, Fort Amherst and Fort Gillingham. The outer line of Palmerston Forts was built during the 1860s in light of the report by the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdomand consists of Fort Borstal, Fort Bridgewood, Fort Luton, and the Twydall Redoubts, with two additional forts on islands in the Medway, namely Fort Hoo and Fort Darnet.
During the First World War the Short Brothers' aircraft manufacturing company developed the first plane to launch a torpedo, the Short Admiralty Type 184, at its seaplane factory on the River Medway not far from Rochester Castle. In the intervening period between the 20th century World Wars the company established a world-wide reputation as a constructor of flying boats with aircraft such as the Singapore, Empire 'C'-Class and Sunderland. During the Second World War, Shorts also designed and manufactured the first four-engined bomber, the Stirling.
The UK's decline in naval power and shipbuilding competitiveness led to the government decommissioning the RN Shipyard at Chatham in 1984, which led to the subsequent demise of much local maritime industry. Rochester and its neighbouring communities were hit hard by this and have experienced a painful adjustment to a post-industrial economy, with much social deprivation and unemployment resulting. On the closure of Chatham Dockyard the area experienced an unprecedented surge in unemployment to 24%; this had dropped to 2.4% of the local population by 2014.[12]
Former City of Rochester[edit]
Rochester was recognised as a City from 1211 to 1998. The City of Rochester's ancient status was unique, as it had no formal council or Charter Trustees nor a Mayor, instead having the office of Admiral of the River Medway, whose incumbent acted as de facto civic leader.[13] On 1 April 1974, the City Council was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972, and the territory was merged with the District of Medway, Borough of Chatham and most of Strood Rural District to form a new a local government district called the Borough of Medway, within the county of Kent. Medway Borough Council applied to inherit Rochester's city status, but this was refused; instead letters patent were granted constituting the area of the former Rochester local government district to be the City of Rochester, to "perpetuate the ancient name" and to recall "the long history and proud heritage of the said City".[14] The Home Officesaid that the city status may be extended to the entire borough if it had "Rochester" in its name, so in 1979, Medway Borough Council renamed the borough to Borough of Rochester-upon-Medway, and in 1982, Rochester's city status was transferred to the entire borough by letters patent, with the district being called the City of Rochester-upon-Medway.[13]
On 1 April 1998, the existing local government districts of Rochester-upon-Medway and Gillingham were abolished and became the new unitary authority of Medway. The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions informed the city council that since it was the local government district that officially held City status under the 1982 Letters Patent, the council would need to appoint charter trustees to preserve its city status, but the outgoing Labour-run council decided not to appoint charter trustees, so the city status was lost when Rochester-upon-Medway was abolished as a local government district.[15][16][17] The other local government districts with City status that were abolished around this time, Bath and Hereford, decided to appoint Charter Trustees to maintain the existence of their own cities and the mayoralties. The incoming Medway Council apparently only became aware of this when, in 2002, it was advised that Rochester was not on the Lord Chancellor's Office's list of cities.[18][19]
In 2010, Medway Council started to refer to the "City of Medway" in promotional material, but it was rebuked and instructed not to do so in future by the Advertising Standards Authority.[20]
Governance[edit]
Civic history and traditions[edit]
Rochester and its neighbours, Chatham and Gillingham, form a single large urban area known as the Medway Towns with a population of about 250,000. Since Norman times Rochester had always governed land on the other side of the Medway in Strood, which was known as Strood Intra; before 1835 it was about 100 yards (91 m) wide and stretched to Gun Lane. In the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act the boundaries were extended to include more of Strood and Frindsbury, and part of Chatham known as Chatham Intra. In 1974, Rochester City Council was abolished and superseded by Medway Borough Council, which also included the parishes of Cuxton, Halling and Cliffe, and the Hoo Peninsula. In 1979 the borough became Rochester-upon-Medway. The Admiral of the River Medway was ex-officio Mayor of Rochester and this dignity transferred to the Mayor of Medway when that unitary authority was created, along with the Admiralty Court for the River which constitutes a committee of the Council.[21]
Like many of the mediaeval towns of England, Rochester had civic Freemen whose historic duties and rights were abolished by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. However, the Guild of Free Fishers and Dredgers continues to the present day and retains rights, duties and responsibilities on the Medway, between Sheerness and Hawkwood Stone.[22] This ancient corporate body convenes at the Admiralty Court whose Jury of Freemen is responsible for the conservancy of the River as enshrined in current legislation. The City Freedom can be obtained by residents after serving a period of "servitude", i.e. apprenticeship (traditionally seven years), before admission as a Freeman. The annual ceremonial Beating of the Boundsby the River Medway takes place after the Admiralty Court, usually on the first Saturday of July.
Rochester first obtained City status in 1211, but this was lost due to an administrative oversight when Rochester was absorbed by the Medway Unitary Authority.[10] Subsequently, the Medway Unitary Authority has applied for City status for Medway as a whole, rather than merely for Rochester. Medway applied unsuccessfully for City status in 2000 and 2002 and again in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year of 2012.[23] Any future bid to regain formal City status has been recommended to be made under the aegis of Rochester-upon-Medway.
Ecclesiastical parishes[edit]
There were three medieval parishes: St Nicholas', St Margaret's and St Clement's. St Clement's was in Horsewash Lane until the last vicar died in 1538 when it was joined with St Nicholas' parish; the church last remaining foundations were finally removed when the railway was being constructed in the 1850s. St Nicholas' Church was built in 1421 beside the cathedral to serve as a parish church for the citizens of Rochester. The ancient cathedral included the Benedictine monastic priory of St Andrew with greater status than the local parishes.[24] Rochester's pre-1537 diocese, under the jurisdiction of the Church of Rome, covered a vast area extending into East Anglia and included all of Essex.[25]
As a result of the restructuring of the Church during the Reformation the cathedral was reconsecrated as the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary without parochial responsibilities, being a diocesan church.[26] In the 19th century the parish of St Peter's was created to serve the burgeoning city with the new church being consecrated in 1859. Following demographic shifts, St Peter's and St Margaret's were recombined as a joint benefice in 1953 with the parish of St Nicholas with St Clement being absorbed in 1971.[27] The combined parish is now the "Parish of St Peter with St Margaret", centred at the new (1973) Parish Centre in The Delce (St Peter's) with St Margaret's remaining as a chapel-of-ease. Old St Peter's was demolished in 1974, while St Nicholas' Church has been converted into the diocesan offices but remains consecrated. Continued expansion south has led to the creation of an additional more recent parish of St Justus (1956) covering The Tideway estate and surrounding area.[28]
A church dedicated to St Mary the Virgin at Eastgate, which was of Anglo-Saxon foundation, is understood to have constituted a parish until the Middle Ages, but few records survive.[29]
Geography
Rochester lies within the area, known to geologists, as the London Basin. The low-lying Hoo peninsula to the north of the town consists of London Clay, and the alluvium brought down by the two rivers—the Thames and the Medway—whose confluence is in this area. The land rises from the river, and being on the dip slope of the North Downs, this consists of chalksurmounted by the Blackheath Beds of sand and gravel.
As a human settlement, Rochester became established as the lowest river crossing of the River Medway, well before the arrival of the Romans.
It is a focal point between two routes, being part of the main route connecting London with the Continent and the north-south routes following the course of the Medway connecting Maidstone and the Weald of Kent with the Thames and the North Sea. The Thames Marshes were an important source of salt. Rochester's roads follow north Kent's valleys and ridges of steep-sided chalk bournes. There are four ways out of town to the south: up Star Hill, via The Delce,[30] along the Maidstone Road or through Borstal. The town is inextricably linked with the neighbouring Medway Towns but separate from Maidstone by a protective ridge known as the Downs, a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
At its most limited geographical size, Rochester is defined as the market town within the city walls, now associated with the historic medieval city. However, Rochester historically also included the ancient wards of Strood Intra on the river's west bank, and Chatham Intra as well as the three old parishes on the Medway's east bank.
The diocese of Rochester is another geographical entity which can be referred to as Rochester.
Climate[edit]
Rochester has an oceanic climate similar to much of southern England, being accorded Köppen Climate Classification-subtype of "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate).[31]
On 10 August 2003, neighbouring Gravesend recorded one of the highest temperatures since meteorogical records began in the United Kingdom, with a reading of 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit),[32]only beaten by Brogdale, near Faversham, 22 miles (35 km) to the ESE.[33] The weather station at Brogdale is run by a volunteer, only reporting its data once a month, whereas Gravesend, which has an official Met Office site at the PLA pilot station,[34] reports data hourly.
Being near the mouth of the Thames Estuary with the North Sea, Rochester is relatively close to continental Europe and enjoys a somewhat less temperate climate than other parts of Kent and most of East Anglia. It is therefore less cloudy, drier and less prone to Atlanticdepressions with their associated wind and rain than western regions of Britain, as well as being hotter in summer and colder in winter. Rochester city centre's micro-climate is more accurately reflected by these officially recorded figures than by readings taken at Rochester Airport.[35]
North and North West Kent continue to record higher temperatures in summer, sometimes being the hottest area of the country, eg. on the warmest day of 2011, when temperatures reached 33.1 degrees.[36]Additionally, it holds at least two records for the year 2010, of 30.9 degrees[37] and 31.7 degrees C.[38] Another record was set during England's Indian summer of 2011 with 29.9 degrees C., the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK for October.
North and North West Kent continue to record higher temperatures in summer, sometimes being the hottest area of the country, eg. on the warmest day of 2011, when temperatures reached 33.1 degrees.[36]Additionally, it holds at least two records for the year 2010, of 30.9 degrees[37] and 31.7 degrees C.[38] Another record was set during England's Indian summer of 2011 with 29.9 degrees C., the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK for October.
Building
Rochester comprises numerous important historic buildings, the most prominent of which are the Guildhall, the Corn Exchange, Restoration House, Eastgate House, as well as Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral. Many of the town centre's old buildings date from as early as the 14th century up to the 18th century. The chapel of St Bartholomew's Hospital dates from the ancient priory hospital's foundation in 1078.
Economy
Thomas Aveling started a small business in 1850 producing and repairing agricultural plant equipment. In 1861 this became the firm of Aveling and Porter, which was to become the largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery and steam rollers in the country.[39] Aveling was elected Admiral of the River Medway (i.e. Mayor of Rochester) for 1869-70.
Culture[edit]
Sweeps Festival[edit]
Since 1980 the city has seen the revival of the historic Rochester Jack-in-the-Green May Day dancing chimney sweeps tradition, which had died out in the early 1900s. Though not unique to Rochester (similar sweeps' gatherings were held across southern England, notably in Bristol, Deptford, Whitstable and Hastings), its revival was directly inspired by Dickens' description of the celebration in Sketches by Boz.
The festival has since grown from a small gathering of local Morris dancesides to one of the largest in the world.[40] The festival begins with the "Awakening of Jack-in-the-Green" ceremony,[41] and continues in Rochester High Street over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
There are numerous other festivals in Rochester apart from the Sweeps Festival. The association with Dickens is the theme for Rochester's two Dickens Festivals held annually in June and December.[42] The Medway Fuse Festival[43] usually arranges performances in Rochester and the latest festival to take shape is the Rochester Literature Festival, the brainchild of three local writers.[44]
Library[edit]
A new public library was built alongside the Adult Education Centre, Eastgate. This enabled the registry office to move from Maidstone Road, Chatham into the Corn Exchange on Rochester High Street (where the library was formerly housed). As mentioned in a report presented to Medway Council's Community Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28 March 2006, the new library opened in late summer (2006).[45]
Theatre[edit]
There is a small amateur theatre called Medway Little Theatre on St Margaret's Banks next to Rochester High Street near the railway station.[46] The theatre was formed out of a creative alliance with the Medway Theatre Club, managed by Marion Martin, at St Luke's Methodist Church on City Way, Rochester[47] between 1985 and 1988, since when drama and theatre studies have become well established in Rochester owing to the dedication of the Medway Theatre Club.[48]
Media[edit]
Local newspapers for Rochester include the Medway Messenger, published by the KM Group, and free newspapers such as Medway Extra(KM Group) and Yourmedway (KOS Media).
The local commercial radio station for Rochester is KMFM Medway, owned by the KM Group. Medway is also served by community radio station Radio Sunlight. The area also receives broadcasts from county-wide stations BBC Radio Kent, Heart and Gold, as well as from various Essex and Greater London radio stations.[49]
Sport[edit]
Football is played with many teams competing in Saturday and Sunday leagues.[50] The local football club is Rochester United F.C. Rochester F.C. was its old football club but has been defunct for many decades. Rugby is also played; Medway R.F.C. play their matches at Priestfields and Old Williamsonians is associated with Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School.[51]
Cricket is played in the town, with teams entered in the Kent Cricket League. Holcombe Hockey Club is one of the largest in the country,[52]and is based at Holcombe Park. The men's and women's 1st XI are part of the England Hockey League.[53] Speedway was staged on a track adjacent to City Way that opened in 1932. Proposals for a revival in the early 1970s did not materialise and the Rochester Bombers became the Romford Bombers.[54]
Sailing and rowing are also popular on the River Medway with respective clubs being based in Rochester.[55][56]
Film[edit]
The 1959 James Bond Goldfinger describes Bond driving along the A2through the Medway Towns from Strood to Chatham. Of interest is the mention of "inevitable traffic jams" on the Strood side of Rochester Bridge, the novel being written some years prior to the construction of the M2 motorway Medway bypass.
Rochester is the setting of the controversial 1965 Peter Watkins television film The War Game, which depicts the town's destruction by a nuclear missile.[57] The opening sequence was shot in Chatham Town Hall, but the credits particularly thank the people of Dover, Gravesend and Tonbridge.
The 2011 adventure film Ironclad (dir. Jonathan English) is based upon the 1215 siege of Rochester Castle. There are however a few areaswhere the plot differs from accepted historical narrative.
Notable people[edit]
Charles Dickens
The historic city was for many years the favourite of Charles Dickens, who lived within the diocese at nearby Gads Hill Place, Higham, many of his novels being based on the area. Descriptions of the town appear in Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations and (lightly fictionalised as "Cloisterham") in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Elements of two houses in Rochester, Satis House and Restoration House, are used for Miss Havisham's house in Great Expectations, Satis House.[58]
Sybil Thorndike
The actress Dame Sybil Thorndike and her brother Russell were brought up in Minor Canon Row adjacent to the cathedral; the daughter of a canon of Rochester Cathedral, she was educated at Rochester Grammar School for Girls. A local doctors' practice,[59] local dental practice[60] and a hall at Rochester Grammar School are all named after her.[61]
Peter Buck
Sir Peter Buck was Admiral of the Medway in the 17th century; knightedin 1603 he and Bishop Barlow hosted King James, the Stuart royal familyand the King of Denmark in 1606. A civil servant to The Royal Dockyardand Lord High Admiral, Buck lived at Eastgate House, Rochester.
Denis Redman
Major-General Denis Redman, a World War II veteran, was born and raised in Rochester and later became a founder member of REME, head of his Corps and a Major-General in the British Army.
Kelly Brook
The model and actress Kelly Brook went to Delce Junior School in Rochester and later the Thomas Aveling School (formerly Warren Wood Girls School).
The singer and songwriter Tara McDonald now lives in Rochester.
The Prisoners, a rock band from 1980 to 1986, were formed in Rochester. They are part of what is known as the "Medway scene".
Kelly Tolhurst MP is the current parliamentary representative for the constituency.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpbMitv5Ypo
There you stood
on the edge of your feather,
Expecting to fly.
While I laughed,
I wondered whether
I could wave goodbye,
Knowin' that you'd gone.
By the summer it was healing,
We had said goodbye.
All the years
we'd spent with feeling
Ended with a cry,
Babe, ended with a cry,
Babe, ended with a cry.
I tried so hard to stand
As I stumbled
and fell to the ground.
So hard to laugh as I fumbled
And reached for the love I found,
Knowin' it was gone.
If I never lived without you,
Now you know I'd die.
If I never said I loved you,
Now you know I'd try,
Babe, now you know I'd try.
Babe, now you know I'd try,
Babe...
-- Buffalo Springfield/Neil Young
Kachina waits for the last bite while I eat...
she's pretending not to look at me, maybe it's that damn camera again?
we're off to the autumn hoedown - will be great to see so many smiling faces,
amazing different recipes from everyone's kitchen,
lots of furry friends for Kachina to romp with
and ... the music.
truly blessed to know some mighty fine pickers 'n grinners.
I can't carry a tune - I'm in the grinnin' section, but I do sing to myself.
I can whistle pretty darn good though.
♪ ~ ♫
Even if you can't sing well, sing.
Sing to yourself. Sing in the privacy of your home.
But sing.
- Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
gearin' up for too much fun
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♥ Happy Thanksgiving to my Canuck neighbours
C'era un certo piacere naturalmente nel non fare qualcosa; era impossibile che le proprie aspettative venissero deluse dalla realtà . Per la mente fantasiosa ma vaga di Belinda questa sembrava una condizione felice, senza vuoti nè amarezza.Era fortunata ad avere bisogno di così poco per essere felice.
Qualcuno da amare, Barbara Pym