I has finished my "Big Idea" *yahoo!* I'm so happy ^^

Thus, I begin my little show! =D

 

Quentin, Jimmy, Wendy, Rebecca and Sean – is idolaters. Yep. They trust and worship two gods. To especial gods))) Saint Christian and Saint Gloria ^^ But vicious gods (Christian and Gloria are very vicious :D), cannot have ideal admirers. Quentin, for example, the brawler, the drunkard and the boor. Him brother Jimmy - the addict. Wendy and Rebecca, certainly strong and assured girls, but too do not refuse to themselves in alcohol, cigarettes and drugs (in small doses), as well as Sean.

What "saints", such and "admirers"…

 

The End

 

All have remarkably played their roles. And now they can be free, and go to wash off a make-up =)

 

Credits:

Saint Christian – Shia Segal

Saint Gloria – Alexis Curie

Quentin – Mike Soul

Jimmy - Kevin Soul

Wendy - Lisa Soul

Rebecca - Katarina Lorret

Sean – Kab Hikaro

--------------------------------------------

My inspiration for this Big Idea it amazing and long music-video (and song, certainty) – "Jesus of Suburbia" by Green Day ^____^

 

Fullsize

Original. Barrel from dA, walls – in-game.

  

My brand new 2013 Classic Cinderella doll has been fully deboxed. She is posed standing, supported by a Kaiser doll stand (not included with the doll). She is photographed from various angles.

 

The 2013 Classic Cinderella doll has many differences from the 2012 model, most of which are improvements in my view. She has the same head and almost the same face as the 2012 doll, but her hair and dress are significantly changed. She is also wearing light blue flats, and not her iconic glass slippers. As with all the new Classic Princess dolls, she has rubber legs with internal knee joints and fixed angled feet. There are also minor changes to her headband, choker and gloves. I like this doll much better than last year's, and she represents the movie character much more faithfully.

 

Her head mold has remained the same, but there are some subtle changes in her face. She has eyes that are a lighter shade of blue, glancing to her left. She now has four eyelashes instead of three over her left eye, the right eye still has three lashes. She has silver eyeshadow, as before, and light brown eyelashes that are mostly hidden by her front bangs. She has a thin, straight nose. She has a thin upper lip and full lower lips, in a slightly open mouthed smile. Her lips are now a hot pink color (possibly shading towards salmon), instead of the bright purplish pink lips of last year's model. Her pink rouge is applied more heavily on her cheeks. The changes make her look more mature, and closer to the movie character. Her face is lively, cheerful, confident and beautiful. She has pale flesh colored skin that is smooth but not shiny.

 

Her hairstyle is back to the more conservative 2011 style. Gone is the solitary curl on her left side and the smurf shaped bun. Her front curly bangs are now larger, and her bun is fan shaped, and a very short pony tail sticks out the back of it. This style is simpler and more elegant than last year's style. There doesn't appear to be any gel used in her hair, so it is soft to the touch. Her hair is her usual light blonde color, although her movie character has strawberry blonde hair.

 

Her gown is much improved over the 2012 model, in looks and movie accuracy. Her bodice and skirt are made of pale blue satin with a silver swirling pattern that incorporates heart and 'C' shapes. The decoration is covered in a thick layer of silver glitter, that sheds easily and profusely. She has short puffy white satin sleeves and large round peplum of unhemmed white satin. She has 3/4 length what satin gloves, that are shorter and looser fitting than last year's. Her black satin choker is tighter on her neck than last years, so it stays in place. It is sewn closed in the back, so is not removable. Her blue satin headband is a little darker and shorter than last years, with a longer elastic band connecting the ends in the back.

 

Her shoes are pale blue flats that have the same construction as the ones that Mulan normally wears. Their soles are rounded upwards at the toes. This design looks better on a doll with angled feet, than would the 2012 style flats, which had very flat soles. However, she would look much better with the clear high heels that the 2012 doll wore, that matches the iconic glass slippers that are so important to the fairy tale.

 

Her body is fully articulated in the arms, but now has the rubber legs of 2011 and earlier dolls, which has internal knee joints and fixed angled feet. I would rather that they fixed the problems with the fully articulated 2012 legs, but when exposed the rubber legs do look a lot better, with the disadvantage of being much less posable. Also the glitter tends to stick to the rubber legs, and it cannot simply be brushed off.

 

The packaging for the dolls is much improved. The box art has been completely redesigned, with beautiful decorations unique to each Princess (actually for each movie), and a cameo of the animated movie character. The boxes are the same height and width, but are 1/2'' flatter, making them smaller and lighter.

 

The 2013 Disney Princess Classic Doll Collection, released on June 10, 2013. They consist of 11-12'' articulated dolls of the 11 official Disney Princesses, from Snow White to Merida, as well as Princes, Villains and Sidekicks. I now have all 11 Princesses, Queen Elinor, Charlotte and Gaston. I will photograph them boxed, during deboxing and fully deboxed. I will also post reviews and comparative photos.

 

Classic Disney Princess Cinderella Doll - 12''

 

US Disney Store

Released online June 10, 2013.

Purchased online June 13, 2013.

Received June 24, 2013.

$14.95 (was on sale for $10 at time of purchase).

 

Mohonk Mountain House

1000 Mountain Rest Road

New Paltz, NY 12561

 

The hotel has many, many common areas that include original woodwork and fixtures, fireplaces and comfy chairs.

-------------------

The Early Years.

 

On a beautiful fall day in 1869, Alfred Homans Smiley, with family and friends, took an excursion to Paltz Point (now known as Sky Top.) On this mountainside outside of New Paltz, they discovered 280 acres of rugged terrain, a lake, and a small tavern owned and operated by John F. Stokes. It was the kind of place Alfred's twin brother Albert Keith Smiley had always dreamed of for a summer retreat. Within weeks, Albert bought the property for $28,000 and with the help of Alfred began transforming and expanding the original tavern into Mohonk Mountain House. Albert's first guests were so enchanted with the natural surroundings and hospitality that they wanted to spend the entire "season" at Mohonk Mountain House.

 

Mohonk is a corruption of the Delaware Indian word Mogonck, which some believe to mean "lake in the sky."

 

This was a Quaker hotel upon opening, and temperance was observed. Dancing and public card playing was prohibited. Instead, the lodge offered nature walks, lectures, evening concerts, boating, fishing, bowling and a ten-minute prayer service every morning after breakfast.

 

The founder of Mohonk, Albert Smiley, was born in Kennebec Country, Maine with his identical twin brother Alfred, to Quaker parents with Scottish and English ancestors. The Smiley twins became ardent scholars, dedicated Quakers, and nature lovers, and graduated from Haverford College to become teachers and then principals at the Friends School in Providence, Rhode Island. Alfred later moved to Poughkeepsie, New York with the intention of farming - until he made his fortuitous outing to Paltz Point in 1869. Albert served as owner and host of the Mountain House and Alfred as on-site manager in the early years. After Alfred left to start his own Mountain Houses on Minnewaska Lake, the twins' half-brother David jointed Albert in the managing of Mohonk Mountain House.

 

David Smiley (1855-1930), the twins' half-brother and Philadelphia schoolteacher, joined Albert in 1881 as General Manager with his wife Effie. He made Mohonk almost self-sufficient in its ability to provide electrical and heating power, along with some fresh vegetables and meat. He was responsible for constructing several buildings and for road and trail designs.

 

From 1879 to 1910, the once small lakeside inn grew to its present architectural form. Albert Smiley gradually bought the surrounding land and farms to create a 7,500-acre estate. He said, "I have treated this property, the result of seventy-six purchases, as a landscape artist does his canvas, only my canvas covers seven square miles." With the help of architects, stonemasons, carpenters, gardeners, and local laborers, Albert and Alfred (and later Daniel Smiley) designed and constructed Mohonk Mountain House along with its gardens, gazebos, landscape, and more than 60 miles of carriage roads, trails, and paths.

 

During the decade of the 1870's, building improvements were a priority, and Mohonk was enlarged to include an addition housing the Dining Room and the Rock Building, a frame structure built on rock. In the 1880's and into the early 1900s, Daniel Smiley, with the help of noted architects Napoleon LeBrun and James E. Ware, fashioned the Mountain House into a Victorian and Edwardian architectural delight.

 

A wealth of activities and events make up Mohonk's history. As a mostly self-sufficient Mountain House well into the twentieth century, Mohonk had its own farms, dairies, sawmill carriages and driving roads, boys' school, icehouse and ice harvest, telegraph office, and powerhouse.

 

In Mohonk's earliest years, guests had to call for room service by using speaking tubes installed in the hallways. In 1883, an electric call bell system was installed in 165 guest rooms. Keep in mind electric lights were not introduced until ten years later in 1893.

 

The Bell Board, located in the Lake Lounge, registered signals from guest rooms requesting room service. It operated on its own low-voltage, battery powered electric supply system using "bell wire" to connect guest rooms with the Bell Board. Each room was provided with a little card that indicated how many times to push the 'bell Button' for each service provided: for example, two times for ice water, or three times to request a porter. The signal would activate a mechanical indicator on the board, alerting the bellman to which room was calling. After reviewing the type of request displayed in the round, wooden box on their desk, the bellman performed the task and pushed a button to learn the request from the board. Eventually telephones were installed in the guest rooms, and this bell system became obsolete.

 

The Architects.

 

The principal architects were Napoleon LeBrun who designed most of the frame section of the 1/8 mile long hotel and James Edward Ware who designed the towered stone section.

 

The present Mountain House consists of nine buildings built over a period of 31 years from 1879 to 1910.

 

In 1887-88 the Central Building was constructed with Napoleon LeBrun & Sons of New York City as its architects. Four years later the Grove Building, and the Kitchen and Dining Room Building was added with LeBrun in charge. LeBrun served as the architect for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower at One Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The tower was modeled after the Campanile in Venice, Italy.

 

The Stone Building was built in two sections and at great expense; the first section was completed in 1899, the second in 1902. Ware was known for his work in designing fireproof warehouses and the Osborne Apartment building in Manhattan.

 

The main dining hall, with its high ceiling and clerestory windows came into use in 1893. It was enlarged in 1910.

 

The architects LeBrun and Ware, along with input from the twins' half-brother Daniel, fashioned Mohonk Mountain House into a Victorian and Edwardian architectural marvel.

 

Lake Mohonk

 

Mohonk Lake's elevation is 1,245 feet above sea level, it is 534' at its widest and 2,119' long and covers 17 acres. At its deepest it is 61'. The lake has had 24' of sediment deposited since the last glacier.

 

Uplifted millions of years ago, the visible quartz rock was cracked and split along a fault line that runs through the lake. 20,000 years ago, a mile high glacier scooped out the lake basin, scraping down into the shale beneath. That shale now buffers the lake and keeps it neutral, supporting fish and aquatic life. Mohonk Lake is a "sky lake" meaning most of its water comes directly from the sky, and from a small 40-acre watershed. Mohonk Lake is often green from the millions of tiny green plankton. At times reflections from the sky may give the lake a blue or gray hue.

 

The Smiley Connection - Mohonk, NY - Redlands, California.

 

In 1879 President Hayes appointed Albert Keith Smiley to the board of Indian commissioners on which he served until his death. It was his interest in Indian affairs that brought him to California for the first time in 1889. He was chairman of a committee to select lands for the many Native California Indian tribes.

 

Redlands, California became the winter home of Albert K. Smiley and his identical twin Alfred. During the 1890's the twins bought 220 acres atop a ridge of hills overlooking the town of Redlands, and beyond it, the towering San Bernardino Mountains. The land was arid, but they built houses and a reservoir to store water that they piped over a distance of three miles to the ridge. Over the next five years, they constructed five miles of roadway, planted 1,200 varieties of shrubs, trees and flowers and created an orange grove. They name their property Canyon Crest Park and opened it to the public for free. The popular name for it became Smiley Heights.

 

In the first decade of the 20th century the park's fame spread nationally. Tourist companies and railroads featured the park in their brochures, national magazines published pictorial views, and lecturer showed lantern slides. Automobiles were not allowed. Tours were conducted in 9-passenger tallyhos. The Great Depression of 1929 caused the park to be closed to the public.

 

In 1896 Alfred H. Smiley laid out a summer resort known as Fredalba Park, (name derived from Alfred and Albert) near the summit of the mountain range north of Redlands, at an elevation of 5,500 feet. Fredalba had 107 acres of woodland in the San Bernardino Mountains. At that time many of Redlands' citizens spent summer months at this near-by resort, which is easy of access by good wagon road.

 

The brothers' philanthropy extended beyond their park and orchard. Albert also established, at his own expense, a downtown park that he landscaped. He then built on it a library that he presented to the city in 1898 for use by the public. It was named the Albert K. Smiley Public Library. In 1906 he provides funds for a new wing to the building. Alfred served as the head of the Library's Board of Directors until his death in 1903. He gave it liberal financial support, especially for the purchase of books. Both brothers were active in many other civic projects. To this day, the brothers are known as "patron saints of Redlands." Albert K. Smiley died on December 2, 1912, at his winter home in Redlands, California, aged eighty-four.

 

The Later Years.

 

Mohonk Mountain House has been managed and stewarded by the Smiley family since its inception in 1869. The family has preserved and fostered many of the values and ideals of Albert Smiley while guiding Mohonk toward the twenty-first century and ensuring its survival.

 

In 1973, the seven-story hotel, with 261 guestrooms and 138 working fireplaces was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and in 1986 was recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

 

Earlier in 1966 the family began conveying over 5,000 surrounding acres to the Mohonk Preserve (at that time called the Mohonk Trust) to be maintained as a nature preserve for recreation, education and research. In 1996, on the 125th anniversary of Mohonk Mountain House, the United Nations Environment Programme recognized the Mountain House and the Smiley family "for generations of dedicated leadership and commitment to the protection and enhancement of the environment and for their inestimable contribution to the cause of peace, justice, and sustainable human development."

 

In 1988 Mohonk Mountain House owners Smiley Brothers Inc., named Donald D. Woodworth (Cornell School of Hotel Administration '57) president. Before that, Mohonk president Bernard Gavin resigned in a cloud of mystery.

 

In 1990, fourth generation family member Bert Smiley, great-grandnephew of founder Albert K. Smiley, became president of Mohonk Mountain House. Bert Smiley earned a Ph.D. in economics at Princeton, and for several years was an economist in Washington. He returned home to Mohonk full-time in 1990.

 

Jacquelyn Appeldorn is the Mohonk Mountain House General Manager. Jackie has served in this position for 11 years and oversees a staff of up to 750 full-time and part-time employees. While in college she worked in the Mohonk Mountain House dining room.

 

Jim Palmeri was appointed Executive Chef at the Mohonk Mountain House in 2007. Chef Palmeri was most recently the executive chef for the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort. He is a graduate of the Culinary School of Kendall College in Chicago.

 

The Spa at Mohonk, a $13 million, 30,000-square-foot addition, opened in 2005.

 

Photos and text compiled by Dick Johnson

November 2011

richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com

 

India & Pakistan Owe their Freedom to Allama Mashriqi

 

By Nasim Yousaf

 

Has a powerful ruler ever transferred power without facing a significant threat to their rule? The Indian sub-continent’s freedom was inconceivable without Allama Mashriqi’s private army of over five million uniformed Khaksars who threatened British rule. Considering this reality, India and Pakistan owe their independence to Allama Inayatullah Khan Al-Mashriqi – a legend and a great freedom fighter.

 

Allama Mashriqi’s struggle to revive the glory of the Indian nation started with his poetic work, Kharita, which he wrote in his youth (1902-1909). In 1912, Mashriqi discussed his future aims to liberate the nation when he spoke at a graduation dinner (hosted by the Indian Society of Cambridge University in his honor):

 

“[translation]…Our educational achievements bear testimony to the fact that India can produce unparalleled brains that can defeat the British minds. India is capable of producing superior brains that can make the nation’s future brighter. After we return from here, we must ponder how to break the chains of slavery from the British…We should keep our vision high and enlarge our aims and goals so we can be free from the chains of slavery as soon as possible” (Al-Mashriqi by Dr. Mohammad Azmatullah Bhatti).

 

Later, Mashriqi’s work Tazkirah (published in 1925) spoke of jihad as well as the rise and fall of nations and was a step towards bringing revolt against British rule. In 1926, Mashriqi embarked on a trip to Egypt and Europe; there, he delivered a lecture on his book Tazkirah, jihad and fighting colonial rule. In Germany, Mashriqi was received by Helene von Nostitz-Wallwitz, the niece of German President Hindenburg (Al-Islah, May 31, 1935). While in Germany, Mashriqi discussed the aforementioned topics with Albert Einstein, Helene, and other prominent individuals; these conversations reflected his mindset of bringing an uprising in foreign lands (as well as in India) against the oppression of British colonial rule. Earlier, while in Egypt at the International Caliphate Conference, Mashriqi succeeded in defeating a British plan to have a Caliph of their choice elected to control the Muslim world. During the trip, Mashriqi acted courageously and ignored the risks of being persecuted or even hanged for treachery against the British Empire in foreign lands…and that too as a government employee.

 

Meanwhile in India, M.A. Jinnah, M.K. Gandhi, the All-India Muslim League, and Indian National Congress had not taken any concrete steps to bring revolt or overturn British rule. Anyone who attempted to rise against British rule was either ruthlessly crushed or faced the end of his/her political career. As such, Muslim and Hindu leadership adopted ineffective methods such as passing resolutions, taking out rallies and raising anti-British slogans. Mashriqi felt that such methods were useless and would not end the British Raj.

 

In 1930, Mashriqi resigned from his lucrative job to bring independence to the nation. Risking the lives of himself and his family, Mashriqi launched a private army called the Khaksar Movement. Enrollment in the combative and revolutionary Movement was tough; the masses were not only dispirited, but scared to risk their lives for freedom. In order to promote his mission, Mashriqi traveled in buses, tongas, or third-class compartments of trains and walked for miles at a time in poverty-stricken and rural areas. He was indistinguishable from the common people. This was a man who could have easily accepted an Ambassadorship and title of “Sir” (both of which he was offered by the British in 1920) and continued to draw a hefty salary, brushing shoulders with the British rulers and leading a life of utmost luxury. However, he chose to fight for the people instead.

 

In 1934, Mashriqi launched the Al-Islah weekly newspaper. The Times of India (August 08, 1938) wrote, “The publication of Al-Islah gave a fresh impetus to the [Khaksar] movement which spread to other regions such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran [as well as Bahrain, Burma, Ceylon, Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Yemen, and U.K].” By the late 1930s, from Peshawar to Rangoon, the private army of Khaksars had grown to millions.

 

Throughout these years, the Khaksars continued their activities, including military camps where mock wars were held using belchas (spades), swords, batons, and sometime even cannons. Many Khaksars had willingly signed pledges in blood indicating that they would lay their lives and property if necessary for the cause of freedom. The Khaksars paraded in the streets of India and spread their message against British rule, including running slides in cinemas, chalking walls, distributing pamphlets and flyers and through Al-Islah. By 1939, Mashriqi had prepared a plan to oust British rule. Later that year, he paralyzed the Government of U.P. Thereafter, Mashriqi formed a parallel government, published a plan (in Al-Islah newspaper) to divide India into 14 provinces, issued currency notes, and ordered the enrollment of an additional 2.5 million Muslim and non-Muslim Khaksars.

 

By now, the strength of the Khaksars had been revealed and the British foresaw Mashriqi taking over. Under intense pressure, the rulers began to make promises of freedom for India and started conversations with M.A. Jinnah, M.K. Gandhi, and others. The Government also took immediate action by launching an anti-Mashriqi campaign in the media; Khaksar activities and the Al-Islah journal were banned. A large number of Khaksars were mercilessly killed by police on March 19, 1940. Mashriqi, his sons, and thousands of Khaksars were arrested. Mashriqi’s young daughters received death threats and threats of abduction. Intelligence agencies were alerted. While in jail, life was made miserable for Mashriqi and the Khaksars; many individuals were kept in solitary confinement and several got life imprisonment. While their activities were banned, the Khaksar Tehrik continued operating from the underground; Al-Islah’s publishing operations were moved to other cities (Aligarh and Calcutta). To overcome censoring of mail and phone calls, they employed the use of secret codes. The Government repression brought additional uprise in the country against British rule.

 

While in jail, Mashriqi was informed that in order to obtain his release, he must announce the disbandment of the Movement; he refused and instead kept a fast unto death that made the rulers fearful of additional backlash from the public and forced them to release Mashriqi after two years in jail without a trial (strict restrictions on his movements remained after release). Thus, Mashriqi, his family, and the Khaksars refused to surrender and the rulers failed to suppress the Khaksar Tehrik.

 

Upon his release (despite restrictions on his movements), Mashriqi asked Jinnah, Gandhi, and other leaders to form a joint front and stand with him so he could end British rule. He also pushed for a Jinnah-Gandhi meeting and continued to promote Hindu-Muslim unity. However, vested interests prevented these leaders from joining hands with Mashriqi.

 

As the British continued holding talks with their favored leaders, Mashriqi continuing pushing rigorously for a revolt. In 1946, Mashriqi succeeded in bringing about a Bombay Naval Mutiny on February 18, 1946 (Al-Islah, March 08, 1946), which also prompted mutiny within the other armed forces.

 

On June 08, 1946, at the Khaksar Headquarters in Icchra (Lahore), Mashriqi addressed a gathering of Khaksars, soldiers released from the armed forces after World War II, and the soldiers of the defeated Indian National Army (INA) of Subhas Chandra Bose: “after sixteen years of unprecedented self-sacrifices, we are now ardent to reach our objective as fast as possible, and within the next few months will do anything and everything to achieve our goal” (Al-Islah June 14, 1946).

 

Final preparations for a revolt for independence took place in November 1946 at a historic Khaksar Camp in Peshawar (from November 07-10, 1946), where mock wars and military exercises were held. Mashriqi addressed a crowd of 110,000 Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and others; he shed light on the self-seeking and futile politics of Indian leaders and gave an account of the British exploitations of India’s resources. The speech sparked a sense that further abuse by the rulers would no longer be tolerated and their rule must come to an end. Thereafter, on December 01, 1946, Mashriqi distributed a pamphlet in India proclaiming:

 

“[translation] Idara-i-Aliya [Khaksar Headquarters] shall soon issue an order that in the entire India, four million [sources quote a range from 4-5 million members] Khaksars, side by side with hundreds of thousands rather millions of supporters shall march simultaneously…This moment shall dawn upon us very soon and that is why it is being ordered that a grand preparation for this historical day should commence immediately…so that British can clearly witness the day of India’s freedom…”

 

With this bold announcement, a British hold on power was no longer possible. As such, Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced a transfer of power by no later than June 1948. Mashriqi suspected that the announcement could be a ploy to divert public attention or to buy time to create dissent within the country (for example, by encouraging ongoing Muslim-Hindu riots), so that the British could justify and extend their rule.

 

To close the door on any such ploys, Mashriqi ordered 300,000 Khaksars to assemble on June 30th, 1947 in Delhi; this order put the final nail in the coffin for the British Raj. Such a huge assembly of this private army of Khaksars would enable them to take over all important installations – including radio/broadcasting stations, newspaper offices, British officials’ lodges, and government offices. Immediately following these steps, an overturn of British rule was to be announced via media. The timing of this coup d’état was fitting, as the entire nation (including the armed forces, who had already revolted against the regime) wanted an end to British rule. With this impending massive assembly of Khaksars in Delhi, the rulers saw the writing on the wall; they feared their humiliation and defeat at the hands of the Khaksars and angry masses. Moreover, the rulers could not accept a united India…and that too at the hands of Allama Mashriqi.

 

Therefore, without any other compelling reason, a transfer of power was undertaken by the British in an extraordinary rush; on June 3rd, 1947, the Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, announced a plan to partition India. Mountbatten called a hurried meeting of their selected Muslim and Hindu leaders and asked them to accept the plan immediately. The selected leaders saw power falling in the hands of Mashriqi and he becoming the champion of freedom if they did not accept the plan. Jealousy and vested interests came into play. M. K. Gandhi, Jinnah’s All-India Muslim League, and the Indian National Congress accepted the plan almost immediately. Mashriqi tried to prevent the All-India Muslim League from signing off on the plan, but was “stabbed” (The Canberra Times, Australia, June 11, 1947) on the same day that the League accepted the plan (June 09, 1947). It was obvious that the motive of this stabbing was to keep Mashriqi from stopping the partition of India (in order to have a united independence).

 

The partition plan was accepted and announced all over the world only about two weeks before the assembly of the Khaksars was to take place. Logically speaking, can it actually be called a “transfer of power”? The British handed over control of the nation in a rush because the Khaksars were on the verge of forcibly ending their rule; indeed, over 100,000 (Dawn July 02, 1947 reported “70,000 to 80,000”) Khaksars had already entered Delhi despite strict measures in place.

 

The establishments in India and Pakistan and historians overstate the role of the British’s preferred leaders, while failing to recognize the reality of what led to independence. Neither Jinnah nor Gandhi had the street power to overturn-British rule; it is for this reason that they were seeking a transfer of power, which they obtained based on the threat posed to British rule by the powerful Khaksar Movement. Historians have thus far presented history from a colonial or Pakistani/Indian state point of view, rather than based on the facts on the ground.

 

Instead of giving credit to Mashriqi, some historians provide flimsy reasons for the end of British rule. Some of the reasons they cite are:

 

(1) Gandhi’s methods and Jinnah’s constitutional fight brought freedom to India and Pakistan respectively -- this argument is neither supported by human history nor the realities on the ground, as colonial rulers do not voluntarily relinquish their power without a significant threat to their rule.

 

(2) The British fast-forwarded transfer of power and left quickly to avoid blame for the massive killings that would ensue -- this argument also does not make sense as the massive communal riots/killings began on Direct Action Day (August 16, 1946), so an early transfer of power would not have helped the rulers avoid blame. Even if we were to accept these writers’ claims, why would Lord Mountbatten then become the first Governor General of India and why would many Britishers continue to hold important positions in Pakistan and India?

 

(3) The British left India because after World War II, they became economically weak and could not keep their hold on India -- this claim does not hold water. India’s rich resources would have helped them to recover their losses from the war.

 

(4) The end of the British Raj came about because of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) -- the INA was defeated in 1945 and thereafter, Subhas Chandra Bose was not on the scene anymore (he was either killed or went into hiding as claimed).

 

The Pakistani, Indian, and United Kingdom establishments do not let the truth come out. Despite my open letters to the Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts and the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India, both countries (and the U.K.) have not declassified Mashriqi and the Khaksar Tehrik’s confiscated papers from the pre-post partition era. In order to hide the truth, Mashriqi’s role is also excluded from the educational curriculum and academic discussions everywhere. The Partition Museum in Amritsar, Lahore Museum, London Museum and others do not display Mashriqi and the Khaksar Tehrik’s artifacts.

 

Despite the current state of affairs, the ground realities speak loudly to Mashriqi’s heroic fight; without Mashriqi’s private army of Khaksars, the British rulers would not have even come to the table to discuss the freedom of the Indian sub-continent (now Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan), leave alone quit the lucrative sub-continent. As such, both countries owe their independence to Mashriqi and he is a founding father of India and Pakistan.

 

Nasim Yousaf is a biographer and grandson of Allama Mashriqi. Yousaf’s works have been published in peer-reviewed encyclopedias and academic journals (including at Harvard University and by Springer of Europe), and he has presented papers at academic conferences, including at Cornell University.

 

Copyright © 2020 Nasim Yousaf

 

Published:

 

Kashmir Images (Srinagar, Kashmir), August 22, 2020

Pakistan Link (USA), August 28, 2020

The Miracle (Canada), August 28, 2020

Brisbane Indian Times (Australia), September 12, 2020

Asian World News (United Kingdom), August 20, 2020

Isma Times (India), Aug 20, 2020

Muslim Mirror (India), August 25, 2020

New Age Islam (India), August 21, 2020

Fast Kashmir, (Kashmir), Aug 20, 2020

 

***

 

2) archive.org/details/india-pakistan-owe-their-freedom-to-a...

 

2) issuu.com/nasimyousaf

 

#AllamaMashriqi #AllamaMashriqiVirtualMuseum #KhaksarMovement #Khaksars #TwoNationTheory #Partition #PartitionofIndia #OralHistory #BritishEmpire #PakistanHistory #IndianHistory #FreedomMovement #LahoreMuseum #PartitionMuseum #AmritsarMuseum #PartitionMuseumAmritsar #Lahore #Twitter #YouTube #SocialMedia #CollectionsUnited

Bryggen has become a symbol of our cultural heritage and has gained a place on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The old Hanseatic wharf is architecturally unique and is perhaps one of the most familiar image in all of Norway.

 

Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century. Many fires, the last in 1955, have ravaged the characteristic wooden houses of Bryggen. Its rebuilding has traditionally followed old patterns and methods, thus leaving its main structure preserved, which is a relic of an ancient wooden urban structure once common in Northern Europe. Today, some 62 buildings remain of this former towns-cape. Bryggen is a significant part of the historic wooden city of Bergen.

Bryggen bears the traces of social organization and illustrates the use of space in a quarter of Hanseatic merchants that dates back to the 14th century. It is a type of northern “fondaco”, unequalled in the world, where the structures have remained within the cityscape and perpetuate the memory of one of the oldest large trading ports of Northern Europe.

 

Follow:Instragram@joys_en

Lochmühle Amusement Park has been an extraordinary and popular attraction in the Rhine-Main area for over 35 years.

 

Grown to a size of 15 hectars, the park nowadays attracts visitors from all over Germany, but still offers quiet sanctuaries even on busy days.

 

A s a former corn mill and farm the "Lochmühle" chooses to distinguish itself from larger, highly mechanised parks. Instead of having a few big rides with long waiting lines, the park relies on a broad variety in a countryside setting.

 

Guests can choose from about 150 playing and exercising items, romp along a river´s natural course or on meadows, play with indigenous animals in the petting zoo and even watch baby chicks hatch with a bit of luck. Their offer is rounded off by the possibility to picknick and barbecue in groups of all sizes.

 

Experiencing nature and animals, playing and fooling around, being able to spend time with the family and doing things together: This exciting mix and the possibility of self-development make up a combination appreciated by school classes, kindergardens and families.

 

In 2008 it is open from March 21st to October 19th. Opening hours are daily from 9 am to 6 pm. Admission is until 4:30 pm.

 

Guest up to 90 cm in height have free admission, all others typically pay 11 Euros per person, which includes free access to all the rides and attractions.

At Highcliffe Castle in Highcliffe near Christchurch, Dorset.

 

The Castle burnt down in the late 1960s. And since the late 1970s has been owned by Christchurch Borough Council, who have since restored it.

 

Highcliffe Castle is a Grade I listed building.

 

The following listing text dates to 1953. (so doesn't take into account the fire of 1967) and the restoration of 1977-1998.

 

Highcliffe Castle, Christchurch

 

ROTHESAY DRIVE

1.

5187 Highcliffe Castle

(formerly listed under

Lymington Road)

SZ 2093 13/51 14.10.53.

 

I

 

2.

The original house here was built about 1775 for the third Earl of Bute either

by Robert Adam or by Capability Brown, but it did not stand on the excat site of

the present building and was demolished in 1794. It was replaced by a nondescript

building which in its turn was demolished in 1830. The present Highcliffe Castle

was built by Lord Stuart de Rothesay in 1830-34. The architect was W J Donthorne

who collaborated with Lord Stuart de Rothesay. The design incorporated materials

from the Hotel des Andelys near Rouen in Normandy, where Antoine de Bourbon, the

father of Henri IV died in 1562. Lord Stuart de Rothesay when returning to England

on his retirement from the British Embassy in Paris in 1830, saw the house being

demolished, bought it and had it shipped down the Scine and across to this site,

where it was re-erected.

The building forms a large L. It is built of rosy-tinged ashlar and has 2 storeys

and basement. The north or entrance front is dominated by the great Gothic porte

cochere archway at least 30 ft high flanked by ribbed octagonal buttresses with

a gable between surmounted by a pierced parapet. Beneath the archway is a groined

vaulted roof an elaborate carved doorway and a tall 5-light pointed window over

it. The east wing which is to the left of this porte cochere has a terrace over

an enclosed forecourt containing the obtusely-pointed windows of the basement.

The ground floor of the wing has 5 casement windows of 3 tiers of 2 lights each

with depressed heads, the top tier of lights lighting an entresol. Cornice and

parapet above ground floor. The first floor is set back with a flat walk on the

roof of the ground floor in front of it, terminating at the east end in a rectangular

tower of 1 window with rectangular or octagonal buttress at the angles and parapet

between. Beyond the tower the ground floor only, without basement, projects and

has 6 more windows, the 3 easternmost ones in a canted bay. The west front is

made up of the hall at the north end. This has 4 buttresses and a narrow half-octagonal

oriel window at the north end, 4 lancet windows at first floor level, and a pierced

parapet surmounted by finials. At the south end of the front is a rectangular

projection at right angles, with one window on each front and parapet over with

octagonal corbel cupolas at the angles. Its west face has projecting oriel window

on ground floor and elaborate window of 2 tiers of 4 lights above. At the south

end of the south wing is an L-shaped projection on the ground floor only which

was a garden-room, or conservatory and chapel combined, Its south front is entirely

made up of windows with a huge bay in the centre approached by 7 steps. The south-east

side of the Castle shows its L-plan but the angle is partly filled in so that this

front gives somewhat the impression of 3 sides of octagon. The centre has 3 windows

with flat heads on both floors. Pierced parapet over containing the words "Suave

mari magno turbantibus aequora ventise terra magnum alterius spectare laborem"

in it. On each side of this is a tower at a slight angle to centre portion. The

east one is of 3 storeys flanked by octagmml buttresses with a 4-light window

on each floor. The west one has 2 storeys only, a round-headed archway forms a

porch on the ground floor and above the elaborate carved oriel window from the

Manoir d' Andelys in which Henri IV stood while he waited for his father Antoine

de Bourbon die. On each side of the oriel is tracery buttresses. On each side

of these east and south towers are wings of ground floor height only which are

again at an angle to the towers. These wings are alike and have 3 windows of 2

tiers of 2 lights. Pierced parapet over surmounted by finials above the angles

of the bays. All the windows in the Castle are casement windows with stone mullions

and transom. The interior contains French C18 panelling marble chimney-pieces.

The chief feature of the interior is the hall (the double staircase has now been

removed). This formerly led from the hall to the principal bedroom, in which the

Emperor William II of Germany slept when he rented the house during his "rest-cure"

in 1907.

  

Listing NGR: SZ2030693208

  

Entrance / way in.

Kathakali (Malayalam: കഥകളി, kathakaḷi; Sanskrit: कथाकळिः, kathākaḷiḥ) is a stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.

 

HISTORY

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'.

 

Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called 'Manipravaalam'), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience.

 

As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to Nritham, Nrithyam and Natyam.

 

KATHAKALI PLAYS

Traditionally there are 101 classical Kathakali stories, though the commonly staged among them these days total less than one-third that number. Almost all of them were initially composed to last a whole night. Nowadays, there is increasing popularity for concise, or oftener select, versions of stories so as the performance lasts not more than three to four hours from evening. Thus, many stories find stage presentation in parts rather than totality. And the selection is based on criteria like choreographical beauty, thematic relevance/popularity or their melodramatic elements. Kathakali is a classical art form, but it can be appreciated also by novices—all contributed by the elegant looks of its character, their abstract movement and its synchronisation with the musical notes and rhythmic beats. And, in any case, the folk elements too continue to exist. For better appreciation, perhaps, it is still good to have an idea of the story being enacted.

 

The most popular stories enacted are Nalacharitham (a story from the Mahabharata), Duryodhana Vadham (focusing on the Mahabharata war after profiling the build-up to it), Kalyanasougandhikam, (the story of Bhima going to get flowers for his wife Panchali), Keechakavadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali, but this time during their stint in disguise), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight, from the Mahabharata), Karnashapatham (another story from the Mahabharata), Nizhalkuthu and Bhadrakalivijayam authored by Pannisseri Nanu Pillai. Also staged frequently include stories like Kuchelavrittam, Santanagopalam, Balivijayam, Dakshayagam, Rugminiswayamvaram, Kalakeyavadham, Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Poothanamoksham, Subhadraharanam, Balivadham, Rugmangadacharitam, Ravanolbhavam, Narakasuravadham, Uttaraswayamvaram, Harishchandracharitam, Kacha-Devayani and Kamsavadham.

 

Recently, as part of attempts to further popularise the art, stories from other cultures and mythologies, such as those of Mary Magdalene from the Bible, Homer's Iliad, and William Shakespeare's King Lear and Julius Caesar besides Goethe's Faust too have been adapted into Kathakali scripts and on to its stage. Synopsis of 37 kathakali stories are available in kathakalinews.com.

 

MUSIC

The language of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam. Though most of the songs are set in ragas based on the microtone-heavy Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of plain-note rendition, which is known as the Sopanam style. This typically Kerala style of rendition takes its roots from the temple songs which used to be sung (continues even now at several temples) at the time when Kathakali was born.

 

As with the acting style, Kathakali music also has singers from the northern and southern schools. The northern style has largely been groomed by Kerala Kalamandalam in the 20th century. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, an overarching Kathakali musician of those times, was a product of the institute. His prominent disciples include Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup, Kalamandalam Gangadharan, Kalamandalam P.G. Radhakrishnan, Rama Varrier, Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri, Tirur Nambissan, Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali, Kalamandalam Haridas, Subramanian, Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan and Kalamandalam Bhavadasan. The other prominent musicians of the north feature Kottakkal Vasu Nedungadi, Kottakkal Parameswaran Namboodiri, Kottakkal P.D. Narayanan Namboodiri, Kottakkal Narayanan, Kalamandalam Anantha NarayananKalamandalam Sreekumar Palanad Divakaran, Kalanilayam Rajendran, Kolathappilli Narayanan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Narayanan Embranthiri, Kottakkal Madhu, Kalamandalam Babu Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Harish and Kalamandalam Vinod. In the south, some of whom are equally popular in the north these days, include Pathiyur Sankarankutty. Southerner musicians of the older generation include Cherthala Thankappa Panikker, Thakazhi Kuttan Pillai, Cherthala Kuttappa Kurup, Thanneermukkam Viswambharan and Mudakkal Gopinathan.

 

PERFORMANCE

Traditionally, a Kathakali performance is usually conducted at night and ends in early morning. Nowadays it isn't difficult to see performances as short as three hours or fewer. Kathakali is usually performed in front of the huge Kalivilakku (kali meaning dance; vilakku meaning lamp) with its thick wick sunk till the neck in coconut oil. Traditionally, this lamp used to provide sole light when the plays used to be performed inside temples, palaces or abodes houses of nobles and aristocrats. Enactment of a play by actors takes place to the accompaniment of music (geetha) and instruments (vadya). The percussion instruments used are chenda, maddalam (both of which underwent revolutionary changes in their aesthetics with the contributions of Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval and Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval) and, at times, edakka. In addition, the singers (the lead singer is called “ponnani” and his follower is called “singidi”) use chengila (gong made of bell metal, which can be struck with a wooden stick) and ilathalam (a pair of cymbals). The lead singer in some sense uses the Chengala to conduct the Vadyam and Geetha components, just as a conductor uses his wand in western classical music. A distinguishing characteristic of this art form is that the actors never speak but use hand gestures, expressions and rhythmic dancing instead of dialogue (but for a couple of rare characters).

 

ACTING

A Kathakali actor uses immense concentration, skill and physical stamina, gained from regimented training based on Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, to prepare for his demanding role. The training can often last for 8–10 years, and is intensive. In Kathakali, the story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or hand gestures) and by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra (the tome that deals with the science of expressions) and are classified into nine as in most Indian classical art forms. Dancers also undergo special practice sessions to learn control of their eye movements.

 

There are 24 basic mudras—the permutation and combination of which would add up a chunk of the hand gestures in vogue today. Each can again can be classified into 'Samaana-mudras'(one mudra symbolising two entities) or misra-mudras (both the hands are used to show these mudras). The mudras are a form of sign language used to tell the story.

 

The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams' (Navarasas in anglicised form) (literal translation: Nine Tastes, but more loosely translated as nine feelings or expressions) which are Sringaram (amour), Hasyam (ridicule, humour), Bhayanakam (fear), Karunam (pathos), Roudram (anger, wrath), Veeram (valour), Beebhatsam (disgust), Adbhutam (wonder, amazement), Shantam (tranquility, peace). The link at the end of the page gives more details on Navarasas.

 

One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. Most often, the make-up can be classified into five basic sets namely Pachcha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, and Minukku. The differences between these sets lie in the predominant colours that are applied on the face. Pachcha (meaning green) has green as the dominant colour and is used to portray noble male characters who are said to have a mixture of "Satvik" (pious) and "Rajasik" (dark; Rajas = darkness) nature. Rajasik characters having an evil streak ("tamasic"= evil) -- all the same they are anti-heroes in the play (such as the demon king Ravana) -- and portrayed with streaks of red in a green-painted face. Excessively evil characters such as demons (totally tamasic) have a predominantly red make-up and a red beard. They are called Red Beard (Red Beard). Tamasic characters such as uncivilised hunters and woodsmen are represented with a predominantly black make-up base and a black beard and are called black beard (meaning black beard). Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces and this semi-realistic category forms the fifth class. In addition, there are modifications of the five basic sets described above such as Vella Thadi (white beard) used to depict Hanuman (the Monkey-God) and Pazhuppu, which is majorly used for Lord Shiva and Balabhadra.

 

NOTABLE TRAINING CENTRES & MASTERS

Kathakali artistes need assiduous grooming for almost a decade's time, and most masters are products of accomplished institutions that give a minimum training course of half-a-dozen years. The leading Kathakali schools (some of them started during the pre-Independent era India) are Kerala Kalamandalam (located in Cheruthuruthy near Shoranur), PSV Natya Sangham (located in Kottakal near Kozhikode), Sadanam Kathakali and Classical Arts Academy (or Gandhi Seva Sadan located in Perur near Ottappalam in Palakkad), Unnayi Varier Smaraka Kalanilayam (located in Irinjalakuda south of Thrissur), Margi in Thiruvananthapuram, Muthappan Kaliyogam at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur district and RLV School at Tripunithura off Kochi and Kalabharathi at Pakalkkuri near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Sandarshan Kathakali Kendram in Ambalapuzha and Vellinazhi Nanu Nair Smaraka Kalakendra in Kuruvattor. Outside Kerala, Kathakali is being taught at the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi, Santiniketan at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, Kalakshetra in Chennai and Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad among others. PadmaSree Guru Chengannur Raman Pillai mostly known as 'Guru Chengannur'was running a traditional Gurukula Style approach to propagate Kathakali.

 

‘Guru Chengannur” is ever renowned as the Sovereign Guru of Kathakali. His precision in using symbols, gestures and steps were highest in the field of Kathakali. Guru Chegannur's kaththi vesham, especially the portrayal of Duryodhana enthralled the audience every time he performed. A master of the art, he found immense happiness and satisfaction in the success and recognition of his disciples.

 

Senior Kathakali exponents of today include Padma Bhushan Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Gopi, Madavoor Vasudevan Nair, Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai, Sadanam Krishnankutty, Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, FACT Padmanabhan, Kottakkal Chandrasekharan, Margi Vijayakumar, Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair, Vazhenkada Vijayan, Inchakkattu Ramachandran Pillai, Kalamandalam Kuttan, Mayyanad Kesavan Namboodiri, Mathur Govindan Kutty, Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri, Chavara Parukutty, Thonnakkal Peethambaran, Sadanam Balakrishnan, Kalanilayam Gopalakrishnan, Chirakkara Madhavankutty, Sadanam K. Harikumaran, Thalavadi Aravindan, Kalanilayam Balakrishnan, Pariyanampatta Divakaran, Kottakkal Kesavan, Kalanilayam Gopi and Kudamaloor Muralikrishnan. The late titan actor-dancers of Kathakali's modern age (say, since the 1930s) include Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Chandu Panicker, Thakazhi Guru Kunchu Kurup, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, Kavalappara Narayanan Nair, Kurichi Kunhan Panikkar, Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair, Padma Shri Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair, Mankulam Vishnu Namboodiri, Oyur Kochu Govinda Pillai, Vellinezhi Nanu Nair, Padma Shri Kavungal Chathunni Panikkar, Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Kottakkal Sivaraman, Kannan Pattali, Pallippuram Gopalan Nair, Haripad Ramakrishna Pillai, Champakkulam Pachu Pillai, Chennithala Chellappan Pillai, Guru Mampuzha Madhava Panicker, and Vaikkom Karunakaran.

 

Kathakali is still hugely a male domain but, since the 1970s, females too have made entry into the art form on a recognisable scale. The central Kerala temple town of Tripunithura has, in fact, a ladies troupe (with members belonging to several part of the state) that performs Kathakali, by and large in Travancore.

 

KATHAKALI STYLES

Known as Sampradäyaṃ(Malayalam: സമ്പ്രദായം); these are leading Kathakali styles that differ from each other in subtleties like choreographic profile, position of hand gestures and stress on dance than drama and vice versa. Some of the major original kathakali styles included:

 

Vettathu Sampradayam

Kalladikkodan Sampradyam

Kaplingadu Sampradayam

 

Of late, these have narrowed down to the northern (Kalluvazhi) and southern (Thekkan) styles. It was largely developed by the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon (1881-1949) that is implemented in Kerala Kalamandalam (though it has also a department that teaches the southern style), Sadanam, RLV and Kottakkal. Margi has its training largely based on the Thekkan style, known for its stress on drama and part-realistic techniques. Kalanilayam, effectively, churns out students with a mix of both styles.

 

OTHER FORMS OD DANCE & OFFSHOOTS

Kerala Natanam is a kind of dance form, partly based on Kathakali techniques and aesthetics, developed and stylised by the late dancer Guru Gopinath in the mid-20th century. Kathakali also finds portrayal in Malayalam feature films like Vanaprastham, Parinayam, Marattam, and Rangam. Besides documentary films have also been shot on Kathakali artistes like Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Kalamandalam Gopi and Kottakkal Sivaraman.

 

As for fictional literature, Kathakali finds mention in several Malayalam short stories like Karmen (by N.S. Madhavan) and novels like Keshabharam (by P.V. Sreevalsan). Even the Indo-Anglian work like Arundhati Roy's Booker prize-winning The God of Small Things has a chapter on Kathakali, while, of late, Anita Nair's novel, Mistress, is entirely wrapped in the ethos of Kathakali.

 

Similar musical theater is popular in Kasaragod and the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, viz. Yakshagana. Though Yakshagana resembles Kathakali in terms of its costume and makeup to an extent, Yakshagana is markedly different from Kathakali as it involves dialogues and method acting also the narration is in Kannada, wherein philosophical debates are also possible within framework of the character. As per records the art form of Yakshagana was already rooted and well established at the time of Sri Manavedan Raja. There is possibilities of its significant influence in formation of Kathakkali as the troupe of performers of "Krishnanattam" designed the basic costume of the art form already established in other parts of south India including Males playing the female roles (until more recently).

 

Kottayam thamburan's way of presenting kathakali was later known as Kalladikkoden sambradayam. Chathu Paniker,the introducer of Kallikkoden Sambrathayam, stayed in Kottayam for five years with Kottayam Thamburan's residence and practiced Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam. Then he returned to his home place. After a short period Chathu Paniker reached Pulapatta as instructed by Kuthiravattath nair. That was around the year ME 865. Many deciples from Kadathanadu, Kurumbra nadu, Vettathu nadu, Palakkadu and Perumpadappu studied kathakali(Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam ) By that time Chathu Paniker was an old man. Some years later he died from Pulapatta.

 

NOTED KATHAKALI VILLAGES & BELTS

There are certain pockets in Kerala that have given birth to many Kathakali artistes over the years. If they can be called Kathakali villages (or some of them, these days, towns), here are some of them: Vellinezhi, Kuruvattoor, Karalmanna, Cherpulassery, Kothachira, peringode, sreekrishnapuram Kongad and Ottapalam in Palakkad district, Vazhenkada in Malappuram district, Thichur or Tichoor, Guruvayur, Thiruvilwamala and Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district, Tripunithura, Edappally, Thekkan Chittoor in Ernakulam district and Kuttanad, Harippad belt in Alappuzha district besides places in and around Thiruvanathapuram in south Travancore and Payyannur in north Malabar.

 

AWARDS FOR KATHAKALI ARTISTS

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardees - Kathakali (1956–2005)

Nambeesan Smaraka Awards—For artistic performances related kathakali{1992-2008}

 

KATHAKALI ATTAMS (ELAKI ATTAMS)

Attams or more specifically "elaki attams" are sequences of acting within a story acted out with the help of mudras without support from vocal music. The actor has the freedom to change the script to suit his own individual preferences. The actor will be supported ably by Chenda, Maddalam, and Elathalam (compulsory), Chengila (not very compulsory).

 

The following are only some examples. 'Kailasa Udharanam' and 'Tapas Attam' are very important attams and these are described at the end. Two of the many references are Kathakali Prakaram, pages 95 to 142 by Pannisheri Nanu Pillai and Kathakaliyile Manodharmangal by Chavara Appukuttan Pillai.

 

VANA VARNANA: BHIMA IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKA

Modern man looks at the forest, indeed the birthplace of primates, with a certain wonder and a certain respect. Kathakali characters are no exception.

 

When Pandavas were living in the forest, one day, a flower, not seen before, wafted by the wind, comes and falls at the feet of Panchali. Exhilarated by its beauty and smell, Panchali asks Bhima to bring her more such flowers. To her pleasure Bhima is ready to go at once. But Panchali asks him what he shall do for food and drink on the way. Bhima thinks and says "Food and Drink! Oh, this side glance (look) of yours. This look of longing. This look of anticipation. The very thought fills me up. I don't need any food and drink at all. Let me go." He takes his mace and off he goes. Ulsaham (enthusiasm) is his Sdhayi Bhavam (permanent feature).

 

"Let me go at once in search of this flower," says Bhima. "The scented wind is blowing from the southern side. Let me go that way." After walking some distance he sees a huge mountain called Gandhamadana and three ways. He decides to take the middle one which goes over the mountain. After going further "The forest is getting thicker. Big trees, big branches in all directions. The forest looks like a huge dark vessel into which even light can not penetrate. This is my (Bhima's) way. Nothing can hinder me." So saying he pulls down many trees. Sometimes he shatters the trees with his mace. Suddenly he sees an elephant. "Oh! Elephant." He describes it. Its trunk. Sharp ears.

 

The itching sensation in the body. It takes some mud and throws on the body. Oh good. Then it sucks water and throws on the body. Somewhat better. Slowly it starts dosing even though alert at times. A very huge python is approaching steadily. Suddenly it catches hold of the elephant's hind leg. The elephant wakes up and tries to disengage the python. The python pulls to one side. The elephant kicks and drags to the other side. This goes on for some time. Bhima looks to the other side where a hungry lion is looking for food. It comes running and strikes the elephants head and eats part of the brain and goes off. The python completes the rest. "Oh my god, how ruthless!" says Bhima and proceeds on his way.

 

UDYANA VARNANA: NALA IN NALACHARITHAM SECOND DAY

Descriptions of gardens are found in most dance forms of India and abroad. These are also common in Kathakali.

 

Newly married Nala and Damayanthi are walking in the garden. When Nala was lovingly looking at Damayanthi a flower falls on her. Nala is overjoyed and thinks that this is a kindness nature has shown on his wife. Nala says "On seeing the arrival of their queen, the trees and climbers are showing happiness by dropping flowers on you." He tells her, "See that tree. When I used to be alone the tree used to hug the climber and seemingly laugh at my condition." Then he looks at the tree and says, "Dear Tree, look at me now. See how fortunate I am with my beautiful wife."

 

Both wander about. A bumblebee flies towards Damayanthi. Immediately Nala protects her face with a kerchief. He looks at the bee and then at Damayanthi. He says, "On seeing your face the bee thought it was a flower and came to drink the nectar." Nala and Damayanthi listen to the sounds coming out of the garden. Damayanti says, "It appears that the whole garden is thrilled. The flowers are blooming and smiling. Cuckoos are singing and the bees are dancing. Gentle winds are blowing and rubbing against our bodies. How beautiful the whole garden looks." Then Nala says that the sun is going down and it is time for them to go back and takes her away.

 

SHABDA VARNANA: HANUMAN IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKAM

While Bhima goes in search of the flower, here Hanuman is sitting doing Tapas with mind concentrated on Sri Rama.

 

When he hears the terrible noises made by Bhima in the forest he feels disturbed in doing his Tapas. He thinks "What is the reason for this?" Then the sounds become bigger. "What is this?" He thinks, "The sounds are getting bigger. Such a terrible noise. Is the sea coming up thinking that the time is ripe for the great deluge (Pralaya). Birds are flying helter-skelter. Trees look shocked. Even Kali Yuga is not here. Then what is it? Are mountains quarreling with each other? No, That can't be it. Indra had cut off the wings of mountains so that they don't quarrel. Is the sea changing its position? No it can't be. The sea has promised it will not change its position again. It can't break the promise." Hanuman starts looking for clues. "I see elephants and lions running in fear of somebody. Oh a huge man is coming this way. Oh, a hero is coming. He is pulling out trees and throwing it here and there. Okay. Let him come near, We will see."

 

THANDEDATTAM: RAVANA IN BALI VADHAM

After his theranottam Ravana is seen sitting on a stool. He says to himself "I am enjoying a lot of happiness. What is the reason for this?" Thinks. "Yes I know it. I did Tapas to Brahma and received all necessary boons. Afterwards I won all ten directions. I also defeated my elder brother Vaishravana. Then I lifted Kailas mountain when Siva and Parvathi were having a misunderstanding. Parvathi got frightened and embraced Siva in fear. Siva was so happy he gave a divine sword called Chandrahasa. Now the whole world is afraid of me. That is why I am enjoying so much happiness." He goes and sits on the stool. He looks far away. "Who is coming from a distance. he is coming fast. Oh, it is Akamba. Okay. Let me find out what news he has for me."

 

ASHRAMA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KIRATHAM

Arjuna wants to do Tapas to Lord Siva and he is looking a suitable place in the Himalayan slopes. He comes to place where there is an ashram. Arjuna looks closely at the place. "Oh. What a beautiful place this is. A small river in which a very pure water is flowing. Some hermits are taking baths in the river. Some hermits are standing in the water and doing Tapsas. Some are facing the Sun. Some are standing in between five fires." Arjuna salutes the hermits from far. He says to himself "Look at this young one of a deer. It is looking for its mother. It seems to be hungry and thirsty. Nearby a female tiger is feeding its young ones. The little deer goes towards the tigress and pushes the young tiger cubs aside and starts drinking milk from the tigress. The tigress looks lovingly at the young deer and even licks its body as if it were its own child. How beautiful. How fulfilling."

 

Again he looks "Here on this side a mongoose and a serpent forgetting their enmity are hugging each other. This place is really strange and made divine by saints and hermits. Let me start my Tapas somewhere nearby."

 

A sloka called "Shikhini Shalabha" can be selected instead of the above if time permits.

 

AN ATTAM BASED ON A SLOKA

Sansrit slokas are sometimes shown in mudras and it has a pleasing and exhilarating effect. Different actors use slokas as per his own taste and liking. However, the slokas are taught to students during their training period. An example is given below.

 

Kusumo Kusumolpatti Shrooyathena Chathushyathe

Bale thava Mukhambuje Pashya Neelolpaladwayam

 

Meaning a flower blooming inside another flower is not known to history. But, my dear, in your lotus like face are seen two blue Neelolpala flowers (eyes).

 

A CONVERSATION BASED ON A SLOKA

Sanskrit slokas can also be used to express an intent. One such example is a sloka used by Arjuna addressed to Mathali the charioteer in Kalakeya Vadham. Sloka:

Pitha: Kushalee Mama hritha Bhujaam

Naatha Sachee Vallabha:

Maatha: kim nu Pralomacha Kushalinee

Soonurjayanthasthayo

Preethim va Kushchate Thadikshnavidhow

Cheta Samutkanuthe

Sutha: tvam Radhamashu Chodaya vayam

Dharmadivam Mathala

 

Meaning: The husband of Indrani and the lord of gods my father - Is he in good health? His son Jayantha - Is he strictly following the commands of his father? Oh, I am impatient to see all of them.

 

SWARGA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KELAKEYA VADHAM

Arjuna goes to heaven on the invitation of his father, Indra. After taking permission from Indrani he goes out to see all the places in Swarga. First he sees a building, his father's palace. It is so huge with four entrances. It is made of materials superior to gold and jewels of the world. Then he goes ahead and sees Iravatha. Here he describes it as a huge elephant with four horns. He is afraid to touch it. Then he thinks that animals in Swarga can't be cruel like in the world and so thinking he goes and touches and salutes Iravatha. He describes the churning of the white sea by gods and demons with many details and how Iravatha also came out of the white sea due to this churning.

 

He walks on and sees his father's (Indra's) horse. It is described as being white and its mane is sizzling like the waves of the white sea from which it came. He touches and salutes the horse also. Then he goes to see the river of the sky (or milky way). He sees many birds by this river and how the birds fly and play is shown.

 

Then he sees the heavenly ladies. Some are collecting flowers, and one of them comes late and asks for some flowers for making garland. The others refuse. She goes to the Kalpa Vriksha and says "please give me some flowers." Immediately a shower of flowers occurs which she collects in her clothes and goes to make garlands chiding the others. "See... I also got flowers." After this he sees the music and dance of the heavenly ladies. First it starts with the adjustments of instruments Thamburu, Mridangam, Veena. Then the actual music starts along with the striking of cymbals. Then two or three types of dances are shown. Then comes juggling of balls. It is described by a sloka thus:

 

Ekopi Thraya Iva Bhathi Kandukoyam

 

Kanthayaa: Karathala Raktharaktha:

Abhrastho Nayanamareechi Neelaneelo

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'. Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called ), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience. As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to

Bhumau Talcharana Naghamshu Gaurgaura:

 

Meaning One ball looks like three balls. When it is in the hands of the juggler, it takes the redness of the hands, when it goes up it takes the blueness of the eyes, when it strikes the ground it becomes white from the whiteness of the leg nails. Once a juggled ball falls down. Then she, the juggler, somehow manages to proceed and remarks "See.. how I can do it".

 

At one time a garment slips from a lady's body and she adjusts the cloth showing shameful shyness (Lajja). Then the ladies go in for a Kummi dance. As Arjuna was enjoying this dance, suddenly somebody calls him. Arjuna feels scared. "Oh God, where am I?" he says and beats a hasty retreat.

 

TAPAS ATTAM: RAVANA IN RAVANA ULBHAVAM

[Background: Mali, Sumali and Malyavan were three brothers ruling Sri Lanka. During a war between them and Indra, Indra requested help from Lord Vishnu and as a consequence Lord Vishnu killed Mali. Sumali and Malyavan escaped to Patala. Kaikasi was the daughter of Sumali. She wandered in the forest. She belong three boys through a great sage called Vishravassu. (Vishravassu had an earlier son called Vaishravana who became the richest among all people.) The eldest boy of Kaikasi was Ravana followed by Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana.]

 

SCENE 1

When Ravana was a young boy (Kutti Ravana vesham), one day he was sleeping on his mothers lap in a place called madhuvanam. At that time Kaikasi sees Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (mythical aeroplane). She thinks “Oh, that is Vaishravana, technically a brother of my son who is sleeping on my lap. He is rich and strong. My son is so poor and weak. While thinking thus a drop of tear from her eyes drops on Ravana’s face. Ravana suddenly wakes up and sees his mother crying. When he knew the reason he could not bear it. He says he is going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that he will be strong and rich.

 

SCENE 2

(The tapas itself is shown as a part of autobiographical narration of adult ravana)

 

Ravana (adult Ravana, not kutti Ravana) is sitting on a stool. He thinks “Why am I so happy? How did I become so rich and strong? Oh yes. It is because of the tapas I did. What made me do the tapas? When I was a young boy, one day I was sleeping on my mother’s lap in a place called Madhuvanam. A drop of tear from her eyes falls on my face. I asked her why she was crying. She said she saw Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (plane). She told me Vaishravan was a brother of mine now flying in a plane. He is rich and strong. I am so poor and weak. When I heard this comparison between me and my brother, I could not bear it. I am going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that I will be strong and rich.

 

I made five different types of fires (while doing tapas gods are approached through Agni the god of fire). Then I started my tapas. I asked my brothers to stand guard and also keep the fires burning. Then I fully concentrated on tapas. Time passed but Brahma did not appear. I looked. Why is Brahma not appearing? I doubled my concentration. Time passed. Brahma is not appearing. Still not appearing? I cut one of my heads and put it in the fire. Waited, Brahma did not come. One more head rolls. Still no Brahma comes. Heads roll and roll. No Brahma. Only one head is left. First I thought of stopping my tapas. But no! Never! That will be an insult to me and my family. It is better to die than stop. Also when I die Brahma will be judged as being partial. With great determination I swung the sword at my last neck, when, lo and behold, suddenly Brahma appeared and caught my hand. I looked at him with still un-subsided, but gradually subsiding anger. Brahma asked me what boons I wanted. I asked for a boon that I should win all the worlds and have all the wealth and fame and that I should not be killed except by man. I also asked him to give boons for my brothers.

 

In the next scene Ravana asks Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana what boons they got. Unfortunately Kumbhakarna’s tongue got twisted while asking for boon and he got ‘sleep’ instead of becoming the ‘king of gods’. Ravana laughed it off. As for Vibhishana, he being a bhaktha of Vishnu, asked for Vishnu’s blessings and got it. Ravana laughs it off and also decides to conquer all the worlds and starts preparing his grand army for the big conquest of the worlds.

 

[This method of presentation with a peculiar sequence has a tremendous dramatic affect. The main actor redoes a small part of what happened to kutti Ravana vesham, and this gives a view of the high contrast between the boy and the man Ravana. Similarly the presence of Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana in the subsequent scene offers a good smile on the face of the viewer at the end of the play.]

 

KAILASA UDDHARANAM: RAVANA IN BALI VIJAYAM

[Background and Previous scene: After receiving the boons, and widening his kingdom in all directions, Ravana lives in Sri Lanka with great pomp and splendor. One day he sees Saint Narada approaching his palace singing songs in praise of him ‘Jaya jaya Ravana, Lanka Pathe’. Happily he receives Narada and seats him next to him. After telling Narada about the victory of his son Indrajith on Indra, Ravana tells Narada “Now there is nobody on earth or other worlds who can fight with me”. To this Narada replies “ Very true indeed, but there is one huge monkey called Bali who says he can defeat you. He even said that you are just like a blade of grass to him. Well let him say what he wants. You are unbeatable.” Then Narada says ‘let us go there and see him’. Both decide to go. But Ravana takes his famous sword called “Chandrahasam”. Then Narada asks the history of this sword. Ravana’s Attam Starts.]

 

Ravana says “I received this sword from Lord Siva. It happened thus. Once when I was conquering new places and expanding my empire I happened to be going across the Kailasa mountain. The plane got stuck on the mountain unable to move forward. I got down from the plane and looked at the mountain. (Looks from one end to the other first horizontally and then vertically.) So huge it was. Then I decided to lift it with my bare hand and keep it aside and move forward. I started sticking my hands under it one by one. Then I tried to lift it. It doesn’t move. I put more force and more force. It moved just a bit. I pushed harder and harder, slowly it started moving then again and again and it moved easily. Then I lifted it up with my hands and started juggling it (exaggeration evident).

 

“At that particular time Lord Siva was quarreling with his wife Parvathi. Why did they fight? The story is as follows. Parvathi had gone for enjoying swimming and bathing in some beautiful pond. At that time Siva opened his jata (disheveled long hair) and called Ganga for some entertainment after asking Ganapathi and Subramania to go for some errands. Somehow becoming suspicious, right at that time, Parvathi came back in a hurry with wet clothes and saw Siva with Ganga. Siva was wondering what to do and it was at that time that Ravana started lifting the Kailasa. When Kailasa started shaking Parvathi got scared and ran to Siva and hugged him. So the quarrel ended and Siva was happy. “As a reward Siva called me and gave me this famous Chandrahasa sword.”

 

Then Narada and Ravana leave to meet Bali. Ravana wanted to take the sword along with him, but Narada suggested that the sword is not required for teaching a lesson to Bali who is after all an unarmed monkey.

 

WIKIPEDIA

We have been given some Prednisolone drops. I will look for some Taurine (chewables are preferred) and add them to his diet. If anyone uses Taurine please post your experience with them or message the rescue.

For those unfamiliar with Pannus here is some information on the disease.

Pannus, or chronic superficial keratitis, is a progressive inflammatory disease of the cornea. Common clinical signs include pigmentation (brown discoloration), vascularization (blood vessel in-growth) and opacification (haziness) of the cornea. These corneal changes may lead to scarring and may progress to severe visual impairment or blindness in severe cases. Active disease may result in discomfort.

CAUSE

The cause of pannus is not known, but several factors may be involved:

1. An increased incidence in certain breeds (German Shepherd dog, Labrador Retriever, Border Collie and Greyhound) suggests a genetic predisposition.

2. Ultraviolet radiation and high altitude increases the severity of the disease. Therefore, dogs living at high altitudes and low latitudes often are more severely affected with disease that is more difficult to control. It is most common in the desert southwest and the Rocky Mountain States.

3. Immunological factors are believed to contribute. Pannus is considered a form of an autoimmune disease, in which the body directs an inappropriate immune response against the tissues of the cornea.

4. Many infectious agents have been incriminated. None have been proven to play a significant role in this disease process.

SIGNS

The cardinal sign of pannus is vascular or pigment infiltration into the clear cornea, causing whitish, pink or brown discoloration. This typically starts at the outside edge of the clear cornea and extends inward. The blood vessel in-growth and pigmentation of the cornea may progress across the entire corneal surface and in extreme instances, may result in blindness.

TREATMENT

Despite intensive research efforts, no permanent cure exists. However, in the vast majority of cases, the disease progress can be halted and the condition can be managed long-term, especially if therapy is instituted early in the course of the disease. The inflammatory cell infiltrations and the vessel invasion usually are reversible with therapy, whereas the scarring and pigment depositions often are irreversible once they have occurred. The goals of therapy are to reverse active vascularization and to prevent further progression of the scarring and pigment deposition in the cornea.

There are three categories of therapy:

1.Corticosteroid therapy may be administered by intermittent injections under the conjunctiva (pink mucous membrane of the eye) and/or by continuous application of eye drops or ointments. This is the main line of defense against progression of the disease. Therapy is usually successful but must be continued lifelong. Even short periods of interrupted therapy, for example 2 to 4 weeks, may cause severe recurrence with devastating effects on the dog’s vision.

2.Topical immunomodulatory therapy in the form of cyclosporine or tacrolimus ointment or drops may improve the condition. These medications can be used in combination with corticosteroids to reduce the frequency of corticosteroid administration necessary to maintain control.

3.Surgical excision of a superficial layer from the affected area may restore vision in eyes with extensive scarring and pigmentation. This is called superficial keratectomy. Unfortunately, the post-operative recurrence rate is high and this method remains a last resort.

4.Beta-irradiation may be used when medical therapy alone is insufficient.

Potential complications associated with the use of these medications include, but are not limited to, inflammation of the pink tissue (conjunctivitis) and corneal ulceration,-corneal mineralization; some of these complications can lead to blindness if not promptly addressed.

Your awareness of your pet’s symptoms and compliance with recommendations for medication and recheck examinations help control these potential complications.

www.eyecareforanimals.com/animal-eye-conditions/canine/27...

A pulled rickshaw (or ricksha) is a mode of human-powered transport by which a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two people.

 

In recent times the use of human-powered rickshaws has been discouraged or outlawed in many countries due to concern for the welfare of rickshaw workers.

Pulled rickshaws have been replaced mainly by cycle rickshaw and auto rickshaws.

 

OVERVIEW

Rickshaws are commonly believed to have been invented in Japan in the 1860s, at the beginning of a rapid period of technical advancement.

 

In the 19th century, rickshaw pulling became an inexpensive, popular mode of transportation across Asia.

 

Peasants who migrated to large Asian cities often worked first as a rickshaw runner.

 

It was "the deadliest occupation in the East, [and] the most degrading for human beings to pursue."The rickshaw's popularity in Japan declined by the 1930s with the advent of automated forms of transportation, like automobiles and trains. In China, the rickshaw's popularity began to decline in the 1920s. In Singapore, the rickshaw's popularity increased into the 20th century. There were approximately 50,000 rickshaws in 1920 and that number doubled by 1930.

 

DESCRIPTION

The initial rickshaws rode on iron-shod wooden wheels and the passenger sat on hard, flat seats. In the late 19th century and early 20th century. Rubber or pneumatic rubber tires, spring cushions, and backrests improved the passenger's comfort. Other features, such as lights were also added.

 

In the city of Shanghai, public rickshaws were painted yellow to differentiate from the private vehicles of the wealthy citizens, which were described as:

 

... always shiny, were carefully maintained, and sported 'a spotless white upholstered double seat, a clean plaid for one's lap, and a wide protective tarpaulin to protect the passenger (or passengers, since sometimes up to three people rode together) against the rain.'

 

The rickshaws were a convenient means of travel, able to traverse winding, narrow city streets. During monsoon season, passengers might be carried out of the carriage, above the flooded streets, to the door of their arrival. They offered door-to-door travel, unlike scheduled public bus and tram service.

 

COUNTRY OVERVIEW

AFRICA

EAST AFRIKA

In the 1920s, it was used in Bagamoyo, Tanga, Tanzania and other areas of East Africa for short distances.

 

MADAGASCAR

Rickshaws, known as pousse-pousse, were introduced by British missionaries. The intention was to eliminate the slavery-associated palanquin. Its name pousse-pousse, meaning push-push, is reportedly gained from the need to have a second person to push the back of the rickshaw on Madagascar's hilly roads. They are a common form of transport in a number of Malagasy cities, especially Antsirabe, but are not found in the towns or cities with very hilly roads. They are similar to Chinese rickshaws and are often brightly decorated.

 

NAIROBI

Rickshaws operated in Nairobi in the beginning of the 20th century; pullers went on strike there in 1908.

South Africa

Durban is famous for its iconic Zulu rickshaw pullers navigating throughout the city. These colorful characters are famous for their giant, vibrant hats and costumes. There were about 2,000 registered men who pulled rickshaws in Durban in 1904; Since displaced by motorised transport, there are approximately 25 rickshaws left whom mostly cater to tourists today.

 

ASIA

CHINA

In China, from the ancient times and until the 19th century, rich and important people, when traveling overland, were commonly transported in sedan chairs carried by bearers, rather than in wheeled vehicles. This was at least partly explained by road conditions. It is thought that it was from China (or East Asia in general) that sedan chair (a.k.a. "palanquin") designs were introduced into Western Europe in the 17th century. However, wheeled carts for one or two passengers, pushed (rather than pulled, like a proper rikshaw) by human servant, were attested as well.The proper rickshaw (pronounced renliche in Chinese) was first seen in China in 1886, and was used for public transportation in 1898. It was commonly called dongyangche for Japanese vehicle or "east- foreign-vehicle."

 

Rickshaw transportation was an important element in urban development in 20th century China, as a mode of transportation, source of employment and facilitation of migration for workers. According to author David Strand:

 

Sixty thousand men took as many as a half million fares a day in a city of slightly more than one million. Sociologist Li Jinghan estimated that one out of six males in the city between the ages of sixteen and fifty was a puller. Rickshaw men and their dependents made up almost 20 percent of Beijing's population.

 

Shanghai's rickshaw industry began in 1874 with 1,000 rickshaws imported from Japan. By 1914 there were 9,718 vehicles. The pullers were a large group of the city's working poor: 100,000 men pulled rickshaws by the early 1940s, up from 62,000 in the mid-1920s.Most manual rickshaws, a symbol of oppression of the working class, were eliminated in China after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

 

HOG KONG

Rickshaws were first imported to Hong Kong from Japan in 1880. They were a popular form of transport for many years, peaking at more than 3,000 in the 1920s. However, their popularity waned after World War II. No new licenses for rickshaws have been issued since 1975, and only a few old men—four as of 2009—still bear a license. It is reported that only one of them still offer rickshaw rides on The Peak, mainly for tourists.

 

INDIA

Around 1880, rickshaws appeared in India, first in Simla. At the turn of the century it was introduced in Kolkata (Calcutta), India and in 1914 was a conveyance for hire.

 

SERVICE AVAILIBILITY

Though most cities offer auto rickshaw service, hand-pulled rickshaws do exist in some areas, such as Kolkata, "the last bastion of human powered tana rickshaws". According to Trillin, most Kolkata rickshaws serve people "just a notch above poor" who tend to travel short distances. However, in a recent article by Hyrapiet and Greiner, the authors found that rickshaws also transport middle-class residents who use their services out of convenience and for short distance trips to the local marketplace. Rickshaws are used to transport goods, shoppers, and school children. It is also used as a "24 hour ambulance service."

 

Also according to Hyrapiet and Greiner, rickshaw pullers have acted as peer-educators for the Calcutta Samaritans prodving critical information on HIV/AIDS because of their access to marginalized groups within Kolkata's red light districts.

 

Rickshaws are the most effective means of transportation through the flooded streets of the monsoon season.

When Kolkata floods rickshaw business increases and prices rise.

 

The pullers live a life of poverty and many sleep under rickshaws.Rudrangshu Mukerjee, an academic, stated many people's ambivalent feelings about riding a rickshaw: he does not like about being carried in a rickshaw but does not like the idea of "taking away their livelihood."Motor vehicles are banned in the eco-sensitive zone area of Matheran, India, a tourist hill station near Mumbai so man-pulled rickshaws are still one of the major forms of transport there.

 

LEGISLATION

In August 2005, the Communist government of West Bengal announced plans to completely ban pulled rickshaws, resulting in protests and strikes of the pullers. In 2006, the chief minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, announced that pulled rickshaws would be banned and that rickshaw pullers would be rehabilitated.

 

JAPAN

There are several theories about the invention of the rickshaw. Japan historian Seidensticker wrote of the theories:

 

Though the origins of the rickshaw are not entirely clear, they seem to be Japanese, and of Tokyo specifically. The most widely accepted theory offers the name of three inventors, and gives 1869 as the date of invention.

 

Starting in 1870, the Tokyo government issued a permission for Izumi Yosuke, Takayama Kosuke, and Suzuki Tokujiro to build and sell rickshaws. By 1872, they became the main mode of transportation in Japan, with about 40,000 rickshaws in service. The rickshaw's popularity in Japan declined by the 1930s with the advent of automated forms of transportation, like automobiles and trains. After the World War II, when gasoline and automobiles were scarce, they made a temporary come-back. The rickshaw tradition has stayed alive in Kyoto and Tokyo's geisha districts only for tourists as well as in other tourist places. The tradition completely disappeared once, but a few people revived jinrikisha (human-powered rickshaws) for tourists in the 1970s-1980s and the rickshaws became popular as a tourism resource in the 2000s. The modern rickshaw men are a kind of tourist guide, who take their clients to some tourist spots and explain about them. Many of them are part-time working students and athletes who like running or exchanging cultures.

 

MALAYSIA

Rickshaws were a common mode of transport in urban areas of Malaysia in the 19th and early 20th centuries until gradually replaced by cycle rickshaws.

 

PAKISTAN

Pulled and Cycle rickshaw (qinqi) have been banned in Pakistan since November 1949. Prior to the introduction of auto rickshaws in cities, horse-drawn carriages (tongas) were a main source of public transportation.

 

SINGAPORE

Singapore had received its first rickshaws in 1880 and soon after they were prolific, making a "noticeable change in the traffic on Singapore's streets." Bullock carts and gharries were used prior to the introduction of rickshaws.Many of the poorest individuals in Singapore in the late nineteenth century were poor, unskilled people of Chinese ancestry. Sometimes called coolies, the hardworking men found pulling rickshaws was a new means of employment. Rickshaw pullers experienced "very poor" living conditions, poverty and long hours of hard work. Income remained unchanged from 1876 to 1926, about $.60 per day.Rickshaws popularity increased into the 20th century. There were approximately 50,000 rickshaws in 1920 and that number doubled by 1930. In or after the 1920s a union was formed, called the Rickshaw Association, protect the welfare of rickshaw workers.

 

NORTH AMERIKA

UNITED STATES OF AMERIKA

From A History of the Los Angeles City Market (1930-1950), pulled rickshaws were operated in Los Angeles by high school teenagers during that time period.

 

CANADA

Foot-driven rickshaws have enjoyed several decades of popularity in Halifax, Nova Scotia; in addition to providing tours of the historic Waterfront, rickshaws are also occasionally used for transportation by local residents. The city is home to the oldest rickshaw company in Canada.Rickshaws are a popular mode of transportation in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, providing tours of historical Byward Market, in the summer. Ottawa's rickshaws stay true to the traditional foot-driven rickshaw model, but feature modern sound-systems.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Everybody has a bit of interior designer inside. And with WallArt you can now set that quality to use! Because we offer a wide range of decorative wall panels with which you can create an amazing 3D effect in every room. Give it a try and discover the interior designer inside of you! www.mywallart.com

Photography has been instrumental and life-changing in helping me deal with trauma I suffered as a child. In 2024 I published my fourth photography book, and it was titled "Shooting". In 2025 I will begin sharing this story with a broader audience and hopefully working to help people suffering from trauma understand how photography, and the arts in general, can help in the healing of their trauma.

 

Not long ago I went to a store in Seymour, Indiana that my mother used to take me to when I was a young child. Seeing the entryway of the now empty storefront was moving, because I recognized the tile in the entryway and it made my mind leap back over 60 years ago.

 

I'm looking forward to what 2025 has to offer and the opportunity to use my book "Shooting" as a tool to help others recover from traumatic experiences. The book "Shooting" is a true story based on events that happened on November 28, 1961, exactly 63 years ago today.

 

Seymour, IN

2024

© James Rice, All Rights Reserved

"Yesterday the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio, safely unloaded its newest acquisition, a rare Reading Railroad “Camelback” steam locomotive #1187 constructed in 1903. It is the 23rd steam locomotive acquired for Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum’s collection, and is one of only three Camelbacks still existing, all the others being scrapped and melted down by the mid-1950s."

 

May require a good "buffing" before being put on display....

 

Photo credit: Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum

 

Badami (Kannada: ಬದಾಮಿ), formerly known as Vatapi, is a taluk in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake.

 

The name Vatapi has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agastya. There were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala. They used to kill all mendicants by tricking them in a peculiar way. The elder Ilvala would turn Vatapi into a ram and would offer its meat to the guest. As soon as the person ate the meat, Ilvala would call out the name of Vatapi. As he had a boon that whomsoever Ilvala calls would return from even the netherland,[citation needed] Vatapi would emerge ripping through the body of the person, thus killing him. Their trick worked until Sage Agastya countered them by digesting Vatapi before Ilvala could call for him, thus ending the life of Vatapi at the hands of Ilvala. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala.

 

Badami was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. It was founded in 540 AD by Pulakesi I(535-566 AD),[citation needed] an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirthivarman (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha I (598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples. The greatest among them was Pulakesi II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings but failed to capture Pallava's capital Kanchipuram.

 

The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples were sculpted mostly between the 6th and 8th centuries. The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism,[citation needed] Buddhism and Jainism. cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu,[citation needed] whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. Deep caverns with carved images of the various incarnations of Hindu gods are strewn across the area, under boulders and in the red sandstone. From an architectural and archaeological perspective, they provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.

 

The Pallavas under the king Narasimhavarman I (also called Mamalla Pallava) seized it in 642 AD. Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 AD. and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram, the capital of Pallavas [This statement needs reference]. The Rashtrakutas absorbed karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance. The later Chalukyas of Kalyani defeated them and were able to keep region from 973 AD to 1189 AD, when it was occupied by the Hoysalas.

 

Then it passed on to Vijayanagara empire, The Adil Shahis, The Savanur Nawabs, The Marathas,[citation needed] Hyder Ali. The Britishers made it part of the Bombay Presidency.

 

Badami has eighteen inscriptions, among them some inscriptions are important. The first Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script, on a hillock dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakesi I (Vallabheswara), the second is the 578 CE cave inscription of Mangalesa in Kannada language and script and the third is the Kappe Arabhatta records, the earliest available Kannada poetry in tripadi (three line) metre. one inscription near the Bhutanatha temple, on a rock, testifies to Mamalla Pallava's victory over the Chalukyas in the year 642 CE. It also has inscriptions dating back to the 12th century in Jain rock-cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha.

 

In the Karnatic music and Hamsadwani raga the Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje by the composer Mutthuswamy Deekshitar.[4] The idol of Vatapi Ganapati is now in Tiruchenkaatankudi near Thanjavur of Tamilnadu.

In 7th century, Vatapi Ganapati idol was brought from Badami (Vatapi - Chalukya capital) by Sirutondar(General of Pallavas) who defeated Chalukyas.

 

The Badami cave temples are a complex of temples located at Badami, a town in the Bagalkot District in the north part of Karnataka, India. They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya Architecture. Badami, the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka in the 6th to 8th centuries, lies at the mouth of a ravine with rocky hills on either side and a town tank in which water from the ravine flows. The town is known for its ancient cave temples carved out of the sandstone hills above.

 

The Badami cave temples are composed of four caves, all carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff in the late 6th to 7th centuries. The planning of four caves is simple. The entrance is a verandah (mukha mandapa) with stone columns and brackets, a distinctive feature of these caves, leading to a columned mandapa – main hall (also maha mandapa) and then to the small square shrine (sanctum sanctorum, garbhaghrha) cut deep into the cave.[3] The temple caves represent different religious sects. Among them, two (cave 2 and 3) are dedicated to god Vishnu, one to god Shiva (cave 1) and the fourth (cave 4) is a Jain temple. The first three are devoted to the Vedic faith and the fourth cave is the only Jain temple at Badami.

 

The cave temples date back to 600 and 700 CE. Their architecture is a blend of North Indian Nagara Style and South Indian Dravidian style. As described above each cave has a sanctum sanctorum, a mandapa, a verandah and pillars. The cave temples also bear exquisite carvings, sculptures and beautiful murals.

Important part of historical heritage at Badami cave temples are inscriptions in old Kannada script.

There is also the fifth cave temple in Badami – Buddhist temple in natural cave which can be entered only on all fours.

Harek and Ronn eliminated the last of the surviving Black Lotus. "Thanks for having my back on that one dude. Rainos shall have the day".

 

geotagged

"He's a quiet person, whether it's practice or the game,'' coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's just a worker. He's kind of like E.F. Hutton: When he speaks, everybody listens."

  

Johnson quietly has become one of the top receivers in the NFL in his six seasons with the Texans. Johnson has caught passes in 48 consecutive games and he's caught at least one pass in 82 of 83 career games. Johnson surpassed the 100-catch mark for the second time in his career.

  

Kubiak is always trying to find ways to tap into Johnson's talent.

  

"I carry a little sheet with me in the back of my pocket, I've done it for years,'' Kubiak said. "How do you get 'X' the ball, how to get 'Z' the ball, how to get 'Y' the ball. Believe me, his list is long."

  

Kubiak might appreciate Johnson's unselfishness more than his talent.

  

"The reason he is so special is because I can move him all over the place and it doesn't bother him," Kubiak said. "There are some players that you ask them to play too many spots and they get bogged down. He says, 'Where do you want me to go? I'll play inside, outside. I'll do whatever you want me to do.'"

 

As the seconds ticked down in the game and it was obvious the Texans had pulled off the upset, Johnson was among the most excited players on the field, jumping up and down and hugging teammates. Quarterback Matt Schaub, in his second season with the Texans, understands Johnson's elation.

  

"I can understand all the tough years he's been here and he can sense that times are changing and headed in the right direction with him and Chester Pitts and Petey (Faggins) and Kris Brown," Schaub said. "You can sense the excitement."

  

Johnson was the Texans' first-round pick in 2003. Pitts, Faggins and Brown are original Texans.

  

Schaub and Johnson have become a lethal pass-catch combination.

  

"He has that big-play ability, a way to spark us and to get a big catch," Schaub said. "He did that numerous times for us today. He just brings a lot of excitement and energy to our team when he goes up like he did on the go route and catches the ball over 31's (Cortland Finnigan) head.

 

"He doesn't talk much, but when he does, it's always something important and we always listen. It doesn't happen very often. We're all thankful for the guys on this team. That's the kind of bond that we have."

  

The season has been big for character building. The Texans lost their first four games after entering the season with hopes of making the playoffs.

  

"There's been a lot of frustration at the beginning of the season," Johnson said. "I've talked about it. I put that all behind me. I said to myself before that Colts game I'm going out to do whatever I have to do to help this team win.

 

"It's been a long road. I didn't think it would take this long when I first got here. We've grown and learned a lot about ourselves and now we're starting to see that we're starting to find our niche."

  

Andre Johnson was amazing enough on the field Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. He did something even more astounding in the postgame locker room: He spoke.

  

Johnson, the quiet leader of the team, caught 11 passes for a club-record 207 yards, scored one touchdown and was the driving force in the Texans' 13-12 victory that snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Titans.

  

Then, he reminded his teammates how far they'd come this season to win four games in a row for the first time in franchise history, and just how thankful they are to have each other and how far they've come together.

  

"The week after Thanksgiving everyone was talking about what they were thankful for in the chapel service," Johnson said. "It was shocking to me because other than the guys' kids or family, the first thing that came out of their mouths was this team."

 

That's what Johnson wanted to remind his teammates Sunday.

  

"I was just telling everybody about that, even the ones who weren't there (at the chapel service), I was letting them know that the guys here are thankful for their teammates," Johnson said. "I think it's been shown over the past month that guys are giving it up for the team. It's not about one guy. It's about everybody. We've been able to go out and get the job done."

  

The Texans' closeness proved a winning formula again on Sunday. After a frustrating loss to Indianapolis that could have pulled the team apart, the Texans beat Cleveland on the road, Jacksonville on Monday Night Football, the Packers in frigid Lambeau Field and now they've whipped the team with the best record in the NFL.

  

And no one gets more credit for the Texans' surge than Johnson.

   

Andre Johnson was amazing enough on the field Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. He did something even more astounding in the postgame locker room: He spoke.

  

Johnson, the quiet leader of the team, caught 11 passes for a club-record 207 yards, scored one touchdown and was the driving force in the Texans' 13-12 victory that snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Titans.

  

Then, he reminded his teammates how far they'd come this season to win four games in a row for the first time in franchise history, and just how thankful they are to have each other and how far they've come together.

  

"The week after Thanksgiving everyone was talking about what they were thankful for in the chapel service," Johnson said. "It was shocking to me because other than the guys' kids or family, the first thing that came out of their mouths was this team."

 

That's what Johnson wanted to remind his teammates Sunday.

  

"I was just telling everybody about that, even the ones who weren't there (at the chapel service), I was letting them know that the guys here are thankful for their teammates," Johnson said. "I think it's been shown over the past month that guys are giving it up for the team. It's not about one guy. It's about everybody. We've been able to go out and get the job done."

  

The Texans' closeness proved a winning formula again on Sunday. After a frustrating loss to Indianapolis that could have pulled the team apart, the Texans beat Cleveland on the road, Jacksonville on Monday Night Football, the Packers in frigid Lambeau Field and now they've whipped the team with the best record in the NFL.

  

And no one gets more credit for the Texans' surge than Johnson.

 

"He's a quiet person, whether it's practice or the game,'' coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's just a worker. He's kind of like E.F. Hutton: When he speaks, everybody listens."

  

Johnson quietly has become one of the top receivers in the NFL in his six seasons with the Texans. Johnson has caught passes in 48 consecutive games and he's caught at least one pass in 82 of 83 career games. Johnson surpassed the 100-catch mark for the second time in his career.

  

Kubiak is always trying to find ways to tap into Johnson's talent.

  

"I carry a little sheet with me in the back of my pocket, I've done it for years,'' Kubiak said. "How do you get 'X' the ball, how to get 'Z' the ball, how to get 'Y' the ball. Believe me, his list is long."

  

Kubiak might appreciate Johnson's unselfishness more than his talent.

  

"The reason he is so special is because I can move him all over the place and it doesn't bother him," Kubiak said. "There are some players that you ask them to play too many spots and they get bogged down. He says, 'Where do you want me to go? I'll play inside, outside. I'll do whatever you want me to do.'"

 

As the seconds ticked down in the game and it was obvious the Texans had pulled off the upset, Johnson was among the most excited players on the field, jumping up and down and hugging teammates. Quarterback Matt Schaub, in his second season with the Texans, understands Johnson's elation.

  

"I can understand all the tough years he's been here and he can sense that times are changing and headed in the right direction with him and Chester Pitts and Petey (Faggins) and Kris Brown," Schaub said. "You can sense the excitement."

  

Johnson was the Texans' first-round pick in 2003. Pitts, Faggins and Brown are original Texans.

  

Schaub and Johnson have become a lethal pass-catch combination.

  

"He has that big-play ability, a way to spark us and to get a big catch," Schaub said. "He did that numerous times for us today. He just brings a lot of excitement and energy to our team when he goes up like he did on the go route and catches the ball over 31's (Cortland Finnigan) head.

 

"He doesn't talk much, but when he does, it's always something important and we always listen. It doesn't happen very often. We're all thankful for the guys on this team. That's the kind of bond that we have."

  

The season has been big for character building. The Texans lost their first four games after entering the season with hopes of making the playoffs.

  

"There's been a lot of frustration at the beginning of the season," Johnson said. "I've talked about it. I put that all behind me. I said to myself before that Colts game I'm going out to do whatever I have to do to help this team win.

 

"It's been a long road. I didn't think it would take this long when I first got here. We've grown and learned a lot about ourselves and now we're starting to see that we're starting to find our niche."

Portland,Dorset.UK

The Old Lower Lighthouse is a disused lighthouse on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. The lighthouse is situated close to the currently functioning Portland Bill Lighthouse, and found along the eastern side of Portland Bill. The lighthouse, including its boundary walls and coastguard house, became Grade II Listed in September 1978.

  

The Old Lower Lighthouse was opened on 29 September 1716 and had been rebuilt two times since, once in 1789 and again in 1869. It worked in tandem with the nearby Old Higher Lighthouse, which was built at the same time. The Old Lower Lighthouse was the first lighthouse in the world to use a true lenses. The remaining rebuilt version of the lighthouse seen today was built in 1869. Since 1961 the lighthouse has been the home of the Portland Bird Observatory.

The square has been a hub for artists since the French Revolution, attracting famous names like Picasso and Monet.

 

During the Belle Époque from 1872 to 1914, many artists lived and worked in Montmartre, where the rents were low and the atmosphere congenial. Pierre-Auguste Renoir rented space at 12 rue Cortot in 1876 to paint Bal du moulin de la Galette, showing a dance at Montmartre on a Sunday afternoon. Maurice Utrillo lived at the same address from 1906 to 1914, and Raoul Dufy shared an atelier there from 1901 to 1911. The building is now the Musée de Montmartre. Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani and other artists lived and worked in a building called Le Bateau-Lavoir during the years 1904–1909, where Picasso painted one of his most important masterpieces, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Several composers, including Erik Satie, lived in the neighbourhood. Most of the artists left after the outbreak of World War I, the majority of them going to the Montparnasse quarter.

 

Artists' associations such as Les Nabis and the Incohérents were formed and individuals including Vincent van Gogh, Pierre Brissaud, Alfred Jarry, Jacques Villon, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, Henri Matisse, André Derain, Suzanne Valadon, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Théophile Steinlen, and African-American expatriates such as Langston Hughes worked in Montmartre and drew some of their inspiration from the area.

 

The last of the bohemian Montmartre artists was Gen Paul (1895–1975), born in Montmartre and a friend of Utrillo. Paul's calligraphic expressionist lithographs, sometimes memorializing picturesque Montmartre itself, owe a lot to Raoul Dufy.

 

Among the last of the neighborhood's bohemian gathering places was R-26, an artistic salon frequented by Josephine Baker, Le Corbusier and Django Reinhardt. Its name was commemorated by Reinhardt in his 1947 tune "R. vingt-six.

 

During the 1950s, Paris continued to thrive as a hub for artistic innovation, building upon the foundations laid by the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century. The city’s art scene was characterized by a mix of established and emerging artists, galleries, and institutions.

 

La Ruche and the School of Paris

 

La Ruche, a complex of studio apartments and facilities in Montparnasse, served as a creative hub for many artists, including those associated with the School of Paris. This group, active from the 1940s to the 1970s, was known for its abstract and figurative styles, often blending elements of Cubism, Fauvism, and Surrealism. Notable artists affiliated with the School of Paris include Arthur Aeschbacher, Jean Bazaine, Leonardo Cremonini, Olivier Debré, Chu Teh-Chun, and Zao Wou-ki.

 

Photographers of the 1950s Paris

 

Several photographers, such as Sabine Weiss, Christer Strömholm, Peter Miller, and Maurice Sapiro, captured the essence of 1950s Paris through their lenses. Strömholm, a Swedish photographer, lived in Paris for extended periods between 1946 and 1964, documenting the city’s streets, walls, and shadows. Sapiro, an American-born artist, focused on painting and photography, often capturing scenes along the Seine River and in the city’s historic neighborhoods.

 

Galleries and Exhibitions

 

The 1950s saw the establishment of new galleries, such as Perrotin and Templon, which showcased the work of both established and emerging artists. The Salon de Mai, founded in 1947, continued to feature exhibitions by prominent artists, including those associated with the School of Paris. The Galerie de France, another prominent venue, hosted exhibitions that helped launch the careers of many artists.

 

Artistic Ferment

 

The post-war period brought a renewed sense of artistic ferment to Paris. The city’s art scene was characterized by a mix of traditional and avant-garde styles, as well as a growing interest in abstract art. The influx of foreign artists, including those from the United States, Great Britain, and Eastern Europe, contributed to the city’s vibrant cultural landscape.

 

Key Locations

 

Montparnasse, with its iconic La Ruche complex, remained a hub for artists, while the Left Bank, particularly the 6th and 14th arrondissements, continued to attract creatives. The Champs-Élysées and the Seine River provided popular settings for street performers, artists, and photographers. The historic neighborhoods of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Montmartre remained popular destinations for art lovers and enthusiasts.

 

Legacy

 

The 1950s Parisian art scene laid the groundwork for the city’s continued status as a global art hub. The period saw the emergence of new artistic movements, the establishment of prominent galleries and institutions, and the continued innovation of artists from around the world. Today, Paris remains a city where art, culture, and creativity thrive, building upon the foundations of the 1950s and beyond.

It has taken me 2 1/2 years to bring myself to process this. We had had such an annoying day. The hire car had given us problems the day before and we had called a mechanic out - perhaps the only person in Norway who barely speaks English. He said the car was fine. The next day it broke down. We then spent most of the day in heavy rain in Svolvaer waiting for it to be fixed so we could drive 2 hours back to Hamnoy. Driving back through the rain, not really in the mood for photography, suddenly the clouds broke ahead. I had only my compact camera on me, and it let me take two shots then the battery failed. By the time I had a new battery in the light had gone.

Has been tea stained for well worn & loved look ! Sheet mucic wings and beak. Nest of feather boa & wool with sparkly strands ! Vintage tinsel crown .

May The Fourth Be With You Promotion

Has sido mucho.

Me has enseñado como querer, de manera diferente.

Tú me enseñaste a sonreir sin taparme

la boca, y a abrazar sin mantener ningún tipo de distancia.

A contarte mis problemas, a que me ayudes a solucionarlos, a aceptarme a mí misma. Te he querido. Te quiero.

Y posiblemente, te querré.

Rwanda has launched a new facility that will invest in climate action led by the public sector on the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt. The facility, which will be managed by the Rwanda Green Fund, has been capitalised through a grant of EUR 46 million from the Federal Republic of Germany through the Rwandan-German Climate and Development Partnership.

 

Known formally as the NDC Facility, the new funding will be available to government institutions working to implement Rwanda's climate action plan, also known as the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement.

 

The NDC Facility will be housed at the Rwanda Green Fund and act as the financial driver of Rwanda’s climate action plan. It also aims to attract additional climate finance from investors and development partners looking to be part of Rwanda’s green growth journey.

 

At the event, Rwanda and Germany also signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Climate Research and Science Cooperation. The declaration will facilitate scientific exchange between Rwanda and Germany, supporting scientific analyses of the impacts of climate change.

This Image Has Recently been added to the Lensmate Canon Powershot G10/G11 Online Customer Gallery...Please visit Lensmate And Leave a comment There!!!...

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Steller's Jay Or "Miners" Jay Being Sneaky..What a punk..

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EXCLUSIVE ORSY EVENT - ♥ 25th Round has started!

CHECK THE PARTICIPANTS OF THIS ROUND!

♥ November 9th to 23st

✈ Land: www.flickr.com/photos/orsyevent/

✈ Flickr: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Source/227/191/2552

 

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The thing my mom has been dealing with this past week... is a pulmonary embolism.

 

She finally heard back from her doctor this morning after calling him again (she called Thursday and Friday and didn't get a call back). He arranged for a CT scan immediately when he heard she took a shower and got so winded this morning that it took her an hour and a half to recover. The CT scan took 10 minutes to do and 10 minutes to read and then the doctor there wanted her to be transported via ambulance to emergency but my dad insisted he'd drive her instead. They were waiting for her with wheelchairs everywhere.

 

Once she was admitted to emergency (also immediately) she had 4 doctors (including one of the best pulmonary specialists, her doctor, her heart doctor) consulting on whether or not she should be given TPA (which is a serious clot busting medication and introduces very high risks of internal bleeding) or something not as severe. They eventually decided on the TPA because she has two clots that are large and almost fully blocking both main arteries to her lungs which has put a big strain on her heart. She has to be monitored closely for internal bleeding and right now she has some pretty bad bruising and swelling at the sites of her IVs (which can't be removed for the next 6 hours due to the drug).

 

She's now in cardiac ICU (with post-operative heart patients). After that she'll be moved to a heart monitoring room for the next 5-7 days as they lessen the clotting medications in severity, take CT scans of her lungs and her legs (where most clots develop) to make sure she's out of danger. Then her doctor will try and figure out what brought all this on so they can prevent it in the future.

 

Yes, she could have died from this.

 

She's the best looking and healthiest looking patient in the cardiac ICU.

Windermere (sometimes tautologically called Lake Windermere to distinguish it from the nearby town of Windermere[a]) is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the largest Scottish lochs and Northern Irish loughs.

 

The lake is about 11 miles (18 km) in length and 1 mile (1.6 km) at its widest, has a maximum depth of 64 metres (210 ft), and has an elevation of 39 metres (128 ft) above sea level. Its outflow is the River Leven, which drains into Morecambe Bay. The lake is in the administrative council area of Westmorland and Furness and the historic county of Westmorland, with the lake forming part of the boundary between the historic counties of Westmorland and Lancashire. It has been one of the country's most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway's branch line in 1847. The Freshwater Biological Association was established on the shore of Windermere in 1929 and much of the early work on lake ecology, freshwater biology and limnology was conducted here.

 

Etymology

The word 'Windermere' is thought to translate as "'Winand or Vinand's lake'... The specific has usually been identified with an Old Swedish personal name 'Vinandr', genitive singular 'Vinandar'"... although "the personal noun is of very restricted distribution even in Sweden." Another possibility is that it refers to a "Continental Germanic personal noun, 'Wīnand'...Since this name could not have been current until the 12th century, the fact that the Old Norse genitive singular '-ar-' has been added to it, it would suggest that Old Norse was still a living language in the area at that time." Alternative spellings may be 'Wynhendermere' and 'Wynenderme' The second element is Old English 'mere', meaning 'lake' or 'pool'. It was known as "Winander Mere" or "Winandermere" until at least the 19th century.

 

Its name suggests it is a mere, a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, but despite the name this is not the case for Windermere, which in particular has a noticeable thermocline, distinguishing it from typical meres. Until the 19th century, the term "lake" was, indeed, not much used by or known to the native inhabitants of the area, who referred to it as Windermere/Winandermere Water, or (in their dialect) Windermer Watter. The name Windermere or Windermer was used of the parish that had clearly taken its name from the water. The poet Norman Nicholson comments on the use of the phrase 'Lake Windermere': "a certain excuse for the tautology can be made in the case of Windermere, since we need to differentiate between the lake and the town, though it would be better to speak of 'Windermere Lake' and Windermere Town', but no one can excuse such ridiculous clumsiness as 'Lake Derwentwater' and 'Lake Ullswater."

 

The extensive parish included most of Undermilbeck (that is, excepting Winster and the part of Crook chapelry that lay west of the Gilpin, which were part of Kirkby Kendal parish), Applethwaite, Troutbeck and Ambleside-below-Stock, that is, the part of Ambleside that lay south of Stock Beck. The parish church was at Bowness in Undermilbeck.

 

Geography

Windermere is long and narrow, like many other ribbon lakes, and lies in a steep-sided pre-glacial river valley that has become deepened by successive glaciations. The current lake was formed after the Last Glacial Maximum during the retreat of the British and Irish Ice Sheet some time between 17,000 and 14,700 years ago, just before the start of the Windermere Interstadial. The lake water was sourced from the meltwater of retreating ice in the catchment, which receded up the Troutbeck valley and up the valleys that now contain the rivers Rothay and Brathay. There were at least nine ice retreat phases, indicated by buried recessional moraines. The lake has two separate basins – north and south – with different characteristics influenced by the geology. This consists of hard volcanic rocks in the north basin and softer shales in the south.

 

The lake is drained from its southernmost point by the River Leven. It is replenished by the rivers Brathay, Rothay, Trout Beck, Cunsey Beck and several other lesser streams. The lake is largely surrounded by foothills of the Lake District which provide pleasant low-level walks; to the north and northeast are the higher fells of central Lakeland.

 

There is debate as to whether the stretch of water between Newby Bridge and Lakeside at the southern end of the lake should be considered part of Windermere, or a navigable stretch of the River Leven. This affects the stated length of the lake, which is 11.23 miles (18.07 km) long if measured from the bridge at Newby Bridge, or 10.5 miles (16.9 km) if measured from Lakeside[citation needed]. The lake varies in width up to a maximum of 1 mile (1.6 km), and covers an area of 14.73 km2 (5.69 sq mi). With a maximum depth of 66.7 m (219 ft) and an elevation above sea level of 39 m (128 ft), the lowest point of the lake bed is well below sea level.

 

There is only one town or village directly on the lakeshore, Bowness-on-Windermere, as the village of Windermere does not directly touch the lake and the centre of Ambleside is one mile (1.6 km) to the north of Waterhead. The village of Windermere is about 20 minutes' walk from Millerground, the nearest point on the lakeshore. It did not exist before the arrival of the railway in 1847. The station was built in an area of open fell and farmland in the township of Applethwaite. The nearest farm was Birthwaite, which gave its name to the station and the village that began to grow up near it. In about 1859, the residents began to call their new village by the name of Windermere, much to the chagrin of the people of Bowness, which had been the centre of the parish of Windermere for many centuries. Since 1907 the two places have been under one council and, although there are still two separate centres, the area between is largely built up, albeit bordering on woodland and open fields. Windermere railway station is a hub for train and bus connections to the surrounding areas and is 1+1⁄4 miles (2 km) from the Waterbus jetty. There is a regular train service to Oxenholme on the West Coast Main Line, where there are fast trains to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester Airport, Birmingham and London.

 

Islands

The lake contains eighteen islands. By far the largest is the privately owned Belle Isle opposite Bowness.[15] It is around a kilometre in length, and 16 hectares (40 acres).[citation needed] Its older name was Lang Holme, and 800 years ago it was the centre of the manor of Windermere and later, in effect, of a moiety of the barony of Kendal.

 

The other islands or "holmes" are considerably smaller. The word "holme" or "holm" means small island or islet and comes from Old Norse holmr (as in Stockholm). The island of Lady Holme is named after the chantry that formerly stood there and in former centuries was sometimes called St Mary Holme or just Mary Holme. The remaining islands are Bee Holme (the insular status of which depends on the water level), Blake Holme, Crow Holme, Birk or Birch Holme (called Fir Holme on Ordnance Survey maps), Grass Holme, Lilies of the Valley (East, and West), Ling Holme (a rocky hump with a few trees and a growth of ling), Hawes Holme, Hen Holme (also rocky and sometimes known as chair and Table Island from some old flags or slabs of stone that were formerly found there), Maiden Holme (the smallest island, with just one tree), Ramp Holme (variously called Roger Holme and Berkshire Island at different times in its history), Rough Holme, Snake Holme, Thompson Holme (the second largest), Silver Holme.

 

The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region and national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is primarily famous for the Cumbrian Mountains, its lake and coastal scenery, and for its literary associations with William Wordsworth and other Lake Poets, Beatrix Potter, and John Ruskin.

 

The Cumbrian mountains, or fells, include England's tallest mountains: Scafell Pike (978 m (3,209 ft)), Helvellyn (950 m (3,120 ft)), Skiddaw (931 m (3,054 ft)), and Cross Fell (893 m (2,930 ft)), which all have a topographical prominence of more than 600m. The region contains sixteen major lakes. They include Windermere, which with a length of 18 km (11 miles) and an area of 14.73 km2 (5.69 square miles) is both the longest and largest lake in England, and Wast Water, which at 79 metres (259 ft) is the deepest lake in England.

 

The Lake District National Park was established in 1951, and covers an area of 2,362 km2 (912 square miles), the bulk of the region. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

 

National Park

The Lake District National Park includes all of the central Lake District, though the town of Kendal, some coastal areas, and the Lakeland Peninsulas are outside the park boundary. The area was designated a national park on 9 May 1951, a month after the Peak District, the first UK national park. It retained its original boundaries until 2016 when it was extended by 3% in the direction of the Yorkshire Dales National Park to incorporate areas land of high landscape value around the Lune Valley.

 

The national park received 18.14 million tourist visitors in 2022. This equates to 29.15 million tourist days, counting visits of greater than three hours. It is the largest of the thirteen national parks in England and Wales and the second largest in the UK after the Cairngorms National Park. Its aim is to protect the landscape by restricting unwelcome change by industry or commerce. The area of the national park, with the exception of the 2016 extension, was designated a World Heritage Site in 2017 as a cultural landscape. This was the fourth attempt to list the park, after two attempts in the 1980s and one in 2012 failed.

 

The park is governed by the National Park Authority, which is based at offices in Kendal. It runs a visitor centre on Windermere at a former country house called Brockhole, Coniston Boating Centre, and Information Centres. The Park Authority has 20 members: six appointed by Westmorland and Furness Council, four by Cumberland Council, and ten by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.

 

Human geography

The precise extent of the Lake District was not defined traditionally, but is slightly larger than that of the National Park[citation needed], the total area of which is about 2,362 square kilometres (912 sq mi). The park extends just over 51 kilometres (32 mi) from east to west and nearly 64 kilometres (40 mi) from north to south, with areas such as the Lake District Peninsulas to the south lying outside the National Park.

 

Settlement

There are only a few major settlements within this mountainous area: the towns of Keswick, Windermere, Ambleside, and Bowness-on-Windermere are the four largest. Significant settlements close to the boundary of the national park include Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal, Ulverston, Dalton-in-Furness, Whitehaven, Workington, Cockermouth, Penrith, Millom and Grange-over-Sands; each of these has important economic links with the area. Other villages are Coniston, Threlkeld, Glenridding, Pooley Bridge, Broughton-in-Furness, Grasmere, Newby Bridge, Staveley, Lindale, Gosforth and Hawkshead. The economies of almost all are intimately linked with tourism. Beyond these are a scattering of hamlets and many isolated farmsteads, some of which are still tied to agriculture;[citation needed] others now function as part of the tourist economy.

 

Communications

Roads

The Lake District is very nearly contained within a box of trunk routes and major A roads. It is flanked to the east by the A6 road, which runs from Kendal to Penrith (though the National Park extension approved in 2015 is east of the A6); across its southern fringes by the A590, which connects the M6 to Barrow-in-Furness, and the A5092, and across its northern edge by the A66 trunk road between Penrith and Workington. The A595 (linking the A66 with the A5092) forms the park boundary from Calder Bridge to Holmrook, then crosses the coastal plain of the park until turning inland at the Whicham Valley, forming much of the park boundary again until joining the A5092 at Grizebeck.

 

Besides these, a few A roads penetrate the area itself, notably the A591 which runs north-westwards from Kendal to Windermere and then on to Keswick. It continues up the east side of Bassenthwaite Lake. "The A591, Grasmere, Lake District" was short-listed in the 2011 Google Street View awards in the Most Romantic Street category. The A593 and A5084 link the Ambleside and Coniston areas with the A590 to the south whilst the A592 and A5074 similarly link Windermere with the A590. The A592 also continues northwards from Windermere to Ullswater and Penrith by way of the Kirkstone Pass.

 

Some valleys which are not penetrated by A roads are served by B roads. The B5289 serves Lorton Vale and Buttermere and links via the Honister Pass with Borrowdale. The B5292 ascends the Whinlatter Pass from Lorton Vale before dropping down to Braithwaite near Keswick. The B5322 serves the valley of St John's in the Vale whilst Great Langdale is served by the B5343. Other valleys such as Little Langdale, Eskdale and Dunnerdale are served by minor roads. The last of these is connected with the first two by the Wrynose and Hardknott passes respectively; both of these passes are known for their steep gradients and are together one of the most popular climbs in the United Kingdom for cycling enthusiasts. A minor road through the Newlands Valley connects via Newlands Hause with the B5289 at Buttermere. Wasdale is served by a cul-de-sac minor road,[a] as is Longsleddale and the valleys at Haweswater and Kentmere. There are networks of minor roads in the lower-lying southern part of the area, connecting numerous communities between Kendal, Windermere, and Coniston.

 

Railways and ferries

The West Coast Main Line skirts the eastern edge of the Lake District and the Cumbrian Coast Line passes through the southern and western fringes of the area. A single railway line, the Windermere Branch Line, penetrates from Kendal to Windermere via Staveley. Railways once served Broughton-in-Furness and Coniston (closed to passengers in 1958) and another ran from Penrith to Cockermouth via Keswick (closed west of Keswick in 1966 and completely in 1972). Part of the track of the latter is used by the improved A66 trunk road.

 

The Cumbrian Coast line has three stations within the boundaries of the national park (and additionally Drigg, about a third of a mile from the park boundary). The line gives railway enthusiasts and others a flavour of a pre-Beeching railway line, with features like manually operated level crossing gates, as well as giving a good connection to the steam railway into Eskdale and providing access for cyclists and serious walkers to the Western Fells.

 

The narrow gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway runs from Ravenglass on the west coast up Eskdale as far as Dalegarth Station near the hamlet of Boot, catering for tourists. Another heritage railway, the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, runs between Lake Windermere and Haverthwaite, and tourists can connect at Lakeside with the boats up the lake to Bowness.

 

A vehicle-carrying cable ferry, the Windermere Ferry, runs frequent services across Windermere. There are also seasonal passenger boats on Coniston Water, Derwent Water, and Ullswater.

 

Footpaths and bridleways

There are many paths over which the public has a right of way, all of which are signposted at their origin on public roads and at some other points. Within the area of the National Park in 2012 there were 2,159 km (1,342 mi) of public footpaths, 875 km (544 mi) of public bridleways, 15 km (9 mi) of restricted byways and 30 km (19 mi) of byways open to all traffic. There is also a general "right to roam" in open country, which includes approximately 50% of the national park.

 

Many of these tracks arose centuries ago and were used either as ridge highways (such as along High Street) or as passes for travelling across the ridges between settlements in the valleys. Historically these paths were not planned for reaching summits, but more recently they are used by fell walkers for that purpose. The Coast to Coast Walk, which crosses the north of England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, traverses the national park from west to east.

 

Bridleways are intended for horse riding and walkers, with cyclists also permitted to use them. Cyclists must give way to all other bridleway users. Motor vehicles are only allowed on "byways open to all traffic" (green lanes) but in practice Traffic Regulation Orders have been brought in on several prohibiting motor traffic, although a system of permits operates on Gatesgarth Pass.

 

Land ownership

Most of the land within the national park is in private ownership, with about 55% registered as agricultural land. Landowners include:

 

Individual farmers and other private landowners, with more than half of the agricultural land farmed by the owners.

The National Trust owns around 25% of the total area (including some lakes and land of significant landscape value).

The Forestry Commission and other investors in forests and woodland.

United Utilities (owns 8%)

Lake District National Park Authority (owns 3.9%)

 

Physical geography

The Lake District is a roughly circular upland massif, deeply dissected by a broadly radial pattern of major valleys which are largely the result of repeated glaciations over the last 2 million years. The apparent radial pattern is not from a central dome, but from an axial watershed extending from St Bees Head in the west to Shap in the east. Most of these valleys display the U-shaped cross-section characteristic of glacial origin and often contain long narrow lakes in bedrock hollows, with tracts of relatively flat ground at their infilled heads, or where they are divided by lateral tributaries (Buttermere-Crummock Water; Derwent Water-Bassenthwaite Lake).[b] Smaller lakes known as tarns occupy glacial cirques at higher elevations. It is the abundance of both which has led to the area becoming known as the Lake District.

 

Many of the higher fells are rocky, while moorland predominates lower down. Vegetation cover in better-drained areas includes bracken and heather, although much of the land is boggy, due to the high rainfall. Deciduous native woodland occurs on many of the steeper slopes below the tree line, but with native oak supplemented by extensive conifer plantations in many areas, particularly Grizedale Forest in the generally lower southern part of the area. The Lake District extends to the sea to the west and south.

 

The highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike (978m/3210'), has a far-reaching view on a clear day, ranging from the Galloway Hills of Scotland, the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Snowdonia in Wales.

 

Cumbrian Mountains

Lake District is located in the Lake DistrictScafell PikeScafell PikeScafellScafellScafellScafellHelvellynHelvellynSkiddawSkiddawHigh StreetHigh StreetGrasmoorGrasmoorConiston Old ManConiston Old ManGreat GableGreat GableKendalKendalPenrithPenrithKeswickKeswickAmblesideAmblesideCockermouthCockermouthWindermereWindermereGrasmereGrasmere

 

Major fells and towns shown within the National Park

Lake District

The mountains (or 'fells') of the Lake District are known as the "Cumbrian Mountains", "Cumbrian Fells" or "Lakeland Fells". The four highest fells exceed 3,000 feet (914 m). These are:

 

Scafell Pike, 978 m (3,209 ft)

Scafell, 965 m (3,166 ft)

Helvellyn, 951 m (3,120 ft)

Skiddaw, 931 m (3,054 ft)

 

Northern Fells

The Northern Fells are a clearly defined range of hills contained within a 13 km (8 mi) diameter circle between Keswick in the southwest and Caldbeck in the northeast. They culminate in the 931 m (3,054 ft) peak of Skiddaw. Other notable peaks are Blencathra (also known as Saddleback) (868 m (2,848 ft)) and Carrock Fell. Bassenthwaite Lake occupies the valley between this massif and the North Western Fells.

 

North Western Fells

The North Western Fells lie between Borrowdale and Bassenthwaite Lake to the east and Buttermere and Lorton Vale to the west. Their southernmost point is at Honister Pass. This area includes the Derwent Fells above the Newlands Valley and hills to the north amongst which are Dale Head, Robinson. To the north stand Grasmoor, highest in the range at 852 m (2,795 ft), Grisedale Pike and the hills around the valley of Coledale, and in the far northwest is Thornthwaite Forest and Lord's Seat. The fells in this area are rounded Skiddaw slate, with few tarns and relatively few rock faces.

 

Western Fells

The Western Fells lie between Buttermere and Wasdale, with Sty Head forming the apex of a large triangle. Ennerdale bisects the area, which consists of the High Stile ridge north of Ennerdale, the Loweswater Fells in the far northwest, the Pillar group in the southwest, and Great Gable (899 m (2,949 ft)) near Sty Head. Other tops include Seatallan, Haystacks and Kirk Fell. This area is craggy and steep, with the impressive pinnacle of Pillar Rock its showpiece. Wastwater, located in this part, is England's deepest lake.

 

Central Fells

The Central Fells are lower in elevation than surrounding areas of fell, peaking at 762 m (2,500 ft) at High Raise. They take the form of a ridge running between Derwent Water in the west and Thirlmere in the east, from Keswick in the north to Langdale Pikes in the south. A spur extends southeast to Loughrigg Fell above Ambleside. The central ridge running north over High Seat is exceptionally boggy.

 

Eastern Fells

The Eastern Fells consist of a long north-to-south ridge, the Helvellyn range, running from Clough Head to Seat Sandal with the 950 m (3,118 ft) Helvellyn at its highest point. The western slopes of these summits tend to be grassy, with rocky corries and crags on the eastern side. The Fairfield group lies to the south of the range and forms a similar pattern with towering rock faces and hidden valleys spilling into the Patterdale valley. It culminates in the height of Red Screes overlooking the Kirkstone Pass.

 

Far Eastern Fells

The Far Eastern Fells refers to all of the Lakeland fells to the east of Ullswater and the A592 road running south to Windermere. At 828 m (2,717 ft), the peak known as High Street is the highest point on a complex ridge that runs broadly north-south and overlooks the hidden valley of Haweswater to its east. In the north of this region are the lower fells of Martindale Common and Bampton Common whilst in the south are the fells overlooking the Kentmere valley. Further to the east, beyond Mardale and Longsleddale is Shap Fell, an extensive area consisting of high moorland, more rolling and Pennine in nature than the mountains to the west.

 

Southern Fells

The Southern Fells occupy the southwestern quarter of the Lake District. They can be regarded as comprising a northern grouping between Wasdale, Eskdale, and the two Langdale valleys, a southeastern group east of Dunnerdale and south of Little Langdale, and a southwestern group bounded by Eskdale to the north and Dunnerdale to the east.

 

The first group includes England's highest mountains: Scafell Pike in the centre, at 978 m (3,209 ft) and Scafell one mile (1.6 km) to the southwest. Though it is slightly lower, Scafell has a 700 ft (210 m) rockface, Scafell Crag, on its northern side. This group also includes the Wastwater Screes overlooking Wasdale, the Glaramara ridge overlooking Borrowdale, the three tops of Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and Esk Pike. The core of the area is drained by the infant River Esk. Collectively these are some of the Lake District's most rugged hillsides.

 

The second group, otherwise known as the Furness Fells or Coniston Fells, have as their northern boundary the steep and narrow Hardknott and Wrynose passes. The highest are Old Man of Coniston and Swirl How which slightly exceed 800 m (2,600 ft).

 

The third group to the west of the Duddon includes Harter Fell and the long ridge leading over Whitfell to Black Combe and the sea. The south of this region consists of lower forests and knolls, with Kirkby Moor on the southern boundary. The southwestern Lake District ends near the Furness peninsula and Barrow-in-Furness, a town which many Lake District residents rely on for basic amenities.

 

Southeastern area

The southeastern area is the territory between Coniston Water and Windermere and east of Windermere towards Kendal and south to Lindale. There are no high summits in this area which are mainly low hills, knolls and limestone cuestas such as Gummer's How and Whitbarrow. Indeed, it rises only as high as 333 m (1,093 ft) at Top o' Selside east of Coniston Water; the wide expanse of Grizedale Forest stands between the two lakes. Kendal and Morecambe Bay stand at the eastern and southern edges of the area.

 

Valleys

The main radial valleys are (clockwise from the south) Dunnerdale, Eskdale, Wasdale, Ennerdale, the Vale of Lorton, and Buttermere valley, the Derwent Valley and Borrowdale, the Ullswater valley, Haweswater valley, Longsleddale, the Kentmere valley, those converging on the head of Windermere - Grasmere, Great Langdale and Little Langdale, and the Coniston Water valley. The valleys break the mountains up into blocks, which have been described by various authors in different ways. The most frequently encountered approach is that made popular by Alfred Wainwright who published seven separate area guides to the Lakeland Fells.

 

Only one of the lakes in the Lake District is called by that name, Bassenthwaite Lake. All the others such as Windermere, Coniston Water, Ullswater and Buttermere are meres, tarns and waters, with mere being the least common and water being the most common. The major lakes and reservoirs in the National Park are given below.

 

Bassenthwaite Lake

Brotherswater

Buttermere

Coniston Water

Crummock Water

Derwent Water

Devoke Water

Elter Water

Ennerdale Water

Esthwaite Water

Grasmere

Haweswater Reservoir

Hayeswater

Loweswater

Rydal Water

Thirlmere

Ullswater

Wast Water

Windermere

 

Woodlands

Below the tree line are wooded areas, including British and European native oak woodlands and introduced softwood plantations. The woodlands provide habitats for native English wildlife. The native red squirrel is found in the Lake District and a few other parts of England. In parts of the Lake District, the rainfall is higher than in any other part of England. This gives Atlantic mosses, ferns, lichen, and liverworts the chance to grow. There is some ancient woodland in the National Park. Management of the woodlands varies: some are coppiced, some pollarded, some left to grow naturally, and some provide grazing and shelter.

 

Coast

The Lake District extends to the coast of the Irish Sea from Drigg in the north to Silecroft in the south, encompassing the estuaries of the Esk and its tributaries, the Irt and the Mite. The intertidal zone of the combined estuaries includes sand, shingle and mudflats, and saltmarsh. The dune systems on either side of the estuary are protected as nature reserves; Drigg Dunes and Gullery to the north and Eskmeals Dunes[31] to the south. South of the estuary, the coast is formed in low cliffs of glacial till, sands, and gravels.

 

The district also extends to the tidal waters of Morecambe Bay and several of its estuaries alongside the Furness and Cartmel Peninsulas, designated on M6 motorway signposts as the "Lake District Peninsulas", and the southern portions of which lie outside the park. These are the Duddon Estuary, the Leven Estuary, and the western banks and tidal flats of the Kent Estuary. These areas are each characterised by sand and mudflats of scenic and wildlife interest. The coast is backed by extensive flats of raised marine deposits left when the relative sea level was higher.

 

There's no place like the Inn at Otter Crest. Here you will find an oceanfront resort hotel wth 35 acres of pristine forested and landscaped grounds, striking ocean views, nature trails, tide pools teeming with life and our own Otter Crest Beach with its ever-present Harbor Seals.

 

Our family friendly accommodations vary from single rooms to two-bedroom suites, all with private ocean view balconies and the sounds and scents of the ocean. The suites are complete with fireplaces, full kitchens and dining room tables - perfect for your family's vacation.

The Inn is nestled into an oceanside forest with acres of ancient trees, ferns, shrubs and native plants. Here you will find the best of Oregon's famous coastline with its spectacular rock formations, wild surf and pristine beaches.

 

While staying at the Inn you’ll find that many of the Oregon coast’s wonders are within walking distance. Every day our resident Harbor Seals perch on the rocks and can be viewed from many of our rooms as well as our front lawn. Whale watching at the Inn has become a popular year-around attraction since our part of the coast seems to have attracted several resident whales.

 

Harbor Seals

Trail to Beach

 

The Otter Crest tide pools are considered to be some of Oregon’s most prolific and are accessible at low tide every day. The Inn’s private stairway leads to the beach and tide pools. Otter Crest Beach is a popular place to pick up many colored pebbles and agates. A stroll southward from the stairs takes you past a small waterfall to the cave entrance of the Devil’s Punchbowl, a natural formation that can be entered at low tide.

 

Oceanfront Swimming Pool

Childrens Playground

 

Located on the Inn’s 35 acres is a landscaped children’s playground, an acre-sized grass lawn for yard games and events, a large heated outdoor swimming pool with adjoining Jacuzzi and two saunas, an outdoor tennis court, a picnic area with barbeques, and a nature preserve with ancient trees.

 

Old Growth Spruce

Nature Preserve

 

A 10 minute walk through our preserve takes you to Beverly Beach and the village of Otter Rock. Beverly Beach is a wide and pristine beach that extends from Otter Rock for 5 uninterrupted miles to the Yaquina Head light house. Surfers are present almost every day near the Otter Rock access. And it’s a great place to fly a kite.

 

Fun on Beverly Beach

Beverly Beach Treasures

 

Beverly Beach is thought to be one of the best places along the coast to pick up agates and fossils. About 15 million years ago many forms of shelled creatures were buried in the sandstone that is now exposed as cliffs along the beach. This winter an ancient stump washed in and lodged just below the Devil’s Punchbowl State Park. The snapshot shown here was taken in May. Another stump is on display at the Beverly Beach State Park about a mile south. It was carbon dated as being 4,200 years old.

 

Whale Watching

Ancient Stump

 

In Otter Rock is the Devil’s Punchbowl State Park with views into the Punchbowl, a collapsed sea cave. Whale watching is popular here and official whale watch stations are set up during the major whale migrations.

 

Flying Dutchman Fall Wine Grape Crush

Award Winning Wine

 

Otter Rock is home to the country’s western-most winery. Established in 1997 this small winery has gained national recognition for their unique method of fermenting their wines under the ocean’s salt spray. The Flying Dutchman Winery is open every day from 11 am to 6 pm during the summer months and 11 am to 5 pm the remainder of the year. Reservations for tours and barrel tasting can be made by calling 541-765-2553. See dutchmanwinery.com for more information.

 

Also in Otter Rock is an Oregon Coast icon, Mo’s Seafood Restaurant. Known for their chowder, Mo’s has been delighting seafood aficionados for many years.

 

Perhaps the most photographed attraction on the entire Oregon Coast is JoAnn’s 1934 Dodge Ice Cream and Espresso Truck. She, too, is an Otter Rock icon serving up lattes, espresso, ice cream and her ever present smile.

 

INN AT OTTER CREST 1-800-452-2101

 

www.innatottercrest.com/html/property_ma p.html

"York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. They are known variously as York City Walls, the Bar Walls and the Roman walls (though this last is a misnomer as very little of the extant stonework is of Roman origin, and the course of the wall has been substantially altered since Roman times). The walls are generally 13 feet (4m) high and 6 feet (1.8m) wide.

 

York is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in North Yorkshire, England. The population of the council area which includes nearby villages was 208,200 as of 2017 and the population of the urban area was 153,717 at the 2011 census. Located at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss, it is the county town of the historic county of Yorkshire. The city is known for its famous historical landmarks such as York Minster and the city walls, as well as a variety of cultural and sporting activities, which makes it a popular tourist destination in England. The local authority is the City of York Council, a single tier governing body responsible for providing all local services and facilities throughout the city. The City of York local government district includes rural areas beyond the old city boundaries. It is about 25 miles north-east of Leeds and 34 miles north-west of Kingston upon Hull. York is the largest settlement in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire.

 

The city was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. It became the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and later of the kingdoms of Deira, Northumbria and Jórvík. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained. In the 19th century, York became a major hub of the railway network and a confectionery manufacturing centre, a status it maintained well into the 20th century. During the Second World War, York was bombed as part of the Baedeker Blitz. Although less affected by bombing than other northern cities, several historic buildings were gutted and restoration efforts continued into the 1960s.

 

The economy of York is dominated by services. The University of York and National Health Service are major employers, whilst tourism has become an important element of the local economy. In 2016, York became sister cities with the Chinese city of Nanjing, as per an agreement signed by the Lord Mayor of York, focusing on building links in tourism, education, science, technology and culture. Today, the city is a popular tourist attraction, especially for international visitors from America, Germany, France and China. In 2017, York became UK's first human rights city, which formalised the city's aim to use human rights in decision making." - info from Wikipedia.

 

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

 

Now on Instagram.

 

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.

It seems as you wander around Eastern Colorado, there is an old school or church that has seen its last student or congregation many years past. I like this old church, on a hiltop standing as if still waiting.

Tiana has been fully deboxed. She is standing, supported by the included display stand.

 

Deboxing Tiana. I fixed the broken purse chain by using thread. It took me three tries and about 45 minutes to fix it so it didn't come loose again while posing her with the purse. I left the rubber band that secures the purse chain to her shoulder alone.

 

I received my Premiere Series Tiana doll on Friday, November 9. I had ordered her online from the Disney Store when she was released last Saturday, November 3, 2018. She is #253 of 4000. She is unusual in that her CoA number is only one greater than the Cart #252 that is on the original shipper label. All the other Premiere Series dolls so far have had an edition number 3 greater than the Cart #. The box and doll are close to perfect, except for a broken chain on her purse. I have read that this is a fairly common defect in the doll. Rather than trying to get a replacement from the Disney Store I think I will try to fix it on my own. She has a beautiful face, but the outfit is my least favorite of the series. The large yellow green cloth flower on her chest is really tacky and distracting, and covers her neck and part of her face. The neon yellow green of the skirt is also too gaudy for me, looks like a tutu, and the floral embroidery on her skirt looks childish. Her shoes are lovely, however. She is the fifth of the six doll series, with Belle being the last release in the US and Canada.

 

I show the box, and the doll with successive layers of the box removed, until the doll is in clear view. I will debox the doll soon.

 

Tiana Disney Designer Collection Premiere Series Doll - Limited Edition

US Disney Store

Released online and in store 2018-11-03

Sold out online in less than 10 minutes

Purchased online 2018-11-03

Received 2018-11-09

#253 of 4000

 

$109.95

Item No. 6003040900600P

 

The Disney Designer Collection proudly presents our Premiere Series Tiana Limited Edition Doll inspired by the fashions of 2009 when red carpet fashion presented bold contemporary looks kissed by personal style.

 

Safety

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.

 

Magic in the details

 

Please note: Purchase of this item is limited to 1 per Household.

 

The Disney Designer Collection is proud to present the Premiere Series, breathtaking collector's dolls inspired by the fashions on runways and red carpets during the year of each theatrical debut. The dolls, garments and accessories have been carefully crafted to combine a moment in fashion history with the unmistakable signature icons of our beloved Disney heroines.

 

The Princess and the Frog premiered in 2009 during a time when red carpet fashion merged with personal style to create bold, statement-making looks.

 

• Limited Edition of 4,000

• Certificate of Authenticity

• 2009 fashion-inspired designer Tiana doll

• Beautifully sculpted and highly detailed

• Delicate airbrushed cheeks

• Eyelashes

• Rooted hair, finely styled

• Tailored jacket with embroidered trims and rosette applique on shoulder

• Silken wrapped bodice

• Embroidered top skirt with floral filigree and rosette appliques

• Triple-layer tiered tulle underskirts

• Silvertone finish metal jewelry with faceted gems

• Silvertone finish metal shoulder bag

• Matching pumps with ankle straps

• Doll stand

• Deluxe display packaging with full-length picture window and dramatic skylight window

• Flocked red carpet stage

• ''Doorway'' cover opens outward with magnetic closure

• Fashion illustration graphics and metallic inks

• 2009 inspired decorative movie tickets, poster, and premiere invitations tucked inside

• Disney's The Princess and the Frog premiered in Los Angeles on November 25, 2009, followed by U.S.A. general release on December 11, 2009

• Part of the Disney Designer Collection Premiere Series

 

Please note: Not a toy. Intended for adult collectors.

 

The bare necessities

 

• Plastic / polyester / metal

• 11 1/2'' H

• Box 16 1/2'' H x 12 1/2'' W x 6'' D

• Imported

St Martin-in-the-Fields is an English Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since the medieval period. The present building was constructed in a Neoclassical design by James Gibbs in 1722–1724.

  

Roman era

 

Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave from about 410 AD.[1] The site is outside the city limits of Roman London(as was the usual Roman practice for burials) but is particularly interesting for being so faroutside, and this is leading to a reappraisal of Westminster's importance at that time. The burial is thought by some to mark a Christian centre of that time (possibly reusing the site or building of a pagan temple).

 

Medieval and Tudor

The earliest extant reference to the church is from 1222, with a dispute between the Abbot of Westminster and the Bishop of London as to who had control over it. The Archbishop of Canterbury decided in favour of Westminster, and the monks of Westminster Abbey began to use it.

 

Henry VIII rebuilt the church in 1542 to avoid plague victims from the area having to pass through his Palace of Whitehall. At this time, it was literally "in the fields", an isolated position between the cities of Westminster and London.

  

Seventeenth century

By the beginning of the reign of James I the church had become inadequate for the size of its congregation, due to the great increase in population in the area. In 1606 the king granted an acre of ground to the west of St. Martin's Lane for a new churchyard, and the building was enlarged eastwards over the old burial ground, increasing the length of the church by about half. At the same time the church was, in the phrase of the time, thoroughly "repaired and beautified". Later in the 17th century capacity was further increased with the addition of galleries. The creation of the new parishes of St Anne, Soho, and St James, Piccadilly and the opening of a chapel in Oxenden Street also relieved some of the pressure on space.

 

A number of notables were buried in this phase of the church, including Robert Boyle, Nell Gwynne and John Parkinson.

 

As it stood at the beginning of the 18th century, the church was built of brick, rendered over, with stone facings. The roof was tiled, and there was a stone tower, with buttresses. The ceiling was slightly arched, supported with what Edward Hatton described as "Pillars of the Tuscan and Modern Gothick orders". The interior was wainscotted in oak to a height of 6 ft (1.8 m), while the galleries, on the north, south and west sides, were of painted deal. The church was about 84 ft (26 m) long and 62 ft (19 m) wide. The tower was about 90 ft (27 m) high.

 

Rebuilding

A survey of 1710 found that the walls and roof were in a state of decay. In 1720, Parliament passed an act for the rebuilding of the church allowing for a sum of up to £22,000, to be raised by a rate on the parishioners. A temporary church was erected partly on the churchyard and partly on ground in Lancaster Court. Advertisements were placed in the newspapers that bodies and monuments of those buried in the church or churchyard could be taken away for reinterment by relatives.

 

The rebuilding commissioners selected James Gibbs to design the new church. His first suggestion was for a church with a circular nave and domed ceiling, but the commissioners considered this scheme too expensive. Gibbs then produced a simpler, rectilinear plan, which they accepted. The foundation stone was laid on 19 March 1722, and the last stone of the spire was placed into position in December 1724. The total cost was £33,661 including the architect's fees.

 

Present church

The west front of St Martin's has a portico with a pediment supported by a giant order of Corinthian columns, six wide. The order is continued around the church by pilasters. In designing the church, Gibbs drew upon the works of Christopher Wren, but departed from Wren's practice in his integration of the tower into the church. Rather than considering it as an adjunct to the main body of the building, he constructed it within the west wall, so that it rises above the roof, immediately behind the portico, an arrangement previously used by John James at St George, Hanover Square(1712–24), though James' steeple was much less ambitious. The spire of St Martin's rises 192 ft (59 m) above the level of the church floor.

The church is rectangular in plan, with the five-bay nave divided from the aisles by arcades of Corinthian columns. It contains galleries over both aisles and at the west end. The nave ceiling is a flattened barrel vault, divided into panels by ribs. The panels are decorated with cherubs, clouds, shells and scroll work, by Giuseppe Artari and Bagutti.

 

Until the creation of Trafalgar Square in the 1820s, Gibbs's church was crowded by other buildings. J.P. Malcolm, writing in 1807, said that the its west front "... would have a grand effect if the execrable watch-house and sheds before it were removed ..." and described the sides of the church as "... lost in courts, where houses approach them almost to contact ...".

 

The design was criticised widely at the time, but subsequently became extremely famous, being copied particularly widely in the United States. In India, St. Andrew's Church, Egmore, Madras (now Chennai) is modeled on this church.

 

Various 18th-century notables were soon buried in the new church, including the émigré sculptor Louis-François Roubiliac (who had settled in this area of London) and the furniture-maker Thomas Chippendale (whose workshop was in the same street as the church, St Martin's Lane), along with Jack Sheppard in the adjoining churchyard. This churchyard, which lay to the south of the church, was removed to make way for Duncannon Street, constructed in the 19th century to provide access to the newly created Trafalgar Square.

 

Recent times

 

Because of its prominent position, St Martin-in-the-Fields is one of the most famous churches in London. Dick Sheppard, Vicar from 1914 to 1927 who began programs for the area's homeless, coined its ethos as the "Church of the Ever Open Door". The church is famous for its work with homeless people through The Connection at St Martin, created in 2003 through the merger of two programs dating at least to 1948. The Connection shares with The Vicar's Relief Fund the money raised each year by the BBC Radio 4 Appeal's Christmas appeal.

 

The crypt houses a café which hosts jazzconcerts whose profits support the programs of the church. The crypt is also home to the London Brass Rubbing Centre, an art gallery and a book and gift shop. A life-sized marble statue of Henry Croft, London's first pearly king, was moved to the crypt in 2002 from its original site at St Pancras Cemetery.

 

In January 2006, work began on a £36-million renewal project. The project included renewing the church itself, as well as provision of facilities encompassing the church's crypt, a row of buildings to the north and some significant new underground spaces in between. The funding included a grant of £15.35 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The church and crypt reopened in the summer of 2008.

 

Twelve historic bells from St Martin-in-the-Fields, cast 1725, are included in the peal of the Swan Bells tower in Perth, Western Australia. The current set of twelve bells, cast in 1988, which replace the old ones are rung every Sunday between 9am and 10am by the St Martin in the Fields Band of Bell Ringers

  

Before embarking for the Middle East Campaign, Edmund Allenby was met by General Beauvoir de Lisle at the Grosvenor Hotel and convinced General Allenby with Bible prophecies of the deliverance of Jerusalem. He told General Allenby that the Bible said that Jerusalem would be delivered in that very year, 1917, and by Great Britain. General Beauvoir de Lisle had studied the prophecies, as he was about to preach at St Martin-in-the-Fields.

 

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Martin-in-the-Fields

War has come!...

The Roman legions occur everywhere....

They also do not stop at our holy places....

We need to grant them leave....

They burn the temple on the holy mountain....

They will pillage and kill us all!...

War has come! ....

 

Build for MiniCastleContest at classic-castle.com

 

(Tinyfigs by tanotrooperthefirst)

After Flickr has massively changed their GUI the number of photo visits per day has increased a lot. With up to almost 30,000 views per day it was easy to go from 8,000,000 to 9,000,000 in a relatively short period of time. (The "0" is related to another database issue - in reality that day had approx. 24,000 visits.)

 

So, thank you for your passion in viewing my photos! Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks for the 10,000,000th view!

 

If you want to see my collections...please follow this link:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/thomasbecker/collections

 

Not to forget...

 

Please join my Facebook fan page:

www.facebook.com/pages/Thomas-Becker-Aviation-Photography...

 

...and there is a Plane Spotting group on Facebook you should visit:

www.facebook.com/groups/planespotting/

 

Twitter: @aviationphoto

 

www.celebup.com/tech/beta-whatsapp-has-public-group-chats...

www.celebup.com/tech/beta-whatsapp-has-public-group-chats...

www.celebup.com/tech/beta-whatsapp-has-public-group-chats...

The sunshine has been a long time coming here in paisley

& here's a nice old grave yard that looks good when its light up....

 

I just found out on January 2014 I have family buried in this pretty grave yard. Awesome ;))

Then today I spotted on face book, the USA ex president Ronald Reagan briefly visited

Castlehead Church on the 20th of October 1991 where he also has relatives buried."

 

........

Canal Street Relief Church (Cameron Family Tree)

I was informed that the first burial book 1781 - 1820 disappeared many years ago. The information contained in the Gravediggers Book was copied exactly as was wrote including the spelling.

 

Lair 9

Jean Barr age 28, daughter of the deceased Hugh Barr, Cross St. 31 December 1821.

Mary Templeton age 69, or widow Barr, George St. 21 February 1828.

James Turrif age 5 (Cholera) Sneddon, 14 October 1834.

Hugh Robertson age 18 months (Adecline) Ferguslie, 30 October 1834.

Mary Robertson age 23 (Decline) Ferguslie, 6 October 1837.

John Fisher age 65, Weaver (Asma) Furgusly, 23 January 1837.

William Robertson age 75, Pinsionr (Old age) Cross St. 11 Nov 1852.

James Furie age 18 months (Tething) Cross Street, 29 December 1852.

A Child, (Bowlhive) Craigilee, 10 January 1853.

Robert Craford age 19 (Decline) West Street, 29 October 1859.

Elesebeth Barr age 73 (Decline) Queen Street, 25 September 1860. (Elesebeth was Helen Robertson.)

A still born, Canal Street, 28th December 1860.

William Robertson age 8 (Decline) Cotton Street, 29 May 1861.

John Cameron, West Street, 29 February 1864.

James Robertson age 59 (Asamah) 7 Bridge Street, Abbey, 24 Jan 1874.

  

...........

 

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=223285521178836&set=a...

 

Paisley poet Robert Tannahill

youtu.be/dQwp5pycbEs

 

Remembrance Photographer

remembrance-photographer.blogspot.co.uk/

 

david cameron photographer

contact : defiantpose@talktalk.net

 

It would be easy to look at St Augustine and not see past the belltower. What belltower I hear you ask. Well, that triple candlesnuffer thing beside the stable like entrance of the porch.

 

You see, I had forgotten how fantastic St Augustine was. I was early into the church odyssey thing back in 2009, and I was new to the whole church thing.

 

Yes, it has the belltower. Yes it has that porch with those stable doors. Yes it has that wonderful cast iron font. The church is huge, and difficult for me to judge how it evolved over the centuries.

 

Let me leave it to others to describe the church:

 

-----------------------------------------------------

 

The Church of St Augustine was constructed circa 1250 on a mound to protect it from flooding, probably on the site of a Norman church. The church is entered by the fourteenth century North door with wooden gates, the upper two were stored within the church and the lower doors were topped with spikes to prevent horses jumping the gates during Divine service. There was once a mounting block outside the church however it was removed less than 50 years ago.

 

Once through the porch you enter the North Aisle, in the western end is a closed off Chapel, near to this is the mechanism for the clock which is dedicated to the men of Brookfield who lost their lives whilst serving in World War Two, and the east end, which once housed a chapel to Blessed Virgin, is now home to an organ, installed in 1969.

 

An arcade separates the North Aisle from the Nave, at the end of this at the eastern end is a corbel carved into a face. The font can be found at the western end of the nave and is one of only thirty lead fonts in the country, it is decorated with the zodiac sings and occupations of the months. The Nave and North Aisle hold box pews, and at the eastern end of the Nave is the two tier pulpit with was once three tier, this stands besides the choir pews. Within the Chancel is the alter which stands in front of the remains of an aumbry, to the south is an early piscine and a two-seated sedilia. The arcades separating the North and South Aisles have suffered severe subsidence, the result being they both lean quite obviously. It has been said by an architect that the arcades separating the Nave and South Aisle lean so much that it is beyond the theoretical point of collapse!

 

The south aisle has had its box pews removed due to a very bad case of woodworm which now leaves room for the altar from the east end of the North Aisle and now used as the War Memorial Altar. At the western end is the Tithe Pen, this housed the weights and measures from the times when the vicar was entitled to a tithe, the complete set are now shown in a glass case and are the only remaining items of this kind in Kent. The eastern end of the South Aisle has a piscine and above this is a remarkable painting, dated from the late 1200?s and repainted in the 14th century. It depicts Thomas Becket's martyrdom. Where an altar once stood near this wall painting is now a large table tomb in memory to John Plomer who was three times Mayor of Romney.

 

Beside the church is a free standing belfry, there are many theories giving the reason for the belfry to stand upon the ground, one being that it was blown down from atop the church twice during strong winds and it was decided as it was so keen to stay on the ground then that is where it will stay. The tower holds six bells, only one being original and dated from 1450, three dated 1685 and the old tenor bell also dated 1685 was cast into two smaller bells.

 

www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4992.5;wap2

 

BROOKLAND,

 

SO called from the several brooks and waterings within the bounds of it, lies the next parish southeastward, mostly within the level of Walland Marsh, and within the jurisdiction of the justices of the county; but there are some lands, which are reputed to be within this parish, containing altogether about 124 acres, which lie in detached pieces at some distance south-eastward from the rest of it, mostly near Ivychurch, some other parishes intervening, which lands are within the level of Romney Marsh, and within the liberty and jurisdiction of the justices of it.

 

The PARISH of Brookland lies on higher ground than either Snargate or Fairfield last described, and consequently much drier. It is more sheltered with trees, and inclosed with hedges, than any of the neighbouring parishes. The village is neat and rather pleasant, considering the situation, and the houses, as well as inhabitants, of a better sort than are usually seen in the Marsh. The church stands in the middle of it. The lands towards the south are by far the most fertile, for towards Snargate they are very poor and wet, and much covered with rushes and thistles. It consists in general of marsh-land, there not being above thirty acres of land ploughed throughout the parish, which altogether contains about 1730 acres of land.

 

A fair is held here yearly on the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, or Lammas-day, being August I, for toys and pedlary.

 

The MANORS of Fairfield, Apledore, Bilsington, and Court at Wick, extend over this parish, subordinate to which is THE MANOR OF BROOKLAND, which has long since lost even the reputation of having been a manor. It was in early times the patrimony of the family of Passele, or Pashley, as they were afterwards called, whose seat was at Evegate, in Smeeth, (fn. 1) of whom Edward de Passeley is the first that is discovered in public records to have been possessed of this manor, and this appears by the inquisition taken after his death, anno 19 Edward II. Soon after which it was alienated to Reginald de Cobham, a younger branch of the Cobhams, of Cobham, whose descendants were seated at Sterborough castle, in Surry, whence they were called Cobhams, of Sterborough, and they had afterwards summons to parliament among the barons of this realm. At length Sir Thomas Cobham died possessed of it in the 11th year of king Edward IV. leaving an only daughter and sole heir, who carried it in marriage to Sir Edward Borough, of Gainsborough, in Lincolnshire, whose son and heir Thomas was summoned to parliament as lord Burgh, or as it is usually pronounced, Borough, anno 21 king Henry VIII. and left a son and heir Thomas, lord Burgh, whose lands were disgavelled by the act anno 31 Henry VIII. His son William, lord Burgh, about the 12th year of queen Elizabeth's reign, passed it away to Eversfield, of Suffex, from whom it was alienated soon afterwards to Godfrey, of Lid, at which time this estate seems to have lost its name of having been a manor. He, before the end of that reign, sold it to Wood, by whom it was again alienated in the beginning of king James I.'s reign to Mr. John Fagge, of Rye, whose descendant John Fagge, esq. of Wiston, in Suffex, was created a baronet in 1660. He had a numerous issue, of which only three sons and two daughters survived. Of the former, Sir Robert, the eldest, was his successor in title; Charles was ancestor of the present baronet, the Rev. Sir John Fagge, of Chartham; and the third son Thomas Fagge, esq. succeeded by his father's will to this estate at Brookland. His son John Meres Fagge, esq. of Glynely, in Sussex, left surviving an only daughter Elizabeth, who on his death in 1769, entitled her husband Sir John Peachy, bart-of West Dean, in Sussex, to the possession of it. He died s. p. and she surviving him, again became entitled to it in her own right, and is at this time the present owner of it.

 

There are noparochial charities.

 

BROOKLAND is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Limne.

 

The church, which is dedicated to St. Augustine, is a very large handsome building, consisting of three isles and three chancels. The steeple stands on the north side, and at some small distance from it, in which are five bells. The church is kept exceedingly neat and clean. It is cieled throughout, and handsomely pewed. In the high chancel there is a confessionary, and a nich for holy water within the altar-rails. There are several memorials in it, but none of any account worth mentioning. At the west end is a gallery, lately erected at the charge of the parish. The font is very curious, made of cast lead, having on it two ranges of emblematical figures, twenty in each range. The steeple is framed of remarkable large timber. It is built entirely of wood, of an octagon form, perpendicular about five feet from the bottom, and from thence leffening to a spire at top, in which it has three different copartments or stories, the two uppermost larger at the bottom, and projecting over those underneath them. Although there are but five bells in it, yet it has frames for several more. The whole is much out of the perpendicular leaning towards the church. In the church-yard are several tombs and gravestones for the Reads.

 

The church of Brookland was part of the antient possessions of the monastery of St. Augustine, to which it was appropriated by pope Clement V. at the request of Ralph Bourne, the abbot of it, in king Edward II.'s reign, but the abbot declined putting the bull for this purpose in force, till a more favourable opportunity. At length John, abbot of St. Augustine, in 1347, obtained another bull from pope Clement VI for the appropriation of it, and having three years afterwards obtained the king's licence for this purpose, (fn. 2) the same was confirmed by archbishop Islip in 1359, who next year endowed the vicarage of this church by his decree, by which he assigned, with the consent of the abbot and convent, and of the vicar, of the rents and profits of the church, to John de Hoghton, priest, then admitted perpetual vicar to the vicarage of it, and canonically instituted, and to his successors in future in it, a fit portion from which they might be fitly maintained and support the undermentioned burthens. In the first place he decreed and ordained, that the religious should build on the soil of the endowment of the church, at their own costs and expences, a competent mansion, with a sufficient close and garden, for the vicar and his successors, free from all rent and secular service, to be repaired and maintained from that time by the vicar for the time being; who on the presentation of the religious to be admitted and instituted by him or his successors, into the vicarage, should likewise have the great tithes of the lands lying on the other side of le Re, towards Dover, viz. beyond the bridge called Brynsete, and towards the parish churches of Brynsete, Snaves, and Ivercherche, belonging to the church of Brokelande, and likewise the tithes arising from the sheaves of gardens or orchards dug with the foot, and also all oblations made in the church or parish, and all tithes of hay, calves, chicken, lambs, pigs, geese, hens, eggs, ducks, pidgeons, bees, honey, wax, swans, wool, milkmeats, pasture, flax, hemp, garden-herbs, apples, vetches, merchandizes, fishings, fowlings, and all manner of small tithes arising from all things whatsoever. And he taxed and estimated the said portion at the annual value of eight marcs sterling, at which sum he decreed the vicar ought to contribute in future, to the payment of the tenth and all other impositions happening, of whatsoever sort. Not intending that the vicar of this church should be entitled to, or take of the issues and rents of it, any thing further than is expressed before, but that he should undergo the burthen of officiating in the same, either by himself or some other sit priest, in divine offices, and in the finding of lights in the chancel, and of bread and wine for the celebration of masses, the washing of vestments, and the reparation of the books of the church, and should nevertheless pay the procuration due to the archbishop, on his visitation. But the rest of the burthens incumbent on the church, and no ways here expressed, should belong to the abbot and convent, &c. (fn. 3) After this, the church and advowson of the vicarage of Brookland remained part of the possessions of the above monastery till the final dissolution of it, anno 30 Henry VIII. when it was, with all its revenues, surrendered into the king's hands, where this rectory and advowson staid but a short time, for the king, by his dotation charter, settled them on his newerected dean and chapter of Canterbury, part of whose possessions they continue at this time.

 

On the abolition of deans and chapters, after the death of king Charles I. this parsonage was surveyed in 1650, when it appeared that it consisted of a close of land of one acre, on which stood the parsonage barne, and other outhouses, with the tithe of corn and other profits belonging to it, estimated coibs annis at twenty four pounds, all which were by indenture, in 1635, demised for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of eight pounds, but were worth, over and above the said rent, sixteen pounds per annum, and that the lessee was to repair the premises, and the chancel of the parish church.

 

In 1384 this church or rectory appropriate was valued at 13l. 6s. 8d. but anno 31 Henry VIII. it was demised to ferme at only 8l. 3s. 4d. It is now demised on a beneficial lease by the dean and chapter, at the yearly rent of eight pounds to Mrs. Woodman, the present lessee of it. The vicarage of this church is valued in the king's books at 17l. 12s. 8½d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 15s. 3¼d. In 1587 it was valued at sixty pounds, communicants one hundred and sixtysix, and in 1640 the same, and it is now of about the same value.

 

There is a modus of one shilling per acre on all the grass-lands in this parish. The vicar is entitled to all the small tithes, subject to this modus, throughout the parish, and to the tithes of corn of those lands, being one hundred and twenty-four acres, which lie in detached pieces beyond Brenset bridge, in Romney Marsh, as mentioned before, in the endowment of this vicarage.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63502

 

A long low church with the most famous spire in Kent. This three-stage 'candle-snuffer' erection which stand son the ground instead of on a tower is the result of several enlargements of a thirteenth-century bell cage and its subsequent weatherproofing with cedar shingles. It contains a peal of six bells, the oldest of which is mid-fifteenth century in date. The spire is surmounted by a winged dragon weathervane, dating from 1797. The monster has a prominent forked tongue. The reason for the bells being hung in a cage rather than a tower is shown inside the church where the pillars of the nave have sunk into the soft ground and splayed out to north and south. The tie-beams of the roof came away from the walls and have had to be lengthened by the addition of new timber supports. The outstanding Norman font in cast lead has been fully described in Part 1. To the south of the church is a headstone incorporating the only 'Harmer Plaque' in Kent - a terracotta panel made in East Sussex where they are a common feature.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Brookland

For years now, China has been the main partner for reconstruction in Angola. Chinese companies build roads, railways, bridges, schools, and hospitals. They are also laying a fiber-optic network and training Angolan telecommunications workers. In order to sustain its booming growth, China looks for new partners providing the raw materials it needs. Chinese and angolan governments signed a cooperation agreement in 2006, providing free rates loans and other funds in exchange of angolan crude oil. Sonagol, Angola's state oil company, agreed on a long term supply of oil to China's Sinopec oil company. Indeed Angola is the first oil producer of sub-saharan Africa. In January 2007 Angola became a member of OPEC. By 2010 production is expected to double the 2006 output level with development of deep-water offshore oil fields

In the first quarter of 2008, Angola became the first supplier of oil to China.

Nevertheless, it seems the majority of the population does not benefit of this flow of cash, Angola remaining one of the poorest countries in the world, and being ranked 146 out of 162 at the Human Development Index, and with half of its population living under the poverty line.

International community (actually western countries), international organizations (like the IMF) and NGOs like Transparency International for example, criticize the financial support of China, which they accuse of being regardless of how the money is used, in one of the most corrupted countries of the world. All the more as the aid from Beijing allowed Angola to turn town a fund’s proposal from the International Monetary Fund, which would have been granted under the condition of effective monitoring of the money’s use.

 

© Eric Lafforgue

www.ericlafforgue.com

Route 489 has a short but complex history.

 

In brief, it started as a Bookham - Leatherhead - Woodbridge Tesco service, running in competition with Sunray Travel's 479; a supplementary service, creating a new link (to Tesco).

 

It was then extended to cover the whole of the Guildford - Epsom corridor, covering all of Sunray's 479 (albeit at a reduced frequency). The section to Woodbridge Tesco was kept (as a double run), and the service was also sent into the Levett Road area of Leatherhead (as another double run), replacing the 516 there.

 

When Sunray Travel collapsed, Excetera took over as main operator - using the number 479 for the full length Epsom - Guildford journeys, and 489 becoming for the Epsom - Bookham shorts. The section to Woodbridge Tesco was axed, with the 479 serving Levett Road rather than the 489.

 

Things changed again in August 2014, with all Epsom - Guildford corridor journeys being numbered 479 once more, regardless of whether they ran the full length or were Bookham shorts. The 489 went full circle, and became a Bookham - Woodbridge Tesco service, again supplementary to the 479.

 

March 2015 saw a slight routeing change at Levett Road.

 

And finally, to October 2015 - when the route was withdrawn.

 

The last day was 16th October 2015, and here we see PVL210 (S27 ETC, ex-Y801 TGH) at Levett Road - complete with two fellow Flickrites up top!

 

Last time I was here, prior to the March route change, I left wondering what on earth the change could be. This sussed it - instead of turning right here and fighting with parked cars trying to get back onto Copthorne Road, the service was changed to continue, run around Levett Road anti-clockwise, and then leave via Cressall Mead again.

 

Following the withdrawal of the 489, a handful of journeys on the 408 (run by Epsom Coaches) have been diverted around here as a replacement.

 

Levett Road, Leatherhead, Surrey.

Maybach has historic roots through the involvement of Wilhelm Maybach, who was the technical director of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) until he left in 1907. On 23 March 1909 he founded the new company, Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH (literally "Aircraft Engine Building Company"), with his son Karl Maybach as director. In 1912 they renamed it to Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH ("Maybach Engine Construction Company"). The company originally developed and manufactured diesel and petrol engines for Zeppelins, and then rail cars. The Maybach Mb.IVa was used in aircraft and airships of World War I.

Captured Maybach T3 Assault Gun (Sturmgeschütz III), made on the basis of medium tank Maybach T3 (Panzer III). National Museum of Military History (Bulgaria)

 

The company first built an experimental car in 1919, with the first production model introduced two years later at the Berlin Motor Show. Between 1921 and 1940, the company produced various classic opulent vehicles. The company also continued to build heavy duty diesel engines for marine and rail purposes. During the second world war, Maybach produced the engines for Nazi Germany's medium and heavy tanks.

 

After WW II the factory performed some repair work, but automotive production was never restarted, and some 20 years later, the company was renamed MTU Friedrichshafen. Daimler-Benz purchased the company in 1960.

 

Pre-war Models

 

1919 Maybach W1: Test car based on a BMW chassis

1921 Maybach W3: First Maybach, shown at Berlin Motor Show. Featured a 70 hp (52 kW) 5.7L inline six.

1926 Maybach W5: 7L inline six, 120 hp (89 kW)

1929 Maybach 12: V12 precursor to DS7/8

1930 Maybach DSH: Doppel-Sechs-Halbe ("half a twelve cylinder") 1930-37

1930 Maybach DS7 Zeppelin: 7L V12, 150 hp (112 kW)

1931 Maybach W6: Same engine as W5, longer wheelbase. 1931-33

1931 Maybach DS8 Zeppelin: 8L V12, 200 hp (150 kW)

1934 Maybach W6 DSG: Featuring a twin overdrive transmission system.

1935 Maybach SW35: 3.5L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1936 Maybach SW38: 3.8L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1939 Maybach SW42: 4.2L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1945 Maybach JW61: 3.8L 145 hp (108 kW) I6

 

(Wikipedia)

 

- - -

 

Der erste Maybach von 1919 war ein Prototyp, der „Wagen“ W 1, aufgebaut auf ein angekauftes Daimler-Chassis. Er trug schon die charakteristische Kühlermaske. W 2 war ein Motor. Der W 3 war 1921 der erste Serienwagen, mit Sechszylinder-Reihenmotor und angeblocktem Planetengetriebe, im Angebot als Typ 22/70 PS. Die erste Zahl bezeichnet die früheren „Steuer-PS“, eine vom Fiskus seit 1909 aus Leistung und Hubraum errechnete Kennzahl; die zweite die Motorenleistung.

 

1926 folgte W 5 als Typ 27/120 PS, der 1928 ein Schnellgang-Getriebe erhielt und daher W 5 SG hieß. 1930 kam, parallel zum „Zeppelin“, der W 6, den es ab 1934 auch mit Doppel-Schnellgang-Getriebe gab und so als W 6 DSG in den Annalen steht. Die Weiterentwicklung von 1934 war ein DSH, ein „Doppel-Sechs-Halbe“, was auf den 130 PS starken 5,2-Liter-Reihensechszylinder hinwies, eine vom „DS“-Zwölfzylinder abgeleitete, einfachere Konstruktion.

 

Die Zeppelin-DS-Modelle, von Karl Maybach 1930 erstmals offeriert und ab 1931 geliefert, gab es als Typen DS 7 und DS 8. Es waren die ersten Modelle von Maybach mit einem V-12-Motor. DS 7 bedeutet Doppel-Sechs-7-Liter. DS 8 bedeutet Doppel-Sechs-8-Liter. Der DS 7 leistete 150 PS. Der DS 8 leistete 200 PS. Er war mit einem 7922 Kubikzentimeter großen Motor ausgerüstet. Die Aufbauten lieferten Spohn und Erdmann & Rossi. Im Vergleich zum 1931 gebauten Bugatti Royale Typ 41 mit einem Preis von 100.300 Reichsmark war die Karosserie vom Zeppelin DS 8 geradezu günstig: 33.200 Reichsmark.

 

Maybach W 1, Versuchswagen, um 1919

Maybach W 3, 5,7 l Hubraum, 70 PS, ab 1921

Maybach W 5, 7 l Hubraum, 120 PS, 1926–1929

Maybach W 6, ab 1929

Maybach SW 35 (SW = Schwingachsenwagen), 3,5 l Hubraum, ab 1935 nur 50 Exemplare gebaut

Maybach SW 38, 3,8 l Hubraum, um 1936–1939

Maybach SW 42, 4,2 l Hubraum, um 1939–1941

Maybach „Zeppelin“ Sport, um 1938

Maybach „Zeppelin“ DS 8 Cabriolet, 1930–1937, sechs- bis siebensitzig

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Greater Manchester Police has launched a major operation that will see more than 50 officers a day, alongside Manchester City Council and university staff carry out a number of tactics to tackle student-related crime.

 

Statistics show that 1 in 10 students will become a victim of crime while studying in Manchester, so this operation aims to ensure the 70,000 students descending on universities across the city have a safe and enjoyable experience.

 

"Greater Manchester is a fantastic place for people to study and we want to welcome new and returning students. However, many students become so busy enjoying their new lives that they forget personal safety issues.

 

"We understand that crime prevention will not be one of their top priorities, but unfortunately some criminals do see students as easy targets. In particular, over the last three years, 16 per cent of burglaries within the city of Manchester involved students," said Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson heading up the operation.

 

"We will be doing everything in our power to prevent students becoming victims of crime by working with the universities to provide students with advice on keeping themselves and their property safe and ensuring those responsible are caught and brought to justice."

 

Over the coming months Operation Safe Return will see GMP working alongside Manchester City Council and staff at each university carrying out high-profile patrols on foot, bicycles and in vehicles, targeting the main hotspot areas.

 

Video cameras will be used to gather intelligence and known offenders of student crime will be targeted. PCSOs will be visiting the homes of students who live in vulnerable areas to carry out crime prevention surveys and provide advice.

 

Officers will also deliver face-to-face talks to welcome new students to the city and urge them to become more security savvy. While other students will be shown a DVD, including information about how to keep themselves and their property safe.

 

Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson continues: "There are some really simple steps that students can take to protect themselves becoming a victim of crime. Our advice is that while out and about, you should keep to well-lit areas, stay in groups and keep valuables such as phones and MP3 players out of sight.

 

"At your student accommodation, make sure that doors and windows are locked - even when you are in and remember to set the alarm. If you're going out at night, leave a light on to give the impression someone is home."

 

Cllr Jim Battle, Manchester City Council's Deputy Leader, said: "Manchester is a great city for students, and we want to send out a clear message that by sticking to a few simple steps, they can make sure they remain safe during their time here."

 

Posters advising students on how to stop themselves falling victim to robbery and burglary will be displayed around the university campus' and in the residential areas. Crime prevention messages will also be displayed on lamppost banners down the Oxford Road corridor.

 

Students are also encouraged to register their valuables on www.immobilise.com. It's a quick, easy and free way of logging the details of your property on a national database that police can access and compare against items that have been found or recovered from suspected criminals.

 

For more advice on keeping safe, students can log on to: www.manchester.gov.uk/StudentSafety

 

Today has felt like Summer :)

 

I went for a drive to my Grandparents farm, and found loads of daffodils scattered around.

I've been editing all afternoon, I have 19 photos that I love so far, but I will try not to fill my stream with daffodils :P

 

I've also made a new set - Spring/Summer 09 - for all these warm shots to go in :)

Hope you are all well

xxxxx

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yamaha has a number of pure sports bike in its portfolio and some bigger displacement bikes has been launched in India including Yamaha R1, Yamaha R15, Yamaha VMAX. The company intends to launch its most popular sports bike in India that is Yamaha YZF R6. This sports bike has crossed a good number of milestones on racing track. In fact, this is the dream sports for any professional biker. The bike lovers in India eagerly waiting for the launch of the Yamaha YZF R6 that can be brought anytime in India.

A machine that has both a slotted shovel-like tool to scoop ballast out of the way so new track ties can easily be slid underneath using its claw-like end.

 

This photo is from work over the weekend on the west end of the Lake Street branch of the Green Line.

  

These photos, taken in the area of the Oak Park station (in Oak Park, IL), show workers in three different areas replacing aging track ties (which are the wooden beams that the rails in this area are affixed to) and replacing them with new ones.

 

The Green Line West track rehabilitation project will provide riders between Harlem/Lake and Laramie on the Green Line a smoother, more reliable commute for years to come.

 

This project is a proactive effort to avoid the development of future slow zones in the area, which results in reduced reliability and increased travel times. The last major track renewal work along this 2.5-mile stretch of tracks occurred in the 1980s and more than 75 percent of the rail ties are approaching or have exceeded their useful life.

 

Learn more about the project at transitchicago.com/greenwest

Cambridge Terrace . Band Rotunda on the Avon..and an other legacy by Thomas Edmonds. now the Edmonds Restaurant...offers great brekki

 

the River rises from springs in the western suburbs, winds through the City and enters the estuary at the north eastern suburbs.

the Maori name for the Avon is Otakaro but was later named after the Avon River in Ayrshire, home of the Deans Brothers.

 

pretty much damaged by the Earthquake in Sept 2010 and Febr 2011

all is still cordoned off and we have not being able to see for ourselves..the Pyne Gould Building behind the Rotunda has been totally destroyed, 12 people lost their life

 

www.stuff.co.nz/4689353/Christchurch-quake-Eyewitness-acc...

  

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-20...

Macau has invested heavily to expand attractions outside of casinos – local tables now take in more than Las Vegas. The best of many museums is the hilltop Museo de Macau, which details the lively history of this formidable trading port. Exhibits range from Chinese art to a colorful collection of antique matchbooks – Macau once dominated the global trade. Best are interactive exhibits of traditional life certain to beguile children – or grown-ups. Press a button and hear the actual song of vendors, uniquely cried out as they plied their trades by pushcart through these old neighbourhoods.

Most come to Macau for the casinos, and have ever since gambling was legalised in 1847. International casinos have raised the bar with enticing new attractions. The fountain in front of the Wynn Macau (www.wynnmacau.com) draws crowds with water and fire shows every 20 minutes, while the Venetian (www.venetianmacao.com), inside one of the world’s biggest buildings, has canals with gondolas and Chinese sailing junks. The casinos are definitely worth a look, with unique Chinese games, and high-rolling gamblers. If you are travelling with kids, they won’t want to leave the Qube, an impressive indoor play area at the Venetian