Scrub habitat

 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has received a $25,000 grant from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to restore 20 acres of scrub habitat in the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area (WEA), in Highlands and Polk counties.

The three-year project will restore part of the scrub ecosystem that occurs in patches throughout the state but is concentrated along the central spine of peninsular Florida in these two counties. Sandy scrub habitat supports many native species, including endangered and threatened wildlife such as the Florida scrub-jay, gopher tortoise and Southeastern American kestrel. The work at Lake Wales Ridge WEA will involve removing invasive exotic plants and re-establishing native plants such as saw palmetto, scrub palmetto and scrub holly.

“We want to thank Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund for its $25,000 grant, an investment in restoring Florida scrub habitat in the Lake Wales Ridge WEA,” said Mike Brooks, the FWC’s Wildlife and Habitat Management section leader. “Scrub habitat is what remains of ancient sand dunes and shorelines from seas that once covered much of Florida, and it is a critical ecosystem for survival of imperiled species such as the Florida scrub-jay and gopher tortoise.”

The project will involve the local community through the volunteer efforts of the FWC’s Ridge Rangers program. Ridge Rangers will assist with growing select scrub plants in an onsite nursery/greenhouse, collecting and planting acorns and scrub palmetto berries, and setting out native scrub plants.

The long-term goal is to restore native vegetation in this area of the Lake Wales Ridge WEA to support imperiled wildlife, with the habitat maintained by use of prescribed fire to mimic the natural cycle of fire necessary to conserve this natural landscape.

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund works to protect species and habitats, and connect kids to nature to help develop lifelong conservation values. Since its founding in 1995, DWCF has supported more than 1,000 conservation programs in 112 countries. For more on Disney’s commitment to conserve nature, visit www.disney.com/conservation.

To learn about scrub habitat, go to MyFWC.com/WildlifeHabitats, and click on the “Scrub” link under “Habitat Information.”

 

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).

 

“Behind my smile is a broken heart, behind my laugh I’m falling apart. Behind my eyes are tears at night, behind my body is a soul trying to fight.”

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

The ghost has come on the set in the serial gigam. Hey do not scare. This ghost does not scare you or us, but comes to scare phalguni made baby. Let us explain the whole scene. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LQaqoKh9ww

PORKERI.

 

Porkeri is a village in the Faroe Islands, situated north of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast. As of 2004 it had a population of 332. It is located at61°28′59″N 6°44′36″W / 61.48306°N 6.74333°W / 61.48306; -6.74333.

 

Porkeri has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century.

 

The wooden church is from 1847 and contains things donated by seamen who survived lethal storms on the sea, maintaining the tradition of almissu (seamen in danger promised - according to Nordic tradition - to donate churches, the material or such to God if they got back home alive).

 

In 1984 a new school was built in the village. It is built in a modern Faroese style and has grass on the roof. The old school in Porkeri was built in 1888. It was used as such for 96 years. It is now owned by "Porkeris Bygdasavn" which is a museum. The village also has a church, Porkeri Church with a graveyard.

 

Tradition says that once in the old days a dispute of field boundaries between Porkeri and the neighbouring village Hov was sorted out by a walking-race between one man from each village.

 

www.visitsuduroy.fo/index.asp?pID={73D54A4D-C1A6-4EA5-B35F-96F47E05F95A}

www.visitsuduroy.fo/UK/Index.asp

Greater Manchester Police has launched a pre-Christmas crackdown on crime.

 

Over the next month police will execute 12 high-profile days of action as part of a pre-emptive strike on criminals who spread misery in the run up to Christmas.

 

The operation – codenamed Bauble – will see more than 800 officers over the 12 days tackling a range of offences including burglary, domestic abuse and criminality on the roads.

 

A day of action will be held on each of GMP’s 12 divisions, including the Airport.

 

Local officers will be supported by special constables and specialist units including traffic, mounted officers, tactical aid units, dog handlers and intercept ANPR teams.

 

Superintendent Craig Thompson from Specialist Operations said: “Operation Bauble sends a very clear warning to offenders that we will not be winding down for Christmas and letting them go on their merry way.

 

“Over the next month we will be holding a series of high-profile days of action aimed at disrupting criminal activities and keeping the good people of Greater Manchester safe during the festive period.

 

“Using officers and specialist units from across the force, we intend on blitzing crime and stopping offenders in their tracks so that the only Christmas they’ll be looking forward to is with us.”

 

Follow #OpBauble on twitter for live updates from the operation.

 

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.

www.gmp.police.uk

 

You should call 101, the new national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

 

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

 

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

  

"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

 

The new Maserati Quattroporte VI has become a really popular car and a good seller for Maserati, but the idea for a four-door Maserati is one that goes all the way back to 1963 and kept on progressing all the way to 2013. Somewhere in the middle was the Quattroporte III, a machine that was styled by Italdesign and introduced in 1979. Like today’s Quattroporte, it was a Maserati for the businessman, and before it’s discontinuation in 1989 over 2,000 examples of the Quattroporte III left the factory.

 

This three-owner 1982 car located in Mesa, Arizona, is one of them and is now offered at a suspiciously low price.

 

It seems to have been really well taken care of and the seller claims that all of the electrics work (possibly because Bosch did the electronics in these). It also has the 4.9 liter quad-cam V-8, with 280 hp. If it’s advertised honestly, this is a very nice Quattroporte III priced like a mediocre Quattroporte III. It’s even more tempting when you realize that you could have this massive piece of Italian magnificence for the price of a well-used Camry. Yes, operating costs will start to catch up after a while, but such a low initial cost still really makes you wonder.

 

This 1982 Maserati Quattroporte III “Buy It Now” price (eBay) is set at $10,500 and even open to offers.

 

Describtion Maserati Quattroporte III

 

Mileage: 35,630

Exterior Color: Creme

Interior Color: Pumpkin

Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic

Engine: 4.9L 4930CC V8 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Number of Cylinders:8

For Sale By: Dealer, CA/AZ Owner well documented and in excellent condition

Seller Notes: "Couple small stone chips on the front nose and lower skirt underneath the front bumper. Driver and passenger seat are in outstanding condition but does show a little bit of use. The rear deck leather does show a little shrinking from the sun."

 

Heritage “The World’s Four Fastest Seats”

 

Turin Motor Show 1963, the press and public first laid eyes on a daring new concept from Maserati. The Quattroporte realized Maserati’s vision of an all new 4 door luxury sports sedan with the heart and soul of the race cars it succeeds and the luxury appointments and workmanship only the Italians can produce. Huge success and acclaim of the first Quattroporte led to the Series two, developed under the Citroen ownership of the early 1970’s. Before approval on the project the partnership dissolved and the Series 2 Quattroporte was no longer an option, only 12 were ever made. At the 1977 Turin Motor Show, Maserati unveiled the Quattroporte III. Once again Maserati received huge critical acclaim, all of the magazines gave praise to the gorgeous shape and well balanced chassis. The then familiar 4.9 quad cam V8 race proven engine was underneath the hood giving the Quattroporte 3 true heart and soul. Just 2,155 Maserati Quattroporte III’s were made worldwide making this automobile a very rare and special automobile.

 

“Buy It Now” price is set at $10,500 and even open to offers

 

European Motor Studio is proud to offer this very rare and limited production Crème on Pumpkin leather 1982 Maserati Quattroporte III. This Maserati has traveled only 36,950 miles from brand new and in beautiful running and driving condition. The Quattroporte was hand built and left Maserati’s Modena factory in December of 1981. The car was then invoiced to North America and was imported into the US through the Maserati Import Company in California. The car was sent to one of the oldest European automobile dealerships in the business, British Motor Car Distributors Inc on Van Ness in San Francisco. The car sold to its first owner for over $60,000 and stayed in the bay area until 2001 when the second owner purchased the car and moved to southern California. The 3rd owner purchased the car and moved to Palm Springs/Scottsdale where the car has been until European Motor Studio acquired the car from the third owner. This outstanding 1982 Maserati has been extremely well cared for and has a very extensive service history documenting all of the maintenance performed. Original owners manuals, warranty books, leather case, service manuals, original spare and jack, a whole book on past articles from numerous automotive magazines, past Maserati club records and two sets of original Maserati keys. The car is completely original minus the upgraded radio (nothing was damaged when the radio was installed) even the original Campagnolo’s are in perfect condition with original badging and stickers. The signature pumpkin leather interior is gorgeous, showing almost no sings of wear on the front seats, the backseats look as if they have never been used, the original hand sewn headliner looks perfect, and all of the leather trim, chrome, hand finished maple wood and switch gear look excellent. All of the electronics work, interior, dash lights, headlights, side marker lights, taillights, all four windows, trunk release switch(sometimes gas door flap sticks) AC blows well and heat works well and all of the seat switches work. The engine starts right up and runs outstanding. That glorious 4.9 litre Maserati four cam has a great sound and idles beautifully. I have driven the car about 40 miles around town in the heat and have not had any issues with overheating or running hot. The cooling fans kick on at mid temperature point and keep the large V8 running cool. The steering and suspension feel nice and tight, no play in the wheel or drifting. There are no unusual sounds coming from the suspension, the car has newer looking tires with excellent tread, in the corners the car feels solid and poised thanks to its sophisticated sports car heritage. The brakes feel great and do not squeak and grind. The transmission has been rebuilt in the last year and feels great; it shifts through all of the gears without any hesitation. The paint and body of the car look excellent, the original factory color looks very nice free of any damage or fade. There are only a couple tiny imperfections (one hairline scratch on the hood and one small ding on the roof of the car) the body of this Maserati looks exceptional. This has been a southern California car its whole life and just recently moved to AZ so there is no rust of any kind found on this car and the body is free of any damage or dents. The chrome, rubber trim, bumpers and badges all look great without any damage. This Maserati has never been involved in any kind of accident and has a clean and clear AZ title with Box A Actual miles. This is your opportunity to own an increasingly rare very nicely preserved Maserati Quattroporte III. With only 2,155 made worldwide these are very hard to find in this kind of condition with its original 4.9 V8 intact and running and with provenance.

St Mary, Wiggenhall St Mary, Norfolk

 

Simon Jenkins has observed that the churches of the Ouse delta form probably the finest concentration of late-medieval craftsmanship in England. Obviously, any cathedral would give them a run for their money, but you know what he means. Here, there are at least a dozen otherwise anonymous and workaday villages with simply enormous churches, many of them replete with wonders in stone and wood. There is remarkably little medieval glass, and hardly a wall-painting at all; perhaps the natural puritanism of the Fen people dispatched these, but saw a practical use to the benches and the fonts. The biggest and grandest churches are at Walpole St Peter and Terrington St Clement, but neither are particularly full of treasures. St Peter is one of the most stunning architectural documents of the late medieval period, and St Clement is full of light and life; but here at Wiggenhall St Mary is the best collection of 15th and 16th century benches in Norfolk, perhaps in England.

 

There are four Wiggenhalls: St Peter, St Germans, St Mary and St Mary Magdalene, now known simply as Magdalen. All of the villages are small, Magdalen being the biggest, and are mostly approached up narrow straight roads in the fens. All four churches sit close to the banks of the Ouse - these banks have been raised, because the water level is now higher than the surrounding land, but the towers still form startling landmarks for any boat heading upstream from Lynn. St Peter is a ruin, and St Mary is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It sits to the north of Magdalen with a couple of large houses for company.

 

As with all CCT churches, St Mary is well-kept. The rendering of the nave and chancel has recently been renewed and painted. They hide a secret of this church, the amount of brick used in its construction. The only expanse of brick still visible is the upper part of the tower. The squatness of the tower belies its height, and stair turrets lean deliciously into it in the north-west and south-west corners, coming out as castellated turrets at the top.

 

So, we may assume that the top third of the tower is contemporary with the late medieval rebuilding - but the builders kept the Early English doorway on both sides of the church. The south porch is large, but functional; there is nothing of the elaborate decoration you find at Walpole St Peter. Also functional is the extensive late Victorian restoration by George Street - all the roofs are his.

 

You step inside to an interior that is at once large but a little claustrophobic. This is because of the sheer volume of woodwork - range after range of solid, long, benches with high bench ends. Street's crown-posted roof seems to press down to meet them; without their pierced and traceried backs they would feel oppressive. The dust in the air and the murky light from the east window gives a sense, just for a moment, of being underwater. There is a stillness, as if we have disturbed something that had long remained undisturbed, as if we were the first people to enter here for ages.

 

The nave was filled with benches in two phases; firstly in the mid-15th century, and then again in the early 16th century. The newer benches are those in the aisles. Benches are a symptom of what I have come to think of as a proto-Reformation; perhaps a century before the real one, there is a major shift in the English Church from private devotions to corporate acts of worship. This seems to have been partly a response to the Black Death, and a concentration of the mind on making it through purgatory; the breaking up of the old estates brought forth a new wealthy middle class, who were most concerned that their souls should be prayed for. Part of their project was a reinforcing of orthodox Catholic doctrine; during the 15th century, vast perpendicular windows replaced the wall paintings, filling the churches with light, and the great roods were raised up to focus people's minds on the central doctrine of the Christian faith. Elements of Catholic doctrine - the sacraments, the works of mercy, the deadly sins - appeared in glass and stone. Benches filled the rebuilt churches - no longer were there shadowy corners where old ladies could tell their beads, and the plowman his Paternoster, as Mass progressed. The first pulpits appeared, and with the coming of the pulpit the Priest left his chancel and entered the domain of the people, taking it over. All eyes were fixed on him now.

 

The bench ends at Wiggenhall St Mary are complex. Tiers arise each side flanking a large niche, which contains a figure. The tiers each rise to a second and third figure, which are sometimes related. Above all rises the solid poppyhead. You can spend an enjoyable half hour just pottering about trying to identify them. Many are in Tudor dress, and are seated in everyday attitudes. Some carry rosaries. Some are Saints, others represent animals, Labours of the Months, virtues or Christian symbols.

 

Somewhat in contrast, there is an elegant Laudian font cover with slim pillars, and the date 1624. I wondered if the pelican in her piety on top was a later addition. As at several local churches, there is an early-16th century latten lectern, an eagle supported at the feet by three little grinning lions. The Jacobean pulpit still retains its hourglass stand. Smatterings of medieval glass are in the upper lights of the north aisle windows. The royal arms are dated 1791, and tell us that the churchwarden that year was J SUTTRBY.

 

There is an elegant parclose screen in the south aisle which now contains the elaborate memorial tomb of Sir Henry Kerville and his wife. They lie side by side, hands in pious attitudes of prayer.He died in 1624; most moving are the two little figures below them, one in swaddling clothes; these are their children who died before them.

 

The east end of the nave was designed for height, for the great rood to draw everyone's attention. Perhaps to help accentuate this, the chancel arch is curiously narrow, and there are just eight panels on the dado of the screen, four figures on each side flanking the entrance. From the north they are: St Mary of Magdala, St Dorothy, St Margaret, St Scholastica (twin sister of St Benedict), St Catherine, St Barbara, the Blessed Virgin and child, and St John the Baptist. The chancel is relatively simple and empty, left in its 19th century clothes. The grimy green glass of the east window is overpowering. For a moment, you might be anywhere. And then you turn back and see those vast ranges of medieval benches again; they really are most remarkable.

 

A hallmark of Churches Conservation Trust churches is that they are cleared of clutter; but that is impossible here, of course, because the clutter is the thing you come to see. They are intriguing, fascinating; but this church is curiously lacking in atmosphere, especially if you have just come from Wiggenhall St Germans or Walpole St Peter. It is lifeless; you could be in no doubt that it is redundant, and now little more than a museum.

Hythe is now a large and busy town, stretching from the terminus of the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in the west (and even a little further), to the long sandy beach and coast road that lead to Sandgate and Folkestone. It also creeps west, up the downs and valleys of the North Downs. It also is the start of the Military Canal. Hythe also has a vibrant high street, with many independent shops, as well as both a Sainsbury's and Waitrose. Which speaks about the town's demographic.

 

It even has an industrial area, where Jools works, and a stony beach which serves as a harbour for a small fleet of fishing boats as the harbour itself silted up in antiquity.

 

St Leonard itself sits up on the slopes of the down, in a flattened area that was some feat in itself. The church is very large and heavily Victorianised, but well worth an hour or two of anyone's time. And it is most well known for the ossuary which lies beneath the chancel, and is open during the non-winter months.

 

It is some climb up from the town, up two layers of roads which run parallel with the main street, up steepish steps, past the old Hospital, now two flats call Centuries, until you come to the church, but then there are more steps up to the porch and then into the church itself. And if there hadn't already been too much climbing, there are more steps up to the chancel and side chapels.

 

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

 

A large civic church, as befits one of the original Cinque Ports. Traces of the Norman building may still be seen in the blocked round-headed windows in the north wall of the nave and the excellent Norman arch at the east end of the south aisle. The chancel is thirteenth century in origin, completed by Pearson in 1886. The pulpit is a great piece of Victorian craftsmanship, designed by George Edmund Street in 1876. The three-light stained glass in the east window is by Wallace Wood and dates from 1951. There are Royal Arms of the reign of William and Mary. The chancel has a triforium gallery, an unexpected find in a parish church. A circular staircase runs from the north-west corner linking the triforium, rood loft and roof. Under the chancel is an interesting processional passage, open to the public during the summer, which contains hundreds of skulls collected from the churchyard during clearances. In the churchyard is the grave of Lionel Lukin, who obtained a patent for his invention - the lifeboat - in 1785.

 

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

 

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

 

lthough it is now difficult to imagine, Hythe's rise and development stems from its former role as a busy Channel port.

 

St Leonard's stands far from the sea today, but when the first Norman church was built, in c.1080, the high Street formed the quayside of the Cinque Port of Hythe.

 

The earliest known reference to a church in the town is found in the contemporary Doomesday Monarchum. Some writers believe that the north transept, now called St Edmund's Chapel, may have then incorporated a Saxon place of worship; a Saxon-style arch is still plainly visible.

 

In medieval times St Leonard's was described as "Hethe Chapel" despite possessing a magnificence which other Kentish folk would have envied.

  

Successive Archbishops of Canterbury held a large estate at Saltwood near Hythe and are believed to have been responsible for the enlargement of the church in c.1120, probably using some of the craftsmen who built the cathedral in Canterbury.

 

Aisles and transepts were added and a new, more elaborate choir with small apse was fashioned. Entry was through a west door where the interior tower wall still stands. Many Norman features can still be seen; the arches in the south aisle and in the choir vestry, as well as the remains of two windows above the north aisle.

 

By c.1220 fashions in architectural style had changed. With a growing number of pilgrims visiting the church, further enlargements were carried out. Perhaps in an attempt to build a mini-Canterbury Cathedral, and certainly with that inspiration, the civic pride of the townsfolk gave birth to the present church.

The ambitious project was launched when Hythe was at the height of its prosperity, and the magnificent chancel and ambulatory beneath ( now incorrectly known as the crypt ) are the result.

 

The only reason we can still see the remains of the previous churches is that the town's prosperity later waned and the plan could not be fully carried out.

 

Some improvements were made in the 14th Century, notably the building of the tower and the porch with a room above to house the parish priest, but these were on a less lavish scale than before.

 

During the Reformation the rich decoration which filled the church was stripped away. Wall paintings, rood screen and statues were destroyed, alters removed and pews added for the first time.

 

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries the interior would have appeared remarkably plain. Only the iron "Armada" chest which used to contain the parish registers survives as a tangible reminder of the period.

 

The west tower of the medieval church collapsed in 1739; possibly it had finally succumbed to weakness created by a severe earthquake of 1580. The ferocity of the tremors was reported to have made the church bells ring and caused dangerous cracks in nearby Saltwood Castle.

 

A newspaper reported: "We learn from Hythe that on Thursday morning last, about eleven o'clock, the steeple of their church fell down, and that they have been busy digging out the bells, being six in number. About ten persons were present when it fell, waiting for keys in the church porch to go up the steeple for a view. But some delay being made in bringing them, they all happily saved their lives, and no other damage than being terribly frightened.

The tower was subsequently reconstructed in 1750, using the old materials, with the south transept being rebuilt the following year, largely through the generosity of the Deedes family, many of whose ancestors are buried there.

 

There was a clock in the tower before 1413, although the present instrument dates from 1901.

 

A peal of at least five bells is recorded before the 1480s. Subsequently there were normally eight, two bells being added in 1993 to make the full peal of ten.

 

In the 18th century the nave was surrounded by galleries to provide enough seating for the town's growing population. Poorer people sat up there while the best pews below were ' rented out ' to wealthier worshippers.

In 1751 the Deedes family rented one such pew for themselves and four more for their servants.

The mayor and the town corporation had their own pews at the front. Present councillors still sit at the front, in the pews with carved poppy-heads.

 

urial vaults were made outside the church in the later 18th and early 19th cenuries.

 

In 1875 and 1887 restorations to the church were carried out at a cost of £10,000. Two of the finest

Victorian architects, George Street and John Pearson, were employed. Street designed the Law Courts

in the Strand.

 

At St Leonard's the two men successfully completed many of the features which the original medieval craftsmen had intended to incorporate before the funds dried up. The vaulting to the chancel and aisle roofs was completed in 1887, albeit five centuries overdue. The present barrel-shaped roof in the nave dates from 1875. The pulpit with its fine Venetian mosaic work, composed of 20,000 pieces, is of the same date.

 

Many of the fittings introduced at that time were in keeping with the medieval devotional life of the church. Amongst these is an especially fine marble reredos which originally stood behind the alter, but is now situated in the south choir aisle. This is a masterpiece of artistic work, given by a former curate in memory of his wife. There is a Pre-Raphaelite touch in the depiction of the angels, and its deep swirling lines give it an almost sultry appearance. It was carved from a single piece of carrera marble in 1881 by Henry Armstead to the designs of George Street. It was moved to its present position in 1938.

 

Two features in the church bring the visitor abruptly into the 20th century. In the south aisle a remarkable stained-glass window commemorates 2nd Lieutenant Robert Hildyard who was killed, with over a million others, on the Somme in 1916. The window has a dreamy, surreal effect, and is a fine example of the art nouveau style.

The present fine organ built in 1936 by Harrison & Harrison, is the latest in a long line dating back to the 15th century.

 

Most visitors are impressed by the main east window which shows Christ, surrounded by angels, ascending to heaven. The Victorian glass which once occupied the space was destroyed in 1940 when a german bomb struck the ground at the east end of the church causing extensive damage.

The present east window was dedicated in 1951 and reflects the long-term role played by the town of Hythe in the front line of England's defence. A Cinque Port ship can be seen in the panel at the bottom left, and an anti-aircraft gun and searchlights in the right-hand panel.

 

The only structural alteration to the church in the 20th century was the building of the choir vestry on the north side in 1959, enclosing the fine Norman arch of the second church.

 

St Leonard's maintains a strong musical heritage with concerts and recitals being held regularly in the church. The worship continues to be enriched by a strong choral tradition which stretches back several centuries. The church building is continuously being developed and restored through the fundraising efforts of the parishioners.

 

St Leonard's church remains passionately committed to discovering God wherever he might be encountered in the word, in sacraments, in the beauty of this place and in the love shared between its parishioners.

New approaches and styles of worship, as well as the traditional forms of service, all seek to deepen further the spiritual health and maturity of the faithful, who keep returning, time and time again, to seek God in a holy place.

 

www.stleonardschurchhythekent.org/stlh.html

 

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

 

THE parish of Hythe, at this time within the liberty of the Cinque Ports, and the corporation of the town of Hythe was antiently, with part of the parish of West Hythe, within an hundred of its own name.

 

It is called in some antient records, Hethe; in Domesday, Hede; and according to Leland, in Latin, Portus Hithinus; Hithe signifying in the Saxon, a harbour or haven. (fn. 1) In the year 1036, Halden, or Half den, as he is sometimes, and perhaps more properly written, one of the Saxon thanes, gave Hethe and Saltwood, to Christ-church, in Canterbury. After which they appear to have been held of the archbishop by knight's service, by earl Godwin; (fn. 2) and after the Norman conquest, in like manner by Hugo de Montfort, one of those who had accompanied William the Conqueror hither, at which time it was accounted only as a borough appurtenant to the manor of Saltwood, as appears by the book of Domesday, taken in the year 1080, where, under the title of lands held of the archbishop by knight's service, at the latter end of the description of that manor, it is said:

 

To this manor (viz. Saltwood) belong two hundred and twenty-five burgesses in the borough of Hede Between the borough and the manor, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth sixteen pounds, when he received it eight pounds, and now in the whole twenty-nine pounds and six shillings and four-pence .

 

Besides which, there appears in the description of the archbishop's manor of Liminge, in the same record, to have been six burgesses in Hede belonging to that manor. Hythe being thus appurtenant to Saltwood, was within the bailiwick of the archbishop, who annually appointed a bailiff, to act jointly for the government of this town and liberty, which seems to have been made a principal cinque port by the Conqueror, on the decay and in the room of the still more antient port of West Hythe, before which it had always been accounted within the liberty of those ports, which had been enfranchised with several privileges and customs, though of what antiquity they were, or when first enfranchised, has not been as yet, with any certainty, discovered; and therefore they are held to enjoy all their earliest liberties and privileges, as time out of mind by prescription. The quota which the port of Hythe was allotted to furnish towards the mutual armament of the ports, being five ships, and one hundred and five men, and five boys, called gromets. (fn. 3)

 

The archbishop continued in this manner to appoint his bailiff, who acted jointly with the jurats and commonalty of the town and port of Hythe, the senior jurat on the bench always sitting as president, till the 31st year of king Henry VIII. when the archbishop exchanged the manor of Saltwood, together with the bailiwick of Hythe, with the king for other estates elsewhere. After which a bailiff continued to be appointed yearly by the crown, till queen Elizabeth, in her 17th year, granted them a particular charter of incorporation, by the name of mayor, jurats, and commonalty of the town and port of Hythe, under which they continue to be governed at this time; and she likewise granted to the mayor and his successors, all that her bailiwick of Hythe, together with other premises here, to hold by the yearly fee farm of three pounds, by which they are held by the corporation at this time.

 

The liberty of the town and port of Hytheextends over the whole of this parish, and part of that of West Hythe, which indeed before the harbour of it failed, was the antient cinque port itself, and to which great part of what has been said above of the antient state of Hythe likewise relates, but not over the scite of that church. The corporation consists of a mayor and twelve jurats, of which he is one, and twenty-four common councilmen, together with two chamberlains and a town-clerk. The mayor, who is coroner by virtue of his office, is chosen, as well as the other officcers of the corporation, on Feb. 2d yearly, and, together with the jurats, who are justices within this liberty exclusive of all others, hold a court of general sessions of the peace and gaol delivery, together with a court of record, the same as at Dover; and it has other privileges, mostly the same as the other corporations within the liberties of the five ports. It has the privileges of two maces. The charters of this corporation, as well as those of the other cinque ports, were in 1685, by the king's command, surrendered up to colonel Strode, then governor of Dover castle, and were never returned again.

 

Hythe has no coat of arms; but the corporation seal represents an antique vessel, with one mast, two men in it, one blowing a horn; and two men lying on the yard arm.

 

The PRESENT TOWN OF HYTHE is supposed to owe its origin to the decay of the antient ports of Limne and West Hythe, successively, the harbours of which being rendered useless, by the withdrawing of the sea, and their being banked up with sand, occasioned this of Hythe to be frequented in their stead, and it continued a safe and commodious harbour for considerable length of time, till the same fate befel it likewise, and rendered it wholly useless; and whoever, as Lambarde truly observes, considers either the vicissitude of the sea in different places, and the alterations which in times past, and even now, it works on the coasts of this kingdom, will not be surprized that towns bordering upon the sea, and supported by traffic arising from it, are subject in a short time to decay, and become in a manner of little or no consequence; for as the water either flows or forsakes them, so they must of necessity flourish or decay, flowing and ebbing, as it were, with the sea itself. (fn. 4) Thus after the sea had retired from the town of West Hythe and its haven, the former fell to decay, and became but a small village of no resort, and the present town of Hythe, at two miles distance, to which it was continued by a number of straggling houses all along the shore between them, rose to prosperity, and its harbour became equally noted and frequented in the room of it; so that in a short time the houses and inhabitants increased here so greatly, that Leland says there was once a fair abbey in it, and four parishes and their churches, one of which was that of our Lady of Westhithe, which shews that West Hythe was once accounted a part of the town itself. But this must have been in very early times; for long before king Richard II.'s reign, I find it accounted but as one single parish. The town and harbour of Hythe were by their situation always liable to depredation from enemies; in particular, earl Godwin, when exiled, returned in 1052, and ravaging this coast, took away several vessels lying at anchor in this haven, and Romney; and in king Edward I.'s reign, anno 1293, the French shewed themselves with a great fleet before Hythe, and one of their ships, having two hundred soldiers on board, landed their men in the haven, which they had no sooner done, but the townsmen came upon them and slew every one of them; upon which the rest of the fleet hoisted sail, and made no further attempt. In the latter part of king Richard the IId.'s reign, a dreadful calamity happened to it, when more than two hundred houses of it were burnt down in one day; (fn. 5) and five of their ships were lost, and one hundred men drowned, by which misfortunes the inhabitants were so much impoverished and dispirited, that they had thoughts of abandoning the place, and building themselves a town elsewhere; but king Henry IV. by his timely interposition, prevented this, and by charter released them from their quota of shipping for several turns. The following is Leland's description of it, who wrote in king Henry VIII.'s reign, "Hythe hath bene a very great towne yn lenght and conteyned iiii paroches, that now be clene de stroied, that is to say, S. Nicholas paroche, our Lady paroche, S. Michael paroche, and our Lady of West Hithe, the which ys with yn less than half a myle of Lymne hill. And yt may be well supposed that after the haven of Lymne and the great old towne ther fayled that Hithe strayt therby encresed and was yn price. Finally to cownt fro Westhythe to the place wher the substan of the towne ys now ys ii good myles yn lenght al along on the shore to which the se cam ful sumtym, but now by banking of woose and great casting up of shyngel the se is sumtyme a quarter, dim. a myle fro the old shore. In the tyme of king Edw 2 ther were burned by casuelte xviii score houses and mo, and strayt followed a great pestilens, and thes ii thinges minished the towne. There remayn yet the ruines of the chyrches and chyrch yardes. It evidently appereth that wher the paroch chirch is now was sumtyme a fayr abbey, &c. In the top of the chirch yard is a fayr spring and therby ruines of howses of office of the abbey. The havyn is a prety rode and liith meatly strayt for passage owt of Boleyn; yt croketh yn so by the shore a long and is so bakked fro the mayne se with casting of shingil that smaul shippes may cum up a large myle towards Folkestan as in a sure gut." Though Leland calls it a pretty road, yet it then seems to have been in great measure destroyed by the sands and beach cast up on this shore, by the desertion of the sea, for he describes it as being at that time as only a small channel or gut left, which ran within shore for more than a mile eastward from Hythe towards Folkestone, that small vessels could come up it with safety; and the state of the town and trade of it in queen Elizabeth's time, may be seen by a survey made by her order in her 8th year, of the maritime parts of this county, in which it was returned, that there were here, a customer, controller, and searcher, their authority several; houses inhabited, 122; persons lacking habitation, 10; creeks and landing places two; th'on called the Haven, within the liberties; th'other called the Stade, without the liberties. It had of shipping, 17 tramellers of five tunne, seven shoters of 15; three crayers of 30, four crayers of 40; persons belonging to these crayers and other boats, for the most part occupied in fishing, 160.

 

Soon after this, even the small channel within land, above-mentioned, which served as the only remaining harbour, became likewise swarved up and lost, though it had the advantage of the Seabrook, and other streams, which came down from the down hills, as a back water, to keep it scowered and open; and though several attempts were from time to time afterwards made, at no small expence and trouble, to open it again, yet it never could be effected; and the abovementioned streams, for want of this channel, flow now towards the beach on the shore, and lose themselves imperceptibly among it.

 

The parish of Hythe, which is wholly within the liberty of the corporation, extends from the sea shore, the southern bounds of it, northward up the hill a very little way beyond the church, which is about half a mile, and from the bridge at the east end of the town westward, about half way up the hill towards Newingreen, being more than a mile and an half. The town, which contains about two hundred houses, is situated exceedingly pleasant and healthy, on the side as well as at the foot of the quarry-hill, where the principal street is, which is of a handsome breadth, and from the bridges at the extremities of it, about half a mile in length. It has been lately new paved, and otherwise much improved. The court-hall and market place are near the middle of it, the latter was built by Philip, viscount Strangford, who represented this port in parliament anno 12 Charles II. His arms those of the five ports; of Boteler; and of Amhurst, who served likewise in parliament for it, and repaired this building, are on the pillars of it. There are two good inns; and near the east end of it St. John's hospital. Higher up on the side of the hill, where the old town of Hythe is supposed once to have stood, are parallel streets, the houses of which are very pleasantly situated; several of them are handsome houses, occupied by genteel families of good account, the principal one of them has been the seat of the family of Deedes for several generations.

 

This family have resided at Hythe, in good estimation, for upwards of two hundred years; the first of them that I meet with being Thomas Deedes, who by Elizabeth his wife, sister of Robert Glover, esq. Somerset herald, a most learned and judicious antiquary, had one son Julius Deedes, whose youngest son Robert had a grant of arms confirmed to him, and Julius his nephew and their heirs, by Byshe, clarencieux, in 1653, Per fess, nebulee, gules and argent, three martlets, counter changed , which have been borne by the different branches of this family ever since. William, the youngest son but one, left a son William, the first who appears to have resided at Hythe. He died in 1653, and was buried in this church, which has ever since remained the burial place of this family. He had one only son Julius Deedes, esq. who was of Hythe, for which he was chosen in three several parliaments, and died in 1692, having had three sons, of whom William, the eldest, was ancestor to the Deedes's of Hythe, and of St. Stephen's, as will be mentioned hereafter; Henry, the second son, was of Hythe, gent. whose eldest son Julius, was of Hythe, esq. and died without surviving issue, upon which this seat, among the rest of his estates, came by the entail in his will, to his aunt Margaret Deedes, who dying unmarried, they came, by the same entail, to her cousin William Deedes, esq. late of Hythe, and of St. Stephen's, being descended from William, the eldest son of Julius, who died in 1692, and was a physician at Canterbury, whose son Julius was prebendary of Canterbury, and left one son William, of whom hereafter; and Dorothy, married to Sir John Filmer, bart. of East Sutton, by whom she had no issue. William Deedes, esq. the only surviving son before-mentioned, of Hythe and St. Stephen's, possessed this seat at Hythe, with several other estates in this neighbourhood, by the above entail. He married Mary, daughter of Thomas Bramston, esq. of Skreens, in Essex, and died in 1793, leaving surviving two sons, William, of whom hereafter; John, who married Sophia, daughter of Gen. Forbes, and one daughter Mary, unmarried. William Deedes, esq. the eldest son, is now of Hythe, and married Sophia, second daughter of Sir Brook Bridges, bart. by whom he has two sons and three daughters.

 

Further westward is St. Bartholomew's hospital. Opposite Mr. Deedes's house, but still higher up, with a steep ascent, is the church, the hill reaching much above it northward. On the upper part of this hill, are several springs, which gush out of the rock, and run into the streams which flow at each end of the town. All the houses situated on the side of the hill, have an uninterrupted view of the sea southward, Romney Marsh, and the adjoining country. The houses throughout it are mostly modern built, and the whole has a neat and chearful appearance. There is a boarding-school kept in the town for young ladies, and on the beach there are bathing machines for the accommodation of invalids. There was formerly a market on a Saturday, which has been long since discontinued, though the farmers have for some time held a meeting here on a Thursday, for the purpose of selling their corn; and two fairs yearly, formerly held on the seasts of St. Peter and St. Edmund the King, now, on July 10th and December 1st, for horses and cattle, very few of which are brought, and shoes and pedlary.

 

¶ Here is a small fort, of six guns, for the protection of the town and fishery, which till lately belonged to the town, of which it was bought by government, but now rendered useless, by its distance from the sea, from the land continuing to gain upon it; the guns have therefore been taken out. Soon after the commencement of the war, three new forts, of eight guns each, were erected, at the distance of a mile from each other, viz. Twis, Sutherland, and Moncrief; they contain barracks for 100 men each. Every summer during the present war a park of royal artillery has been established on the beech between the forts and the town, for the practice of guns and mortars; and here is a branch of the customs, subordinate to the out port of Dover. This town is watered by two streams; one at the east end of it, being the boundary between this parish and Newington; and the other at the west end, called the Slabrooke, which comes from Saltwood, and runs from hence, by a channel lately made for that purpose, into the sea, which has now left this town somewhat more than half a mile, much the same distance as in Leland's time, the intermediate space being entirely beach and shingle-stones, (the great bank of which lines this shore for upwards of two miles in length) on which, at places, several houses and buildings have been erected, and some parts have been inclosed, with much expence, and made pasture ground of, part of which is claimed by different persons, and the rest by the corporation as their property.

 

The CINQUE PORTS, as well as their two antient towns of Rye and Winchelsea, have each of them the privilege of returning members, usually stiled barons to parliament; the first returns of which, that are mentioned for any of them, are in the 42d year of king Edward III.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol8/pp231-253

 

geotagged

She has ceded control of her orgasms to me. When I'm fucking her she has to ask permission to cum (and sometimes I say no ! lol) When I'm sucking or tweaking on her nipples and she wants to climax (which is a lot, believe me) she has to say "Can I cum please". When we are not together and she needs to feel the release of climaxing herself she has to text / phone / email and ask for permission, then if permitted must write me a report on how she stroked or stimulated herself, where she was and what the orgasm felt like, otherwise she must wait until I say " Yes ". This applies to our Hunny Bunny / Hairy Beary relationship as well as her alter ego Pet who is a sub to Hairy Beary when he is being her Dom.

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.

Kyrenia has been created and been around since the 10th century BC. Excavations have revealed Greek traces that date back to the 7th century BC, but the site was developed into a city under Roman rule.

     

Kyrenia Castle

Research carried out at the site suggests that the Byzantines built the original castle in the 7th Century to guard the city against the new Arab maritime threat. The first historical reference to the castle occurs in 1191, when King Richard the Lionheart of England captured it on his way to the Third Crusade. He did so by defeating Isaac Comnenus, an upstart local governor who had proclaimed himself emperor.

 

After a short period, Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar, and then to his cousin Guy de Lusignan, the former king of Jerusalem. This began the 300 years of the Frankish Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus (1192–1489). Initially the castle was quite small. John d'Ibelin enlarged it between 1208 and 1211. The Castle's main function was military and the improvements consisted of a new entrance, square and horseshoe-shaped towers, embrasures for archers, and dungeons.

 

The castle was subjected to several sieges. A Genoese attack in 1373 almost destroyed the castle, and the longest amongst the sieges, in the 15th century, lasted nearly four years and reduced the unfortunate occupants to eating mice and rats. By 1489 the Venetians had taken control of Cyprus and in 1540 they enlarged the castle, giving it its present-day appearance. The chief changes, such as the addition of thick walls and embrasures for cannons, were adaptations to changes in warfare in the form of gunpowder artillery. The Venetians also installed gun ports at three levels so that they could direct cannon fire against attackers from the land, suggesting that they were more afraid of an attack from the Cypriots than from the sea. Inside the castle, they built huge long ramps so as to be able to drag artillery up on the walls. When the work on the castle was finished, its walls also encompassed the small church of St. George, which the Byzantines may have built in the 11th or 12th century.

     

Kyrenia Castle's courtyard

In 1570, Kyrenia surrendered to the Ottomans. The Ottomans too made changes to the castle, but the British removed these during their occupation. The castle contains the tomb of the Ottoman Admiral Sadik Pasha. The British used the castle as a police barracks and training school. They also used the castle as a prison for members of the Greek Cypriot EOKA organization.

 

The Kyrenia Department of Antiquities took over custodianship of the castle in 1950, though it reverted to British control during the EOKA turmoil. The Department regained control in 1959 and since 1960 the castle has been open to the public. However, during the period from 1963 to 1967 the Cypriot National Guard used the castle as a military headquarters. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, in 1974 the Girne Department of Antiquities and Museums took over responsibility for the castle's preservation and use. The Department is keeping icons that were collected from churches in the Kyrenia area pre-1974 and has stored them in the castle's locked rooms for safekeeping. Some of these are now on display in the Archangel Michael Church.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrenia_Castle

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.

"The picture was taken in 1969, shortly after the White Australia policy was widely used. Who actually owned the Chinese restaurant? "

 

It should be noted tha the White Australia Policy ended in 1966, opening the way for people from a myriad of unique national bakcgrounds to add to our population.

 

Adding to this, Australia has had a long history of Chinese immigration, something which has subtly influenced our cities and our food culture for at least a few generations. The Gold Coast has been one of the many urban centres to benefit from such immigration, alongside that of countless other cultures over the decades.

 

View this and other original records at the Queensland State Archives:

Queensland State Archives Item ID 1035326

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 .

Sunday morning has come around again, and Tom and I have been out for the third in our series of early morning running-explorations of our local area, which double-up as training for the Tokyo Marathon next year.

 

This morning's run took us past this Meguro landmark - the Disney-like love hotel that towers over the Meguro river just down from Naka Meguro, and quite appropriately only a few hundred metres from Disney's main office in Tokyo!

 

With paper-thin walls and the tendency for children to remain with their parents longer than in countries such as the UK and US, love hotels play an important part in maintaining relationships, and ensuring babies continue to be made in Japan (and affairs remain undiscovered).

 

It's easy to spot love hotels, as they tend to sport the most ridiculous architecture, and at night, neon signs. In Tokyo there a few areas where you'll find loads all clustered together - north west of Shibuya Station, and in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district for example. Outside of the cities you'll find them clustered around highway junctions, easily accessible by car.

 

As with regular hotels, the rooms in love hotels vary a lot. Some of the cheaper places can be a bit grim, with 1980s furniture, smoke- stained walls, and dirty carpets.

But go to a good one, and you can feel like you're in a 5 star hotel! Disneyland-like themed interiors, a luxurious jacuzzi (complete with underwater disco lights) with a TV embedded in the wall (and one-way window to the other room for your partner to keep an eye on you if bathing alone), play station, wii, karaoke, all sorts of tv channels (!), and a mini-fridge that contains more 'toys' than drinks!

 

There'll be a control panel on the head of the bed with 101 settings for the lights, music, and rotating mattress.

 

If you want to dress up just order a nurses uniform via the TV.

 

There are some for single men too, where you can also order a lifesize love doll!

 

Rates vary depending on the place, but there are two basic plans: pay by the hour ('rest' - in Tokyo prices are in the range of 2500~5000yen per hour) or for the night ('stay' 8000~13,000yen).

 

You don't need to be embarrased about going into these places as chances are you won't see anyone - in the newer ones you'll find a load of pictures of rooms on the wall. Find one that you like, press the button and get a ticket with the room number and directions to get to it. The elevator will be automatically summoned, and arrows will light up along the corridors showing you which way to go.

 

On entering the room you'll be greeted by a woman's voice telling you to take your shoes off and explaining how everything works.

 

When it's time to leave, just swipe your credit card in the control panel by the door. If you've had anything from the minibar or dressed up as a maid those charges will be automatically included.

 

I recommend anyone coming to japan try out a love hotel (tip: tends to be better if you go as a couple!). They're an important part of Japanese culture and it would just be wrong not to :-)

 

Anyway, our Sunday morning jog wasn't all about love hotels - there were temples and baseball too! You can check it out on a google map (or in 3D in Google Earth) at j.mp/1R5MU

 

I'd better have breakfast now - off to Yoyogi park for the Indian Festival later - and my thumb needs a break from iPhone typing!

 

Joseph

 

p.s. I was wondering - is japan the only country with love hotels?

The Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Office on the South Rim has a copy of Harvey Butchart's hiking map. After we finished our Rim to Rim hike, and had a nice breakfast, we caught a shuttle over here to check out this map.

 

Seen on this map are Clear Creek Trail , The Howlands Butte, Hakins Butte, Demaray Point, Wotans ThroneDunn Butte, Angels Gate, Tonto Trail

  

You can read a little more about John H. "Harvey" Butchart at the excellent GRAND CANYON Explorer web site by Bob Ribokas

 

Here is the Caption that was with the map:

 

Canyon Master

The remarkable collection of routes inscribed across this map represent a summation of one man's passion for unspoiled grand Canyon backcountry. When J. Harvey Butchart came to the canyon as a young man in 1945 almost nothing was known about the vast sections of trail-less terrain that comprise the majority of the inner Canyon. During his initial forays below the rim he sensed the potential for exploratory hiking, applied himself systematically to the task at hand, and over the course of 42 years of hard core Canyon walking became a legend among legions of students of the Grand Canyon.

 

Harvey Butchart began his Canyon career at age 38 when he accepted a teaching position at the state college in Flagstaff . Unknown corners of the Canyon beckoned until inevitable age put an end to canyon exploration at age 80. In between, the raw statistics generated by this human dynamo set a record that will not be surpassed anytime soon: 1024 days out in the Canyon, 12,000 mostly off-trail miles, 116 routes through the Redwall Limestone, 25 first ascents of inner canyon summits, a continuous line of travel from Lee's Ferry to Havasu Creek, and a veritable spider web of obscure routes through the greater Canyon. Butchart lived a life dominated by the world of the Grand Canyon, something of an ideal for today's generation of Canyon hikers.

 

Harvey was born to missionary parents in Hofei, China in 1907 and returned to the United States in 1920. He graduated from Eureka College in '28 and completed graduate work in 1932 with a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Illinois and spent his entire academic career in Flagstaff, retiring professor emeritus in 1976. Harvey's legacy, over 1000 pages of carefully written route descriptions, maps, and photo collections are part of the permanent collections of the University of Northern Arizona , providing a lasting and invaluable resource for all who seek a deeper understanding of this remarkable place.

 

Harvey Butchart hiked the final mile on May 29, 2002, age 95. His passing left a void within hte community of Canyon walkers that can never be filled. We can retrace the routes that he pioneered, but the honor of being first will always be his alone. A few week's after Harvey's passing a large gathering of grand canyon addicts convened on the rim to acknowledge a debt. Stories were recounted, a few tears were shed. Ashes were scattered and as the wind carried his essence into his beloved gorge one last time many glasses were raised in tribute to a true Grand Canyon original. Visitors often ask: How long is it going to take to see this place?" For Harvey, the answer was: "A lifetime."

   

gc 480

Adex (left) has been off her body for some time, as I've been working on and off to de-frizz her hair. Alas, Antique Dreaming Momoko came with very puffy hair as default. I got most of it tamed, but the ends are a bit crisp.

 

Jude is in summer attire, nothing special going on with her.

 

Adex fashions:

- cardigan: Life in the Dream House Midge

- top: Fashion Fever

- pants: LitDH Midge fashion pack

- boots: Juku Couture

 

Jude fashions:

- top: dollsahoy

- shorts: Life in the Dream House Raquelle

- boots and socks: Hotdotz-Blythe

- bracelet: me

It has been many years since I last visited here. I tried over the winter, but found the church locked on a Saturday morning.

 

A common occurrence for an urban church.

 

But, in town for a haircut and meeting with a good friend, Mary, walking past at half eleven I saw the door open and the congregation filing out, so with just one camera and the 50mm lens, I went round snapping.

 

One really positive highlight is that they seem to have got rid of the dreadful lighting, meaning natural light now floods in and shows the multiple Victorian details standing out as vibrant as when they were first done.

 

At some point, a longer, more detailed revisit is called for, but for now, the highlights!

 

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

 

A superb location in a leafy churchyard away from the busy shopping centre, and yet much more of a town church than that of a seaside resort. It was originally a thirteenth-century building, but so much has happened to it that today we are left with the impression of a Victorian interior. Excellent stained glass by Kempe, mosaics by Carpenter and paintings by Hemming show the enthusiasm of Canon Woodward, vicar from 1851 to 1898. His efforts encouraged others to donate money to beautify the building in an almost continuous restoration that lasted right into the twentieth century They were spurred on by the discovery, in 1885, of the bones of St Eanswythe, in a lead casket which had been set into the sanctuary wall. She had founded a convent in the town in the seventh century and died at the age of twenty-six.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Folkestone+1

 

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

 

FOLKESTONE.

THE parish of Folkestone, which gives name to this hundred, was antiently bounded towards the south by the sea, but now by the town and liberty of Folkestone, which has long since been made a corporation, and exempt from the jurisdiction of the hundred. The district of which liberty is a long narrow slip of land, having the town within it, and extending the whole length of the parish, between the sea shore and that part of the parish still within the jurisdiction of the hundred, and county magistrates, which is by far the greatest part of it.

 

THE PARISH, which is about three miles across each way, is situated exceedingly pleasant and healthy. The high chalk, or down hills uniclosed, and well covered with pasture, cross the northern part of it, and from a sine romantic scene. Northward of these, this part of the parish is from its high situation, called the uphill of Folkestone; in this part is Tirlingham, the antient mansion of which has been some years since pulled down, and a modern farm-house erected in its stead; near it is Hearn forstal, on which is a good house, late belonging to Mr. Nicholas Rolse, but now of Mr. Richard Marsh; over this forstal the high road leads from Folkestone to Canterbury. The centre of the parish is in the beautiful and fertile vale called Folkestone vale, which has downs, meadows, brooks, marshes, arable land, and every thing in small parcels, which is sound in much larger regions; being interspersed with houses and cottages, and well watered by several fresh streams; besides which, at Ford forstall, about a mile northward from the town, there rises a strong chalybeat spring. This part of the parish, by far the greatest part of it, as far as the high road from Dover, through it, towards Hythe, is within the jurisdiction of the hundred of Folkestone, and the justices of the county. The small part on the opposite, or southern side of that road is within the liberty of the town or corporation of Folkestone, where the quarry or sand hills, on the broken side of one of which, the town is situated, are its southern maritime boundaries. These hills begin close under the chalk or down hills, in the eastern part of this parish, close to the sea at Eastware bay, and extend westward along the sea shore almost as far as Sandgate castle, where they stretch inland towards the north, leaving a small space between them and the shore. So that this parish there crossing one of them, extends below it, a small space in the bottom as far as that castle, these quarry, or sand hills, keeping on their course north-west, from the northern boundary of Romney Marsh, and then the southern boundary of the Weald, both which they overlook, extending pretty nearly in a parallel line with the chalk or down hills.

 

The prospect over this delightful vale of Folkestone from the hill, on the road from Dover as you descend to the town, is very beautiful indeed for the pastures and various fertility of the vale in the centre, beyond it the church and town of Hythe, Romney Marsh, and the high promontory of Beachy head, boldly stretching into the sea. On the right the chain of losty down hills, covered with verdure, and cattle seeding on them; on the lest the town of Folkestone, on the knole of a hill, close to the sea, with its scattered environs, at this distance a pleasing object, and beyond it the azure sea unbounded to the sight, except by the above-mentioned promontory, altogether from as pleasing a prospect as any in this county.

 

FOLKESTONE was a place of note in the time of the Romans, and afterwards in that of the Saxons, as will be more particularly noticed hereafter, under the description of the town itself. By what name it was called by the Romans, is uncertain; by the Saxons it was written Folcestane, and in the record of Domesday, Fulchestan. In the year 927 king Athelstane, son of king Edward the elder, and grandson of king Alfred, gave Folkstane, situated, as is mentioned in the grant of it, on the sea shore, where there had been a monastery, or abbey of holy virgins, in which St. Eanswith was buried, which had been destroyed by the Danes, to the church of Canterbury, with the privilege of holding it L. S. A. (fn. 1) But it Seems afterwards to have been taken from it, for king Knute, in 1038, is recorded to have restored to that church, the parish of Folkstane, which had been given to it as above-mentioned; but upon condition, that it should never be alienated by the archbishop, without the licence both of the king and the monks. Whether they joined in the alienation of it, or it was taken from them by force, is uncertain; but the church of Canterbury was not in possession of this place at the time of taking the survey of Domesday, in 1080, being the 14th year of the Conqueror's reign, at which time it was part of the possessions of the bishop of Baieux, the conqueror's half-brother, under the general description of whose lands it is thus entered in it:

 

In Limowart lest, in Fulcbestan hundred, William de Acris holds Fulchestan. In the time of king Edward the Consessor, it was taxed at forty sulings, and now at thirty-nine. The arable land is one hundred and twenty carucates. In demesne there are two hundred and nine villeins, and four times twenty, and three borderes. Among all they have forty-five carcates. There are five churches, from which the archbishop has fifty-five shillings. There are three servants, and seven mills of nine pounds and twelve shillings. There are one hundred acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of forty bogs. Earl Godwin held this manor.

 

Of this manor, Hugo, son of William, holds nine sulings of the land of the villeins, and there he has in demesne four carucates and an half, and thirty-eight villeins, with seventeen borderes, who have sixteen carucates. There are three churches, and one mill and an half, of sixteen shillings and five-pence, and one saltpit of thirty pence. Wood for the pannage of six bogs. It is worth twenty pounds.

 

Walter de Appeuile holds of this manor three yokes and twelve acres of land, and there he has one carucate in demesne, and three villeins, with one borderer. It is worth thirty shillings.

 

Alured holds one suling and forty acres of land, and there he has in demesne two carucates, with six borderers, and twelve acres of meadow. It is worth four pounds.

 

Walter, son of Engelbert, holds half a suling and forty acres, and there he has in demesne one carucate, with seven borderers, and five acres of meadow. It is worth thirty shillings.

 

Wesman holds one suling, and there he has in demesne one carucate, and two villeins, with seven borderers having one carucate and an half. It is worth four pounds.

 

Alured Dapiser holds one suling and one yoke and six acres of land, and there he has in demesne one carucate, with eleven borderers. It is worth fifty shillings.

 

Eudo holds half a suling, and there he has in demesne one carucate, with four borderers, and three acres of meadow. It is worth twenty shillings.

 

Bernard de St. Owen, four sulings, and there he has in demesne three carucates, and six villeins, with eleven borderes, having two carucates. There are four servants, and two mills of twenty-four shillings, and twenty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of two bogs.

 

Of one denne, and of the land which is given from these suling to ferm, there goes out three pounds. In the whole it is worth nine pounds.

 

Baldric holds half a suling, and there he has one carucate, and two villeins, with six borderers having one carucate, and one mill of thirty pence. It is worth thirty shillings.

 

Richard holds fifty-eight acres of land, and there he has one carucate, with five borderers. It is worth ten shillings.

 

All Fulchestan, in the time of king Edward the Consessor, was worth one hundred and ten pounds, when he received it forty pounds, now what he has in demesne is worth one hundred pounds; what the knights hold abovementioned together, is worth forty-five pounds and ten shillings.

 

¶It plainly appears that this entry in Domesday does not only relate to the lands within this parish, but to those in the adjoining parishes within the hundred, the whole of which, most probably, were held of the bishop of Baieux, but to which of them each part refers in particular, is at this time impossible to point out. About four years after the taking of the above survey, the bishop was disgraced, and all his possessions consiscated to the crown. After which, Nigell de Muneville, a descendant of William de Arcis, mentioned before in Domesday, appears to have become possessed of the lordship of Folkestone, and as such in 1095, being the 9th year of king William Rusus, removed the priory of Folkestone from the bail of the castle to the place where it afterwards continued. His son William dying in his life-time s. p, Matilda his sole daughter and heir was given in marriage with the whole of her inheritance, by king Henry I. to Ruallanus de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose descendant Sir William de Albrincis, was become possessed of this lordship at the latter end of that reign; and in the 3d year of the next reign of king Stephen, he confirmed the gifts of his ancestors above-mentioned to the priory here. He appears to have been one of those knights, who had each a portion of lands, which they held for the de sence of Dover castle, being bound by the tenure of those lands to provide a certain number of soldiers, who should continually perform watch and ward within it, according to their particular allotment of time; but such portions of these lands as were not actually in their own possession were granted out by them to others, to hold by knight's service, and they were to be ready for the like service at command, upon any necessity whatever, and they were bound likewife, each knight to desend a certain tower in the castle; that desended by Sir William de Albrincis being called from him, Averenches tower, and afterwards Clinton tower, from the future owners of those lands. (fn. 2) Among those lands held by Sir William de Albrincis for this purpose was Folkestone, and he held them of the king in capitle by barony. These lands together made up the barony of Averenches, or Folkestone, as it was afterwards called, from this place being made the chief of the barony, caput baroniæ, as it was stiled in Latin; thus The Manor of Folkestone, frequently called in after times An Honor, (fn. 3) and the mansion of it the castle, from its becoming the chief seat or residence of the lords paramount of this barony, continued to be so held by his descendants, whose names were in Latin records frequently speit Albrincis, but in French Avereng and Averenches, and in after times in English ones, Evering; in them it continued till Matilda, daughter and heir of William de Albrincis, carried it in marriage to Hamo de Crevequer, who, in the 20th year of that reign, had possession given him of her inheritance. He died in the 47th year of that reign, possessed of the manor of Folkestone, held in capite, and by rent for the liberty of the hundred, and ward of Dover castle. Robert his grandson, dying s. p. his four sisters became his heirs, and upon the division of their inheritance, and partition of this barony, John de Sandwich, in right of his wife Agnes, the eldest sister, became entitled to this manor and lordship of Folkestone, being the chief seat of the barony, a preference given to her by law, by reason of her eldership; and from this he has been by some called Baron of Folkestone, as has his son Sir John de Sandwich, who left an only daughter and heir Julian, who carried this manor in marriage to Sir John de Segrave, who bore for his arms, Sable, three garbs, argent. He died in the 17th year of Edward III. who, as well as his son, of the same name, received summons to parliament, though whether as barons of Folkestone, as they are both by some called, I know not. Sir John de Segrave, the son, died possessed of this manor anno 23 Edward III. soon after which it appears to have passed into the family of Clinton, for William de Clinton, earl of Huntingdon, who bore for his arms, Argent, crusulee, situchee, sable, upon a chief, azure, two mullets, or, pierced gules; which coat differed from that of his elder brother's only in the croslets, which were not borne by any other of this family till long afterwards, (fn. 4) died possessed of it in the 28th year of that reign, at which time the mansion of this manor bore the name of the castle. He died s. p. leaving his nephew Sir John de Clinton, son of John de Clinton, of Maxtoke, in Warwickshire, his heir, who was afterwards summoned to parliament anno 42 Edward III. and was a man of great bravery and wisdom, and much employed in state affairs. He died possessed of this manor, with the view of frank-pledge, a moiety of the hundred of Folkestone, and THE MANOR OF WALTON, which, though now first mentioned, appears to have had the same owners as the manor of Folkestone, from the earliest account of it. He married Idonea, eldest daughter of Jeffry, lord Say, and at length the eldest coheir of that family, and was succeeded in these manors by his grandson William, lord Clinton, who, anno 6 Henry IV. had possession granted of his share of the lands of William de Say, as coheir to him in right of his grandmother Idonea, upon which he bore the title of lord Clinton and Saye, which latter however he afterwards relinquished, though he still bore for his arms, Qnarterly, Clinton and Saye, with two greybounds for his supporters. After which the manor of Folkestone, otherwise called Folkestone Clinton, and Walton, continued to be held in capite by knight's service, by his descendants lords Clinton, till Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, which title he then bore, together with Elizabeth his wife, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. conveyed these manors, with other premises in this parish, to Thomas Cromwell lord Cromwell, afterwards created earl of Essex, on whose attainder two years afterwards they reverted again to the crown, at which time the lordship of Folkestone was stiled an honor; whence they were granted in the fourth year of Edward VI. to the former possessor of them, Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, to hold in capite, for the meritorious services he had performed. In which year, then bearing the title of lord Clinton and Saye, he was declared lord high admiral, and of the privy council, besides other favours conferred on him; and among other lands, he had a grant of these manors, as abovementioned, which he next year, anno 5 Edward VI. reconveyed back to the crown, in exchange for other premises. (fn. 5) He was afterwards installed knight of the garter, by the title of Earl of Lincoln and Baron of Clinton and Saye; and in the last year of that reign, constable of the tower of London. Though in the 1st year of queen Mary he lost all his great offices for a small time, yet he had in recompence of his integrity and former services, a grant from her that year, of several manors and estates in this parish, as well as elsewhere, and among others, of these manors of Folkestone and Walton, together with the castle and park of Folkestone, to hold in capite; all which he, the next year, passed away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson, citizen and alderman of London, who lest several sons, of whom Thomas succeeded him in this estate, in whose time the antient park of Folkestone seems to have been disparked. His son Mr. Francis Herdson alienated his interst in these manors and premises to his uncle Mr. John Herdson, who resided at the manor of Tyrlingham, in this parish, and dying in 1622, was buried in the chancel of Hawking church, where his monument remains; and there is another sumptuous one besides erected for him in the south isle of Folkestone church. They bore for their arms, Argent, a cross sable, between four fleurs de lis, gules. He died s. p. and by will devised these manors, with his other estates in this parish and neighbourhood, to his nephew Basill, second son of his sister Abigail, by Charles Dixwell, esq. Basill Dixwell, esq. afterwards resided at Tyrlingham, a part of the estate devised to him by his uncle, where, in the 3d year of king Charles I. he kept his shrievalty, with great honor and hospitality; after which he was knighted, and in 1627, anno 3 Charles I. created a baronet; but having rebuilt the mansion of Brome, in Barham, he removed thither before his death. On his decease unmarried, the title of baronet became extinct; but he devised these manors, with the rest of his estates, to his nephew Mark Dixwell, son of his elder brother William Dixwell, of Coton, in Warwickshire, who afterwards resided at Brome. He married Elizabeth, sister and heir of William Read, esq. of Folkestone, by whom he had Basill Dixwell, esq. of Brome, who in 1660, anno 12 Charles II. was created a baronet. His son Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the year 1697, alientated these manors, with the park-house and grounds, and other estates in this parish and neighbourhood, to Jacob Desbouverie, esq. of LondonHe was descended from Laurence de Bouverie, de la Bouverie, or Des Bouveries, of an antient and honorable extraction in Flanders, (fn. 6) who renouncing the tenets of the Romish religion came into England in the year 1567, anno 10 Elizabeth, and seems to have settled first at Canterbury. He was a younger son of Le Sieur des Bouveries, of the chateau de Bouverie, near Lisle, in Flanders, where the eldest branch of this family did not long since possess a considerable estate, bearing for their arms, Gules, a bend, vaire. Edward, his eldest son, was an eminet Turkey merchant, was knighted by king James II. and died at his seat at Cheshunt, in Hertfordshire, in 1694. He had seven sons and four daughters; of the former, William, the eldest, was likewife an eminent Turkey merchant, and was, anno 12 queen Anne, created a baronet, and died in 1717. Jacob, the third son, was purchaser of these manors; and Christopher, the seventh son, was knighted, and seated at Chart Sutton, in this county, under which a further account of him may be seen; (fn. 7) and Anne, the second daughter, married Sir Philip Boteler, bart. Jacob Desbouverie afterwards resided at Tyrlingham, and dying unmarried in 1722, by his will devised these manors, with his other estates here, to his nephew Sir Edward Desbouverie, bart. the eldest brother son of Sir William Desbouverie, bart. his elder brother, who died possessed of them in 1736, s. p. on which his title, with these and all his other estates, came to his next surviving brother and heir Sir Jacob Desbouverie, bart. who anno 10 George II. procured an act to enable himself and his descendants to use the name of Bouverie only, and was by patent, on June 29, 1747, created baron of Longford, in Wiltshire, and viscount Folkestone, of Folkestone. He was twice married; first to Mary, daughter and sole heir of Bartholomew Clarke, esq. of Hardingstone, in Northamptonshire, by whom he had several sons and daughters, of whom William, the eldest son, succeeded him in titles and estates; Edward is now of Delapre abbey, near Northamptonshire; Anne married George, a younger son of the lord chancellor Talbot; Charlotte; Mary married Anthony, earl of Shastesbury; and Harriot married Sir James Tilney Long, bart. of Wiltshire. By Elizabeth his second wife, daughter of Robert, lord Romney, he had Philip, who has taken the name of Pusey, and possesses, as heir to his mother Elizabeth, dowager viscountess Folkestone, who died in 1782, several manors and estates in the western part of this county. He died in 1761, and was buried in the family vault at Britford, near Salisbury, being succeeded in title and estates by his eldest son by his first wife, William, viscount Folkestone, who was on Sept. 28, anno 5 king George III. created Earl of Radnor, and Baron Pleydell Bouverie, of Coleshill, in Berkshire. He died in 1776, having been three times married; first, to Harriot, only daughter and heir of Sir Mark Stuart Pleydell, bart. of Colefhill, in Berkshire. By her, who died in 1750, and was buried at Britford, though there is an elegant monument erected for her at Coleshill, he had Hacob, his successor in titles and estates, born in 1750. He married secondly, Rebecca, daughter of John Alleyne, esq. of Barbadoes, by whom he had four sons; William-Henry, who married Bridget, daughter of James, earl of Morton; Bartholomew, who married MaryWyndham, daughter of James Everard Arundell, third son of Henry, lord Arundell, of Wardour; and Edward, who married first Catherine Murray, eldest daughter of John, earl of Dunmore; and secondly, Arabella, daughter of admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle. His third wife was Anne, relict of Anthony Duncombe, lord Faversham, and daughter of Sir Thomas Hales, bart. of Bekesborne, by whom he had two daughters, who both died young. He was succeeded in titles and estates by his eldest son, the right hon. Jacob Pleydell Bouverie, earl of Radnor, who is the present possessor of these manors of Folkestone and Walton, with the park-house and disparked grounds adjacent to it, formerly the antient park of Folkestone, the warren, and other manors and estates in this parish and neighbourhood.

 

FOLKESTONE is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.

 

The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary and St. Eanswith, consists of three isles and three chancels, having a square tower, with a beacon turret in the middle of it, in which there is a clock, and a peal of eight bells, put up in it in 1779. This church is built of sand-stone; the high chancel, which has been lately ceiled, seems by far the most antient part of it. Under an arch in the north wall is a tomb, with the effigies of a man, having a dog at his feet, very an tient, probably for one of the family of Fienes, constables of Dover castle and wardens of the five ports; and among many other monuments and inscriptions, within the altar-rails, are monuments for the Reades, of Folkestone, arms, Azure, a griffin, or, quartering gules, a pheon between three leopards faces, or; for William Langhorne, A.M. minister, obt. 1772. In the south chancel is a most elegant monument, having the effigies of two men kneeling at two desks, and an inscription for J. Herdson, esq. who lies buried in Hawkinge church, obt. 1622. In the south isle a tomb for J. Pragels, esq. obt. 1676, arms, A castle triple towered, between two portcullises; on a chief, a sinister hand gauntled, between two stirrups. In the middle isle a brass plate for Joane, wife of Thomas Harvey, mother of seven sons (one of which was the physician) and two daughters. In the north wall of the south isle were deposited the remains of St. Eanswith, in a stone coffin; and under that isle is a large charnelhouse, in which are deposited the great quantity of bones already taken notice of before. Philipott, p. 96, says, the Bakers, of Caldham, had a peculiar chancel belonging to them in this church, near the vestrydoor, over the charnel-house, which seems to have been that building mentioned by John Baker, of Folkestone, who by his will in 1464, ordered, that his executors should make a new work, called an isle, with a window in it, with the parishioners advice; which work should be built between the vestry there and the great window. John Tong, of Folkestone, who was buried in this church, by will in 1534, ordered that certain men of the parish should be enfeoffed in six acres of land, called Mervyle, to the use of the mass of Jhesu, in this church.

 

On Dec. 19, 1705, the west end of this church, for the length of two arches out of the five, was blown down by the violence of the wind; upon which the curate and parishioners petitioned archbishop Tillot son, for leave to shorten the church, by rebuilding only one of the fallen arches, which was granted. But by this, the church, which was before insufficient to contain the parishioners, is rendered much more inconvenient to them for that purpose. By the act passed anno 6 George III. for the preservation of the town and church from the ravages of the sea as already noticed before. After such works are finished, &c. the rates are to be applied towards their repair, and to the keeping in repair, and the support and preservation of this church.

 

¶This church was first built by Nigell de Muneville, lord of Folkestone at the latter end of king Henry I. or the beginning of king Stephen's reign, when he removed the priory from the precinct of the castle to it in 1137, and he gave this new church and the patronage of it to the monks of Lolley, in Normandy, for their establishing a cell, or alien priory here, as has been already mentioned, to which this new church afterwards served as the conventual church of it. The profits of it were very early appropriated to the use of this priory, that is, before the 8th of king Richard II. anno 1384, the duty of it being served by a vicar, whose portion was settled in 1448, at the yearly pension of 10l. 0s. 2½d. to be paid by the prior, in lieu of all other profits whatsoever. In which state this appropriation and vicarage remained till the surrendry of the priory, in the 27th year of king Henry VIII. when they came, with the rest of the possessions of it, into the king's hands, who in his 31st year demised the vicarage and parish church of Folkestone, with all its rights, profits, and emoluments, for a term of years, to Thomas, lord Cromwell, who assigned his interest in it to Anthony Allcher, esq. but the fee of both remained in the crown till the 4th year of king Edward VI. when they were granted, with the manor, priory, and other premises here, to Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, to hold in capite; who the next year conveyed them back again to the crown, in exchange for other premises, (fn. 23) where the patronage of the vicarage did not remain long; for in 1558, anno 6 queen Mary, the queen granted it, among several others, to the archbishop. But the church or parsonage appropriate of Folkestone remained longer in the crown, and till queen Elizabeth, in her 3d year, granted it in exchange, among other premises, to archbishop Parker, being then in lease to lord Clinton, at the rent of 57l. 2s. 11d. at which rate it was valued to the archbishop, in which manner it has continued to be leased out ever since, and it now, with the patronage of the vicarage, remains parcel of the possessions of the see of Canterbury; the family of Breams were formerly lessees of it, from whom the interest of the lease came to the Taylors, of Bifrons, and was sold by the late Rev. Edward Taylor, of Bisrons, to the right hon. Jacob, earl of Radnor, the present lessee of it.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol8/pp152-188

“Every book has a soul, the soul of the person who wrote it and the soul of those who read it and dream about it.”

  

The Castle has been fully assembled. The Castle is opened up to show the interior. Flags and various other accessories have been added. They include the furniture, staircase, platform, and bridge. Tinker Bell has been attached to the flagpole of the highest tower. The other figures have been placed in various spots in and around the Castle.

 

The Disneyland Resort 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration Sleeping Beauty Castle Playset. Disneyland purchase on Sunday May 31, 2015, from the World of Disney store. It was released in Disneyland on May 20, 2015. Detailed photos boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed, in various configurations.

 

The Castle is in a large box, requires assembly, and costs $84.95.

 

The Castle has lights and sounds, powered by included batteries. Pressing the left button on the steps of the entrance causes a light show with various towers being lit up in white and blue. Pressing the right button causes one of four short musical segments to be played.

 

There are 10 mini figures included, all of which can free stand (some more stably than others). Prince Phillip also comes with separate sword and shield, both of which attach to him. I had difficulty getting the sword to stay in his hand, and broke the handle off the sword in trying. But I super glued the handle to his hand, then the blade to the handle, and the fix worked. Tinker Bell comes with a transparent post that looks like a long double sided wrench, which enables her to hang in the air off one of the tower flag poles. Some of the mini figure's faces are a bit off, especially their eyes, but overall they are good representations of the animated characters.

 

The Castle can be displayed closed (as it comes in the box), or can be opened up to be able to use the interior spaces. The gate of the front entrance can slide up and down. Two of the doors in the towers can open and close. Included is a tall staircase, a low platform. and a bridge, all of which are sturdy. The eight flags are made of wavy vinyl with poles that stick into the towers. Then decals are applied to the flags that say Disneyland on one side, and have the D60 logo on the other side.

 

The Castle was fun and easy to put together. The sound and light show is short but impressive up close. This is a very good value with the quality of construction and the number and variety of figures and accessories included. It is on a par with the Frozen Arendelle Castle playset, which was $15 more expensive.

"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.

Eastern Poland has far more traditional cottages than other regions of Poland, but many are in advanced states of decay and there is little support available for their owners.

 

On close inspection it looks that the better condition left hand end might not be original. The first clue is that there are two chimneys - usually there is one, about 1/3 of the way across the roof due to the standard layout of a cottage with one living room and a cross passage behind the fireplace/stove. Where the window is in the side is where you would expect a door to be, and to the left are white painted wall boards, and the remains of white-painted walls to the immediate left. All the brown walls to the left of that is the later extension, including the chimney on the line where the two parts join.

 

If so, it is the earlier part of the cottage that has succumbed first, unsurprisingly given that both parts are built with the same kind of materials.

 

A sign of impending doom was there in tarmacadam roof - originally this was undoubtedly thatch, and anyone with the money and foresight would have typically replaced this with asbestos tiles or steel sheeting. Or plastic roof tiles, I suppose, if done recently.

 

by Trevor Butcher

 

I have similar images for sale as prints, canvas or phone cases at: www.photo4me.com/canvasprints/trevor-butcher

Classic Disney Princess Rapunzel Doll - 12''

Photographed boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed.

 

This Rapunzel has about a half-inch longer hair than the previous model - measuring about 12 1/2 inches long. It is silky smooth, perfectly straight and easy to comb. There is some hair product in the front, to keep the hair out of Rapunzel's face.

 

www.disneystore.com/classic-disney-princess-rapunzel-doll...

 

Description from Disney Store US website:

 

Classic Disney Princess Rapunzel Doll -- 12''

Item No. 6070040908162P

Our Price: $14.50

2 for $22 Classic Dolls and Accessories

 

Like Rapunzel, your young princess can let her hair down when she plays with this Classic Disney Princess Rapunzel Doll. Sparkling in her glittering purple gown, the Tangled star features poseable arms and legs for more animated adventures!

 

Product Details

 

•Deluxe costume features glittering gown with lace-up detailing on bodice, puff shoulders with organza sleeves

•Poseable arms and legs

•Combines with our Tangled Classic Flynn Rider Doll and Tangled Classic Mother Gothel Doll, each sold separatelyCoordinates with Rapunzel Classic Doll Collection Accessory SetPart of the Disney Princess Classic Doll Collection

•Plastic/polyester

•12'' H

•Ages 3+

•Imported

 

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

 

2012 Disney Princess Classic 12'' Dolls

By The Disney Store

First Look

 

Released June 25, 2012, Online (US site)

Purchased June 30, 2012, In Store

Scheduled release to Disney Stores: Second week of July (North America)

$14.50 US Each

2 for $22 US

 

The newly redesigned Disney Princess Classic 12'' Dolls, called the Disney Princess Classic Doll Collection. The Princess dolls now include the exciting fully articulated legs that were first introduced in the Classic Merida 11'' doll. They have external hinged knee joints and ball/hinge ankle joints that allow much greater poseability of the legs than the previous releases. The collection also includes the Prince dolls and Friends and Villains dolls (which currently includes King Triton, Charlotte, and Mother Gothel), and the Princess accessory (wardrobe) sets.

 

Each Princess doll has been redesigned, including the face, hairdo, outfit, articulation, and in some cases (apparently) the head mold.

 

The price of the dolls and accessory packs have increased from $12.50 US to $14.50. However, on June 26, 2012, the Disney Store has all of the dolls and accessory sets in the Disney Princess Classic Doll Collection as part of a 2 for $22 sale.

 

The 10 Princesses and their movies are:

 

Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)

Cinderella (Cinderella, 1950)

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, 1959)

Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989)

Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)

Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992)

Pocahontas (Pocahontas, 1995)

Mulan (Mulan, 1998)

Tiana (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)

Rapunzel (Tangled, 2010)

 

The new Princess dolls are photographed new in boxes, during their unboxing, and finally fully deboxed. They are also compared with other versions of the Disney Princess dolls.

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)

Spring has finally sprung in southern Ontario. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Oh how I love the spring.

 

Please let me know what you think in the comments. And thanks for viewing.

 

Thank you for visiting for marking my photo as a favourite and for the kind comments,.

 

Please do not copy my image or use it on websites, blogs or other media without my express permission

 

© NICK MUNROE (MUNROE PHOTOGRAPHY)

 

You can contact me

by email @

karenick23@yahoo.ca

munroephotographic@gmail.com

munroedesignsphotography@gmail.com

or on Facebook @

www.facebook.com/MunroePhotography/

On Instagram

www.instagram.com/munroe_photography1/

Stinkys collection today, 25th December.

LOOK FOR NOTES!

 

He has been collecting interesting wiping stains on toilet paper.

So please, take a look what you do before flushing.

  

From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:

 

Hey, Hey, Hue Hue! (“Hue” rhymes with “way,” by the way, and has an aspirated ‘h’ at the beginning.) As I mentioned yesterday, the fine folks at Huenino arranged a private car to shuttle us around the Hue countryside. That cost $37, flat rate, to take as long as we wanted, but she said we would probably be done around 2:00.

 

After eating an omelet and toast, our driver came to our hotel (which was in an alley) to pick us up. The agenda was this: First, we went to the Thien Mu Pagoda about 1-2 kilometers due west of the Citadel along the Perfume River. After that, we went to three different imperial tombs that were roughly 20 kilometers from downtown Hue (and a few kilometers from each other), and then ended up at the Citadel.

 

Normally, I wouldn’t be very excited about a pagoda, but when we got to Thien Mu, I was pleased. It’s situated on a slight hill above the Perfume River. (I love the name of the river, by the way, though there was nothing pleasantly aromatic about it. I’m also glad to say it wasn’t a sarcastic name with a pungent bouquet to offend the senses, either.) When you get to the pagoda, though, it has a wonderful little approach: a small, steep staircase that leads up to the pagoda with four pillars right at the top of the stairs that frame the pagoda well.

 

Next to the pagoda are a few minor temples (about the size of outhouses) surrounded by trees with views of the river. Directly behind the pagoda is the entrance to the temple. The main gate is nice and, upon entering, the main hall is about a hundred meters directly in front of you. The green is pretty lovely and, on the side of the green are some minor halls.

 

Behind the main hall there is a bonsai garden and a second hall. Finally, behind the secondary hall is another green with a mini pagoda/statue at the back of the grounds. The back of the grounds are enclosed by trees.

 

After leisurely making our way to the back of the grounds (in 30-45 minutes, I’d guess), we walked back towards the front, photographing flowers and two women in traditional dress before stopping at a side hall that had a peculiarity: A sky blue Austin dating from around 1960.

 

This is the car (which, I believe, I mentioned in my Saigon posts as well) in which the monk Thich Quang Duc rode from An Quang Pagoda down to Saigon before self-immolating in 1963 to protest the treatment of the Ngo Dinh Diem government. (I won’t elaborate here, but the response of Ngo’s sister, to say the least, was callous. You can find a letterbox in the LP Vietnam and read about it.) As I said, I was absolutely delighted by this temple. I suppose I could ascribe it the polar opposite from how I felt at seeing Disappointment Falls en route to Hue on Thursday.

 

After roughly an hour here at Thien Mu Pagoda, our driver took us to the first of three imperial tombs. To say a little bit about imperial Vietnam – and the era that these tombs cover – the first thing you need to know is that you can NOT associate dynastic Vietnam with China. They couldn’t be much more different. China’s dynasties span more than two thousand years from 221 B.C.-1911 A.D. (with smaller kingdoms even predating those). When talking about imperial Vietnam, we have to reach way, way back in time…to the 1800s – A.D., that is. So, these tombs are somewhere around 150-200 years old, give or take a few years.

 

Another thing to know about imperial Vietnam is that they ruled while the country was really being run by the French who, by this point, had taken over Indochina. So, I suppose if you were desperate to compare Vietnamese emperors to Chinese, you could go with the last emperor, Puyi, who was pretty much a puppet emperor in Manchuria until the 1930s when the Japanese let him rule as a figurehead. (Speaking of Puyi, that movie – the Last Emperor – is extraordinary.)

 

For now, I’ll focus squarely on the tombs themselves. The first one we stopped at was the Tomb of Minh Mang. When we arrived here, we went to the ticket booth to buy a pass to the four sites (three tombs plus Citadel) for 360,000 VND/person (~17-18 USD).

 

Of the imperial tombs I’ve seen – primarily in southeastern Korea – this one was the most like those. The Korean mausoleums are massive mounds built on top of the tombs and that’s what this was.

 

In retrospect, Minh Mang’s tomb was my favorite of the three we would see on the day. It was parklike and fairly expansive. Minh Mang “ruled” from 1820-1840, so obviously the tomb would date from sometime around 1840. The tomb was planned during his reign and built by his successor, Thieu Tri.

 

The Honor Courtyard is at the south end of the complex directly in front of Dinh Vuong (Stele Pavilion). There are three stairways leading up to the pavilion. From inside the pavilion, you have a nice view of Sung An Temple (dedicated to Minh Mang and his empress) directly in front of you and two side halls framing in a courtyard filled with potted flowers.

 

Behind Sung An temple, you pass through Hien Duc Gate descend some stairs and can cross one of three bridges to span Trung Minh Ho (Lake of Impeccable Clarity). The central bridge was for the emperor’s use only, so I guess I was an emperor on this day.

 

Once across the bridge, you find yourself looking up at Minh Lau Pavilion (Pavilion of Light) which is built on three superimposed terraces that represent the “three powers”: the ehavens, the earth, and water. To the left of this is the Fresh Air Pavilion and, to the right, the Angling Pavilion.

 

Finally, you cross another, slightly longer, stone bridge that carries you over Tan Nguyet Lake (Lake of the New Moon). This is a crescent-shaped lake and, once across, you finally find yourself at the base of Minh Mang’s tomb with its rather large staircase flanked by dragon banisters that lead to his sepulcher. However, you also find that the gates are locked and you can’t actually go see the tomb. (It’s only open one day a year, on the anniversary of his death.)

 

After reaching the tomb, you can walk out the same way you came in or, after crossing the stone bridges in front of Minh Lau Pavilion, you can veer off and take a path that skirts the large and rather pleasant Tan Nguyet Lake back to the front gate (which is what we did).

 

When we finally made our way back to our driver, I think we’d spent an hour or so at the first tomb. From there, it was a short 5-10 minute drive to the second of the three: the Tomb of Khai Dinh. I’ll simply copy the LP Vietnam description of this tomb here:

 

“This hillside monument is a synthesis of Vietnamese and European elements. Most of the tomb’s grandiose exterior is covered in blackened concrete, creating an unexpectedl Gothic air, while the interiors resemble an explosion of colorful mosaic.

 

Khai Dinh was the penultimate emperor of Vietnam, from 1916 to 1925, and widely seen as a puppet of the French. The construction of his flamboyant tomb took 11 years.

 

Steps lead to the Honor Courtyard where mandarin honor guards have a mixture of Vietnamese and European features. Up three more flights of stairs is the stupendous main building, Thien Dinh. The walls and ceiling are decorated with murals of the Four Seasons, Eight Precious Objects, and Eight Fairies. Under a graceless, gold-speckled concrete canopy is a gilt bronze statue of Khai Dinh. His remains are interred 18m below the statue.”

 

Khai Dinh’s tomb was a stark contrast to Minh Mang’s. Minh Mang’s takes advantage of a natural setting whereas this tomb has a castle/temple feel to it. It’s on a hill and the views afforded from in front of Thien Dinh are quite wonderful. The temple itself – actually it advertises itself as a palace – is pretty much as Lonely Planet described it: rather ostentatious. That being said, it’s still well worth coming out here, especially to use it as a contrast from the other two tombs. Anyway, about 30 minutes at the Tomb of Khai Dinh should more than suffice even the most leisurely of visitors.

 

From there, we hopped back in the car for a 15 minute drive to the third and final tomb of the day: the Tomb of Tu Duc. This is actually the closest of the three to the city. I rather like the order in which we visited, though. My favorite first, least-favorite second, and another nice one to end it.

 

The Tomb of Tu Duc was built between 1864 and 1867. According to LP, it’s “the most popular, and certainly one of the most impressive of the royal mausoleums.” (That being said, I preferred Minh Mang’s tomb…by a long way.)

 

This tomb was designed by the emperor himself for use both before and after his death. Tu Duc was an interesting puppet king. Basically…he was a sterile Lothario. He had 104 wives and countless concubines, though no offspring. (Ok…he may not have been sterile, but with that many women around, I don’t think it’s a terribly unreasonable guess.)

 

This tomb is much closer in style to Minh Mang’s than to Khai Dinh’s. When you walk through the front gate, a path leads directly to Lou Khiem Lake. There’s a tiny island to the right – Tinh Khiem – where he used to hunt small game. Across the water to the left is Xung Khiem Pavilion, where he would compose and recite poetry to his concubines.

 

From the lake, turn directly behind you to find Hoa Khiem Temple, where Tu Duc and his wife (Empress Hoang Le Thien Anh) were worshipped. It’s not much to speak of when visiting it today, for it doesn’t seem to be a priority to maintain it. There are two thrones in here…and the larger one was for the empress. Tu Duc was, shall we say, vertically challenged, only reaching 153 cm in stature. (That’s a hair over 5’0”, which would even make Prince seem to tower over him.)

 

Anyway, the temples to honor the emperor/empress and another to honor his mother were so unimpressive to me that I won’t bother with more details. From this area, you continue to walk back less than 5 minutes to the Honor Courtyard with its statues of elephants, horses, and diminutive mandarins (the emperor ensured that his servants were even shorter than he, though I’m not sure where he found enough that fit that description). The courtyard leads to the Stele Pavilion, which has a 20 ton stele for which the emperor drafted the inscriptions himself. From LP, “He freely admitted that he had made mistakes and chose to name his tomb Khiem (modest).”

 

Of the three tombs on the day, this one is the least impressive. It’s enclosed by a wall on the back side of a tiny crescent-shaped lagoon. It’s a drab, gray monument. The reason it’s unimpressive, I guess, is because the emperor isn’t actually buried here. The site of his remains is unknown as, to keep it a secret from grave robbers, all 200 servants who buried the king were beheaded. How lovely.

 

As you can tell, I’m not a fan of this particular kind. (Paranoid and insecure, anyone?) However, the grounds and his tomb – barring the temples dedicated to him and his mom – are pleasant enough. I honestly don’t know why people would consider this the most popular, but I won’t argue. I’ll just say it’s a nice place to visit – but not if it’s the only destination you have in mind. The tombs are best seen as a group for contrast’s sake.

 

Having had our fix of tombs satisfied, the driver took us back into town and dropped us off just inside the Quang Duc Gate (southwestern gate) of the Citadel right in front of the Nine Holy Cannons. (Actually, there are five on this side; the other four are inside the southeast gate: Ngan Gate.)

 

The Citadel, for comparison, is quite a bit like China’s Forbidden City in its layout and use. Having said that…it’s nothing like the Forbidden City in terms of scale or elaborate detail. However, it’s still quite photogenic.

 

To get the dimensions out of the way, the outer wall of the Citadel is 10 kilometers long (close to square in orientation, so 2.5 km by 2.5 km) with a moat surrounding it that is 30 meters across. Within the Citadel, there are very distinct sections: the Imperial Enclosure and Forbidden Purple City is in the center. Temple compounds are in the southwest section and residences for family members (emperor’s mother, for example) are in the northwest. There are gardens in the northeast and to the north was the Mang Ca Fortress (which is still a military base).

 

Unfortunately for the world, you need to really use your imagination when visiting the Forbidden City because the one thing that wasn’t forbidden, sadly, were bombs by both the French and U.S troops during the various wars of the 20th century. Of the 148 buildings that were originally here, only 20 are still standing.

 

Getting back to our particular tour of the citadel, it started inside the southwest gate which was the outer wall of the compound. It was more of a military parade ground for the emperor and is currently flanked by the nine aforementioned cannons (for decorative purposes only, found under small pavilions) and a massive Vietnamese flag flying high at the center of the southern outer wall.

 

Walking across the parade grounds, you get to the ticket booth and pass through Ngo Mon Gate. This is a gate with three doors, the central of which was only for the emperor’s use. On top of the gate is the Ngu Phung (Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes). There’s a large drum and bell on its upper level as well. The emperor only came here on special occasions, the last of which, on 30 August 1945, was when Emperor Bao Dai appeared to end the Nguyen Dynasty, abdicating to a delegation sent by Ho Chi Minh.

 

After entering and crossing a bridge, you arrive at the Thai Hoa Palace (Palace of Supreme Harmony, built in 1803). This is an attractive palace which forbids photography inside. That’s all for the best. It has nice details but, except for the throne, is essentially a large, empty chamber. In a back room, though, is a nice introductory video that previews the Citadel which I’d recommend watching.

 

We actually went counter to the plan laid out by Lonely Planet here. Instead of continuing directly through the middle of the compound, we turned left out of the back door of the main palace.

 

After resting for half an hour or so in a cafe, we continued to the southwest corner of the compound. The highlights here are open fields – in a few cases where temples used to be before being blown to smithereens – and a few nice temples are still standing. The most photographic of these is a temple in front of which stand Nine Dynastic Urns. Having seen the three temples in the southwestern corner of the Citadel, we made our way north along the inside of the western wall towards the residential compounds.

 

On the way there, we decided to skip those and head back towards the center of the Citadel where we came upon the Hall of Mandarins. This is a hall that lists the accomplishments of every emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. Again, most of the buildings here are gone, and there are just open, grassy fields framed by the halls. The mandarins used to have their offices off the halls here.

 

Once through the western hall, you come back into an interior grassy field – also framed by rather nice, long corridors. This is/was the Forbidden Purple City where the private residence of the emperor would have been. To the right of the eastern corridor, just outside the Forbidden Field, is the Royal Theater which, while we were here, was under restoration.

 

From here, we made our way back towards the Thai Hoa Palace, only to find that we couldn’t exit whence we came in, so we had to follow the wall around to the eastern gate. I can say that the southeastern section of the Citadel just has a nice forest-like feel to it, but nothing architectural of note.

 

When we finally made our way out the eastern gate, we paid two bike drivers (these are bikes on the front of which are placed chariot-ish looking carts that seat one person) to take us back over towards our hotel where we grabbed a very late lunch/early dinner.

 

For the evening, we just went out for a walk along the river, but – unlike Hoi An – Hue isn’t terribly impressive at night. There’s a night market, but really, everything just seemed a bit dark and not interesting. This was probably also due to the fact that I was feeling a slight fever (possibly from the afternoon shower the day before) and my energy was practically drained. I’m glad to say that I felt fine the following morning, which was good, since we had a one hour flight to Hanoi that would get us to the capital around noon.

 

As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.

Badami formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, 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 its rock cut structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake. Badami has been selected as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India.

 

HISTORY

- Dravidian architecture - Badami Chalukyas

- Hindu temple architecture - Badami Chalukya architecture

- Political history of medieval Karnataka - Badami Chalukyas

- Architecture of Karnataka - Badami Chalukya architecture

- Chalukyas of Badami

 

PRE-HISTORIC

Badami is surrounded by many pre-historic places including Khyad area of Badami, Hiregudda, Sidlaphadi and Kutkankeri (Junjunpadi, Shigipadi and Anipadi), there we can see the rock shelters megalithic burial sites and paintings.

 

BADAMI CHALUKYAS AND OTHER DYNASTIES

MYTHOLOGY

The Puranic story says the wicked asura Vatapi was killed by sage Agastya (as per Agastya-Vatapi story), the area in which the incident happened so named as Vatapi. At Aihole there was a merchant guild known as Ayyavole Ainuravaru lived in the area have reformed. As per scholar Dr. D. P. Dikshit, the first Chalukya king was Jayasimha (a feudatory lord in the Kadamba dynasty), who in 500 AD established the Chalukya kingdom. His grandson Pulakeshin Ibuilt a fort at Vatapi.

 

BADAMI CHALUKYAS

It was founded in 540 AD by Pulakeshin I (535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirtivarma I (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha (598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples.Kirtivarma I strengthened Vatapi and had three sons Pulakeshin II, Vishnuvardhana and Buddhavarasa, who at his death were minors, thus making them ineligible to rule, so Kirtivarma I's brother Mangalesha took the throne and tried to establish rule, only to be killed by Pulakeshin II who ruled between 610 A.D to 642 A.D. Vatapi was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Few parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. The greatest among them was Pulakeshin II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings including the Pallavas of 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, Buddhism and Jainism. cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, 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 Narasimhavarma I seized it in 642 AD & destroyed the vatapi. Pulakeshin II's son Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 AD and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram, the capital of Pallavas. Then Rashtrakutas came to power in Karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance. Later it was ruled by the Hoysalas.

 

Then it passed on to Vijayanagara empire, The Adil Shahis, Mughal Empire, The Savanur Nawabs (They were vassals of Nizams and Marathas), The Maratha, Hyder Ali. The Britishers made it part of the Bombay Presidency.

 

INSCRIPTIONS

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 Pulakeshin I (Vallabheswara), the second is the 578 CE cave inscription of Mangalesha 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 Bhuthanatha temple also has inscriptions dating back to the 12th century in Jain rock-cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha.

 

VATAPI GANAPATI

In the Carnatic music and Hamsadhwani raga the Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje by the composer Muthuswami Dikshitar. The idol of Vatapi Ganapati brought from Badami by Pallavas, is now in the Uthrapathiswaraswamy Temple, near Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu.

 

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

 

TOURISM

Landmarks in Badami include cave temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions and sculptures.

 

- A Buddhist cave in a natural setting that can be entered only by crawling on knees.

- The Bhuhtanatha temple, a small shrine, facing the lake, constructed in 5th century.

- Badami Fort situated on top of the hill.

- Many Shivalayas including the Malegatti Shivalaya with 7th century origins.

- The Dattatreya temple.

- The Mallikarjuna temple dating back to the 11th century, built on a star shaped plan.

- a Dargah, a dome of an Islamic place of worship on the south fort side.

- Vista points on top of the North Fort for the view of the ancient town below.

- Temple of Banashankari, a Kuladevata (family deity) for many families, is located near Badami.

- Archaeological museum, that has collection of sculptures from Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.

 

BADAMI CAVE TEMPLES

The Badami cave temples are a complex of four cave 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 initiated during the 6th century. Badami was previously known as Vataapi Badami, the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty, who ruled much of Karnataka from middle of the sixth until the middle of the eighth centuries. Badami is situated on the west bank of an artificial lake filled with greenish water dammed by an earthen wall faced with stone steps. Badami is surrounded in the north and south by forts built in later times from the ramparts that crown their summits.

 

The Badami cave temples represent some of the earliest known experimentation of Hindu temple prototypes for later temples in the Indian peninsula. Along with Aihole, states UNESCO, their pioneering designs transformed the Malaprabha river valley into a cradle of Temple Architecture, whose ideas defined the components of later Hindu Temples elsewhere. Caves 1 to 3 feature Hindu themes of Shiva and Vishnu, while Cave 4 features Jain icons. There is also a Buddhist Cave 5 which has been converted into a Hindu temple of Vishnu. Another cave identified in 2013 has a number of carvings of Vishnu and other Hindu deities, and water is seen gushing out through the cave all the time.

 

GEOGRAPHY

The Badami cave temples are located in the Badami town in the north central part of Karnataka, India. The temples are about 110 km northeast from Hubli-Dharwad, the second largest metropolitan area of the state. Malaprabha river is 4.8 km away. Badami, also referred to as Vatapi, Vatapipuri and Vatapinagari in historical texts, and the 6th-century capital of Chalukya dynasty, is at the exit point of the ravine between two steep mountain cliffs. Four cave temples have been excavated in the escarpment of the hill to the south-east of the town above the artificial lake called Agastya Lake created by an earthen dam faced with stone steps. To the west end of this cliff, at its lowest point, is the first cave temple dedicated to Shiva, followed by a cave north east to it dedicated to Vishnu but is at a much higher level. The largest is Cave 3, mostly a Vaishnava cave, is further to the east on the northern face of the hill. The first three caves are dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses including Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The fourth cave, dedicated to Jainism, is a short distance away.

 

HISTORY OF CAVE TEMPLES

The cave temples, numbered 1 to 4 in the order of their creation, identified in the town of Badami, the capital city of the Chalukya kingdom (also known as Early Chalukyas) are dated from the late 6th century onwards. The exact dating is known only for cave 3 which is a Brahmanical temple dedicated to Vishnu. An inscription found here records the creation of the shrine by Mangalesha in Saka 500 (lunar calendar, spanning 578 to 579 CE). These inscriptions are in Kannada language, and have been the source for dating these rock cave temples to the 6th-century. The Badami caves complex are part of the UNESCO inscribed World Heritage Site under the title "Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal" in the Malaprabha river valley which is considered a cradle of Temple Architecture, which formed the template for later Hindu temples in the region. The art work in Cave 1 and Cave 2 exhibit the northern Deccan style of 6th- and 7th-century, while those in Cave 3 show a simultaneous co-exhibition of two different ancient Indian artistic traditions – the northern Nagara and the southern Dravida styles. The Cave 3 also shows icons and reliefs in the Vesara style – a creative fusion of ideas from the two styles, as well as some of the earliest surviving historical examples of yantra-chakra motifs and colored fresco paintings in Karnataka. The first three caves feature sculpture of Hindu icons and legends focusing on Shiva and Vishnu, while Cave 4 features Jain icons and themes.

 

TEMPLE CAVES

The Badami cave temples are composed of mainly four caves, all carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff, dated to the late 6th to 7th centuries. The planning of four caves (1 to 4) 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. The cave temples are linked by stepped path with intermediate terraces looking over the town and lake. Cave temples are labelled 1–4 in their ascending series even though this numbering does not necessarily reflect the sequence of excavation.

 

The cave temples are dated to 6th to 8th century, with an inscription dated to 579 CE. The inscriptions are in old Kannada script. The architecture includes structures built in Nagara style and Dravidian style which is the first and most persistent architectural idiom to be adopted by the early chalukyas There is also the fifth natural cave temple in Badami – a Buddhist temple, a natural cave, which can be entered kneeling on all fours.

 

CAVE 1

The cave is just about 18 m above the street level on the northwest part of the hill. Access is through series of steps which depict carvings of dwarfish ganas (with "bovine and equine heads") in different postures. The verandah with 21 m length with a width of 20 m in the interior, has four columns all sculpted with reliefs of the god Shiva in different dancing positions and different incarnations. The guardian dwarapalas at the entrance to the cave stand to a height of 1.879 m.

 

The cave portrays the Tandava-dancing Shiva, as Nataraja. The image, (1.5 m tall, has 18 arms, in a form that express the dance positions arranged in a geometric pattern, which Alice Boner states, is a time division symbolizing the cosmic wheel. Some of the arms hold objects while most express mudras (symbolic hand postures). The objects include drums, trident and axe. Some arms also have serpents coiled around them. Shiva has his son Ganesha and the bull Nandi by his side. Adjoining to the Nataraja, a wall depicts the goddess Durga, depicted slaying the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. Elsewhere, the two sons of Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikkeya, the god of war and family deity of the Chalukya dynasty are seen in one of the carved sculptures on the walls of the cave with Kartikkeya riding a peacock.

 

The cave also has carved sculptures of the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati flanking Harihara, a 2.36 m high sculpture of a fused image that is half Shiva and half Vishnu. To the right, Ardhanarishvara, a composite androgynous form of Shiva and his consort Parvati, is sculpted towards the end of the walls. All the carved sculptures show ornaments worn by them, as well as borders with reliefs of various animals and birds. Lotus design is a common theme. On the ceiling are images of the Vidyadhara couples. Through a cleavage in the back side of the cave is a square sanctuary with more images carved.

 

Other prominent images in the cave are Nandi, the bull, in the sculptural form of Dharmadeva, the god of justice, Bhringi, a devotee of Shiva, a female decorated goddess holding a flat object in her left hand, which are all part of Ardhanarishvara described earlier. The roof in the cave has five carved panels with the central panel depicting the serpent Shesha. The head and bust are well formed and project boldly from the centre of the coil. In another compartment a bass-relief of 0.76 m diameter has carvings of a male and female; the male is Yaksha carrying a sword and the female is Apsara with a flying veil. The succeeding panel has carvings of two small figures; and the panel at the end is carved with lotuses.

 

CAVE 2

Cave 2, facing north, to the west of Cave 3, created in late 6th century AD, is almost same as cave 1 in terms of its layout and dimensions but it is dedicated primarily to Vishnu. Cave is reached by climbing 64 steps from the first cave. The cave entrance is the verandah, divided by four square pillars, which has carvings from its middle section to the top where there are yali brackets with sculptures within them. The cave is adorned with reliefs of guardians. Like the Cave 1, the cave art carved is a pantheon of Hindu divinities.

 

The largest relief in Cave 2 shows Vishnu as Trivikrama – with one foot on Earth and another – directed to the north. Other representations of Vishnu in this cave include Varaha (boar) where he is shown rescuing Bhudevi (symbolism for earth) from the depths of ocean, and Krishna avatars – legends found in Hindu Puranas text such as the Bhagavata Purana. Like other major murti (forms) in this and other Badami caves, the Varaha sculpture is set in a circle, the panel is an upright rectangle, states Alice Boner, whose "height is equal to the octopartite directing circle and sides are aligned to essential geometric ratios, in this case to the second vertical chord of the circle". The doorway is framed by pilasters carrying an entablature with three blocks embellished with gavaksha ornament. The entrance of the cave also has two armed guardians holding flowers rather than weapons. The end walls of the outer verandah is occupied by sculpted panels, to the right, Trivikrama; to the left, Varaha rescuing Bhudevi, with a penitent multi-headed snake (Nag) below. The adjacent side walls and ceiling have traces of colored paintwork, suggesting that the cave used to have fresco paintings. The columns show gods and battle scenes, the churning of cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan), Gajalakshmi and figures, Brahma, Vishnu asleep on Shesha, illustrations of the birth of Krishna, Krishna's youth, Krishna with gopis and cows.

 

The ceiling of Cave 2 shows a wheel with sixteen fish spokes in a square frame along with swastikas and flying couples. The end bays have a flying couple and Vishnu on Garuda.[8] The main hall in the cave is 10.16 m in width, 7.188 m deep and 3.45 m high and is supported by eight square pillars in two rows. The roof of this hall has panels which have carvings. At the upper end of the wall a frieze runs all along the wall with engravings of episodes from the Krishna or Vishnu legends.

 

The sculptures of Cave 2, like Cave 1, are of the northern Deccan style of 6th-and 7th-century similar to that found in Ellora caves.

 

CAVE 3

The Cave 3 is dedicated to Vishnu, and is the most intricately carved and the biggest. It has well carved giant figures of Trivikrama, Anantasayana, Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha, Harihara and Narasimha. The theme on which the Cave 3 is carved is primarily Vaishnavite, however the cave also shows Harihara on its southern wall – half Vishnu and half Shiva shown fused as one, making the cave important to Shaivism studies as well. Cave 3, facing north, is 60 steps away from the Cave 2. This cave temple's veranda, 21 m in length with an interior width of 20 m, has been sculpted 15 m deep into the mountain, and an added square shrine at the end extends the cave some 3.7 m further inside. The verandah itself is 2.1 m wide and has four free standing carved pillars separating it from the hall. The cave is 4.6 m high, supported by six pillars each measuring 0.76 m square. Each column and pilaster is carved with wide and deep bases crowned by capitals which are camouflaged by brackets on three sides. Each bracket, except for one bracket, has carvings of standing human figures, under foliage in different postures, of a male and female mythological characters, along with attendant figure of a dwarf. A moulded cornice in the facia, with a dado of blocks below it (generally in 2.1 m lengths), have about thirty compartments carved with series of two fat dwarfs called ganas. The cave shows a Kama scene on one pillar, where a woman and man are in maithuna (erotic) embrace beneath a tree.

 

Cave 3 also shows fresco paintings on the ceiling, but some of these are faded, broken and unclear. These are among the earliest known and surviving evidence of fresco painting in Indian art.[14] The Hindu god Brahma is seen in one of the murals, while the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, attended by various Hindu deities, is the theme of another. There is a lotus medallion on the floor underneath the mural of four armed Brahma. The sculpture is well preserved, and a large number of Vishnu's reliefs including standing Vishnu with 8 arms, Vishnu seated on a hooded serpent called Sesha or Ananta on the eastern side of the verandha, Vishnu as Narasimha (half human – half lion), Varaha fully armed, a boar incarnation of Vishnu in the back wall of the cave, Harihara (a syncretic sculpture of Vishnu and Shiva), and Trivikrama avatars. The back wall also has carvings of Vidhyadaras holding offerings to Varaha, and adjoining this is an inscription dated 579 AD with the name Mangalis inscribed on it. At one end of the pilaster there is a sculpture of the fourth incarnation of Vishnu as Vamana shown with eight arms called Ashtabhuja decorated with various types of weapons. A crescent moon is crafted above his face, crown of Vishnu decorates his head and is flanked by Varaha and two other figures and below on his right is his attendant Garuda. The images in front of Vamana are three figures of Bali and his wife with Shukra, his councilor. Reliefs stand 4 metres tall. The culture and clothing embedded in the sixth century is visible in the art sculpted in this cave. The roof in the verandha has seven panels created by cross beams, each is painted in circular compartments with images of Shiva, Vishnu, Indra, Brahma, Kama and so forth with smaller images of Dikpalas (cardinal guardians) with geometric mosaics filling the gaps at the corners.

 

The front aisle's roof has panels with murals in the center of male and female figurines flying in the clouds; the male figure is yaksha holding a sword and a shield. Decoration of lotus blooms are also seen on the panels. The roof in the hall is divided into nine panels slightly above the level of the ceiling. The central panel here depicts a deva mounted on a ram – conjectured as Agni. Images of Brahma and Varuna are also painted in the central panels while the floating figures are seen in the balance panels.

 

CAVE 4

The Cave 4, to the east of Cave 3, excavated around 650 AD, is located higher than other caves. It is dedicated to revered figures of Jainism and was constructed last among all the caves. It also features detailed carvings and diverse range of motifs. The cave has five bayed entrance with four square columns with brackets and capitals, and to the back of this verandah is a hall with two standalone and two joined pillars. The first aisle is a verandah 9.4 m in length, 2.0 m wide and extends to 4.9 m deep. From the hall, steps lead to the sanctum sanctorum, which is 7.8 m wide extending to a depth of 1.8 m. On the back part of this, Mahavira is represented, sitting on lion throne, flanked by bas-reliefs of attendants with chauri (fans), sardulas and makara's heads. The end walls have Parshvanath (about 2.3 m tall) with his head decorated to represent protection and reverence by a multi-headed cobra, Indrabhuti Gautama covered by four snakes and Bahubali are seen; Bahubali is present to the left of Gautama shown with his lower legs surrounded by snakes along with his daughters Brahmi and Sundari. The sanctum, which is adorned by the image of Mahavira, has pedestal which contains an old Kannada inscription of the 12th century A.D. which registers the death of one Jakkave. Many Jaina Tirthankara images have been engraved in the inner pillars and walls. In addition, there are some idols of Yakshas, Yakshis, Padmavati and other Tirthankaras. Some scholars also assign the cave to the 8th century.

 

CAVE 5

It is a natural cave of small dimensions, undated, is approached by crawling as it has a narrow opening. Inside, there is a carved statue seated over a sculpted throne with reliefs showing people holding chauris (fans), tree, elephants and lions in an attacking mode. The face of this statue was reasonably intact till about 1995, and is now damaged and missing. There are several theories as to who the statue represents.

 

The first theory states that it is a Buddha relief, in a sitting posture. Those holding the chauris are Bodhisattvas flanking the Buddha, states this theory, and that the cave has been converted to a Hindu shrine of Vishnu, in later years, as seen from the white religious markings painted on the face of the Buddha as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu. Shetti suggests that the cave was not converted, but from the start represented a tribute to Mayamoha of the Hindu Puranas, or Buddhavatara Vishnu, its style suggesting it was likely carved in or before 8th century CE.

 

The second theory, found in colonial era texts such as one by John Murray, suggested that the main image carved in the smallest fifth cave is that of Jaina figure.

 

The third theory, by Henry Cousens as well as A. Sundara, and based by local legends, states that the statue is of an ancient king because the statue's photo, when its face was not damaged, lacked Ushnisha lump that typically goes with Buddha's image. Further, the statue has unusual non-Buddha ornaments such as rings for fingers, necklace and chest-band, it wears a Hindu Yajnopavita thread, and its head is stylistically closer to a Jina head than a Buddha head. These features suggest that the statue may be of a king represented with features of various traditions. The date and identity of the main statue in Cave 5, states Bolon, remains enigmatic.

 

OTHER CAVES

In 2013, Manjunath Sullolli reported the discovery of another cave with 27 rock carvings, about 500 metres from the four caves, from which water gushes year round. It depicts Vishnu and other Hindu deities, and features inscription in Devanagari script. The dating of these carvings is unknown.

 

OTHER TEMPLES AT BADAMI

On the north hill, there are three temples, of which Malegitti-Shivalaya is perhaps the oldest temple and also the finest in Badami, and has a Dravidian tower. Out of the two inscriptions found here, one states that Aryaminchi upadhyaya, as the sculptor who got this temple constructed and the other dated 1543 speaks of the erection of a bastion during the Vijayanagara rule. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower, and only the sanctum remains now.

 

Jambhulinga temple, situated in the town, is presumably the oldest known trikutachala temple in Karnataka. An inscription dated 699 ascribes construction of this temple to Vinayavathi mother of Emperor Vijayaditya.

 

The place also has Agasthya Tirtha, temples of Goddess Yellamma, Mallikarjuna, Datttreya and Virupaksha. Bhuthanatha group of temples are most important in Badami.

 

BADAMI FORT

Badami fort lies east of the Bhuthnatha temple, atop a cliff right opposite the Badami cave temples. The entrance to this temple is right through the Badami museum. It is a steep climb with many view points and dotted with little shrines. The path is laid with neatly cut stone, the same that adores all the architecture around.

 

ETYMOLOGY

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, 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.

 

It is also believed that name Badami has come from colour of its stone (badam - Almond).

 

CULTURE

The main language is Kannada. The local population wears traditional Indian cotton wear.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Badami is located at 15.92°N 75.68°E. It has an average elevation of 586 metres. It is located at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills and surrounds Agastya tirtha water reservoir on the three other sides. The total area of the town is 10.3 square kilometers.

 

It is located 30 kilometers from Bagalkot, 128 kilometers from Bijapur, 132 kilometers from Hubli, 46 kilometers from Aihole, another ancient town, and 589 kilometers from Bangalore, the state capital.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Deboxing the 2013 Classic Snow White Doll. The backing has been removed from the front plastic part of the box. The doll is still attached to the backing. There is a wire attaching ankles to the backing, rubber bands tying her hands to a plastic spacer and the backing, a plastic band around her neck, and a large T-tab fastener tacking her head to the backing. There were also small T-tab fasteners from the skirt and cape to the backing. Finally there was tissue paper stuffing around her legs. There were some glitter on her face that I brushed off, and some smudge marks on her face (probably from the hair gel) that I cleaned off with some rubbing alcohol.

 

The 2013 Classic Snow White doll has many differences from the 2012 model, many of which are improvements in my view. The biggest changes are to her hairdo, her skirt and her legs, and the addition of a cape. There were also minor changes to her bow, collar, shoes and painted on underwear. Her head, face, arms and upper torso have remained the same. I like this doll much better than last year, and she represents the movie character much more faithfully.

 

Her face has remained the same, but I think she is beautiful, lively and very movie accurate. She has a round face, big brown eyes glancing to her right. She has three short thick black lashes over each eye, and short thin black eyebrows. She has small button nose, small full dark pink lips in a sweet open mouthed smile. She has pale flesh colored skin, and her cheeks are lightly rouged.

 

Her hair is greatly improved over the 2012 doll, mostly due to the redesign of her side curls. She is jet black shoulder length hair, in a bobbed hairdo. The main curls on each side of her head are now much larger, and the upper curls now curve in the same direction (clockwise) as the main curls. The upper side curls are now sewn to her hair, keeping them in place, as was done in the Snow White dolls before 2012. Her hair looks very movie accurate, and is much neater than the old style. There is a bit of gel in the curls, both on the sides and in the back, but the hair is still fairly soft to the touch.

 

Her dress is yet another version of her iconic blue, yellow and red gown. And with the addition of a red satin cape, her outfit is much closer to the movie character than any Disney Store Classic Snow White doll in recent years. Her bodice is the same as last year. It is dark blue satin covered in blue glitter, with puffy short blue satin sleeves. On her sleeves are oval bright red appliques. Her high white satin collar is rounded looks much better and movie accurate than last year's square cornered collar. Her newly added red satin cape is half-length (about four inches long), and is unfortunately sewn to the back of her dress. It is shorter than the movie cape, but matches the doll's shorter skirt. Her yellow satin skirt has changed a bit from last year. It is a couple of inches shorter, less full, and stiffer with the addition of a golden glitter floral pattern. It's color is more golden than last year. The width of last year's skirt was wasted as there was no petticoat underneath to keep it full. This year's skirt keeps its shape much better due to its stiffness. The glitter does tend to shed, finding its way in the dolls body, legs, face and hair, as well as your hands and the general neigborhood of the doll.

 

Her shoes are pale yellow flats that are shorter and slighter darker in color than last year's. Their soles are also rounded upwards at the toes, similar to the flats that the Mulan doll always wears. This design looks better on a doll with angled feet, than would the 2012 style flats, which had very flat soles. The red satin ribbon in her hair is thinner than last year's, with a much smaller bow. Last year's ribbon and bow were much prettier, but her bow was placed halfway down the right side of her head. Now the bow is in the center, at the top of her head, where it belongs.

 

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. Although both dolls are wearing flats, the 2013 doll is about 1/4 inch taller since she has angled feet, wearas the 2012 doll has flat feet.

 

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. Also the way the dolls are packaged is much simplified, making it much easier and quicker to remove them from the box. Greatly reduced or eliminated are the tiny plastic T-bar fasteners, which secured the outfits to the backing and left little holes and sometimes runs in the fabric. There are still large T-bar fasteners tacking the back of the doll's head to the backing. Also the dolls with free flowing hair no longer have them flattened and sectioned into two parts, making it hard to even out the back of their hair after deboxing. Instead, their hair is gathered up and placed to one side of the doll, and secured by thread. It looks good as is in the box. Or if the doll is deboxed, it is easy to shake out the hair and even it out using just your fingers.

 

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 Snow White 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).

  

Life can be pretty good, if you let it. Over Lake Ontario, heading to Panama.

 

Title inspired by the Cat Stevens song.

  

Please do not copy, add, or download this image to any other group, website or blog without my express written permission. All rights reserved. Rob Walton Photography 2014

 

Season four of Maxine’s My New BFF has been ripe with drama, romance and attempted murder...allegedly.

 

Fans have been dying to get some information on this unforgettable season and it's winner. For the first time since the season finale, we got an exclusive interview with Gabriella Galaxy, live via satellite from her hotel as she completes the BFF4 promotional tour.

 

Deary: Hi Gabi. Thank you for joining us on the show.

 

Gabi: Hey Deary, it's my pleasure! I've been waiting for this for like ever.

  

Deary: First and foremost congratulations on winning. How does it feel to be the season 4 BFF winner?

 

Gabi: Ohmygod thank you! It feels amazing. I get to tour around the world, meet fans, party, and spend time with Maxine! It's an absolute blast.

  

Deary: Hands down, Season 4 killed in the ratings. Mostly due in part to the big murder mystery. People wanna know, was that real or was that staged?

 

Gabi: Well it felt really real. I wasn't sure if some of it was staged or if some of it was real, but honestly I went through a couple pairs of pantrees a day with all the spookalations and sh*t going on.

  

Deary: Fair enough. So aside from the fear or being murdered, what was the best part of the experience?

 

Gabi: The best part of the experience would have to be meeting all of the crazy people. There were so many different people with different dialects, attitudes, and personalities in the competition. I met so many lifelong friends and they've changed my life!

  

Deary: Including but not limited to Sabrina Babcock and Lark Hayward. What are those girls really like?

 

Gabi: They're honestly great people. Yeah they may seem a bit intimidating on screen, but they can both be real dorks when you're hanging with them. Sabrina has a great sense of humor and Lark listens to some of the greatest bops ever. We always have a good time, and I love them like sisters.

  

Deary: Do you keep in contact with any of the other contestants?

 

Gabi: Of course I do haha! We all have a groupchat where we send memes and talk and stuff. Luna blows it up with all of her convoluted stories and Justin pops up every once in a while saying "Hello!".

  

Deary: Who'd you dislike the most? Be honest

 

Gabi: Well in the beginning I wasn't feeling Alvery, Ling, and Logan. Alvery and I have made up and we have been chatting back and forth recently. Ling and I haven't talked since the season ended, and she hasn't even accepted the invite to the groupchat. I also blocked Logan's number because he kept forwarding those, "Send to 24 people within the next 12 minutes or you're going to hell" scam things. Who cares though, they didn't make it past the top 5! Haha.

  

Deary: Season four was really a season filled with sex and violence. And speaking of sex, how are things with Craig?

 

Gabi: Well, he and I have been doing really well. He's really supportive and I couldn't ask for anything more!

  

Deary: Has that relationship caused any awkwardness between you and Craig's brother Evan aka your new BFF's boyfriend?

 

Gabi: Not that I know of, haha. Evan is so cool and I love listening to him talk about things. He could just be rambling about stuff and I just could listen for hours. Plus I try not to talk about Craig when I hang out with Maxine and Evan. Unless it's a double date, then it's really fun. They bicker back and forth about the silliest sh*t. And Maxine and I just watch. It's great honestly.

  

Deary: So Gabi, post BFF life, do you have any big plans or projects we should know about?

 

Gabi: Well, I have been working on a HUGE project with some of my friends, and it is going to leave everyone BALD!

  

Deary: Would it have anything to do with those photos that surfaced of you wearing a very familiar and iconic red jacket?

 

Gabi: Haha, maybe so. It's quite the statement piece, and very scholarly. But, you'll just have to wait and see!

  

Deary: Any word on if Maxine will be doing a BFF5 or not?

 

Gabi: Well, it would be coming in a year or two, but as far as I know it's a total YES!

  

Deary: Were there any moments on BFF that didn't air on the show that you wish had? Maybe a private moment or something unexpected that was cut for time?

 

Gabi: There were a few moments between Maxine and I and with a few others but they were cut from it for storyline purposes. Also there was a moment involving pie being thrown, but it was immediately shot down by the producers. We ate pie for a week after that because who returns pie? Haha.

  

Deary: Are there any moments that aired that you wish HAD been cut out but weren't?

 

Gabi: Oh...umm...uh...um. Well the moments with me really showing my bad side. I was a major bully to the girls, and I feel bad for what I did. Especially now because I know there are little girls and boys who look up to us on TV, and I wouldn't want them to act the way I did. But, everyone makes mistakes, everybody has those days. I also wish the sex scenes were more censored. Ick! Hahaha.

  

Deary: Were there any moments when you thought you would be eliminated or go home unexpectedly?

 

Gabi: I dunno were there? I mean I got really close to losing my cool on some people, but I kept my composure throughout the entire competition.

  

Deary: Who did you almost lose your cool with?

 

Gabi: Well I almost lost my sh*t with Ling, Alvery, and Gabe. Also with Shannel. But luckily we have overcome our differences, aside from Ling, and now we're decent if not nice to one another.

  

Deary: Even with Shannel?

 

Gabi: Sure. I guess. I keep my distance, she keeps hers. Plus it's no way to treat someone who is mentally ill.

  

Deary: Aside from winning, what was your favorite moment?

 

Gabi: Well obviously meeting everyone was amaze! But I loved the concerts, the parties, and the games we played. Although my anxiety got the best of me, I enjoyed seeing everyone have a good time. I love the Dolly Style concert and the Glamorous Monique concert, and the games we played were SUPER fun!

  

Deary: Speaking of games, Logan complained that it was immature. Was he always such a stick-in-the-mud?

 

Gabi: When he wasn't praying he was complaining. I dunno why he was there though. Maxine really likes to have a good time, and he wasn't down with it. Plus he always had that disgusted look plastered to his mug and he didn't seem to enjoy himself at all! Haha.

  

Deary: And that's why you won and he didn't. So, any regrets or things you would've done differently?

 

Gabi: Well, I deffo would have tried to be nicer and less annoying. Also I wouldn't let the others get the best of me. I argued and was really vulnerable. Also I would have spent a lot more time interacting. I kept to myself quite a bit in the beginning. Haha.

  

Deary: That's amazing. And on a final note, do you have any advice for the season 5 contestants of BFF?

 

Gabi: My advice would be, stay true to yourself. Never let anything hold you back from being the best you. Also pack lots of pink clothes. It will come in handy for sure!

  

Deary: Thank you so much Gabi for your time and for being so candid. We hope to see great things from you in the future.

 

And there you have it, folks. Again we’d like to thank Gabriella Galaxy for her time and join us next time for more gossip, news and all the tea that’s fit to spill!

 

I’m Deary O’Day and this has been, The Daily Dearies

Elsa has been deboxed. She is inserted in the base, but is without her cape.

 

I got the Beast Kingdom MC-005 Elsa 1/4 Scale Figure from Big Bad Toy Store today (Wednesday October 3, 2018). She is made from resin, has an excellent paint job, and stands 15 inches tall to the top of her head, or 16.5 inches to the top of her raised hand, or 18 inches tall on her stand. The base is 9.5 inches in diameter and 1 1/4 inches thick, with a non skid bottom. There is a silver plaque on the base which has the Edition number, 291, which is also on a separate Certificate of Authenticity. But there is no indication of the Edition size.

 

She is in her iconic Let It Go pose, same as the Maquette and many other figures. She comes in three parts, her body and dress, her cape, and the base. She has to be inserted into the base to stand, and the cape is inserted into her back. She is very stable on the base. There is silver glitter on her bodice and the snowflake and icicle patterns in her cape, and it does shed a little. She is a very accurate and very beautiful depiction of Snow Queen Elsa.

 

I show her being deboxed, then on the base without her cape, and finally fully assembled with her cape on.

 

Frozen Master Craft MC-005 Queen Elsa of Arendelle PX Previews Exclusive Statue

BY BEAST KINGDOM

BRANDS FROZEN, DISNEY

IN STOCK

$214.99

Sold by Big Bad Toy Store

 

Premiered in 2014, the animated motion picture Frozen has propelled Disney's motion pictures to new heights! In addition to instant fame to all characters in the movie, Frozen has also elevated Elsa to the number three spot on Disney's ranking for the most popular princess.

 

Beast Kingdom's MC-005 Frozen Elsa is based on the appearance of Elsa when she became the Snow Queen in the movie with her confident and resolute demeanor. The sculptor has painstakingly stayed true to the source materials from Disney so as to portray the perfect recreation of Elsa's elegance. With precise and detailed sculpting, this statue faithfully captures the look of confidence and elegant posture of Elsa.

 

Coupled with professional paint work and special paint materials, all details on the statue are accurate reproduction of the color scheme as seen in the animation. As she stands atop of her pearl luster base, Elsa is ready to unleash her powerful cryokinetic magic. Want to witness that breathtaking world of ice?

 

Come to Beast Kingdom and join Elsa in a return to the stunning scenery in the world of Frozen!

 

Product Features

 

1/4 scale

Previews Exclusive statue!

Features details from the film

Stands on her ice base!

Box Contents

 

Elsa of Arendelle 1/4 scale statue

 

More images at the manufacturer's Facebook page announcement of the figure:

MC-005 Frozen Elsa

 

Wyoming has an unbelievable variety of world class wildlife. From grizzly bears to marmots, golden eagles to cutthroat trout, Wyoming offers something for everyone. BLM lands are vital to big game, upland game, waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, raptors and hundreds of species of non-game mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.As you drive through Wyoming, you can’t help but see pronghorn (commonly called antelope after its African cousin). The pronghorn is the fastest land animal in North America, running up to 55 mph. There are almost as many pronghorn in Wyoming as people! Besides pronghorn, Wyoming also is home to many other game animals including bighorn sheep, mountain goat, elk, mule deer, white tail deer and moose.

 

Mammals of all sizes are abundant: marmots, chipmunks, skunks, raccoons, badgers, rabbits, beaver, prairie dogs, coyotes, foxes, mountain lions and bears.

 

If you look overhead, try to spot a golden eagle, a Swainson’s hawk or peregrine falcon. Listen closely and you’ll hear the distinctive song of Wyoming’s state bird the western meadowlark. Wyoming is also home to about 40 percent of the Greater Sage-Grouse in the United States.

 

Anglers travel from all over to take advantage of Wyoming’s world class trout fisheries. Wyoming streams and lakes provide habitat for cutthroat, rainbow, brown, brook, lake, and golden trout. Other popular game fish include walleye, sauger, pike, grayling, ling, bass, bluegill, sunfish, catfish, and carp. Wyoming also manages habitat for several endangered or threatened species like the black footed ferret, the Canada lynx, grizzly bears, trumpeter swans, and the Wyoming toad.

 

BLM Wyoming manages wildlife habitat in cooperation with other state and federal agencies. When authorizing land use activities, the needs of wildlife, fish and plants must be taken into consideration.

 

Wyoming’s wildlife is truly worth the watching!

ICE GP40-2 4207 has the 922 job heading back to Beloit as WSOX Jordan Spreader 9 is getting prepped with SD40-2 4052 to do some plowing on WSOR's Fox Lake Sub.

For more of my photography visit www.card-photo.com

Amtrak Southwest Chief has three P42's at West Hinsdale on BNSF.

This has been a Shell site throughout Streetview.

www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6909297,-4.1294791,3a,75y,179.1...

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

 

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

Our fourth winter visitor has arrived.

 

Sampson has been our buddy since 2004. In the winter of 2008, he suffered a severe perineal hernia that required a $2000 surgery to repair it. At the time of the surgery, we were told that due to the severity of the hernia that it was likely to reoccur. As predicted, it has reoccurred and he desperately needs more surgery before 2012. Other than the hernia, he is a happy, healthy and active dog who should live to his mid to late teens. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience end his life prematurely. I have also contacted a Corgi rescue in hopes that he could be adopted to a family that is more financially able to care for him. However, since my husband and I can't have children, giving him up for adoption because of health issues seems as ridiculous to us as giving up our 9 year old child for adoption because we can't keep up with the medical expenses. We work in the service industry, living paycheck to paycheck and our credit is not good enough to get a care credit card that would allow us to make payments. To help us pay for Sampson's surgery, we have set up a ChipIn donation site to raise funds for Sampson's surgery. So please consider donating whatever small amount you can to help keep Sampson with the family that loves him. If you can't make a donation, please pass this info along to friends who may be able to help. Sampson, his Corgi buddies Shiloh & Rusty and his human family thank you! Click on the link below to go to Sampson's ChipIn.com page to make your donation. THANK YOU!!

corgisampson.chipin.com/sampson-the-corgis-hernia-surgery...

Affirm Lets You Finance Big Purchases Without Credit Cards. ... An alternative to credit cards and personal loans, Affirm lets you finance large purchases from select merchants at the point-of-sale. ... Unlike some personal loans, Affirm has no prepayment

Little has survived of the spectacular 17th century baroque garden created by London and Wise for Sir John Brownlow after it was devastated by flooding in mid-18th century. We have, to a large extent, the 1st Earl Brownlow to thank for what we see today. In the early 19th century he commissioned Jeffry Wyatville to design the magnificent sunken Italian Garden, fountain and Orangery (seen here) which we see today.

 

The property belongs to the National Trust.

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.