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The Japanese team lead the whole way in the women's Gold medal team pursuit race...until the very last lap.
First lady Michelle Obama leads a reenactment planting of a Cherry Blossom Tree on the 100th Anniversary of The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.
It was March 27, 1912, when First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park.
For the March 27th 2012 planting First Lady Michelle Obama planted her tree in West Potomac Park, the closest cross streets to this planting location would be Ohio Drive SW at West Basin Drive SW.
Remarks by the First Lady at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial Tree Planting Ceremony
Tidal Basin
Washington, D.C.
11:22 A.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you so much, it is a true pleasure to be here on this beautiful, little chilly day. (Laughter.) We planned it. This is the only cold day of the week, and we are here. But I am pleased to be here.
I want to start by thanking Secretary Salazar for that very kind introduction, and for all of his outstanding work as Secretary of the Interior.
I want to thank and recognize Ambassador Fujisaki, as well as Mrs. Fujisaki, who are here today. Thank you all so much, I know you're here somewhere -- oh, you're here. (Laughter.) It's good to see you both. And I want to thank all of you for taking the time to join us for this historic event.
We have come together to celebrate these beautiful cherry blossom trees -- and yes, they were blooming last week. We were so close. (Laughter.) But I think the tree we're planting will -- still has a few blooms, but they are beautiful. And we are here to honor all that they stand for. For so many years, these trees have served as a symbol of the great friendship between the United States and Japan, and as a reminder of our shared hopes, dreams and aspirations.
People from both of our nations worked together for years to bring these trees here to Washington. And over the past century, people of all ages from the U.S. and Japan and so many other nations have come to this Tidal Basin each spring to marvel at their beauty. And year after year, even after the coldest, darkest, stormiest winters, these trees have continued to bloom.
So on this historic anniversary, we don’t just admire the beauty of these trees, we also admire their resilience. And in so doing, we are reminded of the extraordinary resilience of the Japanese people. Over the past year, we have all witnessed their courage, unity and grace as they have come together and begun the very hard work of rebuilding their nation.
And I think that that more than anything else is the lesson that we can learn from these trees. They teach us about all that we can achieve together. And because people from both of our nations came together, this landscape was transformed. And for one hundred years, people from every background and every walk of life have come here to experience, truly, the magic of these trees.
No matter who you are, their beauty stirs our souls. No matter where we’re from, being here among these beautiful blossoms truly lifts our spirits. And that is why we invited all of these wonderful children to join us -- where are the children? There they are. (Applause.) They are here because we want them to learn this lesson as well; we want to pass this lesson onto them. We want to teach them about the great partnership between our nations and what that means for our shared future. We want to teach them to appreciate and learn from the traditions and cultures of others.
And we want them to be inspired by the example of our friends in Japan who have worked so hard and who have been so brave in rebuilding their lives. Because in the end it will be up to them, this next generation, to continue that great friendship. It will be up to them to carry these traditions forward so that one hundred years from now, their children and grandchildren will be able to come here to this very spot and see the tree that we will plant, full grown and in full bloom.
And I hope that on that day, the First Lady –- or the First Gentleman –- of 2112 will also have the privilege of joining with our friends from Japan, and planting another tree which will bloom for yet another one hundred years and beyond.
So with that, I want to once again thank you all for joining us today, and bearing the frigid cold. If you stick around for one more day, it will be 80 tomorrow, I guarantee you. (Laughter.) It's really nice weather here. But we are truly honored to have you here, and it's a pleasure to be able to join in this very special occasion.
And with that, I think it is time for us to plant a tree. (Applause.)
For more on The National Cherry Blossom Festival visit:
www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
For more West Potomac Park on visit:
www.npca.org/parks/west-potomac-park.html
For Remarks by the First Lady at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial Tree Planting Ceremony visit: www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/27/remarks-fi...
Photo by
Ryan Janek Wolowski
Washington, D.C. USA
03-31-2012
Janet Thomas leads a tour for Congresswomen Madeleine Bordallo. The Congresswomen took a tour of NASA Goddard for the kickoff Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center was honored to have Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo of Guam kickoff Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at their Greenbelt, MD campus. Activities included food sampling and a tea tasting, arts and crafts, cultural dance performances and demonstrations, and videos showcasing the Asian and Pacific Islands region. This event wass co-sponsored with the APA Advisory Committee (APAAC), the Women’s Advisory Committee (WAC), and the Goddard Chinese American Club (GCAC).
Credit: NASA/GSFC/Debbie Mccallum
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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Pope Francis leads the holy mass at Quirino grandstand in Luneta Manila Sunday, January 18, 2015 where an estimated six (6) million people attended including President Benigno S. Aquino III and his family, some cabinet members and other government officials. The mass is the last activity of the visiting Pope and is about to fly back to Vatican tomorrow morning.
(Photo by: Ryan Lim/Malacañang Photo Bureau) )
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III leads a mass in the Church of the Nativity, believed by Christians to be the birth place of Jesus Christ, in the biblical West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Orthodox Christmas eve. The Orthodox faith uses the old Julian calendar in which Christmas falls 13 days after its more widespread Gregorian calendar counterpart on December 25.
HRT 2036 leads the first cut of coal for UGA by Sanford Stadium. I have a photo hanging on my wall of a Southern B23-7 leading the then daily freight to Madison at almost the same angle. Alot has changed since then, far less traffic and more obstructions for starters.
The Seven Ghosts are revealed
11 April 2011 - Tom Curren leads the latest Rip Curl Tip 2 Tip Search mission to the Seven Ghosts in Indonesia and into the first legitimate river bore barrels in history.
On April 1 this year - only days after returning from Indonesia - the Rip Curl Tip 2 Tip mission unveiled a taste of what is undoubtedly the best river bore surfing to ever be captured on film with Panasonic LUMIX GH1 and GH2. And today, April 11, you have the proof. Witness Rip Curl International team riders Bruno Santos (BRA), Dean Brady (AUS), Tyler Larronde (FRA), Oney Anwar (IND) and original Searcher Tom Curren (USA) pull into 6-foot (2m) river bore barrels on the “Seven Ghosts” river, as it’s known to village locals.
Though tidal surges occur semi-regularly on the Seven Ghosts, a surge strong enough to create the waves captured this March by Santos, Brady, Larronde, Anwar, and Curren are extremely rare. At the guidance and expertise of Frenchman Antony Colas, who first surfed and documented Seven Ghosts in September 2010, the Rip Curl Search team chose the week of March 18-24, as it coincided with the Spring Equinox and tidal swings that occur only once every 19 years. As it turned out, Colas could not have been more spot-on.
“I didn’t want to have any expectations coming into this trip, but the waves we’ve scored out here were pretty crazy,” said Brazilian Bruno Santos, who logged in a 35-minute ride and a handful of chocolate barrels. "People dream of experiences like this - it really is the perfect wave."
There’s no doubt that by the time the last lines rolled off upriver, every surfer had left their mark on history, but fittingly it was Rip Curl's original Searcher, Tom Curren, who was the first to re-write the record books.
On Sunday, March 20, after a few test runs to figure out the initial Seven Ghosts tidal pulses, the crew moved into a prime location over the best sand banks on the river and prepared to whip each other into history. With cameras rolling from the skis, zodiacs and helicopter, Curren faded into a growing 6-foot (2m) left-hander, backdoored its folding lip and was spit out to the cheers of the 15-man Search crew intently watching nearby. It was undoubtedly the first legitimate river bore barrel to be made in history.
“This has been the most amazing Search trip in 20 years,” Tom Curren said after his groundbreaking river tube.
To witness the full account of this monumental Rip Curl Search odyssey, journey over to ripcurl.com/tip2tip for the much-anticipated videos and photos that you, your friends and the rest of the surf world will be talking about in the line-up for weeks, months and maybe even years to come.
Text and photos courtesy Rip Curl
First lady Michelle Obama leads a reenactment planting of a Cherry Blossom Tree on the 100th Anniversary of The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.
It was March 27, 1912, when First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park.
For the March 27th 2012 planting First Lady Michelle Obama planted her tree in West Potomac Park, the closest cross streets to this planting location would be Ohio Drive SW at West Basin Drive SW.
Remarks by the First Lady at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial Tree Planting Ceremony
Tidal Basin
Washington, D.C.
11:22 A.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you so much, it is a true pleasure to be here on this beautiful, little chilly day. (Laughter.) We planned it. This is the only cold day of the week, and we are here. But I am pleased to be here.
I want to start by thanking Secretary Salazar for that very kind introduction, and for all of his outstanding work as Secretary of the Interior.
I want to thank and recognize Ambassador Fujisaki, as well as Mrs. Fujisaki, who are here today. Thank you all so much, I know you're here somewhere -- oh, you're here. (Laughter.) It's good to see you both. And I want to thank all of you for taking the time to join us for this historic event.
We have come together to celebrate these beautiful cherry blossom trees -- and yes, they were blooming last week. We were so close. (Laughter.) But I think the tree we're planting will -- still has a few blooms, but they are beautiful. And we are here to honor all that they stand for. For so many years, these trees have served as a symbol of the great friendship between the United States and Japan, and as a reminder of our shared hopes, dreams and aspirations.
People from both of our nations worked together for years to bring these trees here to Washington. And over the past century, people of all ages from the U.S. and Japan and so many other nations have come to this Tidal Basin each spring to marvel at their beauty. And year after year, even after the coldest, darkest, stormiest winters, these trees have continued to bloom.
So on this historic anniversary, we don’t just admire the beauty of these trees, we also admire their resilience. And in so doing, we are reminded of the extraordinary resilience of the Japanese people. Over the past year, we have all witnessed their courage, unity and grace as they have come together and begun the very hard work of rebuilding their nation.
And I think that that more than anything else is the lesson that we can learn from these trees. They teach us about all that we can achieve together. And because people from both of our nations came together, this landscape was transformed. And for one hundred years, people from every background and every walk of life have come here to experience, truly, the magic of these trees.
No matter who you are, their beauty stirs our souls. No matter where we’re from, being here among these beautiful blossoms truly lifts our spirits. And that is why we invited all of these wonderful children to join us -- where are the children? There they are. (Applause.) They are here because we want them to learn this lesson as well; we want to pass this lesson onto them. We want to teach them about the great partnership between our nations and what that means for our shared future. We want to teach them to appreciate and learn from the traditions and cultures of others.
And we want them to be inspired by the example of our friends in Japan who have worked so hard and who have been so brave in rebuilding their lives. Because in the end it will be up to them, this next generation, to continue that great friendship. It will be up to them to carry these traditions forward so that one hundred years from now, their children and grandchildren will be able to come here to this very spot and see the tree that we will plant, full grown and in full bloom.
And I hope that on that day, the First Lady –- or the First Gentleman –- of 2112 will also have the privilege of joining with our friends from Japan, and planting another tree which will bloom for yet another one hundred years and beyond.
So with that, I want to once again thank you all for joining us today, and bearing the frigid cold. If you stick around for one more day, it will be 80 tomorrow, I guarantee you. (Laughter.) It's really nice weather here. But we are truly honored to have you here, and it's a pleasure to be able to join in this very special occasion.
And with that, I think it is time for us to plant a tree. (Applause.)
For more on The National Cherry Blossom Festival visit:
www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
For more West Potomac Park on visit:
www.npca.org/parks/west-potomac-park.html
For Remarks by the First Lady at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial Tree Planting Ceremony visit: www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/27/remarks-fi...
Photo by
Ryan Janek Wolowski
Washington, D.C. USA
03-31-2012
leads NS 142 into Burnside, KY for a crew change. This was the second time within a week that the unit was leading an NS train northbound on the CNOTP.
Built in 2006 as UP 8522. Not long after being released from EMD, it was sent to the WSOR shop in Horicon, WI for repainting as the fifth unit in UP's 'Heritage' Fleet. The scheme is a take off from the last CNW scheme prior to UP's acquisition of that road in 1995.
TT101 leads two classmates westward through East Maitland shortly after a brief but intense storm lashed the Maitland area.
A very nice soldering iron that is BTW. Gas powered, no leads to get caught up in. Make's life much easier.
ACN4151 leads an empty Karara Mining Ltd (KML) iron ore back to Narngulu East where the locos will be shuffled to have two ACN locos at the front and one at the back, seen on 23 December 2012.
Flying for the Resistance under the callsign Black Leader, Poe Dameron leads a Squadron of X-Wings in the fight against the First Order.
From the comic series Shattered Empire we know that his parents were survivors of the Battle of Endor, and stayed in the service of the New Republic afterwards until they settled down on Yavin 4 to spend more time as a family instead of being scattered across the galaxy in the fight against the remnants of the Empire.
It seems like he is rescued by Finn after being captured by the First Order and interrogated by Kylo Ren.
He grew up near a force sensitive tree, given to his mother by Luke Skywalker, who she helped remove two of the trees from an Imperial research facility.
I have always had a soft spot for pilots in the Star Wars universe. Wedge Antilles is one of my favourite characters from the movies and the former expanded universe, Hera Syndulla is the glue that holds her Rebel cell together, Han and Lando back up their big mouths with their skills and it seems that Poe Dameron fits that mold.
Black Series Pilot version
This is the first figure from the Black Series line for Episode VII that is hard to talk about. Because no matter how many positive things there are to say, the face sculpt negates them all.
But that won't make one forget the stroke he must have suffered and robbed him of the control of the right side of his face.
Also, the helmet is a nice addition, but doesn't really fit the figure but is cheaper than a seperate head with a sculpted on helmet and finally, is that Oscar Isaac?
The rest of the figure is ok. The flightsuit and helmet both look great and have neat details on it.
The figure comes with a blaster pistol that can be stored in a holster and two hands without the gloves on but in the same grip poses.
It would have been nice to get two relaxed hands in gloves instead.
I looked forward to recieving this figure, and perhaps i got a very bad example of it because i bought my figure from a lot of used ones.
James Steven (L)(GBR) leads Michiel Van Der Heijden (C)(NED) in the Mens Junior UCI Mountain Bike XCO World Cup, Dalby Forest, Yorkshire, UK - 23 April 2010. Van Der Heijden later took the lead an won in 1.18:26, Steven took third place in +1.36 of the 27.28km course.
Umgiyo leads the field the first time by in the Grade I Woodford Reserve Turf. Eventual winner Finnegans Wake trails the field. Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY. 5.2.2015
56090 leads 70807 on the Derby RTC to Crewe LNWR light engine move passing through Stoke Junction 24 Feb 2020
U. S. Senator Tim Kaine leads a group of federal, state and local officials touring the site of the planned Foreign Affairs Security Training Center May 5, 2014, at Fort Pickett, Va., and Pickett Park in Nottoway County. Joining Kaine on the visit were Fifth District Congressman Robert Hurt, Delegate Thomas C. Wright, Jr., Blackstone Mayor Billy Coleburn and Nottoway County Administrator Ronald E. Roark, as well as Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Gregory Starr and Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long. Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia. After an information briefing by Lt. Col. Preston Scott, garrison commander of Fort Pickett, Chuck Raderstorf, FASTC project director for Department of State, and Abigail K. Low, project manager from the General Services Administration, the officials took a bus tour to see first hand some of the locations where the training center will be constructed. After a multi-year search, Fort Pickett and Pickett Park in Nottoway County were recently announced as the site for the training facility to be dedicated to providing consolidated hard skills security and life saving training to the foreign affairs community. Read more about the project at go.usa.gov/kzgP. (Photo by Cotton Puryear, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)
37057 leads the returning 1Q28, 1428 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) via London Euston across the River Nene at Kingsthorpe. Tue 15.06.2021.
---- St. Philip Syriac: devotees climb the troubled path that leads to the church of SS. Crucified at the Castle ----
---- San Filippo Siriaco: i devoti risalgono il tormentato sentiero che porta alla chiesa del SS. Crocifisso al Castello ----
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This is a short and long report, I made over three years (2013, 2014 and 2015) on the characteristic votive-religious manifestation held in the Sicilian town of Calatabiano (Catania), which is known as the "Descent of St. Philip "in honor of its patron saint and protector St. Philip Syriac. This year the celebrations have had a particular resonance because it fell on the anniversary of the 250th anniversary of the ancient rite (1765-2015), with summer festivities that are coming in fulfillment. Every year, on the Saturday eve of the third Sunday of May the church of SS. Crucified at the Castle at 18,30 o'clock starts a spectacular, not without its dangers, descent of heavy float (13 quintals) bearing the reliquary bust, supported by devotees along a steep - slippery - steep path - with a step supported (each year is commented on the greater or lesser speed of gait), which includes a dangerous curve (nicknamed by the popular imagination "death curve") in which the float must be able to make a sharp turn at the end of the route steep showing all the expertise of the carriers still in the lead with the float-boss, thus reaching the outskirts of the village in the place called "the First Cross" here where the race ends with a stop during the which the saint is gold suit, then the float is brought to the Mother Church of Calatabiano. The following Sunday, the so-called "eighth" (similar to the feast of St. Philip of Agira Limina - Messina) back to life the ritual, with porters, at 19.00 o'clock starting from the Mother Church to climb up over the Castle Mountain (so named for the presence of a well-preserved Norman medieval castle), thus restoring the heavy fercolo in the Church of SS. Crucifix, located directly below the castle. The "descent" and "ascent" are carried at a brisk pace (not a run, as it is sometimes called) to want to echo the vehemence of the Saint Exorcist, in expelling demons ( Philip was born in Syria in 40 AD, during the Roman domination, and was educated from childhood to the new Christian religious principles).
The many devotees crowding on the hill above the steep path, many of them are adorned with ribbons of woven of the three colors red-yellow-green (every year the colors of the shirts of the carriers change, bringing each time one of three colors), such ribbons or "measures" are the beard of the saint, in fact, legend has it that the young Philip went down to the underworld to tie the devil with his beard, that would explain why the saint is depicted in black, in fact he burned himself during " descent "and the fight against the Forces of Evil.
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Questo è un report breve e lungo, che ho realizzato nell'arco di tre anni (2013, 2014 e 2015) sulla caratteristica manifestazione a carattere votivo-religioso che si tiene nel paese siculo di Calatabiano (Catania) che è conosciuta come "Calata di San Filippo" in onore del suo santo compatrono e protettore San Filippo Siriaco. Quest'anno i festeggiamenti hanno avuto una risonanza particolare poichè cadeva la ricorrenza del 250° anniversario dell'antico rito (1765 - 2015), con festeggiamenti estivi che sono prossimi nel compiersi. Ogni anno, nel sabato vigilia della terza domenica di Maggio dalla chiesa del SS. Crocifisso al Castello prende vita alle 18, 30 in punto, una spettacolare e, non esente da pericoli, discesa del pesantissimo fercolo (13 quintali) recante il busto reliquiario, sostenuto dai devoti lungo un ripidissimo - tortuoso - scivoloso - scosceso sentiero - a passo sostenuto (ogni anno viene commentata la maggiore o minore celerità dell'andatura), che prevede lungo il tormentato percorso una curva (soprannominata dalla fantasia popolare "curva della morte") nella quale la vara deve poter compiere una brusca virata al termine del percorso più ripido e scosceso e che mostra, se ancora ce ne fosse bisogno, tutta la perizia dei portatori con sempre in testa il capovara, giungendo così alle porte del paese nel luogo denominato "della Prima Croce" ove qui la corsa termina con una sosta durante la quale il Santo viene vestito dell'oro, quindi il fercolo viene portato alla Chiesa Madre del paese di Calatabiano. La domenica successiva, la cosiddetta "ottava" (similmente alla festa di San Filippo d'Agira di Limina - Messina) riprende vita il rito, coi portatori che, alle 19,00 in punto partono dalla Chiesa Madre per risalire fin sopra al Monte Castello (così chiamato per la presenza di un ben conservato castello medioevale Normanno), riportando così il pesantissimo fercolo nella Chiesa del SS. Crocifisso, ubicata subito sotto il castello. La "calata" e "l'acchianata" rispettivamente la "discesa" e la "risalita" vengono compiute a passo svelto (non è una corsa, come a volte viene definita) a voler riecheggiare la veemenza del Santo esorcista nello scacciare i demoni (Filippo nacque in Siria nel 40 d.C., durante la dominazione Romana, e fin dall'infanzia fu educato ai nuovi principi religiosi Cristiani).
I devoti si assiepano numerosissimi sulla collina sovrastante la discesa, moltissimi di loro si adornano con dei nastrini intrecciati dei tre colori rosso-giallo-verde (ogni anno i colori delle magliette dei portatori cambiano, riportando ogni volta uno dei tre colori), tali nastrini o "misure" rappresentano i peli della barba del Santo, infatti la leggenda narra che il giovane Filippo discese negli Inferi per legare il demonio coi peli della sua barba, questo spiegherebbe perchè il Santo viene raffigurato di colore nero, infatti Egli si ustionò durante "la discesa" e la lotta contro le Forze del Male.
A return visit to the University of Birmingham to check out the Green Heart again now that it is fully open. This time on the right side with the footbridge that leads towards the North Gate and Pritchatts Road.
An added advantage with a blue sky / winter sun. No snow had fell in Birmingham!
The North Gate and Lodges is now open again at Pritchatts Road. The drive at the end in red brick.
Grade II Listed Building
The Lodges, gates, gate piers and walls to Birmingham University campus, Pritchatt's Road
Summary
A pair of ceremonial drive gates, with pedestrian gates to either side, all made by the Birmingham Guild, with lodges set at either side and wing walls. The grouping was designed by H T Buckland and W Haywood and built in 1930.
Description
A pair of ceremonial drive gates, with pedestrian gates to either side, all made by the Birmingham Guild, with lodges set at either side and wing walls. The grouping was designed by H T Buckland and W Haywood and built in 1930. The buildings are of red brick laid in Flemish bond with ashlar dressings. The lodge roofs are hipped and covered with pantiles and the gates are of wrought and cast iron.
PLAN: walling fronts onto Pritchatts Road and is terminated by piers. At the centre, lengthy sections of quadrant walling form a crescent-shaped approach to the central gates which are divided by rectangular, ashlar piers. Further curved walls lead from the lateral piers to join with the single-storey lodges, which are set at either side of the driveway, to the south of the gates, and slightly curved on plan. Beyond them, more walls curve inwards towards the driveway.
EXTERIOR: the lodges are each of five bays with a central doorway, approached along a paved path which has panels of alternating stone arranged in a grid pattern. Each panelled door has eight raised and fielded panels and a central bronze knob and an ashlar surround with panels at either and a decorative cornice which has alternating raised and fluted panels with curved and pointed cresting. At either side of this are windows with two casement lights. The surrounds to the windows have canted headers and there is a band of similar bricks below the top of the wall. Metal pins at either side of the windows show that they formerly had shutters. There are two, symmetrically placed, ridge stacks to each cottage, which have a stone band and moulded cap and a raised panel to each side. Each lodge façade is gently curved away from the drive, but is flanked by walls which curve inwards. These connect to the gates on the north side and terminate in piers on the south side with ashlar panels and similar cornicing to that seen above the lodge doors. Similar piers terminate the walling on the Pritchatt’s Road front. The garden front of each lodge has three wide bays, with a recessed door to the centre, with stone surround and flanked by small windows in the upper wall. At either side, and projecting slightly, are flat-roofed bays with three-light casements. The tops of the walls have a soldier course of bricks on this front. Connected to these rear fronts are stretches of Flemish bond walling with ashlar coping, which form the enclosed garden for each house. The north and south end fronts each have a two-light casement. The central, drive gates and the lateral pedestrian gates, have shaped tops and are infilled with panels which have S-shaped bars and cast, shell-shaped bosses. They are painted a bronze colour, but there are signs of original gilding to the cresting. The ashlar gate piers have raised and fielded panels to each side and carved cornicing, as seen elsewhere on the group. The central piers carry the university arms, carved in relief to their northern face. The original bell-shaped lanterns have been replaced by projecting lamps in the later C20.
INTERIOR: each lodge retains its original plan in all essentials. These have a central, octagonal lobby from which gently curved corridors lead off in both directions. Door surrounds are moulded, and fitted cupboards with panelled doors survive in both houses. All original chimney breasts and the majority of the original fire surrounds survive. Both lodges appear to retain their original, small lean-to glass house at the north end.
History
The grand and ambitious scheme for the buildings of Birmingham University on its campus site in Edgbaston took several decades to complete and underwent several changes of plan. Until the mid-C20 the lack of sufficient buildings meant that parts of the old Mason's College were still used by several academic departments, including Arts, Law, Education and Medicine.
In the 1920s, as an attempt to consolidate the university on one site, the Chancellor, Grant Robertson, led an appeal which led to the grant of a further forty-one acres of land from the Calthorpe family from their Edgbaston estate. Robertson had planned an extension to the buildings which would have been a mirror image of the original semi-circular grouping that Aston Webb and Ingress Bell had designed. However, the Calthorpe family felt that the topography lent itself to a grand processional route which would start at an entrance on Pritchatt's Road and then lead as a straight, tree-lined avenue to the Harding Library gates, through the Chamberlain tower and to the steps of the Great Hall.
The avenue was laid out as planned and continued to exist until the building of the five-storey Library building by Verner Rees in 1957-60, which is set on this central line. Trees from the avenue still exist, but the area adjacent to Pritchatt's Road is now a car park.
Reasons for Listing
The Lodges, gates, gate piers and walls which form the northern entrance to Birmingham University campus. Pritchatt's Road, are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural: the grouping has strong architectural presence which and well suited to its setting at the entrance to the campus, and provides a suitable introduction to the university buildings beyond.
* Intactness: the buildings are notable intact and retain their original layout and materials, with very little alteration to the design and the retention of many original fittings.
Army Family Action Plan leads to change
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Home on leave from Iraq, Matthew Smith swerved across an Indiana roadway to avoid a soda can he thought was a roadside bomb and nearly crashed into oncoming traffic.
Smith, 27, now a sergeant with the Kaiserslautern-based 457th Civil Affairs Battalion, mentioned the 2007 memory to his wife Stephanie, who had an idea. Why doesn’t the Army make mental health screenings mandatory for deployed Soldiers before their Rest and Recuperation leave?
“That event really scared him,” said Stephanie Smith, an Army Community Service employee at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern. “If someone had warned him – to take time to reintegrate and make adjustments on R&R – that could have been prevented.”
Last year, the Smith’s submitted the idea as a suggestion the Army Family Action Plan – a grassroots program where community members indentify quality of life issues for the Army to address. It ended up being considered at the highest Army levels.
“Change starts with people like me, just another community member,” Smith said.
Representatives from U.S. Army Garrison Baden-Württemberg and U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern came together Oct. 19 for a combined 2011 AFAP conference. Roughly 200 people attended the three-day event held at the Kaiserslautern Community Activity Center on Daenner Kaserne.
In past years, ideas were submitted anonymously in community drop boxes. This year, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern webmaster Brandon Spragins created a way for community members to offer AFAP ideas online – significantly increasing submission numbers from previous years, said Michelle Thomas, Army Community Service director at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern. Also, mobile device photographed a special bar code that pointed them directly to the submission site.
“This allowed users to offer ideas with ease, from either their workplace or the comfort of their home,” Spragins said. “Using today’s interactive technology revolutionizes how community members can suggest improvements and make changes both locally and Army wide.”
At the conference, issues were prioritized and solutions recommended. Some topics brought up this year included improvements to parking, housing, speeding on post and the transformation of Sembach Kaserne, where several Army units are moving.
Some issues were raised to higher commands or senior Army leadership. Other problems can be addressed at the local level, Thomas said.
“We have command team that has no problem with confronting issues and finding solutions. They’re family and Soldier oriented,” Thomas said. “When you have that in a command team, you have a wonderful thing.”
AFAP conferences began in 1983. Early issues focused on child care standards and volunteer support. Since then, milestones included changes to pay, healthcare, insurance, single
Soldier programs and school liaisons. AFAP suggestions also led to an increase of annual leave carryover, toll-free hotlines for wounded service members and education benefits for surviving spouses. AFAP issues even led to legislative changes as well as changes of Army and DoD policies, AFAP program manager Kimberly Lazarow said.
“Our first step is to see if the submitted issues affect the local community or is it something Army-wide,” Lazarow said. “About 90 percent of issues submitted are worked at the local level, others are pushed higher.”
Last year, the Smith’s issue was elevated through Installation Management Command to the Department of the Army for consideration.
“This really works. Everything has to get looked at and nothing gets pushed off to the side,” Stephanie Smith said. “One little event in my husband’s life may change Army policy.”
First lady Michelle Obama leads a reenactment planting of a Cherry Blossom Tree on the 100th Anniversary of The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.
It was March 27, 1912, when First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park.
For the March 27th 2012 planting First Lady Michelle Obama planted her tree in West Potomac Park, the closest cross streets to this planting location would be Ohio Drive SW at West Basin Drive SW.
Remarks by the First Lady at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial Tree Planting Ceremony
Tidal Basin
Washington, D.C.
11:22 A.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you so much, it is a true pleasure to be here on this beautiful, little chilly day. (Laughter.) We planned it. This is the only cold day of the week, and we are here. But I am pleased to be here.
I want to start by thanking Secretary Salazar for that very kind introduction, and for all of his outstanding work as Secretary of the Interior.
I want to thank and recognize Ambassador Fujisaki, as well as Mrs. Fujisaki, who are here today. Thank you all so much, I know you're here somewhere -- oh, you're here. (Laughter.) It's good to see you both. And I want to thank all of you for taking the time to join us for this historic event.
We have come together to celebrate these beautiful cherry blossom trees -- and yes, they were blooming last week. We were so close. (Laughter.) But I think the tree we're planting will -- still has a few blooms, but they are beautiful. And we are here to honor all that they stand for. For so many years, these trees have served as a symbol of the great friendship between the United States and Japan, and as a reminder of our shared hopes, dreams and aspirations.
People from both of our nations worked together for years to bring these trees here to Washington. And over the past century, people of all ages from the U.S. and Japan and so many other nations have come to this Tidal Basin each spring to marvel at their beauty. And year after year, even after the coldest, darkest, stormiest winters, these trees have continued to bloom.
So on this historic anniversary, we don’t just admire the beauty of these trees, we also admire their resilience. And in so doing, we are reminded of the extraordinary resilience of the Japanese people. Over the past year, we have all witnessed their courage, unity and grace as they have come together and begun the very hard work of rebuilding their nation.
And I think that that more than anything else is the lesson that we can learn from these trees. They teach us about all that we can achieve together. And because people from both of our nations came together, this landscape was transformed. And for one hundred years, people from every background and every walk of life have come here to experience, truly, the magic of these trees.
No matter who you are, their beauty stirs our souls. No matter where we’re from, being here among these beautiful blossoms truly lifts our spirits. And that is why we invited all of these wonderful children to join us -- where are the children? There they are. (Applause.) They are here because we want them to learn this lesson as well; we want to pass this lesson onto them. We want to teach them about the great partnership between our nations and what that means for our shared future. We want to teach them to appreciate and learn from the traditions and cultures of others.
And we want them to be inspired by the example of our friends in Japan who have worked so hard and who have been so brave in rebuilding their lives. Because in the end it will be up to them, this next generation, to continue that great friendship. It will be up to them to carry these traditions forward so that one hundred years from now, their children and grandchildren will be able to come here to this very spot and see the tree that we will plant, full grown and in full bloom.
And I hope that on that day, the First Lady –- or the First Gentleman –- of 2112 will also have the privilege of joining with our friends from Japan, and planting another tree which will bloom for yet another one hundred years and beyond.
So with that, I want to once again thank you all for joining us today, and bearing the frigid cold. If you stick around for one more day, it will be 80 tomorrow, I guarantee you. (Laughter.) It's really nice weather here. But we are truly honored to have you here, and it's a pleasure to be able to join in this very special occasion.
And with that, I think it is time for us to plant a tree. (Applause.)
For more on The National Cherry Blossom Festival visit:
www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
For more West Potomac Park on visit:
www.npca.org/parks/west-potomac-park.html
For Remarks by the First Lady at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial Tree Planting Ceremony visit: www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/27/remarks-fi...
Photo by
Ryan Janek Wolowski
Washington, D.C. USA
03-31-2012
An extremely winding but well maintained road leads up the mountain. The summit area includes Haleakalā Crater, the summit of the volcano, and the area surrounding the summit. This part of the park is accessed by Hawaii state road 378. There is a visitor center, with parking and restrooms, near the summit. At the summit itself is another parking lot and a simple observatory without facilities.
The main feature of this part of the park is undoubtedly the famous Haleakalā Crater. It is huge: 6.99 miles (11.25 km) across, 2.0 mi (3.2 km) wide, and some 2,600 ft (790 m) deep. The interior of the crater is dotted by numerous volcanic features, including large cinder cones. Two main trails lead into the crater from the summit area: the Halemau'u and Sliding Sands trails. Hikers in the crater can stay in one of three cabins (which need to be reserved through the park first).
Each morning, visitors come to the summit of the volcano to watch the spectacular sunrise. More visitors come each afternoon to watch the equally amazing sunset. In either case conditions can be extremely cold. One attraction of the park is Hosmer's Grove, a unique forest of alien trees including deodar (Cedrus deodara) from the Himalayas, sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) from Japan, eucalyptus from Australia, and several species from North America (pine, spruce, cypress, fir, and others). Native plants and trees are also present in the forest but are not very common due to the little light available (because of the taller alien trees).
The park is known for its unique volcanic features, its long scenic drive with numerous overlooks, and the unusually clear views of the night sky available. Haleakalā is one of the best places in the United States for amateur astronomy, and binoculars and telescopes are available for rent from many local merchants. Nēnē (Hawaiian geese, Branta sandvicensis) can also be seen in their natural habitat in Haleakalā Crater. Although nēnē died out entirely in the park, in 1946 they were re-introduced with the help of the Boy Scouts, who carried young birds into the crater in their backpacks.
Shot with a Nikon D750 and the 24-85 3.5-4.5G
43257 leads EC52 and 43251 over the Devon banks between Totnes and Plymouth on the 24th of August 2019. Cross Country had hired this set for the day whilst Kings Cross was closed to provide additional capacity over the bank holiday weekend. This is on the first LNER HST over the Devon banks that day, 1V46 06:45 York-Plymouth.
93 leads a wreck train bound for High Line Junction
© Hunter Lohse Photo, All Rights Reserved. Written Permission Required For Reuse.
I'd had the Kelvin clips for making up these leads, and the 4mm banana plugs, for some time. When #makevember came along, I finally had the motivation to assemble them! The four-wire connection is a way to reduce the errors due to lead resistance when making Ohms measurements: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-terminal_sensing
66413 leads 4N47 Inverness-Grangemouth over Culloden Viaduct.
Lets hope 66411/414 will appear before the end of DRS operation on the working.