Stockton, CA

Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

 

Vue Grand Hotel 46 Hesse St. This prime town location has been a hotel site since 1859. The Vue Grand was built in the early 1880s with polychromatic brick work, a central three storey squat tower and rounded windows. But a fire in 1927 destroyed part of the hotel which was rebuilt with a Mediterranean terracotta tiled roof in Art Deco style.

The Post Office was built in its present location at 47 Hesse St in 1887. Colonial architect G Austin designed the lavish building which cost of £3,000 to build. Additions in 1915 destroyed the symmetrical façade. Note the oriel window above the central entrance door and its Italianate appearance with the horizontal white rendered bands. The Public Library 55 Hesse St. This classical style 1880s building with Corinthian pilasters on the façade, perfect symmetry, rounded windows and entrance and balustraded roof line.

58 Hesse St. A classical style Victorian shop and upstairs residence. Note pediment along austere roof line.

Uniting Churches formerly Methodist. 79 to 83 Hesse St. This complex contains three churches – the original rendered Wesleyan Methodist of 1868, the adjoining Gothic Methodist Church of 1888 with buttress and arched central entrance and across the side road the St Andrews Presbyterian Church built in the late 1890s. An earlier built 1862 Presbyterian Church was demolished to make way for this new church.

Seaview House 86 Hesse St. was built in 1875 as a single storey greengrocer shop. In 1890 an upper floor was added and the house became the Seaview Coffee Palace to promote temperance and avoidance of alcohol.

Coombe Lodge 90 Hesse St. A typical 1880s two storey house. Occupied for many years by doctors for the town.

The timber railway station and master’s residence was erected in 1881. It was an unusual design for a rural location as the large waiting room was built to accommodate holiday throngs from Melbourne.

The Royal Hotel 38 King St. The first hotel opened on this site in 1854. This impressive Italianate structure with four storey tower, bay windows on each end, arcaded veranda and good symmetry typifies the hotels of the 1880s.

The Queenscliffe Hotel at 16 Gellibrand St. was built in 1887 in tuck pointed red brick with Queen Anne features such as the polygonal tower, and the extensive use of cast iron lace work to create an arched effect for the veranda. The sides have Dutch gables but overall the hotel looks very Australian in style. Located in Gellibrand St.

The Ozone Hotel 42 Gellibrand St. Built in 1881 as Baillieu House for wealthy banker, businessman and pastoralist James George Baillieu. This fine Italianate rendered building has a four storey tower, is mainly a three storey structure with a slater mansard roof and widow’s walk on the tower. The iron veranda post are exceptionally high giving a grander appearance. As tourists flocked to the town in the early 1880s Baillieu had it converted into the Ozone Hotel in 1887 and two more wings were added to it.

Lathamstowe House 44 Gellibrand St. This pair of two storey Italianate duplexes was built next to Baillieu’s house in 1883. It was built by successful brewer Edward Latham as a seaside house for Anglican clergymen and their families. Latham was related to the Baillieu family. Like Baillieu House it had a four storey tower and widow’s walk. The arcaded verandas with the end bay windows are typically Italianate in style.

Anglican Church 20 Hobson St. The architect designed church was built in local limestone in 1864. The stuccoed brick tower was added in 1878. The roof line is exceptionally steep and dominates the appearance of this fine Gothic building as it covers the nave and the side aisles. Work began on a parish hall in 1870 but this was not completed until 1902. The land for this church was donated by Governor La Trobe who loved Queenscliffe and had a cottage of his own there in the 1840s and 1850s.

 

A lazy Sunday and brunch at another favourite local cafe Garage Espresso! This premises, prior to it's renovation, housed a mechanic’s workshop for the past 50 years.

 

Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

Command, Tank, and a Munitions version fitted out as a Panzer unit's mechanic's vehicle.

Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

 

Vue Grand Hotel 46 Hesse St. This prime town location has been a hotel site since 1859. The Vue Grand was built in the early 1880s with polychromatic brick work, a central three storey squat tower and rounded windows. But a fire in 1927 destroyed part of the hotel which was rebuilt with a Mediterranean terracotta tiled roof in Art Deco style.

The Post Office was built in its present location at 47 Hesse St in 1887. Colonial architect G Austin designed the lavish building which cost of £3,000 to build. Additions in 1915 destroyed the symmetrical façade. Note the oriel window above the central entrance door and its Italianate appearance with the horizontal white rendered bands. The Public Library 55 Hesse St. This classical style 1880s building with Corinthian pilasters on the façade, perfect symmetry, rounded windows and entrance and balustraded roof line.

58 Hesse St. A classical style Victorian shop and upstairs residence. Note pediment along austere roof line.

Uniting Churches formerly Methodist. 79 to 83 Hesse St. This complex contains three churches – the original rendered Wesleyan Methodist of 1868, the adjoining Gothic Methodist Church of 1888 with buttress and arched central entrance and across the side road the St Andrews Presbyterian Church built in the late 1890s. An earlier built 1862 Presbyterian Church was demolished to make way for this new church.

Seaview House 86 Hesse St. was built in 1875 as a single storey greengrocer shop. In 1890 an upper floor was added and the house became the Seaview Coffee Palace to promote temperance and avoidance of alcohol.

Coombe Lodge 90 Hesse St. A typical 1880s two storey house. Occupied for many years by doctors for the town.

The timber railway station and master’s residence was erected in 1881. It was an unusual design for a rural location as the large waiting room was built to accommodate holiday throngs from Melbourne.

The Royal Hotel 38 King St. The first hotel opened on this site in 1854. This impressive Italianate structure with four storey tower, bay windows on each end, arcaded veranda and good symmetry typifies the hotels of the 1880s.

The Queenscliffe Hotel at 16 Gellibrand St. was built in 1887 in tuck pointed red brick with Queen Anne features such as the polygonal tower, and the extensive use of cast iron lace work to create an arched effect for the veranda. The sides have Dutch gables but overall the hotel looks very Australian in style. Located in Gellibrand St.

The Ozone Hotel 42 Gellibrand St. Built in 1881 as Baillieu House for wealthy banker, businessman and pastoralist James George Baillieu. This fine Italianate rendered building has a four storey tower, is mainly a three storey structure with a slater mansard roof and widow’s walk on the tower. The iron veranda post are exceptionally high giving a grander appearance. As tourists flocked to the town in the early 1880s Baillieu had it converted into the Ozone Hotel in 1887 and two more wings were added to it.

Lathamstowe House 44 Gellibrand St. This pair of two storey Italianate duplexes was built next to Baillieu’s house in 1883. It was built by successful brewer Edward Latham as a seaside house for Anglican clergymen and their families. Latham was related to the Baillieu family. Like Baillieu House it had a four storey tower and widow’s walk. The arcaded verandas with the end bay windows are typically Italianate in style.

Anglican Church 20 Hobson St. The architect designed church was built in local limestone in 1864. The stuccoed brick tower was added in 1878. The roof line is exceptionally steep and dominates the appearance of this fine Gothic building as it covers the nave and the side aisles. Work began on a parish hall in 1870 but this was not completed until 1902. The land for this church was donated by Governor La Trobe who loved Queenscliffe and had a cottage of his own there in the 1840s and 1850s.

 

In Osage City, Kansas (30 miles SE of Topeka)--a crumbling limestone building that is, nonetheless, still in use as a body shop (they should soon attend to the "body" of the building or a collapse is in its future--note the decay of the lower right).

 

Just received my new camera in the mail 3 days ago, and yesterday I took it out on a shoot for the first time--in the vicinity of Osage City, Kansas. In this brief introduction to the Nikon D810, I noticed one thing immediately--less noise. Noise has been the single thing that has annoyed me the most about digital photography. With film, you had grain, of course (though not with my favorite film, Ektachrome), but grain, which could also be annoying at times could also be an artistic choice. Grain could be a plus in the developer/photographers arsenal. In my opinion, at least, noise is always a negative--a distractive chaos of pixelated flaws. Less noise is the number one reason I chose the D810 (to supplant my D7100). There were other reasons as well--greater dynamic range, and a 50% increase in pixels (24mp to 36mp). That last is important in the instances when I decide to significantly crop an image. Of course, I could have switched to the newly minted D850 which is, according to reports, an even greater advance over my 7100 than the 810. But there was the consideration of cost. It comes in at almost twice what I paid for this barely used (2,000 shutter activations) D810. Even as it is, I paid more for my new camera than I have ever paid for any single thing that wasn't a car or a house!

 

Another thing I noticed--without surprise, of course--was the larger files. Even though I cropped away about 1/6 of the pic, it still came in at 34 mb, which makes it the largest file I've ever uploaded to flickr.

 

Unfortunately, there was another thing I noted: all of my photos tended to be significantly overexposed. I dealt with that problem using the exposure compensation function--but clearly something was wrong as I shouldn't have to compensate three full stops to get the exposure right. I figured that it was probably me. I wasn't remotely familiar with the camera yet, so I assumed there was a setting that was off. However, taking it to Wolfe's Camera Shop (THE place to go for camera equipment and advice within 100 miles), they couldn't figure out was wrong either. And then . . . of its own accord, it suddenly started taking photos with the proper exposure. Technology. It's fantastic . . . except when it isn't.

 

Stay tuned to this station for further chapters in the continuing saga of an Amateur and his camera.

The Queenscliffe Hotel at 16 Gellibrand St. was built in 1887 in tuck pointed red brick with Queen Anne features such as the polygonal tower, and the extensive use of cast iron lace work to create an arched effect for the veranda. The sides have Dutch gables but overall the hotel looks very Australian in style. Located in Gellibrand St.Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

The railroad mechanic's tool kit...doesn't fit in a box :)

 

www.oegeg.at/startseite/english-summary/

another mechanic's work table

 

The Bocholt Textile Factory

 

Forum for textile culture

More than 20,000 spindles once turned at the Herding Spinning Mill. Today, the imposing brick building is a forum for textile culture, where the story of textiles, past and present, is brought to life. Special exhibitions offer insights into the technology and show off fashion design and international textile art. Function rooms and a glass rooftop café provide space for events.

In close proximity to this is another site, the Weaving Mill. Here you can smell the oil and hard work, and the looms rattle so loud that you can't help but cover your ears. In the huge weaving hall, the drive belts still set more than 30 historic machines in motion. Materials are produced here on a daily basis for the tea towels and tablecloths of our historic collection.

In a worker's house, complete with cultivated garden, you can get to know the meagre everyday life of workers' families.

 

Deb the mechanic’s gone the full KTA😜😜😜

...

 

...

 

...

 

I open my eyes to a metallic roof and the sound of movement.

I try and cast my mind back to what happened before I ended up here:

The big door.

The alley way.

Darkness.

I had been knocked out, most likely by the man I'm here to find.

The Mechanic.

I look down to my hands to see they are clamped to the table I lie on.

I've been out for a while.

I look around the room I'm being held captive in, and see an incredibly unnerving sight:

All round me hanging from the walls are bodies of the dead, some with parts missing and some horrifically mutilated.

To my right, an array of various butchery tools hang from hooks on the wall.

I am about to try and free my hands from the table's grasp, but before I can the large metal door in the corner slides open.

 

"Ah, you're awake. That's good,"

 

A man clad in a metal helmet and grimy overalls wanders into the light.

The Mechanic.

 

"You liking what you see, huh? Some of my recent work."

 

He comes right up next to me on the table.

 

"It's nice to finally meet you, detective Jones."

 

I attempt to mind scan him, but due to his incredibly unstable mind, finding any rational thoughts is impossible.

 

"The Mechanic, I presume?"

 

He nods under his mask.

 

"You don't have to be a detective to see you're not fixing many vehicles."

 

"Yes, very good detective. The Mechanic's just a nickname, I guess."

 

He moves closer to me.

 

"What do you want with me?"

 

"Ooh, good question. Good, good question. A question you'll wish you hadn't asked in a moment."

 

"Enlighten me."

 

"Very well, detective. You seem keen. As you are well aware, I am, was, a contact of a certain mister Skeevers. We ran a good business together: If people wronged him, he sent them to me,"

 

"And you do what exactly?"

 

"Well, they call me the Mechanic, and I suppose in some way I am."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Well, ordinary mechanics like to take things apart and put them back together again,"

 

He slides his gloved hand along the desk to my right in a way that feels like he is trying to intimidate me.

 

"And I like to do that too. Just, not with cars."

 

"You do it with people..."

 

"Precisely. Skeevers wasn't really fussed about how I got rid of his enemies, so, yeah."

 

This man is sick. He tortures living humans, mutilates them and enjoys it.

 

"So you do all this...for fun? You call this work?"

 

"Yes. I'm always looking for new and exciting ways I can rebuild a human."

 

"You're sick..."

 

"I s'pose I am."

 

He wanders right up to me and looks down.

 

"Now, you really pissed off Skeevers. And me for that matter."

 

He reaches behind him and picks a small cleaver up off the desk.

 

"And when you piss Skeevers off, you come here. For altering."

 

He rubs his gloved hand across the cleaver's blade.

 

"Now usually, I kill them before I work on them. But you, you're a special case. You're responsible for Skeevers being locked up."

 

He is now right next to me.

 

"So you get special treatment. And I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it."

 

He raises the cleaver above my right ankle. He is about to swing it down, but then stops and turns around.

 

"Hmm. Actually, this blade 'ain't enough."

 

He places the cleaver down and heads for the door.

 

"I'll be back in a tic."

 

And with that, he slams the door behind him and leaves, giving me just enough time to begin loosening the clamps on my wrists.

The clamps around my left hand loosens first. I shift my wrist around inside it's cool grip, and eventually, I clips open.

The Mechanic's instruments obviously don't cater for the strength of an extra-terrestrial.

With my left hand free, I begin fiddling with the clamp over my right.

With a quiet "click" it comes open, much quicker than the other one.

I climb off the table slowly, careful not to let the Mechanic know my imprisonment was a mere distraction.

Carefully, I walk up to the door and place my ear on the cold metal surface.

My exquisite hearing does not show any immediate danger, so I begin to slowly turn the door's submarine-like handle.

When I step outside, an incredible smell enters my nasal passages fast. One dim light bulb swinging on a worn cord hangs in the middle of the corridor, giving me just enough light to see the horrors in front of me.

Much like the decapitated bodies in the Mechanic's workshop, dead and mutilated bodies hang upside-down from the ceiling.

I grimace, and steadily make my way down the corridor.

I consider changing to my Martian form for intimidation, but come to the conclusion that if Sergeant Jackson found out what I truly was, I would not be able to continue with my "normal" life.

I am only a few steps down the corridor when something moving in front of me causes my trail of thought to stop.

The Mechanic stands in front of me, fully equipped with a rather deadly-looking axe.

 

"And what the fuck do you think you're doin', huh?"

 

He steps forwards and swings at me with his axe.

I duck under his swing and jump behind him.

He turns his head, but I have already sent a fist flying into his back.

He falls forwards, but manages to steady himself just in time.

He swings at me again, but only manages to mow down one of the hanging corpses.

I send a kick into his head, and manage to knock him backwards a few steps.

He curses as his axe drops to the floor.

Without stopping to think, I run up to a dangling chain, grab hold of it and swing my body at the Mechanic.

My foot meets his helmet, and he slams into the wall, very much unconscious.

I inhale a deep breath, and dig for the phone in my pocket.

I turn it on, and give Office Riles a call.

 

"Riles? You there?"

 

"John? What is it?"

 

"I've got that last contact of Skeevers for you..."

Good thing too, because "Pearl" is on fumes, and she owner only uses Gulf No-Nox.

 

M2 Machines:

1957 Chevrolet Belair

Drivers Release 39 17-03

 

1:64 Greenlight Collectibles:

Ford F-100

STP

 

Weekend Workshop - STP

Mechanic's Corner Series 1

 

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R

 

For more info about the dioramas, check out the FAQ: 1stPix FAQ

Day 347 of 365, a little TLC and some elbow grease, she'll be roadworthy in no time.

 

Spotted east of the city on Twp 240.

 

18 to go!

A very nice Dacia 1300 in Bucharest, parked outside a mechanic's garage. The car has been subject to a dose of elegant tuning, with Oltcit headlights, Dacia Liberta doors with flush handles and so on.

One half of a set of garage doors to an old mechanic's shop found along the pre 1937 alignment of Route 66 through Bernalillo, NM.

Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

 

Vue Grand Hotel 46 Hesse St. This prime town location has been a hotel site since 1859. The Vue Grand was built in the early 1880s with polychromatic brick work, a central three storey squat tower and rounded windows. But a fire in 1927 destroyed part of the hotel which was rebuilt with a Mediterranean terracotta tiled roof in Art Deco style.

The Post Office was built in its present location at 47 Hesse St in 1887. Colonial architect G Austin designed the lavish building which cost of £3,000 to build. Additions in 1915 destroyed the symmetrical façade. Note the oriel window above the central entrance door and its Italianate appearance with the horizontal white rendered bands. The Public Library 55 Hesse St. This classical style 1880s building with Corinthian pilasters on the façade, perfect symmetry, rounded windows and entrance and balustraded roof line.

58 Hesse St. A classical style Victorian shop and upstairs residence. Note pediment along austere roof line.

Uniting Churches formerly Methodist. 79 to 83 Hesse St. This complex contains three churches – the original rendered Wesleyan Methodist of 1868, the adjoining Gothic Methodist Church of 1888 with buttress and arched central entrance and across the side road the St Andrews Presbyterian Church built in the late 1890s. An earlier built 1862 Presbyterian Church was demolished to make way for this new church.

Seaview House 86 Hesse St. was built in 1875 as a single storey greengrocer shop. In 1890 an upper floor was added and the house became the Seaview Coffee Palace to promote temperance and avoidance of alcohol.

Coombe Lodge 90 Hesse St. A typical 1880s two storey house. Occupied for many years by doctors for the town.

The timber railway station and master’s residence was erected in 1881. It was an unusual design for a rural location as the large waiting room was built to accommodate holiday throngs from Melbourne.

The Royal Hotel 38 King St. The first hotel opened on this site in 1854. This impressive Italianate structure with four storey tower, bay windows on each end, arcaded veranda and good symmetry typifies the hotels of the 1880s.

The Queenscliffe Hotel at 16 Gellibrand St. was built in 1887 in tuck pointed red brick with Queen Anne features such as the polygonal tower, and the extensive use of cast iron lace work to create an arched effect for the veranda. The sides have Dutch gables but overall the hotel looks very Australian in style. Located in Gellibrand St.

The Ozone Hotel 42 Gellibrand St. Built in 1881 as Baillieu House for wealthy banker, businessman and pastoralist James George Baillieu. This fine Italianate rendered building has a four storey tower, is mainly a three storey structure with a slater mansard roof and widow’s walk on the tower. The iron veranda post are exceptionally high giving a grander appearance. As tourists flocked to the town in the early 1880s Baillieu had it converted into the Ozone Hotel in 1887 and two more wings were added to it.

Lathamstowe House 44 Gellibrand St. This pair of two storey Italianate duplexes was built next to Baillieu’s house in 1883. It was built by successful brewer Edward Latham as a seaside house for Anglican clergymen and their families. Latham was related to the Baillieu family. Like Baillieu House it had a four storey tower and widow’s walk. The arcaded verandas with the end bay windows are typically Italianate in style.

Anglican Church 20 Hobson St. The architect designed church was built in local limestone in 1864. The stuccoed brick tower was added in 1878. The roof line is exceptionally steep and dominates the appearance of this fine Gothic building as it covers the nave and the side aisles. Work began on a parish hall in 1870 but this was not completed until 1902. The land for this church was donated by Governor La Trobe who loved Queenscliffe and had a cottage of his own there in the 1840s and 1850s.

 

Dutch postcard, no. 475. Photo: M.G.M. (Metro Goldwyn Mayer). Robert Montgomery and Tallulah Bankhead in Faithless (Harry Beaumont, 1932).

 

Robert Montgomery (1904-1981) was left penniless at the age of sixteen, and became a mechanic's mate on a railway, a deck hand, and finally property man to a touring company, which resulted in a stage career. Played in stock for some time, mostly old man characters, and eventually reached New York. Film debut in So This is College (1929), while after Private Lives (1931) with Norma Shearer he became a star. Memorable pictures with him were e.g. The Big House (1930), Inspiration (1931), Hell Below (1933), No More Ladies (1935), Piccadilly Jim (1936), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) and Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). From 1945 he directed films too, such as Lady in the Lake (1946).

 

American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968) was the most popular star of London's famed West End in the 1920s. After starring in several well-received plays, she gained the attention of Paramount Pictures executives and returned to the United States to try her hand at the film world. Tallulah's personality did not shine on film as Paramount executives had hoped. She appeared in such films as Devil and the Deep (1932) with Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton and newcomer Cary Grant, and Lifeboat (1944). While she made most of her fame on the stages of the world, the film industry and its history became richer because of her talent and her very colourful personality. Today her phrase, "Hello, Dahling" is known throughout the entertainment world.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Believe it or not, this Phiilips 66

had the best chips this side of Joyride Tacos.

 

1:64 GreenLight Collectibles:

1981 Chevrolet Caprice Classic

Navajo County Sheriff

Navajo County, Arizona, USA

Hollywood Special Edition

-Thelma & Louise

 

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R

 

For more info about the dioramas, check out the FAQ:

(Updated June 2023) 1stPix FAQ

Abandoned mechanic's shop, Puget Sound, WA. This may have been one of the few locations where a meth head surprised us. Fortunately, he was not aggressive.

Queenscliffe (pop 3,000).

Anglican Church 20 Hobson St. The architect designed church was built in local limestone in 1864. The stuccoed brick tower was added in 1878. The roof line is exceptionally steep and dominates the appearance of this fine Gothic building as it covers the nave and the side aisles. Work began on a parish hall in 1870 but this was not completed until 1902. The land for this church was donated by Governor La Trobe who loved Queenscliffe and had a cottage of his own there in the 1840s and 1850s.

After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

$80 new, $1 at yardsale. Yard art, but we hung it inside. I think this could easily kill a guest. It's hung on a $6 Cobra hook that is pretty much impossible to fail. However... It's still a bit scary to think of this falling on someone's head.

 

star, yard ornament.

pointy.

 

upstairs, Clint and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

 

May 2, 2015.

  

... Read my blog at ClintJCL at wordpress.com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress.com

 

... Read my yard sale-related blogposts at clintjcl dot wordpress dot com/category/yard-sales/

  

BACKSTORY: Got up around 8:50AM, made it out driving by ~9:15 and went out until 2:27PM for a total of 5.25 hours. Spent $60.55 plus ~$10.66 gas for 40.0 miles of driving (14 mpg @ $3.73/G), for a total cost of $71.21. We drove to 24 yard sales, stopping at 15 (62%) of them. We made 44 purchases (69 items) for a total estimated value of $814.81, leading to a profit/savings of $743.60. So in essence, we multiplied our $71.21 investment by 11.44X. (Also, if you think about it, the profit counts for even more when you consider that we have to earn ~$900 on the job, pre-tax, in order to take home the $789 in cash that we saved. How long does $900 of disposable income take to earn, vs the 5.25 hrs we spent here?) Anyway, this works out to a *post-tax* "wage" of $124.26/hr as a couple or $62.13/hr per person.

 

THE TAKE:

 

$5.00: lawn darts, Regent "Slider" Jarts, model 73929, in box, part no. 01-73927, Regent Sports Corporation, Hauppauge, NY 11787 (EV:$100)

 

$5.00: (8) generic folding chairs (EV:$11.99)

 

$5.00: ottoman, leather, 18.5x18.5x16.5" high, with storage area (EV:$51.00)

 

$5.00: wooden multishelf unit, 30x24x5" deep, 7 shelves (EV:$29.00) (not quite this, but I can't find anything more exact)

 

$4.00: mechanic's creeper, on wheels (EV:$24.49)

 

$4.00: clock radio, Proton 320, Model #320, Serial # P32178259 (EV:$22.83)

 

$3.00: fan, adjusts from 33" high to 47" high, white, plastic, Galaxy, turns out it doesn't work. (EV:$32.69), but we are counting it as $0.00 since it didn't work.

 

$3.00: lamp, silver, metal clip on, 9" extension, model hbp1001c-109, 12746 SKU: 717-880 "DLC" 0-4633584495-7, date: 201203, E91675 (EV:$28.49)

 

$3.00: bag of hotel toiletries, 11 bottles of lotion (SolTerre), 17 bottles of shampoo (SolTerre), 16 bars of soap (SolTerre), 1 small container of Morton's saltand 1 small container of Morton's pepper (EV:$21.99)

 

$3.00: car tray, interior, Keller, 2 cup holders, 10x16"(EV:$27.48), it's not quite this, but I can't find a closer match.

 

$2.00: cordless vacuum, SharK-15.6 volts, sv7514 (EV:$28.99)

 

$2.00: mirror, magnifying, wall-mount, ConAir The Classique Collection #41742, 8" diameter, 5x magnification, tri-fold arm extends 12.5" from wall, outer arm swivals 360 degrees, (EV:$42.74)

 

$1.00: extension cord, white, 2-prong, 6ft, vendor# 64646 (EV:$5.32)

 

$1.00: guitar, First Act Discovery, missing 3 strings, FG 125, 31"x10" (EV:$1.04)

 

$1.00: game, roller dice, Sportcraft, model no. 11005, barcode 04473610053 (EV:$3.01 price tag)

 

$1.00: hanging metal decoration, 18 point metal star, welded, very sharp and pointy, 18" across (EV:$81.90)

 

$1.00: (6) bottles of hair spray, flourescent, Star Quality, 5 bottles 3.5 oz each (3 purple, 1 green, 1 silver), 1 bottle 3.0 oz (yellow) (EV:$0.40 each price tags)

 

$1.00: carpet freshener, Glade, 42.6 oz (EV:$5.29)

 

$1.00: toy, Sit 'n Spin, blue with cow face. PlaySkool, 2013 Hasbro (EV:$18.89)

 

$1.00: toy, airplane, some sort of hard plastic material, WestAir N360SE, 17.5x18.25" (EV:$5?)

 

$1.00: toy, airplane, some sort of hard plastic material, Piedmont Commuter, N332SB, 14.25x18.25(EV:$5?)

 

$1.00: pan, skillet, flat, square, Calphalon, 11x11 (EV:$19.95)

 

$1.00: game, Blockbuster Movie Game, plays with any movie (EV:$5.00)

 

$1.00: 2 speakers, 5" cubes, Optimus XTS 40, Cat no 40-1991, wire kind (EV:$13.26)

 

$1.00: picture frame, 15.5x12.5, wood trim (EV:$22.99)

 

$1.00: snow shovel, definitely needed after both of ours broke this past winter! (EV:$8.98)

 

$0.50: vinegar, White House, half a 64oz bottle (EV:$1.70 at Peapod)

 

$0.50: wrapping paper, 40" long roll (EV:$1.00)

 

$0.25: shirt, holographic, Disney Camp Rock, style #k2826t0005 (EV:$9.00) Not an exact match.

 

$0.25: toy, Simpsons, Lisa Simpson, Burger King, 2011, light up red chest, 3"hx2"w (EV:$5.99)

 

$0.25: toy, Adventure Time, Jake, McDonalds, with spring chest, 3.5"x2.25(EV:$1.00)

 

$0.25: instrument, recorder, pink clear plastic, Yamaha (EV:$4.97)

 

$0.25: toy, top, gyroscope, with plastic case, CBOCS (EV:$4.99 price tag)

 

$0.10: glue, Elmer's Wood Glue, 8 fl oz (EV:$1.99 for 4 fl oz so $3.98 for 8 fl oz)

 

$0.10: lint brush, Magic Brush, Helmac Products, yellow plastic handle (EV:$6.45)

 

$0.10: toy, matchbox car, Cheerios, Chex, 43, blue and yellow, 3"x1"(EV:$1.04)

 

$FREE: lamp, 28" high, 11" wide (EV:$5.00)

 

$FREE: carpet, for outside (EV:$12.00)

 

$FREE: Sit 'n Spin, green with red face, PlaySkool, 2004 Hasbro, requires batteries and has button but it doesn't seem to work (EV:$18.89)

 

$FREE: paint, white, maybe 1/4 of a gallon of Glidden Ultra Hide Latex Eggshell (EV:$2.99 rationale:$11.97 for a gallon)

 

$FREE: candy, Ice Chips Margarita, sweetened with xylitol, 1.76 oz, shrinkwrapped (EV:$27.95 for 6, or 4.65 each)

 

$FREE: jar, plastic, locking top, DynaWare 10x5.5" (EV:$10.19)

 

$FREE: 7 manga books, Manga Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, The Tempest, A MidSummer Night's Dream (EV:$9.95 price tag for 4 of them, $10.95 price tag for 3 of them)

 

$FREE: wig, blonde with darker streaks, the lady called it a "Miley Cyris" wig (EV:$5.85)

  

This is the view if when you go to my local garage by the door.

Cette étonnante plongée nous montre un visage oublié de l'ancienne ville, effectivement plusieurs témoins bâtis du XVIIIe siècle, encore bien présents dans le paysage urbain à cette époque, sont tous disparus.

 

Source photo: Archives du Musée McCord-Stewart / William Notman: épreuve à l'albumine (détail).

"When we saw the plane crash my dad let me out of the car to go check it out even though I had to walk about six miles home after that.

 

Something he'd be arrested for today.

 

That was the day I decided that I had to become a pilot.

 

Because the pilot I'd met that day was so cool.

 

I was maybe eight or nine and I had to trek through about a half a mile of muddy field to get to the plane.

 

By the time I got there the pilot was gettin' chewed out by his girfriend and duckin' flyin' suitcases and stuff.

 

He was really happy to see me.

 

I guess I provided a little 'diversion' for him and I noticed his girfriend cooled off right away too... I mean she stopped throwin' shit at him at least...

 

although she was still pretty pissed about his losing an engine... his only engine... on the way to their vacation.

 

She said they'd taken off earlier in Minnesota.

 

He showed me the inside of the plane and told me how everything worked.

 

His girfriend sat on a suitcase with her arms folded lookin' pissed.

 

That's how girfriends can be you know?

 

Dude saved their ass... glides his powerless plane into a muddy field... avoids the powerlines and barely dents that sweet Beech Bonanza... neither of them gets hurt... the guy's a freakin' hero...

 

and she's all mad at him.

 

'We should've just drove' I heard her say... 'I told you we should have driven.'

 

If she knew just what he'd done right there... by the time I arrived on the scene she'd have been making voracious love to the guy or otherwise demonstrating her affection for him in a more romantic way.

 

Bonanza's are known to glide like a brick when the engine quits.

 

Her boyfriend done good.

 

Another hundred feet and he'd have plowed it into a treeline.

 

I think he deserved a real and sincere and generous 'atta boy' at least.

 

'If this plane's a rockin' don't come knockin'

 

She shoudda showed old boy some ferocious love right there I'm telling you.

 

Then I would have decided to become a pilot the next day.

 

'Mom, dad... I'm dropping out of school to become a pilot' I can see myself saying.

 

'But you're only in the fourth grade' my mom would say.

 

'It's been my lifelong dream.'

 

I thought that guy was so cool... I mean... he just crashed a plane and he was talkin' to me.

 

He did everything right because he kept his cool.

 

The only thing he didn't do right is deal with the girlfriend properly but I didn't know that then.

 

Of course now I understand that the proper reaction to the girlfriend would have been to say something like...

 

'baby... I know that I've just saved us from certain fiery death and everything... but revelling in the moment would be selfish... and even though I'm totally pumped up and all jacked on adrenaline I can feel the emotional disconnect growing between us at the moment... which saddens me more than I'm probably letting on because of all of this excitement... and I really just want to reassure you that I love you and I care about you more than anything in the world... I want you to know that you are the most beautiful woman in the world to me... even sitting on a suitcase in a muddy field after we just crashed in a plane because of my arrogance and stupidity... that I'm sorry that the airplane's engine quit... you didn't deserve to be put through this... you deserve to be flown around in a plane that's taken care of by a more competent mechanic... and I chose aircraft mechanics poorly and in a way that wasn't considerate of you... I was wrong... I feel like I let you down... and I don't like how that makes me feel inside... when the airplane's engine quit my first thought was you... I was scared that I could lose you... I wanted to discuss how you were feeling inside right then and there but I had to fly the plane... I promised myself that the second we survived this crash that I'd address these issues together with you... that's why I'm talking to you now... because I'm keeping that promise that I made with myself... I didn't like how the whole episode made me feel... and it made me feel powerless and vulnerable and I'm going to need time to deal with those issues on my own... and I promise to reach out to a professional for help if I have to... I can understand why you're angry and you're right... we should have just driven... I should have listened to you... because every time I fuck up royally it's you that's there to tell me what I should have done... and I know it's because you love me and it comes from a good place in your heart... it's because you care... not just because you want to change me... I'll take life more seriously from now on I promise and I want you to know that I'm totally focused on your emotions at the moment if you need to talk about it... just know that I am completely emotionally available to you at this very second... I'm sorry baby... I don't even care if that piece of shit plane burns with all our luggage in it and I promise to kick that mechanic's ass next time I see him... I'm just glad that you're alright... this plane crash has changed me for the better and it's made me look at everything differently... I feel like a whole new man... I'm so grateful to have you in my life... I promise you that as soon as we get home I will start thinking about all of that shit around the house you've been telling me to fix... and I really hope that as we grow old together we look back on this crazy little moment as something that we can laugh about... something that brought us closer together... and made our love stronger... who's my hot little copilot huh... you are... c'mere you sexy little love nugget... somebody looks like they need a big hug.'

 

I think that covers all the bases.

  

Then... just to go the extra mile and because I'm a romantic at heart...

 

I would have walked back to the plane... grabbed the radio microphone and said loudly enough that she could hear me...

 

'Midway Tower this is Beechcraft yadda yadda yadda... I just made that mayday call... I just want you to know that the most beautiful woman on earth... the love of my life and I are on the ground safe and sound... and that I was wrong and I should have listened to her... we'll be driving next time... over.'

 

'Roger that Beech yadda yadda yadda... we're glad you're safe and goodluck with the girlfriend... hope you didn't FUBAR that' I can imagine the tower would respond.

 

They should put that in the 'post crash checklist' under 'dealing with your wife/girlfriend after the crash.'

 

Shit... they should have 'pilot type' checklists for girlfriends and wives.

 

Damn... I could make some money with that idea.

 

Laminated... with index tabs and everything... bullet pointed issues to address... key words to say over and over again and a sample script tested on female focus groups and approved by psychiatrists, marriage counselors, therapists and divorce attorneys for every scenario.

 

Things NEVER to say highlighted in red.

 

Every guy would need a copy of that.

 

Dealing with womankind without it'd be like flyin' by the seat of your pants.

 

My instructor always said... 'no matter how crazy it gets... stick with the checklist... when the shit hits the fan your head's gonna be up your ass.'

 

And he was right.

 

That dude crashed eight times... flew like a madman-kamikaze wanna be... smoked a pack of Pall Mall filterless cigarettes a day... half of them in the cockpit with me where he'd fall asleep with them burning in his mouth... he drank whiskey straight like water... married an ex-nun and lived to almost ninety.

 

Lenny Prorok you were the best pilot I've ever known and certainly the most fearless.

 

You did things with airplanes that God, physics and the Wright Brothers never intended... and the FAA certainly objected to.

 

I miss you.

 

The guy knew what he was talking about.

 

If I ever doubted him he'd pull out his original pilots license and show it to me... pointing out that it was signed on the back by Wilber Wright.

 

Every good argument in the cockpit always seemed to end with 'see this... this is Orville Wright's gahdamned signature!'

 

The guy used to hit me in the cockpit if I messed up.

 

We flew through some crazy skies together me and that old bird.

 

Crankiest mofo I ever met.

 

But the dude could fly.

 

Man could he fly.

 

He proved to me that he could land a Cessna 152 in a football field once.

 

The little move he pulled at the end 'to clear the goal posts' he said... that was some scary ass flying.

 

Wing on a 'knife edge' in the craziest sideslip I've ever seen ten feet above the ground with the stall warning horn screamin' as loud as I ever heard it.

 

That manuever had a 'pucker factor' of eleven and it probably took a week for my cajones to relax enough to come out of my esophagus.

 

I thought that was the end.

 

Pilots like to use acronyms and rhymes to remember stuff.

 

I stick with 'BISYWaR'... busywar... it works in every situation... BISYWaR is an acronym for 'Baby I'm Sorry You Were Right.'

 

The little 'a' doesn't mean anything... it's kinda just thrown in there to make the acronym more 'wordlike' and memorable.

 

The acronym makes sense too.

 

You don't use it at the right time... you're gonna be busy at war.

 

Put that in your mental pocket guys... right next to the place where you have instant and total recall of the date of your anniversary.

 

And don't just use it a lot... use it every chance you get... make it a goal.

 

No... make it a 'lifestyle.'

 

The secret to the phrase's success is its simplicity and its honesty.

 

Sometimes a guy is sorry.

 

Sometimes a guy is sorry his girl is right.

 

Either way.

 

I've learned since then that women are far more complex than any flying machine ever built.

 

Even helicopters.

 

Sittin' in the pilots seat as the pilot finished gettin' all of their stuff outta the plane I wondered how I'd have done in the same situation...

 

would I have kept my cool I wondered...

 

would I have done everything just right so we could walk away from the 'forced landing?'

 

I'm as curious about myself as I am about the world.

 

It's all about curiousity I guess.

 

That's what it is that I think drives me to get out there and get up close to people on the street.

 

I'm curious.

 

I always have been.

 

I want to know more.

 

I wanna know about everything.

 

That's a good thing I think.

 

One day I swear I will find out where the marshmellows grow.

 

Music from Leon Haywood: One of the Founding Fathers of the Viewminder Relationship Institute

Nawanshahr, Punjab, India

 

* * *

 

India Day One 2001

 

Descending into Delhi at 4AM was like entering a bizarre subterranean hell. It was dark and hazy, and out of the window of the aging Aeroflot aeroplane we took I could only make out scattered fires in the near-dawn.

We exited the stark, fluorescent-lit airport and met with crowd of at least a hundred men, their eyes silently following us as we sought out a familiar face. They had long beards and shawls covering their noses and mouths, the air being smoky, cold and damp. At that point I realized that this was the most foreign country I had ever been to, which sounds strange in retrospect.

My cousins and uncle called out to us, and although they had never met me before, they greeted me warmly, probably seeing my father’s face in me.

 

My cousin Rajesh had asked me to come to India with him about three weeks earlier. He was going with his mother to visit with some prospective brides, and wanted me to come along, partially for moral support, but mostly because of Papaji. I had never met any of my grandparents – and my last living one had just developed cancer. I was looking forward to meeting Papaji, seeing where my father had been born, and teasing Rajesh about his “meetings”.

 

We headed to the parking lot under the hazy orange glow of buzzing sodium lights. There, we encountered a sooty djiin, a boy who looked to be six years old in white kurta-pyjamas whose skin was black from sun and dirt. He saw us and began a monotone chant, a mumbled rote which part blessed us, part begged from us. He latched onto us and followed us to the van, all the while chanting his mantra, a beggar giving benediction seeking alms. My uncle finally gave him a rupee - the boy took the coin, gave my uncle a pained expression, and shuffled off into the night. Rajesh gave me a wry smile and quipped "Welcome to India."

We proceeded to pack ourselves into my uncle’s Maruti van. This tiny glorified lawnmower seats four in semi-comfort. The seven of us packed in, and I wedged in the front, sardined next to my newfound cousin and uncle. Upon the car starting, a figurine of a Hindu god on the dashboard started twinkling with multicoloured lights. It was to be the first of many juxtapositions of ancient beautiful culture mated with new cheap plastic technology that I would witness. The music began and we were on the road.

We sped into the darkness and haze, watching shadowy figures appear out of the smoke and recede into the distance back into it as we passed. We passed many solitary cloaked figures walking by the side of the road, ancient men on bicycles, horses and huge Tata trucks. My eyes took in everything, while I struggled to understand the familiar-sounding but incomprehensible Punjabi conversation that was happening around me. We came upon what at first looked like giant sacks of rice inching down the road, which were actually tractors piled a story high with grain, a giant ball taking up the whole road. As we left the city, the honking began as red lights and lanes ceased to have meaning. The traffic began to include rickshaws, auto rickshaws, cows, scooters and ambassador taxis. Honking is traditional, I was told, more a means of chatter than warning.

I lost count of the many fields of homes that I saw that consisted solely of what looked like black tents made out of black rubbish bags. There were fires outside the tents, illuminating women cooking breakfast for their families. It was like looking at an idyllic dawn campfire scene, except there were thousands of campsites, and those makeshift tents were permanent homes.

We finally turned off into what looked like the suburbs of Delhi, though they were suburbs unlike any I'd ever seen. The purely residential streets of houses where there, but these were fantastic houses, some magnificent, some squalid. The street was still being built, and many houses were still under construction. In empty lots there were huge piles of decomposing rubbish with pigs (!) nuzzling through, searching for food. "In India nothing goes to waste," Rajesh had told me. There were also packs of wild dogs running around on the streets, foraging for food, and feasting on dead pigs.

We arrived at my uncle’s house in Sonipat. This house was a two-story house bought a couple of years ago by my uncle Suraj's father. Suraj's father is a highly educated man who used to work at the Russian consulate. All but one of his four sons became truck drivers and are hence poor. Suraj falls into this category, so he, my aunt and their three kids live in one small room. The house has four rooms. Twenty people live there.

I sat on my aunt's bed and looked around at my unfamiliar family. Suraj's dad spoke a strange grandiose English, a vestige from his consulate days no doubt. "It has been my highest ambition that you would visit for many years," he'd say.

I was exhausted - we'd been travelling for fifteen hours including the flight. But we had to continue to our final destination - Nawan Shar, six hours north in Punjab. Nevertheless, after we had some delicious food we went for a walk in the developing neighbourhood. At the edge of the housing complex were huge fields, and a dairy. I took a peek in the gate of the dairy, which consisted of three cows hanging out and three turbaned old men playing cards. I saw a few dogs, dead and alive, which Rajesh warned me not to touch. "They're not Canadian dogs, they'll bite you," he said. I attempted conversation with my cousins, none of whom could speak English. Since I couldn’t speak Hindi, our only point of reference became the names of Hindi films and the stars of Bollywood, which we debated about via Rajesh, who spoke both languages with ease.

We went back to the house and another cousin, Matoo, grabbed me and took me off in the van without explaining where we were going. Without my translator, I tried to figure out where we were going, struggling horribly with a language that I could not speak, yet which was fundamentally familiar.

We were going to the mechanic’s to get the van checked out. At his shop we noticed about seven kids hanging out, watching, and helping. I noticed beds at the back of the shop. These kids probably worked for next to nothing just to learn the trade.

Behind the auto shop was a huge muddy field that had been turned into a dump. I could see buildings in the distance, and in the muck pigs, cows and dogs and kids roamed and poked around.

We drove back home though streets that were less than a metre and a half wide. I frantically fumbled through my Hindi phrase book for morsels of conversation to share Matoo.

 

Later that day, we set off for Nawan Shar. Eight of us packed into the van and set off. Crammed in once again next to Matoo, with Bhangra blasting into my ears, I observed India as it flew by the window. I consulted my guidebook as we passed towns. Everywhere seemed to have a rich history - a bloody religious war was fought here, a Hindu god was reincarnated for the sixth time there, and as we continued deeper into Punjab we began to see the ruins of Muslim temples everywhere.

I began to experience visual overload. There is always something profoundly interesting to see wherever you look. We'd pass flat plains where people were gathering wood, and then we'd pass a dense, vibrant city. After a few hours we stopped for some food. Matoo decided that he should take a bus the rest of the way, to give us more room in the van. I convinced my aunt to let me go with him the rest of the way. I wanted to travel like a local!

Matoo and I bought tickets and boarded. The buses in India are similar to school buses, with the same vinyl clad bench seats. I think they squeeze in about twice as many seats though - legroom is non-existent.

The bus sped down the British-built highway that travels up North India. Eventually I got used to the intermittent loud blasts it emitted as it tried to pass wayward cows and scooters.

We stopped off in Chandigarh, the capital of Haryana and Punjab. A post-partition British construction, it is one of India’s more ugly cities - modern enough, but totally utilitarian and drab. It was designed by a French architect, whose crowning innovation was the integration of rock gardens into the city. I mused over the ugliness of one from the bus station.

Matoo bought me a bottle of Rosewater Milkshake while we changed buses. Although we couldn’t understand each other, I felt completely safe with him

As dusk approached my eyes became tired of staring out of the window. I drifted in and out of sleep as the journeyed through villages and long stretches of farmland - we crossed over a few long bridges, built for great monsoon-fuelled rivers during the season, but which now had mere streams beneath them. Matoo put his arm around me and fell asleep.

 

We finally arrived in Nawan Shar. I got off the bus and Matoo grabbed onto my hand. The streets of the village were dark - the only illumination coming from the shops and stalls lining the way to my grandfather’s house. As there were no sidewalks, I had to be careful to not be hit by cars, bicycles and rickshaws. We walked along for a bit and suddenly I saw my uncle Papu sitting in a shop. He's from San Francisco, and it was good to see a familiar face. I embraced him and another uncle who I hadn't yet met. Rajesh was there also, sitting and drinking with my uncles. They sat me down and gave me two extremely strong whisky-and-cokes, after which we shut down the store and headed off to my grandfathers house. I had to pee desperately, and figuring once I arrived at the house I’d be swamped with meeting people, I did my business on the side of the road, traffic whizzing behind me. I can assimilate with the best of them.

 

Meeting relatives for the first time is often overwhelming. Especially when you have to meet ten of them at once. I met my cousins, my aunts, and finally my grandfather. Papaji - my only living grandparent, the oldest link to my past. A definitive moment - but to me right then, it didn't feel too monumental. I gave him a hug, and he invited me into his room to sit and talk. He asked me what my initial impression of India was, and I said that it was 'different.' He asked about my father - if I had spoken to him recently, and about my mother - how she was. I was succumbing to the alcohol so I mumbled a few incoherent sentences. Luckily Rajesh was there to fill in the blanks. My grandfather then told me to go and get some food. As I walked over to the dining table set up in the courtyard I saw the family dog chained up to a post. When he saw me, he started wagging his tail. I approached to pet him, and Rajesh warned me not to touch him - "he'll bite you!"

"This sweet dog?" I said, kneeling down and stroking him, "he wouldn't bite me...would you?"

At this point he decided that he would in fact bite me, and quickly twisted his head and started chewing on my hand, which I pulled away after I managed to get it out of his jaws. He then continued on to me knee, following up with nip at my ankle for good measure. Having never been attacked by a dog, I was in complete shock. I looked at my bloody hand incredulously in my drunken state and kept repeating, "I can't believe he just bit me" as my family fussed about me.

After some discussion my uncle packed me into the van and rushed me off to get a tetanus shot. The 'doctor' was located in a medical supply shop down the street. He took me to the back of the shop, put a bandage on my hand and gave me a shot. He had done this before - both of my cousins from San Francisco, who arrived a week before me, had already been bitten by the dog. When I got back to the house Rajesh said, "now you've truly arrived. Welcome to India!"

 

After dinner I stood with Rajesh on the flat roof and looked up at the wide expanse of stars. He had been drinking for the last four hours, while he was waiting for me in my uncle’s shop, and was a bit sentimental. He embraced me and said: "This is excellent that you're here...I feel like my life's mission has been accomplished. I've spent the last eight years trying to get you over here, to see Papaji. And now you're here...I feel like crying..."

And then he did. A bit. Over-exhausted by the last eighteen hours, we went to bed.

 

Item # 77202

 

Formal Dance Date

 

Two-Doll Gift Set

 

Poppy Parker® Loves Mystery Date™

 

Adult Collectible

 

Edition Size:

 

2000 Gift Sets

 

Expected Ship Date:

 

Mid-to-Late Summer 2022

  

Head Sculpts:

 

Poppy Parker and Chip Farnsworth V. 1.0 (Formal Dance Date) OR Kieron Morel (mystery Stud figure)

 

Body Type:

 

PP 1.5 and FR Homme 1.5

 

Poppy Foot Sculpt:

 

High-heeled

 

Skin Tone:

 

FR White (Poppy) and Japan (Formal Dance Date) OR FR White (Stud)

 

Hair Color:

 

Honey Blond (Poppy) and Lemon Blond (Formal Dance Date) OR Black (Stud)

 

Eyelashes:

 

Yes, Hand-applied (Poppy only)

 

MSRP: $275 + S & H

 

Special W Club Price*: $240 + S & H

 

Sales method: This is being sold to W Club members via a W Club right-to-buy lottery offer. Should any product remain after fully placing the lottery, it would then be made available to the public and for purchasing extras at the MSRP.

 

*Special W Club pricing is limited to one per membership

 

The Story:

 

Integrity Toys, in collaboration with HASBRO, is proud to present "POPPY PARKER LOVES MYSTERY DATE", a series of two-doll gift sets with a twist, inspired by the artwork and visuals of the classic board game from the 1960s, MYSTERY DATE!

 

Help glamorous 1960s teen fashion model Poppy Parker get ready for her date, then see who's knocking at the door... Is it her "Formal Dance Date" dressed to the nines in his perfectly proper dinner jacket, ready to take our star to a formal dance, or is it "The Stud", her other ruggedly handsome friend? Only one way to find out... open the door!

 

With each set in this series, while the Poppy Parker doll shown is always guaranteed, you have one chance in 16 of finding "The Stud" instead of the "Formal Dance Date" behind the door!

 

Included:

 

Formal Dance Poppy Parker Doll

 

Total edition size 2000 dolls.

 

12-inch articulated doll fashion doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;

Romantic hot pink ball gown with glittered tulle overlay, ruffled hem, and narrow shoulder straps;

Faux-fur shoulder wrap/stole;

"Pearl" necklace and matching earrings;

Hot pink rose corsage accessory;

Hot pink satin clutch purse;

Hot pink open-toe heels;

Pair of "gloved" hands with opera-length sleeves;

Alternate pair of regular (non-gloved) Poppy Parker hands;

Custom-designed doll stand inspired by the vintage token stands included with the vintage board game;

 

And

 

Formal Dance Date Fashion Figure

 

Total edition size of 1875 Formal Dance Date figures.

 

12.5-inch articulated fashion figure with rooted and partially flocked hair;

Formal dinner jacket, black pants, and pleated white shirt;

Hot pink cummerbund and bow tie;

High-shine black patent pleather shoes;

Black evening socks;

Magnetized red rose boutonniere;

Pair of regular male hands;

Pair of alternate "grip" hands;

Custom-designed doll stand inspired by the vintage token stands included with the vintage board game;

 

OR

 

The Stud (ultra-limited alternate figure!)

 

Total edition size of 500 figures (125 per gift set style) 1 in 16 chance of getting this figure instead of the Formal Dance Date above, inserted at random!

 

12.5-inch articulated fashion figure with rooted and partially flocked hair;

Custom printed, "faux-stained" effect mechanic's pants, directly inspired by the vintage board game's visuals;

Long-sleeved sweater;

White tank top;

Faux-suede construction boots;

Wrench accessory;

Pair of regular male hands;

Pair of alternate "grip" hands;

Custom-designed doll stand inspired by the vintage token stands included with the vintage board game;

 

Each set includes one certificate of authenticity.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototypes shown, final product may vary. The alternate male figure is included at random, there is one chance in 16 of receiving this figure instead of the formal date figure. The acrylic blocks shown in some of the photographs are display props only and are not included with the gift set. These collectibles are meant for adult collectors ages 15 and up only

Mr. Bill Lear... jet.

Created with parts of a Swiss Military jet Prototype, Bill Lear, a visionnaire and american inventor, created in 1966 the iconic business jet: the Learjet. This model is a Learjet 36, having belonged to Pratt & Whitney Canada, them being donated to ENA, a college offering an Aircraft Mechanic's program in St-Hubert, Quebec, Canada.

Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

Love how this lens melts the background.

"Nice cars have nice drivers; bad cars have bad drivers. A person's gearbox revealed everything that you could want to know about that person, thought Mr J.L.B. Matekoni.”

― Alexander McCall Smith

 

The front end of an older Lincoln Continental, awaiting repair at my mechanic's, somewhere in southern Oregon.

While the Gulf station is closing up for the night, things are just getting started for this baby.

 

Maybe head to the diner for an ice cream float, or cruise on down to the drive in for the late night picture show?

 

M2 Machines:

1957 Chevrolet Belair

 

1:64 Greenlight Collectibles:

Weekend Workshop - STP

Mechanic's Corner Series 1

 

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R

 

For more info about the dioramas, check out the FAQ: 1stPix FAQ

The Mechanic's Core power house for all types of field repairs. Can't bring your mobile or labor frame to the shop? We'll bring the shop to you!

On Wednesday, I took two of the latest coaches to join our fleet to Norscot's garage to have their digital tachograph's reprogrammed. Having latterly spent time working for Aircoach in Ireland, the batch of four still had their Irish plates programmed into the tacho's so needed reporgamming for their UK registrations.

 

Whilst it's been a battle to get two of them on the road (the second two are still yet to leave the garage), it seems to have been worth the mechanic's effort - two of the nicest coaches I've driven! Very smooth and powerful with a very comfortable cab seat and the bonus of a working radio!

 

Both still feature a few Aircoach and National Express CCTV and seat belt signs throughout, but the most obvious sign is that of the Aircoach no smoking sign in the toilet, along with an unusual FirstGroup sticker!

 

Seen at King Street Depot, Aberdeen on Wednesday 23rd May 2018.

Although I love this place, I have to say we always seem to struggle with the weather here. It is very exposed, and every time we go we experience the harshest light imaginable. We were actually hoping the boys and girls at the met office had got it right and we were going to get nice, moody overcast skies and diffused lighting...but no...bright sunshine the entire time we were there..again! Not only that, but the nice weather had bought the world and his son down to the harbour...so getting shots without people or cars in the way was challenging to say the least!

Therefore, there will be a few very similar looking shots in this set, so apologies in advance! I am still going through the shots from Mechanic's mansion so there will be all sorts going up in the next few days! ;-)

Website / Facebook/ Tumblr / Bookstore

            

If you're new in town, or just passing through, don't mention Paul's penchant for bright colors; he's all about orange, and will talk your ear off until it's red.

 

1:64 Greenlight Collectibles:

1965 Dodge D-100

Paul's Gulf

 

Vintage Gulf Service Station

Mechanic's Corner Series 1

 

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R

 

For more info about the dioramas, check out the FAQ: 1stPix FAQ

Replacing the popular but ageing Celebrity, the Lumina appeared in 1990 as Chevrolet's version of the GM W-body mid-size cars. Offered as a Coupé, a saloon, and (using a different platform) a minivan, the Lumina had a very modern and sleek style. Even today, the car still has a dignified profile.

 

The first Lumina was a success for Chevrolet with over 900.000 copies sold. However, the car suffered from poor quality and developed a reputation as an unreliable product. My family briefly owned a 1991 model and even though it offered a comfortable ride, it was plagued with enough gremlins that brought our family closer to the mechanic's.

 

The Lumina saloon lived to see a second generation but the Coupé was replaced by the Monte Carlo and the minivan by the Venture.

The old Texas Company was well known for it's Chief brand gasoilines, the Texaco Green & Red service trucks with the banjo logo, and the registered restroom program.

 

I'm guessing this F-100 is reserved for all the dirty work, and the Dodge and Chevy are the show ponies at this particular filling station.

 

1:64 Greenlight Collectibles:

1970 Ford F-100

Running On Empty Series 4

 

Greenlight Collectibles:

Vintage Texaco Station

Mechanic's Corner Series 1

 

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R

 

For more info about the dioramas, check out the FAQ: 1stPix FAQ

Queenscliffe (pop 3,000).

The Ozone Hotel 42 Gellibrand St. Built in 1881 as Baillieu House for wealthy banker, businessman and pastoralist James George Baillieu. This fine Italianate rendered building has a four storey tower, is mainly a three storey structure with a slater mansard roof and widow’s walk on the tower. The iron veranda post are exceptionally high giving a grander appearance. As tourists flocked to the town in the early 1880s Baillieu had it converted into the Ozone Hotel in 1887 and two more wings were added to it.

After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.

Composite of two images, one with just the angle grinder ;)

 

Strobist Info: Canon 580EX-II fired through a large silver bounce umbrella above and camera left. A large silver reflector provided fill from the right.

 

Model: Maja S

Make-up: Mona Creating