For this project, we had to pick a social issue and take fifteen pictures of things relating to it. Then, we had to create a poster in photoshop to display these pictures. I had a lot of difficulty doing this project due to having to rush to take all of my pictures following my SD card corrupting all of them. However, I am satisfied with the end result of the poster and I learned a lot in the process.

For this picture, I photographed the tires of my mother’s care. I really like the angle that I took this picture as I think that it adds interest. This is one of the better pictures of this project because while I could have taken a picture of the car straight on, I chose a different angle.

I took a picture of a fire truck at a fire station for this photograph. I like how bright the red in the photo is and the way it is framed. I had to take this picture really fast because I stopped at the firestation and the firefighters were there while I took the picture.

For this photo, I took a picture of my mom walking to get the mail. I love this picture because her feet are in stopped motion and because of the beautiful flowers that make up the background.

For this picture, I took a photo of the Uber app on my iPhone. Uber has become a very popular mode of transportation in recent years, almost taking over the cab industry. Uber is an app on smartphones that allows someone to ask a driver to pick them up at any location.

This picture on the poster is of a someone’s boat parked outside of their house. This is not one of my favorite pictures due to the angle it was taken and the lighting. I took this picture around five in the afternoon so there was a bit of a glare on the picture because of the angle of the sun.

I took the picture of this motorcycle in an alley behind an office building. I really like this picture because it looks quite different to a normal motorcycle in that it has bright colors and looks kind of retro.

This photo is of a mail truck that is stopped. I took this right as the mailman was driving away so is not one of my best pictures.

This photo is of a metro bus parked while people were boarding it. Although the metro is not a very popular mode of transportation in our community, it is still an integral part of society and is very popular in more metropolitan areas around us.

This photo of a taxi logo is one of my favorites of this project also. It is kind of rare to see taxis in our neighborhood so I was very lucky to find one. After asking the driver if I could take a picture of his car, I quickly snapped the picture and it just so happened that it came out exactly how I wanted. Normally, I would spend a bit of time on each picture and take a bunch of them from all different angles but I immediately liked how this one turned out.

This photograph is of a bicycle I rode all of the time when I was a child. I took the picture at this angle from above to create interest, rather than just taking the picture of the whole bike from the side.

For this picture, I took a photo of a school bus in motion, just after it had picked up students from an elementary school. At one time or another in their life, most people have rode the school bus and it is a major part of the school experience. Because the bus was moving, I put the camera on a high shutter speed in order for it not to be blurry.

I took this picture from the back of a pickup truck filled with building supplies like wood and metal. I had to zoom in significantly in this picture because of the lighting at this time of day. I would have tried to retake a picture of a different pickup truck but I did not have time because of the issue with my SD card.

For this picture, I photographed a tractor in the mud. I like this because normally, when you think of transportation a tractor does not come to mind. However, it is an underrated form of transportation that is used on farms by farmers.

The photo of the retro trailer is my absolute favorite. I love all of the stickers on the back and how it reminds be of the 1960s and 1970s. I was so excited when I saw this trailer parked on the side of the road as I was not expecting to find something so creative.

The last picture is of a kid riding his skateboard. I asked him if I could take a picture of him doing a trick and I snapped the picture right as he landed. I really like this photo because he is still partially in the air and the skateboard is at an interesting angle.

Overall, although I had significant difficulty with this project because of the technology I used, I am happy with the outcome. I like the colors that I used on the poster as well as the font and I think that they complement the pictures nicely.

   

“Urban art is a style of art that relates to cities and city life. In that way urban art combines street art and graffiti and is often used to summarize all visual art forms arising in urban areas, being inspired by urban architecture or thematizing urban live style.

 

The notion of 'Urban Art' developed from street art that is primarily concerned with graffiti culture. Urban art represents a broader cross section of artists that as well as covering traditional street artists also covers artists using more traditional media but with a subject matter that deals with contemporary urban culture and political issues.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_art

 

“Wild Flowers are not weeds"

Street Art is the modern, urban wildflowers

What's the difference between Graffiti Tagging and Street Art?

1. Street Art is constructive, Graffiti Tagging is destructive.

2. Street Art adorns the urban landscape, Graffiti Tagging scars it and accelerates urban decay.

3. Street Art stretches your mind, Graffiti Tagging is a slap in your face.

4. Street Art is about the audience, Graffiti Tagging is about the tagger.

5. Street Art says "Have you thought about this?", Graffiti Tagging says "I tag, therefore I exist".

6. Street Art was done with a smile, Graffiti Tagging was done with a scowl.

7. Street Art takes skill, Graffiti Tagging takes balls.

8. We mourn losing Street Art and celebrate losing Graffiti Tagging.

Good Street Art is great, good Graffiti Tagging is gone!

”http://www.graffitiactionhero.org/graffiti-tag-vs-street-art.html

 

Additional interesting sites

www.osnatfineart.com/urban-art.jsp

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_art

  

6685xyx

 

collecting, relating and understanding happenings of life, at the bank of kedar-ganga. view on black @ better view

 

see my other favourites @ www.flickr.com/photos/nevilzaveri/sets/72157600036851976/

'... is there any way you could filter applications before reading them? ...' [0]

  

Simulating Startups

 

'... You may have someone with a very high IQ but has low interpersonal skill .. cannot relate to other people very well. Cannot understand other people. This can be a real liability for organisations who are looking for leadership .. looking to promote people with high intelligence ...' [1]

 

Interesting. I posted a similar post this week on the characteristics found in entrepreneurs ~ http://news.ycombinator.com/comments?id=7459

 

'... all we'll care about is one measure: how close one comes

to the best founders. We don't care what atoms are in that

molecule ...' [2]

 

But testing for characteristics of 'high achievers' then correlating test scores against potential applicants is fraught with problems. Is the correlation against the best enough? [3]

 

I'm sure you might get some correlation but it's pretty unimaginative [4]. So what could be a better tool? What about direct testing of skill? Wouldn't a better technique be simulation? Why not build a 'startup simulator' where applicants are given tools to simulate tasks they actually will have to do? Then you have a controllable scenario where you really can measure results against successful founders.

  

You could test

 

* the conception of an idea

* the building of a (simple) prototype

* quickly find an audience

* find a way to make money off it

 

Wrapped up in a framework [5] where you test the execution of these tasks you could get a better grasp of the

 

* skills

* determination

* entrepreneurial audacity

* passion

* humour

* leadership skills needed to succeed.

* risk taking, emotional intelligence

 

There is a long history of simulators in testing & refining of skills, competency and execution are required. Even Captain Kirk at Starfleet Academy trained, passed (and cheated) on simulators.

 

Who knows it might even be fun.

  

Reference

[0] YCombinator News, bootload, "Response to question on filtering of YC startup applications"

news.ycombinator.com/comments?id=7076

 

[1] Professor Con Stough, Brain Sciences Institute, "Director, Centre for Neuropsychology, Swinburne Institute of Technology"

http://www.swin.edu.au/bioscieleceng/neuropsych/stough.htm

 

[2] YCombinator News, "PG on the nuts and bolts of what YC measurement objectives"

news.ycombinator.com/comments?id=7138

 

[3] But I do like the simplicity of just looking at a simple set of parameters to make a Gladwellian decision.

 

[4] In a competitive environment the difference between getting the attention of the right candidates could be the tools used to measure how they stack up against the best .. but actually doing something, learning and getting some feedback.

 

[5] The framework could be a game, or simply a panel of dials. The key thing is you can have a back room with founders, past entrepreneurs twiddling the dials checking to see in RT how candidates handle things like a person leaving, stressing system etc (like the LEM tester in the Apollo missions). It also allows for candidates to learn from failure with less risk & pass on the best decision making skills to candidates that have passed.

  

<<< start

It takes one to know one. Rosalie talks to an artist at ARTPRIZE 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan, artprize.org

Kinetic: Relating to, caused by, or producing motion.

 

These are called “Kinetic” photographs because there is motion, energy, and movement involved, specifically my and the camera’s movements.

 

Most of these are shot outdoors where I have the room to literally spin and throw my little camera several feet up into the air, with some throws going as high as 15 feet or more!

 

None of these are Photoshopped, layered, or a composite photo...what you see occurs in one shot, one take.

 

Aren’t I afraid that I will drop and break my camera? For regular followers of my photostream and this series you will know that I have already done so. This little camera has been dropped many times, and broken once when dropped on concrete outside. It still functions...not so well for regular photographs, but superbly for more kinetic work.

 

To read more about Kinetic Photography click the Wikipedia link below:

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_photography

 

Albeit supremely risky this is one of my favorite ways to produce abstract photographs.

 

.

 

If you'd like to see more please check out my set, "Vertigo:"

 

www.flickr.com/photos/motorpsiclist/sets/72157630591282642/

 

.

  

My photographs and videos and any derivative works are my private property and are copyright © by me, John Russell (aka “Zoom Lens”) and ALL my rights, including my exclusive rights, are reserved. ANY use without my permission in writing is forbidden by law.

 

Someone once said that if you can relate to Edgar Allen Poe then you must be mentally ill. That person was also a simpleton and devoid of any real awareness of the dark corners of the human character. There is no doubt Poe was tortured man, an eccentric man and just maybe towards the end of his life mentally ill due to disease. No one knows for sure. His works are an expedition into love and loss, grief and insanity. They smite our emotions so hard because the human spirit is largely enveloped in feelings of sadness, rage, longing and feeling out of place. We may not perceive these things every second of everyday but they are there occasionally and they are very real for us. You cannot gaze upon the line “And all I loved, I loved alone” and not feel your heart fracture just a little, not because of the simple cluster of words but because we know all too well what he means! We feel it so deeply! That’s a truly great poet! A great poet deserves great homage, a series bridging many artistic journeys through some of the most adored compositions in Poe’s collection, a chance to create our own visions and build so much more on what he gave us.

 

"The Masque of the Red Death “is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, host a masquerade ball within seven rooms, each decorated with a different color. Prospero and 1,000 other nobles have taken refuge in this walled abbey to escape the Red Death, a terrible plague with gruesome symptoms that has swept over the land. Victims are overcome by "sharp pains", "sudden dizziness", and die within half an hour. Prospero and his court are indifferent to the sufferings of the population at large; they intend to await the end of the plague in luxury and safety behind the walls of their secure refuge, having welded the doors shut. At the chiming of midnight, the revelers and Prospero notice a figure in a dark, blood-splattered robe resembling a funeral shroud. The figure's mask resembles the rigid face of a corpse and exhibits the traits of the Red Death. When the figure turns to face him, the Prince lets out a sharp cry and falls dead... Only then do we realize the figure is the Red Death itself, and all of the guests contract and succumb to the disease. The final line of the story sums it up, "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all".

 

Temple of Flux

by Jess Hobbs & Crew

Burning Man 2010

Metropolis: The Life of Cities

The Temple of Flux stands not as a habitable building, echoing churches and mosques from our histories, but as a counter-monument. Referencing our impetus to create structure as well as to relate to our environment. The Temple of Flux welcomes participants to take respite. It beckons one to journey its pathways and follow its sensuous lines as they arc into the air.

Probably relating to the Glasgow Weekly Record newspaper. A confirmation on this or any additional information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

The Glasgow Weekly Record was published from the 24th January 1924 to the 9th May 1931 (my thanks to Linda Frost of the National Library of Scotland Reference Section for this information).

 

.

Enamels: 1 (red).

Finish: Gilt.

Material: Brass.

Fixer: Pin.

Size: 1 1/8” across x 1 3/16” down (about 28mm x 31mm).

Process: Die stamped.

Makers: W. L. Thomson, Glasgow.

 

a film of the drive back to my parents house. I've driven this road in a wild escape so many times and the wreckless feelings I get relating to each ride are intoxicating. These lyrics somewhat articulate everything better than I can:

 

Farewell Angelina

the bells on the crown

Are being stolen by bandits

I must follow the sound

The triangle tingles

the music plays slow

But farewell Angelina

The night is on fire

And I must go

 

There is no use in talking

And there's no need for blame

There is nothing to prove

Everything still is the same

A table stands empty

By the edge of the stream

But farewell Angelina

The sky is changing colors

And I must leave

 

The jacks and the queens

They foresake the courtyard

Fifty-two gypsies

Now file past the guard

In the space where the deuce

And the ace once ran wild

Farewell Angelina

The sky is folding

I'll see you after a while

 

See the crosseyed pirate

Sit perched in the sun

Shooting tin cans

With a sawed off shot gun

And the corporals and the neighbors

Clap and cheer with each blast

But farewell Angelina

The sky is trembling

And I must leave fast

 

King Kong, little elves

on the roof-tops they dance

Valentino-type tangos

While the heroes clean hands

Shut the eyes of the dead

Not to embarass anyone

Farewell Angelina

The sky is flooding over and I must be gone

 

The camoflaged parrot

He flutters from fear

When something he doesn't know about

Suddenly appears

What cannot be imitated

Perfect must die

Farewell Angelina

The sky is flooding over

And I must go where it is dry

 

Machine guns are roaring

The puppets heave rocks

At misunderstood visions

And at the faces of clocks

Call me any name you like

I will never deny it

But farewell Angelina

The sky is errupting

And I must go where it is quiet

 

-Dylan

Postcard - Fay Thomas Collection

 

The Fay Thomas Collection includes family archives relating to the Thomas family. Moses Thomas (1825-1878) was a significant figure in the history of the area now known as the City of Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia. Thomas and Ann and their family lived at "Mayfield", Mernda, Victoria.

 

Miss Lily Thomas (1871-1946), Thomas and Ann’s fourth daughter lived there all her life. She collected postcards which her family and friends sent her on a very regular basis. It was an easy and enjoyable way to keep in touch. Production of postcards blossomed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lily’s collection encompasses the so-called Golden Age (1890-1915) with many postmarked 1906-1907. Some were sent to other members of the family.

 

Her collection document the natural landscape as well as the built environment—buildings, gardens, parks, and tourist sites. Topographical Postcards showing street scenes and general views from Australian and international locations.

Decorative cards, many embellished with floral motives (as a nod to the receiver Lily?) and embossing. Greeting cards are common for Christmas, New Year, Easter and of course birthdays.

 

Regular senders can be identified from Kyneton and the Great Ocean Road area, Victoria and there is a siginifant collection from Scotland (but not sent from there).

 

YPRL hold digital copies of the Papers of the Moses Thomas Family held at State Library Victoria

 

Copyright for these images is Public domain but a credit to the Fay Thomas Collection and YPRL would be appreciated.

 

Enquiries: Yarra Plenty Regional Library

 

No. 4 Aeneas relating his adventure to Dido

 

Krewe of Proteus Mardi Gras floats, The Aeneid, 1884.

Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final

by Roger Corbett

Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.

Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.

The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.

Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.

Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.

The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.

By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.

As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.

From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.

As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.

From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.

Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan

Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson

Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)

Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie

Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.

Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.

In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.

Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.

Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.

Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.

via Quotes Boxes | You number one source for daily inspirational quotes, saynings & famous quotes ift.tt/2luHbWj

This relates to my blog post

www.heatheronhertravels.com/how-to-eat-well-in-sardinia/

 

This photo is licenced under Creative commons for use including commercial on condition that you link back to or credit http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/.

 

See my profile for more detail.

  

Here is a revised inside... simplified the background and made it interact with the other elements a little. Thoughts? Gone to press for this week, but I still have chances to edit for the next week of the series (in about 3 weeks).

 

The original and front of the bulletin is here.

The City of Wolf Point website relates the story of James Cusker and Rolla Cusker, who broke though the ice in February, 1926, while returning home from a basketball game. With the ferry service suspended for the winter, many folks drove across the frozen ice of the Missouri River. The problem is that the river is fast flowing and has unpredictable currents. The ice was strong enough for the two men to drive across earlier in the evening, but on their way home, they hit an open spot despite retracing their earlier tracks. Their bodies were not found for several days.

The Cusker family tragedy spurred the local officials into asking that a highway and bridge be considered as part of the new US highway system that was being formed. Several counties and local cities supported this plan, and the state agreed in October of 1926. The bridge was started shortly afterward, funded half by the State of Montana, and half by matching funds from the federal government. The bridge was completed and a huge dedication ceremony was held on July 9, 1930.

 

The bridge was situated high above the river since the US Army Corps of Engineers considered the Missouri River to be navigable at that time. Two large concrete piers were built on each side of the river channel, and a 400 foot main through truss span was erected across the river. The main span is flaked by a slightly shorter though truss span on each side. Short segments of steel girders connect the outer truss spans to the bridge abutments, which are built built on fill some 20 feet above ground level. When completed, this was a very imposing structure that sat up tall, occupying is place across the river with pride. The bridge lived up to its billing as the most massive bridge in the state of Montana.

 

All things do come to an end. Wider and heavier traffic and increased maintenance costs lead to the Lewis & Clark Bridge becoming obsolete. The state built a new river bridge just west of the old bridge in 1997 and 1998. The old bridge now has a second life as a state historical site. The bridge was deeded to the Montana Historical Society, who plans to maintain the bridge as a monument. They also operate a small park and interpretive display at the south end of the bridge. The bridge was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. While the bridge remains closed as of 2007, the historical society is working to develop a plan to make the bridge safe for pedestrian users. That would be a site to see

A nurse standing in a garden.

 

Photograph from a series of album pages relating to Camp Mohawk, near Deseronto, Ontario, donated by Allan Dempsey.

Both of these posters relate to different items regarding Council Tax, aka Rates.

The one on the left refers to Brighton City Council's, led by the leader the Green Partiesuniquely names Jason Kitcat, imposed an well above inflation increase for 2014/15 - they are just not earning enough from the highly inflated parking charges.

The one on the right refers to when a resident started to film a meeting of Seaford Town Council during which he understood the local rate precept would be discussed. They said it was against the rules to film and when he argued the point that he thought is was his right they called in the police, who share the building, and eventually the meeting was abandoned. They had saId they will be 'reviewing standing orders'. What is interesting whilst the charges for East Sussex County Council and Lewes District Council have been frozen for the last few years the charge Seaford has increased year by year without any visible changes to the services they provide. In addition there are reports of bullying and harassment, etc. which has resulted in the local Member of Parliament suggesting an audit of the situation

Venedig - Markusplatz

 

seen from Canal Grande

 

gesehen vom Canal Grande

 

Piazza San Marco (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjattsa san ˈmarko]; Venetian: Piasa San Marco), often known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as la Piazza ("the Square"). Almost all the other urban spaces in the city (except the Piazzetta and the Piazzale Roma) are called campi ("fields"). The Piazzetta ("little Piazza/Square") is an extension of the Piazza towards San Marco basin in its southeast corner (see plan). The two spaces together form the social, religious and political centre of Venice and are referred to together. This article relates to both of them.

 

A remark usually attributed (though without proof) to Napoleon calls the Piazza San Marco "the drawing room of Europe".

 

Description

 

The square is dominated at its eastern end by St Mark's Basilica. It is described here by a perambulation starting from the west front of the church (facing the length of the piazza) and proceeding to the right.

 

St Mark's Basilica has a western façade with great arches and marble decoration, Romanesque carvings around the central doorway, and four horses which preside over the whole piazza. The four horses are potent symbols of pride and power in Venice. In 1379, the Genoese said there could be no peace between the two cities until these horses had been bridled.[3] Four hundred years later, Napoleon, after he had conquered Venice, had them taken down and shipped to Paris.

 

The Piazzetta dei Leoncini is an open space on the north side of the church named after the two marble lions (presented by Doge Alvise Mocenigo in 1722), but now officially called the Piazzetta San Giovanni XXIII. The neo-classic building on the east side adjoining the Basilica is the Palazzo Patriarcale, the seat of the Patriarch of Venice.

 

Beyond that is St Mark's Clocktower (Torre dell'Orologio), completed in 1499, above a high archway where the street known as the Merceria (a main thoroughfare of the city) leads through shopping streets to the Rialto, the commercial and financial centre. To the right of the clock-tower is the closed church of San Basso, designed by Baldassarre Longhena (1675), sometimes open for exhibitions.

 

To the left is the long arcade along the north side of the piazza, the buildings on this side are known as the Procuratie Vecchie, the old procuracies, formerly the homes and offices of the Procurators of St Mark, high officers of state in the days of the republic of Venice. They were built in the early 16th century. The arcade is lined with shops and restaurants at ground level, with offices above. The restaurants include the famous Caffè Quadri, which was patronized by the Austrians when Venice was ruled by Austria in the 19th century, while the Venetians preferred Florian's on the other side of the piazza.

 

Turning left at the end, the arcade continues along the west end of the piazza, which was rebuilt by Napoleon about 1810 and is known as the Ala Napoleonica (Napoleonic Wing). It holds, behind the shops, a ceremonial staircase which was to have led to a royal palace but now forms the entrance to the Museo Correr (Correr Museum).

 

Turning left again, the arcade continues down the south side of the Piazza. The buildings on this side are known as the Procuratie Nuove (new procuracies), which were designed by Jacopo Sansovino in the mid-16th century but partly built (1582–86) after his death by Vincenzo Scamozzi apparently with alterations required by the procurators and finally completed by Baldassarre Longhena about 1640.[6] Again, the ground floor has shops and also the Caffè Florian, a famous cafe opened in 1720 by Floriano Francesconi, which was patronised by the Venetians when the hated Austrians were at Quadri's. The upper floors were intended by Napoleon to be a palace for his stepson Eugène de Beauharnais, his viceroy in Venice, and now houses the Museo Correr. At the far end the Procuratie meet the north end of Sansovino's Libreria (mid-16th century), whose main front faces the piazzetta and is described there. The arcade continues round the corner into the Piazzetta.

 

Opposite to this, standing free in the piazza, is St Mark's Campanile (1156–73 last restored in 1514), rebuilt in 1912 com'era, dov'era ("as it was, where it was") after the collapse of the former campanile on 14 July 1902. Adjacent to the campanile, facing towards the church, is the small building known as the Loggetta del Sansovino, built by Sansovino in 1537–46 and used as a lobby by patricians waiting to go into a meeting of the Great Council in the Doge's Palace and by guards when the council was sitting.

 

Across the piazza in front of the church are three large mast-like flagpoles with bronze bases decorated in high relief by Alessandro Leopardi in 1505. The Venetian flag of St Mark used to fly from them in the time of the republic of Venice and now shares them with the Italian flag.

 

Description of the Piazzetta

 

The Piazzetta di San Marco is, strictly speaking, not part of the Piazza but an adjoining open space connecting the south side of the Piazza to the waterway of the lagoon. The Piazzetta lies between the Doge's Palace on the east and Jacopo Sansovino's Biblioteca (Library) which holds the Biblioteca Marciana on the west.

 

At the corner near the campanile, this (west) side is occupied entirely by the Biblioteca (Library) designed by Jacopo Sansovino to hold the Biblioteca Marciana (library of St Mark). Building started in 1537 and it was extended, after the death of Sansovino, by Vincenzo Scamozzi in 1588–91. The building was said by Palladio to be "the most magnificent and ornate structure built since ancient times". The arcade continues to the end of the building with cafés and shops and also the entrances to the Archaeological Museum, the Biblioteca Marciana and the National Library, which occupy the floors above.

 

At the end of this building is the Molo (the quay fronting the lagoon) and the adjoining building to the right is the Zecca (mint) also by Sansovino (completed 1547) and now part of the Biblioteca Marciana. Turning to the left at the end of the Biblioteca one crosses the open end of the Piazzetta marked by two large granite columns carrying symbols of the two patron saints of Venice. The first is Saint Theodore, who was the patron of the city before St Mark, holding a spear and with a crocodile to represent the dragon which he was said to have slain. This is made up of parts of antique statues and is a copy (the original is kept in the Doge's Palace). The second (eastern) column has a creature representing a winged lion — the Lion of Venice — which is the symbol of St Mark. This has a long history, probably starting as a winged lion-griffin on a monument to the god Sandon at Tarsus in Cilicia (Southern Turkey) about 300 BC. The columns are now thought to have been erected about 1268, when the water was closer and they would have been on the edge of the lagoon, framing the entry to the city from the sea. Gambling was permitted in the space between the columns and this right was said to have been granted as a reward to the man who first raised the columns. Public executions also took place between the columns.

 

On the far side of the Piazzetta is the side wall of the Doge's Palace with Gothic arcades at ground level and a loggia on the floor above. Up to the seventh pillar from the front this is the building as rebuilt in 1340, while the extension towards the Basilica was added in 1424. The capitals of the columns of the extended part are mostly copies of those in the front of the Palace. The seventh pillar is marked by a tondo (circular sculpture) of Venice as Justice above the first floor loggia. To the left of this, there are two red pillars in front of the first-floor loggia, contrasting with the other pillars which are of white Istrian stone. The red pillars are made of red Verona marble. They may have framed the Doge's chair on ceremonial occasions, but it seems that important malefactors found guilty of crimes against the state would sometimes be executed there.

 

On the rear corner of the Doge's Palace is a sculpture of the Judgment of Solomon with the archangel Gabriel above. The sculptors are not known. Set back from this corner is the Porta della Carta, the ceremonial entrance to the palace, built in fine Gothic style in 1438–43, probably by Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon. Again, there is at the top a figure of Venice as Justice, the theme of fair judgment and justice being much emphasised on this side of the palace. Below this, the head of Doge Francisco Foscari and the lion before which he is kneeling were replaced in 1885, the originals having been destroyed on French orders in 1797. The statues on either side of the gateway represent the cardinal virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Charity.

 

Next to this, on an outside corner of the basilica of St Mark, are four antique figures carved in porphyry, a very hard red granite. They are usually known as the Tetrarchs and said to represent the four joint rulers of the Roman Empire appointed by Diocletian and were formerly thought to be Egyptian. It is now thought probable (or, at least very possible) that they represent the sons of the Emperor Constantine, praised for their loving co-operation on his death in 337, especially as the work originally stood in the Philadelphion (Place of Brotherly Love) in Constantinople, where the missing foot of one of the figures has been found.

 

Beyond this, in front of the South wall of the Basilica are two rectangular pillars always known as the Pillars of Acre. They were thought to be booty taken by the Venetians from Acre after their great victory over the Genoese there in 1258, but this traditional story has also had to be revised. The pillars actually came from the church of St Polyeuktos in Constantinople (524-7), and were probably taken by the Venetians soon after the fourth crusade in 1204. The ruins of this church were discovered in 1960 and it was excavated in the 1990s, when capitals were found, which matched the pillars.

 

Beyond these pillars, opposite the corner of the Basilica, is a great circular stone of red porphyry known as the Pietra del Bando (Proclamation Stone) from which official proclamations used to be read. It has been suggested that this may have formed part of a column on which the so-called Tetrarchs stood.

 

Across the water (the Bacino di San Marco) at the end of the Piazzetta can be seen the island of San Giorgio Maggiore and the brilliant white façade of Palladio's church there.

 

History

 

The history of the Piazza San Marco can be conveniently covered in four periods, but the only pre-renaissance buildings and monuments still standing there are St Mark's, the Doge's Palace and the two great columns in the Piazzetta.

 

Beginnings (800–1100)

 

The first patron saint of Venice was St Theodore, a Greek warrior saint, and the first chapel of the Doge was dedicated to him. It was probably built about 819 and stood near the site of the present church of St Mark. In 828–829 relics of St Mark were stolen from Alexandria and brought to Venice, and in time the Venetians and the Doge adopted the apostle as their new patron. He was the missionary-apostle who was said to have converted their district; the relics of an apostle would increase the importance of the city and their acquisition was a further step in the gradual process of freeing Venice from the domination of Byzantium. The relics were temporarily placed in the palace (or castle) of the Doge, Justinian Partecipacius, who provided in his will for a new church to be built. This first church of St Mark was begun on the south side of the existing chapel; by 836 construction was sufficiently advanced for the relics to be moved there. The design of the church was based on the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Constantinople and it seems to have covered the same area as the central part of the present church. A campanile was first built in the time of Doge Pietro Tribuno (888–91).

 

At that time there was probably an empty space covered with grass in front of the new church, but it cannot have extended more than about 60 metres to the west, where there was a stream (the Rio Baratario) bisecting the area now occupied by the Piazza. On the other side of this stream was a small church dedicated to San Geminiano. The Doge's palace, in the same area as its modern successor, was at that time surrounded by water. The lagoon was to the south, the Rio di Palazzo (the canal beneath the Bridge of Sighs) to the east, and another stream to the north between the palace and the church. There was an inlet from the lagoon occupying much of the space now covered by the Piazzetta and this seems to have been used as a dock for the city.

 

In 976 there was a rebellion against the Doge and the church was set on fire. The wooden parts, including the roof and wooden dome, were probably lost, but the church was not completely destroyed and it seems to have been rebuilt much as before. In 1063 a complete rebuilding commenced. The new church was finished in the time of Doge Vitale Falier (1084–96), and in its main structure this is the present church, though the west front facing the Piazza was then in the Romanesque style with undecorated brickwork (like the exterior of the apse today). It had five domes, but their exterior profile was low, unlike the present high, onion-shaped structures.

 

Medieval piazza (1100–1490)

 

Great changes to the area came when Sebastiano Ziani was Doge (1172–78). Venice was growing in importance and the Doge was a very wealthy man. He initiated the changes which created the piazza as we know it. The Rio Baratario was filled in and the church of San Geminiano on the far side was demolished and rebuilt much farther back at the western end of what became the Piazza. An orchard which occupied part of the area was acquired from the convent of San Zaccharia and the Doge bought up a number of buildings which obstructed the site. By his will he left these buildings to the state and in due course they were demolished to clear the area. The rebuilding of the 9th-century Doge's palace also commenced in his time as Doge. The precise date of the various new buildings is not known and much must have been done in the time of his son, Pietro Ziani, who was Doge from 1205 to 1229.

 

The area of the piazza was now defined by the erection of buildings on the north and south sides. On the north side were the procuratie, residences and offices for the procurators of St Mark. The original procuratie were a range of two-storey buildings with a continuous arcade of stilted (i.e. tall and narrow) Byzantine arches below and a single storey above, with two windows above each arch. The ground floor rooms were let out for shops to provide an income. These buildings remained in place for about 300 years and we can see exactly how they looked in 1496 in Gentile Bellini's painting of a procession in the piazza. This painting also shows the buildings on the opposite (south) side of the Piazza, of which the most important was the Ospizio Orseolo, an inn or hostel for pilgrims going to the Holy Land. It can be seen that the piazza was then considerably narrower than it is today, because these buildings abutted directly against the west wall of the campanile.

 

In 1204, Constantinople was captured in the course of the 4th Crusade and, both at that time and later during the 13th century, much valuable material was taken from the city and shipped back for the adornment of Venice. This included marbles and pillars for the façade of St Mark's, the two square pillars in the piazzetta known (wrongly) as the Pillars of Acre and probably also the Pietra del Bando (near the south west corner of St Mark's) and the four porphyry figures known as the Tetrarchs, which were eventually installed near the entrance to the Doge's Palace from the piazzetta.

 

The two great granite columns in the Piazzetta are usually said to have been erected about 1170, but it is now thought more probable that this was done in the time of Doge Ranieri Zeno (1253–68) about 1268; the bases and capitals are 13th-century. Their origin is unknown, but Chios is suggested as possible. The lion is first mentioned in a decree of the Great Council in 1293, and the wording makes it clear that it was already on the pillar at that date. A statue of St Theodore (but not the present statue) was in place by 1329.

 

It was also at this time, in the later 13th century, that St Mark's was being given its new west façade embellished with marble and mosaics and trophies from Constantinople, including the four horses.

 

The original 9th-century Doge's palace was soon found too small for the number of patricians sitting on the Great Council after the right to do so was made hereditary in 1297, and rebuilding started in 1340. Work was held up by the Black Death in 1348 but the first stage was completed by 1365. This comprised the front part of the palace facing the lagoon, but in the Piazzetta the new building only extended to the seventh pillar back from the front corner, now marked by a circular relief of Venice as Justice on the outside of the first-floor arcade. Further back, part of the old palace, known as the Palace of Justice, remained, much as it had stood for about 200 years.

 

Because of the great expense involved, nothing more was done for many years, but in 1422 the Doge Tomaso Mocenigo insisted that for the honour of the city the remaining part of the old palace should be demolished and the new part extended. It was resolved that the existing façade should be continued in the same style, and work started in 1424 under the new Doge Francesco Foscari. The extended façade had reached the corner by 1438 and the point where the 15th-century part joins the 14th-century part can only be recognised by the circular relief of Justice above the seventh pillar from the front corner and the fact that that pillar is larger than the others, having held up the corner of the building for 80 years. The capitals on this façade are, for the most part, copies of the existing capitals on the front façade. The last pillar, at the north-western corner of the building, is a very large column and, continuing the theme of Justice, bears a large relief carving of the Judgment of Solomon, with the archangel Gabriel above it. The sculptor is not known, although various suggestions have been made including Bartolomeo Buon from Venice and Jacopo della Quercia from Siena and several art historians think that the sculpture of the Judgment of Solomon (which must have been made in the period 1424/38) shows influence from Tuscany. Eduardo Arslan, after reviewing all the theories in 1971, concluded that this sculpture "remains for us a great mystery".

 

In 1438 a contract was made with Giovanni and Bartolomeo Buon for the construction of a great ceremonial doorway into the palace. This was the Porta della Carta and connected the newly constructed wing of the palace with the south wall of St Mark's. Giovanni was nearing the end of his life and the gateway is mainly the work of Bartolomeo. It was completed by 1442 and included a sculpture of the Doge Francesco Foscari kneeling before the lion of St Mark. The statues of the cardinal virtues on either side were by another hand. Originally the whole gateway was painted and gilded.[35] This is just visible in the right background of Gentile Bellini's painting of 1496, which shows the piazza in its state at this time, still narrow and with the old 13th-century buildings on either side.[citation needed]

 

From the Renaissance to the fall of the Republic (1490–1797)

 

In 1493 an astronomical clock was commissioned by Venice and it was decided to install it in a new clocktower in the Piazza with a high archway beneath it leading into the street known as the Merceria, which leads to the Rialto. The building, which was probably designed by Codussi, was started in 1496, a section of the original Procuratie being demolished for the purpose. The building was completed with the clock installed by February 1499. It can be seen, flanked by the original Procuratie building, in de Barbari's woodcut of Venice in 1500. The Procuratie then were only two storeys high and the tower stood higher above them than it does today.

 

Buildings on either side to support the tower were added by 1506 and in 1512, when there was a fire in the old Procuratie, it became obvious that the whole range would have to be rebuilt.

 

Despite the fact that Venice was then at war with much of Europe (War of the League of Cambrai) the whole of the south side of the Piazza was rebuilt, starting in 1517. The new buildings, known today as the Procuratie Vecchie, were three storeys high instead of two. Like the previous Procuratie they had an arcade on the ground level with two windows above each arch, but without the high Byzantine arches and with classical details.

 

In 1527 Jacopo Sansovino came to Venice, fleeing from the sack of Rome, and by 1529 he had been appointed as Proto (consultant architect and buildings manager) to the Procurators of St. Mark. The Procurators wished to rebuild the old buildings on the south side of the Piazza, but Sansovino persuaded them that the opportunity should be taken to enlarge the Piazza and that these buildings should be demolished and the building line moved back clear of the campanile. He also convinced them that the old hostelries and shops on the west side of the Piazzetta opposite the Doge's Palace should be replaced by a new building worthy of the site. It was decided that the library of books and manuscripts, which had been bequeathed to the city by Cardinal Bessarion but had still not found a permanent home, should be housed there and Sansovino originally intended that the façade of this building (the Libreria) should eventually be continued along the south side of the Piazza and round the south-west corner as far as the church of San Geminiano in the middle of the west side. These changes also made it necessary to rebuild the Loggetta and at the same time the government of Venice had commissioned Sansovino to rebuild the mint (the Zecca) on the west side of the Libreria. All these works were proceeding together for many years after 1537. The new Loggetta was complete by 1545 and the Zecca by 1547 (though a third storey was added by 1566), but work on the Libreria was held up by the difficulty of finding new premises for the businesses which were displaced as well as by shortage of funds and only sixteen bays (out of twenty-one) had been finished before the death of Sansovino in 1570. By that date it had not yet been possible to start on the rebuilding of the south side of the Piazza beyond the Libreria.

 

Sansovino also completed the rebuilding of the old church of San Geminiano at the west end of the Piazza, facing St Mark's. Much of the work had been done before he took it over in 1557, but he was responsible for the façade in white Istrian stone. He also continued the range of Procuratie Vecchie on the north side of the Piazza round the corner as far as this church.

 

After the death of Sansovino funds were at last made available to start the rebuilding of the south side of the Piazza in its new position well clear of the campanile. His idea of a two-storey building continuing the façade of the Libreria had to be abandoned, as the Procurators required three storeys. However Vincenzo Scamozzi based the design on the façade of the Libreria and completed ten bays between 1582 and 1586, The Procuratie Nuove (New Procuracies), as they are called, were not completed until 1640, when the remaining bays on the south side were completed and continued round the corner to the church of San Geminiano by Baldassarre Longhena.

 

Napoleon and later (1797 onwards)

 

Venice surrendered to Napoleon on 12 May 1797. By 4 June a "Tree of Liberty" had been placed in the Piazza. Soon afterwards stonemasons were sent out on the orders of the Municipality to destroy images of the winged lion, which was seen as a symbol of Venetian independence and aristocratic rule. On the Porta della Carta in the Piazzetta the head of Doge Francesco Foscari was removed as well as that of the lion before which he was kneeling. (They were replaced by copies later in the century). The French ordered the four horses of San Marco to be taken down and sent to Paris together with the bronze lion on the column in the Piazzetta. They were removed in December 1797.

 

In January 1798 under the Treaty of Campoformio the Austrians moved into Venice in place of the French. This first Austrian ascendancy lasted from 1798 to 19 January 1806, when the French moved back after Napoleon's victories at Austerlitz and Jena and his establishment of the kingdom of Italy in 1804. Napoleon appointed his stepson Eugène de Beauharnais as his viceroy and in 1807 it was ordered that the Procuratie Nuove were to become the royal palace for his occupation. Napoleon himself paid a ceremonial visit to Venice later in 1807, landing at the Piazzetta on his way to the new palace.

 

It was decided that the new palace should extend across the whole of the west end of the Piazza and this made it necessary to demolish the church of San Geminiano, rebuilt by Sansovino, and also the buildings on either side, Sansovino's extension of the Procuratie Vecchie to the north and part of the Procuratie Nuove to the south. The original architect was Gianni Antolini from Milan, but the new building caused much controversy and in 1810 he was replaced by Giovanni Soli from Modena. The present building, known as the Ala Napoleonica (the Napoleonic Wing) was built between 1810 and 1813. The façade of the two lower storeys is in the manner of the Procuratie Nuove, but the upper storey, containing the ceremonial entrance and the ballroom, has no windows or arches and is decorated with statues and sculpture in low relief. In the centre there was originally to have been a statue of Napoleon as Jupiter with the imperial arms above, but this was abandoned after the fall of Napoleon in 1814 and there is now no focal point on the west side of the Piazza.

 

After the abdication of Napoleon the Austrians re-occupied Venice (under the Treaty of Fontainebleau) in April 1814. The Austrian chancellor, Prince Metternich, was instrumental in arranging the return to Venice of the four horses of St Mark and the lion from the Piazzetta. The horses were re-installed in front of the Basilica on 13 December 1815, but the bronze lion had been badly broken and had to be repaired. It was placed back on its pillar in April 1816.

 

Pavement

 

The Piazza was paved in the late 12th century with bricks laid in a herringbone pattern. Bands of light-colored stone ran parallel to the long axis of the main piazza. These lines were probably used in setting up market stalls and in organizing frequent ceremonial processions. This original pavement design can be seen in paintings of the late Middle Ages and through the Renaissance, such as Gentile Bellini's Procession in Piazza San Marco of 1496.

 

In 1723 the bricks were replaced with a more complex geometrical pavement design laid out by Venetian architect Andrea Tirali. Little is known about Tirali's reasoning for the particulars of the design. Some have speculated that the pattern was used to regulate market stalls, or to recall their former presence in the square. Others believe the pattern was drawn from oriental rugs, a popular luxury item in this trading centre.

 

A field of dark-colored igneous trachyte with geometrical designs executed in white Istrian stone, similar to travertine composed the design. Squares of diagonally laid blocks alternated with rectangular and oval designs along broad parallel bands. The squares were pitched to the centre, like a bowl, where a drain conducted surface water into a below-grade drainage system. The pattern connected the central portal of the Basilica with the centre of the western opening into the piazza. This line more closely parallels the façade of the Procuratie Vecchie, leaving a nearly triangular space adjacent to the Procuratie Nuove with its wider end closed off by the Campanile. The pattern continued past the campanile, stopping at a line connecting the three large flagpoles and leaving the space immediately in front of the Basilica undecorated. A smaller version of the same pattern in the Piazzetta paralleled Sansovino's Library, leaving a narrow trapezoid adjacent to the Doge's palace with the wide end closed off by the southwest corner of the Basilica. This smaller pattern had the internal squares inclined to form non-orthogonal quadrilaterals.

 

The overall alignment of the pavement pattern serves to visually lengthen the long axis and reinforce the position of the Basilica at its head. This arrangement mirrors the interior relationship of nave to altar within the cathedral.

 

As part of the design, the level of the piazza was raised by approximately one meter to mitigate flooding and allow more room for the internal drains to carry water to the Grand Canal.

 

In 1890, the pavement was renewed "due to wear and tear". The new work closely follows Tirali's design, but eliminated the oval shapes and cut off the west edge of the pattern to accommodate the Napoleonic wing at that end of the Piazza.

 

Flooding

 

The Piazza San Marco is not far above sea level and during the Acqua Alta, the "high water" from storm surges from the Adriatic or heavy rain, it is quick to flood. Water pouring into the drains in the piazza runs directly into the Grand Canal. This normally works well but, when the sea is high, it has the reverse effect, with water from the lagoon surging up into the square. A historically important flood was the 1966 Venice flood, when an abnormal occurrence of high tides, rain-swollen rivers and a severe sirocco wind caused the canals to rise to a height of 194 cm or 6 ft 4 in.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Markusplatz (italienisch Piazza San Marco, venetisch Piasa San Marco) ist der bedeutendste und bekannteste Platz in Venedig.

 

Der Markusplatz ist 175 m lang und bis zu 82 m breit und ist der einzige Platz der Stadt, der die Bezeichnung piazza trägt. Die anderen Plätze Venedigs werden campi genannt (von ital. campo ‚das Feld‘), da sie ursprünglich nicht gepflastert waren. Alfred de Musset nannte den Markusplatz den „Salon Europas“. Der Platz, der sich im Stadtsechstel San Marco befindet, ist geprägt von der Fassade des Markusdoms (Basilica di San Marco) und seinem Campanile und wird umschlossen von den alten und neuen Prokuratien. In der Verlängerung durch die sogenannte Piazzetta reicht er bis vor den Dogenpalast und öffnet sich dort zum Wasser, dem Bacino di San Marco, mit dem Beginn des Canal Grande. Vor der Markuskirche befinden sich seit 1480 drei Schiffsmasten, an denen an Sonn- und Feiertagen das Markus-Banner weht.

 

Da sich der Platz nur wenig über den Meeresspiegel erhebt, wird er bei Hochwasser immer wieder überflutet. Der Platz ist, wie nahezu die gesamte Innenstadt, eine einzige große Fußgängerzone. Der „schönste Festsaal Europas“, wie Napoleon ihn nannte, wird von Touristen, Fotografen und Tauben bevölkert.

 

Geschichte

 

Die Topographie des Platzes, wie sich im frühen Mittelalter darstellte, ließ sich ansatzweise rekonstruieren. Die Küste verlief demnach weiter nördlich, also näher am Dogenpalast, wobei das Gebiet des Molo mindestens bis ins 13. Jahrhundert einen flach abfallenden Küstensaum darstellte. Darüber hinaus erwies sich ein bei der Biblioteca Marciana 1888/89 entdeckter Kanal, der Rio Batario, als ein bis zu seiner Zuschüttung im 12. Jahrhundert quer über den Platz verlaufender Wasserweg. Untersuchungen unter der Bibliothek und unter dem Platz förderten Siedlungsspuren ab der 2. Hälfte des 7. Jahrhunderts zutage.

 

Der Platz stammt aus dem 9. Jahrhundert, als vor einer bescheidenen Markus-Kirche eine kleine Freifläche entstand. Seit dieser Zeit war er der Ort für die Ankündigungen und Staatsakte der Stadtverwaltung (siehe: Doge) wie auch für die zahlreichen Feste der Bevölkerung, beispielsweise des Karnevals von Venedig.

 

Der Marktplatz in seiner heutigen Form ist das Ergebnis zeitlich weit auseinander liegender städtebaulicher Maßnahmen zwischen 1200 und 1600.

 

Begonnen wurde 829 mit der Errichtung einer kleinen Grabeskirche für die Gebeine des Heiligen Markus unter dem 11. und 12. Dogen. Nach der Legende waren die Gebeine des Evangelisten aus Alexandria (Ägypten) nach Venedig entführt worden. Für sie wurde in unmittelbarer Nachbarschaft zu einem vorhandenen Dogenkastell an der Stelle des heutigen Dogenpalastes eine Kirche errichtet. 976 brannten Kastell, Kirche und rund 300 Häuser vollständig ab. Der dadurch entstandene Freiraum wurde von dem Dogen Pietro I. Orseolo für eine Neuordnung des Areals genutzt.

 

Seine jetzige Größe erhielt er nach 1156 durch Zuschüttung des Flusslaufes des Rio Batario im Westen und einer Schiffsanlegestelle, die sich zwischen Platz und Dogenpalast befand. Zwischen 1172 und 1178 wurde er unter dem Dogen Sebastiano Ziani nach Westen erweitert und er zeigte sich schon 1177, als Kaiser Friedrich I. die Stadt besuchte, als repräsentatives Zentrum der Stadtrepublik. Ab 1267 war der Platz gepflastert. 1340 wurde der Neubau des Dogenpalastes beschlossen, der nach dem verheerenden Brand von 1577 in seiner alten Form wiederaufgebaut wurde. Der heutige Umriss von Piazza und Piazzetta wurde erst durch die Bauten des 16. Jahrhunderts endgültig festgelegt.

 

Seit 1722 ist der Platz von einem Pflaster aus Trachyt nach einem Entwurf von Andrea Tirali bedeckt,[2] wobei dem dunkleren Untergrund ein helleres geometrisches Muster beigegeben ist, das den Platz länger erscheinen lässt. Davor war er, ähnlich der Piazza del Campo in Siena, mit einem fischgrätartig verlegten Ziegelpflaster bedeckt, das man noch auf den Gemälden von Canaletto und Bellini sehen kann.

 

Gebäude

 

Beginnend am Canal Grande befinden sich, gegen den Uhrzeigersinn, folgende Gebäude am Platz: der Dogenpalast, die Porta della Carta (das Verbindungsglied zum anschließenden Markusdom), der Uhrenturm, die Procuratie Vecchie, der napoleonische Flügel der Prokuratien, die Procuratie Nuove, der Campanile mit der Loggetta und die Biblioteca Marciana.

 

Porta della Carta

 

Das Torhaus zum Dogenpalast (ital. Palazzo Ducale), die Porta della Carta, wegen seiner einst üppigen Vergoldung auch porta aurea genannt, wurde zwischen 1438 und 1442 unter der Leitung von Giovanni und Bartolomeo Buon erbaut. Sie öffnet den Zugang zur Scala dei Giganti, wo das prunkvolle Schauspiel der Dogenkrönung inszeniert wurde. Die Skulptur des Auftraggebers Francesco Foscari befindet sich über dem Portal. Der Doge kniet vor Venedig, dargestellt durch den geflügelten Markuslöwen.

 

Uhrturm

 

Der Uhrturm (Torre dell’Orologio) selbst wurde zwischen 1496 und 1499 von Mauro Codussi errichtet, die angrenzenden Flügelbauten (1502–1506) stammen von Pietro Lombardo und wurden 1755 von dem Architekten Giorgio Massari mit einem dritten Geschoss aufgestockt. Die astronomische Uhr mit ihrem Zifferblatt aus Lapislazuli zeigt die Mond- und Sonnenphasen und die Tierkreiszeichen an. Zwei riesige Figuren aus Bronze schlagen auf einer Bronzeglocke die Stunden an.

 

Städtebaulich wird durch den Turm die Einmündung zur Merceria betont, andererseits ist er Endpunkt einer von der Seeseite des Platzes geführten Blickachse, die Piazza und Piazzetta optisch verbindet.

 

Im Prince-Alfred-Courtyard des Großmeisterpalastes in Valletta befindet sich an einem Turm mit der Pinto-de-Fonseca-Uhr eine dem venezianischen Original nachempfundene Uhr mit Glockenspiel. Das Glockenspiel diente später dem des Leipziger Krochhochhauses (1927/28) als Vorbild.

 

Prokuratien

 

Nord-, Süd- und Westseite des Platzes werden eingefasst von den Prokuratien, ehemaligen Verwaltungsgebäuden der Republik. Die alten Prokuratien im Norden wurden nach dem Brand eines Vorgängerbaus ab 1514 unter der Leitung von Bartolomeo Buon errichtet. Die neuen Prokuratien wurden ab 1583 unter der Leitung von Vincenzo Scamozzi und von 1616 bis 1640 unter Baldassare Longhena erbaut. Der früher rechteckige Platz erhielt jetzt seine trapezartige Form. Der Verbindungsriegel an der Westseite – ala napoleonica – ist ein Bau des 19. Jahrhunderts. Auf Veranlassung der französischen Besatzungsmacht war die zuvor dort den Platz abschließende Kirche San Geminiano mit der Fassade von Sansovino abgebrochen worden, um Raum für einen an die Architektur der Prokuratien angepassten Neubau zu schaffen. Dieser enthält einen großen Ballsaal, heute Teil des Museo Correr. Die Prokuratien beherbergen daneben das Archäologische Museum Venedigs.

 

Im Erdgeschoss der Gebäude findet man kleine Läden und Cafés, darunter die beiden berühmtesten Cafés Venedigs, das Gran Caffè Quadri, Lavena und das Caffè Florian, eröffnet im Jahr 1683 und damit das älteste Caféhaus Europas.

 

Campanile

 

Der freistehende Markusturm ist der Campanile, der Glockenturm der Kirche San Marco. Der Ziegelbau mit den für Venedig charakteristischen Bauteilen aus hellem istrischem Stein wurde auf einem älteren Fundament errichtet und im 12. Jahrhundert vollendet. Er diente den Seefahrern als festes Landzeichen und konnte bei Bedarf in der Nacht durch ein Feuer als Leuchtturm dienen. Der Turm wurde durch Erdbeben oder den Ausbruch von Feuer mehrmals beschädigt. Nach 1500 wurde das Obergeschoss des Turms nach der Zerstörung durch einen Blitzschlag mit einem pyramidenartigen Helm bekrönt, auf dem eine Figur aus vergoldetem Kupfer des Erzengels Gabriel errichtet wurde. Daraufhin nahm die Anzahl der Blitze, die den Turm trafen, zu, bis schließlich 1776 ein Blitzableiter installiert wurde. Am 14. Juli 1902 fiel der Turm in sich zusammen, ohne einen Menschen zu verletzen; anschließend wurde er in seiner alten Form, also als Rekonstruktion wieder vollständig aufgebaut: dov’era e com’era‚ wo und wie er war‘.

 

Loggetta

 

Die Loggetta am Fuß des Campanile wurde zwischen 1537 und 1540 von Sansovino errichtet. Sie diente den Patriziern der Stadt als Versammlungsort. In den Reliefs und den Skulpturen wird die Republik Venedig mit all ihren Tugenden – Geschicklichkeit im Krieg und beim Handel, politische Eintracht, Redegewandtheit ihrer Protagonisten – verherrlicht und ihre Friedensliebe und die besondere Protektion durch den Evangelisten Markus dargestellt. Beim Einsturz des Campanile wurden Teile ihres Figurenschmucks zerstört.

 

Biblioteca Marciana

 

Das Gebäude der Biblioteca Marciana wurde von Sansovino an die neuen Prokuratien angebaut, es verbindet architektonisch die Piazzetta mit dem Markusplatz.

 

Olivetti-Ausstellungsraum

 

Olivetti ließ von 1957 bis 1958 von dem Venezianer Carlo Scarpa einen Ausstellungsraum am Markusplatz Nr. 101 errichten. 2006 wurde dieser Shop durch das Unternehmen restauriert und mitsamt den ausgestellten Produkten als Museum in die 1950er Jahre zurückversetzt.

 

Piazzetta

 

Der vom übrigen Platz etwas abgesetzte Teil zwischen Dogenpalast, Biblioteca Marciana und der Lagune wird Piazzetta San Marco genannt. Die Piazzetta (kleiner Platz, von italienisch piazza, „Platz“[4]) wird von den beiden Säulen dominiert, die Venedigs Stadtheiligen Markus (Marco) und Theodorus (Todaro) gewidmet sind; auf den Säulen befinden sich daher der Markuslöwe bzw. die San-Todaro-Statue (mit Todaro auf einem Krokodil posierend). Hier wurden Staatsgäste empfangen und Hinrichtungen durchgeführt, aber auch Glücksspieler gingen hier ihrem Geschäft nach.

 

Jenseits der durch den Canal Grande gebildeten Wasserfläche (hier als Bacino di San Marco) befindet sich die Punta della Dogana neben der von Baldassare Longhena errichteten Santa Maria della Salute. Außerdem steht hier das alte, 1678–1682 von Giuseppe Benoni errichtete Zollhaus Venedigs (Dogana da Mar), dessen Turm einen von Atlanten getragenen Erdball trägt.

 

(Wikipedia)

A landing card relating to Albert Einstein's escape from Nazi Germany has been discovered and put on display for the first time at the UK Border Agency's national museum in Liverpool.

The Jewish physicist fled from his homeland when Adolf Hitler came to power. A bounty was put on his head by the Nazis, who named him an enemy of the regime.

Landing cards were completed by all passengers arriving in Britain. Einstein's card is proof of his journey from Ostende, Belgium to Dover on 26 May 1933. On the reverse, he wrote that he was bound for Oxford.

After nearly 80 years stored at Heathrow Airport, it was discovered by curators from the museum, which is called 'Seized! The Border and Customs Uncovered'.

Assistant curator Lucy Gardner said:

'We didn't know this landing card ever existed until we visited UK Border Agency officers at Heathrow. We were keen on acquiring any documents relating to immigration, but were stunned to find paperwork relating to such a prominent historical figure as Albert Einstein.

'What's remarkable is that the landing card bears his signature, has his profession as "professor" and lists his nationality at Swiss. This shows how Einstein had renounced his German citizenship only weeks earlier in angry reaction to Nazi policies.

'This tiny piece of paper brings to life Einstein's escape from the Nazis to England. This country became a safe haven for him until he eventually settled in the US.'

Seized! The Border and Customs Uncovered is located in Liverpool's Merseyside Maritime Museum.

Lifetime Dream # 136 of my list of 155: I will compose and record a concept album, telling an emotional story relating to my own life and themes of love and fear- how they exist with and without one another, and how they can save and destroy people. I will develop the emotions in the story with the hopes of reaching out and healing people as I have been healed through my many journeys.

 

Music has been such a huge part of my life since I was a young child. I have been influenced by many different albums in my life, several of which were concept albums. Two of the primary concept albums that really influenced my life were The Crimson Idol and Operation Mindcrime.

 

The level of effort that it takes to tell a really deep and emotional story- tell it well, and then have good music to go with it is quite the task to be done. I have several songs written in my head, all relating to one of these two elemental themes “Fear” and “Love”. Understanding the truth between these two themes and how they interact was a shifting point for me. Really understanding it was a truth that took me forever to understand. Many had tried to explain it, but I wasn’t getting it till one day it literally just clicked.

 

I love helping and healing people- I love touching people through the emotional channels of music… and I hope I can get this project done someday soon! This is one of many notebooks I keep on music where I write down ideas that come to me… I often pull many of them together, and I always try to write them down the instant I get them or else I might very well forget them!

 

Understanding how materials behave, degrade and relate to each other is a fundamental part of the research that takes place at TWI, and factors into much of the work we conduct for our Members.

 

Whether it’s identifying what caused a component to fail, developing hydrophobic coatings for anti-graffiti applications, or identifying the optimum material for a niche application, our materials scientists have the depth of knowledge to develop solutions to all manner of materials-related problems, without compromising on safety or quality.

 

TWI Members benefit from our unrivalled breadth of understanding and versatility of capability: with laboratories able to examine the microscopic, and specialised testing rigs able to investigate the massive, we can take on projects of any size.

 

For more information please visit www.twi-global.com/capabilities/materials-and-corrosion-m...

 

If you wish to use this image each use should be accompanied by the credit line and notice, "Courtesy of TWI Ltd".

 

Carrigeen Castle has featured in columns of the New York Times, Sunday Times, Kaleva (Finland), and Afton Bladet (Sweden) newspapers, besides several American and European publications relating to Ireland. In the mid-1990s, the Frommer Guide to Ireland took the opportunity of placing a picture of Carrigeen Castle on its front cover.

 

A defensible fortified structure was on this hilltop from at least the sixteenth century. The Pacata Hibernica depiction of the siege of Cahir Castle (1599) shows such a building. In 1690, during the Williamite campaign, earthen and stone outworks were erected around it, presenting an ideally defensible fortification for the Danish troops of William II who, during that winter, had quarters in Cahir and nearby Clonmel. Materials from this earlier structure were incorporated in the present building, while the associated outworks were adapted to serve as the castellated wall encircling the grounds.

 

In 1809, at the Summer Assize Presentments of the County Tipperary Grand Jury, funding was laid aside for the future provision of a bridewell in the town of Cahir. Bridewells (small town gaols) were generally small two-storey buildings, built of cut-limestone, and costing up to £800 to erect. They held prisoners temporarily, pending space in the county gaol, and were funded by the grand jury system (predecessors of the county councils), but supplementary central resources were also available, in certain circumstances. At Cahir, a committee led by local landlord, Richard Butler, baron of Caher – soon to become first earl of Glengall – was successful in attracting over twice the usual funding. Their chosen architect – Michael Bernard Mullins - submitted two plans, both variants of the same elaborate, castellated structure, costing some £2,000 to build, which would emphasize the fortress origins of the site and overawe the local population. This involved the creation of towers, turrets, battlements and a machicolation (defence mechanism over the main door, through which boiling oil was thrown on attackers of medieval castles) of hand cut limestone, an expensive and time consuming process.

 

Construction of the Cahir Bridewell commenced in 1813, and it was opened for the admission of prisoners in 1816. The original section is three stories in height, with a cut-limestone spiral staircase in the main tower. It originally comprised five cells, two dayrooms, two keeper's rooms and two exercise yards, the latter incorporating obtuse and acute angles suggestive of late medieval starfort design. The inner grounds – comprising ½ acre – are encircled by a castellated wall and gateway arch, beyond which lies 5½ acres known as The Bridewell Field.

 

The bridewell was enlarged in 1849-50 – at the height of the Great Famine – when the prison compliment was increased to eight cells (four for males, three for females and one for drunken / violent prisoners), two dayrooms, two storerooms, and two exercise yards. An inter-connecting keeper's residence was also erected – comprising a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and two bedrooms.

 

LIFE IN THE BRIDEWELL:

Cahir Bridewell received mention in several noteworthy publications due to its unique appearance and situation. Perhaps the earliest coverage, however, was in May 1827 when the local Clonmel Gazette newspaper carried the headline ‘two men escaped from Cahir Bridewell’. The men managed to escape unnoticed but were recaptured the following day. Following on from this incident, the parapet of the exercise yards was raised!

 

In 1837 The Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland stated ‘the bridewell is a handsome castellated building, containing five cells, one dayroom and two airing yards. However, the Inspector General of Prisons (Ireland) Reports of the 1830s and 1840s noted a great decline in the condition of the building, notice of which reached a more general readership in The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland (1846), which stated ‘The Gaol is distinct and suitable in architecture. A short time ago, it was remarkable for its dilapidated state and bad management, but in 1841 it underwent repair.’ The keeper was ‘a painter, who occupied the house for his trade’, and was ‘totally unsuitable to his office’.

 

Following this damning report, the superintendence of all bridewells of the south riding of Tipperary was placed under the governor of HM Richmond Prison, Clonmel – which was appropriate, given that these temporary places of confinement acted as reserve accommodation for that gaol. Thereafter, a system of training keepers and turnkeys at Clonmel gaol was utilised to great effect.

 

Also, their salaries were increased from £5 in the 1810s (from which minor repairs were paid, leaving little incentive for upkeep) to £30 by the early 1840s, gradually increased to £50 by 1876.

 

Due to the lawlessness and poverty of the period, large numbers were confined at Cahir Bridewell over the years. In the year September 1825 to September 1826, 156 prisoners were confined here for an average of three days (awaiting transfer to Clonmel Gaol), at an average cost of 5d. per head. Numbers confined continued to increase, peaking during the famine years when, during one quarter of 1851, 533 prisoners were confined. The prisoners were fed a pound of bread and a pint of new milk for breakfast, and a pound of bread and a pint of skimmed milk for dinner. The local Anglican clergyman was the inspector. Each cell contained, per person, one iron bedstead, one bed ticken and three blankets.

 

Engraving of 1853

 

This earliest view – an engraving from 1853 – was commissioned when the property was featured as a notable building in the auction catalogue of Cahir Estates. The Encumbered Estates Court sold the majority of the estate, as it had been bankrupted through town improvements and a lack of tenant rents during the Great Famine (1846-51).

 

Cahir Bridewell was one of 52 gaols closed by the prison authorities in 1878, as part of an island wide rationalization. The estate then leased the keepers’ residence to local military officers until the purchase of the building from Lt. Col. Richard Butler-Charteris by David Butler (1890-1955), in 1919. He continued the estate tradition of leasing the keeper’s residence, for a time, before residing here in retirement. Following the marriage in 1969 of his son, John (Séan) with Margaret (Peig), the couple commenced renovating the remainder of the building, which opened in May 1976, as a guest accommodation.

  

“The observer, when he seems to himself to be observing a stone, is really, if physics is to be believed, observing the effects of the stone upon himself.”

- Bertrand Russell

______________________________________________________________

 

it was extrememly hard for me to get this shot.. i am so glad i could capture it. the way i shot it was extremely funny.. Crea-tive photographed me while i struggled to take this shot. I might post it.. so look out for that one.

 

(for best viewing, have monitor brightness on highest)

Accession Number: spa.si.231

 

This leaflet relates to the Ayr 2000 by-election where Jim Mather stood as the SNP candidate for Holyrood.

 

Jim Mather is currently MSP for Argyll and Bute. For biographical information about Jim Mather www.scotland.gov.uk/About/14944/Scottish-Cabinet/jimmathe...

 

This picture forms part of the Scots Independent donation to the Scottish Political Archive. The Scots Independent is a monthly Nationalist newspaper. The paper was founded in 1926 and is the longest surviving political newspaper in Scotland in the twentieth century. For further information about the Scots Independent please visit their website at www.scotsindependent.org

 

The Scottish Political Archive is housed at the University of Stirling. The archive is home to the oral interviews, personal papers and associated material from prominent Scottish politicians. For further information about the work of the archive please visit our website www.scottishpoliticalarchive.org.uk

The Panel (or Bay) numbers quoted at the end of each entry relate to the panels dedicated to the Regiment served with. In some instances where a casualty is recorded as attached to another Regiment, his name may alternatively appear within their Regimental Panels (or Bays). Please refer to the on-site Memorial Register Introduction to determine the alternative Panel (or Bay) numbers if you do not find the name within the quoted Panel (or Bay). Wheelchair access to the memorial is possible via an alternative entrance at the rear of Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery. Location Information: The Arras Memorial is in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, which is in the Boulevard du General de Gaulle in the western part of the town of Arras. The cemetery is near the Citadel, approximately 2 kms due west of the railway station.

 

The French handed over Arras to Commonwealth forces in the spring of 1916 and the system of tunnels upon which the town is built were used and developed in preparation for the major offensive planned for April 1917. The Commonwealth section of the FAUBOURG D'AMIENS CEMETERY was begun in March 1916, behind the French military cemetery established earlier. It continued to be used by field ambulances and fighting units until November 1918. The cemetery was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields and from two smaller cemeteries in the vicinity. The cemetery contains 2,651 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. In addition, there are 30 war graves of other nationalities, most of them German. During the Second World War, Arras was occupied by United Kingdom forces headquarters until the town was evacuated on 23 May 1940. Arras then remained in German hands until retaken by Commonwealth and Free French forces on 1 September 1944. The cemetery contains seven Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. The graves in the French military cemetery were removed after the First World War to other burial grounds and the land they had occupied was used for the construction of the Arras Memorial and Arras Flying Services Memorial. The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. The ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL commemorates nearly 1,000 airmen of the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Air Force, either by attachment from other arms of the forces of the Commonwealth or by original enlistment, who were killed on the whole Western Front and who have no known grave. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).

 

I believe these are some old military buttons. Unsure what they relate to (force/regiment/etc) or their age.

立法會發展智慧城市事宜小組委員會參觀香港國際機場

立法会发展智慧城市事宜小组委员会参观香港国际机场

LegCo Subcommittee on Matters Relating to the Development of Smart City visits the Hong Kong International Airport (8.8.2022)

Lichfield Guildhall - glass from the former great north transept window of Lichfield Cathedral by Betton & Evans of Shrewsbury 1813.

 

Figure of King Richard I (the 'Lionheart'), one of a sequence of nine figures relating to the foundation and history of the Cathedral.

 

Between 1813 & c1880 the 9-light north transept window at Lichfield was glazed with a fine sequence of late Georgian (partially) enamel painted historical figures of kings & bishops (one row of nine). No photographs have so far been found to show how this appeared, however the window can be glimpsed in it's original form in a late Georgian watercolour now preserved in Lichfield's St Mary's Heritage Centre.

 

Betton & Evans of Shrewsbury were prolific in the first half of the nineteenth century in the the western midlands and parts of Wales and were signifcicant in crossing the transition from enamel painting back to more traditional pot-metal leaded windows (this example combines both approaches) Most of their compositions were either derived from old master paintings (Rubens etc) or geometric/heraldic work. Where they created new figurative images the drawing was often primitive and naive.

 

An exception to those rules is this magnificent series from Lichfield where another designer was employed for the 9 standing figure of this window (plus a later 18 for the corresponding south window). Martin Harrison (our greatest authority on 19th century glass) has identified the designer as John James Halls, a pupil of Henry Fuseli at the Royal Academy.

 

The painting is bold and vigorous, showing a remarkable freedom of brushwork combined with superb individual characterisation of the figures, making these panels some of the finest late Georgian glass to have survived. .

 

The glass was removed from the cathedral c1880 during Giles Gilbert Scott's restoration, when the late fifteenth century tracery was replaced with the current five lancets, in order to reinstate the original 13th century design of the north facade.. This dramatic alteration of the window's apertures rendered retention of the 1813 glazing virtually impossible, so it was replaced with the Clayton & Bell Tree of Jesse we see there today.

 

The dismantled window soon found a new home in the large north facing window of the main hall of Lichfield's Guildhall where it remains to this day. Of course it had to be extensively reconfigured to fit it's new setting, a five light window as opposed to nine; this entailed the nine figures being arranged as two rows of five (a new figure of Queen Victoria by a different workshop was added to fill the vacant space in the centre of the top row). Much of the architectural canopywork that formerly towered above each figure was lost in this process, though elements remain rather patchily worked into the three tracery lights above.

 

I hope eventually to attempt a digital reconstruction of the window in it's original setting using these images superimposed over the present south window of the cathedral (which is built to the same design as the former north window, prior to it's alteration by Scott)..

 

An impression of the original setting can be gained here www.flickr.com/photos/amthomson/2949125778/in/set-7215760...

Relating to a method of instruction involving sight

The description and specifications relate to the Pitts Special as this is an identical aircraft to the S1 and S2S.

 

The Pitts Special is a light aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts Special dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and, even today, remains a potent competition aircraft and is a favourite for many an aerobatic pilot.

 

General characteristics

 

•Crew: Two

•Length: 18 ft 9 in (5.71 m)

•Wingspan: 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m)

•Height: 6 ft 7⅓ in (2.02 m)

•Wing area: 125 ft² (11.6 m²)

•Empty weight: 1,150 lb (521 kg)

•Max takeoff weight: 1,625 lb (737 kg)

•Powerplant: 1× Textron Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 flat-six air cooled piston engine, 260 hp (194 kW)

 

Performance

 

•Never exceed speed: 182 knots (210 mph, 338 km/h)

•Cruise speed: 152 knots (175 mph, 282 km/h) (max cruise)

•Stall speed: 52 knots (60 mph, 97 km/h)

•Range: 277 NM (319 mi, 513 km)

•Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)

•Rate of climb: 2,700 ft/min (13.7 m/s)

•Wing loading: 13.0 lb/ft² (63.6 kg/m²)

•Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg)

 

Text and specifications based on Wikipedia article under the Creative Commons License for non-profit use.

立法會發展智慧城市事宜小組委員會參觀香港國際機場

立法会发展智慧城市事宜小组委员会参观香港国际机场

LegCo Subcommittee on Matters Relating to the Development of Smart City visits the Hong Kong International Airport (8.8.2022)

The description and specifications relate to the Pitts Special as this is an identical aircraft to the S1 and S2S.

 

The Pitts Special is a light aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts Special dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and, even today, remains a potent competition aircraft and is a favourite for many an aerobatic pilot.

 

General characteristics

 

•Crew: Two

•Length: 18 ft 9 in (5.71 m)

•Wingspan: 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m)

•Height: 6 ft 7⅓ in (2.02 m)

•Wing area: 125 ft² (11.6 m²)

•Empty weight: 1,150 lb (521 kg)

•Max takeoff weight: 1,625 lb (737 kg)

•Powerplant: 1× Textron Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 flat-six air cooled piston engine, 260 hp (194 kW)

 

Performance

 

•Never exceed speed: 182 knots (210 mph, 338 km/h)

•Cruise speed: 152 knots (175 mph, 282 km/h) (max cruise)

•Stall speed: 52 knots (60 mph, 97 km/h)

•Range: 277 NM (319 mi, 513 km)

•Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)

•Rate of climb: 2,700 ft/min (13.7 m/s)

•Wing loading: 13.0 lb/ft² (63.6 kg/m²)

•Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg)

 

Text and specifications based on Wikipedia article under the Creative Commons License for non-profit use.

Activity relating to the carrying of the more than 100 portable shrines (mikoshi) around the Asakusa neighbourhood to bless the businesses and residents with prosperity in the coming year.

 

Sanja Matsuri (Festival) at the Sensoji Temple, Asakusa,

Tokyo, Japan, 2016

 

Only the street shots - thestreetzine.blogspot.com/

The performance relates the shorter version of the epic Ramayana Saga with dancers playing as Rama, Shinta (Sita), Lakshmana, Rahwana (Ravana), Hanoman (Hanuman), Sugriwa (Sugriva), and other characters. The storyline starts when Prince Rama wanders into the woods with his wife Shinta and brother Lakshmana. There, the giant Rahwana kidnaps Shinta and holds her in his palace. Rama then seeks help and sends Lakhsmana to find his friend Sugriwa, the King of the Monkey Kingdom. Sugriwa sends his commander the white monkey, by the name of Hanoman, to check on Shinta in Rahwana’s Palace.

 

A dramatic scene is portrayed when Hanoman is captured by Rahwana’s troops and put inside a circle of fire to burn him alive. Instead of burning to crisp, the white monkey warrior remains unharmed and breaks out only to burn Rahwana’s palace instead. Thus, began the battle between the two forces.

 

At first, Rahwana and his troops manage to overrun Rama. However, Sugriwa and Hanoman then come to Rama’s aid along with the rest of the monkey troops, defeat the evil king once and for all

 

Taken @Bali, Indonesia

Carrigeen Castle has featured in columns of the New York Times, Sunday Times, Kaleva (Finland), and Afton Bladet (Sweden) newspapers, besides several American and European publications relating to Ireland. In the mid-1990s, the Frommer Guide to Ireland took the opportunity of placing a picture of Carrigeen Castle on its front cover.

 

A defensible fortified structure was on this hilltop from at least the sixteenth century. The Pacata Hibernica depiction of the siege of Cahir Castle (1599) shows such a building. In 1690, during the Williamite campaign, earthen and stone outworks were erected around it, presenting an ideally defensible fortification for the Danish troops of William II who, during that winter, had quarters in Cahir and nearby Clonmel. Materials from this earlier structure were incorporated in the present building, while the associated outworks were adapted to serve as the castellated wall encircling the grounds.

 

In 1809, at the Summer Assize Presentments of the County Tipperary Grand Jury, funding was laid aside for the future provision of a bridewell in the town of Cahir. Bridewells (small town gaols) were generally small two-storey buildings, built of cut-limestone, and costing up to £800 to erect. They held prisoners temporarily, pending space in the county gaol, and were funded by the grand jury system (predecessors of the county councils), but supplementary central resources were also available, in certain circumstances. At Cahir, a committee led by local landlord, Richard Butler, baron of Caher – soon to become first earl of Glengall – was successful in attracting over twice the usual funding. Their chosen architect – Michael Bernard Mullins - submitted two plans, both variants of the same elaborate, castellated structure, costing some £2,000 to build, which would emphasize the fortress origins of the site and overawe the local population. This involved the creation of towers, turrets, battlements and a machicolation (defence mechanism over the main door, through which boiling oil was thrown on attackers of medieval castles) of hand cut limestone, an expensive and time consuming process.

 

Construction of the Cahir Bridewell commenced in 1813, and it was opened for the admission of prisoners in 1816. The original section is three stories in height, with a cut-limestone spiral staircase in the main tower. It originally comprised five cells, two dayrooms, two keeper's rooms and two exercise yards, the latter incorporating obtuse and acute angles suggestive of late medieval starfort design. The inner grounds – comprising ½ acre – are encircled by a castellated wall and gateway arch, beyond which lies 5½ acres known as The Bridewell Field.

 

The bridewell was enlarged in 1849-50 – at the height of the Great Famine – when the prison compliment was increased to eight cells (four for males, three for females and one for drunken / violent prisoners), two dayrooms, two storerooms, and two exercise yards. An inter-connecting keeper's residence was also erected – comprising a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and two bedrooms.

 

LIFE IN THE BRIDEWELL:

Cahir Bridewell received mention in several noteworthy publications due to its unique appearance and situation. Perhaps the earliest coverage, however, was in May 1827 when the local Clonmel Gazette newspaper carried the headline ‘two men escaped from Cahir Bridewell’. The men managed to escape unnoticed but were recaptured the following day. Following on from this incident, the parapet of the exercise yards was raised!

 

In 1837 The Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland stated ‘the bridewell is a handsome castellated building, containing five cells, one dayroom and two airing yards. However, the Inspector General of Prisons (Ireland) Reports of the 1830s and 1840s noted a great decline in the condition of the building, notice of which reached a more general readership in The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland (1846), which stated ‘The Gaol is distinct and suitable in architecture. A short time ago, it was remarkable for its dilapidated state and bad management, but in 1841 it underwent repair.’ The keeper was ‘a painter, who occupied the house for his trade’, and was ‘totally unsuitable to his office’.

 

Following this damning report, the superintendence of all bridewells of the south riding of Tipperary was placed under the governor of HM Richmond Prison, Clonmel – which was appropriate, given that these temporary places of confinement acted as reserve accommodation for that gaol. Thereafter, a system of training keepers and turnkeys at Clonmel gaol was utilised to great effect.

 

Also, their salaries were increased from £5 in the 1810s (from which minor repairs were paid, leaving little incentive for upkeep) to £30 by the early 1840s, gradually increased to £50 by 1876.

 

Due to the lawlessness and poverty of the period, large numbers were confined at Cahir Bridewell over the years. In the year September 1825 to September 1826, 156 prisoners were confined here for an average of three days (awaiting transfer to Clonmel Gaol), at an average cost of 5d. per head. Numbers confined continued to increase, peaking during the famine years when, during one quarter of 1851, 533 prisoners were confined. The prisoners were fed a pound of bread and a pint of new milk for breakfast, and a pound of bread and a pint of skimmed milk for dinner. The local Anglican clergyman was the inspector. Each cell contained, per person, one iron bedstead, one bed ticken and three blankets.

 

Engraving of 1853

 

This earliest view – an engraving from 1853 – was commissioned when the property was featured as a notable building in the auction catalogue of Cahir Estates. The Encumbered Estates Court sold the majority of the estate, as it had been bankrupted through town improvements and a lack of tenant rents during the Great Famine (1846-51).

 

Cahir Bridewell was one of 52 gaols closed by the prison authorities in 1878, as part of an island wide rationalization. The estate then leased the keepers’ residence to local military officers until the purchase of the building from Lt. Col. Richard Butler-Charteris by David Butler (1890-1955), in 1919. He continued the estate tradition of leasing the keeper’s residence, for a time, before residing here in retirement. Following the marriage in 1969 of his son, John (Séan) with Margaret (Peig), the couple commenced renovating the remainder of the building, which opened in May 1976, as a guest accommodation.

  

The word Endurance as an Adjective is defined as:

denoting or relating to a race or other sporting event that takes place over a long distance or otherwise demands great physical stamina.

 

However, I feel the best way to describe how this season has gone is to use the Noun definition of the word: the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way

 

The 3rd and final race of the 2016 season was held at the postponed Bang Saen Festival of Speed. The championship standings showed the #36 Toyota with such a commanding lead from the first two races that only a small miracle would see TR-Motorsport crowned as champions. However unlikely it may be the scenario was Thomas and the DC5 to finish in first while the Toyota failed to cross the line at all, being the slowest car on the grid - this was tall order!

 

As with all the endurance races this season the team was beset by mechanical issues.During the extended practice period, gearbox and clutch problems arose resulting in a complete change out of the gearbox. Luckily this rectified the problems and the team were ready for qualifying. Tony Percy, longtime friend of the team and co-driver took the reins of the Honda Integra DC5, with the previous issues still fresh in his mind Tony gently eased the car through qualifying and into a respectable 9th place, which is was an outstanding achievement considering that there were 61 other cars on the track at the same time all vying for a clean lap.

 

As with all endurance races the 6 hours is split between drivers, for the first stint, Tony pushed the Integra into 7th before the first changeover. The safety car period eventually became a red flagged race and all cars returned to the pits resulting in the team losing any advantage they had gained. Seven cars had been involved in the on-track pileup and although this meant fewer cars in the race and more space on track it took several hours to remove the cars and fix the damaged barriers.

 

At the restart, Thomas powered his way into 2nd place overall and was somehow setting faster times than the leading Toyota. He consolidated his position up until the next driver change however the gremlins were back playing with the clutch again causing the car to struggle to change gear. Eventually, all the gears except 4th had failed with Tony limping around the circuit. The decision was then made to pit early and see if the issue could be solved. No fix could be applied so it was 4th gear all the way to the chequered flag for the final 1 hour 24 minutes. Ironically the leading Toyota crashed several times and finished dead last but this was still enough to win the championship. TR-Motorsport finished 4th in class,later promoted to 3rd as another team had received a 30 lap penalty for a jump start behind the safety car.

 

TR-Motorsports final position in the Enduring Endurance Championship was 3rd in class, with just a little bit more luck who knows what might have been……

 

Super Production Class

Race One

An eventful weekend of racing greeted TR-Motorsport at the final rounds of the Thailand Super Series held at the picturesque Bang Saen Beach Street Circuit. The final event had been postponed from November ’16 to February ’17 due to the passing of the late King. With the postponement came a long gap giving us the perfect opportunity to concentrate on some R & D in the hope of closing the gap to Championship Victor Hideharu Kuroki. After some minor tweaks to the car, a major redesign of the front Air Intake was undertaken which provided very encouraging results after completing several simulations on the Dyno equipment.

 

Simulations are all well and good, however, it’s on the track where it counts and Thomas fully obliged with the fastest lap around the circuit in official practice. When qualifying began both Thomas and Hideharu were setting fastest lap after fastest lap, nip and tuck all the way. Eventually, Thomas managed to claim a fantastic Pole Position by just one-tenth of a second from Hideharu, being Pole on a tight and twisty circuit is always vital so the race to the first corner could possibly decide the race.

 

Due to our first gear ratio being longer and the race to the first corner uphill we knew wewould be at a disadvantage. Thomas got off the line perfectly and stormed up the hill defending his line to the left to try and outwit Hideharu who was virtually alongside the ‘Blue Blur’, paint was traded several times before Hideharu backed out and slotted in behind to mount another challenge. The final corner of lap 1 caused a gasp from the TR-Motorsport team and fans as Hideharu once again tried a move, this time on the inside but again showed professionalism by backing off at the right time.

 

By the middle of lap 2 Thomas had pulled out a small lead and held on for the remainder of the race even breaking the lap record on several occasions, Hideharu pushed Thomas all the way to the chequered flag and saw his 100% record gone as Thomas, 10 years after his first win at Bang Saen came home with the spoils and a much needed 20 points, cementing his second place position in the championship.

 

Race 2

After the elation of the previous victory had faded, the team of mechanics led by Sven Thummel got to work on the car to check everything over and prepare for Race 2. The team soon spotted an issue with the wishbones as the bushings were damaged and as a precautionary measure these were duly replaced. As with all previous rounds, the top 5 finishers from Race 1 started in reverse order meaning Thomas would start from 5th. As the cars assembled on the grid all looked good and a top 3 position looked more than possible.

 

As the car left for the warm lap Thomas felt an issue with the steering although not terminal, Thomas made the wisest choice to visit the pits to try and ascertain what the issue was. The team of mechanics could not find anything obvious so the car headed back out on track. People reading this familiar with the rules and regulations of motorsport, will of course know that our little visit to the pits would mean starting at the back of the grid, this was only compounded by the fact that due to a miscommunication with the stewards we forced to wait at the pit lane exit some 600 meters away from the back of the grid!

 

Regular readers will know that we have had similar issues before and still come out on top. However, today was not going to be one of those days! The first 3 laps of the race went perfectly with Thomas making his way through the field from a lowly 19th to a respectable 10th. The racing gods were smiling on us as a safety car deployment bunched the whole pack back up and with 9 laps to go top 3 was still an outside possibility. In came the safety car down went the throttle and that's where the problems began, a massive loss of power resulted in cars streaming past a limping Thomas. On the pit to car radio turning the electrics on and off to reset the car,was suggested - it worked! But by now Thomas was once again at the back of the grid. For the remaining laps, a valiant Thomas fought back to a very respectful 8th place and again set the fastest lap and broke the track record for the Super Production Class.

 

After the race, the car was checked over by the official Thailand Super Series scrutineers and as with all races we have competed in this year,they found nothing to report. Although dejected the team were still in good spirits after another great week of motorsport at Bang Saen Beach and look forward to returning in July to compete in the GTC Supercar Class with the new Porsche 911 (997).

 

In next month’s Pattaya Trader we will have a big update for your regarding the upcoming season, in the meantime you can follow us through our website Tr-Motorosport.com, our Facebook page Facebook.com/TRMotorsportThailand and our Instagram account tmotorsport_thailand

立法會鐵路事宜小組委員會視察廣深港高速鐵路香港段西九龍總站的建築工地

立法会铁路事宜小组委员会视察广深港高速铁路香港段西九龙总站的建筑工地

LegCo Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways visits the construction site of the West Kowloon Terminus of the Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (2014.04.28)

There are a few tales to tell about the Murray Earls of Dunmore - they were after all good Jacobites, but it's getting late and I want to go to bed! There is one story I will relate though, which I found in an article written in 2020 by Australian journalist Charles Woolley. The Australian connection is because the 12th and current Earl of Dumore, was born and lives in Tasmania - as you will see! Over to Charles Woolley:-

 

In the 1960s policemen everywhere, would bail up speeding drivers to ask, “Who do you think you are? Stirling Moss?”

 

Stirling Moss died recently at the age of 90. He always described himself as happy to be regarded as, “The greatest Formula One Driver never to win the world championship.”

 

In 1955 Moss at 25 made his claim on world pre-eminence by winning the famous Mille Miglia.

 

For those of you not into motor racing it is a spectacular 1600km road race through some of the most beautiful country in Italy. Moss finished way ahead of the field beating the world-famous Argentinian, Juan Manuel Fangio by a sensational thirty minutes.

 

You might have heard of Fangio. His was another name invoked by traffic cops everywhere. As in “Pull over Fangio. Do you know how fast you were going?”

 

I met Moss once in the eighties in London. A short, slight man, balding and charming, he was with a beautiful young woman who gave every impression of being bedazzled by his charisma and devil-may-care attitude. As were many.

 

“If you are not trying to win at all costs,” he would often say, “Then what on earth are you doing out there.”

 

Consequently, the playboy racing driver had as many accidents as girlfriends. He broke both his legs, severely damaged his spine and injured his brain. He suffered lasting nerve damage and impaired eyesight.

 

Sensibly he quit young, giving up motor racing for a successful business career in property development. He once said, “I knew if I didn’t get out, I’d kill myself and maybe someone else.”

 

And with that thought (having exhausted the sum-total of my knowledge of motor racing) comes the time to shift gear to the year 1992 and a tale about colliding worlds and random chance. For you never know who you might run into on a Sunday drive on a quiet country road in the northwest of Tasmania.

 

This is the scene as two quite different motor vehicles are closing on one another in peaceful rolling farmland near the tiny town of Moriarty.

 

One vehicle, a souped-up Ford Falcon is travelling at high speed, past blurred hedge rows and flashes of chocolate brown soil, roaring uphill and down through the green landscape this fine day in early March.

 

The driver of the Ford is Stirling Moss. He is too intent on memorizing every twist and turn of the narrow bitumen road to notice a familiarity of scenery: how much this pleasant land resembles his own English countryside.

 

At 150 kilometers an hour on an unfamiliar winding road he’s not here for the scenery. He is here to win an upcoming race and for that he needs to practice. In the coming days he will need to know every twist and turn.

 

Moss has been in Tasmania only a few hours, having flown from London and is likely tired and jetlagged and in need of rest.

 

But always he has that rule; “If you are not trying to win at all costs then what are you doing here?”

 

The other oncoming vehicle, a modest Toyota Corona (again unrelated to the present plague) is travelling at a much more sedate speed. The driver who is only five minutes from home is accompanied by his wife. They have enjoyed a rare weekend away together without the kids and are in no hurry to get back.

 

The Corona is doing only 80 kilometers an hour, almost half the speed of the Falcon but the closing speed of the two vehicles is 230 kilometers per hour.

 

The head-on collision destroys both cars. But it is the occupants of the smaller Toyota Corona who are most seriously injured.

 

Stirling Moss’s premonitions about what might happen if he continued to race have almost come true.

 

Moss was in Tasmania for the 1992 inaugural Targa Tasmania which he was fully expecting to win, driving the not yet released new Ford Falcon XR8.

 

It was to be a great coup for Targa Tasmania and even bigger for his sponsor Ford Australia. But the grand plans suddenly ended with a car crash.

 

This week the driver of the Corona, Malcolm Murray told me, “No one knew Stirling was here, least of all me. It was all supposed to be a big surprise. A secret marketing strategy. Out of nowhere Stirling Moss would win Targa and the XR8 would be launched with a huge fanfare. At least that was the plan.”

 

Malcolm Murray, to this day has no recollection of the accident from which he and his wife took years to recover.

 

Malcolm was a local electrical engineer and a pilot- instructor, married to wife Jan and with two kids.

 

“But,” as they say in the steak-knife commercial, “There is more!”

 

The bloke Stirling Moss cleaned up that sunny March day on Bonney’s Hill at Moriarty also turned out to be Sir Malcolm Kenneth Murray, Chief of the Scottish Clan Murray and the twelfth Earl of Dunmore.

 

Tasmanian born Malcolm inherited a British peerage which entitled him to sit in the House of Lords in Westminster. Accordingly, his wife Jan became the Countess of Dunmore.

 

In political reforms during the Blair era the British Government abolished hereditary seats in the House of Lords.

 

Malcolm retained his titles but lost his seat after making only two speeches in the House; one when he took his seat, the other when he gave it up.

 

Jan’s death five years ago was unrelated to the motor accident but according to Malcolm she never fully recovered. “Whenever we were out driving and a car approached, she became alarmed that we were going to have a head on.”

 

For his part, Malcolm considers himself lucky. “I don’t remember a thing about the accident. I’m a pilot and when I woke up in hospital all strapped up, the first thing I asked was ‘Whose plane did I crash?”

 

Malcolm was unconscious when the police arrived and had to be cut out of the wreckage. But he does remember and believes to be true, the wonderful story that did the rounds at the time.

 

The crash scene told the whole truth. It was clear the Ford was on the wrong side of the road and travelling much too fast.

 

So, the indignant traffic cop approached the driver of the XR8 and asked the classic question.

 

“Mate, who do you think you are? Stirling Moss?”

 

The driver sheepishly replied, “Well actually …….”

 

Later in court Stirling Moss had a conviction recorded for failing to keep to the left.

 

He never returned to Tasmania.

 

Malcolm Murray still avoids the backroads during Targa.

Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final

by Roger Corbett

Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.

Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.

The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.

Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.

Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.

The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.

By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.

As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.

From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.

As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.

From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.

Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan

Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson

Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)

Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie

Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.

Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.

In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.

Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.

Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.

Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.

立法會鐵路事宜小組委員會視察廣深港高速鐵路香港段西九龍總站的建築工地

立法会铁路事宜小组委员会视察广深港高速铁路香港段西九龙总站的建筑工地

LegCo Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways visits the construction site of the West Kowloon Terminus of the Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (2015.12.13)

This photo relates to my blog post

www.heatheronhertravels.com/how-to-eat-well-in-sardinia/

 

This photo is licenced under Creative commons for use including commercial on condition that you link back to or credit http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/.

 

See my profile for more detail.

 

The description and specifications relate to the Pitts Special as this is an identical aircraft to the S1 and S2S.

 

The Pitts Special is a light aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts Special dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and, even today, remains a potent competition aircraft and is a favourite for many an aerobatic pilot.

 

General characteristics

 

•Crew: Two

•Length: 18 ft 9 in (5.71 m)

•Wingspan: 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m)

•Height: 6 ft 7⅓ in (2.02 m)

•Wing area: 125 ft² (11.6 m²)

•Empty weight: 1,150 lb (521 kg)

•Max takeoff weight: 1,625 lb (737 kg)

•Powerplant: 1× Textron Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 flat-six air cooled piston engine, 260 hp (194 kW)

 

Performance

 

•Never exceed speed: 182 knots (210 mph, 338 km/h)

•Cruise speed: 152 knots (175 mph, 282 km/h) (max cruise)

•Stall speed: 52 knots (60 mph, 97 km/h)

•Range: 277 NM (319 mi, 513 km)

•Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)

•Rate of climb: 2,700 ft/min (13.7 m/s)

•Wing loading: 13.0 lb/ft² (63.6 kg/m²)

•Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg)

 

Text and specifications based on Wikipedia article under the Creative Commons License for non-profit use.

Various Artists

 

Monday 4 - Wednesday 13 November, 10:00am - 4:00pm

Wellgate Shopping Centre

Level 1, Space 2

Dundee, DD1 2DB

 

This exhibition, curated by Weave at Abertay, brings together emerging and established digital artists/activists whose work comments, reflects and challenges ideas relating to socio-political issues and events. It is a survey of media objects of protest against hostile acts and environments over the past 35 years.

 

How are digital artists using their practice to facilitate conversations around complex socio-political issues? How do we protest differently in a digital age?

 

It is a turbulent time across the globe – from the challenges of Brexit to the protests in Hong Kong, from the growing Climate Emergency movement to the rise in Nationalism — the international socio-political landscape is increasingly subject to crisis and change.

 

These events and activities, while tied to specific cultural and socio-political contexts, often transcend borders and speak to collective concerns for alternative forms of democracy and citizen-informed solutions to complex issues.

 

Digital devices and platforms have encouraged the public to engage more with social and political issues, expanding opportunities for citizens to directly participate in civil society action. Blogs, petition platforms, crowdfunding sites, e-voting and other online forums and tools offer new means for individuals to contribute to shaping political debate and driving ‘real-world’ change.

 

It is against this diverse backdrop of politics, and the participatory nature of digital technologies, that many artists are producing work today.

 

The exhibition reflects on gun culture through Joseph Delappe’s Elegy: GTA USA Gun Homicides and Addie Wagenknecht’s series The Liberator Vases of 3D printed vases made using the first open source downloadable handgun. Irene Tokini Fubara-Manuel’s videogame ‘Dreams of Disguise: Errantry’ we explore issues of agency at border control and in Tina Keane’s video installation we recognise women’s historical struggle against nuclear weapons at Greenham Common . Igor Vamos’ (Yes Men) Barbie Liberation Organization playfully challenges gender-norms and Echo Youth by Matthew Plummer-Fernandez frames physical protest for a digital era.

 

The title of the exhibition is inspired by Roxy Music’s song, ‘Re-make/Re-model’ and makes reference to musician and theorist Brian Eno’s perspectives on technology, society and the future.

 

Weave by Abertay, based at Abertay University, creates a vibrant programme of cultural events across the city of Dundee, sharing local and global creativity.Weave gives a platform to national and international artists and designers to share their practice. Weave supports the talent and innovation of Abertay students and staff by working closely with the School of Design and Informatics. They collaboratively explore creative projects relating to Digital Culture, building on Abertay’s international reputation for excellence in computer games education. Through a series of talks, workshops, exhibitions and performances Weave collaborates with cultural partners across the city to make new connections, share knowledge and create cultural happenings across Dundee.

 

With gratitude and thanks to

 

Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics

 

Adam Lockhart

 

Andrew McLean

 

Andy Slater

 

bitforms gallery

 

Creative Scotland

 

DJCAD, University of Dundee

 

Gerald High

 

Joseph DeLappe

 

Martin Zeilinger

 

Sarah Cook

 

Steve Page

 

Wellgate Centre

 

And our brilliant volunteer team.

 

Photography Kathryn Rattray

This relates to my blog post

www.heatheronhertravels.com/a-cool-gelateria-in-nuoro-in-...

 

This photo is licenced under Creative commons for use including commercial on condition that you link back to or credit http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/.

 

See my profile for more detail.

 

It has taken me about three years to get any information relating to this memorial fountain in Bray.

 

The fountain and obelisk at the Royal Hotel in Bray was erected, by public subscription, in memory of Dr Christopher Thompson, who died in 1876. I read somewhere that he was the only Medical Doctor in Ireland to have a monument such as this in their honour but I have photographed four others. [1] The Raheny Cross in memory of Marie Elizabeth Hayes, doctor and missionary [2] Thomas Thompson Memorial Fountain - Belfast [3] Memorial to Dr. William Ashford - located in Sandymount [4] Memorial To Dr. Issac William Usher of Dundrum. Note: I believe that Marie Hayes was the first woman in Ireland to qualify as a Doctor.

 

Dr. Thompson was born in Dublin in 1815 and joined the British Army, as a Doctor, and was assigned to the Light Infantry in Cobh [known as Queenstown at the time]. At some stage he was promoted and moved to the UK and later took up a position at Portsmouth general Hospital. In 1859 he returned to Ireland where had a house at Duncairn Terrace in Bray.

 

He was involved in fighting an outbreak of cholera in Bray in 1879 but he died towards the end of the year. He is buried in St. Paul’s graveyard across the road from the memorial.

 

I believe that his wife about nine years later and that she is buried in Mount Jerome cemetery which is in Harold’s Cross in Dublin. I will check this the next time I visit the cemetery but it strikes me as a bit odd that she was not buried with her husband.

Various Artists

 

Monday 4 - Wednesday 13 November, 10:00am - 4:00pm

Wellgate Shopping Centre

Level 1, Space 2

Dundee, DD1 2DB

 

This exhibition, curated by Weave at Abertay, brings together emerging and established digital artists/activists whose work comments, reflects and challenges ideas relating to socio-political issues and events. It is a survey of media objects of protest against hostile acts and environments over the past 35 years.

 

How are digital artists using their practice to facilitate conversations around complex socio-political issues? How do we protest differently in a digital age?

 

It is a turbulent time across the globe – from the challenges of Brexit to the protests in Hong Kong, from the growing Climate Emergency movement to the rise in Nationalism — the international socio-political landscape is increasingly subject to crisis and change.

 

These events and activities, while tied to specific cultural and socio-political contexts, often transcend borders and speak to collective concerns for alternative forms of democracy and citizen-informed solutions to complex issues.

 

Digital devices and platforms have encouraged the public to engage more with social and political issues, expanding opportunities for citizens to directly participate in civil society action. Blogs, petition platforms, crowdfunding sites, e-voting and other online forums and tools offer new means for individuals to contribute to shaping political debate and driving ‘real-world’ change.

 

It is against this diverse backdrop of politics, and the participatory nature of digital technologies, that many artists are producing work today.

 

The exhibition reflects on gun culture through Joseph Delappe’s Elegy: GTA USA Gun Homicides and Addie Wagenknecht’s series The Liberator Vases of 3D printed vases made using the first open source downloadable handgun. Irene Tokini Fubara-Manuel’s videogame ‘Dreams of Disguise: Errantry’ we explore issues of agency at border control and in Tina Keane’s video installation we recognise women’s historical struggle against nuclear weapons at Greenham Common . Igor Vamos’ (Yes Men) Barbie Liberation Organization playfully challenges gender-norms and Echo Youth by Matthew Plummer-Fernandez frames physical protest for a digital era.

 

The title of the exhibition is inspired by Roxy Music’s song, ‘Re-make/Re-model’ and makes reference to musician and theorist Brian Eno’s perspectives on technology, society and the future.

 

Weave by Abertay, based at Abertay University, creates a vibrant programme of cultural events across the city of Dundee, sharing local and global creativity.Weave gives a platform to national and international artists and designers to share their practice. Weave supports the talent and innovation of Abertay students and staff by working closely with the School of Design and Informatics. They collaboratively explore creative projects relating to Digital Culture, building on Abertay’s international reputation for excellence in computer games education. Through a series of talks, workshops, exhibitions and performances Weave collaborates with cultural partners across the city to make new connections, share knowledge and create cultural happenings across Dundee.

 

With gratitude and thanks to

 

Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics

 

Adam Lockhart

 

Andrew McLean

 

Andy Slater

 

bitforms gallery

 

Creative Scotland

 

DJCAD, University of Dundee

 

Gerald High

 

Joseph DeLappe

 

Martin Zeilinger

 

Sarah Cook

 

Steve Page

 

Wellgate Centre

 

And our brilliant volunteer team.

 

Photography Kathryn Rattray