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Tucked away in the bustling heart of Tokyo, Tsukiji Market is a timeless blend of rich history and modern vitality. Once the world’s largest wholesale fish market, Tsukiji has evolved into a vibrant culinary and cultural hub since the inner wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018. The narrow lanes of the Outer Market, as captured here, are alive with energy as locals and tourists alike wander amidst rows of tightly packed shops and eateries. The architecture is a charming mix of old-world Japan and modern practicality, with low-rise, weathered storefronts sharing space with sleek high-rises peeking through the skyline.
Visitors flock here for the promise of freshly prepared sushi, grilled seafood skewers, and traditional delicacies like tamagoyaki. The stalls spill over with colorful produce, gleaming knives, and souvenirs, all under a tangle of overhead wires that add to the area’s urban charm. Blue banners and awnings bear Japanese kanji, invoking a sense of tradition and authenticity, while the organized chaos of foot traffic reflects the market's dynamic pulse. Tsukiji isn’t just a destination—it’s an experience that invites you to explore, taste, and immerse yourself in Tokyo’s culinary heritage. Whether you’re savoring melt-in-your-mouth sashimi or marveling at the precision of local artisans, Tsukiji Market captures the spirit of Tokyo in every bustling corner.
Hastings has been another beneficiary of cascades from Manchester with this seven year old Euro 3 Trident. It is currently the garage's only Enviro400 Trident sharing space with 16 Scania Enviro400, 2 ex-London Trident ALX400 and 8 Volvo Olympians for the double deck contingent.
Note the relative size difference, the Calliope on the left. These birds usually share space without combat. Territory divisions change over the season, as different birds make our yard their home, Some stay for a day, and some are seen for weeks. Some individuals are seen for a few short stays over the summer.
Young people in Burnley will be working with acclaimed British artist, Mark Titchner, to produce new public artwork to be displayed in the town.
The project is focused on young people and gives them the chance to work closely with artists and the partners involved to commission digital art.
It aims to bring high-quality artwork to communities and local libraries, allowing more people to take part in, be inspired by and be able to see world-class art.
Mark will be working with the young people throughout this year on the project, with the aim of making their thoughts and opinions visible in public spaces in Burnley from May 2017.
Young people in Wigan and Hull will also work on the project, displaying their work where they live and linking people and their stories across the three locations.
This is part of 'Networked Narrative', led by Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT), Liverpool.
Networked Narrative consists of four main partners: Lancashire County Council, FACT, Inspiring healthy lifestyles and Hull Culture & Leisure Ltd. These organisations will work with smaller partners, Artlink, Burnley Central Library, Burnley Youth Theatre, Burnley College, Wigan's Youth Voice and Engagement Team, Gateway, Wigan Youth Zone and Wigan Libraries.
Liverpool-based FACT offers a unique programme of exhibitions, film and participant-led art projects.
Lancashire County Council's head of libraries, museums, culture and registrar's service, Julie Bell, said: "This project will give the young people involved a superb opportunity to work with Mark, who is actually a Turner Prize-nominated professional artist.
"They will get the chance to air their views and opinions in a shared public space."
A selection panel of ten young people, from Burnley, Wigan and Hull, chose to work with Mark from a shortlist of two other artists. Mia Le-Fabour, aged 14 from Burnley and part of the selection panel, said: "I selected Mark because I liked the possibility of art entering our everyday lives and coming inside our homes, as a tea towel or on a chippy paper wrapper."
Artist Mark Titchner said: "I'm delighted to have been selected by the young people, and to have an opportunity to work with them over the coming months.
"I personally see this project as a chance for the young people to run an advertising campaign for their own personal thoughts and opinions.
"We'll display these views publicly and add a new dimension to the shared space of a town centre and what is normally advertised there."
During May and June, young people from Burnley will work closely with Mark through a series of workshops to shape and develop what artworks will be created, which might be displayed on billboards, T- shirts, posters and online.
Young people in Burnley aged 13 to 25 can still get involved in this project by calling 0151 707 4414 or by emailing nn@fact.co.uk
Recent Project
3 residential homes with gardens tropical landscaping with an underwater mermaid cove shared space. 6k prims
Apparently there was the tail end of a test for some folks at East Madison Aikido, who share space with us at Aikido of Madison.
THis is julie and she sure gets her kicks high.
Dec.9th 2015_Final Review
“Lo-Lux”: This project explores the possibility of combining low-income housing with luxury housing in one tower by giving these two types of housing a different interpretation in public space - in both domestic and the shared space of the tower.
In modern context, “luxury” equals to “privatize”. Luxury apartments tend to privatize everything to guarantee the least amount of disturbance from others, therefore we have luxury apartments with private swimming pool at the balcony, private gym and home theatre within the housing unit. In this case, luxury apartments are located at the half of the tower which adjacent to High Line in this project. These units have the view of High line, larger unit space and standard layout.
Low-income housing is usually featured with shared space because that’s the more efficient way to distribute space as a resource. Communal kitchen or restrooms are designed for social housing at the beginning. The idea of the Pilotis from Le Corbusier was also aiming at freeing the ground floor space for public use. However, with the development of virtual communication tools, people tend to stay at home to communicate with others virtually, rather than going out physically. Now, the public/shared space for housing needs to be subdivided and scattered.
On second thought, let's not go to my desk. Tis a silly place.
(I happened to be sharing space with the Excalibur team, who decided to decorate appropriately - complete with sword as a standup token.)
They need the space so I had to move shortly afterwards.
SNCF no. BB 15062 and a neighbouring BB 22200 loco share space under Gare du Nord's classic trainshed roof, making for a very classic French railway scene indeed!
In this Photo: Biologist Leigh Pitsko and lion cub Left Hip (male)
Photo Credit: Jen Zoon, Smithsonian's National Zoo
May 6, 2014
Four African lion cubs took a brisk paddle at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo today and passed their swim reliability test. The cubs—three males and one female—were born at the Zoo March 2. All cubs born at the Great Cats exhibit must undergo the swim reliability test and prove that they are ready to be on exhibit. All four cats were able to keep their heads above water, navigate to the shallow end of the moat and climb onto dry land. Now that they have passed this critical step, the cubs are one step closer to being ready to explore the yard with their mother, 9-year-old Shera. The 10-week-old cubs will make their public debut in mid-June once all vaccinations have been administered.
“As keepers, it’s our duty to take every precaution to ensure the cubs’ survival,” said Kristen Clark, an animal keeper at the Great Cats exhibit. “It’s possible that a cub could be playing around and get knocked into the moat by a parent or sibling. We want to make sure that if they find themselves in that situation, they know how to pull themselves out of the water and onto shore.”
Both cubs took the test under Clark’s guard, as she gently guided them in the right direction. The shallow end of the moat is approximately 2 ½ feet deep, which could present an obstacle for young cats. The side of the moat closest to the public viewing area is about 9 feet deep and is an essential safety barrier that effectively keeps the cats inside their enclosure.
In an adjacent exhibit, the two lion cubs born to mother Nababiep Jan. 24 explored their outdoor enclosure after passing their swim test in April. Starting Friday, May 9, keepers will decide on a day-to-day basis whether Naba’s two cubs will spend time in the yard from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This decision will be based on weather and how the cubs adjust to being outdoors. The Zoo will continue to share the latest updates and photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Zoo received a recommendation to breed the lions from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for African lions. An SSP matches individual animals across the country for breeding in order to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse and self-sustaining population. Luke, the Zoo’s 8-year-old male lion, sired all six cubs. The next step in building a pride at the Zoo is to introduce all nine lions into the same shared space. The first meeting between them took place April 24 and was captured on video.
“Introductions are always tense the first time you do them, but we always try to build on positive behaviors we’ve seen in the past,” said Rebecca Stites, an animal keeper at the Great Cats exhibit. “All lions seemed interested in one another and their interactions were positive during “howdy door” and face-to-face meetings. We’re gradually increasing the amount of time that the pride is together behind the scenes. Our hope is that they will all be on exhibit as one pride this summer.”
The pride social structure makes lions unique among the great cats, many of which are solitary animals. African lion populations in the wild have dwindled by 30 percent during the past 20 years as a result of poaching, disease and habitat loss. They are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Dated March 1981, 6562 stands in the yard next to Washwood Heath garage, sharing space with other standard WMPTE fleetlines and withdrawn ex BCT examples.
6562 was last known with City Sightseeing in Glasgow, but was sold June 2003. Does she still exsist?
From an acquired collection, and copyright unknown.
Kayla Marra, Lab Technician III under Brian Pogue, works in the small tissue culture room on the seventh-floor of the Williamson Translational Research Building, where biologists and engineers work collaboratively in shared spaces.
The new facility at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center integrates all aspects of healthcare under one roof to better serve patients.
Photo by Kathryn LoConte Lapierre.
Hjertet multi-purpose community centre in Ikast, Denmark
Architecture & landscape by C.F. Møller Architects, 2018
Hjertet (‘The Heart’) in Ikast is a new meeting point centred round culture and communication. ‘The Heart’ combines teaching, activities, community spaces, physical exercise, recreational pursuits and play in new ways; and the building is designed to create and promote social and cultural meetings, based on an inclusive and integrating approach.
I spend such a small amount of time out in the winter sun that it seems strange to share space with it at all. Quite some years ago, I think I decided that the evening was where I needed to be, and I've done most of my exploring since in the last hour of light. But I had some time to wander today, so I made a climb up the mountainside to a place called Eaton Lake. I get there so rarely, because I've never been much for long hikes, and don't always have the daylight to spare. This afternoon was blindingly bright, incredibly still, surprisingly warm. I heard nearly nothing for three hours save the crunch of my footsteps and the rustle of brush in whatever thin wind was blowing. No one was out but me, and all signs showed that no one had been for quite some time. It was an eerie calm, and there's a chance I was dreaming my way through the sleepy weather, but my aching muscles tell me better...
Eddie Stobart Scania R440 H6394.PJ11WGU Gail Elizabeth negotiates a new roundabout and shared space under construction in Poynton, Cheshire on the 10th January 2012.
Basildon based First Essex 33424 working the roundabout route 25 to Southend-On-Sea, Essex. VT59 JPT in the shared space area of Victoria Gateway Interchange.
Smart looking Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 in the Eastern National NBC livery.
Caernarfon is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the island of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is 8.6 miles (13.8 km) to the north-east, while Snowdonia (Eryri) fringes Caernarfon to the east and south-east.
Abundant natural resources in and around the Menai Strait enabled human habitation in prehistoric Britain. The Ordovices, a Celtic tribe, lived in the region during the period known as Roman Britain. The Roman fort Segontium was established around AD 80 to subjugate the Ordovices during the Roman conquest of Britain. The Romans occupied the region until the end of Roman rule in Britain in 382, after which Caernarfon became part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. In the late 11th century, William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a motte-and-bailey castle at Caernarfon as part of the Norman invasion of Wales. He was unsuccessful, and Wales remained independent until around 1283.
In the 13th century, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, ruler of Gwynedd, refused to pay homage to Edward I of England, prompting the English conquest of Gwynedd. This was followed by the construction of Caernarfon Castle, one of the largest and most imposing fortifications built by the English in Wales. In 1284, the English-style county of Caernarfonshire was established by the Statute of Rhuddlan; the same year, Caernarfon was made a borough, a county and market town, and the seat of English government in north Wales.
The ascent of the House of Tudor to the throne of England eased hostilities with the English and resulted in Caernarfon Castle falling into a state of disrepair. The town has flourished,[when?] leading to its status as a major tourist centre and seat of Gwynedd Council, with a thriving harbour and marina. Caernarfon has expanded beyond its medieval walls and experienced heavy suburbanisation. The community of Caernarfon's population includes the highest percentage of Welsh-speaking citizens anywhere in Wales. The status of Royal Borough was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963 and amended to Royal Town in 1974. The castle and town walls are part of a World Heritage Site described as the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.
The town's name consists of three elements: caer , yn, and arfon. "Caer' means 'fortress", in this case either the Roman fort of Segontium, which lies on the outskirts of the modern town, or the Norman castle erected near the mouth of the Afon Seiont. "Arfon" means "opposite Môn (Anglesey)", and the full name therefore means "the fortress in the land opposite Anglesey".
The earlier British and Romano-British settlement at Segontium was named Cair Segeint ("Fort Seiont") after the river. It was also known as Cair Custoient ("Fortress of Constantine"), after a belief that it was the capital of Gwynedd under Constantine, a supposed son of Saint Elen and the Emperor Magnus Maximus. Both names appear in the Historia Brittonum traditionally ascribed to Nennius. A medieval romance about Maximus and Elen, Macsen's Dream, calls her home Caer Aber Sein ("Fort Seiontmouth" or "the fortress at the mouth of the Seiont") and other pre-conquest poets such as Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd used the name Caer Gystennin. A 1221 charter by Llywelyn the Great to the canons of Penmon priory on Anglesey mentions Kaerinarfon, and the Welsh chronicle Brut y Tywysogion mentions both Kaerenarvon and Caerenarvon.
The town and the county named after it were officially spelled "Carnarvon" until 1926. At a meeting on 10 November 1925 the borough council resolved to ask the county council to change the spelling to "Caernarvon". The county council gave permission for the change of spelling for the name of the borough with effect from 14 January 1926, and at the same time decided to ask the government to also change the spelling of the county's name to Caernarvon. The government confirmed the change in the spelling of the county's name with effect from 1 July 1926.
The municipal borough was designated a royal borough in 1963. When the borough was abolished in 1974 the status of "royal town" was granted to the new community which succeeded it. The spelling of both borough and county remained "Caernarvon" until they were abolished in 1974. The spelling of the community's name was changed from "Caernarvon" to "Caernarfon" with effect from 2 June 1975 by order of Arfon Borough Council.
Caernarfon contains a Roman fort, Segontium, and a Norman motte-and-bailey castle was built at the mouth of the River Seiont.
In 1283, King Edward I completed his conquest of Wales which he secured by a chain of castles and walled towns. The construction of a new stone Caernarfon Castle seems to have started as soon as the campaign had finished. Edward's architect, James of St. George, may well have modelled the castle on the walls of Constantinople, possibly being aware of the town's legendary associations. Edward's fourth son, Edward of Caernarfon, later Edward II of England, was born at the castle in April 1284 and made Prince of Wales in 1301. A story recorded in the 16th century suggests that the new prince was offered to the native Welsh on the premise "that [he] was borne in Wales and could speake never a word of English", however, there is no contemporary evidence to support this.
Caernarfon was constituted a borough in 1284 by a charter of Edward I. The charter, which was confirmed on a number of occasions, appointed the mayor of the borough Constable of the Castle ex officio.
On 2 November 1401, 'Y Ddraig Aur' (The golden dragon) of Owain Glyndŵr was attested to have been flown during the Battle of Tuthill at Caernarfon, it is also likely that it was also flown throughout the Welsh independence campaign.
In 1911, David Lloyd George, then Member of Parliament (MP) for Caernarfon boroughs, which included various towns from Llŷn to Conwy, agreed to the British Royal Family's idea of holding the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. The ceremony took place on 13 July, with the royal family visiting Wales, and the future Edward VIII was duly invested.
In 1955, Caernarfon was in the running for the title of Capital of Wales on historical grounds but the town's campaign was heavily defeated in a ballot of Welsh local authorities, with 11 votes compared to Cardiff's 136. Cardiff therefore became the Welsh capital.
On 1 July 1969, the investiture ceremony for Charles, Prince of Wales was again held at Caernarfon Castle. The ceremony went ahead without incident despite terrorist threats and protests, which culminated in the death of two members of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Welsh Defence Movement), Alwyn Jones and George Taylor, who were killed when their bomb – intended for the railway line at Abergele in order to stop the British Royal Train – exploded prematurely. The bombing campaign (one in Abergele, two in Caernarfon and finally one on Llandudno Pier) was organised by the movement's leader, John Jenkins. He was later arrested after a tip-off and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
In July 2019, Caernarfon hosted a rally for Welsh independence. The event, organised by AUOB (All Under One Banner) Cymru, included a march through the town centre. Organisers estimated that roughly 8,000 people joined the march on the town square; local authorities confirmed at least 5,000 attendees. The event featured a number of speakers including Hardeep Singh Kohli, Evra Rose, Dafydd Iwan, Lleuwen Steffan, Siôn Jobbins, Beth Angell, Gwion Hallam, Meleri Davies and Elfed Wyn Jones. Talks covered criticism of Brexit and Westminster with advocating Welsh Independence.
The history of Caernarfon, as an example where the rise and fall of different civilizations can be seen from one hilltop, is discussed in John Michael Greer's book The Long Descent. He writes of Caernarfon:
Spread out below us in an unexpected glory of sunlight was the whole recorded history of that little corner of the world. The ground beneath us still rippled with earthworks from the Celtic hill fort that guarded the Menai Strait more than two and a half millennia ago. The Roman fort that replaced it was now the dim brown mark of an old archaeological site on low hills off to the left. Edward I’s great grey castle rose up in the middle foreground, and the high contrails of RAF jets on a training exercise out over the Irish Sea showed that the town’s current overlords still maintained the old watch. Houses and shops from more than half a dozen centuries spread eastward as they rose through the waters of time, from the cramped medieval buildings of the old castle town straight ahead to the gaudy sign and sprawling parking lot of the supermarket back behind us.
Caernarfon is situated on the southern bank of the Menai Strait facing the Isle of Anglesey. It is situated 8.6 miles (13.8 km) south-west of Bangor, 19.4 miles (31.2 km) north of Porthmadog and approximately 8.0 miles (12.9 km) west of Llanberis and Snowdonia National Park. The mouth of the River Seiont is in the town, creating a natural harbour where it flows into the Menai Strait. Caernarfon Castle stands at the mouth of the river. The A487 passes directly through Caernarfon, with Bangor to the north and Porthmadog to the south.
As the crow flies, the summit of Snowdon lies a little over 9.6 miles (15.4 km) to the southeast of the town centre.
Caernarfon's historical prominence and landmarks have made it a major tourist centre. As a result, many of the local businesses cater for the tourist trade. Caernarfon has numerous guest houses, inns and pubs, hotels, restaurants and shops. The majority of shops in the town are located either in the centre of town around Pool Street and Castle Square (Y Maes), on Doc Fictoria (Victoria Dock) or in Cei Llechi (Slate Quay). A number of shops are also located within the Town Walls.
The majority of the retail and residential section of Doc Fictoria was opened in 2008. The retail and residential section of Doc Fictoria is built directly beside a Blue Flag beach marina. It contains numerous homes, bars and bistros, cafés and restaurants, an award-winning arts centre, a maritime museum and a range of shops and stores.
Pool Street and Castle Square contain a number of large, national retail shops and smaller independent stores. Pool Street is pedestrianised and serves as the town's main shopping street. Castle Square, commonly referred to as the 'Maes' by both Welsh and English speakers, is the market square of the town. A market is held every Saturday throughout the year and also on Mondays in the summer. The square was revamped at a cost of £2.4 million in 2009. However, since its revamp the square has caused controversy due to traffic and parking difficulties. During the revamp, it was decided to remove barriers between traffic and pedestrians creating a 'shared space', to force drivers to be more considerate of pedestrians and other vehicles. This is the first use of this kind of arrangement in Wales, but it has been described by councillor Bob Anderson as being 'too ambiguous' for road users. Another controversy caused by the revamp of the Maes was that a historic old oak tree was taken down from outside the HSBC bank. When the Maes was re-opened in July 2009 by the local politician and Heritage Minister of Wales, Alun Ffred Jones AM, he said, "the use of beautiful local slate is very prominent in the new Maes."
There are many old public houses serving the town, including The Four Alls, The Anglesey Arms Hotel, The Castle Hotel, The Crown, Morgan Lloyd, Pen Deitch and The Twthill Vaults. The oldest public house in Caernarfon is the Black Boy Inn, which remained in the same family for over 40 years until sold in 2003 to a local independent family business. The pub has stood inside Caernarfon's Town Walls since the 16th century, and many people claim to have seen ghosts within the building.
In and around the Town Walls are numerous restaurants, public houses and inns, and guest houses and hostels.
Gwynedd Council's head offices are situated in the town. The Caernarfon parliamentary constituency was a former electoral area centred on Caernarfon. Caernarfon is now part of the Arfon constituency for both the UK Parliament and the Senedd. The town is twinned with Landerneau in Brittany. Caernarfon was the county town of the historic county of Caernarfonshire.
At the local level, Caernarfon Royal Town Council consists of 17 town councillors, elected from the wards of Cadnant (3), Canol Tref Caernarfon (3), Hendre (3), Menai (4) and Peblig (4). The current Mayor is Councillor Maria Veronica Sarnacki.
The population in 1841 was 8,001.
The population of Caernarfon Community Parish in 2001 was 9,611. Caernarfon residents are known colloquially as "Cofis". The word "Cofi" /ˈkɒvi/ is also used locally in Caernarfon to describe the local Welsh dialect, notable for a number of words, not in use elsewhere.
Within Wales, Gwynedd has the highest proportion of speakers of the Welsh language. The greatest concentration of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd is found in and around Caernarfon.
According to the 2011 census, 85.8% of residents were born in Wales, one of the highest proportions in Gwynedd, and 77.0% reported a 'Welsh only' national identity.
The present castle building was constructed between 1283 and 1330 by the order of King Edward I. The banded stonework and polygonal towers are thought to have been in imitation of the Walls of Constantinople. The impressive curtain wall with nine towers and two gatehouses survive largely intact. Caernarfon Castle is now under the care of Cadw and is open to the public. The castle includes the regimental museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
The medieval town walls, including eight towers and two twin-towered gateways, form a complete circuit of 800 yards (730 m) around the old town and were built between 1283 and 1285. The walls are in the care of Cadw but only a small section is accessible to the public. The town walls and castle at Caernarfon were declared part of a World Heritage Site in 1986. According to UNESCO, the castle and walls together with other royal castles in Gwynedd "are the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe".
Dedicated to Saint Peblig, the son of Saint Elen and Macsen Wledig (Magnus Maximus), the church is built on an important early Christian site, itself built on a Roman Mithraeum or temple of Mithras, close to the Segontium Roman Fort (200m away, in the care of Cadw). A Roman altar was found in one of the walls during 19th-century restoration work. The present church dates mainly from the 14th century and is a Grade I listed building.
The statue in Castle Square was sculpted by W. Goscombe John and was erected in 1921 when Lloyd George was Prime Minister. David Lloyd George was the Member of Parliament for the area from 1890 to 1945.
The Old Market Hall in Hole-in-the-Wall Street and Crown Street was built in 1832, but the interior and roof were rebuilt later in that century. It is a Grade II listed building. It now acts as a pub and music venue.
A small Victorian urban park, Morfa was laid out in 1888. It stands to the south of the town, bordered by the 'Ysbyty Eryri' hospital [see below] at its southern edge. It is listed at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
The old County Hall, which went on to become a courthouse, is situated inside the castle walls, next door to the Anglesey Arms Hotel. The old courthouse was built in the Neo-classical style. The courthouse was replaced by the new Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre on the former Segontium School site in Llanberis Road in 2009. The old courthouse adjoins what used to be Caernarfon Gaol, which has been closed since the early 20th century and was subsequently converted into council offices.
There is a small hospital in the town, 'Ysbyty Eryri' (i.e. "Snowdonia Hospital"). The nearest large regional hospital is Ysbyty Gwynedd, in Bangor.
Caernarfon Barracks was commissioned by John Lloyd, County Surveyor of Caernarfonshire, as a military headquarters and completed in 1855.
Caernarfon was at one time an important port, exporting slate from the Dyffryn Nantlle quarries. This traffic was facilitated from 1828 by the Nantlle Railway which predated far more widely known ventures such as the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and the Ffestiniog Railway.
Five passenger stations have served the town. Caernarvon railway station opened in 1852 as the western terminus of the Bangor and Carnarvon Railway. This connected the town with the North Wales coast and the expanding national network. Carnarvon Castle railway station opened in 1856 as the northern passenger terminus of the 3ft 6in narrow gauge Nantlle Railway. This service ended in 1865 when the line being built from the south by the standard gauge Carnarvonshire Railway took over most of its trackbed. The Carnarvonshire Railway's temporary northern terminus was at Pant to the south of the town. Pant station opened in 1867. At the same time, the Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway built its line from Llanberis to Caernarfon. Its temporary western terminus was called Carnarvon (Morfa). It opened in 1869 near the modern road bridges over the Afon Seiont. For a short period, therefore, Caernarfon had three terminating stations on its edges. Records are contradictory, but this ended in either 1870 or 1871 when they were connected by a line through the town using the tunnel which survives, having been converted in 1995 for road traffic. When the through route was opened Pant and Morfa stations closed and the original station became the town's only station. The London and North Western Railway also took over all the lines mentioned leaving one station and one service provider by 1871.
The services to Llanberis and south to Afon Wen closed progressively from the 1930s, with tracks being lifted in the mid-1960s, but Caernarvon station survived until 1970, with Bangor to Caernarvon one of the last passenger services to be closed under the Beeching Axe; it is now the site of a Morrisons supermarket. In November 2020 the Welsh Government stated 'further consideration' should be given to reopening the line. The fifth station was opened in 1997 on the old trackbed in St. Helen's Road. It is the northern terminus of the 2ft narrow gauge Rheilffordd Eryri / Welsh Highland Railway. Work began on a permanent station for the town in February 2017. The new station opened to passengers in the Spring of 2019. Heritage steam services provide links to Porthmadog, where passengers can change for services on the Ffestiniog Railway to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Bus services in the town are provided by Arriva Buses Wales, and a number of smaller, local operators. Longer distance, cross-country services are operated by Lloyds Coaches, and connect the town with Bangor to the north, and Aberystwyth via Porthmadog, Dolgellau and Machynlleth to the south. These services are part of the Welsh Government funded TrawsCymru network.
The A487 trunk road bisects the town, providing access to major urban areas along the North Wales coast and the Port of Holyhead, via the A55 expressway. Llanberis at the foot of Snowdon can be reached via the A4086, which heads east out of the town towards Capel Curig.
Heading north out of the town is the Lôn Las Menai cycle path to nearby Y Felinheli. Heading south out of the town is the Lôn Eifion cycle path, which leads to Bryncir, near Criccieth. The route provides views into the Snowdonia mountains, down along the Llŷn Peninsula and across to the Isle of Anglesey.
Caernarfon Airport is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to the southwest, and offers pleasure flights and an aviation museum.
The Aber Swing Bridge is a pedestrian swing bridge that crosses over the Afon Seiont to connect pedestrians from the foreshore to the Watergate entrance in the centre of Caernarfon by the Caernarfon Castle.
There are four primary schools in Caernarfon, Ysgol yr Hendre being the largest. The others are Ysgol y Gelli, Ysgol Santes Helen and Ysgol Maesincla. Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen is the single secondary school serving Caernarfon and the surrounding areas and currently has between 900 and 1000 pupils from ages 11 to 18. Ysgol Pendalar is a school for children with special needs. Coleg Menai is a further education college for adult learners.
Notable people
Lewis Jones, 1898
Saint Elen, late 4th-century founder of churches in Wales.
Edward II of England (1284–1327), King of England from 1307 to 1327.
Morris Williams (1809–1874), clergyman and writer, known by his bardic name Nicander
William Henry Preece (1834–1913), an electrical engineer and inventor.
Lewis Jones (1837-1904), one of the founders of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia.
David Lloyd George (1863–1945), Prime Minister of the UK from 1916 to 1922.
Gwilym Edwards (1881–1963), Presbyterian minister, writer and academic
Lionel Rees (1884–1955), aviator, flying ace and recipient of the Victoria Cross
Maureen Peters (1935–2008), an historical novelist
Dafydd Wigley (born 1943), politician, MP for Caernarfon from 1974 until 2001
Sian Eleri, BBC Radio 1 presenter
Sport
Bryan Orritt (1937–2014), a professional footballer with over 370 club caps
Barry Hughes (1937–2019), a professional footballer and manager, active primarily in the Netherlands
Wyn Davies (born 1942), a footballer with 611 club caps and 34 for Wales
Tom Walley (born 1945) footballer with over 410 club caps
Catrin Thomas (born 1964), ski mountaineer and mountain climber.
Waynne Phillips (born 1970), a professional footballer with over 470 club caps
Nathan Craig (born 1991), a professional footballer.
Osian Dwyfor Jones Wales Commonwealth Hammer Thrower
Caernarfon Town F.C. (Welsh: Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Caernarfon) is a Welsh football club based in the town, which currently plays in the Cymru Premier, the top level for football in Wales. The club is nicknamed "the Canaries" because of its yellow and green strip. Caernarfon Town plays at The Oval which has a capacity of 3000 people and 250 seated people.
Caernarfon hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1862, 1894, 1906, 1921, 1935, 1959 and 1979. Unofficial National Eisteddfod events were also held there in 1877 and 1880. Caernarfon also hosted the 30th annual Celtic Media Festival in March 2009. Cultural destinations include Galeri and Oriel Pendeitsh. Galeri is a creative enterprise centre that houses a gallery, a concert hall, a cinema, a number of companies, and a range of other creative and cultural spaces. Oriel Pendeitsh is a ground-floor exhibition space adjoining the Tourist Information Centre opposite Caernarfon Castle. The gallery has a varied and changing programme of exhibitions throughout the year.
The Caernarfon Food Festival takes place in the town's streets including The Slate Quay (Cei Llechi) and Castle Square (the Maes), which is pedestrianised for the event. Stalls are also located along the promenade next to the Menai Strait towards the marina and Doc Fictoria.
The festival was formed in 2015 as a result of public consultation within the town. The first festival was held in 2016. It is organised by the Caernarfon Food Festival Group which is made up of local volunteers who hold regular meetings to plan each festival. The festival has a number of support groups, including a content group, sponsorship group, technical group, communication group and volunteer group. These groups feed into the main group's monthly meetings. The festival logo was inspired by contributions from pupils at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen and designed by Iestyn Lloyd of Cwmni Da. The festival has been supported by Welsh Government through the Food Festival Grant Scheme and was highly commended by Food Awards Wales in 2019, Car parking is provided at the Slate Quay (Cei Llechi) and at other car parks around the town while the Welsh Highland Railway provides transport from Porthmadog. Cycle access is by the cycle tracks along the disused railway lines which include Lôn Las Eifion, which runs from Porthmadog, by-passing Penygroes and on to Caernarfon, Lôn Las Menai from Y Felinheli to Caernarfon and Lôn Las Peris from Llanberis to Caernarfon.
Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.
Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km2) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.
The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. Much of the county is covered by Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which is protected by the Llŷn AONB. Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).
The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales, which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from the Kingdom of England until Edward I's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in the world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.
In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine, meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish Féni, an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían, 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.
Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.
The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.
The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.
The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.
A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.
The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.
There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.
The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.
Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.
The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.
Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.
The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.
Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2021 census, 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh,[7] while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census.
It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales.[9] The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5–15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011.
The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001,[10] from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%.
The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh.
Notable people
Leslie Bonnet (1902–1985), RAF officer, writer; originated the Welsh Harlequin duck in Criccieth
Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling coach; grew up in Deiniolen, near Caernarfon
Duffy (born 1984), singer, songwriter and actress; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Edward II of England (1284–1327), born in Caernarfon Castle
Elin Fflur (born 1984), singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter; went to Bangor University
Bryn Fôn (born 1954), actor and singer-songwriter; born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire.
Wayne Hennessey (born 1987), football goalkeeper with 108 caps for Wales; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
John Jones (c. 1530 – 1598), a Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest and martyr; born at Clynnog
Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (1832–1891), landowner and politician, co-founder of the Y Wladfa settlement in Patagonia
T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), archaeologist, army officer and inspiration for Lawrence of Arabia, born in Tremadog
David Lloyd George (1863–1945), statesman and Prime Minister; lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy
Sasha (born 1969), disc jockey, born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Sir Bryn Terfel (born 1965), bass-baritone opera and concert singer from Pant Glas
Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), architect of Portmeirion
Owain Fôn Williams, (born 1987), footballer with 443 club caps; born and raised in Penygroes, Gwynedd.
Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), poet from the village of Trawsfynydd; killed in WWI
Jerusalem, Israel: New, street sign, sharing space with a dog-eared traffic sign - in late-afternoon sunlight…
Poor families are still sharing spaces on 2nd-floor apartments across Old Quarter Hanoi. You can't help asking yourself why they have to live it that way when you know that one square meter of land here is worth tens of thousands US dollars.
Overhead power lines are like a specialty in Hanoi :D, especially in the old corner. Though the city government has been working on to replace them with underground system, I don't think we will stop seeing this view in a near future.
Every one gets a shot in "The Basket"... Here, at 3 weeks, it's Possum's turn! He and his brother Tater are sharing space in the "Orphan Room" till they are ready for adoption. They are now 5 weeks old.
An aerial view of one of the downstream "Salt and Pepper" towers showing the shared space for cyclists and pedestrians adjacent to the tower work zone. Boston is visible in the upper left corner and Cambridge in the upper right corner.
This snapshot goes beyond the surface, where city life and reflections intertwine. Notice how the barriers carve a path into a world mirrored on the surfaces around. The man at the center, caught mid-gesture, is doubled in the glass, hinting at the layered lives we lead. To the right, the musician's focus is inward, yet his image is cast outward on the reflective canvas of the city. The crowd, too, is echoed in these urban mirrors, creating a visual echo that speaks to the depth and complexity of our shared spaces.
In this photo: Keeper JT Taylor with female lion cub Left Rib.
Photo Credit: Jen Zoon, Smithsonian's National Zoo
May 6, 2014
Four African lion cubs took a brisk paddle at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo today and passed their swim reliability test. The cubs—three males and one female—were born at the Zoo March 2. All cubs born at the Great Cats exhibit must undergo the swim reliability test and prove that they are ready to be on exhibit. All four cats were able to keep their heads above water, navigate to the shallow end of the moat and climb onto dry land. Now that they have passed this critical step, the cubs are one step closer to being ready to explore the yard with their mother, 9-year-old Shera. The 10-week-old cubs will make their public debut in mid-June once all vaccinations have been administered.
“As keepers, it’s our duty to take every precaution to ensure the cubs’ survival,” said Kristen Clark, an animal keeper at the Great Cats exhibit. “It’s possible that a cub could be playing around and get knocked into the moat by a parent or sibling. We want to make sure that if they find themselves in that situation, they know how to pull themselves out of the water and onto shore.”
Both cubs took the test under Clark’s guard, as she gently guided them in the right direction. The shallow end of the moat is approximately 2 ½ feet deep, which could present an obstacle for young cats. The side of the moat closest to the public viewing area is about 9 feet deep and is an essential safety barrier that effectively keeps the cats inside their enclosure.
In an adjacent exhibit, the two lion cubs born to mother Nababiep Jan. 24 explored their outdoor enclosure after passing their swim test in April. Starting Friday, May 9, keepers will decide on a day-to-day basis whether Naba’s two cubs will spend time in the yard from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This decision will be based on weather and how the cubs adjust to being outdoors. The Zoo will continue to share the latest updates and photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Zoo received a recommendation to breed the lions from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for African lions. An SSP matches individual animals across the country for breeding in order to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse and self-sustaining population. Luke, the Zoo’s 8-year-old male lion, sired all six cubs. The next step in building a pride at the Zoo is to introduce all nine lions into the same shared space. The first meeting between them took place April 24 and was captured on video.
“Introductions are always tense the first time you do them, but we always try to build on positive behaviors we’ve seen in the past,” said Rebecca Stites, an animal keeper at the Great Cats exhibit. “All lions seemed interested in one another and their interactions were positive during “howdy door” and face-to-face meetings. We’re gradually increasing the amount of time that the pride is together behind the scenes. Our hope is that they will all be on exhibit as one pride this summer.”
The pride social structure makes lions unique among the great cats, many of which are solitary animals. African lion populations in the wild have dwindled by 30 percent during the past 20 years as a result of poaching, disease and habitat loss. They are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Lobby with a "Living Room" concept centred around a main hall sharing spaces with adjacent Bar. It's surprising to see arrangement like this in Penang where majority is Chinese, because when you arrive from the main entrance, you can see through the whole interior so straightforward. In feng shui terms, it is considered bad luck. Well the contemporary has proven them wrong, as the hotel is an overnight success. I love the spatial arrangement though.
“Lo-Lux”: This project explores the possibility of combining low-income housing with luxury housing in one tower by giving these two types of housing a different interpretation in public space - in both domestic and the shared space of the tower.
In modern context, “luxury” equals to “privatize”. Luxury apartments tend to privatize everything to guarantee the least amount of disturbance from others, therefore we have luxury apartments with private swimming pool at the balcony, private gym and home theatre within the housing unit. In this case, luxury apartments are located at the half of the tower which adjacent to High Line in this project. These units have the view of High line, larger unit space and standard layout.
Low-income housing is usually featured with shared space because that’s the more efficient way to distribute space as a resource. Communal kitchen or restrooms are designed for social housing at the beginning. The idea of the Pilotis from Le Corbusier was also aiming at freeing the ground floor space for public use. However, with the development of virtual communication tools, people tend to stay at home to communicate with others virtually, rather than going out physically. Now, the public/shared space for housing needs to be subdivided and scattered.
An old milk can and passenger's steamer trunk share space on a baggage cart at the Railroad Museum Of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There are several such scenes like this setup at the museum that represent things that would have been witnessed in and around an old passenger or freight railroad station.
4x5 for 365 Project details: greggobst.com/4x5-for-365/
Technical details:
Busch Pressman Model D 4x5 large format press camera.
Graflex Optar 135mm F4.7 lens in a Graphex shutter.
Ilford HP5+ B&W film, shot at ISO 400.
Exposure was 15 seconds at F32 after adjusting for reciprocity compensation.
Developed in Adox Rodinal 1:50 dilution for 7 minutes and 25 seconds @ 20 degrees Celsius using a Mod54 six sheet insert in an older screw top Paterson System Tank # 4 placed on Unicolor Uniroller 352 auto-reversing rotary base.
4x5" negative scanned with Epson V600.
...two Eastern Tailed- blue butterflies. This a very small butterfly also - with wings closed, in profile, about the size of a U.S. dime. Their flight is also very quick and erratic, looping and diving, difficult to follow. But when they land, on partly cloudy days, it's not uncommon for them to unfailingly close their wings when the sun goes behind a cloud - and open them when it comes out...over and over again. They usually share space with (and are the same size as) the Spring / Summer Azures.
Range from Southern Canada to Central America, east of Rocky Mountains. Irregular spots in the West at lower elevations only.
Habitat includes disturbed areas, fields, meadows, forest glades and fringes.
ISO200, aperture f/5.8, exposure .001 seconds (1/750) focal length 300mm
Hjertet multi-purpose community centre in Ikast, Denmark
Architecture & landscape by C.F. Møller Architects, 2018
Hjertet (‘The Heart’) in Ikast is a new meeting point centred round culture and communication. ‘The Heart’ combines teaching, activities, community spaces, physical exercise, recreational pursuits and play in new ways; and the building is designed to create and promote social and cultural meetings, based on an inclusive and integrating approach.
A shared-space street near the Museumsplein. Hopscotch, monkey cages, bike racks, picnic tables. It's a street, too, but who's driving?
Davenport, Rock Island & North West #121 and Metra #308 share space at the Illinois Railway Museum in this August 1, 2004 photo.
DRI #121 has since been restored to its original appearance as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #9255.
"Life Bird"
Continuing solitary, sharing space with Eurasian-collared Doves and Mourning Doves...eyeballing a neighboring yard where there seem to be feeders and drinking/bathing water.
Obama in Africa with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, August 2006
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: What to say the day after? The foreword to The Gospel of Father Joe was written last year, but in U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's call for unity last night I heard the resounding echo of Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.]
A KINDRED WORLD
by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in foreword to THE GOSPEL OF FATHER JOE
Roused by compassion, we awake to life as God created it, as Jesus expressed it, as the Buddha and the Prophet Muhammad taught it. We see the holiness imbued in all humanity. It doesn't matter if you're African, Asian, Arab, European; Christian,
Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, or something else. It doesn't matter the denomination you pledge or if you pledge. We are God-shaped and God-filled. Affluent, poor, American, Iranian, Somali, Ethiopian, Israeli, Palestinian. The Divine is our common bloodline and birthright. It's our bond in Goodness. We're kin in that way, but we often miss that part. We don't always view our shared space and shared responsibilities from the Divine's perspective.
We lose focus; attention wanes. Or we forget, as the Rev. Dr. Joe Maier reminds us in these pages, which draw attention to a perpetual blind spot. I suspect that some of us would prefer to keep this book closed, continue to feign ignorance, go on with our comfortable lives, and forget the uneducated, neglected children in our charge. They are difficult to see if you choose to never look.
Read on, however. Open your eyes; stare at reality. You will see possibilities realized and feel delightfully inspired by the power Goodness in a world pregnant with change. You may even be moved to join in.
The story of Father Joe and the Bangkok squatter land he calls holy is a critical chapter in the modern-day memoirs of humankind. His Mercy Centre is more than a refuge and grassroots education system for children caught in the bramble of our new prosperity; it's the vivid expression of God's will for how we are to treat family. In effect, it's the Bible for how best to lift families from the poverty that kills millions of children every year: you plow the ground with textbooks and local muscle.
I know of no aid dropped from a helicopter or dictated from afar that has ever taken root. Whenever Jesus entered the slums, he came on the back of a donkey and in a cloud of dust, face to face with poverty. Biblical scripture attempts to focus our attention on the poor and the downtrodden more than two thousand times. We're told explicitly how to treat them. No wiggle room is left for moral interpretations or federal treasuries stretched by war. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us, "As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."
How, then, can we forget?
In 1990, near the onset of the West's unprecedented economic growth, wealthy nations pledged that all poor children by the year 2000 would have access to at least a basic education. At the United Nations World Summit for Children in New York City, seventy-three governments signed a declaration that made the goal a global imperative. The Cold War had ended, and a new world order was looking toward greater cooperation and an abundant sharing of resources across international borders and economic lines. On the summit's final day in the General Assembly Hall, U.S. president George H. W. Bush told his fellow world leaders, "All children must be given the chance to lead happy, healthy, and productive lives." He acted outraged that "education is a mystery for one hundred million children" in the poorest parts of the world.
"Saving one child is a miracle," he concluded. "As world leaders, we can realize such miracles, and then we can count them in the millions."
One hundred million children fell through the cracks of that broken pledge. The reasons and excuses are complicated. So in 2000, the pledge was renewed as one of the eight Millennium Development Goals. All UN member states signed a pledge declaring that by the year 2015, "children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling."
When Father Joe agreed to collaborate on this book in 2005, there were still one hundred million children with no access to a basic primary education. The UN had begun sounding alarms, calling the year a crossroads for the state of human development. Slight improvements have occurred in the years since, though not nearly enough.
The vast majority of our uneducated and neglected reside in the shacks of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, children like those in Father Joe's slums who miss school for lack of shoes and milk money. Because even as cheap airfare and broadband Internet erase borders and distance, our mightiest barrier is being reinforced. The ever-widening economic divide defines us as strangers.
But I maintain great confidence in humanity. I see the Divine in its grand swells of compassion. I bear witness to its manifestation after aberrant hurricanes and tsunamis rip life and limb from the U.S. Gulf Coast to South Asia. I am encouraged by the grassroots activism that today draws millions of volunteers to the cause of global poverty. And I am delightfully inspired by the kindred spirits that endure the rubble of squatter land that Father Joe knows to be holy.
If you look, you will see what he sees: shared responsibility. Family.
Political bodies may be hampered by self-interest and wear blinders of bias, indebted as they are to districts, constituents, and lobbies. But what politicians cannot or will not achieve, I have faith that individuals can and will. God-shaped and God-filled.