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"We need to save those Elders who cannot speak for themselves -- the trees." ~ Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders
The trees are the Elders of the Earth. Go to the forest or to the mountains and find a young tree. Then find an old tree. Spend time with each. Sit by the young tree and listen to your thoughts. Then move to an old tree and listen to your thoughts again. Just being in the presence of an old tree, you will feel more calm. Your thoughts will contain wisdom and your answers will be deeper. Why is this so? These old trees know more, have heard more, and are the Elders of the Earth. We must ensure these trees live so we can learn from them. My Creator, help me to protect the trees and listen to them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
all alone in a empty room
nothing left but the memory's
of whennn
i had my best friend
and i don't know how we ended up here
i don't know but it's never been so clear
we made a mistake dear
and i see the broken glass infront of me
i see your shadow hanging over me
and your face i can see
through the tree's
i will find you
i will heal
the ruins left inside you
cause im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
until im set free
go quiet through the tree's
and i remember how we used to talk
about the places we will go when we were off
and all that we were gonna find
and i remember watching our seeds grow
and how you cried when you saw the first leaf show
the love was pouring for your eyes
so can you see
the branches hanging over me
can you see
the love you left inside of me
and my face
can you see
through the tree's
i will find you
i will heal
the ruins left inside you
cause im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
until im set free
go quiet through the tree's
cause your not coming back
and your not coming back
noooooooooooooooooooooo
noooooooooooooooooooooo
nooo your not coming back
your not coming back
and take my breath
as your own
and take my eye's to guide you home
cause im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
and im still here
cause im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
and im still here
cuz im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
im still here breathing now
and im still here
and your not coming back
im still here breathing now
and your not coming back
im still here breathing now
cause your not coming back
im still here breathing now
until im set free
go quiet through the tree's
* through the trees *- low shoulder (ryan levine)
Shot at dawn. A memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to those tied to a wooden stake and executed by firing squad for showing cowardice the face of the enemy.
They were sick, cold, hungry, tired and terrified. They saw their friends bombed, gassed and cut to pieces in spectacular numbers and they were reduced to trembling wrecks by relentless shellfire and the imminence of their own demise.
Many had lied about their age to fight for King and Country. But 307 of them were executed by their comrades, often for little more than being frightened, confused young men.
Between 1914 and 1920, more than 3,000 British soldiers were sentenced to death by courts martial for desertion, cowardice, striking an officer, disobedience, falling asleep on duty or casting away arms. Although only 11 per cent of the sentences were carried out, those who were shot at dawn were denied legal representation and the right of appeal. Medical evidence which showed that many were suffering from shell-shock - or post traumatic stress disorder - was either not submitted to the courts or was ignored. Most hearings lasted no more than 20 minutes.
Transcripts made public 75 years after the events suggest that some of the men were underage. Others appeared to have wandered away from the battlefield in states of extreme distress and confusion, yet they were charged with desertion.
One 19-year-old, Pte George Roe of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, was executed for desertion, even though one witness told his court martial: "[Roe] came up to me and asked if I was a policeman. He told me that he had lost his way and had been wandering about for two days."
Another 19-year-old, Pte James Archibald of the 17th Royal Scots, told his comrades he "felt queer" while en route to the trenches at 6.30pm on 14 May 1916. At 3pm the next day, he was found asleep in a barn. He was shot by firing squad three weeks later.
Sgt Joe Stones of the Durham Light Infantry was arrested in January 1917 after an ambush in which his commanding officer was killed. Stones, whose previous bravery had been acknowledged by officers, had wedged his non- functioning rifle across a narrow trench to slow down Germans who were pursuing him. He was deemed to have "cast away his arms" and was executed.
Pte Joseph Byers was underage when he enlisted in 1914. By January 1915, the war had ground the young man down and he went absent without leave. After being caught, he admitted attempting to desert in the naive belief that his honesty and contrition would earn him a prison sentence. He was shot at dawn two weeks later.
Andrew Mackinlay, the Labour MP for Thurrock who has been campaigning for pardons for the men for five years, said: "When the suppressed documents relating to these courts martial were released, they showed that these men were demonstrably shell-shocked."
"Even where we can't prove the men were ill, we can say that there was one common denominator - they were all denied natural justice. None was given access to legal representation or the right of appeal. Most of them were not given proper medical examinations and so their conditions were ignored."
Mr Mackinlay would like to see either a blanket pardon by royal prerogative - which would not require legislation - or each case to be examined on its merits by High Court judges. None of the cases he is concerned with involves treason or mutiny.
Julian Putkowski, co-author of Shot at Dawn (Pen & Sword), said: "The function of these executions was to intimidate and frighten soldiers in the battlefield to get them to take part in pointless exercises in which thousands were slaughtered."
"The composite soldier in the trenches would be suffering from chronic insomnia and anxiety attacks. He would be wet and cold in wind-chill factors that dragged temperatures as low as minus-18.
"It was enough to drive anyone crazy. To say that all these men who were shot were bad and deserved their punishment is to ignore all these factors. Most just couldn't take any more."
By 1930, Parliament had introduced legislation banning the death sentence for the offences for which the 307 were shot.
Sgt Joe Stones stood at just 5ft 2ins tall, but he was promoted over the heads of stronger men because of his acknowledged bravery and leadership qualities.
Time and again he led barbed-wire parties out into No Man's Land, risking his life while caring for the men in his charge. But he was executed for "casting away his arms" in one of the most bizarre tragedies of the war.
Stones, 25, of the 19th Durham Light Infantry, had been in the trenches of northern France for a year when, one cold morning in January 1917, he went on patrol with his commanding officer. The men were ambushed by Germans and the officer was killed, but Stones couldn't to return fire because he had not removed a protective cover from the breach of his rifle.
The young sergeant turned and ran but had the presence of mind to wedge his rifle across a narrow trench to slow the Germans. He reached his comrades in the rear, shouting: "The Hun are upon us," and gave them enough time to escape.
However, he was charged with casting away his arms and two corporals, John McDonald and Peter Goggins, were charged with quitting their posts as they made their escape.
At Stones's court martial, one officer, Lt J.Rider, wrote: "I have personally been out with him in No Man's Land and always found him keen and bold. In the trenches, he never showed the least sign of funk. ...I have had countless opportunities of seeing him under bad circumstances. I can safely say that he was the last man I would have thought capable of any cowardly action."
But Stones, along with the corporals, was executed anyway.
Like many families whose sons were shot at dawn, Stones's never spoke of him again. His great nephew, Tom Stones, 56, found out about him only last year.
"My grandfather was a lay preacher and he kept a bible with details of family members, the war and battles written inside - but there was no mention of my great uncle Joe," he said.
"What they did to him makes me very angry. They shot him like a rat. It's clear that the poor bugger was no coward. I don't want a medal for him, but I do think he should get a pardon and an apology."
Pte Harry Farr of the West Yorkshire Regiment had been in hospital for five months recovering from shell shock before they sent him back to the trenches.
For two years, the 26-year-old married man from Kensington, west London, had been through some of the worst action of the war before he cracked up in 1916. And, four months after sending him back into the fray, he cracked up again.
The transcript of his court martial at Ville-sur-Ancre records that Farr failed to report for duty on 17 September. He fell out without permission, intending to find an officer to report sick to. However, his pleas fell on deaf ears and he was dragged, kicking and screaming, towards the front before being charged with cowardice.
He told the court martial: "I returned to the 1st Line Transport hoping to report sick to some medical officer there. On the sergeant major's return I reported to him and said I was sick and I could not stand it.
"He then said: `You are a fucking coward and you will go to the trenches. I give fuck all for my life and I give fuck all for yours and I'll get you fucking well shot.'" He was shot at dawn on 18 October.
While he was in the hospital suffering from shell shock, a nurse wrote a letter home for him to his wife, Gertrude, because his hands were shaking too much to hold a pen. It was the last she heard from him.
Gertrude kept her husband's fate a secret for more than 70 years. She was 99 when the papers relating to his case were released and her granddaughter, Janet Booth, was able to explain that he had not been a coward, but was simply a sick young man unable to take any more killing.
"After all those years not mentioning him, she spent the last days of her life talking about Harry Farr," said Mrs Booth. "It meant an awful lot to her to have the stigma removed. Now I'd like to see my grandfather pardoned."
Those cabinets are (pest-proof) metal. Every so often each specimen sheet is taken out and put in the freezer for a week to kill bugs.
Many thanks for your friendship, comments, invites and good wishes. Also thank you to those who have made me their contact. Due to poor health, eye problems and low energy I regret I can't take on any new contacts but nearly always manage to reply to your comments.
I am getting too many requests from those unknown to me to look at a picture, via flickrmail. If you want me to see a picture then leave me a comment and I will go to your site. I can only respond to flickrmail from my contacts, friends, those who comment on my photos or those with whom I am in regular contact.
One invite welcome-more, too many. I send my best wishes to you all.
This is my little girl.
Always positive and happy in life. Perhaps thats why she never is still long enough for me to get a good shot of her.
Here is one of the few I'm happy to show. A bit edited with just a tad more exposure and sharpness in the eyes and of cause converted to black and white.
It was taken with a Fujifilm X-T10 and 56mm f/1.2 R APD @ f/1.2.
And yes, she really got such bright, clear eyes to begin with. I just gave it a little extra oompf.
visiting an old concentrationcamp in Germany, impressive for us and the kiddo's , make your humble and o so little....
You don't see one of those on that train every day but on Saturday 13th August 1983 a long-standing Class 31 tradition was broken by 37253 atop 1E83, the 0739 Chesterfield-Yarmouth at Derby, platform 4 awaiting the 0814 off to continue via Nottingham & Grantham. Behind the Eastfield vacuum only machine can be seen a DMU in platform 5 which will form the SO 0817 all stations to Crewe.
There are several areas of mining for ironstone still visible in the Emley area ofWest Yorkshire. Those featured in this panorama lie to the south of Woodhouse Lane and Bentley Grange Farm. The earliest workings are thought to be the monks from the Abbey of Byland in North Yorkshire who established a furnace adjacent to Bank Wood. By the mid 15th century this appears to have ceased and it was not until the late 16th century that the Wentworth family exploited the Tankersley ironstone bed in this area. These remains are most likely from this latter period. In the 1950s much of the surrounding area was opencast mined for coal and the ironstone remains lost. This surviving area is now a scheduled ancient monument. Other pits can be found in Bank Wood and in fields to the west of the wood.
The Manhattan Beach Pier is a pier located in Manhattan Beach, California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The pier is 928 feet (283 m) long and located at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard.[4] An octagonal Mediterranean-style building sits at the end of the pier and houses the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium. Surfers can be seen below the pier and sometimes weave in and out of the mussel-covered pilings. The pier is popular with locals, tourists, photographers, and artists and for fishing. It offers sunsets and vantage points from the shore and hillside.
History
Pre-history
In 1897, the Potencia Company was incorporated to develop land in the area and proposed a seaside resort with wharves and piers.[1] The area was named Potencia, but the city of Manhattan was incorporated in 1912 with the word "Beach" being added in 1927.[1] The name was chosen by land developer John Merrill[disambiguation needed], a native of New York.[1]
A pier is believed to have been one of the first features built when the Manhattan Beach community was developed.[5] Two wooden piers were built in 1901, one at Center Street (later renamed Manhattan Beach Boulevard[6]) and one at Marine Avenue called Peck's Pier and Pavilion.[2]
The Center Street Pier was 900 feet (270 m) long and pylons were made by fastening three railroad rails together and driving them into the ocean floor.[5] It supported a narrow wooden deck and wave motor to generate power for the Strand lighting system, but sources disagree about whether the system worked.[1][2][5] Part of the wave motor may still be buried in the sands at the shore end of the present pier.[2] This "old iron pier", as it was called, was destroyed by a major storm in 1913.[5]
Current pier
The pier from Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Lack of money, lawsuits, storms, World War I and debates about when and where to build another pier delayed Manhattan Beach from having a pier completed until 1920.[1][5] Engineer A.L. Harris developed the concept of the circular end for less exposure and damage to the pilings by the waves.[1] The pier was completed and dedicated on July 5, 1920.[1][2] The next version built was a cement pier with a rounded end and it was 928 feet (283 m) long.[5] Octagonal house that now holds a lunch restaurant was completed in 1922.[5] In 1928, a 200-foot (61 m) wooden extension was added but it was destroyed in a storm in 1940.[5] In 1991 the pier was restored to its 1920s appearance with a dedication ceremony in 1992.[5]
In 1928 the pier was extended out 200 feet (at no cost to the city) when a Captain Larsen of Redondo Beach offered to pay for an extension in exchange for the rights to run a shoreboat between the pier and his barge Georgina.[1] On January 9, 1940, 90 feet (27 m) of the extension were ripped away during a winter storm. The extension was never repaired and the remaining section was swept away in February 1941.[1]
In 1946 the pier and adjoining beach were deeded over from the city of Manhattan Beach to the state.[1] During the next four decades the pier would remain a focus of beachfront activity, but Mother Nature and old age took their toll and by the 1980s the pier was in sad shape and in need of renovation.[1]
Restoration took place in the early 1990s with a focus on retention of the old time appearance, much like Pier 7 in San Francisco.[1] The original pier had to be fixed as old age and decay required extensive repair, and in fact made it unsafe by the late 1980s (when a jogger was injured by falling concrete).[1]
In 1995, the pier was declared a state historic landmark.[3][7] It is the oldest standing concrete pier on the West Coast.[7][8] It is managed by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Beaches and Harbors.[1] Correction: The Pier is managed by the City of Manhattan Beach Public Works
Attractions
Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium
The Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium is located at the end of the pier, and is free to the public. The Aquarium includes a shark tank, tide pool touch tank with animals common to Southern California, tanks with lobsters, and baby sharks as well as brightly colored, non-native fish and invertebrates.[2] The aquarium is open Saturdays & Sundays 10 a.m. to sunset and Monday through Friday 3 p.m. to sunset and group and education tours offered.[2]
The octagonal building includes a Spanish tile roof and large gooseneck reflectors to improve lighting.[1]
Fishing
According to Pierfishing.com the sandy beach area yields the normal surf species; barred surfperch, croakers, small rays and guitarfish (shovelnose shark). The pier is especially known for its magnificent barred surfperch fishing. At times, anglers catch hundreds of them within an hour of time, using mainly small jigs and sandcrabs. The area around the pilings yield pileperch, walleye surfperch, silver surfperch, and other common pier species. Mid-pier, casting away from the pier, yields small tom cod (white croaker) and herring (queenfish), jacksmelt, yellowfin croaker and an occasional halibut. Action at the end of the pier is improved by the surrounding artificial reef which is located about 65 feet (20 m) from the end. Fish at the deepest water end include bonito, Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel, barracuda, an occasional white seabass or even yellowtail, and reef visitors like kelp bass, sand bass and sculpin (scorpionfish).[1] The resident species in Santa Monica Bay may be dangerous to eat, but those that migrate in and out of the bay are considered safe to eat.[1] A variety of baits are utilized.
Surfing
The pier played a significant role in the history of surfing. The pier was a popular spot for Southern California surfers in the 1940s, the early days of modern surfing. Dale Velzy, the first commercial surfboard shaper, started his business building and repairing boards under the pier before renting a nearby storefront in 1949, starting what is considered the first surf shop.[9]
In film
It is used in
Point Break (1991) - Keanu Reeves buys his surfboard from a shop located on the pier.
Starsky & Hutch (2004) - Starsky (Ben Stiller), can be seen stretching under the pier.
Tequila Sunrise (1988) - Mel Gibson's character lives on the beach near the pier.
敦化路428號的九樓，是這幾個月來每天待上十小時的地方。
從學生時代就和九樓相當有緣...許多回憶都與9有關。倒數幾天了，我想我會懷念那些累了就到陽台數格子的日子，也會想念偷閒買來的那咖啡味。陽台的空氣格外的清新，不似辦公室內陳腐的氣息...我一直覺得是因為它是距離現實生活與理想生活最近的一個連接處...在這裡可以輕易感受到兩者無情的夾擊。
一個小小的空間，究竟有什麼樣的魔力，能讓人暫時忘卻那些惱人的事物？遼闊的視野...恨不得將它放進胸膛裡...貪心的我。
a wild palestinian tortoise (Testudo graeca - not sure of subspecies, for those interested check www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/newfloweri.html ), on our project site land. our old palestinian farmhouse in the background - bethlehem, west bank. if anyone is interested in visiting, volunteering on our permaculture farm, or donating - please contact me. for project brief see below...
BUSTAN QARAAQA
The Project:
Bustan Qaraaqa (the Tortoise Garden) is a permaculture initiative in the Palestinian West Bank, near to the city of Bethlehem. Working closely with our neighbours, we are creating a model permaculture farm and carrying out environmental education activities with the local community, youth, and farmers.
The aims of the project are fourfold:
•To address and combat the degradation of the Palestinian environment, and to actively pursue the conservation of native Palestinian species.
•To provide a space for experimentation and demonstration of easily replicable Permaculture methods for sustainable living systems, and to nurture an ongoing interest in these methods within the local community.
•To carry out environmental education activities with Palestinian youth groups, fostering the knowledge and skills to appreciate human impact on the environment and to take action for positive change in the way we interact with it.
•To encourage volunteers from all over the world to visit Palestine, and learn skills for sustainable living, whilst also learning about the situation in the Palestinian Territories, and the reality of life under military occupation.
The Site:
Bustan Qaraaqa takes its name from the numerous tortoises found roaming the site. The ancient farmhouse that is at the heart of the project is nestled in a beautiful wadi (valley) between the verdant mountains of Bethlehem and the spectacular Judean desert. The site includes twelve dunums (4 acres) of terraces and valley floor, as well as a large rooftop space, outbuildings and a number of caves.
We have room to house 8 short-term visitors in dormitory rooms in the oldest part of the house, which consists of beautiful caves carved into the side of the hill, in addition to three private rooms for long-term volunteers. There is also plentiful space on the roof for those who wish to sleep under the stars, or for camping in the caves that are spread throughout the site.
The prices include breakfast and are as follows:
Accomodation in the house – 60 shekels per night (1-14 days)
–50 shekels per night (> 14 days)
–1200 shekels per month (> 1 month)
–1000 shekels per month (> 2 months)
Sleeping on the roof – 25 shekels per night (150 shekels per week)
Camping in the caves – 25 shekels per night (150 shekels per week)
The Context:
The Palestinian environment and the Palestinian people face a unique set of challenges as a result of the ongoing Israeli military occupation and colonization of the Palestinian Territories. The Palestinian environment is degrading rapidly as a result of the combined pressures of population growth, industrialization and climate change. As an arid to semi-arid area, the Palestinian Territories faces problems with water scarcity and desertification which are likely to escalate as a result of global climate change. Overlaying these problems is the structure of the Israeli military occupation and the restrictions it imposes on Palestinian access to resources and the ability of Palestinians to manage and control their environment and their impact on it. Further complication is added by the network of Israeli settlements across the West Bank with their associated effects of land confiscation, movement restriction and monopolization of resources. These serious factors further compound on an already dire environmental situation which directly affects Palestinian lives; the very people who have no control over the land in which they live.
Over 60% of the land area of the West Bank is designated as Area C, which means that Israel retains full military and civil control over it. Palestinians cannot carry out development projects in Area C, such as the construction of sanitary landfills or sewage treatment plants, without first getting a permit from the Israeli authorities, a process that often takes years. The areas over which the Palestinian authorities do have control mainly comprise towns and villages which are densely populated and not suitable locations for such projects. Thus pollution of soil, air and groundwater as a result of almost non-existent waste management facilities is a serious and widespread problem.
Palestinian access to water is restricted and the Palestinian Territories are in the midst of an ongoing and worsening water crisis. Over 200 000 Palestinians are not connected to the public water network and are reliant on delivery of water by tankers which are often obstructed from reaching their destinations by road blocks, curfews and closures. The water supply to the population who are connected to the network is unreliable, with frequent cut-offs being experienced, particularly during summer months. 40% of the population receive an average of less than 50 litres of water per person per day, which is half the amount recommended by the World Health Organization to maintain a decent standard of living. Lack of access to water and high water prices limit the ability of Palestinians to grow their own food.
On top of all this, the Palestinian people are becoming increasingly urbanised and disconnected from the environment as a result of the construction of the Separation Wall (which will annex approximately 10% of the land area of the West Bank to Israel) and the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements. In the Bethlehem area alone, over 18 000 acres of land are being cut off by the Wall, devastating the local farming economy and ghettoizing the population. As a result of this and of the general economic crisis in the Palestinian Territories, the food security of Palestinians is threatened, and Palestinian children are growing up in crumbling ghettoes under conflict conditions, disconnected from their natural heritage and facing daily hardships as environmental and economic conditions worsen.
Finding ways to live sustainably under such circumstances is an enormous challenge, and one that will require innovative thinking and determination. However, the difficulty of the problem is equalled by its urgency. Palestinians are struggling for their very existence in the midst of political, economic and environmental crises that threaten to destroy all quality of life, while resolution of the conflict with Israel at a political level seems as far away as ever. Therefore, work at a grassroots level which empowers people to take control of their lives and their environment is crucial.
Why Permaculture?
Permaculture is an integrated approach to the care of the earth and its people. It is about creating sustainable human habitats by following nature's patterns, using the stability and resilience of natural ecosystems to provide a framework and guidance for people to develop their own sustainable solutions to the problems facing their world. Permaculture seeks to foster the skills, confidence and imagination to enable people to become self-reliant, and to seek creative solutions to problems on a global or local scale.
Permaculture techniques can help restore and improve degraded soils, encourage species diversity, harvest and recycle water, maximize efficiency of water use throughout the system, and minimize harmful impacts on the environment from human activities through composting, creatively reusing materials and good waste management practice. Permaculture techniques are highly adaptable, cheap and easy to implement.
We believe that the application of Permaculture design and ethics to the Palestinian context can help ameliorate some of the problems faced by Palestinians. Restoration of robust natural ecosystems that also provide goods and services to the population can help to counteract environmental degradation, conserve species, provide food and materials to people suffering from economic crisis, and restore a sense of independence and dignity to people suffering under brutal military occupation.
Current Activities:
We are currently in the process of renovating the farmhouse to turn it into a functioning permaculture centre and guesthouse. The guesthouse is expected to open in May, when work will begin on laying the foundations of the permaculture farm: building rainwater harvesting systems, laying the graywater system, building greenhouses and propagating seeds. The construction of each of these components will be used as the framework for open workshops on permaculture techniques, when we will invite local youth groups to join us in learning about environmental problems, and ways of taking action to improve the situation.
In addition, we are partnering with Paidia (www.pidev.org) to hold a series of environmental awareness workshops with groups of Palestinian youth, focussing on the theme of environmental responsibility and solid waste management. The central activity of these workshops is to build a picnic area close to Paidia’s adventure playground out of discarded tyres and rubbish collected from the surrounding area.
We are also working on creating a community garden together with Lighting Candles (www.lightingcandles.org), a local Palestinian NGO working to support women and children whose lives are being adversely affected by the conflict. We are holding a series of workshops on Permaculture themes as we work together with the children to create a beautiful space for people to enjoy.
Upcoming Events:
We plan to hold a week long Permaculture course in July this year consisting of a series of workshops and lectures, with tuition from locally renowned Permaculturalists. The course will be open to both Palestinians and international participants, and will also incorporate lectures on the Palestinian environmental situation from representatives of local NGOs. The week’s activities will also serve as an opportunity to open our doors to the local community and share with them our vision as well as beginning an ongoing dialogue about ways in which we can support each other in creating positive change on the ground.
Funding:
We have so far successfully raised €8500 from donors based in the Netherlands for renovation of the farmhouse, and a further £1300 from UK sources to help with the ongoing material expenses of the project.
The running costs of the project each month including the rent for the site, utility bills, salaries for part-time Palestinian staff and pocket money for long-term international volunteers total £865. Ultimately we hope to be able to defray these costs from revenues raised from the guesthouse. However, we are still seeking small grants to help us secure the rent for the site, pay for set-up costs of the farm (including plants and building materials), support us in holding environmental education workshops with local youth groups, and to support the salaries of Palestinian project staff.
Long-term Vision
We have secured a renewable 5 year lease contract with the owners of the site, in which time we will aim to turn Bustan Qaraaqa into a fully functioning model Permaculture farm. During this time we also intend to create links and build trust within the local community, helping to propagate many permaculture initiatives with local partners and reaching out to many Palestinian youths. By the end of the first five years, it is our objective to have handed over decision making power and control over project activities to Palestinians. At this stage we will renegotiate the terms of the lease with the landowners, with the objective of securing a stable, long-term agreement to continue our work of building a grassroots Permaculture movement in the Palestinian Territories.
www.greenintifada.blogspot.com
for details about Bustan Qaraaqa guest house including rates and photos of rooms see: www.flickr.com/people/bustanqaraaqa/
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
In the period immediately after the Second World War the world found itself with hundreds of thousands of surplus aircraft and just as many surplus aviators. Most aircraft would meet the salvage blade and the smelter’s fiery furnace. Most pilots would return to civilian life, the bulk of them never to fly again.
With the plethora of military aircraft languishing in desert lots awaiting a certain fate, some of those disenfranchised aviators and aircraft designers would look to new growing markets for salvation. One of these emerging markets was the new-found requirement for fast and capable business transport aircraft for executives looking to link business interests across the vast distances of the nation. With few purpose-built business aircraft available for executives, medium bombers became the drug of choice for high flying big shots—fast, powerful and, with the right interior appointments, a visual statement of their success and power.
In early variants like the Executive, On Mark simply removed military equipment and replaced them with fairings and civil avionics, sealed the bomb bay doors, soundproofed the cabin, and added additional cabin windows. Later models had special wing spars designed to give more interior room, pressurization and equipment from bigger surplus aircraft such as DC-6 brakes and flat glass cockpit windows. It was an elegant mashing together of equipment, but it was not a true business aircraft.
In the Sixties, Jet Craft Ltd. of Las Vegas, Nevada, went for a different interpretation of the same topic: The company had purchased a number of former Royal Australian Air Force Vampire trainers and RCAF single-seaters, which were to be converted to a new design for a business aircraft called 'Mystery Jet', offering 4-8-seats.
Jet Craft worked with stellar British conversion experts Aviation Traders to do the structural design work. Aviation Traders Limited (ATL) was a war-surplus aircraft and spares trader formed in 1947. In 1949, it began maintaining aircraft used by some of Britain’s contemporary independent airlines on the Berlin Airlift. In the early 1950s, it branched out into aircraft conversions and manufacturing.
Aviation Traders worked on the drawings and the structural mock-ups. A full-scale mock-up of the Mystery Jet languished at Southend airport for a decade, trying to lure owners and operators into buying it. And this actually happened: about twenty former Vampire airframes were converted into Mystery Jet business aircraft, tailored to the customers' needs and desires.
The Mystery Jet was just what it looked like: a former De Havilland Vampire with a new, roomy nose section grafted onto it. The cabin was pressurized, and was available in two different lengths (130 and 160 inches long, with two or three rows of seats and reflected in the aircraft's title) and several window and door options - the most exotic option being the "Landaulet" cabin which featured a panoramic roof/window installation over the rear pair of seats (or, alternatively, a two-seat bench).
The original Goblin engine was retained, CG was retained due to the fact that the new cabin was, despite being considerably longer than the Vampire's nose, the biggest version being more than 8 feet longer. The new front section was much lighter, though, e. g. through the loss of the heavy cannons and their armament, as well as some more military avionics. The loss of fuel capacity through the enlarged cabin was compensated through fixed wing tip tanks, so that range was on par with the former military jet, just top speed and ceiling were slightly inferior.
Anyway, prices were steep and from the United States more modern and economical offerings ruled the market. Maintaining a former military jet was also a costly business, so, consequently, after a slight buzz (more of a hum, actually) in the early Seventies, the Mystery Jet and Jet Craft of Las Vegas, also fuelled by some dubious business practices by the company's owner, disappeared. Even further developments of the original concept, e .g. with a wide body for up to 14 passengers and two engines, would not save the Mystery Jet from failure.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1 pilot plus 5-7 passengers
Length (Mystery Jet 160): 38 ft 5 in (11.73 m)
Wingspan incl. tip tanks: 39 ft 7 1/2 in (12.09 m)
Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
Wing area: 262 ft² (24.34 m²)
Empty weight: 7,283 lb (3,304 kg)
Max. take-off weight: 12,390 lb (5,620 kg)
Powerplant:
1× de Havilland Goblin 3 centrifugal turbojet, rated at 3,350 lbf (14.90 kN)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 516 mph (832 km/h)
Cruising speed: 400 mph (644 km/h)
Range: 1,220 mi (1,960 km)
Service ceiling: 37,700 ft (11,500 m)
Armament:
None
The kit and its assembly:
The first finished work in 2017 is a different kind of whif, one of the few civilian models in my collection. This conversion looks sick, but ,as weird as it may seem, the Business-Jet-From-Vintage-Vampires idea was real. For more information, and the source from where some of the backgound story was gathered, please check:
www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/article...
Anyway, my build is just a personal interpretation of the original concept, not a true model of the Mystery Jet. In fact, this was limited through the donor parts for this kitbash.
The rear end was the smaller problem: Airfix offers a very good Vampire T.11 trainer with excellent detail and fit - the passenger cabin was the bigger challenge. Finding "something" that would fit in shape and especialsl size was not easy - my first choice was a nose section from a vintage 1:100 Antonow An-24 from VEB Plasticart (still much too wide, though), and the best solution came as an accidental find in a local model kit shop where I found a heavily discounted MPM Focke Wulf Fw 189 B-0 trainer.
The reason: the kit was complete, but the bag holding the sprues must have been heated immensely during the packaging process: the main sprues were horrible warped - except for some single parts including the canopies and the sprue with the cabin! Height wind width were perfect, only the boxy shape caused some headaches. But I guess I would not find anything better...
That said, the transplantation mess started. I never built any of the two donor kits before, so I carefully tried to find the best place where to cut the Vampire's nose - I ended up with a staggered solution right in front of the wing root air intakes.
The Fw 189's cabin was bit more tricky, because I had to get rid of the original wing roots and wanted to use as much space as possible, up to the rear bulkhead and together with the rear cabin window. The idea was to blend the Fw 189's roof line into the Vampire's engine section, while keeping the original air intake ducts, so that the overall arrangement would look plausible.
The result became a pretty long nose section - and at that time the tail booms were not fited yet, so I was not certain concerning overall proportions. The cabin's underside had to be improvised, and blending the boxy front end with a flat underside into the tubby, round Vampire fuselage caused some headaches. I also had to re-create the lower flank section with styrene sheet, because I had originally hoped that I could "push" the new cabin between the wing roots - but that space was occupied by the Goblin's inlet ducts.
Inside of the cabin, the original floor, bulkheads and dashboard were used, plus five bucket seats that come with the MPM kit. In order to hide the body work from the inside, side panels from 0.5mm styrene sheet were added in the cabin - with the benefit of additional stability, but also costing some space... Since the machine was built with closed cabin, a pilot was added - actually a bash of a WWII Matchbox pilot and a German officer from an ESCI tank kit. Looks pretty good and "professional". ;-)
Once the cabin was in place, lots of PSR followed and the tail booms could be fitted. To my relief, the longer nose did not look too unbalanced (and actually, design sketches for the original Mystery Jet suggest just this layout!) - but I decided to add wing tip tanks which would beef up wingspan and shift the visual mass slightly forward. They come from an 1:100 Tamiya Il-28, or better the "R" recce variant.
The only other big change concerned the nose wheel. While the OOB wheel and strut were used, the well is now located in front of the wheel and it would retract forwards, giving the nose a more balanced look - and the cabin arrangement made this change more plausible, too.
Another addition were three small porthole windows in the solid parts of the cabin flanks - one of them ending up in the middle of the cabin door on starboard, where a solid part of the canopy roof lent itself for a good place just behind the pilots' seats.
Painting and markings:
I cannot help it, but the thing looks like a design from a vintage Tintin or Yoko Tsuno comic! This was not planned or expected - and actually the paint scheme evolved step by step. I had no plan or clue what to apply - the real Mystery Jet mock-up in silver with blue trim looked sharp, but somehow I did not want blue. So I started with the interior (out of a necessity, as the fuselage had to be closed before any further work progress at some point) and settled for plushy, British colors: Cream (walls and roof) and Claret-Red (carpet and seats).
I tried to find something for the outside that would complement this choice of colors, and eventually settled on Ivory and White (upper and lower fuselage halves, respectively) with some deep red trim, plus pale grey wing surfaces. I even considered some thin golden trim lines, but I think this would have been too much?
The trim was created with decals tripes from generic sheet material, the black anti-glare panel was painted, though. As a color contrast I painted some of the upper canopy panels in translucent, light blue, and this looks very good.
The wings received a lightb treatment with thinned black ink, in order to emphasize the engravings. No post-shading was done, though, for a rather clean look.
Most markings were puzzled together; the registration G-AZRE actually belonged to a Vickers Vanguard (from the 1:144 Airfix kit), the large letters above and under the wings were created with single 45° letters (USAF style). Most stencils come from a Vampire trainer aftermarket sheet from Xtradecal, from the OOB sheet only the "No step" warnings on the wings were used.
Finally, the kit was sealed with a semi-matt coat of varnish, except for the anti-glare panel, which recived a matt coat. The three small windows received artificial panes made from Clearfix, after their rims had been painted black.
A messy project, and you better do not take a close look. But the overall elegance of this creation surprises me - the real Mystery Jet already looked sleek, and this model, despite a more blunt nose, confirms this impression. The colors work together well, too - and the thing has a dedicated retro feel about it. Tintin might be on board, as well as Elton John, both sharing a cigar on the rear seats... ;)
Those lazy, hazy days of summer. This Providencia Santiago teen enjoys posing for a photo by her girlfriend. I snuck up and fired off a half dozen shots as she started to smile. They both thought it was funny. Today is Monday, December 8th, a national religious holiday. No school and Keds are cool.
A steampunky, elk-like automaton; I posed myself three objectives for this MOC: convey a rusty aesthetic, combine many different textures, and integrate Bionicle elements (something I've wanted to do for a long time but never had the right project for.)
Tiki had a spring hairdo. Now both of her ears stand-up. When her hair is longer, one stands up & the other flops.
"Getting to the goldfield was not easy. Those who tried to come directly from Melbourne, via Whittlesea and the Kinglake Ranges, were faced with “heavily timbered forests, magnificent alpine steppes, bridgeless creeks, blind gullies and crab holes; and mile after mile of black peat like quagmire.”7 Alternatively they could take a train or coach to Kilmore, then make their way from there via the “Magpie and Stump”8 and Reedy Creek, a distance of 35 miles9. They could even take a coach which left Melbourne three days a week for Yea and Alexandra."
Yaaay! look whos back :D =p I'm back after a month? =p .
Exams-Work-Sickness, kept me busy n away.
Today morning in a sleepy and lazy mode i picked up my weapon shot down some sequins. My bokeh try turned out good, so now you'll get to see more of it! teehee.
Those two fit so good together!
Training my daughter and the horse is going far better than expected!
Yesterday I got those too gorgeous girls with Dania Zarr. They are really "electric" !
Their name are Jaipur (for Jasper) and Raja(for Rufus blue)...
Goodnestone is like an old friend; I can remember visiting here in 2009 or 2010, following an annotated map, looking for East Kent churches before I ventured back into the world of work.
Back then, Holy Cross was undergoing renovations, so I returned the next year and snapped it's interior, but missed loads out.
There are two parishes and churches going by the name of Goodnestone, this is the one near to Wingham, an estate church, but done very well indeed, situated in the heart of the village by the pub. Always a good location.
I am going to have to go back to so many of those early churches to see what else I missed.
Holy Cross is mostly an early 19th century church, but the tower is ancient, as are other parts. But what I remember was the neat knapped flint bricks facing the nave and chanel, but on this visit I also saw the cobblestones. The quality of the knapping is very high indeed, and shows the skill in this mostly forgotten art.
Inside it is early Gothic Revival, I guess, but with ancient fittings, including some great brasses.
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A large and eminently satisfying village church. The old part - north aisle of fourteenth-century date and tower of the fifteenth century - was enlarged in 1839 by a rebuilt nave and chancel. The architects were Rickman and Hussey, pioneers of the nineteenth-century Gothic Revival. The exterior is of knapped flints with stone dressings. Inside all is light and of a piece with an elaborate and dignified chancel. In the north aisle is the monument by Scheemakers to Sir Brook Bridges (d. 1717) who built Goodnestone Park, the gardens of which abut the churchyard. There are small pieces of medieval glass, but by far the most impressive window is at the east end of the north aisle, dated and signed E.S. 1899, showing the story of St Gregory and the Slave Boys.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Goodnestone+2
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GOODNESTON,
GENERALLY called, and known by the name of GUNSTON, lies the next parish south-eastward from Wingham. It is usually written in antient records, Godwineston, which name it took from earl Godwine, once owner of it.
GUNSTON is situated exceedingly healthy and pleasant, in a fine dry and open champaign country, of upland hill and dale. The soil is fertile, though in general inclined to chalk; the lands are mostly arable, open and uninclosed, having a few small inclosures scattered among them, especially about Gunston house, and the village, where it is well cloathed with elms. The village, which contains about thirty houses, stands, with the church, in the southern part of it, having Gunston-house and park adjoining to it, which, though small in extent, and commanding but little, if any prospect beyond the bounds of it, is a beautiful and elegant situation. At the northern boundary of the parish is the hamlet of Twitham, part only of which is in it; beyond which, at Brook, (the parish of Wingham intervening) is a small district of land within this parish. At the eastern boundary of it is the hamlet and street of Rolling, in which is a small seat, belonging to Sir Brook William Bridges, which a few years ago was in the occupation of Thomas Knight, esq. of Godmersham, and afterwards of Edward Austen, esq. It is now the residence of George Dering, esq. At some distance still further eastward from which there is another small district of land in it, entirely surrounded by the parish of Norborne.
A fair is held here for cattle and pedlary, on the 25th of September, yearly.
The MANOR OF WINGHAM claims paramount over this parish, in which there is one borough, viz. of Rolling, which claims over it.
The MANOR OF GOODNESTON, which before the Norman conquest, was part of the possessions of Godwine, earl of Kent, at whose death it probably came to his son king Harold, and after the battle of Hastings, to the Conqueror; after which it appears to have been held by a family who took their surname from it, one of whom, Thomas de Goodwyneston, held it of the archbishop in king Henry III.'s reign, and in this family, (who bore for their arms, Sable, three martlets, between seven cross-croslets, argent; as they were formerly painted in the windows of this church) it continued down to William de Goodneston, who did homage for it to archbishop Warham at the beginning of king Henry VIII.'s reign. After which it seems to have been divided, and the manor itself, with part of the demesne lands, to have passed into the name of Henecre; and the mansion, with the rest of the demesne lands, by Edith, daughter and heir of William Goodneston, in marriage to Vincent Engeham, who afterwards resided here. The antient residence of this family of Edingham, called Engeham by contraction, was at Engeham, in Woodchurch. They divided into three branches, settled at Woodchurch, Great Chart, and Goodneston. They bore for their arms, Argent, a chevron, sable, between three pellets, on a chief, gules, a lion passant-guardant, or. (fn. 1) John Henecre, of Good neston, as appears by his will, died possessed of this manor in 1559, and gave it to William, son of his brother Nicholas, who sold it to Sir Thomas Engeham, grandson of Vincent before-mentioned, and possessor of the mansion, and other part of the lands of it, so that he then became possessed of the whole of it, (fn. 2) held in capite, and it continued in his descendants down to Sir Thomas Engeham, of Goodneston, who about the reign of queen Anne, alienated it, with the appropriation, to Brook Bridges, esq. descended from John Bridges, who was of Worcestershire, at the latter end of queen Elizabeth's reign, whose great-grandson Col. John Bridges, of Warwickshire, left two sons, John, and Brook, the former of whom was of Barton Seagrave, in Northamptonshire, esq. the eldest of whose sons, John Bridges, esq. of that place, wrote the history of that county; Brook Bridges, esq. the second son of Col. John Bridges, was of Grove, in Middlesex, auditor of the imprest in king Charles II.'s reign, and purchaser of Goodnestone, which seat he rebuilt, and dying in 1717, was buried in the chancel of this church, bearing for his arms, Azure, three water bougets, or, within a bordure, ermine. Brook Bridges, esq. his eldest son, succeeded him at Goodneston, and was created a baronet on April 19, 1718, anno 4 George I. and was for many years one of the auditors of the imprest of the treasury, and was twice married, first to Margaret, daughter of Robert, lord Romney, by whom he had no issue; but by his second wife Mary, second daughter of Sir Thomas Hales, bart. of Bekesborne, he left a son Brook, and a daughter Margaret, married to John Plumptree, esq. He died in 1728, and was succeeded by his only son Sir Brook Bridges, bart of Goodneston, sheriff in 1733, in which year he died, having married Elizabeth, eldest surviving daughter and coheir of Sir Thomas Palmer, bart. of Wingham, (who afterwards remarried Charles Fielding, esq. brother to the earl of Denbigh, by whom she had a son Charles). At the death of Sir Brook she was pregnant, and was some months afterwards delivered of a son, the late Sir Brook Bridges, bart. who represented this county in two successive parliaments. He rebuilt this seat, and new laid out the park in the improved modern taste, having married Fanny, only daughter and heir of Edmund Fowler, esq. of Danbury, in Essex, by whom he had five sons and six daughters, of whom, Brook the eldest son, died at Eton school in 1781; William, the second son, after his brother's death, by the archbishop's licence, took the Christian name of Brook likewise, and Brook Henry, the third son, is rector of Danbury, in Essex; of the daughters, Fanny, the eldest, married Lewis Cage, esq. Sophia, the second, married William Deedes, esq. and Elizabeth, the third, married Edward Austen, esq. of Godmersham. Sir Brook Bridges died in 1791, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son the present Sir Brook Wm. Bridges, bart. who is the possessor of this manor, with the seat, park, and appropriation of the church of Goodneston. A court baron is held for this manor.
ROLLING, usually called Rowling, is a manor and hamlet, in the eastern part of this parish, which takes its name from the borough in which it is situated. The manor, now obselete, was antiently the residence of a family who took their name from it. In an old leiger book of Davington priory, beginning at king Henry III.'s reign, there is mention of several of this family among its principal benefactors. How it passed after they were become extinct here, which was not till after king Henry IV.'s reign, I have not found; but in the latter end of king Henry VIII.'s reign, John Adams was become possessed of it, and he sold it to John Idley, gent. who resided here, and dying in 1568, was buried in this church. He left it to John his se cond son, who alienated it to Thomas Butler, a younger son of Richard, of Heronden, in Eastry, esq. and he soon afterwards sold it to Sir Roger Manwood, chief baron, whose son Sir Peter Manwood, K. B. alienated it to Dickenson, who parted with it to John Richards, gent. afterwards of Rowling, and in whose descendants, who bore for their arms, Sable, a chevron, between three fleurs de lis, argent, and lie buried in this church, it continued down to John Richards, gent. who died in 1661, (fn. 3) and by will gave it to William Hammond, esq. of St. Albans, and his son, of the same name, in 1696, an act having passed for that purpose, sold it to Sir John Narborough, bart. whose only sister and heir Elizabeth entitled her husband Sir Thomas D' Aeth, bart. of Knolton, to the possession of it, and his grandson Sir Narborough D'Aeth, bart. now of Knolton, is the present owner of this manor, called Rowling-court, for which there has not been any court held for many years past.
The HOSPITALS OF HARBLEDOWN, and of ST. JOHN, near Canterbury, are jointly possessed of a farm and lands at Rowling, which is demised by them to Sir Narborough D'Aeth, bart.
BONNINGTON, in the south-east part of this parish, was in early times the property and residence of a family of the same name, who appear to have been possessed of it so late as the latter end of the reign of king Edward I. but it became of much more eminent note afterwards, from being the antient seat from whence the numerous and knightly family of Bois branched out, as from their original stock, and spread with distinguished reputation through the eastern parts of this county, deriving their descent from R. de Boys, or de Bosco, who is mentioned in the Battle abbey roil of those who accompanied the Conqueror into England, and were amply rewarded by him with the possessions of the conquered Saxons. From R. de Boys, or de Bosco, before-mentioned, descended John Boys, who was of Bonnington in the 30th year of king Edward III. but his descendant William Boys having purchased Fredville, in the adjoining parish of Nonington, removed thither, though some time before his death he returned to Bonnington, where he died in 1507, and was buried in this church. He left five sons and three daughters. To his eldest son John, he gave Fredville; and to the second, Thomas, he gave Bonnington; giving, as Philipott says, the fairest estate to the former, and the antient family seat to the latter; and from the descendants of John Boys, the eldest son, of Fredville, sprang those of Fredville, Hode, Holt-street, Betshanger, Challock, Deal, Sandwich, St. Gregory's, in Canterbury, Denton, and of Surry; and from the descendants of Thomas Boys, esq. of Bonnington, sprang those of Bonnington, Hith, Mersham, Wilsborough, Sevington, and Uffington, all which are now extinct in the male line, excepting those of Sandwich and Wilsborough, a more particular account of all which may be seen under those several places. In the descendants of Thomas Boys, esq. the second son above-mentioned, of Bonnington, resident here, it continued down to Sir John Boys, to whose coat armour king Charles I. gave the augmentation of a crown imperial, or, on a canton, azure; for his loyalty and valour at Donington castle, in Berkshire, of which he was governor, where being summoned by the parliament forces, to surrender the place under peril of being put to the sword, he stoutly answered, that he would never quit the castle without the king's order, nor take nor give quarter. He died in 1664, and was buried at Goodneston, leaving three daughters his coheirs, and they, in 1666, joined in the sale of it to Thomas Brome, esq. sergeant at-law, whose son William Brome, esq. of Farnborough, alienated it in 1710 to Brook Bridges, esq. Whose descendant Sir Brook William Bridges, bart. of Goodneston, is the present owner of it.
ARCHBISHOP PECKHAM, on the foundation of the college of Wingham in 1286, endowed the second prebend of it with the tithes of the lands of Thomas de Bonyngton and others, in the hamlet of Bonnyngton, in this parish. (fn. 4)
UFFINGTION, in the south-west part of this parish, was another seat of the family of Boys, being purchased by William Boys, esq. (son of Vincent Boys, esq. of Bonnington) for his residence, and he died possessed of it in 1629, in whose descendants it continued till it was at length sold to Oxenden, in which family it has remained ever since, being now the property of Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. of Brome.
Charities.
THOMAS APPLETON, yeoman, of Eastry, by his will in 1593, gave to the poor of this parish, 5l. yearly, to be distributed to the poor people, inhabitants here, fourteen days before Christmas-day; to be paid out of lands belonging to him, called Hardiles, in Woodnesborough.
GABRIEL RICHARDS, gent. by will in 1671, gave a house, barn, stable, and twenty-six acres of land, in this parish, for the support and maintenance of four aged, decayed gentlemen or gentlewomen, single men or single women, born in Kent; with four lodging-rooms for them, with preference to such persons as should be his relations, now vested in feoffees, and worth about 20l. per annum.
The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually thirteen.
GOODNESTON, or Gunston, is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to the Holy Cross, consists of two isles and two chancels, having a beacon tower at the west end, in which are four bells. This church seems to have been erected in great measure by the assistance of the family of Boys, of Bonnington, about the time of king Edward III. for on one side of the west door, under the steeple, is carved in the stone work, Orate p T. boye adjutor isti op. On each side a shield of arms, one a cross, the other a saltier; and at top three more shields, the first of which is that of Langley, and the third of Oxenden; and over a window of the south isle (now stopped up) the centre stone has carved on it, Willyam boyes, and at each corner are carved the singular emblematical figures of a sow with a litter of pigs, and of a sow sitting upright, a chain about its neck, fastened to a rock behind, and an infant child in swaddling clothes in its lap. In the south isle is a stone, with figures in brass, and inscription for William Boys and Isabell his wife. He died anno 1507. In the north isle are monuments for the Richards's, of Rowling, in this parish. In the north window, at the east end, is the figure of a saint, holding in his left hand a shield of arms, Argent, a cross, gules; in his right, a staff, with a cross at top, the lower end in a dragon's mouth, which lies on its back under his feet; and in the same window, the figure of an archbishop, mitre, and pall, his left hand lifted up, as blessing; in his right hand, a staff, with a cross pomelle at top. The pillars between the isles are remarkably large and clumsy, and by their capitals appear antient. In the north chancel, belonging to the estate of Bonnington, are interred the family of Boys, of that seat, though the brasses of most of their stones are lost. A stone, with brasses, and inscription for William Goodneston, gent. obt. 1423; arms, Three martlets, between seven cross-croslets. A stone, with figures in brass, and inscription for Thomas Engeham, esq. and Elizabeth his wife, obt. 1558, both the same year. A monument, with the figures kneeling, for Sir Edward Engeham and his lady; he died in 1636. Another for W. Wood, A. M. minister here, and rector of St. Mary Bredman and St. Andrew, Canterbury, obt. 1735. In the south or high chancel, is a monument for Sir Thomas Engeham, descended from those of Woodchurch; he married Priscilla Honywood, daughter of Mrs. Anne Honywood, who hardly escaping martyrdom in queen Mary's reign, lived to see about four hundred descended from her, obt. 1621. A neat monument for Brook Bridges, esq. (second son of John, of Harcourt-hall, in Worcestershire, esq.) auditor of imprests. He repaired and adorned the church, and built a mansion here on the estate which he had purchased, obt. 1717. In the church-yard is a stone, on which were once figures in brass, long since gone, for Thomas Boys, of Bonnington, and Edith his wife. He died in 1479.
¶The church of Goodneston was antiently a chapel of ease to that of Wingham, and was at the time of the foundation of the college there by archbishop Peckham, in 1286, separated from it, and made a distinct parish of itself, (fn. 5) and then given to the college; and becoming thus appropriated to the college, continued with it till its suppression in king Edward VI.'s reign, when this parsonage appropriate, with the advowson or patronage of the vicarage or curacy of it, came into the hands of the crown, where, though in the intermediate time it had been granted in lease for a term of years, yet the fee of it remained in the crown till the 43d year of queen Elizabeth, who granted it that year to Nicholas Fortescue, esq. and John Shelbury, in fee, to hold in socage, by a yearly rent, and a payment to the vicar yearly of 13l. 6s. 8d. and they passed away their interest in it to Sir Edward Engeham, of Canterbury, who in the beginning of king James I.'s reign, alienated this rectory, and the vicarage-house of Goodneston, with the vicarage, tithes, and profits belonging to it, and the donation of the curacy, to Henry Vanner, alderman of Canterbury, who by will in 1630, augmented the curate's salary, to be paid out of this parsonage, with the further yearly sum of 6l. 13s. 4d. His heirs quickly afterwards passed it away to William Prude, alias Proude, jun. esq. of Canterbury, who died in 1632, in whose descendants it remained till it was sold to one of the family of Engeham, owners of the manor of Goodneston, and continued so till Sir Thomas Engeham alienated it, with that manor, to Brook Bridges, esq. in whose descendants, baronets, of this place, it has continued down to Sir Brook William Bridges, bart. of Goodnestone, the present impropriator and patron of the curacy of this church.
This church is now esteemed as a donative, the value of which has not been certified. In 1640 here were communicants one hundred and seventy.
Gabriel Richards, gent. of Rowling, by his will in 1672, gave to the use of the minister of this parish, a house and orchard, valued at 6l. IOS. per annum.
Shot on iPhone 5.
Just one of those days when a snap of the barb wire around the Bowen Hills train station fence is the best you can do.
I should also thank my Flickr buds for commenting on Meggie's occasional pic of the day - both she and I appreciate the comments as always.
Oh, and another thing... After I met Steven and G in Seattle, I wrote a magazine piece about the great meet up. Anyway, it's been placed in the next edition of the mag - I'll keep the flock update. The fame of our little flickr flock continues :-)
When William Morris, the multimillionaire philanthropist and founder of Morris Motors, died 50 years ago, he left a fortune but no heir. Those were days of greater discretion, so we don't know why Lord and Lady Nuffield never had children. But we do know he would have liked to: visiting a mother and baby in the 1950s, he sighed: "I would have given all my millions for one of those."
The pathos of that sentiment hangs in the air at Nuffield Place, his Oxfordshire country home, now open to the public as a 1930s time warp. A handsome Lutyens-style mansion on the edge of the Chilterns, it was built in 1914 and bought and modernised by the Nuffields in 1933. On Morris's death on 22 August 1963, he left it to Nuffield College in Oxford (which he founded in 1937), stipulating that the house remain intact. Over the years, the college has sold off chunks of his estate, including two farms and a pub, and the house's future was in doubt until, last year, they gave it to the National Trust.
Today, the visitor enters a world of Bakelite phones and Dry Sack medium sherry. A sweet smell of tobacco lingers in the oak-panelled billiard room, which, according to one National Trust volunteer, they have piped in. The house was designed by Oswald Partridge Milne, a pupil of Lutyens and fashionable Edwardian architect, but the building isn't really the main attraction. The magic comes from feeling you are entering another period, and penetrating the private home of one of the richest men of the 20th century.
www.independent.co.uk/property/interiors/the-original-mor...
The beautiful but long and cold winter is finally over, and nature turns greener every day ツ I've been sitting in the sun for 6 hours today (April 27). Finally getting some tan ツ
I have more photos of old buildings and stuff here:
The National Memorial Arboretum is a national site of remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, United Kingdom. It gives its purpose as:
The National Memorial Arboretum honours the fallen, recognises service and sacrifice and fosters pride in our country. It is a spiritually uplifting place and is emerging as a world-renowned centre for remembrance.
The Arboretum is an evolving, maturing woodland landscape featuring 30,000 trees and a vast collection of memorials. The 150-acre site is a living, growing tribute to those who have served and continue to serve our country.