Withdrew photos on Flickr

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A new bridge has just been completed alongside the Woolwich riverside, which is a godsend for cyclists as before you had to cycle into a housing estate & along a busy road for 1.5 miles to eventually get back on the riverside. The new bridge now brings you out at Bowater rd next to the Thames Barrier. This road has been closed for many years, so to my delight, this old abandoned, beautiful Siemens bros building appeared before me.

The Siemens & Halske Company was founded in London in 1858 and in 1863 with continued expansion bought a piece of land on the Thames in Woolwich and built on it a cable factory, a mechanical workshop and stores. In 1865 Halske withdrew his support for the Company and William and Werner Siemens took over the assets and re-registered the business as Siemens Brothers, London. At it's height in the post war period the company employed 8000 people.

The business in Woolwich closed in 1968, some buildings were demolished & replaced with new prefabricated buildings which form part of the trading estate there. There are now plans to refurbish this grand old beautiful building into, yes you guessed it 'Luxury style living accommodation'

N588FE ‘Kendra’ McDonnell Douglas MD-11F FedEx Express by Robert Frola

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FedEx Express N588FE ‘Kendra’ McDonnell Douglas MD-11F c/n 48490.

The aircraft was originally built as a passenger variant (MD-11) and delivered to American Airlines in May 1992, registered as N1755. American Airlines withdrew the aircraft from service in May 2000. It was then acquired by FedEx Express (Federal Express), converted to a freighter, and re-registered as N588FE. It was delivered to FedEx in October 2000. N588FE served as a cargo aircraft in the FedEx fleet, operating with the fleet number 588. After a total service life of 33.6 years, N588FE was withdrawn from use by FedEx on 21 July 2024. The next day, 22 July 2024, it was ferried to Victorville (VCV), California, for storage.

The costs of the Confederacy's offensive campaign were too high for it by Don Sniegowski

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At the Battle of Perryville in Kentucky, Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi engaged nearly 40 percent of Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio; namely, the I Corps of Major General Alexander M. McCook. Fortunately for Bragg and the South, nearly 60 percent of the Union army was oblivious that there was a fight going on until late in the battle because of the absorption of battle sounds by the rolling hills. After Buell finally realized that McCook's I Corps had single-handedly been fighting a battle, his 23,000 reserve troops began to arrive at the battlefield and assist McCook. The Confederate advance hit a brick wall. As the Confederates were pushed back, skirmishes broke out in the distant town of Perryville. By darkness of night, Bragg and his troops stealthily withdrew from Kentucky. The Army of Mississippi declared a tactical win, since they had pushed back the superior numbers of McCook's I Corps a mile before having to retreat.

From the U.S. perspective, the Confederates abandoned their Heartland Offensive then and there. That was a significant and strategic Union win. No other major Confederate field army would ever return to Kentucky after the Battle of Perryville.

With a scarcity of resources for the Confederate States compared to the abundance of the United States, the Army of Mississippi strategically and quickly withdrew from Kentucky to resort to a less costly defensive campaign in friendly Tennessee. That would put the burden on the Union, in turn, to expend relatively more of its resources on offensive maneuvers in Confederate territory.

A small exception was John Hunt Morgan's Confederate cavalry brigade, which would run raids into Kentucky towns.

38760 by Ben Abel

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A footbridge over the River Wye connecting two parks, Castle Green and Bishops Meadows, in Hereford, Herefordshire.

Hereford means the ford used by the army. The Saxons arrived in this part of England in the 7th century and a settlement grew up at the ford. Saxon Hereford also had a mint and a weekly market. Hereford was able to resist a Danish attack in 914. About 1050 a castle was built in Hereford. However the town was burned by the Welsh in 1055.

After the Norman conquest many Frenchmen came to settle in Hereford. The town grew northwards and the market was moved to a new position north of the old town. In Medieval Hereford the main industry making wool. The wool was woven then it was fulled. That means the wool was cleaned and thickened by being pounded in a mixture of clay and water. The wool was pounded by wooden hammers worked by watermills. The Normans set about rebuilding Hereford cathedral.

Bishop Thomas Cantilupe died in 1282. He was buried in Hereford and in 1320 he was canonised (declared a saint). Soon people reported miracles at his shrine and many pilgrims visited the town to see it adding to the prosperity of the town.

In 1642 came civil war between king and parliament. Hereford strongly supported the king. In September 1642 a parliamentary force took Hereford but they withdrew in December. A small royalist army then held the town but they fled in April 1643 when a superior parliamentary force came. Hereford soon changed hands again when the parliamentarians left and a royalist army arrived.

A parliamentary army laid siege to the town in July 1645 but they were unable to take Hereford. They withdrew in September. However by then the king was losing the war. In December the parliamentarians took Hereford by trickery. Some of their soldiers dressed as laborers and took shovels and picks. They went to Bysters Gate. When it was opened they took control and let in more parliamentary soldiers. Hereford was soon taken.

In the 18th century Hereford remained a quiet market town. In 1757 it had a population of 5,592. There was little manufacturing industry although it was known for glove making. In the 1720's Daniel Defoe visited Hereford but he was not impressed, he called it 'mean built and very dirty!'.

At the end of the 18th century all the gates around Hereford were demolished as they restricted traffic. Wye Bridge Gate and Friars Gate went in 1782. St Owens Gate went in 1786, Eign Gate followed in 1787, Bysters Gate and Widemarsh Gate were demolished in 1798.

Information Source:

www.localhistories.org/hereford.html

Lewis Hamilton on victory lap, 2019 F1 British Grand Prix (2/2) by jacklowry47 - thanks for 1K followers

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File: 2019001-0660

Previous scaled down 1936 x 1296 image replaced with original full size 3872 x 2592 image.

2019 Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit, near Silverstone, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. Race Day, Sunday 14th July 2019.

About the subject.

This is the British driver Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes AMG-Petronas F1 W10 EQ Power+ single-seat, open-wheel formula car, with number 44 painted on it, which is his personal racing number. Note the white lettering on the tyres (tires), indicating hard compound tyres.

Here, he is seen at the end of the race, driving off the track to get closer to the grandstand, so fans can get a closer view of him waving at them. I took the photo from my front row seat.

At that time, he won his 7th race of the 2019 season, and his 6th at his home race.

Hamilton, whose full name is Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, was born on 7th January 1985, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. His father bought him a go-kart when Hamilton was at the age of 6, and promised to support him in his racing career.

At the age of 8 in 1993, he started proper karting, and shortly afterwards started winning karting races and championships. One day he asked McLaren boss Ron Dennis for an autograph and also said he wants to drive F1 when he grows up.

In 1998, Dennis offered him a place in the McLaren driver development programme, and by 2007, he got a seat in a Formula One race. Making him, to date, the first and only black driver to drive in F1.

He came so close to winning the World Driver’s Championship in 2007, short of only just 1 point, but by the following year, in 2008, he won his first Championship.

In 2013, he moved to join Mercedes, and went on to win 6 more championships, making a total of 7 titles, equalling Michael Schumacher.

The F1 W10 EQ Power+ was developed by Mercedes-Benz for the 2019 Formula One season, and took 15 wins, 10 pole positions, 9 fastest laps, and the 2019 Constructor’s Championship.

Although Mercedes had been in F1 back in the 1950s, and withdrew from motor racing in 1955, the current Mercedes-AMG F1 Team started 2010 after buying Brawn GP. The team then went on to win 7 Constructor’s Championship.

Race Summary.

The starting grid in the following order was: BOT, HAM, LEC, VER, GAS, VET, RIC, NOR, ALB, HUL, GIO, RAI, SAI, GRO, PER, MAG, KVY, STR, RUS, KUB.

The race started, and on the first lap, the two Haas drivers collided at the exit of turn 5.

One of my photos shows Magnussen in car number 20 with a rear wheel puncture, seen here: www.flickr.com/photos/132335712@N05/49955865996/

Both cars managed to pit, but Magnussen retired on Lap 6 and Grosjean retired on Lap 9, both because of the damages to their cars.

Bottas and Hamilton briefly fought for the lead, and later, Hamilton would lead during most of the race.

Leclerc and Verstappen pitted at same time on Lap 14. When coming into the pit lane, Leclerc was ahead, but the Red Bull pit stop crew were faster, and for a short moment, both cars were side by side while going through the pit lane, until Verstappen got ahead.

Around Lap 18, Antonio Giovinazzi, whom was running in 9th place, had a mechanical failure and ended up in the gravel at turn 16, forcing out a Safety Car.

My photo of the Safety Car is found here: www.flickr.com/photos/132335712@N05/49877436363/

When the race resumed on Lap 24, Perez and Hulkenberg made contact, Perez pitted for new wings, but would end up last in the race.

Verstappen overtook Vettel for the 3rd place, but when attempting to take back the position, Vettel locked up his brakes and collided into the back of the Red Bull. Both cars spun into the gravel, but managed to get back on the track and continued racing.

Vettel finished 15th but was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision, thus ended up 16th.

Lewis Hamilton won the race plus an extra point for fastest lap.

The results: 1: HAM (26pts), 2: BOT (18pts), 3: LEC (15pts), 4: GAS (12pts), 5: VER (10pts), 6: SAI (8pts), 7: RIC (6pts), 8: RAI (4pts), 9: KVY (2pts), 10: HUL (1pts), 11: NOR, 12: ALB, 13: STR, 14: RUS, 15:KUB, 16:VET, 17:PER, Ret: GIO, GRO, MAG.

You are welcome to comment on my photo, about the subject itself, or about your story. But the Comment Box is NOT an adverting billboard for links to the groups. Clickable links to groups IS all about the groups, and does not say much about my photographs, therefore will be deleted. If you want to promote the groups, do so IN YOUR own Photostream!

TABA- Egypt by Uros P.hotography

Taba (Arabic: طابا‎) is a small Egyptian town near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Taba is the location of Egypt's busiest border crossing with neighboring Israel. Little more than a bus depot and a luxury hotel (complete with casino), Taba is a frequent vacation spot for Egyptians and tourists, especially those from Israel on their way to others destinations in Egypt or as a weekend getaway. It is the northernmost resort of Egypt's Red Sea Riviera.

Taba was located on the Egyptian side of the armistice line agreed to in 1949. During the Suez Crisis in 1956 it was briefly occupied but returned to Egypt when Israel withdrew in 1957. Israel reoccupied the Sinai Peninsula after the Six-Day War in 1967, and subsequently built a 400-room hotel in Taba. Following the 1973 Yom-Kippur War, when Egypt and Israel were negotiating the exact position of the border in preparation for the 1979 peace treaty, Israel claimed that Taba had been on the Ottoman side of a border agreed between the Ottomans and British Egypt in 1906 and had, therefore, been in error in its two previous agreements. Although most of Sinai was returned to Egypt in 1982, Taba was the last portion to be returned. After a long dispute, the issue was submitted to an international commission composed of one Israeli, one Egyptian, and three outsiders. In 1988, the commission ruled in Egypt's favor, and Israel returned Taba to Egypt in 1989.[1]

As part of this subsequent agreement, travellers are permitted to cross from Israel at the Eilat - Taba border crossing, and visit the "Aqaba Coast Area of Sinai", (stretching from Taba down to Sharm el Sheikh, and including Nuweiba, St Catherine and Dahab), visa-free for up to 14 days, making Taba a popular tourist destination. The resort community of Taba Heights is located some 20 km south of Taba. It features several large hotels, including The Hyatt Regency, Marriott, Sofitel and Intercontinental. It is also a significant diving area where many people come to either free dive, scuba dive or learn to dive via the many PADI courses on offer. Other recreation facilities include a new desert style golf course.

Ponte metálica by Antonio da Silva Martins

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Ponte Luiz I, sobre o Rio Douro.- Porto

Portugal

Um dos mais importantes e populares cartões-de-visita da cidade Invicta, é a ponte Luiz I.

Liga a ribeira do Porto ao cais de Vila Nova de Gaia, e todos portuenses a conhecem, e provavelmente a maioria já teve o privilégio de a atravessar no tabuleiro superior ou inferior.

Em 1879 começa a pensar-se na substituição da Ponte Pênsil que no fim descobriram que não era tão eficaz para a circulação do trânsito que crescia entre Porto e Gaia, e em 1881 começa então mas só 5 anos mais tarde foi inaugurada.

A ponte teve 2 momentos de inauguração: O tabuleiro superior foi inaugurado a 31 de Outubro de 1886, no dia de aniversário do rei D. Luiz; e o tabuleiro inferior só foi inaugurado só um ano mais tarde.

O autor da ponte foi Théophile Sevrig, um discípulo de Gustav Eiffel, e não pelo próprio autor da Torre Eiffel como muitos pensam.

Entre 1886 e 1944 quem queria passar a ponte tinha que pagar portagem, e este valor era pago por pessoa.

A circulação rodoviária do tabuleiro superior só foi proibida a partir de 2003, ano em que foi adoptado ao metro.

Esta ponte inovou na época ao possuir dois tabuleiros que consideravam duas cotas diferentes das cidades. O tabuleiro superior tem 395 metros de comprimento, e o inferior 174 metros.

Esta obra de arte, foi a ponte com o maior arco de ferro forjado do mundo, durante muitos anos – 172m. Apenas em 2017 foi ultrapassada por uma ponte Chinesa.

Em Dezembro de 2019, a Ponte Luiz I foi considerada uma das 15 pontes mais bonitas da Europa pela European Best Destinations, uma organização europeia de consumidores e especialistas que promove o turismo e a cultura na Europa, com sede em Bruxelas.

O nome da ponte é uma homenagem ao então rei Dom Luiz I, casado com Maria Pia, que já tinha dado o nome à ponte ferroviária.

Os portuenses anteciparam a cerimónia de inauguração para fazer coincidir com o aniversário do Rei, mas reza a história que o Rei não apareceu, o que ofendeu os tripeiros, que retiraram o título real à ponte, baptizando-a ponte apenas de “Luiz I”.

«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««

One of the most important and popular visiting cards in the Invicta city is the Luiz I bridge.

It connects the Porto stream to the Vila Nova de Gaia pier, and everyone from Porto knows it, and probably most of them have already had the privilege of crossing it on the upper or lower deck.

In 1879, thinking began to replace the Pênsil Bridge, which in the end they discovered was not so efficient for the circulation of traffic that grew between Porto and Gaia, and in 1881 it began then, but only 5 years later was it inaugurated.

The bridge had 2 moments of inauguration: The upper deck was inaugurated on October 31, 1886, on King Luiz's birthday; and the lower board was only opened a year later.

The author of the bridge was Théophile Sevrig, a disciple of Gustav Eiffel, and not by the author of the Eiffel Tower himself, as many think.

Between 1886 and 1944 anyone who wanted to cross the bridge had to pay toll, and this amount was paid per person.

Road traffic on the upper deck was only prohibited from 2003, the year in which the metro was adopted.

This bridge innovated at the time by having two boards that considered two different dimensions of the cities. The upper deck is 395 meters long, and the lower 174 meters.

This work of art was the bridge with the longest wrought iron arch in the world for many years – 172m. Only in 2017 was it passed by a Chinese bridge.

In December 2019, Ponte Luiz I was considered one of the 15 most beautiful bridges in Europe by European Best Destinations, a European organization of consumers and experts that promotes tourism and culture in Europe, headquartered in Brussels.

The bridge's name is a tribute to the then King Dom Luiz I, married to Maria Pia, who had already given the name to the railway bridge.

The people from Porto anticipated the inauguration ceremony to make it coincide with the King's birthday, but the story goes that the King did not appear, which offended the tripeiros, who withdrew the royal title to the bridge, naming the bridge just “Luiz I” .

reading the menu by wheres_bruce

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What's good today? Yesterday there were eight Royal Spoonbills working these edges. I mused at the time about how long this water body would support that many beaks. Now there are two. Tomorrow, according to my informant, there are none.

Theirs is a curious lifestyle. You can see how murky is this water. They shuffle along, mostly, swinging that improbable beak from side to side until, somehow, it slams shut on some morsel. Without missing a beat, their head flips back, bring that beak above the horizontal. The morsel is tossed back and the whole business repeated. I said shuffle, but I have seen a Royal Spoonbill make an attempt at "sprinting" after a missed crab in the Invercargill Estuary. It was comical.

In this fresh water a spoonbill might expect to encounter tadpoles, small fish, insect larvae, crustaceans, snails, perhaps tiny mussels.

What was on the menu? I have no idea. This feeding behaviour didn't last long once the people with dogs turned up. This bird withdrew to the perch recently vacated by the darter who had returned to the water — further from the dogs? — and it was time for me to go too.

News from Gabo's World by Abra K.

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Please: no invitations and no flashy whatevers – I prefer a silent look or a few honest words. Thank you!

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Last week I visited Gabo's World and brought him the darkroom-photos I had taken some days before (in his garage where he keeps a lot of interesting stuff) since he was curious to see what had come out of the time I had spent in the dark.

It had not been easy to get up the nerve to do this, but I was brave... and Gabo was all excited when he saw the photos. "You're an artist, I knew it, you're an artist!" he shouted. "You should exhibit your images – we're going to exhibit them!" And he ran away with the photos in order to show them to his wife Maria. He left me upset and speechless.

Later he brought me a glass of iced tea and wanted to know whether I'm d'accord (happy to agree) to his idea of exhibiting my images. "I'm not sure," I said, "let me think about it." And he ran again away to show the photos to some customers. "Aren't they great?!" I heard him exclaim, "I knew she's an artist!"

I felt abashed and withdrew into the garage. Maria came and wanted to know whether I've got everything what I need. Gabo came back and installed some lamp (which wasn't useful at the end, I love the darkness and the little bit of daylight which comes in from the open door).

I spent about two hours in the garage. It's a pretty dusty place and I was all dirty after. And happy. I took some really fine pictures which I'm going to upload during the next days.

I'm still thinking about Gabo's suggestion. Guess I'm not brave enough to do it. But we will see.

(Wish I'd had a father like him.)

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the words have come and gone,

I sit ill.

the phone rings, the cats sleep.

Linda vacuums.

I am waiting to live,

waiting to die.

I wish I could ring in some bravery.

it's a lousy fix

but the tree outside doesn't know:

I watch it moving with the wind

in the late afternoon sun.

there's nothing to declare here,

just a waiting.

each faces it alone.

Oh, I was once young,

Oh, I was once unbelievably

young!

~ Charles Bukowski ~

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25176 by Ben Abel

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The Grade II Listed Lincoln Theatre Royal, Clasketgate, Lincoln, Lincolnshire.

The present theatre, initially called the New Theatre Royal, was built in 1893 to the designs of Bertie Crewe and W.G.R. Sprague. An explosion and fire in 1892 had destroyed the previous theatre on the site, built in 1806. The 1806 theatre was itself a rebuild of an earlier theatre of 1764 on Butchery Street, now called Clasketgate. The structure of the building remained the same until 1907, when the present frontage, foyer, and lounge were added, spinning the orientation of the entrance to face Clasketgate.

From 1893 to 1954 the theatre was run by a succession of leaseholders and managers presenting popular plays, musicals, music hall stars and film. In 1954 it became a weekly repertory theatre under the Lincoln Theatre Association until bankruptcy in 1976, after which it was taken over by Paul Elliot Entertainments in association with Chris Moreno. Under Elliot it became a producing house for its own shows, and a design and production facility for various UK theatre pantomimes, national tours and cruise-ship shows, and a continuing venue for amateur dramatic companies. Chris Moreno became sole manager and lessee in 1993.

In 2009 the local authority, Lincoln City Council, withdrew its ongoing subsidy which led to a threat of closure, and to scrutiny of how council funding had been used. Bids from amateur dramatic, church and community groups, and local entertainment businesses to take-over the theatre's lease were unsuccessful. The theatre survived and was taken over by ID Productions, using it as a base for its touring shows. Theatre Royal's professional theatre offer is now largely as a receiving house for UK theatre tours and musical acts.

In 2016 after financial problems the running of the theatre was taken over by the New Lincoln Theatre company.

CSA Soldier. Civil War Reenactment At Perryville Ky. by Chuck

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Taken at the rennactment of the battle of Perryville Ky.

The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a tactical victory against primarily a single corps of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell's Union Army of the Ohio. The battle is considered a strategic Union victory, sometimes called the Battle for Kentucky, because Bragg withdrew to Tennessee soon thereafter, leaving the critical border state of Kentucky in Union hands for the remainder of the war.

WN LS5Gs lurking at Torpoint. by island traction

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At the back of Torpoint depot I found these 2 elderly LS5Gs, looking as if they were withdrawn. 1679 (MOD 970) and 1716 (OTT 12).

This was immediately following the withdrawal of routes 77, 78, 79, & 80 from 31.7.71. So it is probable that they no longer had anywhere to go.

Torpoint still operated routes 74, 81 and 86 and miraculously managed to survive until 2014? When First withdrew from the area.

On Familiar Turf by Doug Lilly

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Conrail SD35 6043 began life as Jersey Central 2504 in 1965. For the first seven years of its life, it regularly plied the rails between Jersey City, new Jersey, and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. That ended in 1972, when the CNJ withdrew from Pennsylvania, confining its locomotive fleet to New Jersey. Four years later, the SD35 became part of Conrail’s roster, and travelled the system as part of the locomotive pool. Nine years after its exile, Conrail 6043 returns to familiar places as it rolls through Catasauqua, Pennsylvania on the point of a westbound freight.

Sega Dreamcast (1998) by Seán Diver

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The 4th in my Video Game Console Mosaics (and last of my Sega's) say hi to the wonderful Sega Dreamcast.

The Dreamcast is Sega's most recent video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. An attempt to recapture the console market with a next-generation system, it was designed to supersede the PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

Originally released sixteen months before the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and three years before the Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox, the Dreamcast is part of the sixth generation of video game consoles.

Dreamcast was widely hailed as ahead of its time, and is still held in high regard for pioneering online console gaming. Sega discontinued the Dreamcast in March 2001, and withdrew entirely from the console hardware business.

View from the Inner Court of the Grand Palace by Ben The Man

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photo rights reserved by B℮n

The Royal Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam and later Thailand since 1782. It consists of not only royal and throne halls, but also a number of government offices as well as the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It covers an area of 218,000 square metres and is surrounded by four walls, 1900 metres in length. After King Rama I ascended to the throne in 1782, the palace was built. Prior to this, the royal palace and centre of administration had been located in Thonburi, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. For various reasons, the new King considered the former capital to be unsuitable and decided to establish a new capital on the other side of the river. Admission fee is free of charge for Thais and 500 baht for foreigners. You'll need to wear culturally appropriate attire when visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok. This means being well covered. Visitors should wear long skirts/trousers and sleeved shirts—basically anything that covers more than the lower arms and head. Fortunately, after the covid period, it is not yet busy with tourists. Thailand has just ended their quarantine policy. Face masks are no longer mandatory. Great to visit the Grand Palace one more time now.

The Royal Grand Palace has been the official residence of the kings of Siam. The palace was also where Rama VIII was mysteriously murdered in 1946. He was found dead in his bed with a gunshot wound to his head. In April 1981, the deputy commander of the Thai army, General San Chitpatima, used the palace as his headquarters for an attempted coup against Prime Minister Prem. The coup failed partly due to King Bhumibol's intervention. However, a few hours later General Prem met King Bhumibol at his palace in Bangkok and the royal family and the prime minister flew to an army base in northeast Thailand. Prime Minister Prem announced on the radio that he had not resigned. The Thai army withdrew from the palace.

De Royal Grand Palace is een gebouwencomplex in het hart van Bangkok, Thailand. Het paleis is sinds 1782 de officiële residentie van de koningen van Siam en later Thailand. Het bestaat niet alleen uit koninklijke en troonzalen, maar ook uit een aantal regeringsgebouwen en de beroemde Tempel van de groene Smaragd Boeddha. Het heeft een oppervlakte van 218.000 vierkante meter en is omgeven door vier muren van 1900 meter lang. Nadat koning Rama I in 1782 de troon besteeg, werd het paleis gebouwd. Daarvoor was het koninklijk paleis en het bestuurscentrum gevestigd in Thonburi, op de westelijke oever van de Chao Phraya-rivier. Om verschillende redenen vond de nieuwe koning de voormalige hoofdstad ongeschikt en besloot hij een nieuwe hoofdstad te stichten aan de andere kant van de rivier. De toegangsprijs is gratis voor Thais en 500 baht voor buitenlanders. In april 1981 gebruikte de plaatsvervangend commandant van het Thaise leger, generaal San Chitpatima, het paleis als zijn hoofdkwartier voor een poging tot staatsgreep tegen premier Prem. De staatsgreep mislukte mede door ingrijpen koning Bhumibol. Een paar uur later ontmoette generaal Prem echter koning Bhumibol in zijn paleis in Bangkok en de koninklijke familie en de premier vloog naar een legerbasis in Noordoost-Thailand. Premier Prem kondigde op de radio aan dat hij niet was afgetreden. Het Thaise leger trok zich weer terug uit het paleis. Gelukkig is het na de covid periode nog niet druk met toeristen. Thailand heeft zojuist hun quarantainebeleid beëindigd. Mondkapjes zijn niet meer verplicht. Geweldig om het Grand Palace nu nog een keer te bezoeken.

Return To Knole by Vince :- An Skeusenner

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A return via the archives only , but a return none the less to

Knole and just a section as seen from the deer park .

A tiny section of Knole just to show the concentration of building work within it's itself .

Knole feels almost weighed down by its own history – six centuries of it. People are often impressed by all the absolutes of Knole: its enormous size, the number of rooms, its completeness. But those who live, work and visit here love its quiet dignity, its almost melancholy feel – the grandeur has passed but its old, glinting beauty remains.

What we see today is a remarkably preserved and complete early Jacobean remodelling of a medieval archiepiscopal palace. From an even older manor house, it was built and extended by the Archbishops of Canterbury after 1456. It then became a royal possession during the Tudor dynasty when Henry VIII hunted here and Elizabeth I visited.

From 1603, Thomas Sackville made it the aristocratic treasure house for the Sackville family, who were prominent and influential in court circles. Knole's showrooms were designed to impress visitors and to display the Sackville family’s wealth and status.

Over more than 400 years, his descendants rebuilt and then furnished Knole in two further bursts of activity. First, at the end of the 17th century, when the 6th Earl acquired Stuart furniture and textiles from royal palaces, and again at the end of the 18th century, with the 3rd Duke's art collection.

The Sackvilles gradually withdrew into the heart of the house, leaving many rooms unused and treasures covered. This helps to explain the relative lack of modernisation at Knole (central heating was never installed in the showrooms, for example) and the survival of its collections.

Knole has been welcoming visitors to see its splendours and curiosities for centuries. We know that visitors have followed the same route as you do today for at least the last 400 years.

There's a popular myth that Knole is a calendar house - with 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards. While fascinating, the reality is that it all depends on how you count the rooms and Knole is such a large, rambling estate that it would be impossible to say for certain.

When the National Trust acquired the house in 1946, the majority of the rooms were leased back to the Sackville family, with the Trust retaining the more formal spaces. The 7th Baron Sackville and his family still live at Knole today in private apartments.

Now, visitors can experience so many different parts of Knole, from the grand showrooms to the cosy Gatehouse Tower, the tranquil Orangery to the sweeping parkland. Discover the vast estate and all it has to offer, home to a world-class collection of portraits and furniture, a state-of-the-art conservation studio and a wild deer herd. There really is something for everyone at Knole.

info taken from NT webpage on Knole .

Beeskow: Blick zurück durch die Mauerstraße zum Storchenturm - Looking back through Mauerstraße to the Stork Tower by riesebusch

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Beeskow, eine Stadt mit 8210 Einwohnern (2022), liegt etwa 70 km südöstlich des Berliner Stadtzentrums. Erstmals urkundlich erwähnt wurde Beeskow im Jahr 1272, zwischen 1283 und 1285 wurden dem Ort die Stadtrechte verliehen. Im Schutz der 1316 erstmals erwähnten Burg wurde die Stadt planmäßig angelegt. Burg und Stadtmauer sind weitgehend erhalten.

Der Storchenturm diente zur Überwachung der Nordwestecke der Stadt. Allerdings haben sich die namensgebenden Störche bereit um 1970 von der Stadtmauer zurückgezogen. Letzere wurde 1450 fertiggestellt, und zwar auf der Nord-, West- und Südseite der Stadt. Sie besteht aus einem Feldsteinsockel und einer Mauerkrone aus Backstein. Auf der Ostseite bot die Spree einen natürlichen Schutz. Trotz des Verlustes der 3 mittelalterlichen Tore mit Zugbrücke und Zollhäusern gehört die Beeskower Stadtmauer zu den am weitesten vollständig erhaltenen Stadtmauern im Land Brandenburg. Seit 2011 wurde sie restauriert.

Beeskow, a town with 8210 inhabitants (2022), is located around 70 km south-east of Berlin city centre. Beeskow was first mentioned in a document in 1272, and between 1283 and 1285 it was granted town privileges. The town was laid out according to plan under the protection of the castle, which was first mentioned in 1316. The castle and town wall have been largely preserved. The latter, completed in 1450, consists of a fieldstone base and a brick wall crown. On the east side, the Spree provided natural protection. Despite the loss of the 3 medieval gates with drawbridge and customs houses, the Beeskow town wall is one of the most completely preserved town walls in the state of Brandenburg. It has been restored since 2011. The Stork Tower was used to monitor the north-west corner of the town. However, the storks that gave it its name withdrew from the town wall around 1970.

Fliegerhorst SW by Berny Sackl

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The german airbase was built in the 1930s for the "Luftwaffe". After the end of the Second World War, the airfield was taken over by the Soviet occupation forces and continued to operate, first with aircraft, later with helicopters. Finally only the barracks were used until they were vacated when the Russian troops withdrew in the early 1990s. Now abandoned.

Life to play and win 2 by Roma Okhotnikov

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I feel that for now one of the most important things which I could do from here to help to stop this nightmare war – to help other people here in Russia to get rid from false fear (as well as to help myself). Don’t panic! Never surrender! – those old things are still work.

And to help us to remember, when the war on its 4th month seems to withdrew so far away and became so accustomed, something at the background, that it’s still here and still could be stopped. And if we’ll fail… Of course, you saw “Don't Look Up”?

Beautiful model, my good friend and sister in arts – Irinka, @kraskivrukah on Insta. We made another collab, where met different arts, “Give Peace a Chance”. Irinka painted the picture about war and peace in two characters – War and Peace and danced in both characters, I made photo and filmed. So, we had 4 arts – photography, painting, dance and movie. Now we have in mind several more collabs.

Charlie No 1 by ruthug08(on and off)

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This is Charlie, our daughter´s cat. We met him to the birthday of the fiancé of our daughter at last Saturday. Since there were several guests Charlie withdrew from the noise in another room and took a nap.

I´m sorry that I didn´t catch up with commenting. My mother had a fall /downfall and was several days at our place. She is much better and returned to her own home now but I´m still busy with some chores here.

Das ist Charlie, der Kater unserer Tochter. Am Samstag haben wir Charlie gesehen, zum Geburtstag vom Verlobten unserer Tochter. Da mehrere Gäste da waren, hat sich Charlie "zurückgezogen" und ein Schläfchen gehalten.

Entschuldigt bitte, dass ich mit dem Kommentieren einfach nicht nachkomme. Meine Mutter war nach einem Sturz eine Zeitlang bei uns. Jetzt geht es ihr wieder besser und sie ist auch wieder bei sich daheim, trotzdem komme ich immer noch nicht viel zu Flickr.

the results of the year by Vadim Snow

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Came the end of another year. I'm a bit late to you with a video, and doing fast because most of the material December 31, and withdrew. The entire hard drive was suddenly cleared, which I was very upset... All of my work, portfolio, source all gone. Apparently the gift I received.

But the year went for me not the most successful, there was an attempt of loss of data in the summer, but there managed to rescue, there is nothing helped, I spent more hours to recover and returned quite a bit.

But the pros were, of course, I finally bought a camera, a new phone, and we took many beautiful pictures. Fascinated by astronomy, was beautiful night shots, a lot of new interesting stories. Now we wait what will happen in 2018 interesting and new.

And all of you a happy new year! I wish in 2018, happiness, health, cool new pictures, new journeys, a cool technique and something new and cool.

Пришел конец еще одному году. Я немного припоздал к вам с видео, да и вообще делал быстро, ибо большинство материала 31 декабря удалилось. Весь жесткий диск внезапно очистился, чему я был очень расстроен... Все мои работы, портфолио, исходники всё пропало. Видимо свой подарок я уже получил.

Но год сам вышел для меня не самым удачным, уже была попытка потери этих данных летом, но там спасти успел, здесь уже ничего не помогло, я потратил больше суток на восстановление и вернул совсем немного.

Но плюсы были конечно, я наконец-то приобрел себе камеру, новый телефон, сделал много красивых снимков. Увлекся астрономией, были красивые ночные кадры, много новых интересных историй. Теперь будем ждать, что же будет в 2018 году интересного и нового.

А вас всех с новым годом! Желаю в 2018 году счастья, здоровья, новых крутых снимков, новых путешествий, крутой техники и чего-то нового и классного.

Catfight by Hennie van Heerden

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It was just after sunrise when we found 4 youngster male Lions. Confidently they were on their way, looking for food or in search of mischief, who knows with adolescent males..

But it sure was a formidable sight.

They approached a little bushy area when all of a sudden we saw one after the other hyena fleeing from that spot. Apparently a whole clan of hyena had been resting there. There were at least 10 or 12 adults and some younger ones on the run for the approaching lions.

Suddenly the lions leaped forward into the bushes. A young hyena hadn't noticed the lions approaching and they killed it.. just for fun.. the way cats do with pray.. playing cat and mouse. Hard to watch and even harder to hear.

The rest of the hyena clan was screaming and howling hearing the kill in progress. It was a blood curdling sound audible miles around. The adult hyenas tried to attack the lions but with 4 big males it was just too dangerous for them. They attacked and withdrew time after time.

The 4 lions were distracted by those attacks and didn't see or feel the danger coming.

The 3 magnificent fully grown Topi pride males had heard the intruders in their territory and came into the scene with a vengeance. 3 Of the youngsters fled but one was too slow and got caught by 2 of the adults. He got bitten quite badly in his hind leg but surprisingly enough they let him go after a short while and went after the other 3 (didn't get them though).

The youngster limped away and as far as I know now, he's never seen again.

I guess they learned respect the hard way..

Canon EOS R6

Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

ISO 1250, f6.3, 1/6400

INTERVIEW by firoze shakir photographerno1

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99,261 items / 600,083 views

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPSTV-Pr0p4&feature=channel_page

this was an interview

for a TV channel

that fell through

bollywoods most wanted

was willing

fate withdrew

so as a memory

lost in the wilderness

I bring it to you

vintage wine

in a bottle new

its in Hindi

cryptic on cue

shot at my house

by a friendly

camera crew

giving a devil

his bejeweled

sartorial due

"Great Places in Canada" (winner) by joanne clifford

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Great Places in Canada - Rue du Petit Champlain

Standing high above Rue de Petit-Champlain on Côte de la Montagne, I could almost imagine the way this street must have looked in days gone past.

—

Rue du Petit-Champlain, one of the oldest commercial streets in North America, is lined with one-of-a-kind boutiques and restaurants. History suggests that it wasn’t always this way, however...

« Artisans lived in this part of town during the New France period. When Gerry Paris and Jacques de Blois came up with an ambitious project to give rue du Petit-Champlain a new lease on life in the mid-1970s, they kept its artisanal roots in mind. The original concept has changed since then, with the focus shifting more towards business, but the restaurants, performance venue, and many small exclusive boutiques preserve the special charm of this singular street.

HARD TIMES

In the early 19th century, epidemics that arrived from Europe in vessels groaning with immigrants forced the artisans to flee to Upper Town. In their place were poor Irish escaping their beleaguered homeland. Fatal landslides exacerbated the isolation of this forgotten street. Five times between 1841 and 1889, large pieces of the cliff came tumbling down, burying some 15 houses, for a death toll of 86. The authorities managed to solve the problem but “Little Champlain,” as opposed to the new Champlain Boulevard that was wider and hugged the river, was not any better off. The proof: as late as the 1920s the street consisted of wooden planks while most other streets were paved. By the late 1960s, the squalor had spread. The City even considered bulldozing the whole area to make way for a parking lot.

A REVOLUTIONARY RENOVATION PROJECT

Gerry Paris and Jacques de Blois had a dream—revitalize a section of Old Québec in the European manner. Their goal was to create a living community and restore the buildings. They bought a block of derelict houses and began to recruit artists and artisans interested in working and living there. The concept was very different from anything done before in Québec and elsewhere in Canada. They kept the traces of the many changes to the houses over the years, recycled as much material as possible, and spruced them up discretely so as to preserve the historical character of these buildings ranging in age from 200 to 300 years old. Paris and de Blois were very persistent in their bid to convince those involved in the ever-growing project that their approach was the right one. At the time, this way of doing things—which would become standard practice—went against the tide.

A FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIP

The work begun in 1977 wrapped up in 1980, with some 30 artisans living on rue du Petit-Champlain. The government of Québec got involved in a new phase of the project that ended in 1983. When Paris and de Blois withdrew in 1985 and sold to the artisan-residents who made up the Quartier Petit Champlain cooperative, there were twice as many residents and businesses. The government of Québec and Caisses Desjardins provided financial backing for the project from that point on. Subsequently, rue du Petit-Champlain gradually changed to become a popular and much-loved centre for culture, business, and leisure. In 2011 it won the first Great Places in Canada competition in the Neighbourhood category. Its social and economic vitality, urban appeal, and historical and cultural worth earned it that recognition. »

Source: www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/en/citoyens/patrimoine/quartiers/v...

Arriva London - LJ54BDZ - VLA94 - Ilford Broadway by (Please Read description) LondonBuses 157

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Arriva have secretly withdrew VLA89-VLA98 from service which have now been sold to Ensignbus. They were then replaced by a handful of 03plate VLAs from Norwood (N) as well as few 05reg VLAs from Barking (DX) and few 54reg which moved out to BN and N which already had emission mods.

Meeting at the Red Castle by Tᑌᑭᑭᕮᖇ ᗰOᖇᗩᑎ

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♫ Meeting Ambiece ♫

Previously in Chapter 8: A Convenient Encounter

Lexington peered at the man as he sauntered across the stone floor. He wore an exquisite dark blue wool jacket and a bright powder blue silk vest that shimmered under the candle's glow. Gold filigree adorned the jacket's lapels and along with his fine leather riding boots there was no doubt he was royalty. The man wore his hair long, which was not uncommon for this part of the world and it gleamed black, like a raven's wing. By all accounts Count Pierre Léon Chastain was a handsome man, even striking. And Prince Lexington Jelani detested him.

Ordinarily it wasn't in his nature to hate someone so vehemently. His loss of control troubled him and Lexington had pondered on the matter over the past few days. He didn't trust the Count and why should he? He was a Lycan but then again Lexington had always harbored a certain amount of pity for the werewolf.

So what was it that made him so furious that his hands drew up in a fist when the Count came near?

Alas, if he were honest with himself, Lexington knew the real reason he hated this man. He could analyze it, but in truth he didn't want to face the obvious. Lexington's hatred was fueled by his jealousy. These last few days he'd watched his Mistress become more familiar with this man. Her face would light up when the Count walked into the room. She'd laugh and place her hand on his arm when he'd spin one of his ridiculous yarns. And then there were the evening walks in the gardens of the Count's home.

Watching them now, Lexington lowered his head as Tabitha greeted the Count. To keep them both from noticing any emotion in his expression, Lexington turned slightly away from the scene. The sandstone walls of The Red Castle, as it was so aptly named, crept in around him, and he thought for a moment how different this Persian influenced architecture was from that of his home at Belraak. He closed his eyes, gathering his composure but opened them again when he heard the footsteps coming toward him. Gazing into a dark corner of the room where the light from the candles had not reached, time seemed to stop for a few moments before he turned in time to face the Count.

Lexington smiled politely and nodded to his host as he took his outstretched hand. Once the pleasantries had be exchanged, they took their places around a large table where several maps had already been laid out for the meeting. Tabitha smiled over to Lexington which was his cue to begin and not being one to waste time he immediately informed his Mistress that that afternoon he'd been able to acquire a ship for the coming journey. He'd also taken the liberty of inviting the vessel's Captain to the meeting so that he might share his own insights concerning their voyage. With that, the massive doors on the dark side of the large room clanked and creaked open. Lexington turned toward the doors, motioning for them to approach and introduced their guest, "Lady Kinkade may I present the Captain of the Sealark."

Two figures walked toward them out of the shadows. The taller man was adorned in an outdated but very beautiful military styled coat. The lapels and cuffs were both covered with worn filigree that wasn't nearly as radiant as the gold on the Count's jacket. He wore a white ruffled shirt, commonly worn by fashionable seafarers and his cavalier boots clanked against the stone floor as he walked toward them. The other man, slightly shorter, wore the traditional coat and pants of a still less than modern day military officer which was perhaps less regal and flamboyant than his counterpart. As they approached, both men bowed and introduced themselves. "Good evening my lady. Captain Ambrose Townshend at your service. And this is my first mate William Swann." Tabitha curtseyed formally and introduced the Count, then without further ado the meeting began.

The crux of the conference was to discuss the route the party would take and the length either voyage. They had not been on a time table before, however Abaddon Baal had been sighted in the city of Rivne in Little Russia two days ago. No one could guess why, not even Count Chastain, however they did know that Baal's lair was in Russian Turkestan. That meant he was moving northwest, or he may have had business in Rivne. No one could know for certain, but with this news they had a possible fix on his whereabouts. It was Tabitha's fervent plan to pursue the illusive werewolf king before Baal was in a position to dictate a less than favorable confrontation. But first they had a promise to keep, and gypsy to visit. Thankfully, the wanderer's caravan was in Romania near Transylvania which would put them on a direct path to Rivne. This latest intellegence had changed things of course, and now a time schedule was much more imperative.

Lexington stated that he'd read reports and heard rumors a new canal was about to open that would take them through the Khedivate of Egypt on a direct coarse to the Mediterranean Sea. Captain Townshend agreed, and had it on good authority that, although it was not officially open, the canal was ready, and they would be allowed passage. This possible course would save them more than a couple of weeks, perhaps as much at 20 days at sea. Count Chastain however, disagreed stating that as much as he wanted to find a cure for his and his clan's affliction, as he called it, he felt strongly that the canal would not be ready for passage in time. His feeling was that the route around the Cape of Good Hope was the only clear choice because if they were turned away at the canal, it would cost them even more time at sea. With the loss of what might be several days, the gypsy woman would certainly have moved on, and they would most probably lose Baals trail for several weeks or even months.

The men continued to discuss the matter each giving sound reasoning behind their convictions. Tabitha however withdrew from the discussions taking a few minutes to herself to ponder the situation. She had always relied on and trusted Lexington's advice and guidance in times such as these. So out of that trust and confidence her decision was easy to come to. Looking back up at the party she tapped one of the calipers on the table to quiet the men.

"Gentlemen I've heard both sides of this argument and I've come to a decision. I'm quite certain sailing back around the cape along the African coast is the most assured route, however we must consider our chance to cut travel time nearly in half. Also, winter will soon be upon us. As it is already mid August, I believe we must take in consideration the snows as well as the cold in Romania by late October. And so, with your blessing Captain Townshend, and yours Mr. Swann, I propose this route. We shall sail south, back around Sri Lanka, north to the Red Sea, through this Suez Canal of yours Prince Jelani, then across the Mediterranean Sea to Greece and Port of Piraeus." Tabitha put the pointing stick down and looked at them all. Captain Townshend nodded and bowed to Tabitha signaling that he thought well of her presentation. Count Chastain held his chin in thought, then looked over at Tabitha with a polite smile and nodded. Tabitha smiled back at the men then looked over to companion, Prince Jelani before making her last formal declaration. "Friends. We have a long journey ahead of us and I have no doubt a perilous one. I realize we haven't all agreed here this evening, but to be successful I believe we must be of one accord after this night. Do I have your oath?" Each man nodded and bowed and went about shaking each other's hands.

It was time for a drink and refreshments before bed and their host Count Pierre Léon Chastain had already made preparations with his servants. He turned and made a motion toward the dark hallway where a man there stood silently and in a couple of minutes they were all being served. The conversations among them were of far off lands and differences in their cultures. They spoke of fates and how those fates had brought them together. At one point, Tabitha had laughed more than usual at one of the Counts tall tales of wonder and excitement. Glancing over at them, Lexington again found himself back in that dark place in his mind. This journey, although made shorter by this new and uncharted route, would quite possibly the longest he'd ever taken with his Mistress, and he was not looking forward to it.

Wow, it's hard to believe it's been nearly a year since I've visited this story. As much as I love it too. I'm hoping to get this one going again.

I'm so sorry this chapter is so long. I doubted anyone would read it anyway. But in case you tried I apologize for it's length and the lack of talent. I just love to write. Not everyone is good at it.

I'd like to thank some people who were instrumental in helping me with this shot. In alphabetacle order:

Thank you BOARSNOUT aka Swedish Sausage for coming out on short notice and staying up way past your bed time. Sorry it took so long babes but thanks for hanging in there. I appreciate it!♥

Thank you Mr. Phil Conners for being so kind to me and always being there to help out.♥

Thank you Rananarmo Sèitheach McGregor aka Emanuel Müller for letting us use your wonderful McGregor Castle to take this shot. You've been so kind to me and I appreciate it so much.♥

And to my wonderful friend Morgan Talbot who never refuses me and is always so prepared and amazing. Thank you!♥

Sanquinolency: Book I

UK - Scotland - Pitlochry - Blair Atholl - Blair Castle by Marc_B_

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Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña - Escocia - Pitlochry - Blair Atholl - Castillo de Blair

ENGLISH

Blair Castle stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the ancestral home of the Clan Murray, and was historically the seat of their chief, the Duke of Atholl, though the current (12th) Duke, Bruce Murray, lives in South Africa. The castle stands in Glen Garry, and commands a strategic position on the main route (now the A9 road) through the central Scottish Highlands.

The castle is a category A listed building, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national listing of significant gardens.

Blair Castle is said to have been started in 1269 by John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch (died c. 1275), a northern neighbour of David I Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl (died 1270), who started building on the Earl's land while he was away on crusade. Upon his return, the Earl complained about the interloper to King Alexander III, won back his land and incorporated the tower that had been built into his own castle. David II Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl (died 1326), forfeited the titles and estates after rebelling against Robert the Bruce in 1322. The earldom was granted to a number of individuals until 1457 when James II granted it to his half-brother John Stewart (1440–1512). John Murray, son of the second Earl of Tullibardine, was created Earl of Atholl in 1629, and the title has since remained in the Murray family.

During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of the 17th century, the Murrays supported the Royalist cause, which led to Blair Castle being taken by Oliver Cromwell's army following his invasion of 1650. The restored Charles II created the title Marquess of Atholl for John Murray, 2nd Earl of Atholl (1631–1703). The title Duke of Atholl was granted to the 2nd Marquess in 1703.

When Viscount Dundee launched the first Jacobite Uprising in April 1689, Atholl decided to remain loyal to the Government (although two of his sons joined the Jacobites). Atholl’s factor, Patrick Stewart of Ballechin, held Blair Castle for King James, and Dundee visited in May. In July Ballechin refused entry to Atholl’s whiggish son and heir, Lord John Murray. Murray laid siege to the castle, and General Mackay was approaching to join him and to seize it for the Williamites. Viscount Dundee relieved the castle, and the crucial Battle of Killiecrankie was fought because Dundee did not want to retreat and surrender the castle to Mackay. Dundee and his officers and clan chiefs held a Council of War at the castle on the eve of the battle, on 26 July. The next day, the Jacobites won the battle but Dundee was killed.

After the battle, Blair Castle remained in Jacobite hands for some time. It continued to play an important role: for example, the Jacobite Highland chiefs swore a bond there together in August, to continue the rising.

In the Forty-Five, Blair Castle was occupied twice by Prince Charles Edward Stuart and his Jacobite army: in early September 1745, for several days, and then in early February 1746, again for several days. However, the Jacobites then unwisely abandoned it and Government forces, including Lowland Clan Agnew then occupied it. They held Blair Castle against the Jacobites, who laid siege to the castle during the last stages of the rising, in March 1746. They were besieged to near starvation until the Jacobite forces withdrew to fight the British Government forces at the Battle of Culloden.

In 1844 Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert visited and stayed at Blair Castle. It was after this she gave permission to establish the Atholl Highlanders.

Before his death in 1996, George Murray, 10th Duke of Atholl, placed Blair Castle and most of his estates in a charitable trust, shielding them from inheritance taxes and leaving them under Scottish control, as his heir John Murray, the 11th Duke had indicated he had no desire to leave his native South Africa.

On the night of 10 March 2011 a fire broke out at the clock tower of castle (not part of the medieval fabric), causing the tower's roof and second floor to collapse into the first floor. The clock tower was restored in 2012, with restoration work on the clock mechanisms performed by Smith of Derby Group.

The oldest part of the castle is the six-storey Cummings or Comyn's Tower, which may retain some 13th-century fabric, though it was largely built in the 15th century. The extensions which now form the central part of the castle were first added in the 16th century. The apartments to the south were added in the mid-18th century to designs by architects John Douglas and James Winter. The south-east range, incorporating the clock tower, was rebuilt by Archibald Elliot after a fire in 1814. Finally, the castle arrived at its present form in the 1870s, when David Bryce remodelled the whole building in a Scots Baronial style, and added the ballroom. It was further remodelled in 1885 when a new ballroom wing was added by James Campbell Walker.

The castle has been open to the public since 1936. Its many rooms feature important collections of weapons, hunting trophies, souvenirs of the Murray clan, ethnographica, paintings, furniture, and needlework collected by the Murray family over many generations.

The castle also provides the garrison for the Atholl Highlanders, the private army of the Duke of Atholl, noted as the only legal private army in Europe. The Castle and the Atholl Estates were used in the 2008 reality television series Conquer the Castle.

In 2009, a Grand Fir (Abies grandis) in Diana's Grove in the grounds of the castle, was measured at 62.7 metres (206 ft), and declared the second-tallest tree in Britain.

*******************************************************************************

ESPAÑOL:

El Castillo de Blair se alza cerca del pueblo de Blair Atholl en Perthshire (Escocia, Reino Unido). Es el hogar de la familia Murray, a quien corresponde el título de Duque de Atholl, aunque el actual duque, que hace el número 11, John Murray (nacido en 1929) vive en Sudáfrica.

Se dice que el castillo comenzó a construirse en 1269 por John I Comyn, Señor de Badenoch, un vecino septentrional del conde de Atholl, quien comenzó a construir en tierras del conde mientras este estaba fuera en las cruzadas. A su regreso, el conde se quejó del intruso al rey Alejandro, recuperando su tierra e incorporando la torre que se había construido a su propio castillo.

Domina una posición estratégica en la ruta principal a través de la Tierras Altas centrales escocesas. El clan Agnew, de las Tierras Bajas, conservaron el castillo de Blair, sede del duque de Atholl, contra los jacobitas que lo asediaron durante el alzamiento jacobita de 1745-1746. Fueron asediados llegando a estar cerca la muerte por inanición hasta que las fuerzas jacobitas se retiraron para luchar contra el ejército del gobierno británico en la batalla de Culloden.

El castillo, una de las casas señoriales de Escocia más grandes, está abierto para la visita diariamente. Sus muchas habitaciones conservan importante colecciones de armas, trofeos de caza, recuerdos del clan Murray, objetos etnográficos, pinturas, muebles, bordados, etc. coleccionados por la familia Murray a lo largo de muchas generaciones.

El castillo es también la guarnición de los Cien Montañeses de Atholl (los Atholl Highlanders), el ejército privado del duque de Atholl, el único ejército privado legal de Europa. El castillo y las fincas de Atholl se usaron en el año 2008 para la grabación del reality show llamado Conquer the Castle.

El abeto gigante llamado "Diana’s Grove" en los terrenos del castillo, que mide 62,7 metros de alto, es el segundo árbol más alto del Reino Unido.

(NOW FULL SIZE) Lewis Hamilton, 2019 F1 British Grand Prix by jacklowry47 - thanks for 1K followers

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File: 2019001-0585

Pervious uploaded photos were scaled down size of 1936 x 1296, they have been replaced with full size of 3872 x 2592 and cropped.

2019 Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit, near Silverstone, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom on Race Day, Sunday 14th July 2019.

About the subject.

This is the British driver Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes AMG-Petronas F1 W10 EQ Power+ single-seat, open-wheel formula car, with number 44 painted on it, which is his personal racing number. Note the white lettering on the tyres (tires), indicating hard compound tyres.

The photo was taken from a grandstand seat at the National Pits Straight, here he is coming out of the the right hand turn at Woodcote, before reaching the National Straight.

At that time, he won his 7th race of the 2019 season, and his 6th at his home race.

About the driver.

Hamilton, whose full name is Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, was born on 7th January 1985, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. His father bought him a go-kart when Hamilton was at the age of 6, and promised to support him in his racing career.

At the age of 8 in 1993, he started proper karting, and shortly afterwards started winning karting races and championships. One day he asked McLaren boss Ron Dennis for an autograph and also said he wants to drive F1 when he grows up.

In 1998, Dennis offered him a place in the McLaren driver development programme, and by 2007, he got a seat in a Formula One race. Making him, to date, the first and only black driver to drive in F1.

He came so close to winning the World Driver’s Championship in 2007, short of only just 1 point, but by the following year, in 2008, he won his first Championship.

In 2013, he moved to join Mercedes, and went on to win 6 more championships, making a total of 7 titles, equalling Michael Schumacher.

About the car.

The F1 W10 EQ Power+ was developed by Mercedes-Benz for the 2019 Formula One season, and took 15 wins, 10 pole positions, 9 fastest laps, and the 2019 Constructor’s Championship.

Although Mercedes had been in F1 back in the 1950s, and withdrew from motor racing in 1955, the current Mercedes-AMG F1 Team started 2010 after buying Brawn GP. The team then went on to win 7 Constructor’s Championship.

Race Summary.

The starting grid in the following order was: BOT, HAM, LEC, VER, GAS, VET, RIC, NOR, ALB, HUL, GIO, RAI, SAI, GRO, PER, MAG, KVY, STR, RUS, KUB.

The race started, and on the first lap, the two Haas drivers collided at the exit of turn 5.

One of my photos shows Magnussen in car number 20 with a rear wheel puncture, seen here: www.flickr.com/photos/132335712@N05/49955865996/

Both cars managed to pit, but Magnussen retired on Lap 6 and Grosjean retired on Lap 9, both because of the damages to their cars.

Bottas and Hamilton briefly fought for the lead, and later, Hamilton would lead during most of the race.

Leclerc and Verstappen pitted at same time on Lap 14. When coming into the pit lane, Leclerc was ahead, but the Red Bull pit stop crew were faster, and for a short moment, both cars were side by side while going through the pit lane, until Verstappen got ahead.

Around Lap 18, Antonio Giovinazzi, whom was running in 9th place, had a mechanical failure and ended up in the gravel at turn 16, forcing out a Safety Car.

My photo of the Safety Car is found here: www.flickr.com/photos/132335712@N05/49877436363/

When the race resumed on Lap 24, Perez and Hulkenberg made contact, Perez pitted for new wings, but would end up last in the race.

Verstappen overtook Vettel for the 3rd place, but when attempting to take back the position, Vettel locked up his brakes and collided into the back of the Red Bull. Both cars spun into the gravel, but managed to get back on the track and continued racing.

Vettel finished 15th but was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision, thus ended up 16th.

Lewis Hamilton won the race plus an extra point for fastest lap.

The results: 1: HAM (26pts), 2: BOT (18pts), 3: LEC (15pts), 4: GAS (12pts), 5: VER (10pts), 6: SAI (8pts), 7: RIC (6pts), 8: RAI (4pts), 9: KVY (2pts), 10: HUL (1pts), 11: NOR, 12: ALB, 13: STR, 14: RUS, 15:KUB, 16:VET, 17:PER, Ret: GIO, GRO, MAG.

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Rider by brokenjade

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Country:Italy

Town:Assisi

Year of creation:2005

Rider(s):Francis of Assisi

(1181 or 1182 –1226), venerated as Saint Francis of Assisi, also known in his ministry as Francesco, was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon, mystic, and preacher. He founded a.o the men’s Order of Friars Minor and the women’s Order of Saint Clare.

Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis in 1228. Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, he was designated patron saint of Italy. He later became associated with patronage of animals and the natural environment, and it became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on or near his feast day of 4 October. In 1219, he went to Egypt in an attempt to convert the Sultan to put an end to the conflict of the Crusades. By this point, the Franciscan Order had grown to such an extent that its primitive organizational structure was no longer sufficient. He returned to Italy to organize the Order. Once his community was authorized by the Pope, he withdrew increasingly from external affairs. According to Christian tradition, in 1224 he received the stigmata during the apparition of Seraphic angels in a religious ecstasy, which would make him the second person in Christian tradition after St. Paul to bear the wounds of Christ’s Passion.

Sculptor(s):Norberto Proietti

(1927 – 2009) was an Italian painter and sculptor

Description:

The modern styled equestrian statue of Saint Francis of Assisi (c. 1181–1226) opposite the Basilica in Assisi, titled Il Ritorno di Francesco, is a beautiful sculpture of a humble man in the right setting, telling the story of an important event in the saint’s life: ‘At the break of the day, Francis, with his reformed inner self, desired only to conform to the will of God’.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=peOFGInlivc&list=PL58g24NgWPI...

Lewis Hamilton on victory lap, 2019 F1 British Grand Prix (1/2) by jacklowry47 - thanks for 1K followers

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File: 2019001-0653