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Part 2 (and 3) of Answers, in which Filberth and Reghof learn some important information from Stefan, as well as from eavesdropping on Rainosians...
Also my Guild Founder Rank Challenge.
FIELD TESTER:Mr.KINUGAWA
ROD: PLAISIR ANSWER PA75RG -power arm-
REEL: 304/Mitchell
LINE: PE#1.5+leader30lb
LURE: CD/rapala
When “Madame-Sir” made it in a male world
A trail blazer in Sri Lanka’s diplomatic service, Manel Abeysekera speaks to Chandani Kirinde of many memorable moments now recalled in her new book
When Manel Abeysekera arrived in the Thai capital Bangkok to take up duties at the Sri Lanka Embassy as chargé d’affaires in 1970, she was greeted by the driver who had come to the airport with the words "Welcome, Madame-Sir”. The driver, no doubt, unaccustomed to seeing a lady diplomat had hence instantaneously coined this novel greeting. It’s this unique phrase that Mrs. Abeysekera, Sri Lanka’s first woman entrant to the Foreign Service (then Ceylon Overseas Service), has chosen as the title of her memoirs due to be released shortly.
“Madame-Sir”, a Stamford Lake publication will be launched on November 30
Her entry into the Foreign Service in 1958 came at a time when the public service was an exclusively male domain and was quite accidental. Her eye had caught a gazette notification that appeared in the newspaper that year calling for applications to join the Overseas Service, which also carried a sentence stating that “married women who apply must get special permission of the Public Service Commission”.
“Being an unmarried woman, I thought I might have a better chance and sent an application,” Mrs. Abeysekera recalls. She was called for an interview with three Permanent Secretaries chairing the panel who welcomed her as the first woman to face such an interview. But what annoyed her was the question that came next. “What if we take you and train you and then you decide to get married,” one of them had asked. Her quick thinking answer put an end to that line of questioning. “I am sorry Sir, but I don’t think there is anything in the application to say that if you get married you have to leave. What about a man? Do they leave when they get married?’ she retaliated.
The answers to the questions on international affairs which followed came easily to her and she secured herself a place in the Overseas Service, along with seven male applicants.
The foundation for her trailblazing career in the foreign service was laid in her school years at Methodist College, Colombo which she describes as the “number one girls’ college”. She secured the all island second place in her SSC (Senior School Certificate) and later gained admission to read history at Peradeniya. But being a female was an impediment to her pursuance of a higher education.
“I was a home bird. I had never been away from home a single day and was literally tied to my mother’s apron strings. She did not want me to go the 72 miles to Kandy and then I decided I would not study anymore,” she says.
But her father, a civil servant and later Senator, E.W. Kannangara, was keen that she pursues her higher education and suggested she do an external degree from the U.K. She enrolled for a course in Wolsely Hall in Oxford, did the first exam well, but lost interest thereafter. “I am not a person who can sit and study. I need company. I am a gregarious type. I like competition and challenges,” Mrs.Abeysekera says with a laugh.
That may have been the end of her academic career if not for her brother, who was studying at Oxford at the time, suggesting that she seek a place there to follow a degree course. Her parents then asked her to go to Peradeniya which she did not want to do as her classmates had already finished their first year.
Thereon she went on a tour with her parents and sister to several European countries which was very “educational in nature” and upon her return to the country, again prompted by her brother, applied to Somerville College at Oxford where she went to study modern history.
“I always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. He was in the first batch to join the Ceylon Civil Service. He was my hero.” As fate would have it, instead of the Civil Service, she was selected to the Foreign Service in 1958, and was sent to London to study languages- Italian being the choice for her.
Before proceeding to London for training, Mrs. Abeysekera recalled the new recruits being taken to meet the then Prime Minister S.W.R.D Bandaranaike. “Before we left my father warned me that the Premier would be in a bad mood that day due to certain political problems that had cropped up with the Federal Party (FP). Being the only woman, my colleagues would have expected me to sit next to the Prime Minister but instead I chose to sit away from him. He turned to one of the boys and asked, “What is my foreign policy?” While he fumbled for an answer, he asked the same question from the rest and having not received a satisfactory response turned to his secretary and asked him to tell the recruits to study his foreign policy and come back.’
Thus ended their first meeting with Mr. Bandaranaike but before the new recruits went on their overseas training, they met with him again. “This time my father said Mr. Bandaranike would be in a good mood as he had sorted out his political differences with the FP. And he was prophetic as the Premier was in an expansive mood that day and noted that a woman too had been recruited.”
Tragically Mr. Bandaranaike was assassinated while she was away on her overseas training and when she assumed duties at the Ministry of External Affairs, his widow Sirima Bandaranaike was Prime Minister and was someone Mrs. Abeysekera was to work closely with.
One of her most memorable experiences in the Foreign Service was the role she played as Chief of Protocol during the Non-Aligned Summit in 1976 which was attended by 92 heads of state and government.
She along with her team of officials from the External Affairs Ministry as well as assistance from the members of the Police and armed forces rehearsed for two years to see the successful conclusion of the biggest event of this nature the country had hosted. “I had allocated seven minutes for each of the VIPs to inspect the guard of honour and speak with the President and the Prime Minister and it went off perfectly. We had a lot of camaraderie and team work.”
Mrs. Abeysekera feels that the reason for the smooth conduct of the NAM summit was that there was a single chain of command at the time with the Prime Minister also being the Minister of Defence, External Affairs as well as in charge of economic affairs. “Mrs. Bandaranaike was someone who took quick decisions. It was a real pleasure to work with her.”
The other momentous event in her career took place when Mrs. Abeysekera was serving as Ambassador in Thailand when Sri Lankan national Sepala Ekanayake hijacked an Italian airliner with 169 passengers on board and threatened to blow it up on the tarmac of the Bangkok airport.
“I was in the Alitalia office in Bangkok for 38 hours negotiating with the hijacker. It was like a miracle but he did as I asked. We managed to settle the matter without anyone getting hurt,” she says.
In her memoirs, Mrs. Abeysekera deals with the “career and dilemmas of the first woman diplomat in the Sri Lankan Foreign Service” and says her belief that “God would help me in my challenges” and “my parents legacy” were the important aspects that helped her face them.
“If you overcome and meet the dilemmas and challenges, it strengthens your character; Just plain sailing without problems never strengthens you.” Her career in the Foreign Service spanning 35 years saw her in the close company of royalty, presidents and prime ministers. She recalls with fondness the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi whom she first met in 1962 when the former visited Sri Lanka with her father Jawaharlal Nehru, who was then premier, and opened the Ayurveda Hospital at Nawinna. They met again when Mrs. Gandhi attended the NAM summit in Colombo in 1976. Another such leader was the one time Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.
A hallmark of her success was not being afraid to advise politicians when required to do so and not letting anything stress her out. “Our job is to be advisor and if they want they can take it and if they don’t want to, they won’t,” she says candidly.
One politician with whom she says she had quite a few arguments with was A.C.S. Hameed (Foreign Minister from 1977-89). However after her last protocol job, when she met with him, he had quipped, “Manel tells me lots of things I don’t want to hear but when I ponder I realize it’s for my own good,” to which she promptly replied, “Sir, that is the best compliment an official can have from a politician.”
She still keeps in touch with the driver in Thailand whose words became the inspiration for the title of her memoirs.
“When he used to drive me around when I was in Bangkok, people used to come up to him and ask him, ‘Why are you flying the flag for the ambassador’s wife?’ only to have him tell them proudly, ‘She is the Ambassador’.”
It’s such interesting anecdotes that Mrs. Abeysekera recalls with fondness as she reminisces her long career as a diplomat, a path she trod in her own forthright, humorous and affable style that made her a worthy pioneer in her chosen field.
Sunday Times (21/11/2010)
Once Sir Joseph of Baeth learnt of Lenfald's separation, he feared that Djorn and Roger were in danger on their way to Garheim. This fear was realized when he received a note stating that the traveling duo had in fact been captured at the Lenfald-Loreos border and were being held for ransom at the old Garhim embassy; roughly ten miles north along the western coast. At this same time Joseph had received an order to go fishing in Lenfald in order to spy on the province. Figuring this was a perfect time to do so, he proceeded to hire a crew, pack his wares and fishing rods, and load up the Rogue Spur for the rescue of Roger and Djorn.....
Several weeks had passed since their departure from Dalmunatha. It took time for Joseph to sail far enough south in order to steer clear of the Magic Isles and plot a very careful course through the Sea of Despair to reach the safer coasts of the Western side of Roawia. Upon arrival to the cliffs that held the old Garhim embassy, its banners changed to the colors of Lenfald, Joseph told his crew to prepare to be boarded with weapons at the ready- if they had previously kicked the Garhims out of the embassy, who knows what they would do to them as Loreesis.
Surprisingly enough however, Sir Joseph and his crew were met with open arms as they docked to the old embassy with dock hands helping to immediately unload the sea-wary contents of their journey. Djorn and Roger were waiting along the lookout just above the docks holding on to two beautiful women each with giant grins on their faces. Standing next to them was a Lenfel knight with a light grey beard and swept back hair, wearing black lapels, noting him as a higher lord. He yelled out, "What ho Sir Joseph! How thee fare on this fine day?! Did thy winds give you quick course to mighty Lenfald?!"
Not sure if this was a ruse or sincere question Joseph knew to keep his tongue witty and his sword close for this encounter. He called back to the lord,
"Greetings noble Lenfel! The winds were sure in helping us get 'ere at the best pace it could!" He began to walk up the stairs to talk to the noble more clearly, "I dont think we have had the pleasure of acquaintance, I am Sir Joseph of Baeth, merchant and knight of Loreos. I was requested to come rescue my two colleagues here, who seem to have both made themselves rather comfortable. I feel I have brought more than enough gold and treasure to negotiate with for their immediate release. Exactly who do I have the pleasure of doing business with my lord?"
At this, the "captured" duo had begun laughing while the noble wrapped an arm around the confused Joseph and gave out a hearty laugh too. Gathering himself, the high lord finally spoke to Joseph, "Nay Sir Joseph! Yer friends aren't our prisoners! Why they have been great fun in our little castle! That note was written just to scare ye to get yer booty out here sooner! Twas a big misunderstanding that has happened since the separation of Lenfald from the nations of Roawia. Thou first think we kicked out the Garhims from their embassy, tis a false accusation- all the occupants left when Garheim was in most dire trouble with the Queen's soldiers. We took up residence because we didnt want them damn filthy Dragon soldiers to find and take root in this abandoned outpost.."
He turned and gestured to Roger and Djorn, "And the capturing of these two twas a complete accident, I had not yet returned from the council meeting so when word of our separation began to incorrectly spread- the local militias deemed it best to start building a wall and patrolling the Lorseesi-Lenfel border which is where your companions were taken. Our most sincere apologies for this mistake, we do not request any form of ransom and if you'd like you can set up a booth in the courtyard and sell thy wares! Stay awhile and let thy crew rest from your long journey! Im sure many 'ere would love to buy some gems and trinkets! AH I almost forgot the pleasantries, I am Lord Jon of House Dragmar.'
Surprised at this revelation and indeed tired from his journey here, Joseph was still suspicious of this Lord Jon and those Lenfels around him. He decided it would be best to accept the invitation and let the crew rest for a few days so he could dig a bit deeper into the mystery that Lenfald had become... He accepted the high lord's apology and invitation to set up shop and rest for a couple days. He finished by giving a sly grin and asking a single question, "So Lord Jon, I have heard that Lenfald's western shores are home to some of the best fishing the realm has ever seen! I just so happen to have my fishing rods with me, would you be up for a spot of fishing tomorrow?"
The old Lenfel replied, "Well of course we have the world's best fishing! I will take you up on that offer Sir Joseph! Tomorrow at mid morning we shall fish!"
.......
It was summertime in Roawia and like the other nations, Lenfald's denizens were enjoying this time of peace. This gave the old embassy a very festive feel. Merchants were selling their wares, people were milling about and talking, children were laughing; jesters juggled and told jokes, the men were having fun practicing their archery and sword skills. Roger had met a cute baker so while he managed Joseph's booth, he allowed her to sell bread to hungry customers. Djorn was off of his shift so he resumed courting the fair ladies he had previously been seen with.
The Garhims had set up a rather good system of agriculture here so many were tending and harvesting the varieties of produce and food that was growing around the castle though the guard presence was quite large for such a small outpost...Joseph noticed this.
Just a few meters down from the dock that held the Rogue Spur was a wooden outlook that jutted out over the cliffs, a perfect spot for fishing. It was here that Lord Jon and Sir Joseph had cast out their lines and began to wait for something to bite.
"Ahhh... a lovely day ain't it Lord Jon?" Asked Joseph. Slipping the objective of spying to Roger and Djorn late in the night, he knew that the information the three could collect would be valuable to his Areani allies. Joseph had also given the Lord some of his strongest Loreesi ale at breakfast to loosen him up before their little fishing excursion.
"Yes, tis a great day after all Sir Joseph! Nothing quite like men of stature relishing in the simple enjoyments of the commoners."
Looking away, Joseph rolled his eyes and nodded. "Aye milord, tis always a surreal experience. Tell thee, what dost thou think of Lenfald's separation from the Roawia?"
"Not much to be honest with ya lad. Everyone be a little tenser with being afraid of how the other nations will react, but we will all get along in the end Im sure. I will tell ya what Joseph, I dont give much trust to them Loreesi or Garhim diplomats and politicians. Tis the tried and true men of Roawia, those who work its land and seas that I trust the most. Men like you lad... I will tell you this though my new friend, something you'd like to hear but cannot tell anyone..."
He leaned in close to Joseph, so close Joseph could smell the Loreesi ale on the high lord's breath.
"I heard something remarkable has happened that gives reason for the sudden movements of Lenfald's ships-- the reason why there wasn't a vessel stationed here upon your arrival. There are trusted rumors that us Lenfel's have discovered something." He pointed out to the sea, "Something out there...-"
His sentence was cut off by Joseph being startled by the sudden jerking of his fishing line. "AHA! I believe I caught me a fish!" He yelled as he pulled up a medium sized fish.
Broke from his drunken trance, Lord Jon exclaimed, "Oi! That is a fine lookin fish me boy! Let us cook it up and get more of that fancy ale of yours!"
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First off, sorry for the rather long story! But it is needed for the continuation of Sir Joseph of Baeth's story which will probably be shorter in upcoming installments.
(Also, apologies for the kind of crappy pics- my actual camera isnt working and my light box didnt fit this size MOC so a lot of photoshop was used in the first pic so sorry about that.)
Secondly, Wow! This was a big entry to both the Loreos Local Challenge LCXXII and the second Journeyman task of the Merchants guild!
This was originally apart of a display last year for a local Lego event here in the Northern Colorado area but I never got around to posting it as life got in the way and I wasn't sure how to incorporate this into my character's story at the time. The base had been sitting around while the original castle was taken down to build something for my next Merchants Guild task.
It was really my first attempt at building an actual castle for once and since it was intended for a display- I wanted an open area for easy viewing while keeping the castle modular so that is why it doesnt really have a keep or anything. But after my quick redux I think it turned out quite well!
If you've made it this far thanks so much for viewing! It's good to be actively building again and there is still quite a bit in store! :)
Thai tagged me to answer Akemi’s deepest secret.
Rules:
- Reveal the deepest secret of your doll, something that nobody or almost nobody knows;
- Post a pic related to this secret;
- Tag at least 5 dolls and their parents to answer the tag too.
Akemi would love to have dinner in Paris, drinking champagne with a beautiful view of the Tour Eiffel. It doesn’t need to be in a fancy restaurant or a romantic date. She just want to feel the parisian fresh night breeze with someone special for her (in this pic, represented by Croissant, my Korilakkuma plush xD).
I tag:
Sophia - Mundo
Hina - Renata
Saiph - Suzana
Shizue - Naka
Sukita - Kubikumi
—
A Thai me marcou nessa tag, para responder qual é o segredo mais profundo da Akemi.
Regras:
- Revele um segredo profundo da sua doll, algo que ninguém ou quase ninguém saiba;
- Poste uma foto relacionada a esse segredo;
- Marque pelo menos 5 dolls e seus respectivos pais para fazerem a tag também.
A Akemi adoraria jantar em Paris, bebendo champanhe com uma bela vista da Torre Eiffel. Não precisaria ser em um restaurante chique ou um encontro romântico. Ela só queria sentir a brisa fresca da noite parisiense com alguém especial (nessa foto, representado pelo Croissant, meu Korilakkuma de pelúcia xD).
Vou marcar:
Sophia - Mundo
Hina - Rê
Saiph - Suzana
Shizue - Naka
Sukita - Nath
Mattel’s answer to Kenner’s mega hit Six Million Dollar Man series, the Ultimate Man of Adventure, Pulsar! He has fantastic working lungs and heart with blood circulation plus opening face to reveal a holographic mission disc. As how things are when a good guy is there so his nemesis and in this case it is Hypnos with “Hypnotic Powers” by pressing black lever on his right side torso then two disks with psychedelic patterns inside his chest spin with sparks flying, creating illusions of being hypnotized! Released by Mattel circa 1977.
Related Video Clips:
www.flickr.com/photos/djmtm/5184101674/in/album-721576252...
www.flickr.com/photos/djmtm/5183417007/in/album-721576252...
From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:
If ever there were a good way to finish up a trip, this particular Sunday in October would be it. Before arriving in Hanoi, I honestly had exceptionally low expectations. A bit like Saigon, if you are to go online and try to look up a list of places to visit – basically a tourist’s stock photography checklist, as it may be – you don’t find much that’s appealing. Well…I didn’t, anyway, and as a result, I had pretty low expectations for Hanoi.
The charm and beauty of Hanoi, however, isn’t in any one particular place. It’s in the experience of the entire city. (I’d say the same for Saigon, but multiply that a few times for Hanoi.) On this day in the Old Quarter in particular, I kept finding myself thinking, “Oh, my God, I shouldn’t be this lucky as a photographer…” Today ended up being mostly about people, with a little food and historical locations mixed in.
As I mentioned in the last set of posting, today would start off a bit sad with Junebug leaving for China a day before I would. So, we were checked out of our room by 6:00 in the morning or so. The breakfast at the Art Trendy was wonderful. Buffet with a mix of made-to-order omelets mixed in. Strong work, Art Trendy, strong work…
When June left, I really had nothing to do since it was still six in the morning and I was temporarily homeless as I had to switch hotels. So…I sat around the lobby for about two hours (possibly slightly awkward for the poor girls working there, but oh, well; I had to sit somewhere).
Around 8:00, I finally dragged my old bones out of the hotel and walked the five to ten minutes down the street to the Aquarius, where I politely asked them to hold my non-camera bag until I come back around 1:00 in the afternoon to check in.
After that, I was finally off with my cameras to enjoy an early Sunday morning in the bustling Old Quarter. On the street where the hotel is situated are a number of restaurants where locals were jammed in to enjoy noodles, steamed buns, and the like. It was wonderful to be among that crowd (though someone tried to scold me ever so slightly for taking pictures of people eating).
Since this was right next to St. Joseph’s Cathedral – and it was Sunday morning – I found my way back into the church where we crashed the wedding the afternoon before and realized that I almost got locked into Sunday mass while walking around taking pictures. So…I stayed. I prayed. And my prayer was answered when I realized the side doors and even the back door were open. (Ok…I didn’t really think I was locked in a church, but it did feel like it a little bit.)
Upon exiting the church, a handful of frames under my belt, I walked along the lovely streets photographing shops and people. At Caphe, I piggybacked on someone else’s photo shoot – it looked like they were doing a promo for the place, or possibly just a personal shoot for five women, though I have a feeling it was the former. At any rate, I was quite pleased with that little set and am presenting quite a few of those here, even if they’re a little redundant.
My ultimate goal with this wandering was to find my way to the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I’m not taking about the hotel chain, of course, but rather the prison that U.S. prisoners of war sarcastically called the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. (This is the prison where Senator John McCain was interred while a POW, and there are one or two pictures to that effect here.)
This prison has a particularly interesting history (and morbid since…well…it’s a prison). It’s about a hundred years old and was founded by the French colonialists around the turn of the 20th century. During the first 50 years of its history, the French imprisoned Vietnamese insurgents and those who wanted independence. In the eyes of the French…renegades (hence the imprisonment). In the eyes of the Vietnamese – especially the current government – patriots and national heroes. If they were truly freedom fighters, then I would probably side with the current government on that one.
The French even had a guillotine installed here and overcrowding was a major problem. There were plenty of escape attempts, and more were successful than you may think, which is a little peculiar.
After the battle of Bien Dien Phu and the ejection of the French from the north (and before the U.S. got involved in the south), the prison changed hands and was under control of Ho Chi Minh. During the Vietnam War, it became one of the main prisons for U.S. POWs, as I alluded to above.
The propaganda claims that the Vietcong were absolutely humane and decent with U.S. prisoners, allowing them to observe their religious rites (Christmas celebrations, etc.), allowed prisoners to smoke and enjoy leisure (board games, basketball, etc.), and claimed they were well-fed.
This is certainly how it’s presented in the prison/museum currently. If you were to go online, though, and try to find a contrary report, you would find that this was all coerced and staged to make it appear as if things were on the up and up. (For anyone curious, per my Vietnamese friends, the general education in Vietnam today is how terrible the French and U.S. were for colonizing and torturing the country and keeping it from its independence.)
So, what’s the truth of what really happened? Who knows? Outside of firsthand accounts, it’s impossible to know for certain and even then, memory can be a tricky thing. I tend to like to say the truth is always somewhere between two opposing viewpoints, no matter what the topic may be.
From an impartial and purely photographic point of view, the prison, currently a museum/memorial, is an interesting place to spend an hour or two. Some of the exhibits seem a bit cheesy, but some are quite tasteful and well done. There’s also an informational video. You’ll have to see this with a bit of imagination (the prison, that is), as at least half of it has been leveled for high rise buildings. At least there’s some tangible piece of it left to visit, including the main gate (Maison Centrale).
After about two hours here at the Hanoi Hilton, I walked over towards the Opera House to get a few daytime shots but, really, to get lunch at El Gaucho. I was looking forward to a proper steak. The prices were astronomical (though justifiable based on what I ate), though I just opted for a steak salad. It was so good I contemplated going back for dinner, but had other plans.
With a happy stomach, I went back to finally check in at the Aquarius Hotel and got my workout huffing up six flights of stairs each time I went out. I relaxed here for a few hours until 4:00 when a dear friend of mine came to town to see me.
Ngan and I had an ice cream at Baskin Robbins right in front of St. Joe’s before heading over to the Temple of Literature. This is a temple dedicated to education and, bless my soul, it’s a place where university graduates come for graduation pictures.
On this particular day – a warm, sunny, late Sunday afternoon – it was packed with college students. And it was beautiful to see that many people happy, full of hopes and dreams, and dressed in either cap and gown or traditional Vietnamese clothes. In short…I had a field day shooting for an hour here.
Around 5:00, Ngan had to head back to school, and I went back to my hotel. I had one more meeting. Hoa, who traveled around Thailand & Cambodia with me in May, flew back to see me this evening. She picked me up at 6:00 on her scooter and rode me all around Hanoi by evening.
She started by taking me to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (which I consider a lot more photogenic in its setting than the Great Gangster’s Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square). This one, at least, was in a parklike setting. At evening, it’s well-lit and you can find people relaxing in the grass in front of it. During the day, you can visit and there are quite a few buildings behind the mausoleum that you can also see.
After a few minutes here, Hoa took me by West Lake – the largest lake in Hanoi, as I mentioned yesterday – and just drove me around for over an hour, it seemed. My impressions that Hanoi (even out of the Old Quarter) seemed to be a good place to live – though I’d be concerned about the air pollution – and people here seemed to be happy. Also…Vietnamese really love their coffee.
We finally returned to the Old Quarter for dinner at one of the famous restaurants she recommended and she treated me to a wonderful dinner. I can’t recall what we ate (the Vietnamese names of it, anyway), but it was nice.
After dinner, she drove me over towards the Opera House and then, finally, we stopped by Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the Quarter and walked around the lake. It was getting close to 10:00 by this time, and I wanted to get back to the hotel to get a few hours sleep before waking up for my early flight in the morning. Hoa came to the airport with me to see me off.
If ever there were a great way to finish a great trip, this was it. I absolutely loved Vietnam – honestly, a lot more than I imagined I would, even with every single person I know who’d ever come here saying what a fantastic country this is – and would gladly come back. This seems to be one of the kinds of countries that you would never get tired of or, if you did, it would sure take a long time. With that, I’ll bid goodbye to Vietnam for now with the hopes that I’ll someday return to this land of amazing food, landscapes, and people.
As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.
For the best part of the last year, I have been posting shots of Kent churches on Twitter, to break up the torrent of horrible news relating to COVID, Brexit and our Dear Leader, and in doing so, I have discovered many churches I visited at the start of the project, needed to redone.
Goudhurst, is, apparently, the highest point in Kent, or so Jools tells me. I will just check that with Wikki: Hmm, it seems not. That is Betsom's Hill north of the M25 near to the border with London. Goudhurst is not even in the top ten.
I can confirm we approached the village along a long hill from a river valley, finally climbing up the narrow high street, getting round the parked cars and finding a space nearly big enough for the car near to the church.
On the other side of the road from the church, a series of very Kent houses and buildings, all decorated with pegtiles, in the Kent fashion, and to the south, the imposing structure of The Star and Eagle Hotel.
The church sits in it's large graveyard, pretty as a picture on a sunny summer's afternoon as on my first visit, but on a grey, late autumn afternoon, just as the light fades, it loses some of its charm.
The church itself is resplendent with it's honey-coloured stone, squat tower and spreading aisles on both sides.
There is a welcome notice on the door in the west end of the tower stating that the church is always open and all are indeed, welcome.
Its a fine touch.
Inside, it is light and spacious, so spacious to have to grand leather sofas in the nave, not sure if this is for glamping, or for some other reason, but they're doing no harm.
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Seen from afar Goudhurst is Kent's answer to Rye - a small hilltop village over which broods the lovely church. Its west tower, dating from the seventeenth century, is rather low, but the honey-coloured sandstone is particularly beautiful here. We enter the church through the tower, and are impressed by the way in which the width and height of the nave and its aisles combine to make such a noble structure. There are two remarkably fine wooden effigies dating from the sixteenth century, carved and painted and set into a purpose-built bay window. Nearby, in the south chapel, the walls are crammed with monuments and there are three brasses, one of which is covered by a stone canopy - not particularly grand but unexpected and functional.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Goudhurst
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GOUDHURST
LIES the next parish southward from Marden. The northern part of it, as far southward as the stream formerly called Risebridge river, which flows from Bedgebury to Hope mill, and a smaller part likewise on the other side of it, adjoining to the rivulet called the Bewle westward, is in the hundred of Marden, and lower division of the lath of Scray; the rest of the parish southward of the first-mentioned stream, is in the hundred of West, alias Little Barnefield, and lath of Aylesford, comprehending the whole of that hundred. So much of this parish as is within the borough of Faircrouch, is in the hundred of Cranbrook; as much as is in the boroughs of Pattenden, Lilsden, Combwell, and Chingley or Bromley, is in the same hundred of West, alias Little Barnefield; and the residue is in the hundred of Marden. It lies wholly within the district of the Weald, and in the division of West Kent.
The borsholders of the boroughs of Highamden, Pattenden, and Hilsden, in this parish, are chosen at the court-leet holden for the manor of East Farleigh, and the inhabitants owe no service but to that manor; only a constable for the hundred of West Barnefield may be chosen out of such parts of them as lay within it for that hundred. The manor of Maidstone likewise extends into this parish, over lands as far southward as Rise-bridge.
THE PARISH OF GOUDHURST is very pleasantly situated, being interspersed on every side with frequent hill and dale. The trees in it are oak, of a large size, and in great plenty throughout it, as well in the woods, as broad hedge-rows and shaves round the fields. The lands are in general very fertile; the soil, like the adjoining parishes, is mostly a deep stiff clay; being heavy tillage land, but it has the advantage of a great deal of rich marle at different places, and in some few parts sand, with which the roads are in general covered; and in the grounds near Finchcocks, there is a gravel-pit, which is the only one, I believe, in this part of the county. There is much more pasture than arable land in it, the former being mostly fatting lands, bullocks fatted on them weighing in general from 120 to 130 stone. It is well watered with several streams in different parts of it, all which uniting with the Teis, flow in one channel, along the western side of this parish, towards the Medway. The eastern and southern parts of it are much covered with thick coppice wood, mostly of oak. The turnpike road from Maidstone over Cocksheath through Marden, leads through the upper part of this parish southward, dividing into two branches at Winchethill; that to the left goes on to Comborne, and leaving the town of Goudhurst a little to the right, joins the Cranbrooke road a little beyond it. That to the right, having taken into it a branch of the Woodgate road from Tunbridge, near Broadford-bridge, goes on to the town of Goudhurst, and thence eastward to Cranbrooke and Tenterden; and the great high road from Lamberhurst through Stonecrouch to Hawkhurst, and into Sussex, south-east, goes along the southern bounds of this parish.
The parish is about eight miles long and four broad. There are about three hundred houses in it, and somewhat more than five inhabitants to a house. It is very healthy; sixty years of age being esteemed, if not the prime, at least the middle age of life; the inhabitants of these parts being in great measure untainted with the vices and dissipation too frequently practised above the hill.
There are two heaths or commons here; the one called Pyles-health, and the other Killdown, in West Barnefield hundred.
THE TOWN, or village of Goudhurst, stands in the hundred of Marden, about half a mile within the lower or southern bounds of it, on an hill, commanding an extensive view of the country all around it. It is not paved, but is built on the sides of five different roads which unite at a large pond in the middle of it. The houses are mostly large, antient and well-timbered, like the rest of those in this neighbourhood, one of them, called Brickwall, belongs to the Rev. Mr. Thomas Bathurst. Within memory there were many clothiers here, but there are none now. There is some little of the woolstapling business yet carried on.
On the summit of the hill, on which the town stands, is the church, a conspicuous object to the neighbouring country, and near it was the marketplace, which was pulled down about the year 1650, and the present small one built lower down, at the broad place in the town near the pond. The market was held on a Wednesday weekly, for cattle, provisions, &c. till within memory; it is now entirely disused, there is a fair held yearly in the town, upon the day of the assumption of our lady, being August 26, for cattle, hardware, toys, &c. This market and fair were granted in the year of king Richard II. to Joane, widow of Roger de Bedgebury, the possessors of which estate claim at this time the privilege of holding them, by a yearly rent to the manor of Marden.
At the hamlet of Stonecrouch is a post-office of very considerable account, its district extending to Goudhurst, Cranbrooke, Tenterden, Winchelsea, Rye, and Hastings, and all the intermediate and adjoining places, to which letters are directed by this Stonecrouch bag.
ALMOST adjoining to the town eastward, on the road leading to Tenterden, there is A HAMLET, called LITTLE GOUDHURST, in which there is an antient seat, called TAYWELL, which for many generations was possessed by a family of the name of Lake, who bore for their arms, Sable, a bend between six crosscroslets, fitchee, argent. In the north isle of this church, under which is a vault, in which this family lie buried, there is a marble, on which is a descent of them. The last of them, Thomas Lake, esq. barrister-at-law, resided here, but dying without issue male, his daughters and coheirs became possessed of it; one of whom married Maximilian Gott, esq. and the other Thomas Hussey, esq. whose son Edward Hussey, esq. of Scotney, now possesses the entire see of this estate, which is demised for a long term of years to Mr. Olive, who has almost rebuilt it, and resides in it.
AT A SMALL DISTANCE southward from the abovementioned seat, is another, called TRIGGS, which was for several descents the residence of the Stringers, a family of good account in the different parts of this county. John Stringer, esq. son of Edward Stringer, of Biddenden, by Phillis his wife, daughter of George Holland, gent. resided here in king Charles I.'s reign, and married Susanna, daughter of Stephen Streeter, of Goudhurst, by whom he had Stephen, of Goudhurst; John, gent. of Ashford, who left a daughter and heir Mary, married to Anthony Irby, esq. Edward and Thomas, both of Goudhurst; the latter left two sons. Thomas and Edward, and a daughter Catherine, who married William Belcher, M. D. by whom the had Stringer Belcher, and other children. The Stringers bore for their arms, Per chevron, or, and sable, in chief two eagles displayed of the second, in the base a fleur de lis of the first.
Stephen Stringer, the eldest son of John, resided at Triggs in the reign of king Charles II. and was succeeded in it by his second son Stephen Stringer, esq. who kept his shrievalty here in the 6th year of queen Anne. He died without male issue, leaving by Jane his wife, daughter of John Austen, esq. of Broadford, four daughters his coheirs, Jane, married to Thomas Weston, of Cranbrooke; Hannah to William Monk, of Buckingham. in Sussex, whose eldest daughter and coheir married Thomas Knight, esq. of Godmersham; Elizabeth married Edward Bathurst, esq. of Finchcocks, and Anne married John Kirril, esq. of Sevenoke. (fn. 1) This seat was afterwards alienated to Francis Austen, esq. of Sevenoke, whose son Francis Mottley Austen, esq. of Sevenoke, is the present owner of it.
THE MANOR OF MARDEN claims over the greatest part of this parish; part of it, being the dens beforementioned, are within the manor of East Farleigh, and the remaining part, called Wincehurst-den, is within the manor of Gillingham, near Chatham. Although that part of this parish which lies within the hundred of West Barnefield, being the most southern part of it, contains those places which are of, by far, the greatest note in it, yet, for the sake of regularity in my description, I shall begin with those in the hundred of Marden, partly already described, and having finished that, proceed next to the hundred of West Barnefield, and the matters worthy of notice in it.
BOKINFOLD is a manor of large extent, situated in the hundred of Marden, having formerly a large park and demesnes belonging to it, which extended into the parishes of Brenchley, Horsemonden, Yalding, Marden, and Goudhurst, the house of it being situated in that of Yalding, in the description of which parish the reader will find an ample account of the former state and possessors of it. (fn. 2) It will, therefore, be sufficient to mention here, in addition to it, that the whole of this manor coming at length into the possession of Sir Alexander Colepeper. He in the 3d year of queen Elizabeth levied a fine of it, and three years afterwards alienated that part of this manor, and all the demesnes of it which lay in Brenchley, Horsemonden, Yalding, and Marden, to Roger Revell, as has been mentioned under the parish of Yalding, and THE REMAINDER OF IT in this parish, held of the manor of Marden, to Sharpeigh, whose descendant Stephen Sharpeigh passed that part of it away in 1582, to Richard Reynolds, whose son and heir John Reynolds, about the 41st year of queen Elizabeth, conveyed it to Richard Eliot, and he, about the year 1601, alienated it to Thomas Girdler, who the next year sold it to John Reynolds, and he, in the 5th year of king James, transmitted it to John Beale, who, about 1609, passed it away to John Harleston, of Ickham, and he settled it by will on Richard Harleston, who in like manner devised it to his kinsman Richard Bishop, and he, soon after the death of king Charles I. sold it to Mr. Stephen Stringer, of Triggs, in Goudhurst, whose son, of the same name, was sheriff anno 6 queen Anne, and left five daughters his coheirs, of whom Elizabeth, the third, married Edward Bathurst, esq. of Finchcocks, and on the division of their inheritance, he, in her right, became possessed of this manor. He died in 1772, upon which this estate came to his son, the Rev. Thomas Bathurst, rector of Welwyn, in Hertfordshire, the present owner of it. A court baron is regularly held for this manor.
In 1641 the archbishop collated Richard Amhurst, clerk, to the free chapels of Bockinfold and Newsted annexed, in the archdeaconry of Canterbury, then vacant and of his patronage. (fn. 3)
COMBORNE is an estate, situated in the northernmost part of this parish, adjoining to Winchet-hill, in the hundred of Marden likewise; which place of Winchet-hill was antiently the original seat in this county, of the family of Roberts, of Glassenbury.
An ancestor of this family, William Rookherst, a gentleman of Scotland, left his native country, and came into England in the 3d year of king Henry I. and had afterwards the surname of Roberts, having purchased lands at Winchet-hill, on which he built himself a mansion, calling it Rookherst, after himself. This place came afterwards to be called Ladiesden Rokehurst, alias Curtesden, and continued the residence of this family till the reign of king Richard II. when Stephen Roberts, alias Rookherst, marrying Joane, the daughter and heir of William Tilley, of Glassenbury, removed thither, and the remains of their residence here are so totally effaced, as to be known only by the family evidences, and the report of the neighbourhood.
But their estate at Winchet-hill continued several generations afterwards in their descendants, till it was at length alienated to one of the family of Maplesden, of Marden, in whose descendants this estate, together with that of Comborne adjoining, continued down to Edward Maplesden; esq. of the Middle Temple, who died in 1755, s. p. and intestate. Upon which they descended to Alexander Courthope, esq. of Horsemonden, the son of his sister Catherine, and to Charles Booth, esq. the grandson of his sister Anne, as his coheirs in gavelkind, and on a partition of those estates between them, Winchet-hill was allotted to Charles Booth, esq. afterwards Sir Charles Booth, of Harrietsham-place, who died possessed of it, s. p. in 1795, and his devisees, for the purposes of his will, are now in the possession of it; but Comborne was allotted to Alexander Courthope, esq. since deceased, whose nephew John Cole, esq. now possesses it.
FINCHCOCKS is a feat in this parish, situated within the hundred of Marden, in that angle of it which extends south-westward below Hope mill, and is likewise within that manor. It was formerly of note for being the mansion of a family of the same surname, who were possessed of it as early as the 40th year of Henry III. They were succeeded in it by the family of Horden, of Horden, who became proprietors of it by purchase in the beginning of king Henry VI.'s reign, one of whom was Edward Horden, esq. clerk of the green cloth to king Edward VI. queen Mary, and queen Elizabeth, who had, for some considerable service to the crown, the augmentation of a regal diadem, added to his paternal coat by queen Elizabeth. He left two daughters his coheirs, Elizabeth, married to Mr. Paul Bathurst, of Bathurst-street, in Nordiam, and Mary to Mr. Delves, of Fletchings, who had Horden for his share of the inheritance, as the other had this of Finchcocks. He was descended from Laurence Bathurst, of Canterbury, who held lands there and in Cranbrooke, whose son of the same name, left three sons, of whom Edward, the eldest, was of Staplehurst, and was ancestor of the Bathursts, of Franks, in this county, now extinct, (fn. 4) of the earls Bathurst, and those of Clarenden-park, in Wiltshire, and Lydney, in Gloucestershire; Robert Bathurst, the second, was of Horsemonden; and John, the third son, was ancestor of the Bathursts, of Ockham, in Hampshire. Robert Bathurst, of Horsemonden above-mentioned, by his first wife had John, from whom came the Bathursts, of Lechlade, in Gloucestershire, and baronets; and Paul, who was of Nordiam, and afterwards possessor of Finchcocks, from whose great-grandson William, who was a merchant in London, descended the Bathursts, of Edmonton, in Middlesex. By his second wife he had John, who was of Goudhurst, ancestor of the Bathursts, of Richmond, in Yorkshire. In the descendants of Paul Bathurst before-mentioned, this seat continued down to Thomas Bathurst, esq. who by his will devised this seat and estate to his nephew Edward, only son of his younger brother William, of Wilmington, who leaving his residence there on having this seat devised to him, removed hither, and rebuilt this seat, at a great expence, in a most stately manner. He resided here till his death in 1772, having been twice married, and leaving several children by each of his wives. By his first wife Elizabeth, third daughter and coheir of Stephen Stringer, esq. of Triggs, he had three sons, Edward, who left a daughter Dorothy, now unmarried, and John and Thomas, both fellows of All Souls college, in Oxford, the latter of whom is now rector of Welwyn, in Hertfordshire. Before his death he conveyed this seat and estate by sale to his son by his second wife, Mr. Charles Bathurst, who on his decease in 1767, s. p. devised it by will to his brother, the Rev. Mr. Richard Bathurst, now of Rochester, the present possessor of it. This branch of the family of Bathurst. bore for their arms the same coat as those of Franks, in this county, and those of Cirencester, Lydney, and Clarendon, viz. Sable, two bars, ermine, in chief three crosses pattee, or, with a crescent for difference; but with a different crest, viz. Party per fess, and pale, a demi wolf argent, and sable, holding a regal crown, or; which I take to be that borne by Edward Horden, whose heir Paul Bathurst, their ancestor, married, and whose coat of arms they likewise quartered with their own.
¶AT NO GREAT DISTANCE from Finchcocks, in the same hundred, lies a capital messuage, called RISEDEN, alias GATEHOUSE, which formerly belonged to a family named Sabbe, one of whom, Simon Sabbe, sold it, before the middle of the last century, to Mr. Robert Bathurst, from whom it descended down, with an adjoining estate, called TRILLINGHERST, to another Robert Bathurst, who died in 1731, and lies buried in this church, whose daughter Mary sold them both to Sir Horace Mann, bart. the present possessor of them.
As a child I grew up enjoying the "Little Rascals" (aka 'Our Gang'). In one of their memorable short films, a naughty boy gives the gang fake answers to a quiz he had pilfered from the teacher. So when the teacher asks the math question, "what's 3 and 1?", the reply is "OIL!" because 3-in-1 was the brand name of a common utility oil used for lubrication (you can buy it nowadays on ebay!)
Curious City answered Caroline Eichler's question: "Who is the super-friendly conductor on the CTA's Red Line?" Turns out it's this guy. Learn what made him such a kind-hearted fellow: www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/meet-ctas-super-friendly...
(Photo and story by Katie Klocksin)
Love is the answer
to so many questions
it has the power
to make a heart soar
or break it in an instant
it comes in many forms
and levels of intensity
we wish for it
we work at it
we worry about it
at times we curse it
we love with all we are
even when it may be difficult
to love ourselves
we love a friend
nurture a child
adore a spouse
worship our God
not all love is true
often not returned
but as they say
it is better to have loved
for we are far
better a person
to be one who
has loved
and more importantly
allowed to BE loved.
No idea why it became this
Forgot how i took this film while i was there
Surprised! and It is Lomo spirit..isn't it?
I remembered it's 4 or 5 pm, 2 trees.. far and close each. i was walking around in the alley to kill time
He is wearing the shoulder patch for the 1st Allied Airborne Army.
She is wearing the patch for the American Red Cross Motor Service.
ROD: SOPMOD
REEL: SALTIGA BJ 200SHL
LINE: PE4+40lb
LURE: BORDER SD
LURE: A.C.mag shad
LIP STAR182(シーバスモデルプロト)
Washington DC, April 14, 2018. Around two hundred activists associated with Answer Coalition, Code Pink, Veterans For Peace, Socialist Alternative and other peace groups gathered in front of the White House to protest the latest wave of intensified bombing in Syria by the U.S.A., Great Britain and France. In a brief address to the nation last night President Donald J. Trump suggested that the bombing of Syria could be an open ended affair of uncertain duration. The neocolonialist coalition bombing last night near Damascus and other cities was supposedly a retaliation for the evil Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most recent use of chemical weapons. An International inspection team arrived in Damascus just yesterday and have not yet determined the source of the chemical attack. This morning, President Trump foolishly declared "mission accomplished". Heard that one before?
Postscript. Reporters Robert Fisk from The Independent of Great Britain and Pearson Sharp of One America News
were unable to confirm that the alleged chemical attack had indeed occurred when they visited the site and the surrounding neighborhood in Douma, Syria.
First let me answer the question of the frog image prior to this one folks. As we approached to try to get closer the bird flew off as he was trying to avoid a mugging from other birds for his prize, so I really don't know if the frog made it or not. Secondly this is a very first for me and would again not had seen it if it were not for Tom (The Sadist) Mitchell. Not the greatest but the best I could do under the circumstances, and yes is was worth all the bites. Thank you all and thanks for the visit.
What was the question again?
Crossbones Graveyard, London.
See where this picture was taken. [?]
Originally posted to the Guess Where London group on 14-08-07.
To our new Vent members - hopefully now we can do the Live Nativity Scene again with the Horse Friend watching Tracy Lindsay and Whitney Conroy in Going all the way
Rayonier Lumber Willamette #2 heads north out of Mineral, Washington, crossing the little wooden bridge over Roundtop Creek with string of log bunks.
Although the #2 looks like a Shay, she wasn't born in Lima, Ohio. She's a 3-truck, oil-burning, Willamette Locomotive, built in 1929 by the Willamette Iron & Steel Works in Portland, Oregon. She's a native to the region, not a transplant. Some may ask: "What's the difference between a Shay and a Willamette....I mean, besides the manufacturer?" The answer is in the details. Willamette made a number of changes to Ephraim Shay's original design, all aimed at making a locomotive that was more powerful and efficient. All Willamettes were superheated, which meant they used less water and less fuel....key considerations in an environment where trackside fuel and water tanks were almost non-existent. Willamettes also had Walschaerts Valve Gear, which was an improvement over the Stephenson Valve Gear used on Shays. The Walschaerts Gear not only improves power and economy, but also makes the machinery easier to service. These differences are not something you can easily see in a photo, but new Willamette owners could definitely measure the difference in the performance of the machine. Willamette didn't exactly corner the market on new geared engines....they only built 33 of them...but the enhancements in their design gave the whole industry a kick in the butt and resulted in new and better products from their competitors, like Lima (which built most Shays) and Heisler.
Not sure what this critter is but I spotted him/her on the patio table so got off a few shots with my macro lens before he/she cluttered off
Books
[FLOWER], Constance, Lady Battersea1923Reminiscences.HINCHINGBROOKE: Montagu 153-8
ABOLITIONIST1859A Few Plain Words to Lord Robert Montagu, in answer to his Lordship's speech upon Church Rates, Delivered in the House of Commons.Signed by "Abolitionist", dated from Huntingdonshire, August 1859. Montagu was MP for Hunts 1859-74, but became a Catholic c. 1870 (VCH ii 59).HUNTS: Religious Affairs, Taxation, Members of Parliament, Montagu
BACON, Francis Lord Verulam1852The Essays or Counsels Civil and Moral and Wisdom of the Ancients. Edited by B. Montagu Esq.(The editor was the illegitimate son of the 4th Earl of Sandwich and Martha Ray: Complete Peerage vol. xi p. 437n.)HINCHINGBROOKE: Montagu
BALCH, Elizabeth1890Glimpses of Old English Homes. With fifty-one illustrations.Hinchingbrooke appears on pp. 64-98. ANOTHER VERSION of the same text and illustrations, from "English Illustrated Magazine" No. 56 (May 1888), pp. 535-48, is bound with other pamphlets under VARIOUS: "Huntingdonshire Topographical Extracts 2" (21). Another copy of this version is SIL/HINCH/006.HINCHINGBROOKE: Historic Houses, Cromwell, Montagu 64-98
BOXALL, Charles Gervaise1892Early Records of the Duke of Manchester's English Manorial Estates; by Charles Gervaise Boxall, Steward of the Manors of St Ives with the Sleap and Burstellars, Houghton with Witton, Little Stukeley, Bury with Hepmangrove, Kimbolton with the Members, Spaldwick with the Soak and Swyneshead.Autograph on title page: "To R. Ingpen Esq: from the writer Chas Gervaise Boxall".HUNTS: Domesday 1-7; ST IVES: Charters 8-10, Churches 11, Courts 16-46, Markets & Fairs 18-46, Manors 79-84; STUKELEY: Charters 9, Land 13-14; RAMSEY: Charters 8-10; KIMBOLTON: Charters, Markets & Fairs 11, Manors 15, 46-78, Montagu 49-50; HOUGHTON: Churches 14; WARESLEY: Manors 15; SPALDWICK: Manors 79-84; HOLYWELL: Manors 79-84; NEEDINGWORTH: Manors 79-84.
BRAYLEY, E. W.(1808) (contd. 1)HUNTS: History 325, Agriculture 336, Population 344; HUNTINGDON: History, Antiquities 345, Cromwell 357; GODMANCHESTER: History, Antiquities 456, 471, Marshall 459; HINCHINGBROOKE: History, Antiquities 459, Montagu 464; HARTFORD: History, Antiquities 475; WYTON: History, Antiquities 476; HOUGHTON: History, Antiquities 477; HEMINGFORDS: History, Antiquities 477; ST IVES: History, Antiquities 479, Pratt 485; HOLYWELL: History, Antiquities 486; NEEDINGWORTH: History, Antiquities 486, Nicholas 486; BLUNTISHAM: History, Antiquities 486, Meteorology 490; EARITH, COLNE: History, Antiquities 491; SOMERSHAM: History, Antiquities 495; WARBOYS: History, Antiquities 502, Johnson 503, Witchcraft 503; BURY: History, Antiquities 508; RAMSEY: History, Antiquities 509; HOLME: Fen Drainage 533, End papers; ORTON LONGUEVILLE: History, Antiquities 534; ORTON WATERVILLE: History, Antiquities 535; CHESTERTON: History, Antiquities 535; WATER NEWTON: History, Antiquities 536; ALWALTON: History, Antiquities 538; DENTON: History, Antiquities, Cotton 540; GLATTON: History, Antiquities 542; CONINGTON: History, Antiquities 543; STILTON: History, Antiquities 545; YAXLEY: History, Antiquities 547; (contd.)
BRAYLEY, E.W.(1808) (contd. 2)ELTON: History, Antiquities 547; SAWTRY: History, Antiquities 547; UPWOOD: History, Antiquities 549; BROUGHTON: History, Antiquities 550; ABBOTS RIPTON: History, Antiquities 550; KINGS RIPTON: History, Antiquities 550, Nayler Endpapers; STUKELEY: History, Antiquities 550; ALCONBURY: History, Antiquities 550; ALCONBURY: History, Antiquities 551; GIDDING: History, Antiquities, Ferrar 552; HAMERTON: History, Antiquities 557; LEIGHTON BROMSWOLD, KEYSTON: History, Antiquities 557; CATWORTH, SPALDWICK: History, Antiquities 558; KIMBOLTON: History, Antiquities, Montagu 558; STONELY, GT STAUGHTON: History, Antiquities 565; HAIL WESTON, ST NEOTS: History, Antiquities 567; EYNESBURY: History, Antiquities 569; WARESLEY: History, Antiquities 570; GT GRANSDEN, FENSTANTON: History, Antiquities 571; OFFORDS, PAXTON: History, Antiquities 572; SOUTHOE, BUCKDEN: History, Antiquities 573; HUNTINGDON: Railways Endpapers.
BUTLER, H. Montagu1860God With Us. A Sermon preached at the re-opening of All Saints' Church, Huntingdon, On Thursday, December 22nd, 1859, by H. Montagu Butler, M.A., head master of Harrow School, and fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Published by request.HUNTINGDON: Sermons, Churches.
DICKINSON, Philip G.M.1970 (ii)Hinchingbrooke House, Huntingdonshire. Published by the Governors of Hinchingbrooke School on the occasion of the opening of the new school buildings by Victor Montagu Esq., 18 September 1970.HINCHINGBROOKE: Historic Houses, Schools, Religious Houses, Cromwell, Montagu, Portraits.
How many years must a mountain exist?
Before it is washed to the sea?
How many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head?
and pretend that he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind.
And i can smell it with my golden nose!!!!
In answer to a question last week about the chain locker, this is what it looks like. It's basically just two co-joined three sided wood boxes that keep the chains contained in a small area under the deck in the bow. The chain leads up to the windlass through holes in the deck. We have 3 1/2 shots of chain on each anchor. We dropped them into the dock last year by gravity and used the band break on the windlass to slow the descent. The hatch on the left gives into the fo'c'sle.
Last week I asked God to show me LOVE and my prayers were answered each and every time I looked up. However today God showed me so much love through the lives of others people that my soul is so full.
I spent my Sunday morning with my awesome dog Dodger. We passed out Do Something Kits (hygiene kits) complete with homemade cookies to homeless people here in Hollywood.
Afterwards I dropped Dodger at home and headed out to a birthday party at Griffith Park I was hired to photograph. This family was awesome and at a time when I miss my family the most, it was so nice to see a family so filled with compassion and love.
Before heading home I took some pictures of the Californian sign in Griffith Park. I then stopped off at Trader Joe's before heading home I spent some quality time with Dodger.
I'm enjoying this drink right now with a huge smile on my face. It's days like these where I have to take a second to breathe and take in all the blessing and goodness that God bestows on me daily.
My life is far from perfect, but it is filled with an abundance of grace, mercy and the high favor of God.So for this I will always be so thankful for my amazing life.
＜TACKLE＞
ROD: PLAISIR ANSWER PA-B80 SOPMOD / zenaq
REEL: SALTIGA BJ 200SHL / daiwa
LINE: Avani CastingPE SMP#5号 / VARIVAS
SHOCK LEADER: VEP Shock leader50lb / VARIVAS LINKING PARTS: Cross Lock SNAP70lb / YARIE
LURE: SUPER STRETCH 1-/Mann‘s Bait Company
HOOK: 7554#2/ VMC
SPNC - Year 3 - Instruction # 02
"Search the streets for questions. Don't give the answers." - Lukas Vasilikos
This is the second Instruction for the Year 3 of the Street Photography Now Project, written to inspire fresh ways of looking at and documenting the world we all live in.
Source: Alfa_Romeo_Giulia-US-car-sales-statistics
Warm welcome or cold shoulder is a new series here on CarSalesBase.com, where we discuss the sales performance of new models in their first year or so on the market. How have they performed in terms of sales: above or under expectations? What could be the reasons for their success or failure? And what do we expect for their future – will it improve or get worse?
First we tackle the Alfa Romeo Giulia, simply because it’s one of the most talked-about launches in recent years and by far the most popular car here on CSB in terms of pageviews. As always, feel free to join the discussion by commenting below or answering the poll at the bottom.
Let’s start with the US, the most difficult market for the Giulia: there have been some articles and comments across the web suggesting the Giulia is a sales failure in the US, pointing out Alfa has only sold 7.900 of them in the first eleven months of this year. Of course, that figure looks a bit bleak when compared to established models like the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series, which sold almost 30.500 and 54.000 units during that same period. Then again, these brands and models have been around for decades which has given them great brand recognition, a faithful share of repeat buyers and not to forget a much larger dealer network (300 and 341 compared to 184). Alfa Romeo, on the other hand, has not been present in North America for nearly two decades and the few who still remember the brand mostly remember its reputation for poor quality. The US is a mature market and the midsized premium sedan segment is fiercely competitive as even an established brand like Cadillac has had trouble carving out a piece of that pie with the ATS, arguably one of the best cars it has made in a decade. So for a brand that has returned to the market after decades of non-presence, selling an average of 900 luxury sedans a month after its initial launch period is not all that bad.
A better comparison for the Giulia would be the Jaguar XE, another premium mid-sized sedan from a lower-volume luxury brand that was launched a few years ago without a direct predecessor. What’s more, Jaguar has 163 about dealers in the US, more in line with Alfa Romeo’s figure. Jaguar sold about 8.000 copies of the XE in the US in the first 10 months of 2017, not much more than the Giulia has sold, but I haven’t heard a single voice or read a single article claiming the XE is a failure. And keep in mind the Giulia was only launched in the first quarter of this year so its deliveries didn’t pick up traction until the second quarter. From May onwards the Giulia has consistently outsold its British rival. Also, the Alfa has been hampered by some software glitches that not only delayed deliveries but also didn’t do much good to its still very fragile image, proving those critics right that have continued the image of unreliable Italian cars. Not a great way to relaunch a brand and gain confidence from buyers looking to spend upwards of $40,000 on a new car. I think the major reason for the image of “failure” is that the goals set by FCA itself had been set unrealistically high and when the sales figures did not live up to those high expectations, it was easy to call it a failure. If only the company had been a bit more humble (or even just realistic) in their projections, the Giulia would not be considered a mishap. Perhaps the MotorTrend “Car of the Year” award can help put the Giulia on the shopping lists of more Americans, even though I personally take all these different COTY awards with more than a pinch of salt and so should everybody else.
Europe, the story is a bit different. Italian cars are traditionally known for being very dependent on their home market, with for example 80% of Fiat Panda and 64% of Alfa Romeo Giulietta coming from Italy. By comparison, just 38,5% of the Giulia‘s 19.201 European sales in the first 9 months of 2017 came from Italy, in line with the percentage of German sales for the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class and much lower than the 55% of European Jaguar XE sales coming from the UK. This suggests the Giulia’s appeal is better spread across the continent. The Giulia was behind the German 3 in fourth place of its segment when ruling out coupe/convertible models like the BMW 4-Series and Audi A5 and the Volvo V60 station wagon. It outsold the Jaguar XE and sold almost 4 times as many as the Volvo S60 and Lexus IS, the only other sedan-only alternatives that sell in significant numbers in Europe, where 42% of sales in this segment are station wagons and just 32% are sedans (the rest are hatchbacks like the DS5, 3-Series GT and 4-Series Gran Coupe, or coupe and convertible models). That means the Giulia only effectively competes with less than a third of its segment, resulting in an 11% market share of the premium midsized sedan segment. Not bad for an Italian newcomer in a segment traditionally dominated by the Germans and which is heavily dependent on fleet and lease orders. Those buyers often focus more on total cost of ownership than on purchase price which means resale values play a major factor, something in which the Germans are traditionally strong while the Giulia has no proven track record in that aspect.
So should Alfa Romeo still consider making a Giulia station wagon, as it had for its predecessors 156 and 159? I don’t think it should, as the potential volume for that version, which would really only sell in Europe, is about 30.000 units a year. That’s not enough for a company already struggling for cash, which it could put to better use by developing a replacement to the Giulietta or a crossover below the Stelvio, especially when considering some of the SW sales probably would cannibalize on those of the sedan. Considering the premium midsized sedan segment as a whole is losing share to crossovers like the Volvo XC60, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Audi Q5, the Giulia was facing an uphill battle from the beginning, while the Stelvio is supposed to be the real money (and volume) maker. But in order to (re-)establish the Alfa Romeo brand as a sporty alternative to the Germans and a full-blown luxury brand, the Giulia was needed to give the brand credibility by proving it could compete with them in their traditional stronghold: that of midsized sports sedans in which the BMW 3-Series is still the king of the hill. That’s also why it has focused so much attention on the low-volume, top-of-the-line Quadrifoglio version with 510hp, as that version was able to beat the M3 and rivals on paper as well as on the road. The widespread critical acclaim from press and punters put the Giulia and Alfa Romeo back on the map in Europe and I wouldn’t call it a sales failure at all, even if it hasn’t met the overly ambitious goals set by Sergio Marchionne.
Kriss’ second opinion
I am in two minds about the Giulia’s sales performance. On one hand Bart is absolutely right – if you look at the numbers the right way Giulia’s sales figures looks pretty good for (a) a sedan (b) from a brand that needs to reestablish itself (c) in a crowded market (d) that’s losing volume to crossovers. And if you view the Giulia as a car whose main goal was to put Alfa Romeo back on the map than I would say it has actually been successful – while the sales are so-so, it is viewed as a car that can go head-to-head with the segment’s leaders, unlike for example the compromised Jaguar XE and Cadillac ATS.
On the other hand, however, there is no denying that Alfa Romeo needs to start selling cars now that it has all but killed off the Mito and Giulietta, and in this respect the Giulia is not the success that the brand needs. As such, the acid test will come with the performance of the Stelvio SUV, a car entering a growing segment where established brand values count for less than in the traditional segments. If the Stelvio can generate volume (and profits) for the brand than this will serve as foundation for future growth. So far FCA, and Sergio Marchionne, seem to be determined to drive the brand to succeed. However, as we have seen with Audi’s, Lexus’ and Infiniti’s decades-long journeys, success in the premium segments takes a long time, and even then it is not guaranteed. The Giulia, however, remains one hell of a start for Alfa Romeo.
She didn't have an answer for me, but for her, like many many thousands of other children in Nigeria, there are two simple reasons: 1. Her family cannot afford to send her to school, and 2. Her family cannot afford for her not to work.
Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) male display flight Germany_w_0040
It's that time again, when our Marsh Harriers return from Africa & Iberia to get read for the coming breeding season. Males, like this lovely adult, arrive first, patrolling their 'patch' calling as they fly in soft nasal-whining call repeated twice.
Although the temperature is still pretty cold with ground frost these birds will wait, assess what has changed since last season and generally feed and wait until the arrival of his mate or another suitable mate if she fails to arrive. Migration over long distances can be hazardous.
The western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) is a large harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian marsh harrier. The genus name Circus is derived from the Ancient Greek kirkos, referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight (kirkos, "circle"), probably the hen harrier. The specific aeruginosus is Latin for "rusty"