View allAll Photos Tagged arguments
Let not my love be called idolatry,
Nor my beloved as an idol show,
Since all alike my songs and praises be
To one, of one, still such, and ever so.
Kind is my love to-day, to-morrow kind,
Still constant in a wondrous excellence;
Therefore my verse to constancy confined,
One thing expressing, leaves out difference.
Fair, kind, and true, is all my argument,
Fair, kind, and true, varying to other words;
And in this change is my invention spent,
Three themes in one, which wondrous scope affords.
Fair, kind, and true, have often lived alone,
Which three till now, never kept seat in one.
Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), also called an Arctic Fulmar, having an aerial argument. Image taken off the cliffs at Látrabjarg in Iceland. There are thousands of birds that occupy these cliffs.
Day 31 - Street photography while walking around Wrigleyville today. These people seemed to be arguing over something and i was able to get a picture of the emotion on the guy's face.
Oh boy. Last minute I was nearly possessed by some thick, black spikes that nearly hurt my lungs. Now this. How long is this argument gonna be? Technically I’m the one with anger issues, not because I’m a dwarf, but I have them.
Sean: “You put a fucking tracker to me, Flor? What is that all about?”
Florence: “Keeping an eye out. I dragged Callan all the way from Sheffield to here. But he doesn’t know a damn thing.”
Callan: “My family’s fucking dead, alright, peace out. But if it wasn’t for your teammate Strymir, I’ve seen better Scandinavians who have a better oath to keep than your puny little shitholes.”
Luc: “Are you calling me out on my friend? Just because you’re rich, doesn’t give you that right, you wanker.”
Callan: “Well try me then, you cunt.”
Terry: “Hey guys, I…well, everyone, shut the fuck up. Shouldn’t we be going after some lost book? I really don’t need both teams arguing at the same time.
Edris: “I don’t get all this mess I signed up for right now. I just lost my teacher—our closest teammate and why the fuck are we still around the Louvre?
Luc: “…”
Sean: “She’s right. I just lost my friend to these fucking shenanigans. If I weren’t up for this job, I would still be prosecuting people for shit.”
Callan: “Would he be deemed guilty?”
Sean: “Can’t let my personal feelings get in the way considered my lady is in their hands…but fuck this, we’ll talk about the rest later, Florence. Now let’s go.”
***
Luc’s group teleportation ability worked like a charm. Didn’t mean it like a pun, but sure. Magnus disabled it right the amulets when he left. My head’s really fizzy from the the last “Serpent” fucker who tried to…take control. The experience was awful, or else I would have gutted him with the axe when I could move.
This is already the 50th painting of the Mona Lisa hung on the Louvre, the original is still somewhere. No time to clean up messes even if I’m a good builder from my genes. But a book is a book, this Malison…it feels like a series. I’ve been asked in the past to polish and make changes to keep the book from deteriorating, but now I kinda regret it—
Prez: “The skies are getting even darker. We’re reaching eclipse soon, very soon. I believe the Pont des Arts is going to be overtaken by demons any minute.”
Terry: “Any indication of whatever the hell these demons come from?”
Luc: “Theoretically, I don’t know. They seem mutated. Sean, can you confirm?”
Sean: “Guess so...the needles didn’t look very unnatural. Let’s split up.”
Edris: “We can’t, can we?”
Luc: “Not likely. We stick together right fucking now, ok?
Florence: “Also gimme a moment lads, lemme try finding out what the old man knows…him and Forge
Everyone: “Aight.”
While Florence is busy on comms, the others help load up her car with tons of weapons that I presume it can be used later since we did waste a lot of ammo. I’ve had a quick chat with her on blacksmiths and crafting, which she is fond of. Now we’re both on the law with a former officer, ironic. I bet it would even be terrible considering there is no organization we can reach right now. The one in Germany is slaughtered, Asia…fallen, America…same.
It isn’t long until the streets are rampant with fire again, by the sudden wave of demons who reach up from both sides as we are still prepping. I grab my rifle and start shooting at three coming at my 7, while my right hand grabs the axe and slices a crawler that nearly tried to latch onto my face.
Florence: “They think we’re here for the book! We have to go right now! These weapons are best saved later.”
Edris: “What do you have, a fairy killer?”
Florence: “No, it’d be too big for a doomsday device—I tailored the cannon. Like a fucking sea pirate.”
Prez: “Goddamn.”
With no time to waste besides on admiring on her crafting for a second, she grabs a rocket launcher from the trunk, as she casts a spell that translates to “rage” in Latin, and fires it directly into the ugly bunch, second wave. Luc helps with casting a mist so that we could escape to the roof. Sean climbs throws a couple of enchanted knives at a couple heads before it gets redirected back at him.
I shoot a couple more rounds along with my axe, since it does fit with the rifle. A great modpon.
Edris: “The dust ain’t gonna hold off longer…and neither will Terry, we’re gonna be drained by the end of the day…is it gonna start, Callan?”
Callan: “Yes I’m working on it…”
Prez: “Get it done, now!”
Callan: “Alright…here we go…the coordinates are good thanks to you Cap’n…boom!”
And with a quick flash, we all disappear along with the Aston Martin before the demons can even reach us, with my head only remembering dropping one of my grenades for the demon army.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty eight metres at 07:18am just as the light broke through the dawn on an Autumn morning, Saturday Octyober 22nd 2022 off Hythe Avenue and Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Here we see an adult male Carrion crow (Corvus corone), one of a pair who I have fed for three years now. Nicknamed Russell, he sits on an aerial opposite my front door, calling to Sheryl his wife, and Baboo, thier young'en from this year.
AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT CORVUS CORONE
LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY
By Paul Williams
Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.
In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.
In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds. There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.
The crow features in the Nanissáanah (Ghost dance), popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had became a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. The Ghost dance movement was originally created in 1870 by Wodziwob, or Gray Hair, a prophet and medicine man of the Paiute tribe in an area that became known as Nevada. Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom. The five day dances seeking trance,prophecy and exhortations would eventually play a major part in the pathway towards the white man's broken treaties, the infamous battle at Wounded knee and the surrender of Matȟó Wanáȟtaka (Kicking Bear), after officials began to fear the ghost dancers and rituals which seemed to occur prior to battle.
Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnarr Loðbrók and his sons used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows. Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows were sent out each dawn to fly the entire world, returning at breakfast where they informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms. Odin was also referred to as Rafnagud (raven-god). The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare.Coins dating back to 940's minted by Olaf Cuaran depict the Viking war standard, the Raven and Viking war banners (Gonfalon) depicted the bird also.
In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors. It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.
In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.
The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug
In Greek mythology according to Appolodorus, Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow, turning them forever black from their pristine white original plumage as a punishment after they brought news that Κορωνις (Coronis) a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis, Apollo's pregnant lover had left him to marry a mortal, Ischys. In one legend, Apollo burned the crows feathers and then burned Coronis to death, in another Coronis herself was turned into a black crow, and another that she was slain by the arrows of Αρτεμις (Artemis - twin to Apollo). Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus ("the Crow"). Her name means "Curved One" from the Greek word korônis or "Crow" from the word korônê.A similar Muslim legend allegedly tells of Muhammad, founder of Islam and the last prophet sent by God to Earth, who's secret location was given away by a white crow to his seekers, as he hid in caves. The crow shouted 'Ghar Ghar' (Cave, cave) and thus as punishment, Muhammad turned the crow black and cursed it for eternity to utter only one phrase, 'Ghar, ghar). Native Indian legend where the once rainbow coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.
In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.
In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:
1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.
2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.
3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.
4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.
6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!
7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.
8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events
Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolises potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....
There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders. The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.
The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
So let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.
Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice). Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.
Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone
Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories. Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm. They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old. The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!
They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow, a more steeply raked ratio from head to beak, and longer straighter beaks as well as a different plumage pattern. There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.
Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence. Crows have relatively large brains for their body size, compared to other animals. Their encephalization quotient (EQ) a ratio of brain to body size, adjusted for size because there isn’t a linear relationship is 4.1. That is remarkably close to chimps at 4.2 whilst humans are 8.1. Corvids also have a very high neuronal density, the number of neurons per gram of brain, factoring in the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, interneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity shows that Corvids score high on this measure as well, with humans scoring the highest.
A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events. They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans., and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans. Communications wise, their repertoire of wraw-wraw's is not fully understood, but the intensity, rhythm, and duration of caws seems to form the basis of a possible language. They also remember the faces of humans who have hindered or hurt them and pass that information on to their offspring.
Aesop's fable of 'The Crow and the Pitcher, tells of a thirsty crow which drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level and enable it to take a drink. Scientists have conducted tests to see whether crows really are this intelligent. They placed floating treats in a deep tube and observed the crows indeed dropping dense objects carefully selected into the water until the treat floated within reach. They had the intelligence to pick up, weigh and discount objects that would float in the water, they also did not select ones that were too large for the container.
Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D, regularly settling on wooden garden fences, opening their mouths and wings and raising their heads to the sun. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally. They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts and similar hard food items under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!
Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades.Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!
They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.
In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of to stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain. Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAIR IN MY GARDEN
Crows have been in the area for a while, but rarely had strayed into my garden, leaving the Magpies to own the territory. Things changed towards the end of May when a beautiful female Carrion crow appeared and began to take some of the food that I put down for the other birds. Within a few days she began to appear regularly, on occasions stocking up on food, whilst other times placing pieces in the birdbath to soften them. She would stand on the birdbath and eat and drink and come back over the course of the day to eat the softened food.
Shortly afterwards she brought along her mate, a tall and handsome fella, much larger than her who was also very vocal if he felt she was getting a little too close to me. By now I had moved from a seated position from the patio as an observer, to laying on a mat just five feet from the birdbath with my Nikon so that I could photograph the pair as they landed, scavenged and fed. She was now confident enough to let me be very close, and she even tolerated and recognized the clicking of the camera. At first I used silent mode to reduce the noise but this only allowed two shooting frame rates of single frame or continuous low frame which meant I was missing shots. I reverted back to normal continuous high frames and she soon got used to the whirring of the mechanisms as the mirror slapped back and forth.
The big fella would bark orders at her from the safety of the fence or the rear of the garden, whilst she rarely made a sound. That was until one day when in the sweltering heat she kept opening her beak and sunning on the grass, panting slightly in the heat. I placed the circular water sprayer nearby and had it rotating so that the birdbath and grass was bathed in gentle water droplets and she soon came back, landed and seemed to really like the cooling effect on offer. She then climbed onto the birdbath and opened her wings slightly and made some gentle purring, cooing noises....
I swear she was expressing happiness, joy....
On another blisteringly hot day when the sprayer was on, she came down, walked towards it and opened her wings up running into the water spray. Not once, but many times.
A further revelation into the unseen sides to these beautiful birds came with the male and female on the rear garden fence. They sat together, locked beaks like a kiss and then the male took his time gently preening her head feathers and the back of her neck as she made tiny happy sounds. They stayed together like that for several minutes, showing a gentle, softer side to their nature and demonstrating the deep bond between them. Into July and the pair started to bring their three youngsters to my garden, the nippers learning to use the birdbath for bathing and dipping food, the parents attentive as ever. Two of the youngsters headed off once large enough and strong enough.
I was privileged to be in close attendance as the last juvenile was brought down by the pair, taught to take food and then on a night in July, to soar and fly with it's mother in the evening sky as the light faded. She would swoop and twirl, and at regular intervals just touch the juvenile in flight with her wing tip feathers, as if to reassure it that she was close in attendance. What an amazing experience to view. A few days later, the juvenile, though now gaining independence and more than capable of tackling food scraps in the garden, was still on occasions demand feeding from it's mother who was now teaching him to take chicken breast, hotdogs or digestive biscuits and bury them in the garden beds for later delectation. The juvenile also liked to gather up peanuts and bury them in the grass. On one occasion I witnessed a pair of rumbunctious Pica Pica (Magpies), chasing the young crow on rooftops, leaping at him no matter how hard he tried to get away. He defended himself well and survived the attacks, much to my relief.
Into August and the last youngster remained with the adults, though now was very independent even though he still spent time with his parents on rooftops, and shared food gathering duties with his mum.Hotdog sausages were their favourite choice, followed by fish fingers and digestive biscuits which the adult male would gather up three at a time. In October, the three Crows were still kings of the area, but my time observing them was pretty much over as I will only put food out now for the birds in the winter months. The two adults are still here in December and now taking the food that I put out to help all birds survive in the winter months. They also have a pair of Magpies to compete with now.
Late February 2022 and Cheryl and Russell and their youngster are still with me, still dominant in the area and still taking raw chicken, hotdogs, biscuits and fatballs that I put out for them. Today I saw them mating for the first time this year in the tree and the cycle continues.
By October 2022 the pair had successfully reared a new baby who we nicknamed Baboo, and the other youngster flew the coup. The three no recognised our car returning from weekends away, and were enjoying sausages, hotdogs, raw chicken, fish and especially cheese, but life was hard as they aged with daily morning and evening tustles in the air with invaders and intruders hoping to take their land.
Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!
Paul Williams June 4th 2021 (Updated in October 2022)
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mit Argumentationsverstärker
with argumentation booster
avec exhausteur d'argumentation
met argumentatieversterker
Strobist Info:
Jinbei DM-5 in Octacox camera left
YN560-iii from top
YN560-iii through background
FYI: no one was hurt during this shooting. She's a wonderful woman with an wonderful sense of humour.
A mature and an immature Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have an aerial argument over the shores of Neets Bay, Alaska during the annual salmon spawning run.
Plymouth Citybus 2442 stands at Helston in Coinagehall St with a route 39 from Camborne I think. Cornwall is the centre groups for the old argument for clear, obvious route branding verses a clear, uniform network - it will be interesting to see how it develops.
Please Right Click and select "Open link in new
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohDB5gbtaEQ
The Argument - Monty Python
no, it's not about a parrot
It's easy to pick holes in the legend of Thomas the Rhymer. Many of the references to him and his predictions were written centuries after his death, but folklore is not necessarily unreliable just because it's verbal, and there's a good argument that in this case, where there's smoke there may once have been fire!
The problem is that the historical reality of True Thomas has been almost completely submerged in the tidal wave of myth and legend that has grown up around him over the centuries since. While it seems reasonable to dismiss the story that he "disappeared for seven years to live with the Queen of Elfland and returned to Ercildoune with the gift of prophecy", there are plenty of predictions attributed to him that may either be genuine or may have contained some degree of truth.
Popular lore recounts that he prophesied some of the great events in Scottish history, including the death of Alexander III of Scotland in 1286. He is said to have told the Earl of Dunbar:
"On the morrow, afore noon, shall blow the greatest wind that ever was heard before in Scotland."
There having been no significant change in the weather by the time his lordship sat down for his lunch the following day, a "please explain" was sent to Thomas, who replied that the appointed hour had not yet come, shortly after which, news arrived from Fife of the king's death.
Another of the Rhymer's predictions is said to go like this:
"When the Yowes o' Gowrie come to land,
The Day o' Judgment's near at hand"
A "Yowe" in the country parts of Scotland, is a ewe and the Yowes of Gowrie were two large rounded ovine looking rocks in the Tay estuary, just off the shore from Invergowrie, close to the outlet of the Fowlis Burn. Why and how should two large rocks ever come ashore you might well wonder? Well they had been observed over a period of many years to be getting slowly but surely closer to the shoreline! Or to be more precise, the shoreline was getting closer to them! Then in the 19th century they finally did come ashore. The Dundee to Perth railway line was built along that part of the coast line, seemingly just offshore of the yowes, after which the area to landward of the railway was used as a rubbish dump - supposedly burying the yowes in the process. So technically the yowes have "come to land", without triggering the Day of Judgement, although there are parts of Dundee where it probably can't come soon enough!
Perhaps my favourite of the Rhymer's prophecies, concerns Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire. He is said to have said:
"Fyvie, Fyvie thou'se never thrive,
lang's there's in thee stanes three :
There's ane intill the highest tower,
There's ane intill the ladye's bower,
There's ane aneath the water-yett,
And thir three stanes ye'se never get."
What does that mean when translated loosely into understandable English?
It is believed that there were three special stones at Fyvie - weeping stones. They remained permanently damp, whatever the weather and the whereabouts of two of them are unknown. The Rhymer's prediction is interpreted as meaning that until all three were located, no eldest son would succeed to his father at Fyvie. The 'Ladye's bower' is the castle's charter room, and the one surviving stone is kept there to this day. Whether there is another one built into the castles 'highest tower', nobody seems to know, but the biggest problem is the one said to be underneath the water-gate. This would place it in the River Ythan, which runs around the castle, and trying to identify a damp stone is a river is of course a difficult task!
So what about the prediction, that no oldest son would inherit? I have known this story, without questioning it, for most of my life, having been solemnly told that indeed, no eldest son had ever inherited the castle. But in the interests of science, I though I would spend some time now trying to find out whether that's true!
Fyvie was originally (before the time of the Rhymer a royal castle. We know that King Alexander II signed charters here in February 1222 and The Bruce stayed here in the early years of the 14th century. Since then, it has been owned by five families - the Prestons, the Meldrums, the Setons, the Gordons and the Forbes-Leiths.
Actually, technically, there were six families! In 1370, King Robert II granted Fyvie to his son and heir John (later Robert III), who in turn passed the castle to his cousin, Sir James Lindsay. However, in 1388 the Scots had a rare victory over the English at the Battle of Otterburn, during which Ralph de Percy was captured by Sir Henry Preston, the brother-in-law of Sir James Lindsay. When Robert III came to the throne two years later in 1390 he purchased the rights to Ralph de Percy's ransom by transferring ownership of Fyvie Castle from Sir James Lindsay to Sir Henry Preston. This would seem rather unfair, although I imagine Sir James would have been adequately compensated, but it does of course set the prophesy off in the right direction - Sir James' heir never inherited Fyvie!
So leaving Sir James Lyndsay to one side, the first effective owner of Fyvie in the post royal era, was Sir Henry Preston. When he died around the year 1433, he wasn't succeeded by his son, because he didn't have any! Fyvie went to Sir Alexander Meldrum of that ilk, who had married one of Sir Henry's two daughters.
Fyvie remained in the hands of the Meldrums for about 160 years, passing through the hands of several (probably five) generations of the family, but as we don't know the genealogy of this part of the Meldrum family, we can't say whether an eldest son ever inherited. Probably yes, but the accuracy of the prophesy can't be disproved! In 1596, Fyvie was sold by the Meldrums to Alexander Seton, later Chancellor of Scotland.
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline and Chancellor of Scotland, was born in 1555. His first wife, to whom he was already married when he bought Fyvie, was Lillias Drummond and after producing five children for him, all girls, it is said that Lord Seton, blaming his wife for the lack of a son and heir, began an affair with her cousin (and future wife) Grizel Leslie. Betrayed and heartbroken Lillias died not long after learning of the affair, .
Lillias Drummond died in May 1601 and Lord Seton married Grizel Leslie a few months later in October 1601. On their wedding night at Fyvie it is said that they were both distracted by a 'mournful moaning' from outside their bedroom window. A search for the source of the noises produced no results but the next morning the words D. LILLIAS DRUMMOND were found carved into the stone sill outside their bedroom window, in letters three inches high and upside down, the window being over 50 feet above ground level. The letters remain visible to this day and since that time, Fyvie Castle is said to have been haunted by a lady in green, roaming the corridors of the castle, crying at her betrayal by her husband and leaving behind the scent of Rose petals!
How much of that is true, I don’t know, but what is true is that before her death in 1606, Grizel Leslie produced two daughters and a son Charles, and that Charles died young! It was up to Lord Seton's third wife to produce his successor, another Charles.
The eldest son and heir of Charles Seton, 2nd Earl of Dunfermline, also named Charles, died in 1672, just before his father! Alexander, the 2nd son became 3rd Earl of Dunfermline, but dying unmarried, the title passed to his brother James.
James Seton, 4th Earl of Dunfermline, died in 1694, also unmarried - which was somewhat immaterial because, having supported the Jacobite cause in the 1689 Rising, his castle and estate had already been confiscated by the crown. Fyvie remained a crown property until it was sold in 1733.
The purchaser in 1733 was William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen. His wife at the time was Anne Gordon, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Gordon and their eldest son William inherited Fyvie from his father. But those that have read this far and are hoping the Rhymer's prophesy will hold true will be delighted to learn that Lord William Gordon had already been married, twice and had two sons by his 2nd wife. So once again, the eldest son and heir didn't inherit Fyvie.
General William Gordon, 1st of Fyvie died in 1816 when, unfortunately for Thomas the Rhymer, who now can never be taken seriously again, was succeeded by his only son William Gordon, 2nd of Fyvie Castle. He died without children in 1847, whereupon Fyvie passed to his nephew, Charles Gordon 3rd of Fyvie.
When the 3rd laird died in 1851, Fyvie passed to his son and heir, for the 2nd (and last) time that we know of in five centuries, William Cosmo Gordon. Either he or his executors put Fyvie up for sale and it sold in 1889 to the 5th and last family to own it.
Fyvie's new owner was Alexander John Forbes-Leith, later 1st Baron Leith of Fyvie. He was a local boy who had made his fortune in the steel industry in the US of A and used Fyvie to house his huge collection of paintings, tapestries, armour and furniture. His only son and heir, Percy Forbes-Leith, 2nd Lt Royal Dragoons, was killed aged 19 in 1900 during the Boer War.
In 1982 Fyvie Castle was once again placed on the market, and in 1984 it was purchased by the National Trust for Scotland.
So could Thomas the Rhymer predict the future? Well it's my belief he could do so every bit as accurately as Nostradamus!
Jakob sourit :
- Vous croyez si fort en moi, père. Comment cela est-il possible ?
- Tu es mon fils et le porteur de l’anneau de feu. Alors je sais que tu vas réussir à vaincre les forces du mal, même si cela prendra du temps. Ce n’est pas une question de durée, c’est une question de foi. Et Marie t’aidera, j’en suis persuadé. Je sais qu’elle a le caractère suffisamment affirmé pour cela. C’est toi qui manques de confiance, mon garçon. Pourtant, le Ciel et les forces célestes veillent sur toi et sur ta dulcinée, ils vous protègent tous deux et vous guident. Alors qu’est-ce qui te tracasse tant ?
- Le pouvoir d’Oswald m’angoisse. Ce qu’il a fait à mère, à mes frères, à vous et à tous ces royaumes et ces jeunes gens est véritablement abominable. Et je ne sais pas si j’aurai la force et le pouvoir suffisants pour détruire cette magie maléfique qu’il déploie. Et puis...il y a pire...Je...c’est sans doute idiot mais...je me suis rendu compte que le mal n’était pas forcément si radical. Qu’il était le plus souvent le résultat de souffrances, de peurs...En discutant avec Ulf, le chef des vampires, j’ai entrevu quelque chose qui m’a troublé. Comme un espace où il n’y aurait finalement ni bien ni mal, mais plutôt des circonstances malheureuses...J’ai compris que c’était le cas pour Ulf et en arrivant ici, je me suis aussi posé la question pour Oswald. Que lui est-il arrivé pour qu’il devienne aussi maléfique ?
- Il n’a jamais connu ni son père ni sa mère. La fille d’Osmond est morte moins d’un an après sa naissance. D’une mauvaise fièvre que son père n’a pas su guérir. Alors Osmond s’est enferré dans toutes sortes de magie et a elevé Oswald à son image et selon ses codes.
- Et son père ?
- Je crois que personne ne sait qui il était exactement...Oswald a considéré son grand-père comme père et mère tout à la fois. Tout en ayant peur de lui déplaire, peur de sa magie aussi. C’est pourquoi il souhaite tout contrôler autour de lui. Tout posséder et dominer. C’est un être en perpétuelle quête de sécurité. Et la sécurité qu’il souhaite, c’est le pouvoir suprême. Une sorte de Saint Graal, un entêtement maladif pour soulager ses angoisses. Mais une fois qu’il l’aura, ce pouvoir ne pourra que le détruire.
- Alors pourquoi ne pas le lui donner tout de suite ?
- Parce que ce pouvoir suprême s’il tombait entre ses mains maléfiques nous tuerait tous.
Est-ce vraiment cela que tu souhaites, fils ?
-Non, évidemment, mais je cherchais une solution alternative qui…
-Puisse fonctionner sans l’affronter directement, c’est cela ?
- Oui...vous savez à quel point je déteste toute forme de violence.
- Pourtant tu sais bien que dans certains cas, c’est inévitable, même si je n’aime pas plus que toi ce genre de solution. Depuis mon internement et ton arrivée à Kalamine, n’as-tu pas été confronté à ce genre d’extrémité ?
- Si, une fois. Lorsque Tito le serpent et sa bande de brigands, la voleuse d’âmes voulaient s’en prendre à moi et à Gontrand...Mais croyez bien que je n’ai pas fait cela de gaieté de coeur et si Gontrand n’avait pas été là, de même que Ulf pour me pousser à l’action, je pense que je n’aurais pas été jusqu’à leur destruction.
- Et tu ne serais peut-être plus là pour nous en parler. Réfléchis à ça, Jakob, je t’en prie. Au besoin parles-en avec Marie. A présent, c’est ensemble que vous devez affronter Oswald et pas seulement individuellement, chacun de votre côté.
- Ton père a raison, intervint le triton. Ta fiancée peut t’aider à prendre la bonne décision. Ce n’est pas la fille d’Héloïse Smiroff pour rien. Fais lui confiance et confies-toi à elle. A deux, vous trouverez la juste attitude. Ca et ton poudrier magique, ça devrait t’ôter le doute et te remettre dans de bonnes dispositions. Maintenant, en échange de nos précieux conseils, je vais te demander un service, jeune homme ! Pourrais-tu t’arranger avec Chariot pour que Marie vienne nous rendre visite également ? Je sais que c’est un peu risqué, mais...même si ça n’est pas possible avant quelques jours…
Hélas, au moment où le triton faisait cette requête, Chariot démarra la chanson d’alerte et Jakob sursauta :
- Ecoutez, ce sera avec plaisir, mais je ne peux rien vous promettre. D’autant que je dois m’en aller si je ne veux pas être surpris ici par le corbeau ou Oswald lui-même. Père, tenez bon, jusqu’à ce que je trouve le moyen de vous délivrer. Le reste, je m’en charge, vous pouvez compter sur moi.
- Je t’aime mon fils...prends soin de toi ! Murmura le roi des elfes, avec un sanglot dans la voix.
Jakob inclina la tête, lui aussi très ému. Puis saluant les autres prisonniers, il s’éclipsa hors du cachot.
Juste à temps pour éviter de croiser la corneille, qui ayant fini son jeu de dupes avec la psyché d’Oswald, venait s’enquérir de l’avancée du ménage de l’apprenti sorcier.
- Tu as déjà terminé ? Croassa le volatile en jouant l’inspecteur du laboratoire.
Il passa en revue toutes les étagères et tables et ne voyant rien à redire, il fixa le jeune garçon avec intérêt et déclara :
Eh bien...tu dois être un apprenti méticuleux...et c’est une qualité que le maître apprécie. Tu as passé la première épreuve, la plus facile. Mais attends-toi à une prochaine un peu plus épineuse et difficile...J’ai faim ! Que fait donc Oswald ?
- Si tu veux, je peux t’apporter une poignée de grains d’orge...cela te fera attendre, suggéra Chariot. Moi aussi j’ai faim et je suppose que l’apprenti sorcier est sur le même ressenti . Alors je vous invite tous deux à la cuisine. Nous dînerons ensemble au lieu de manger seuls chacun devant son assiette.
- Sans le maître ? S’offusqua le corbeau .
- De toute façon, il dîne toujours seul, alors qu’est-ce qu’il pourrait trouver à y redire.
Vaincu par cet argument de Chariot, et poussé par la faim, l’oiseau ne se fit plus prier pour suivre Jakob à la cuisine.
Ce qui permit au jeune garçon, d’observer les usages de la maisonnée et les rapports sociaux qu’entretenait le corbeau avec le domestique.
La vie au sein de la tour semblait assez morne et triste en dehors des coups de colère et d’éclat d’Oswald et du mimétisme de son favori qui ne voyait que par son maître et répétait comme un automate le même discours pervers que le sorcier, sans même forcément le comprendre.
Intérieurement, Jakob, tout en mangeant, espérait que ce dîner soit très court, juste pour apaiser leur faim pour échapper au tourbillon volubile du corbeau. Chariot semblait résigné et habitué à subir cet incessant monologue. Une fois de plus, Jakob eut pitié du vieux cuisinier et même s’il ne pouvait lui faire aucune confidence de crainte d’une trahison, résolut de l’aider à sortir de l’emprise d’Oswald.
Il pensait à Marie aussi...Marie, dont il avait peur de la réaction, suite à leur rendez-vous manqué de la veille.
Aurait-il droit à sa bienveillance et sa compréhension ? Ou bien aurait-elle une réaction de colère et un sentiment de trahison vis à vis de son absence ?
Il avait beau se convaincre qu’elle l’aimait et qu’elle lui pardonnerait volontiers son échappée belle de la nuit dernière avec Ulf, il n’arrivait pas à se trouver tout à fait tranquille en pensant à leurs retrouvailles.
Et ce doute creusait la mélancolie sur son jeune visage comme une rivière creuse un lit dans la terre et la mousse tendre.
C’est avec ce visage plein d’incertitudes qu’il apparut à Oswald, rentré de sa journée forestière avec Marie. La jeune femme, toute aussi contrariée qu’il l’était lui-même sans pour autant que ce soit pour les mêmes raisons, ne fit aucun cas de sa présence et regagna sa chambre rapidement, sous le regard inquiet d’Oswald.
- Qu’ai-je fait encore pour lui déplaire ? Maugréa le sorcier. Je savais que les femmes étaient de nature capricieuse, mais celle-là dépasse tous les records en la matière. Elle devrait pourtant être contente que j’ai utilisé des sorts pour faire pousser plus vite ses graines. Au moins nous économiserons de l’eau et du travail…
Jakob se mordit la lèvre pour ne pas répliquer et Chariot en écho soupira.
Ce silence éloquent, pas même rompu par la corneille qui fixait le sorcier d’un air ébahi, finit par indisposer Oswald qui cherchait une explication logique au comportement de son épouse et n’en trouvait pas. Avisant son nouveau jeune apprenti, il lui lança :
- Et toi ? Qu’as-tu donc fait durant mon absence ? Le laboratoire est-il en ordre et propre ?
- Je pense que vous devriez être satisfait.
- Tu penses...cela veut donc dire que tu as des doutes sur la qualité de ton travail ? Attention, Matthias, si tu m’as trompé, je le saurai...Je te l’ai dit, je n’ignore rien de ce qui se passe ici et sur mes terres.
Jakob sourit.
- Voyez par vous-même…
Le sorcier se dirigea lentement vers le laboratoire et quelle ne fut pas sa surprise lorsqu’il constata, en lieu et place d’un espace en désordre et sale, un laboratoire propre et rangé. Sans pour autant que les potions aient diamétralement changé de place.
Furieux, il passa plusieurs fois entre les allées, mais constatant que tout avait été bien fait, il interpella son apprenti et déclara :
- Très bien, l’épreuve était sans doute trop simple pour toi. Alors dès demain, je te mettrai à la fabrication d’une potion. Que tu devras tester devant moi après avoir appris par coeur la recette.
Et gare à toi si le dosage n’est pas respecté. As-tu un grimoire ?
- Oui, bien sûr...et je l’ai amené avec moi. Il doit être dans mon baluchon.
- Fais voir…
Jakob alla chercher le livre où Erminie avait écrit en imitant l’écriture de Jakob quelques formules magiques assez sommaires et le tendit à Oswald.
Ce dernier, après avoir feuilleté l’ouvrage le rendit à son propriétaire avec une pointe de mépris :
- D’après ce que je vois, tu ne sais quasiment rien de la magie maléfique ou presque. Il me faudra donc tout t’apprendre. Et pourtant, tu sembles instruit...et très habile aussi. Et tu as réussi instinctivement à contourner les pièges semés dans mon laboratoire pour le nettoyer. Tu es décidément très intriguant, jeune Matthias. Mais je te dresserai et je finirai par percer tes mystères.
Sois en persuadé !
- Mais j’y compte bien, seigneur Oswald. Cela me permettra d’en apprendre davantage sur mes capacités car en vérité, je ne sais comment ni pourquoi j’agis comme cela. Si donc votre seigneurie veut bien me donner quelques lumières et maléfices, j’en serai ravi.
Le sorcier plissa les yeux en considérant le jeune garçon. Matthias le séduisait mais il l’agaçait aussi. Il était comme le sable qu’on ne parvient pas à emprisonner dans sa main et qui, infatigable, continue de couler jusqu’à disparition. Ce garçon lui rappelait un peu Marie son épouse, dont il ne parvenait pas à décoder ni les changements d’humeur ni la personnalité. Deux êtres qui s’ignoraient superbement, ne se connaissaient pas, mais pareillement indéchiffrables, brouillant les pistes quant à leur caractère et leur identité.
- Allons, finit-il par conclure, il est peut-être temps d’aller dormir. Chariot t’amenera à ta chambre. Mais ne t’attends pas à plus qu’il ne convient. Et sois exact demain à 7H30 au laboratoire. J’y serai déjà et je te montrerai ce que tu auras à faire.
- Bien, maître. Alors à demain, dormez bien !
Oswald eut un rictus : il ne dormait que très rarement. Et encore moins depuis qu’il voulait retrouver l’anneau de feu et conquérir tous les pouvoirs…
Chariot amena Jakob dans une petite pièce qui ressemblait à un couloir, percé d’une porte et d’une petite lucarne qui donnait sur la forêt et apportait un peu de fraîcheur à la chambre, quand on l’ouvrait.
- Je suis content que le maître t’ ait accordé cet endroit. Ce n’est pas grand, mais toujours mieux que partager avec moi et les ustensiles de ménage, le réduit sous l’escalier.
- Assurément. Sais-tu si je pourrais avoir une petite table avec un nécessaire pour écrire les maléfices et feuilleter et annoter mon grimoire ?
- Ca devrait pouvoir s’arranger. Mais pas avant demain. D’ici là, je vais t’apporter un broc d’eau douce, un cuveau et un peu de savon, une grande serviette et tu pourras te mettre au lit. Je viendrai te réveiller demain pour t’éviter une réprimande. Le maître est toujours matinal et si tu ne réponds pas immédiatement à l’appel, il s’arrange pour nous pourrir la journée…
- Compris, je tâcherai de ne pas l’oublier. Merci pour ton aide…
- Ca fait partie de mon travail ici. Et puis, je te l’ai dit, tu m’es sympathique. Alors si je peux faciliter ton acclimatation…Mais ne montre pas trop de courtoisie à mon égard. Oswald déteste les amitiés particulières et il y voit toujours un motif de rébellion. A cela aussi tu dois faire attention. Et surtout, un dernier conseil : n’essaie pas de communiquer avec l’épouse du maître. Oswald est terriblement jaloux. Et si jamais il apprenait que sa prisonnière principale s’entretient en privé avec son apprenti, il serait capable du pire, aussi bien contre elle, que contre toi.
Jakob hocha la tête et soupira :
- De toute façon, cette dame n’a même pas remarqué ma présence. Elle a l’air seulement triste, presque autant que toi.
- Les apparences sont trompeuses, crois-moi. Marie est une créature charmante et enjouée. Mais la compagnie du maître n’est pas pour favoriser sa bonne humeur. C’est même tout le contraire. J’espère seulement qu’elle finisse par triompher de son geôlier et retourner dans son royaume qu’elle n’aurait jamais dû quitter. Un jour, peut-être…Elle est comme toi, jeune et déterminée à tenir tête à Oswald et à imposer ses vues. Alors le Ciel ne devrait pas rester indifférent à vos détresses…
Jakob sourit :
- Tu crois en Dieu ?
- Plus qu’en la magie qui fait souvent plus de mal que de bien, si elle vient des forces du mal. Et encore moins lorsqu’elle se retourne contre toi...Mais Dieu lui, ne t’enfermera pas dans une loi du triple retour et Il te fera progresser sur ton chemin, si tu demandes Son Aide et celle des anges.
- Je n’ai jamais vraiment prié mais...peut-être parce que je n’en jamais eu l’occasion ni le besoin jusque là.
- Alors c’est le moment d’essayer. Si tu as des intentions particulières, confie-les simplement sans mantra ni salamalecs. Dieu se fiche des rituels. Ce qui compte, c’est l’ouverture de ton coeur et de ton âme. Et la foi que ta prière est déjà exaucée à peine l’auras-tu formulée…
En entendant ces paroles vibrantes, Jakob considéra le cuisinier avec un peu de circonspection mais sentant intuitivement que son interlocuteur avait vérifié concrètement ce qu’il affirmait avec tant d’assurance, il répondit :
- Après tout...qui ne tente rien, n’a rien. Et au moins pour réussir la seconde épreuve, j’aurai besoin d’aide divine. Alors je vais suivre ton conseil. Et s’il me réussit, tu me raconteras comment tu as découvert Dieu ?
- C’est promis.
Un peu plus tard, après s’être délassé dans un bon bain et allongé sur son lit, Jakob repensa à la prière suggérée par Chariot. Et parce qu’il avait peur de ne pas retrouver Marie, qu’elle ne soit pas au rendez-vous de la nuit, il murmura en chantonnant:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnHoqHscTKE
Après cette étrange prière, curieusement un peu plus apaisé, mais aussi épuisé par ce premier jour chez Oswald, Jakob cligna des paupières et ne tarda pas à s’endormir. Il ne savait pas si Marie le rejoindrait dans son sommeil, mais il n'avait plus peur de sa réaction. L'invocation lui avait rendu espoir et foi en leur mutuelle affection.
Silencieux, dissimulé dans l’ombre de la chambrette et heureux d'un tel dénouement, l’ange de l’anneau de feu, souriait...
I have often come across other landscape photographers criticising the ‘cliché snapshot’. Oversaturated, lacking in originality and void of subtleties. Now I understand and partly agree with many of the points put forward in their arguments and I personally put quite a bit of effort into trying to avoiding the obvious, (but I’m sure for some, I do massage the wider target audience’s sensibilities from time to time).
Now what I find interesting is why some are so upset about this perfectly innocent, totally harmless pursuit of the wow. Surely if it makes somebody happy, the photographer and the audience then its cool, (whatever their taste). But it clearly isn’t and I can only assume that this attitude arises in people in defence of generalised perception of ‘landscape photographers’. Maybe they feel that the wider audiences misunderstand the more peripheral practitioners and there is a kind of popular vortex, attempting to suck them towards the centre. Anyway, the direction I wanted this ramble to explore, was is in partly related to this pull to the centre, even though it’s a tenuous thread.
I’ve often thought that when on location I shouldn’t try to think too much and just react to the conditions. Anyway, the other morning on a sunrise I began to let my analytical mind interfere with the way I made images. It was as though the conscious thinking about trying to produce something new, something that was different to the cliché, distorted my flow and gave me a creative block! Ironic I know, but it confirmed a view that I’ve been toying with for some time now. Get as much analysis and reflection done away from the field and when in the field, just rely on your subconscious gut feelings to make use of your past experiences and guide you. If you have done the right amount of reflection, analysis and thinking before (and after) you head into the field, what you like and make your subject will be shaped by this work in a subconscious way. Your style will hopefully shine through!
Now I’m not saying this is the correct way to approach making images, and I know that many of you out there have systems that work for you. But for me the next time I go out on a shoot, I intend to leave my frontal hemisphere at home and we shall see what my subconscious comes up with!
Excerpt from President Obama's speech in Roanoke , Virginia on July 13, 2012
"...There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me, because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t -look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something – there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.
If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business. you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet...."
I don't want top start an argument but the owner of this business got no government handout, worked 16 hours a day, risked his whole financial future and health getting his business off the ground. The only government officials involved were the ones he had to pay for permits to to get started. It should be mandatory that all our officials work in the "real world" for a while before they go making comments like this.
Sorry for the diatribe but politicians really anger me when they make ridiculous comments like this. To be fair the stupid comments come from both parties. It's just easy for me to pick on this one because the government did make my job happen...you see... I am a tax accountant and without the government my job would be unnecessary.
Esta mujer Tauro está representada por las astas del toro.Su pecho y el cuerpo lo forman las astas y se corona con otra.Tauro simboliza el empuje,arranque y decisión,por eso no se me ocurría mejor modo de señalarlo que de esta manera.
Esta mujer Tauro está representada por las astas del toro.Su pecho y el cuerpo lo forman las astas y se corona con otra.Tauro simboliza el empuje,arranque y decisión,por eso no se me ocurrría mejor modo de señalarlo que de esta manera.
Características de Tauro
Fechas Tauro 21/4 - 21/5
Cómo es un Tauro
Un tauro es paciente, persistente, decidido y fiable. A un tauro le encanta sentirse seguro, tiene buen corazón y es muy cariñoso. Les gusta la estabilidad, las cosas naturales, el placer y la comodidad. Los tauro disfrutan con tiempo para reflexionar y les encanta sentirse atraído hacía alguien.
Características de Tauro
Tauro puede ser celoso y posesivo y tiene tendencia a ser inflexible y resentido. A veces los Tauro pecan de ser codiciosos y de permitírselo todo. No les gustan las interrupciones ni las prisas. Tampoco les gustan las cosas sintéticas o falsas. No les gusta sentirse presionados y no soportan estar demasiado tiempo en casa.
Descripción de Tauro
Un Tauro suele ser práctico, decidido y tener una gran fuerza de voluntad. Los tauro son personas estables y conservadores, y seguirán de forma leal un líder en el que tienen confianza. Les encanta la paz y tranquilidad y son muy respetuosos con las leyes y las reglas. Respetan los valores materiales y evitan las deudas. Son un poco reacios al cambio.
Son más prácticos que intelectuales, y como les gusta la continuidad y la rutina, suelen ser de ideas fijas. Los Tauro son prudentes, estables y tienen un gran sentido de la justicia. No suelen hundirse ante las dificultades sino que siguen adelante hasta salir.
A veces los Tauro pueden ser demasiado rígidos, argumentativos, egocentrísticos y tercos.
A los tauros les gustan las cosas bellas y suelen ser aficionados al arte y la música. Algunos tauros tienen una fe religiosa poco convencional y muy fuerte. Les encantan los placeres de la vida, el lujo y la buena comida y bebida. De hecho los tauro deben esforzarse para no dejarse llevar por la tentación de satisfacer en exceso estos gustos.
Tauro en el amor y las relaciones personales
Los tauro son amigos fieles y generosos. Tienen una gran capacidad para ser cariñosos aunque rara vez hagan amigos con personas fuera de su entorno social. Evitan los conflictos y los disgustos y prefieren el buen humor y la estabilidad. No obstante, si pierden los nervios son capaces de tener un genio tan furioso que sorprende a todos.
Los tauro son sensuales pero prácticos, y en este sentido son parejas fieles y considerados. Son buenos padres y no existen demasiado de su pareja ni tampoco de sus hijos. Tienen bastante amor propio y tienden a ser posesivos pero si su pareja intenta hacer las paces y comprenderles, hacen un esfuerzo para olvidar su enfado.
En el trabajo los tauros son trabajadores y no se les caen los anillos con ningún tipo de trabajo manual. Son fiables, prácticos, metódicos y ambiciosos. Asumen autoridad sobre los demás, y rinden más en puestos rutinarios de confianza y responsabilidad.
Son creativos y emprendedores. Pueden triunfar en profesiones como la banca, la arquitectura, la construcción, la administración, la agricultura, la medicina, la química y la industria.
También triunfan en la educación, las artes y la cocina. Pueden ser excelentes músicos y artistas.
Tower Transit DN33628 (SN11BNY) is seen at Homerton Hospital on route 425.
This bus was held here until the next one came due to an abusive fare evader boarding the bus, who was later kicked off, and was let onboard the next 425, of which I was on (just to avoid getting a 308 to Clapton Pond). This passenger was later constantly swearing, being rude and racist, and even plotting to kill the driver of the bus photographed, just because of one fare evasion. I later alighted the bus (DN33638) for safety.
Jesse and Mike rent a hotel room for three hours in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Although Jesse has been attempting sobriety by living with her parents in upstate New York, she continues to relapse by coming to Manhattan and using.
And there we go! If this is the last Pronto I'm going to get, then so be it! Yes, three times a day now - excluding an untracked deadrun - this is the way most of the Prontos now go every morning following the big loan shuffle, and unable to get to Bridlington in quick time this week, it was either get soaked and step in a puddle twice or miss it for the whole day, and I knew what I was sacrificing... It seems all these Prontos have their own individual quirks now that they have reached their fourth year in service, with 10974 here having lost both fleet number and tree bar after some sort of argument with a tall structure back home. It looks... well, a bit naked, doesn't it?
A few minutes out from disappearing from Hull for the rest of the day, Stagecoach in Mansfield's 'Pronto'-branded 10974, a 2018 ADL Enviro400MMC, is seen deep in the torrential rain working a 99 to sunny old Bridlington, where it will subsequently change over to work Park & Ride service 88 there.
Thousands of protesters marching along Oxford Street, London, were forced to wait while a group of around 20 pro-Zionist counter protesters staged a demonstration in front. One man with a union jack, who may or may not have been part of the counter demonstration was involved in an argument with one of the pro-Palestinian protesters.
[ Just in case anyone is interested I have attached a link to my research on British crimes against both Arabs and Jews in Palestine during the mandate period - 1919-1948. Use the following url and scroll down the list of countries alphabetically for Palestine - roguenation.org/choose-by-country/ ]
On Saturday 4 November 2017, thousands marched through London demanding that the UK recognise Palestine and take action to stop British support for Israel's illegal occupation of the West Bank and its brutal siege of Gaza. 136 countries have recognised Palestine representing the vast majority of the world's population but it is still not recognised by the United Kingdom or the United States.
It shouldn't be a surprise that in a political system dominated by financial institutions and multinational corporations with a vested interest in maintaining the highly anti-democratic and repressive status quo in the Middle East that only 35 British MPs, just fractionally over 5 per cent of all those in parliament, have actually spoken out on the issue, signing a declaration calling for the UK to recognise the state of Palestine.
Although Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn sent a message of support, many demonstrators were disappointed that he didn't speak from the platform at the end of the march. Only one Labour MP, Andy Slaughter, was among the eminent speakers, who included Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Ken Loach, John Pilger and the SNP MP John Nicolson.
The march was held on the hundredth anniversary of the Balfour Declaration ( 2 November 2017 ) which, while it laid the basis for a future Jewish homeland, was also supposed to protect the rights of Palestinians. It had promised that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.” A promise which was never kept. Marchers carried placards which read "Justice for Palestine", "Stop Arming Israel" and "Free Palestine".
IF, THEN, AND THE ATHEIST DILEMMA.
All scientific theories are based on ‘if’ and ‘then’. The proposition being; IF such a thing is so, THEN we can expect certain effects to be evident.
For example: there are only two competing alternatives for the origin/first cause of everything.
A natural, first cause, OR a supernatural, first cause.
Atheists believe in a natural, first cause.
Theists believe in a supernatural, first cause.
IF the first cause is natural, THEN progressive evolution of the universe (cosmos) and life are deemed to be expected, even essential.
Conversely, IF the first cause is supernatural, THEN an evolutionary scenario of the cosmos and/or life is not required, not probable, but not impossible.
In other words, while evolution, and an enormous, time frame are perceived as absolutely essential for atheist naturalism, theism could (perhaps reluctantly) accept evolution and/or a long, time frame as possible in a creation scenario.
Crucially, if the evidence doesn’t stack up for cosmic evolution, biological evolution, and a long evolutionary time frame, atheist naturalism is perceived to fail.
For atheism, evolution is an Achilles heel. Atheists have an ideological commitment to a natural origin of everything from nothing - which, if it were possible, would essentially require both cosmic and biological evolution and a vast timescale.
Consequently, atheist scientists can never be genuinely objective in assessing evidence. Only theist scientists can be truly objective.
However, the primary Achilles heel for atheist naturalism is its starting proposition.
Because the ‘IF’ proposal of a natural, first cause, is fatally flawed, the subsequent ‘THEN’ is a non sequitur.
The atheist ‘IF’ (a natural, first cause) is logically impossible according to the laws of nature, because all natural entities are contingent, temporal and temporary.
In other words:
All natural entities depend on an adequate cause.
All natural entities have a beginning.
And all natural entities are subject to entropy.
Whereas a first cause MUST be non-contingent, infinite and eternal.
But, just suppose we ignore this insurmountable obstacle and, for the sake of argument, assume that the ‘THEN’ which follows from the atheist ‘IF’ proposition of a natural, first cause is worth considering.
We realise that both cosmic and biological evolution are still not possible as NATURAL occurrences.
The law of cause and effect tells us that whatever caused the universe (whether it evolved or not) could not be inferior, in any way, to the sum total of the universe.
An effect cannot be greater than its cause.
So, we know that cosmic evolution from nothing could not happen naturally.
That traps atheists in an impossible, catch 22 situation, by supporting cosmic evolution, they are supporting something which could not happen naturally, according to natural laws.
It doesn’t get any better with biological evolution, in fact it gets worse. The Law of Biogenesis (which has never been falsified) rules out the spontaneous generation of life from sterile matter. Atheists choose to ignore this firmly established law and have, perversely, invented their own law (abiogenesis), which says the exact opposite. However, their cynical disregard for laws of nature, ironically, fails to solve their problem.
Crucially ...
An origin of life, arising of its own volition from sterile matter, conditions permitting (abiogenesis), would require an inherent predisposition/potential of matter to automatically develop life.
The atheist dilemma here is; where does such an inherent predisposition to automatically produce life come from? In a purposeless universe, which arose from nothing, how could matter have acquired such a potential or property?
A predisposed potential for spontaneous generation of life would require a purposeful creation (some sort of blueprint/plan for life intrinsic to matter). So, by advocating abiogenesis, atheists are unintentionally supporting a purposeful creation.
Following on from that, we also realise that abiogenesis requires an initial input of constructive, genetic information. Information Theory tells us; there is no NATURAL means by which such information can arise of its own accord in matter.
Then there is the problem of the law of entropy (which derives from the Second Law of Thermodynamics). How can abiogenesis defy that law? The only way that order can increase is by an input of guided energy. Raw energy has the opposite effect. What could possibly direct or guide the energy to counter the natural effects of entropy?
Dr James Tour - 'The Origin of Life'
Suppose we are stupid enough to ignore all this and we carry on speculating further by proposing a progressive, microbes-to-human evolution (Darwinism).
Starting with the limited, genetic information in the first cell (which originated how, and from where? nobody knows). The only method of increasing that original information is through a long, incremental series of beneficial mutations (genetic, copying MISTAKES). Natural selection cannot produce new information, it simply selects from existing information.
Proposing mistakes as a mechanism for improvement is not sensible. In fact, it is completely bonkers. Billions of such beneficial mutations would be required to transform microbes into humans and every other living thing.
Once again, it would need help from a purposeful creator.
So, we can conclude that the atheist ‘IF’, of a natural, first cause, is not only a non-starter, but also every ‘THEN’, which would essentially arise from that proposal, ironically supports the theist ‘IF’.
Consequently ...
If you don't believe in cosmic evolution you (obviously) support a creator.
If you do believe in cosmic evolution you (perhaps unintentionally) also support a creator.
And...
If you don’t believe in abiogenesis and biological evolution, you (obviously) support a creator.
If you do believe in abiogenesis and biological evolution you (perhaps unintentionally) also support a creator.
Conclusion:
The inevitable and amazing conclusion is that everyone (intentionally or unintentionally) supports the existence of a creator, whatever scenario they propose for the origin of the universe.
No one can devise an origin scenario for the universe that doesn’t require a Creator. That is a fact, whether you like it or not!
The Bible correctly declares:
Only the fool in his heart says there is no God.
Theists have no ideological need to be dogmatic. Unlike atheists, they can assess all the available scientific evidence objectively. Because a long timescale, and even an evolutionary scenario, in no way disproves a creator. In fact, as I have already explained, a creator would still be essential to enable: cosmic evolution, the origin of life, and microbes-to-human evolution. Whereas, both a long timescale and biological evolution are deemed essential to (but are no evidence for) the beliefs of atheist naturalism.
Atheist scientists are hamstrung by their own preconceptions.
It is impossible for atheists to be objective regarding any evidence. They are forced by their own ideological commitment to make dogmatic assumptions. It is unthinkable that atheists would even consider any interpretation of the evidence, other than that which they perceive (albeit erroneously) to support naturalism. They force science into a straitjacket of their own making.
All scientific hypotheses/theories about past events, that no one witnessed, rely on assumptions. None can be claimed as FACT.
The biggest assumption of all, and one that is logically and scientifically unsustainable, is the idea of a natural, first cause. If this is your starting assumption, then everything that follows is flawed.
The new atheist nonsense, is simply the old, pagan nonsense of naturalism in a new guise.
Dr James Tour - 'The Origin of Life' - Abiogenesis decisively refuted.
youtu.be/B1E4QMn2mxk
The poison in our midst - progressive politics.
WEEK 19 – Collierville Houston Levee Kroger (II)
On the left side of the milk cooler, the same décor elements we saw over on its right side get a reprise, with the iron-like cutouts this time seemingly representing an entire orchestra: unique, for sure! Surely they are meant to depict whatever “Symphony” the type on the wall appears to be referring to (see the text behind the pianist), although unfortunately much of that is obscured and as I said, I’m no Collierville expert so I don’t really know what they’re talking about. But it all looks neat, nonetheless.
Note also, of course, the heavy use of that ampersand in the word cloud as well – that thing is definitely a major element of this package, even if it (thankfully!) isn’t used nearly as much as it was in the Main & Vine concept store! (And speaking of elements that carry over from other packages, one could also make the argument that word clouds hail from fresh and local…)
More from here in two weeks, so stick around! NEXT WEEK – back to BI-LO, then off to a lonely place…
(c) 2020 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)
O menino voltou-se para a mãe e perguntou:
- Os anjos existem mesmo?
Eu nunca vi nenhum.
Como ela lhe afirmasse a existência deles,
o pequeno disse que iria andar pelas estradas,
até encontrar um anjo.
- É uma boa idéia, falou a mãe.
Irei com você. -
Mas você anda muito devagar,
argumentou o garoto.
Você tem um pé aleijado.
A mãe insistiu que o acompanharia.
Afinal, ela podia andar muito mais depressa do que ele pensava.
Lá se foram.
O menino saltitando e correndo
e a mãe mancando,
seguindo atrás.
De repente, uma carruagem apareceu na estrada.
Majestosa,
puxada por lindos cavalos brancos.
Dentro dela,
uma dama linda,
envolta em veludos e sedas,
com plumas brancas nos cabelos escuros.
As jóias eram tão brilhantes que pareciam pequenos sóis.
Ele correu ao lado da carruagem e perguntou à senhora:
- Você é um anjo?
Ela nem respondeu.
Resmungou alguma coisa ao cocheiro
que chicoteou os cavalos e a carruagem sumiu na poeira da estrada.
Os olhos e a boca do menino ficaram cheios de poeira.
Ele esfregou os olhos e tossiu bastante.
Então,
chegou sua mãe que limpou toda a poeira,
com seu avental de algodão azul.
- Ela não era um anjo, não é, mamãe? -
Com certeza, não.
Mas um dia poderá se tornar um, respondeu a mãe.
Mais adiante uma jovem belíssima,
em um vestido branco,
encontrou o menino.
Seus olhos eram estrelas azuis e ele lhe perguntou:
- Você é um anjo?
Ela ergueu o pequeno em seus braços e falou feliz:
- Uma pessoa me disse ontem à noite que eu era um anjo.
Enquanto acariciava o menino e o beijava,
ela viu seu namorado chegando.
Mais do que depressa, colocou o garoto no chão.
Tudo foi tão rápido que ele não conseguiu se firmar bem nos pés e caiu.
- Olhe como você sujou meu vestido branco,
seu monstrinho!
- Disse ela, enquanto corria ao encontro do seu amado.
O menino ficou no chão,
chorando, até que chegou sua mãe
e lhe enxugou as lágrimas com seu avental de algodão azul. -
Aquela moça, certamente, não era um anjo.
O garoto abraçou o pescoço da mãe e disse estar cansado.
- Você me carrega?
- É claro - disse a mãe
- Foi para isso que eu vim.
Com o precioso fardo nos braços,
a mãe foi mancando pelo caminho,
cantando a música que ele mais gostava.
Então o menino a abraçou com força e lhe perguntou:
- Mãe, você não é um anjo?
A mãe sorriu e falou mansinho:
- Imagine, nenhum anjo usaria um avental de algodão azul como o meu.
Anjos são todos os que na Terra se tornam guardiões dos seus amores.
São mães, pais, filhos, irmãos e amigos que renunciam a si próprios,
à suas vidas em benefício dos que amam.
As mães,
sobretudo,
prosseguem a se doar e velar por seus filhos,
mesmo além da fronteira da morte,
transformando-se em protetoras daqueles que na terra ficaram,
como pedaços de seu próprio coração.
What would life be without music?
The world would be a very quiet place. Music is in many ways the fabric of our lives and the definition of society.
Music has had a very strong impact on my life. I have been brought up in a musical environment. My parents are great musicians and my idols. Musical melodies bound my family together. I believe that music has healing powers. If we had arguments or family problems, we used to sit together, sing, dance and spend a musical evening. These musical evenings are embedded in my soul as beautiful memories. I dedicate this project to those precious moments.
In this project, I desire to emphasize that common men, women and children practise the art of music besides their daily routine work. Firstly It seems in recent years being busy has become the rule rather than the exception. Anywhere you go you would find people who have no time for themselves and therefore no time for exploring their musical talents.
Secondly in India we do not really appreciate careers in the unconventional fields of music and arts. The mindset of parents and society is such that it does not allow such talents to come out. They want their children to grow up to be either doctors or engineers. Any field in which the future is uncertain or risky is strongly discouraged.
The fact remains that there are so many people who are very talented but are either not able to explore their talent or not able to use it. It is due to this reason that these people go unheard.
However there are people who fight against all odds to follow their dreams. They take time out from their busy schedules be it their work or studies to practise music. Through this project I would like the highlight and bring to limelight the hidden musical talent in people; people who obey Shakespeare when he says, “If music be the food of love, play on...!”
The other photographs related to this project will be published as part of a book... The preview can be seen in my facebook profile...
model: Abhilash Sudhindran
musical instrument: flute
profession: student @NID
www.facebook.com/NicholasGodsellPhotography
Prints available, please contact me for more information.
info@nicholasgodsell.co.uk
Eilean Donan (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Donnain) is a small tidal island where three lochs meet, Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh, in the western Highlands of Scotland; since the castle's restoration in the early 20th Century, a footbridge has connected the island to the mainland. A picturesque castle that frequently appears in photographs, film and television dominates the island, which lies about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the village of Dornie.
Eilean Donan is part of the Kintail National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland.[2] In 2001, the island had a recorded population of just one person,[3] but there were no "usual residents" at the time of the 2011 census.[1]
Eilean Donan, which means simply "island of Donnán", is named after Donnán of Eigg, a Celtic saint martyred in 617. Donnán is said to have established a church on the island, though no trace of this remains.[4]
The castle was founded in the thirteenth century, and became a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies the Clan Macrae. In the early eighteenth century the Mackenzies' involvement in the Jacobite rebellions led in 1719 to the castle's destruction by government ships. Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap's twentieth-century reconstruction of the ruins produced the present buildings.[4]
History
It is possible that an early Christian monastic cell was founded on the island in the 6th or 7th century, dedicated to Donnán of Eigg, an Irish saint who was martyred on Eigg in April 617. No remains of any Christian buildings survive, though fragments of vitrified stone, subjected to very high temperatures, have been discovered indicating the presence of an Iron Age or early medieval fortification.
Origins of the castle[edit]
In the earlier thirteenth century, during the reign of Alexander II (ruled 1214–1249), a large curtain-wall castle (wall of enceinte) was constructed that enclosed much of the island. At this time the area was at the boundary of the Norse-Celtic Lordship of the Isles and the Earldom of Ross: Eilean Donan provided a strong defensive position against Norse expeditions. A founding legend relates that the son of a chief of the Mathesons acquired the power of communicating with the birds. As a result, and after many adventures overseas, he gained wealth, power, and the respect of Alexander II, who asked him to build the castle to defend his realm.
At a later date the island became a stronghold of the Mackenzies of Kintail, originally vassals of Uilleam, Earl of Ross. At this early stage, the castle is said to have been garrisoned by Macraes and Maclennans, both clans that were later closely associated with the Mackenzies.[9] Traditional Mackenzie clan histories relate that Earl William sought advantage from the Treaty of Perth of 1266, by which King Magnus VI of Norway ceded the Hebrides to Scotland, and demanded that his kinsman Kenneth Mackenzie return the castle to allow his expansion into the islands; Mackenzie refused, and Earl William led an assault against Eilean Donan that the Mackenzies and their allies repulsed.
The Mackenzie clan histories also claim (with little, if any, supporting contemporary evidence, that Robert the Bruce sheltered at Eilean Donan during the winter of 1306 to 1307; the castle escaped any other involvement in the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 1331 Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, sent an officer to Eilean Donan to warn the occupants of his forthcoming visit. In preparation 50 wrongdoers were rounded up and executed, their heads being displayed on the castle walls to Moray's approval.[10] By the middle of the 14th century the Mackenzies are said to have been on the losing side in the ongoing feuding with the Earls of Ross; Earl Uilleam III granted Kintail to Raghnall mac Ruaidhri, Lord of Garmoran in 1342. With the assistance of Leod Macgilleandrais, the Earl allegedly apprehended Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd of Kintail, and had him executed in 1346 at Inverness. Through this period Eilean Donan is said to have been held by Duncan Macaulay for the Mackenzies, against the Earl and his allies.12 Kenneth's young son Murdo Mackenzie supposedly evaded the Earl's attempts to eliminate him, and on the return of David II from exile Murdo Mackenzie was allegedly confirmed in the lands of Kintail and Eilean Donan by a charter of 1362 (of which, however, no trace survives to the present day). At some point in the earlier 14th century it is thought that the Clan Macrae began to settle in Kintail as a body, having migrated from the Beauly Firth, and there gained the trust of the Mackenzie lairds through possible kinship and an advantageous marriage. The Macraes began to act as Mackenzie's bodyguards, acquiring the soubriquet "Mackenzie's shirt of mail".
Clan feuding
James I, determined to pacify the Highlands, journeyed to Inverness in 1427 and invited the principal chiefs to meet him there. Allegedly among them was the young Alexander Mackenzie, 6th Earl of Kintail. James then arrested him, along with the other chiefs, on their arrival. Mackenzie clan histories relate that, although several chiefs were executed or imprisoned, Alexander, due to his youth, was instead sent to Perth to attend school. Alexander's uncles attempted to seize control of Kintail, but the constable Duncan Macaulay continued to hold Eilean Donan on his behalf. Fionnla Dubh mac Gillechriosd, considered by clan historians to be the founder of the Clan Macrae in Kintail, was dispatched to fetch the young laird back. During his lairdship Alexander appears to have supported the monarchy against the MacDonald Lords of the Isles and was allegedly rewarded by another charter of Kintail in 1463. Alexander died in about 1488 at a great age, and was succeeded by Kenneth Mackenzie, 7th of Kintail, victor of the Battle of Blar Na Pairce against the MacDonalds. Kenneth died a few years later and was succeeded first by his eldest son, then on his death in 1497 by his second son, John of Killin, who was still a minor. His uncle, Hector Roy Mackenzie, attempted to usurp the Mackenzie lands and installed his own constable in Eilean Donan; Malcolm Mac Ian Charrich Macrae. Hector's lawless activities caused the Mackenzies to be branded rebels, and in 1503 the Earl of Huntly offered to deliver Eilean Donan to the king, and to hold it on his behalf. James IV supplied a ship to support the enterprise. Eventually John compelled his uncle to relinquish his claim, and Hector agreed to hand over Eilean Donan. The constable refused however, and John's supporters laid siege. Malcolm Mac Ian Charrich was eventually persuaded by Hector to relinquish the castle, after which he was dismissed as constable and Christopher Macrae (Gillechriosd Mac Fionnlagh Mhic Rath) was appointed in his place in around 1511. John of Killin obtained a further charter of Kintail and Eilean Donan in 1509.
In 1539 Donald Gorm Macdonald of Sleat ravaged the lands of MacLeod of Dunvegan on Skye, and then attacked the Mackenzie lands of Kinlochewe, where Miles (Maolmure), brother of Christopher Macrae, was killed. After a series of retaliatory raids, Donald Gorm learned that Eilean Donan was weakly garrisoned and launched a surprise attack. In fact only two people were in the castle: the recently appointed constable Iain Dubh Matheson and the warden. Duncan MacGillechriosd of the Clan Macrae, son of the former constable, arrived at the start of the attack and killed several MacDonalds at the postern gate. Arrows launched by the attackers killed Matheson and the warden, but MacGillechriosd managed to hit Donald Gorm with his last arrow, fatally wounding Gorm, and the Macdonalds retreated. Duncan MacGillechriosd expected to be appointed as the new constable but was considered too headstrong: the local clergyman John MacMhurchaidh Dhuibh (John Murchison) was appointed as a compromise between rival Macrae and Maclennan interests. Furious at this treatment, MacGillechriosd left Kintail and joined the service of Lord Lovat, though he eventually returned to settle at Inverinate. Meanwhile an aggrieved Maclennan apparently shot MacMhurchaidh in the buttocks with an arrow.
MacGillechriosd's son Christopher Macrae became constable of Eilean Donan in turn, and held the castle during yet another clan feud, this time between the Mackenzies and the MacDonalds of Glengarry. Feuding broke out in 1580 and continued for almost 25 years. In around 1602 Eilean Donan was the base for a sea skirmish at the narrows of Kyle Rhea led by Christopher's son Duncan. During the action the MacDonalds were driven on to the Cailleach Rock at the eastern tip of Skye, and Angus the son of MacDonald of Glengarry was killed. Christopher was succeeded as constable by the Rev. Murdoch Murchison, minister of Kintail.
17th century
Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth, was brought up at Eilean Donan by Rev. Farquhar Macrae
The Rev. Farquhar Macrae, son of Christopher Macrae, was born at the castle in 1580. After attending Edinburgh University and taking holy orders, in 1618 he was appointed constable of the castle and minister of Kintail on the death of Murdoch Murchison. Colin Mackenzie of Kintail was created Earl of Seaforth in 1623. He lived mainly at Chanonry of Ross in Fortrose, but made regular visits to Eilean Donan where the constable was required to entertain him and his retinue of between 300 and 500 retainers, as well as the neighbouring lairds. In 1635 George Mackenzie, 2nd Earl of Seaforth, appointed Farquhar as tutor to his six-year-old son Kenneth, who was subsequently raised at Eilean Donan.
In the civil wars of the mid 17th century the Earl of Seaforth sided with Charles I. In 1650, after the king's execution, the Parliament of Scotland ordered a garrison to Eilean Donan. The local people did not welcome the garrison. When a party of 30 soldiers came out from the castle to request provisions from the local people, a band of 10 men who opposed their demands met the occupiers. An argument broke out, which led to the garrison men being driven off with several casualties. Shortly thereafter the garrison departed. The following year the Earl's brother, Simon Mackenzie of Lochslin, gathered troops for the royalist cause around Eilean Donan. For reasons unrecorded, he fell out with Farquhar Macrae and demanded his removal from the castle. Farquhar initially resisted, and despite interventions by the young Kenneth, had to be marched out by Lochslin and George Mackenzie (later Earl of Cromartie). He was finally persuaded to leave without violence, stating that he was too old to dwell in the cold castle. Farquhar was thus the last constable to dwell in Eilean Donan until its reconstruction, although he retained the ministry of Kintail until his death in 1662, at the age of 82.
After this time, the castle was briefly occupied by the Earl of Balcarres and his wife, who were in the Highlands in support of the Earl of Glencairn's royalist uprising, although Balcarres later disagreed with Glencairn and departed. In June 1654 General Monck, Oliver Cromwell's military governor in Scotland, marched through Kintail while suppressing the uprising. His troops destroyed much property, and stole 360 of Farquhar Macrae's cattle, though only one man was killed.
Jacobite rising and destruction of the castle
Main article: Capture of Eilean Donan Castle
Castle ruins, sometime before 1911
In 1689 King James VII of the House of Stuart was declared to have forfeit the throne, and the crown was offered to William of Orange, in the so-called "Glorious Revolution". The revolution also established Presbyterianism in Scotland, although the Highlands generally remained Roman Catholic and loyal to the Stuarts. A series of Jacobite Risings followed, leading to an increased military presence in Scotland as government forces attempted to penetrate and subdue the Highlands. In 1714 while surveying fortifications for the government, the military engineer Lewis Petit made the only surviving drawing of Eilean Donan. The sketch-elevation and carefully drawn plan show a dilapidated castle, largely roofless but for a small building by the entrance.
A major Jacobite uprising took place in 1715. Led by the Earl of Mar, it was an attempt to restore the exiled James Stuart, the "Old Pretender", to the throne. William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth, joined the Jacobite army, leading out men of the Clan Mackenzie and Clan Macrae. The Macraes mustered at Eilean Donan, and are said to have danced on the roof of the castle before setting out to the Battle of Sheriffmuir where 58 Macraes were among the Jacobite dead. The battle was indecisive and the rising collapsed soon after.
Following the failure of the rising of 1715, the Jacobites found new support from Spain, now opposing both Britain and France in the War of the Quadruple Alliance. The Duke of Ormonde led the main invasion fleet from Spain, while an advance party of 300 Spanish soldiers under George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, arrived in Loch Duich in April 1719, and occupied Eilean Donan Castle. The expected uprising of Highlanders did not occur, and the main Spanish invasion force never arrived. At the beginning of May, the Royal Navy sent ships to the area. Early in the morning on Sunday 10 May, HMS Worcester, HMS Flamborough, and HMS Enterprise anchored off Eilean Donan and sent a boat ashore under a flag of truce to negotiate. When the Spanish soldiers in the castle fired at the boat, it was recalled and all three ships opened fire on the castle for an hour or more. The next day the bombardment continued while a landing party was prepared. In the evening under the cover of an intense cannonade, a detachment went ashore in the ships' boats and captured the castle against little resistance. According to Worcester's log, in the castle were "an Irishman, a captain, a Spanish lieutenant, a serjeant, one Scotch rebel and 39 Spanish soldiers, 343 barrels of powder and 52 barrels of musquet shot." The naval force spent the next two days and 27 barrels of gunpowder demolishing the castle. Flamborough then took the Spanish prisoners to Edinburgh. The remaining Spanish troops were defeated on 10 June at the Battle of Glen Shiel.
Restoration and reuse
Between 1919 and 1932 the castle was rebuilt by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap. The restoration included the construction of an arched bridge to give easier access to the island. Macrae-Gilstrap also established of a war memorial dedicated to the men of the Macrae clan who died in the First World War. The memorial is adorned with lines from John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields", and is flanked by grey field guns from the war. Eilean Donan was opened to the public in 1955, and has since become a popular attraction: over 314,000 people visited in 2009, making it the third-most-visited castle in Scotland. In 1983 ownership of the castle was transferred to the Conchra Charitable Trust, established by the Macrae family to maintain and restore the castle, and a purpose-built visitor centre was opened on the landward side of the bridge in 1998.
The castle is regularly described as one of the most photographed monuments in Scotland, and is a recognised Scottish icon, frequently appearing on packaging and advertising for shortbread, whisky and other products. Eilean Donan has made several appearances in films, beginning with Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1948 and The Master of Ballantrae in 1953. The castle was the setting for the 1979 short film Black Angel, filmed to accompany screenings of The Empire Strikes Back in theaters. It featured prominently in Highlander (1986), and in 1999 served as Sean Connery's home in Entrapment as well as the Scottish headquarters of MI6 in The World Is Not Enough. In Elizabeth: The Golden Age Eilean Donan stood in for Fotheringhay Castle in England.
When it comes to choosing a hike there's always the question about whether it's time to return to an old favorite or try something new. There's a solid argument for each option. Returning to the same place multiple times, in different conditions, and at different times of year can yield wildly different experiences and it also serves to establish a deeper connection with the place. On the other hand, there's an undeniable spirit of adventure in exploring a new trail and every once in a while you discover something entirely unexpected, which makes the world feel like a much larger and richer place.
In the Belknaps, this debate can be distilled into the simple question of whether or not to hike Mount Major again. It's a mountain I have hiked many times and the views from the summit are beautiful. It's a quick and familiar hike and it can be difficult to resist. But I have slowly been trying to check off the rest of the Belknap peaks over the last few years, some of which really don't have any views, but are still nice hikes. I was up at the lake for a night over Fourth of July weekend this past summer, and when my alarm woke me up at 3:00 am and my suspicions were confirmed that it would be a wet and foggy morning, I decided to skip Mount Major and opt for a hike up to the viewless East and West Quarry peaks.
It was an exceptionally damp morning. One of those "it's not the heat, but the humidity that gets you" type of days. Even though it was a relatively modest climb, I was drenched in sweat almost immediately. As I ascended up the trail in the dark, I could tell I was surrounded by some nice ferns, one of my favorite subjects, but it was dark and they would be difficult to photograph in the limited light. I started to play around with using my headlamp as a lighting source, holding the camera in one hand and light in the other. I didn't have high hopes this would lead anywhere, but it was fun to mess around with. After experimenting a bit, I ended up getting some results I actually liked, including this photograph here.
Arguments Yard Whitby named after Thomas Argument who built a cottage on Church street, the back garden running down to the harbourside
Monroe Street Bridge and the Lower Falls at the blue hour.
Monroe Street Bridge is a deck arch bridge that spans the Spokane River in Spokane, Washington. The bridge was the largest concrete-arch bridge in the United States at the time it was built. It was built in 1911 by the city of Spokane and was designed by John Chester Ralston and Kirtland Kelsey Cutter. At the time of completion it was the largest concrete-arch bridge in the United States and the third longest in the world.
The current bridge is actually the third bridge in this location. The first bridge, a rather rickety wooden structure, was built in 1889. The bridge was first closed due to arguments in the city over rites of passage and ownership. It then burned down in 1890 and then replaced with a steel bridge. The second bridge vibrated badly and had a noticeable dip in the center. A consultant from the Good Roads Movement considered the bridge unsafe in 1905. The design of the third bridge was largely copied from the Rocky River Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio, but was built one foot longer to make it the largest concrete arch in the United States at the time. The bridge was designed with ornamental features such as bison skulls, covered pavilions, and a chain-link railing motif. The bison skull was an inspiration of Patrick C. Shine who found it in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, in the early 1900s.
The bridge underwent changes in 1925 and in 1934, and submitted to the modernization of Spokane. The pavilion lamps were changed to electric lighting in ’25 and the electric car railways were removed from the bridge in ‘34. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. By the 1990s, the current bridge had deteriorated to the point where rebuilding it was necessary. In January 2003, the bridge was closed for restoration, dismantled down to the central arch, and rebuilt faithfully to the original appearance. The bridge was reopened in 2005 and continues to provide excellent views of Spokane Falls. (Wikipedia)
This is no mere conversation, Flickrpals. This is a down and dirty argument. You can see how the one drop is flush with emotion. How the other is round and blustery, possibly even bullying the lesser drop.
What are they arguing about, pray tell? Money? Taxes? Politics? Choice of hair color? Who's better, the Transformers or G.I. Joe?
Yet again, I default to my laziest side, and ask you to provide the two sides of this dewy disagreement.
Created in the 1930s and redeveloped in more recent years to include artist-designed ornamental gardens, events area, play area with splash pad, Café and toilets. Grassed areas and riverside walks for quiet relaxation, picnics and kite flying or more vigorous pursuits such as running and cycling.
Chester-le-Street is a market town in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. It is located around 6 miles (10 kilometres) north of Durham and is also close to Newcastle upon Tyne. The town holds markets on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. In 2011, it had a population of 24,227.
The town's history is ancient; records date to a Roman-built fort called Concangis. The Roman fort is the Chester (from the Latin castra) of the town's name; the Street refers to the paved Roman road that ran north–south through the town, now the route called Front Street. The parish church of St Mary and St Cuthbert is where the body of Anglo-Saxon St Cuthbert remained for 112 years before being transferred to Durham Cathedral and site of the first Gospels translation into English, Aldred writing the Old English gloss between the lines of the Lindisfarne Gospels there.
The Romans founded a fort named Concangis or Concagium, which was a Latinisation of the original Celtic name for the area, which also gave name to the waterway through the town, Cong Burn. The precise name is uncertain as it does not appear in Roman records, but Concangis is the name most cited today. Although a meaning "Place of the horse people" has been given, scholarly authorities consider the meaning of the name obscure.
Old English forms of the name include Cuneceastra and Conceastre, which takes its first two syllables from the Roman name, with the addition of the Old English word ceaster 'Roman fortification' The Universal etymological English dictionary of 1749 gives the town as Chester upon Street (and describes it as "a Village in the Bishoprick of Durham"). At some point this was shortened to the modern form.
There is evidence of Iron Age use of the River Wear near the town, but the history of Chester-le-Street starts with the Roman fort of Concangis. This was built alongside the Roman road Cade's Road (now Front Street) and close to the River Wear, around 100 A.D., and was occupied until the Romans left Britain in 410 A.D. At the time, the Wear was navigable to at least Concangis and may also have provided food for the garrisons stationed there.
After the Romans left, there is no record of who lived there (apart from some wounded soldiers from wars who had to live there), until 883 when a group of monks, driven out of Lindisfarne seven years earlier, stopped there to build a wooden shrine and church to St Cuthbert, whose body they had borne with them. While they were there, the town was the centre of Christianity for much of the north-east because it was the seat of the Bishop of Lindisfarne, making the church a cathedral. There the monks translated into English the Lindisfarne Gospels, which they had brought with them. They stayed for 112 years, leaving in 995 for the safer and more permanent home at Durham. The title has been revived as the Roman Catholic titular see of Cuncacestre.
The church was rebuilt in stone in 1054 and, despite the loss of its bishopric, seems to have retained a degree of wealth and influence. In 1080, most of the huts in the town were burned and many people killed in retaliation for the death of William Walcher, the first prince-bishop, at the hands of an English mob. After this devastation wrought by the Normans the region was left out of the Domesday Book of 1086; there was little left to record and the region was by then being run from Durham by the prince-bishops, so held little interest for London.
Cade's Road did not fall out of use but was hidden beneath later roads which became the Great North Road, the main route from London and the south to Newcastle and Edinburgh. The town's location on the road played a significant role in its development, as well as its name, as inns sprang up to cater for the travelling trade: both riders and horses needed to rest on journeys usually taking days to complete. This trade reached a peak in the early 19th century as more and more people and new mail services were carried by stagecoach, before falling off with the coming of the railways. The town was bypassed when the A167 was routed around the town and this was later supplanted by the faster A1(M).
The coal industry also left its mark on the town. From the late 17th century onwards, coal was dug in increasing quantities in the region. Mining was centred around the rivers, for transportation by sea to other parts of the country, and Chester-le-Street was at the centre of the coal being dug and shipped away down the Wear, so a centre of coal related communication and commerce. At the same time, the growth of the mines and the influx of miners supported local businesses, not just the many inns but new shops and services, themselves bringing in more people to work in them. These people would later work in new industries established in the town to take advantage of its good communications and access to raw materials.
One of the most tragic episodes in the town's history and that of the coal industry in NE England occurred during a miners' strike during the winter of 1811/12. Collieries owned by the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral were brought to a standstill by the strike, causing much hardship amongst the people of the town. The strike was broken on New Year's Day, 1 January 1812, when the Bishop of Durham, Shute Barrington, sent a detachment of troops from Durham Castle to force a return to work. It is thought that this uncharacteristic act by Barrington was due to pressure from the national government in Westminster who were concerned that the strike was affecting industrial output of essential armaments for the Napoleonic Wars.
On the evening of 5 October 1936, the Jarrow Marchers stopped at the town centre after their first day's walk. The church hall was used to house them before they continued onward the following day.
From 1894 until 2009, local government districts were governed from the town. From 1894 to 1974, it had a rural district, which covered the town and outlying villages. In 1909, the inner rural district formed an urban district, which covered the town as it was at that time.
By 1974, the town expanded out of the urban district, during that year's reforms the urban and rural districts, as well as other areas formed a non-metropolitan district. It was abolished in 2009 reforms when the non-metropolitan county became a unitary authority.
The town has a mild climate and gets well below average rainfall relative to the UK. It does though experience occasional floods. To the east of the town lies the Riverside cricket ground and Riverside Park. They were built on the flood plains of the River Wear, and are often flooded when the river bursts its banks. The town centre is subject to occasional flash flooding, usually after very heavy rain over the town and surrounding areas, if the rain falls too quickly for it to be drained away by Cong Burn. The flooding occurs at the bottom of Front Street where the Cong Burn passes under the street, after it was enclosed in concrete in 1932.
Chester-le-Street's landmarks
A brick-red, elliptically curved arch, twice as wide as it is high, over an open area with a brick-red surface
Front of a three-storey building, six windows across, with a large-framed wood door at ground level and a painted sign with the words "THE QUEENS HEAD"
Square castle with square tower
A large railway viaduct made from red bricks, topped by railings and electric pylons
The general Post Office, the marketplace with the former Civic Heart sculpture (now demolished), the Queens Head Hotel on Front Street, Lumley Castle and Chester Burn viaduct
John Leland described Chester-le-Street in the 1530s as "Chiefly one main street of very mean building in height.", a sentiment echoed by Daniel Defoe.
The viaduct to the northwest of the town centre was completed in 1868 for the North Eastern Railway, to enable trains to travel at high speed on a more direct route between Newcastle and Durham. It is over 230m long with 11 arches, now spanning a road and supermarket car-park, and is a Grade II listed structure.
Lumley Castle was built in 1389. It is on the eastern bank of the River Wear and overlooks the town and the Riverside Park.
The Queens Head Hotel is located in the central area of the Front Street. It was built over 250 years ago when Front Street formed part of the main route from Edinburgh and Newcastle to London and the south of England. A Grade II listed building, it is set back from the street and is still one of the largest buildings in the town centre.
Chester-le-Street Post Office at 137 Front Street is in Art Deco style and replaced a smaller building located on the corner of Relton Terrace and Ivanhoe Terrace. It opened in 1936 and is unusual in that it is one of a handful[30] of post offices that display the royal cypher from the brief reign of Edward VIII.
Main article: St Mary and St Cuthbert, Chester-le-Street
St Mary and St Cuthbert church possesses a rare surviving anchorage, one of the best-preserved in the country. It was built for an anchorite, an extreme form of hermit. His or her walled-up cell had only a slit to observe the altar and an opening for food, while outside was an open grave for when the occupant died. It was occupied by six anchorites from 1383 to c. 1538, and is now a museum known as the Anker's House. The north aisle is occupied by a line of Lumley family effigies, only five genuine, assembled circa 1590. Some have been chopped off to fit and resemble a casualty station at Agincourt, according to Sir Simon Jenkins in his England's Thousand Best Churches. This and Lumley Castle are Chester-le-Street's only Grade I listed buildings.
The Bethel United Reformed church on Low Chare
The small United Reformed Church on Low Chare, just off the main Front Street, was built in 1814 as the Bethel Congregational Chapel and remodelled in 1860. It is still in use and is a Grade II listed building.
The Riverside Ground, known for sponsorship reasons as the Seat Unique Riverside, is home to Durham County Cricket Club which became a first class county in 1992. Since 1999, the ground has hosted many international fixtures, usually involving the England cricket team. The ground was also host to two fixtures at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, and three fixtures at the 2019 Cricket World Cup. The town also has its own cricket club, Chester-le-Street Cricket Club based at the Ropery Lane ground. They are the current Champions of the North East Premier League, won the national ECB 45 over tournament in 2009 and reached the quarter-final of the national 20/20 club championship in 2009.
Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club is based on the River Wear near the Riverside cricket ground and has been there for over 100 years. During the summer months the club operate mainly on the river, but in the winter move to indoor sessions during the evenings and use the river at weekends.
The club has over 160 members of which 90 are junior members, with numbers increasing annually. The club are well thought of by British Rowing as a lead club for junior development with many juniors now competing at GB level, and some competing for GB at international events.
Medieval football was once played in the town. The game was played annually on Shrove Tuesday between the "Upstreeters" and "Downstreeters". Play started at 1 pm and finished at 6 pm. To start the game, the ball was thrown from a window in the centre of the town and in one game more than 400 players took part. The centre of the street was the dividing line and the winner was the side where the ball was (Up or Down) at 6 pm. It was played from the Middle Ages until 1932, when it was outlawed by the police and people trying to carry on the tradition were arrested. Chester-le-Street United F.C. were founded in 2020 and compete in the Northern Football League Division Two. In the 2022/23 season they finished above their local rivals Chester-le-Street Town F.C. who were founded in 1972 and compete in the Northern Football League Division Two and based just outside Chester-le-street in Chester Moor.
Chester-le-Street railway station is a stop on the East Coast Main Line of the National Rail network between Newcastle and Durham; it opened in 1868. The station is served by two train operating companies:
TransPennine Express provides services between Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds, York, Durham and Newcastle;
Northern Trains runs a limited service in early mornings and evenings; destinations include Newcastle, Carlisle and Darlington.
The station is managed by Northern Trains.
The town is mentioned in the 1963 song "Slow Train" by Flanders and Swann:
No churns, no porter, no cat on a seat,
At Chorlton-cum-Hardy or Chester-le-Street.
Chester-le-Street's bus services are operated primarily by Go North East and Arriva North East; routes connect the town with Newcastle, Durham, Middlesbrough and Seaham.
The town is the original home of The Northern General Transport Company, which has since grown into Go North East; it operated from the Picktree Lane Depot until 2023 when it was demolished. It also pioneered the use of Minilink bus services in the North East in 1985.
Front Street first carried the A1 road, between London and Edinburgh, through the town. A bypass was built in the 1950s, which still exists today as the A167. The bypass road itself was partly bypassed by, and partly incorporated in, the A1(M) motorway in the 1970s.
The northern end of Front Street was once the start of the A6127, which is the road that would continue through Birtley, Gateshead and eventually over the Tyne Bridge; it become the A6127(M) central motorway in Newcastle upon Tyne. However, when the Gateshead-Newcastle Western Bypass of the A1(M) was opened, many roads in this area were renumbered; they followed the convention that roads originating between single digit A roads take their first digit from the single digit A road in an anticlockwise direction from their point of origin. Newcastle Road, which was formerly designated A1, is now unclassified. The A6127 was renamed the A167. Car traffic is now banned from the northern part of Front Street and it is restricted to buses, cyclists and delivery vehicles.
Education
Primary schools
Cestria Primary School
Bullion Lane Primary School
Woodlea Primary School
Lumley Junior and Infant School
Newker Primary School
Red Rose Primary School
Chester-le-Street CE Primary School
St Cuthbert's RCVA Primary School
Secondary schools
Park View School
Hermitage Academy
Notable people
Michael Barron, footballer
Aidan Chambers, children's author, Carnegie Medal and Hans Christian Andersen Award winner
William Browell Charlton, trade union leader, Durham County Colliery Enginemen's Association, National Federation of Colliery Enginemen and Boiler Firemen
Ellie Crisell, journalist and television presenter
Ronnie Dodd, footballer
Danny Graham, footballer
Andrew Hayden-Smith, actor and presenter
Grant Leadbitter, footballer
Sheila Mackie, artist
Jock Purdon, folk singer and poet
Adam Reach, footballer
Bryan Robson, former England football captain, and his brothers Justin and Gary, also footballers
Gavin Sutherland, conductor and pianist
Colin Todd, football manager and former England international player
Olga and Betty Turnbull, child entertainers of the 1930s who performed for royalty
Kevin "Geordie" Walker, guitarist of post-punk group Killing Joke
Peter Ward, footballer
Bruce Welch of pop group The Shadows
It is twinned with:
Germany Kamp-Lintfort in Germany.
County Durham, officially simply Durham is a ceremonial county in North East England. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to the north, the North Sea to the east, North Yorkshire to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The largest settlement is Darlington, and the county town is the city of Durham.
The county has an area of 2,721 km2 (1,051 sq mi) and a population of 866,846. The latter is concentrated in the east; the south-east is part of the Teesside built-up area, which extends into North Yorkshire. After Darlington (92,363), the largest settlements are Hartlepool (88,855), Stockton-on-Tees (82,729), and Durham (48,069). For local government purposes the county comprises three unitary authority areas—County Durham, Darlington, and Hartlepool—and part of a fourth, Stockton-on-Tees. The county historically included the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne, and excluded the part of County Durham south of the River Tees.
The west of the county contains part of the North Pennines uplands, a national landscape. The hills are the source of the rivers Tees and Wear, which flow east and form the valleys of Teesdale and Weardale respectively. The east of the county is flatter, and contains by rolling hills through which the two rivers meander; the Tees forms the boundary with North Yorkshire in its lower reaches, and the Wear exits the county near Chester-le-Street in the north-east. The county's coast is a site of special scientific interest characterised by tall limestone and dolomite cliffs.
What is now County Durham was on the border of Roman Britain, and contains survivals of this era at sites such as Binchester Roman Fort. In the Anglo-Saxon period the region was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria. In 995 the city of Durham was founded by monks seeking a place safe from Viking raids to house the relics of St Cuthbert. Durham Cathedral was rebuilt after the Norman Conquest, and together with Durham Castle is now a World Heritage Site. By the late Middle Ages the county was governed semi-independently by the bishops of Durham and was also a buffer zone between England and Scotland. County Durham became heavily industrialised in the nineteenth century, when many collieries opened on the Durham coalfield. The Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, opened in 1825. Most collieries closed during the last quarter of the twentieth century, but the county's coal mining heritage is remembered in the annual Durham Miners' Gala.
Remains of Prehistoric Durham include a number of Neolithic earthworks.
The Crawley Edge Cairns and Heathery Burn Cave are Bronze Age sites. Maiden Castle, Durham is an Iron Age site.
Brigantia, the land of the Brigantes, is said to have included what is now County Durham.
There are archaeological remains of Roman Durham. Dere Street and Cade's Road run through what is now County Durham. There were Roman forts at Concangis (Chester-le-Street), Lavatrae (Bowes), Longovicium (Lanchester), Piercebridge (Morbium), Vindomora (Ebchester) and Vinovium (Binchester). (The Roman fort at Arbeia (South Shields) is within the former boundaries of County Durham.) A Romanised farmstead has been excavated at Old Durham.
Remains of the Anglo-Saxon period include a number of sculpted stones and sundials, the Legs Cross, the Rey Cross and St Cuthbert's coffin.
Around AD 547, an Angle named Ida founded the kingdom of Bernicia after spotting the defensive potential of a large rock at Bamburgh, upon which many a fortification was thenceforth built. Ida was able to forge, hold and consolidate the kingdom; although the native British tried to take back their land, the Angles triumphed and the kingdom endured.
In AD 604, Ida's grandson Æthelfrith forcibly merged Bernicia (ruled from Bamburgh) and Deira (ruled from York, which was known as Eforwic at the time) to create the Kingdom of Northumbria. In time, the realm was expanded, primarily through warfare and conquest; at its height, the kingdom stretched from the River Humber (from which the kingdom drew its name) to the Forth. Eventually, factional fighting and the rejuvenated strength of neighbouring kingdoms, most notably Mercia, led to Northumbria's decline. The arrival of the Vikings hastened this decline, and the Scandinavian raiders eventually claimed the Deiran part of the kingdom in AD 867 (which became Jórvík). The land that would become County Durham now sat on the border with the Great Heathen Army, a border which today still (albeit with some adjustments over the years) forms the boundaries between Yorkshire and County Durham.
Despite their success south of the river Tees, the Vikings never fully conquered the Bernician part of Northumbria, despite the many raids they had carried out on the kingdom. However, Viking control over the Danelaw, the central belt of Anglo-Saxon territory, resulted in Northumbria becoming isolated from the rest of Anglo-Saxon Britain. Scots invasions in the north pushed the kingdom's northern boundary back to the River Tweed, and the kingdom found itself reduced to a dependent earldom, its boundaries very close to those of modern-day Northumberland and County Durham. The kingdom was annexed into England in AD 954.
In AD 995, St Cuthbert's community, who had been transporting Cuthbert's remains around, partly in an attempt to avoid them falling into the hands of Viking raiders, settled at Dunholm (Durham) on a site that was defensively favourable due to the horseshoe-like path of the River Wear. St Cuthbert's remains were placed in a shrine in the White Church, which was originally a wooden structure but was eventually fortified into a stone building.
Once the City of Durham had been founded, the Bishops of Durham gradually acquired the lands that would become County Durham. Bishop Aldhun began this process by procuring land in the Tees and Wear valleys, including Norton, Stockton, Escomb and Aucklandshire in 1018. In 1031, King Canute gave Staindrop to the Bishops. This territory continued to expand, and was eventually given the status of a liberty. Under the control of the Bishops of Durham, the land had various names: the "Liberty of Durham", "Liberty of St Cuthbert's Land" "the lands of St Cuthbert between Tyne and Tees" or "the Liberty of Haliwerfolc" (holy Wear folk).
The bishops' special jurisdiction rested on claims that King Ecgfrith of Northumbria had granted a substantial territory to St Cuthbert on his election to the see of Lindisfarne in 684. In about 883 a cathedral housing the saint's remains was established at Chester-le-Street and Guthfrith, King of York granted the community of St Cuthbert the area between the Tyne and the Wear, before the community reached its final destination in 995, in Durham.
Following the Norman invasion, the administrative machinery of government extended only slowly into northern England. Northumberland's first recorded Sheriff was Gilebert from 1076 until 1080 and a 12th-century record records Durham regarded as within the shire. However the bishops disputed the authority of the sheriff of Northumberland and his officials, despite the second sheriff for example being the reputed slayer of Malcolm Canmore, King of Scots. The crown regarded Durham as falling within Northumberland until the late thirteenth century.
Following the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror appointed Copsig as Earl of Northumbria, thereby bringing what would become County Durham under Copsig's control. Copsig was, just a few weeks later, killed in Newburn. Having already being previously offended by the appointment of a non-Northumbrian as Bishop of Durham in 1042, the people of the region became increasingly rebellious. In response, in January 1069, William despatched a large Norman army, under the command of Robert de Comines, to Durham City. The army, believed to consist of 700 cavalry (about one-third of the number of Norman knights who had participated in the Battle of Hastings), entered the city, whereupon they were attacked, and defeated, by a Northumbrian assault force. The Northumbrians wiped out the entire Norman army, including Comines, all except for one survivor, who was allowed to take the news of this defeat back.
Following the Norman slaughter at the hands of the Northumbrians, resistance to Norman rule spread throughout Northern England, including a similar uprising in York. William The Conqueror subsequently (and successfully) attempted to halt the northern rebellions by unleashing the notorious Harrying of the North (1069–1070). Because William's main focus during the harrying was on Yorkshire, County Durham was largely spared the Harrying.
Anglo-Norman Durham refers to the Anglo-Norman period, during which Durham Cathedral was built.
Matters regarding the bishopric of Durham came to a head in 1293 when the bishop and his steward failed to attend proceedings of quo warranto held by the justices of Northumberland. The bishop's case went before parliament, where he stated that Durham lay outside the bounds of any English shire and that "from time immemorial it had been widely known that the sheriff of Northumberland was not sheriff of Durham nor entered within that liberty as sheriff. . . nor made there proclamations or attachments". The arguments appear to have prevailed, as by the fourteenth century Durham was accepted as a liberty which received royal mandates direct. In effect it was a private shire, with the bishop appointing his own sheriff. The area eventually became known as the "County Palatine of Durham".
Sadberge was a liberty, sometimes referred to as a county, within Northumberland. In 1189 it was purchased for the see but continued with a separate sheriff, coroner and court of pleas. In the 14th century Sadberge was included in Stockton ward and was itself divided into two wards. The division into the four wards of Chester-le-Street, Darlington, Easington and Stockton existed in the 13th century, each ward having its own coroner and a three-weekly court corresponding to the hundred court. The diocese was divided into the archdeaconries of Durham and Northumberland. The former is mentioned in 1072, and in 1291 included the deaneries of Chester-le-Street, Auckland, Lanchester and Darlington.
The term palatinus is applied to the bishop in 1293, and from the 13th century onwards the bishops frequently claimed the same rights in their lands as the king enjoyed in his kingdom.
The historic boundaries of County Durham included a main body covering the catchment of the Pennines in the west, the River Tees in the south, the North Sea in the east and the Rivers Tyne and Derwent in the north. The county palatinate also had a number of liberties: the Bedlingtonshire, Islandshire and Norhamshire exclaves within Northumberland, and the Craikshire exclave within the North Riding of Yorkshire. In 1831 the county covered an area of 679,530 acres (2,750.0 km2) and had a population of 253,910. These exclaves were included as part of the county for parliamentary electoral purposes until 1832, and for judicial and local-government purposes until the coming into force of the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844, which merged most remaining exclaves with their surrounding county. The boundaries of the county proper remained in use for administrative and ceremonial purposes until the Local Government Act 1972.
Boldon Book (1183 or 1184) is a polyptichum for the Bishopric of Durham.
Until the 15th century, the most important administrative officer in the Palatinate was the steward. Other officers included the sheriff, the coroners, the Chamberlain and the chancellor. The palatine exchequer originated in the 12th century. The palatine assembly represented the whole county, and dealt chiefly with fiscal questions. The bishop's council, consisting of the clergy, the sheriff and the barons, regulated judicial affairs, and later produced the Chancery and the courts of Admiralty and Marshalsea.
The prior of Durham ranked first among the bishop's barons. He had his own court, and almost exclusive jurisdiction over his men. A UNESCO site describes the role of the Prince-Bishops in Durham, the "buffer state between England and Scotland":
From 1075, the Bishop of Durham became a Prince-Bishop, with the right to raise an army, mint his own coins, and levy taxes. As long as he remained loyal to the king of England, he could govern as a virtually autonomous ruler, reaping the revenue from his territory, but also remaining mindful of his role of protecting England’s northern frontier.
A report states that the Bishops also had the authority to appoint judges and barons and to offer pardons.
There were ten palatinate barons in the 12th century, most importantly the Hyltons of Hylton Castle, the Bulmers of Brancepeth, the Conyers of Sockburne, the Hansards of Evenwood, and the Lumleys of Lumley Castle. The Nevilles owned large estates in the county. John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby rebuilt Raby Castle, their principal seat, in 1377.
Edward I's quo warranto proceedings of 1293 showed twelve lords enjoying more or less extensive franchises under the bishop. The repeated efforts of the Crown to check the powers of the palatinate bishops culminated in 1536 in the Act of Resumption, which deprived the bishop of the power to pardon offences against the law or to appoint judicial officers. Moreover, indictments and legal processes were in future to run in the name of the king, and offences to be described as against the peace of the king, rather than that of the bishop. In 1596 restrictions were imposed on the powers of the chancery, and in 1646 the palatinate was formally abolished. It was revived, however, after the Restoration, and continued with much the same power until 5 July 1836, when the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 provided that the palatine jurisdiction should in future be vested in the Crown.
During the 15th-century Wars of the Roses, Henry VI passed through Durham. On the outbreak of the Great Rebellion in 1642 Durham inclined to support the cause of Parliament, and in 1640 the high sheriff of the palatinate guaranteed to supply the Scottish army with provisions during their stay in the county. In 1642 the Earl of Newcastle formed the western counties into an association for the King's service, but in 1644 the palatinate was again overrun by a Scottish army, and after the Battle of Marston Moor (2 July 1644) fell entirely into the hands of Parliament.
In 1614, a Bill was introduced in Parliament for securing representation to the county and city of Durham and the borough of Barnard Castle. The bishop strongly opposed the proposal as an infringement of his palatinate rights, and the county was first summoned to return members to Parliament in 1654. After the Restoration of 1660 the county and city returned two members each. In the wake of the Reform Act of 1832 the county returned two members for two divisions, and the boroughs of Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland acquired representation. The bishops lost their secular powers in 1836. The boroughs of Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool returned one member each from 1868 until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 reformed the municipal boroughs of Durham, Stockton on Tees and Sunderland. In 1875, Jarrow was incorporated as a municipal borough, as was West Hartlepool in 1887. At a county level, the Local Government Act 1888 reorganised local government throughout England and Wales. Most of the county came under control of the newly formed Durham County Council in an area known as an administrative county. Not included were the county boroughs of Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland. However, for purposes other than local government, the administrative county of Durham and the county boroughs continued to form a single county to which the Crown appointed a Lord Lieutenant of Durham.
Over its existence, the administrative county lost territory, both to the existing county boroughs, and because two municipal boroughs became county boroughs: West Hartlepool in 1902 and Darlington in 1915. The county boundary with the North Riding of Yorkshire was adjusted in 1967: that part of the town of Barnard Castle historically in Yorkshire was added to County Durham, while the administrative county ceded the portion of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in Durham to the North Riding. In 1968, following the recommendation of the Local Government Commission, Billingham was transferred to the County Borough of Teesside, in the North Riding. In 1971, the population of the county—including all associated county boroughs (an area of 2,570 km2 (990 sq mi))—was 1,409,633, with a population outside the county boroughs of 814,396.
In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 abolished the administrative county and the county boroughs, reconstituting County Durham as a non-metropolitan county. The reconstituted County Durham lost territory to the north-east (around Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland) to Tyne and Wear and to the south-east (around Hartlepool) to Cleveland. At the same time it gained the former area of Startforth Rural District from the North Riding of Yorkshire. The area of the Lord Lieutenancy of Durham was also adjusted by the Act to coincide with the non-metropolitan county (which occupied 3,019 km2 (1,166 sq mi) in 1981).
In 1996, as part of 1990s UK local government reform by Lieutenancies Act 1997, Cleveland was abolished. Its districts were reconstituted as unitary authorities. Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees (north Tees) were returned to the county for the purposes of Lord Lieutenancy. Darlington also became a third unitary authority of the county. The Royal Mail abandoned the use of postal counties altogether, permitted but not mandatory being at a writer wishes.
As part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England initiated by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the seven district councils within the County Council area were abolished. The County Council assumed their functions and became the fourth unitary authority. Changes came into effect on 1 April 2009.
On 15 April 2014, North East Combined Authority was established under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 with powers over economic development and regeneration. In November 2018, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Borough Council, and Northumberland County Council left the authority. These later formed the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
In May 2021, four parish councils of the villages of Elwick, Hart, Dalton Piercy and Greatham all issued individual votes of no confidence in Hartlepool Borough Council, and expressed their desire to join the County Durham district.
In October 2021, County Durham was shortlisted for the UK City of Culture 2025. In May 2022, it lost to Bradford.
Eighteenth century Durham saw the appearance of dissent in the county and the Durham Ox. The county did not assist the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. The Statue of Neptune in the City of Durham was erected in 1729.
A number of disasters happened in Nineteenth century Durham. The Felling mine disasters happened in 1812, 1813, 1821 and 1847. The Philadelphia train accident happened in 1815. In 1854, there was a great fire in Gateshead. One of the West Stanley Pit disasters happened in 1882. The Victoria Hall disaster happened in 1883.
One of the West Stanley Pit disasters happened in 1909. The Darlington rail crash happened in 1928. The Battle of Stockton happened in 1933. The Browney rail crash happened in 1946.
The First Treaty of Durham was made at Durham in 1136. The Second Treaty of Durham was made at Durham in 1139.
The county regiment was the Durham Light Infantry, which replaced, in particular, the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and the Militia and Volunteers of County Durham.
RAF Greatham, RAF Middleton St George and RAF Usworth were located in County Durham.
David I, the King of Scotland, invaded the county in 1136, and ravaged much of the county 1138. In 17 October 1346, the Battle of Neville's Cross was fought at Neville's Cross, near the city of Durham. On 16 December 1914, during the First World War, there was a raid on Hartlepool by the Imperial German Navy.
Chroniclers connected with Durham include the Bede, Symeon of Durham, Geoffrey of Coldingham and Robert de Graystanes.
County Durham has long been associated with coal mining, from medieval times up to the late 20th century. The Durham Coalfield covered a large area of the county, from Bishop Auckland, to Consett, to the River Tyne and below the North Sea, thereby providing a significant expanse of territory from which this rich mineral resource could be extracted.
King Stephen possessed a mine in Durham, which he granted to Bishop Pudsey, and in the same century colliers are mentioned at Coundon, Bishopwearmouth and Sedgefield. Cockfield Fell was one of the earliest Landsale collieries in Durham. Edward III issued an order allowing coal dug at Newcastle to be taken across the Tyne, and Richard II granted to the inhabitants of Durham licence to export the produce of the mines, without paying dues to the corporation of Newcastle. The majority was transported from the Port of Sunderland complex, which was constructed in the 1850s.
Among other early industries, lead-mining was carried on in the western part of the county, and mustard was extensively cultivated. Gateshead had a considerable tanning trade and shipbuilding was undertaken at Jarrow, and at Sunderland, which became the largest shipbuilding town in the world – constructing a third of Britain's tonnage.[citation needed]
The county's modern-era economic history was facilitated significantly by the growth of the mining industry during the nineteenth century. At the industry's height, in the early 20th century, over 170,000 coal miners were employed, and they mined 58,700,000 tons of coal in 1913 alone. As a result, a large number of colliery villages were built throughout the county as the industrial revolution gathered pace.
The railway industry was also a major employer during the industrial revolution, with railways being built throughout the county, such as The Tanfield Railway, The Clarence Railway and The Stockton and Darlington Railway. The growth of this industry occurred alongside the coal industry, as the railways provided a fast, efficient means to move coal from the mines to the ports and provided the fuel for the locomotives. The great railway pioneers Timothy Hackworth, Edward Pease, George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson were all actively involved with developing the railways in tandem with County Durham's coal mining industry. Shildon and Darlington became thriving 'railway towns' and experienced significant growths in population and prosperity; before the railways, just over 100 people lived in Shildon but, by the 1890s, the town was home to around 8,000 people, with Shildon Shops employing almost 3000 people at its height.
However, by the 1930s, the coal mining industry began to diminish and, by the mid-twentieth century, the pits were closing at an increasing rate. In 1951, the Durham County Development Plan highlighted a number of colliery villages, such as Blackhouse, as 'Category D' settlements, in which future development would be prohibited, property would be acquired and demolished, and the population moved to new housing, such as that being built in Newton Aycliffe. Likewise, the railway industry also began to decline, and was significantly brought to a fraction of its former self by the Beeching cuts in the 1960s. Darlington Works closed in 1966 and Shildon Shops followed suit in 1984. The county's last deep mines, at Easington, Vane Tempest, Wearmouth and Westoe, closed in 1993.
Postal Rates from 1801 were charged depending on the distance from London. Durham was allocated the code 263 the approximate mileage from London. From about 1811, a datestamp appeared on letters showing the date the letter was posted. In 1844 a new system was introduced and Durham was allocated the code 267. This system was replaced in 1840 when the first postage stamps were introduced.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911): "To the Anglo-Saxon period are to be referred portions of the churches of Monk Wearmouth (Sunderland), Jarrow, Escomb near Bishop Auckland, and numerous sculptured crosses, two of which are in situ at Aycliffe. . . . The Decorated and Perpendicular periods are very scantily represented, on account, as is supposed, of the incessant wars between England and Scotland in the 14th and 15th centuries. The principal monastic remains, besides those surrounding Durham cathedral, are those of its subordinate house or "cell," Finchale Priory, beautifully situated by the Wear. The most interesting castles are those of Durham, Raby, Brancepeth and Barnard. There are ruins of castelets or peel-towers at Dalden, Ludworth and Langley Dale. The hospitals of Sherburn, Greatham and Kepyer, founded by early bishops of Durham, retain but few ancient features."
The best remains of the Norman period include Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle, and several parish churches, such as St Laurence Church in Pittington. The Early English period has left the eastern portion of the cathedral, the churches of Darlington, Hartlepool, and St Andrew, Auckland, Sedgefield, and portions of a few other churches.
'Durham Castle and Cathedral' is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Elsewhere in the County there is Auckland Castle.
… and free association. Here are my notes and ruminations from Scott Page’s talk at the SFI Overview on Complex Adaptive Systems.
“Perspective is a way to encode the world. There is a perspective from which any problem is easy.”
“Bee hives must stay at 96 degrees for bees to reach maturity. Bees can cool with their wings or huddle together for warmth. Genetically homogenous bees all move together, and the temperature fluctuates widely. Genetically diverse bees keep the hive at a constant temperature.”
Page’s conclusion that diversity is as important as ability seems pretty profound.
His argument for diversity in complex adaptive systems seems to be to be the underpinning of that popular book by Surowiecki, The Wisdom of Crowds.
I’d posit that diverse group performance comes not from convergence to the mean on a single parameter scale, but the factoring of diverse and orthogonal perspectives. Diversity brings more variables into the multivariate regression of teams.
According to Scott Page, “People in diverse groups are less happy. Their views are challenged, and they feel like the outcomes were manipulated. Based on their experiences, they will self-report that it was not better than when they were on a homogenous team.”
As you increase diversity, complexity goes up, but then it drops and you get the central limit theorem. There is a sweet spot with just the right interplay between agents. Also, there is not one dimension that perspectives lie along. Diversity captures orthogonal perspectives and more adjacencies. The better the perspective, the less rugged the landscape (in terms of finding the global optimum and not getting trapped in local optima). Consultants can hop across local peaks without being any smarter or more experienced in their client’s business. The goal is not regression to the mean.
Thinking about the wisdom of crowds as an emergence, this is the question I have been wrestling with:
Does the minimal threshold complexity for interesting emergent phenomena necessitate inscrutability of results by members of the system?
For example, if a group of diverse people routinely beats the experts, where does the learning occur? It seems to be at the system level, and not the individual level. The decision may make no sense to the individual members, but the decision making process does. The “wisdom” of the process could be taught to others, but not the outcomes.
This generalization about emergence seems to hold for evolution, brains & neural networks, hives, and cultural memetic drift (more on this). In interesting systems, the emergent phenomena are at a different layer of abstraction, and may only be recognized by “in-process” or nodal members by pattern or proxy.