View allAll Photos Tagged befit
Melbourne goes into a frenzy when the VFL grand final is staged at the MCG. This year the teams were The West Coast Eagles from Perth, West Australia and the Magpies from Collingwood of Melbourne. Whole families came in droves bearing the paraphernalia that befits a battle between the giants of the Game. This lad was not going to be frightened by any form of intimidation.
Shot at a rainy day in germany (we have plenty nowadays), with yet another macro setup: Samyang 85/1.4 with extension tube. This simple setup has befits too, a very bright viewfinder and aperture control by the camera. It is very sharp and more flexible (can use it without the tubes) than my other setup.
Have a nice sunday!
Thanks for looking.
Chassis n° 829 ARO 001 611
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais 2020
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2020
Estimated : € 400.000 - 500.000
Unsold
A limited production 'homologation special', the Lancia Stratos is historically significant as the first car from a major manufacturer conceived specifically for rallying. The spearhead of Lancia's international rally campaign in the 1970s, the Stratos had its origins in a Fulvia-powered, mid-engined design exercise by Marcello Gandini first exhibited on Carrozzeria Bertone's stand at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. Also the work of Gandini and Bertone, the production Stratos of 1972 retained the striking 'wedge' styling of its forbear but employed the powerful Ferrari Dino 2.4-litre V6 engine. The latter was housed in a robust steel monocoque body tub clad in glassfibre coachwork.
That such a daring design actually made it into production is mainly due to Cesare Fiorio, co-founder of the HF Corse team that had become Lancia's official competitions department in 1965. Lancia was already enjoying considerable success in international rallying with modified versions of the Fulvia, but in the Stratos Fiorio saw an opportunity to create a purpose-built rally car from the ground upwards. He was an admirer of Ferrari's quad-cam V6 motor, having evaluated a Dino for rallying purposes, and Enzo Ferrari was duly persuaded to come on board as the engine supplier. The stubby, mid-engined Stratos looked nothing like a traditional rally car, but then Fiorio knew exactly what he was doing.
As befitted a car purpose built to cope with all types of rallying, the Stratos came with fully adjustable, all-independent suspension by double wishbones and coil springs, plus four-wheel disc brakes all round. With 190bhp on tap, the production road-going (Stradale) version was good for 225km/h (140mph). The works Group 4 rally cars were, of course, considerably more powerful, but reliability problems meant that success was slow to come. After its initial major victory in the 1974 Targa Florio, the Stratos went on to dominate international rallying, Lancia winning the World Rally Championship of Makes in 1975 and 1976. Works pilote Bernard Darniche triumphed twice in the world's premier drivers' competition - the European Rally Championship - in 1976 and 1977, and the Stratos helped Markku Alén to the inaugural World Drivers' Championship in 1978. Alén's season had been split between the Stratos and the FIAT 131, and it was the parent company's political decision to favour that latter, rather than any lack of competitiveness, which saw the incomparable Stratos phased out, though private entrants continued to enjoy success at international level into the early 1980s.
Its competition-focused rationale notwithstanding, the Stratos in Stradale form is surprisingly usable on the road. As one would expect of a car designed for rallying, forward visibility is excellent, enabling the driver to place the Stratos with confidence. There is ample elbowroom inside and a surprisingly generous amount of luggage space at the rear, while that bugbear of so many mid-engined designs – excessive interior heat – is kept under control.
Incredible as it may seem today, after the 500-or-so cars required for homologation had been completed in 1975, the vast majority remained unsold due to lack of demand. (As it happens, that crucial '500' figure was never reached, one widely circulated estimate stating that only 492 were built). Almost as soon as it ceased active competition though, the car's historic significance was recognised and prices soared.
Finished in blue with yellow seats and correct gold-painted wheels, this Stratos Stradale was delivered new in 1976 to Dr Rudolf Wiespointner of Wels, Austria, who kept the car for 23 years. In 1999 the Stratos was sold to Rudolf Bromberger of Vienna, Austria, passing to the current (third) owner in 2012. Restored circa eight years ago and rarely used since, it remains in very good condition. The paintwork is of very good quality and the panel fit, if anything, is better than new, while the engine compartment appears in very good, almost unmarked, factory-correct condition. This car retains its original engine and gearbox, which have never been rebuilt but remain in excellent condition.
Offered with French Carte Grise and an original workshop manual and sales brochure, this beautiful Stratos Stradale is a highly original and unmolested example of a mythical and supremely successful competition model from one of the most distinguished marques in motoring history.
Opuwo is the capital of the Kunene Region of Namibia.
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires.
Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
L- large / grande
C- Comment / comentar
DRAC DE SANT JORDI
Correfoc Palma 2015
EL DRAC DE SANT JORDI
El drac és la figura que, sens dubte, sovinteja més en el bestiari dels correfogs. Molts tenen nom propi i es vinculen a llegendes locals, antigues o de nova creació. Són, com correspon al personatge, bèsties de foc i participen, junt amb els diables, a les cercaviles i correfocs emprant la pirotècnia.
La Llegenda de Sant Jordi i el Drac és emblemàtica
Llegenda de Sant Jordi i el drac - ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant_Jordi#Llegenda_de_Sant_Jordi_i...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EL DRAGÓN DE SAN JORGE
El dragón es la figura que, sin duda, es más frecuente en el bestiario de los correfogs. Muchos tienen nombre propio y se vinculan a leyendas locales, antiguas o de nueva creación. Son, como corresponde al personaje, bestias de fuego y participan, junto con los diablos, en los pasacalles y correfocs empleando la pirotecnia.
La Leyenda de San Jorge y el Dragón es emblemática
San Jorge y el dragón. es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_de_Capadocia#La_leyenda_del_d...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saint George's Dragon
The dragon figure is undoubtedly frequent in the bestiary of correfogs. Many have their own name and are linked to local legends, old or new creation. They are fire animals and, as befits his character, they are involved together with the devils in correfocs parades and fireworks.
The Legend of Saint George and the Dragon is emblematic
Saint George and the Dragon- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George_and_the_Dragon
Más "dimonis" y correfocs , en mi galería: www.flickr.com/photos/maytevidri/sets/72157642172616783/w...
San Antonio Abad y los demonios en Mallorca
La fiesta de San Antoni Abad (Sant Antoni Adad) el 17 de enero, es un evento importante en la mayor parte de pueblos de la Part Forana (toda la isla excepto Palma) de Mallorca, que da paso al solsticio de invierno. La fiesta empieza el 16 de enero por la tarde, cuando se encienden las hogueras repartidas por las calles de los pueblos. Es la víspera de la fiesta de Sant Antoni Abat, patrón de los animales, y una de las fiestas mágicas del calendario mallorquín que entronca con los antiguos ritos de fertilidad. La velada recuerda las tentaciones que sufrió este santo en el desierto. Esta noche, la gente cena en la calle de sobrassada a la brasa y otros embutidos y comidas tradicionales, donde no falta el vino. Los demonios se van paseando de hoguera en hoguera, bailando su baile característico. Los poemas populares cantados con una melodía propia de Sant Antoni, recordando las gestas del santo venerado abren la fiesta, aunque los que verdaderamente triunfan son otros con una vertiente más picante. El día 17 se celebran desfiles de carrozas, que representan escenas tradicionales del mundo rural mallorquín, y se bendicen los animales domésticos, donde los demonios incordiando a la figura de Sant Antoni y a los más pequeños son parte esencial de la fiesta.
www.mca-hotels.com/guia-vacaciones-mallorca/7/23/43/mallo...
Dimonis y Correfocs
El vistoso y colorido baile de las bestias forma un espectáculo de dimonis o correfocs saltando y bailando por las calles acompañados de música, fuegos artificiales, hogueras y ruido.
Muchos son los pueblos de Mallorca que animan sus fiestas con el baile de los dimonis en honor a San Antonio y al demonio, a la lucha del bien contra el mal.
La víspera de San Antonio es la noche en que más dimonis se concentran, aunque también aprovechan otras festividades para salir a la calle.
Es muy común que en las fiestas de un pueblo se convoquen demonios de distintas peñas e incluso de distintos pueblos, con espectáculos y trajes diferentes. Las zambombas, las canciones, el vino, el fuego y las glosas (rimas o dichos populares de composición poética) también acompañan esta tradición.
En principio este tipo de concentraciones tuvo un sentido religioso, aunque al mismo tiempo también se celebraba el solsticio de invierno; el crecimiento del sol que da vida a la tierra de cultivo y a las hogueras de San Antonio, que alejan a los malos espíritus.
Ésta danza pertenece a la cultura popular de Baleares, Cataluña, Valencia y el Rosellón Francés (sur de Francia) y está documentado desde el s. XII donde tuvo sus comienzos como “cercavilas” que eran grupos de personas que salían disfrazadas a la calle anunciando las fiestas, y que ha ido poco a poco evolucionando hasta el performance de hoy día.
www.mallorcanatural.es/vida-local/fiestas-y-tradiciones-m...
Correfocs o Baile de diablos - es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baile_de_diablos
En catalan:
- Ball de diables o Correfocs ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_de_diables
- El dimoni a la nostra cultura
www.diariodemallorca.es/part-forana/2011/01/12/dimoni-nos...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saint Anthony Abbot and the demons in Mallorca
The festival of Sant Antoni Abad (Saint Anthony Abbot), which falls on 17 December and which marks the start of the winter solstice, is a major event in most rural villages in Mallorca. The festival starts on 16 December at dusk, when the street bonfires are lit. It´s the Sant Antoni´s Eve,the Patron Saint of domestic animals, and one of the most magical nights in Mallorca when former fertility rituals were held. The ritual remembers all temptations this saint had to overcome in the desert. On this night locals eat sobrassada (Mallorcan sausage meat) cooked on embers in the street, as well as other types of sausage meats and traditional local foods; there is also plenty of wine. The demons wander from bonfire to bonfire, performing their special dance. The festival gets under way with traditional folk songs, which are sung with a special air of Sant Antoni and which remind locals of the saint´s heroic deeds; however, there are also some saucier songs, and it these which are really popular. On 17 December there are processions with floats which represent traditional scenes from Mallorcan rural life; in addition to this, pets are blessed and the demons chase the figure of Sant Antoni, with children playing an essential part in the festival.
www.mca-hotels.com/guia3.php?idIdiomaCap=3&sid=1d0eaa...
The "correfoc" (Fire run) or Devils dance is one of the most deeply rooted traditions initially in Catalonia, Valencian Community and and the Balearic Islands. Nowadays, its participation in the form of passacaglia, procession and correfocs became an essential part of the main celebrations of many towns and cities.
The origin is uncertain, but it seems that it comes from the medieval street theatre.
The synthesis of the Ball de diables is a theatrical representation of the struggle between the good and the evil.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_de_diables
"Devils", at my galery: www.flickr.com/photos/maytevidri/sets/72157642172616783/w...
De Lijn: the non-modernised PCC tramway number 6227 (note that outside the tram only takes the number 27, as befits not modernized trams), as part of Class 6201-6254, built by La Brugeoise et Nivelles (BN) between 1971 and 1974, with a service in the line 22 to Zwijnaardebrug.
Jan 23 is Chinese new year. This year is year of dragon. In Chinese astrology the dragon is quite special and very much revered. It was seen as a powerful almighty king because it was made up of different parts of animals such as a tiger, fish, snake and an eagle. The Chinese dragon was not seen as a threatening evil being as we do in the west - rather a symbol of power, superiority and rule. Still today, the Dragon is a revered symbol. You can see many sculptures and carvings of the dragon. Even today, the Chinese associate the dragon with power and wisdom. In Chinese astrology a dragon person is special. Born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon they usually stand out as befits a dragon. They are powerful and wise. So if you were born in year of 1904 * 1916 * 1928 * 1940 * 1952 * 1964 * 1976 * 1988 * 2000, then you were born in year of dragon. Congratulations!
Poem.
Childish excitement travelling from east to west in late winter.
You know soon, very soon, the West Coast “Munros” will gleam like incisor teeth above the forested landscape.
Forcan, left, and The Saddle, right, are such peaks that advertise the thousand metre micro-climate of semi-Alpine splendour.
Spin-drift sweeps off the upper slopes to accumulate in layers like royal icing.
The snowy back-cloth forms a pleasing contrast to the pastel tans and greens of the bracken and forest of the lower slopes of this historic Glen.
The West Coast beckons.
Such a grand mountain corridor befits the momentous land and seascapes that lie in prospect.
Kirkgate Market the largest covered market in Europe, there are currently 800 stalls which attract over 100,000 visitors a week. In Leeds, West Yorkshire.
An open-air market first opened in 1822, by 1875 the first covered sections of the market was built. The Central Market hall was surrounded on three sides by shops that were mainly rented to butchers and fishmongers. Inside the hall, stalls were erected for the sale of fruit, vegetables, and dairy produce, with the balcony being used for selling fancy goods. The South Market, bordering Hunslet Lane and Meadow Lane, was used by butchers, various goods shops, open stalls, nine slaughterhouses and eighteen homes.
In 1894, Fish Row was created - a row of fishmongers in a cooled area of the market. A domed glazed roof was added to the market hall and a dedicated meat market and abattoir was developed.
In 1893, Leeds gained city status, which brought an increased desire to build civic buildings that befitted this status. The area around the market was made up of abattoirs and slums making it appear less than salubrious. A design competition was held to find an architect capable of designing an opulent new hall to the front of the mark this was awarded to Joseph and John Leeming of London. J Bagshaw and Sons of Batley were chosen as engineers for the project.
Further controversy was generated when, in May 1901, many traders within the markets were given one week's notice to vacate their stalls so that work on the new hall could commence. Traders demanded compensation for loss of trade, fixtures and fittings. The new hall opened in 1904, costing £116,700, somewhat more than the original budget of £80,000. A
The Market was the founding location of Marks & Spencer which opened as a penny bazaar. In 1904, Marks & Spencer relocated its Leeds branch to the then recently opened Cross Arcade.
Despite the Second World War conscription and air-raids the markets continued to trade, albeit on a smaller scale. Air-raid shelters were built at the site for market traders. The Ministry of Food operated offices at the market to implement rationing.
After the war, the Markets Committee proposed a £55,000 development at the market. New warehouses were provided as well as an open market and car parking. Twenty new butchers' shops were built, older shops were refurbished, and several older buildings were demolished.
Following the destruction of most of the market hall in a fire in 1975, significant rebuilding works had to take place to re-accommodate displaced traders. Shortly after the fire, the first replacement opened. Unlike the ornate 1904 hall or the stone-built 1875 hall, the 1975 hall was a large open hall, built of steel sheets with a lattice roof structure.
Information Source:
From International Studio an Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art, Volume XXXVII, No. 148, June 1909 p. 333.
(Source: The Internet Archive. archive.org/)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glasgow. The announcement of an exhibition of work by the students at the Glasgow School of Art is sufficient
to create widespread interest at any time; when the work shown is by members of "The Club" the interest is no less keen, for some of the most distinguished former students are both members and contributors.
This year additional attraction was offered by the fine and applied art exhibits being arranged in a portion of the new wing, improvised as a picture gallery by the introduction of canvas over the brick [walls].
/ / /
Amongst the fifty or more examples of metal work and embroidery, the standard of excellence for which the school is noted was well maintained.
The accompanying illustrations will give some idea of the quality of work being done in the embroidery class.
The butterfly panel by Miss Helen A. Lamb, as our coloured reproduction shows, is a fine example of the new embroidery for which the school is noted.
The panel, with cross and motto, by Miss Douglas, executed in low tones as befits the subject, is no less striking. On dark grey linen ground, an arrangement in mauve, orange and blue silk, with a mingling of emerald-green and silver, outlined with orange-coloured beads, composes in a fine design.
Morning Glory, by Miss Hogg, is interesting alike in conception and execution. The angel of the morn emerges from the sun with its golden beams radiating in every direction. She is girdled with floral and pearly loveliness, crowned with golden circlet, robed with beauty and winged with fleetness to carry the joy of brightness to the uttermost parts of the earth. The whole idea is well conveyed, the choice of colours
excellent, the treatment admirable.
The fine old art of the needle is, after all, a choicer occupation for clever women than some which they take to nowadays.
archive.org/details/internationalstu3719unse/page/332/mod...
The old medieval bridge across the River Arno, my first try at sepia processing as seems to befit the ancient old bridge. Cropped across the length to include more detail, most of the shops on the bridge are jewellers, artists and metal workers. Also remember this as being a bitterly cold day -4!!. Taken in Florence Italy.
The Avocet Line links Exmouth with Exeter.
It was originally built by the London and South Western Railway, and was historically known as the Exmouth branch.
The line follows the Exe Estuary for about half of its route, from just outside Topsham to Exmouth, giving views of the estuary.
The line is named after the pied avocet, which lives in the estuary.
The station was once a substantial four platform terminus as befitted its role as a seaside town station. Following rationalisation it was rebuilt in the 1980s in its present form.
For more photographs of the Avocet Line please click here: www.jhluxton.com/Railways-and-Tramways/British-Network-Ra...
Cordyceps is an interesting entomopathogenic fungus (a fancy way of saying a fungus that parasitizes and kills insects/spiders). Each Cordyceps is species specific and is something pretty horrifying. The spores will land on an insect and gradually the fungal mycelia will grow down past the insects exoskeleton and into the body where they will spread like tree roots, invading and replacing host tissue. This kills the insect in a very slow, lengthy process. In the final stages, the fungus takes the neurological reins and modifies the insect’s behaviour so as best to befit itself. In ants it will cause them to climb to a high perch and bite down on a leaf or stem with a death grip. The ant will slowly die, perhaps from starvation, perhaps from the deterioration of its body, but after some time there might be seen movement. To be sure it is extremely slow and small but it is there. If sped up, it would look like a worm wriggling out of the body. And this isn’t far from the truth. It is the fruiting body of the cordyceps fungus. Which grows a stalk several inches long, terminating in asci or sacs containing the spores that will lead to a new round of infectious dissemination. Why go to all this trouble to cause the ant to climb to a high perch? Well, the jungle is very humid with rain falling often and in large quantities. Ants being principally ground dwellers, it wouldn’t do to have the ants and fungus along with them washed away, covered in mud or stuck together. Additionally, just like climbing to the top of a mountain will afford a better view of the surroundings, so too will climbing to the top of a plant or bush in a jungle microenvironment. From here, the fungus is free to be blown in all directions by the slightest current of wind, the spores, like insidious grains of pollen, waiting to be planted in the fertile backs of their hosts.
Photo from Ankarafantsika national park, Madagascar.
The Himba are indigenous peoples with an estimated population of about 50,000 people living in northern Namibia, in the Kunene Region. Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the hot Kaokoland. Himba people, especially women, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate as well as insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, indicating age and social status within their community – Van ZyL’S Pass, Kaokoland, Namibia
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires.[citation needed] Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
heic2106 — Hubble Photo Release Hubble Inspects a Contorted Spiral Galaxy
This spectacular image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the trailing arms of NGC 2276, a spiral galaxy 120 million light-years away in the constellation of Cepheus. At first glance, the delicate tracery of bright spiral arms and dark dust lanes resembles countless other spiral galaxies. A closer look reveals a strangely lopsided galaxy shaped by gravitational interaction and intense star formation.
This striking image showcases the unusually contorted appearance of NGC 2276, an appearance caused by two different astrophysical interactions — one with the superheated gas pervading galaxy clusters, and one with a nearby galactic neighbour.
The interaction of NGC 2276 with the intracluster medium — the superheated gas lying between the galaxies in galaxy clusters — has ignited a burst of star formation along one edge of the galaxy. This wave of star formation is visible as the bright, blue-tinged glow of newly formed massive stars towards the left side of this image, and gives the galaxy a strangely lopsided appearance. NGC 2276’s recent burst of star formation is also related to the appearance of more exotic inhabitants — black holes and neutron stars in binary systems.
On the other side of the galaxy from this burst of new stars, the gravitational attraction of a smaller companion is pulling the outer edges of NGC 2276 out of shape. This interaction with the small lens-shaped galaxy NGC 2300 has distorted the outermost spiral arms of NGC 2276, giving the false impression that the larger galaxy is orientated face-on to Earth [1]. NGC 2276 and its disruptive companion NGC 2300 can both be seen in the accompanying image, which shows a wider view of the interacting galaxies.
NGC 2276 is by no means the only galaxy with a strange appearance. The Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies — a catalogue of unusual galaxies published in 1966 — contains a menagerie of weird and wonderful galaxies, including spectacular galaxy mergers, ring-shaped galaxies, and other galactic oddities. As befits an unusually contorted galaxy, NGC 2276 has the distinction of being listed in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies twice — once for its lopsided spiral arms and once for its interaction with its smaller neighbour NGC 2300.
Notes
[1] The actual alignment of NGC 2276 can be inferred from the position of its brightly glowing galactic core, which is offset from the distorted spiral arms.
More information
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.
This image was taken as part of the HST observation program #15615 (PI: P. Sell), a collaboration between the University of Florida (USA), the University of Crete/FORTH (Greece), INAF-Brera (Italy), and the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (USA).
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Sell
Acknowledgement: L. Shatz
A disclaimer: ESA/Hubble website does not publish artwork from external parties, they do their own processing from scratch. The acknowledgement was attributed to my prior artwork of this object.
OK - I'm fairly certain this looks like the old Digbeth Coach Station in Birmingham, the epicentre of the old Midland Red coach empire back in the day. And there's so much going on here as passengers load and unload from the numerous long distance coach services that either terminates, started or called here. No date is given but I would has at early 1950s given the fashions and the assortment of coaches you can make out.
As befits an 'official' shot one of the company's own vehicles holds centre stage and that is CHA 970, given fleet number 1988 in 1944. It was one of 50 similar chassis built by BMMO who famously did build their own vehicles for decades, although this has an English Electric body. It is of type SOS SLR (Saloon Low Rolls-Royce I'm informed) and originally petrol engined it was retro-fitted with a diesel power unit later in life as became standard. It is certainly still giving sterling service as it is on one of the 'main drags', the London route, a variant via Banbury and Oxford down the old A34 before the M1 was constructed later that decade. The other BMMO vehicle is on the X96 heading towards Northampton, this being a through route from Shrewsbury in my day.
Two other operators vehicles stand out - both on routes that passed through Birmingham. First up is one from the North Western Road Car Company, the Stockport based concern and so with its registration index mark of DDB 273. 273 was a 1949 delivery with a Leyland PS2/3 chassis and Windover body. What looks like a similar coach sits behind it. Further back in this organised chaos sits a coach of the Ribble affiliated company of W C Standerwick that although purchsed by the Preston based company retained its separate identity and even the Blackpool registration of its vehicles. It is on its way to the Lake District destination of Keswick as is a duplicate vehilce pulling in - this being one of the Leyland 'cats' - Standerwick bought a few of the Royal Tiger chassis from 1951 onwards with bodywork by several coachbuilders. It would be quite a stretch in pre-motorway days to Keswick - the old A34 north out of Birmingham through Walsall beckons and then, the A50 I suspect at some point?
So - what a scene. A few people have obviously spotted the photographer - who I wonder may have been up a ladder?
‘Scene’ in Bristol 4
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The day was dominated by a clear blue autumn sky and long shadows.
Not perfect conditions, but as always we do our best.
For the first time, we have combined all the images we have taken so the credits are joint D.Basford/P.M.Rose.
As befits any excursion that involves road transport, we travelled by coach.
Pictured departing Derby Bus Station prior to the arrival of our coach.
I specifically visited the harbour today Sat 11th August 2018 to capture this beauty arrive, many people turned out to welcome HMS Diamond to Aberdeen Harbour , I have numerous photos and a couple more videos of her arriving though unable to post until later this evening when I get home ,I’ve posted some details of the vessel below .
HMS Diamond is the third ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in 2007, completed her contractor's sea trials in July 2010 and arrived at her base port on 22 September 2010.
Diamond was commissioned in a traditional ceremony on 6 May 2011, and formally entered service on 12 July 2011.
Name: HMS Diamond
Ordered: December 2000
Builder: BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions
Yard number: 1063
Laid down: 25 February 2005
Launched: 27 November 2007
Sponsored by: Lady Johns
Commissioned: 6 May 2011
Identification: Deck code: DM
Pennant number: D34
International callsign: GPLC
IMO number: 4907763[5]
Motto: Honor clarissima gemma
("Honour is the brightest jewel")
Status: In active service, as of 2017
Class and type: Type 45 Guided missile destroyer
Displacement: 8,000[6] to 8,500 t (8,400 long tons; 9,400 short tons)
Length: 152.4 m (500 ft 0 in)
Beam: 21.2 m (69 ft 7 in)
Draught: 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Installed power: 2 × Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines, 21.5 MW (28,800 shp) each
2 × Wärtsilä 12V200 diesel generators, 2 MW (2,700 shp) each
Propulsion: 2 shafts integrated electric propulsion with 2 × Converteam electric motors, 20 MW (27,000 shp) each
Speed: In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range: In excess of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)
Complement: 191 (accommodation for up to 235)
Sensors and processing systems:
SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar (Type 1045)
S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar (Type 1046)
Raytheon Integrated Bridge and Navigation System
2 × Raytheon AHRS INS
(MINS 2)
2 × Raytheon I-band Radar
(Type 1047)
1 × Raytheon E/F-band Radar
(Type 1048)[13]
Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System (EOGCS)
Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system
Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar
Electronic warfare
& decoys: UAT Mod 2.0 (2.1 planned)
AN/SSQ-130 Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system
Seagnat
Naval Decoy IDS300
Surface Ship Torpedo Defence
Armament: Anti-air missiles:
Sea Viper air defence system, with a 48-cell Sylver A50 VLS, for mix of up to 48:
Aster 15 missiles (range 1.7–30 km)
Aster 30 missiles (range 3–120 km)
Anti-ship missiles:
2 × quad Harpoon launchers[N 1]
Guns:
1 × BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun
2 × Oerlikon 30 mm guns
2 × Phalanx CIWS
2 × Miniguns
6 × General purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried:
1–2 × Lynx Wildcat, armed with: 4 × anti ship missiles, or 2 × anti submarine torpedoes
1 × Westland Merlin,armed with: 4 × anti-submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities: Large flight deck and Enclosed hangar
Nearly as tall as Nelson’s Column, Diamond's sleek lines are designed for stealth at sea, appearing virtually invisible on enemy radar.
Packing cutting-edge military sensors and a range of potent weapons systems, Diamond is ready to detect and destroy any airborne, surface and sub surface threat.
Her motto befits her name: honor clarissima gemma – honour is the brightest jewel.
She is proud to be affiliated with the cities of Coventry and Aberdeen, and with the Livery Companies the Worshipful Company of Barbers and the Worshipful Company of Playing Card Makers.
Only three local stars appear in this image, quartered by right-angled diffraction spikes. Everything besides them is a galaxy; floating like a swarm of microbes in a drop of water, and brought into view here not by a microscope, but by the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope.
In the foreground, the spiral arms of MCG+01-02-015 seem to wrap around one another, cocooning the galaxy. The scene suggests an abundance of galactic companionship for MCG+01-02-015, but this is a cruel trick of perspective. Instead, MCG+01-02-015’s unsentimental naming befits its position within the cosmos: It is a void galaxy, the loneliest of galaxies.
The vast majority of galaxies are strung out along galaxy filaments — thread-like formations that make up the large-scale structure of the Universe — drawn together by the influence of gravity into sinuous threads weaving through space. Between these filaments stretch shallow but immense voids; the Universe’s wastelands, where, outside of the extremely rare presence of a galaxy, there is very little matter — about one atom per cubic metre. One such desolate stretch of space is what MCG+01-02-015 reluctantly calls home. The galaxy is so isolated that if our galaxy, the Milky Way, were to be situated in the same way, we would not have known of the existence of other galaxies until the 1960s.
More information: www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1545a/
Credit:
ESA/Hubble & NASA and N. Gorin (STScI)
Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires.
Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
Opuwo is the capital of the Kunene Region of Namibia.
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires.
Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
Photographed in South Africa, Africa - Safari vehicle, no cover
=>Please click on the image to view at the largest size<=
We saw and photographed this attractive species several times on our trip. I always enjoy watching them interact with one another as they emerge from their burrow to check out our vehicle.
=======================
From Wikipedia: The common slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus), also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a very common mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Feeding:
The common slender mongoose is primarily carnivorous, though it is an opportunistic omnivore. Insects make up the bulk of its diet, but lizards, rodents, snakes, birds, amphibians, and the occasional fruit are eaten when available. It will also eat carrion and eggs. As befits the popular image of mongooses, the slender mongoose is capable of killing and subsequently eating venomous snakes, but such snakes do not constitute a significant portion of its diet.
Common slender mongooses are more adept at climbing trees than other mongooses, often hunting birds there. White browed-sparrow weavers, crimson breasted shrikes, and glossy starlings are considered common prey.
Diet often changes during seasons where certain sources of food become less available. Insects are more likely to be consumed in during wet-months whereas larger prey is consumed during dry-months. This adaptability aids the slender common mongoose's ability to survive when changes in habitat occur.
Afr-0I7A8486-2fFlkrD
As befits the location, LNER's 1S16 1200 London Kings Cross to Inverness glides serenely into Gleneagles; the humorous BTP message on the information board largely ignored by the solitary gent.
For the record, the power cars were 43208 and 43257.
A short pano from 2 separate shots - sorta works...
4th May 2019
The Lizard (Cornish: An Lysardh) is a peninsula in southern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at SW 701115; Lizard village, also known as The Lizard, is the most southerly on the British mainland, and is in the civil parish of Landewednack, the most southerly parish. The valleys of the River Helford and Loe Pool form the northern boundary, with the rest of the peninsula surrounded by sea. The area measures about 14 by 14 miles (23 km × 23 km). The Lizard is one of England's natural regions and has been designated as a National Character Area 157 by Natural England. The peninsula is known for its geology and for its rare plants and lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The Lizard's coast is particularly hazardous to shipping and the seaways round the peninsula were historically known as the "Graveyard of Ships" (see below). The Lizard Lighthouse was built at Lizard Point in 1752 and the RNLI operates The Lizard lifeboat station.
Etymology
The name "Lizard" is most probably a corruption of the Cornish name "Lys Ardh", meaning "high court"; it is purely coincidental that much of the peninsula is composed of serpentinite-bearing rock. The peninsula's original name may have been the Celtic Bridanoc, from Britannakon ("the "British one"), preserved in the name of the former village of Predannack, now site of Predannack Airfield.
History
There is evidence of early habitation with several burial mounds and stones. Part of the peninsula is known as the Meneage (land of the monks).
Helston, the nearest town to the Lizard peninsula, is said to have once headed the estuary of the River Cober, before it was cut off from the sea by Loe Bar in the 13th century. It is speculated that Helston was once a port, but no records exist. Geomorphologists believe the bar was most likely formed by rising sea levels, after the last ice age, blocking the river and creating a barrier beach. The beach is formed mostly of flint and the nearest source is found offshore under the drowned terraces of the former river that flowed between England and France, and now under the English Channel. The medieval port of Helston was at Gweek, possibly from around 1260 onwards, on the Helford river which exported tin and copper. Helston was believed to be in existence in the sixth century, around the River Cober (Dowr Kohar). The name comes from the Cornish "hen lis" or "old court" and "ton" added later to denote a Saxon manor; the Domesday Book refers to it as Henliston (which survives as the name of a road in the town). It was granted its charter by King John in 1201. It was here that tin ingots were weighed to determine the duty due to the Duke of Cornwall when a number of stannary towns were authorised by royal decree.
The royal manor of Winnianton, which was held by King William I at the time of the Domesday Book (1086), was also the head manor of the hundred of Kerrier and the largest estate in Cornwall. It was assessed as having fifteen hides before 1066. At the time of Domesday there was land for sixty ploughs, but in the lord's land there were two ploughs and in the lands held by villeins twenty-four ploughs. There were twenty-four villeins, forty-one freedmen, thirty-three smallholders and fourteen slaves. There was 6 acres (24,000 m2), eight square leagues of pasture and half a square league of woodland. The livestock was fourteen unbroken mares, three cattle and one hundred and twenty-eight sheep (in total 145 beasts); its value was £12 annually. 11 of the hides were held by the Count of Mortain and there is more arable and pasture and 13 more persons are recorded: Rinsey, Trelowarren, Mawgan-in-Meneage and seventeen other lands are also recorded under Winnianton.
Mullion has the 15th century church of St Mellanus, and the Old Inn from the 16th century. The harbour was completed in 1895 and financed by Lord Robartes of Lanhydrock as a recompense to the fishermen for several disastrous pilchard seasons.
The small church of St Peter in Coverack, built in 1885 for £500, has a serpentinite pulpit.
The Great Western Railway operated a road motor service to The Lizard from Helston railway station. Commencing on 17 August 1903, it was the first successful British railway-run bus service and was initially provided as a cheaper alternative to a proposed light railway.
The Solar eclipse of 11 August 1999 departed the UK mainland from the Lizard.
The transatlantic record run of the unaccompanied one hand sailor Thomas Coville within less than 5 days in his sailboat Sodebo Ultim from New York, USA, to Europe landed here on 15 July 2017.
Nautical
The Lizard has been the site of many maritime disasters. It forms a natural obstacle to entry and exit of Falmouth and its naturally deep estuary. At Lizard Point stands the Lizard Lighthouse. In fact, the light was erected by Sir John Killigrew by his own expense: It was built at the cost of "20 nobles a year" for 30 years, but it caused an uproar over the following years, as King James I considered charging vessels to pass. This caused so many problems that the lighthouse was demolished, but was successfully rebuilt in 1751 by order of Thomas Fonnereau and remains almost unchanged today. Further east lie The Manacles, near Porthoustock: 1+1⁄2 square miles (4 km2) of jagged rocks just beneath the waves.
In 1721 the Royal Anne Galley, an oared frigate, was wrecked at Lizard Point. Of a crew of 185 only three survived; lost was Lord Belhaven who was en route to take up the Governorship of Barbados.
A 44-gun frigate, HMS Anson, was wrecked at Loe Bar in 1807. Although it wrecked close to shore, many lost their lives in the storm. This inspired Henry Trengrouse to invent the rocket-fired line, later to become the Breeches buoy.
The transport ship Dispatch ran aground on the Manacles in 1809 on its return from the Peninsular War, losing 104 men from the 7th Hussars. The following day, with local villagers still attempting a rescue, the Cruizer-class brig-sloop HMS Primrose hit the northern end of these rocks. The only survivor of its 126 officers, men and boys was a drummer boy.
5 Sept 1856 the Cherubim and Ocean Home collided off Lizard Point
The SS Mohegan, a 6,889 GRT passenger liner, also hit the Manacles in 1898 with the loss of 106 lives.
The American passenger liner Paris was stranded on the Manacles in 1899, with no loss of life.
The biggest rescue in the RNLI's history was 17 March 1907 when the 12,000-tonne liner SS Suevic hit the Maenheere Reef near Lizard Point in Cornwall. In a strong gale and dense fog RNLI lifeboat volunteers rescued 456 passengers, including 70 babies. Crews from the Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack and Porthleven rowed out repeatedly for 16 hours to rescue all of the people on board. Six silver RNLI medals were later awarded, two to Suevic crew members.
The Battle at the Lizard, a naval battle, took place off The Lizard on 21 October 1707.
Smuggling was a regular, and often necessary, way of life in these parts, despite the efforts of coastguards or "Preventive men". In 1801, the king's pardon was offered to any smuggler giving information on the Mullion musket men involved in a gunfight with the crew of HM Gun Vessel Hecate.
Avionic
In the First World War a Naval Air Station was established at Bonython, flying mainly blimps used for spotting U-boats. One was sunk and several probably damaged by bombs dropped by the blimps. The airfield site is now occupied by the wind farm.
RAF Predannack Down (see Predannack Airfield) was a Second World War airbase, from which Coastal Command squadrons flew anti-submarine sorties into the Bay of Biscay as well as convoy support in the western English Channel. The runways still exist and the site is used by a local Air Cadet Volunteergliding Squadron 626VGS and as an emergency/relief base for RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk).
RNAS Culdrose is Europe's largest helicopter base, and currently hosts the Training and Operational Conversion Unit operating the EH101 "Merlin" helicopter. It is also the home base for Merlin Squadrons embarked upon Royal Navy warships, the Westland Sea King airborne early warning (AEW) variant helicopter, a Search And Rescue (Sea King, again) helicopter flight, and some BAe Hawk T.1 trainer jets used for training purposes by the Royal Navy. The base also operates some other types of fixed wing aircraft for calibration and other training purposes. As befits the base's name, a non-flying example of a Hawker Sea Hawk forms the main gate guardian static display. RNAS Culdrose is a major contributor to the economy of The Lizard area.
Political
The Lizard peninsula is in the St Ives parliamentary constituency (which comprises the whole of the former district of Penwith and the southern part of the former district of Kerrier). However, the parishes northeast of the Helford River are in Camborne and Redruth parliamentary constituency
To the north, The Lizard peninsula is bordered by the civil parishes of Breage, Porthleven, Sithney, Helston, Wendron, Gweek and – across the Helford River – by Constantine, Kerrier and Mawnan.
The parishes on the peninsula proper are (west to east):
Northern parishes:
Gunwalloe
Cury
Mawgan-in-Meneage
St Martin-in-Meneage
Manaccan
St Anthony-in-Meneage
Southern parishes:
Mullion
Grade-Ruan
St Keverne
Landewednack
The Lizard's political history includes the 1497 Cornish rebellion which began in St Keverne. The village blacksmith Michael Joseph (Michael An Gof in Cornish, meaning blacksmith) led the uprising, protesting against the punitive taxes levied by Henry VII to pay for the war against the Scots. The uprising was routed on its march to London and the two leaders, Michael Joseph and Thomas Flamank, were subsequently hanged, drawn and quartered.
Technological
Titanium was discovered here by the Reverend William Gregor in 1791.
In 1869, John Pender formed the Falmouth Gibraltar and Malta Telegraph company, intending to connect India to England with an undersea cable. Although intended to land at Falmouth, the final landing point was Porthcurno near Land's End.
In 1900 Guglielmo Marconi stayed the Housel Bay Hotel in his quest to locate a coastal radio station to receive signals from ships equipped with his apparatus. He leased a plot "in the wheat field adjoining the hotel" where the Lizard Wireless Telegraph Station still stands today. Recently restored by the National Trust, it looks as it did in January 1901, when Marconi received the distance record signals of 186 miles (299 km) from his transmitter station at Niton, Isle of Wight. The Lizard Wireless Station is the oldest Marconi station to survive in its original state, and is located to the west of the Lloyds Signal Station in what appears to be a wooden hut. On 12 December 1901 Poldhu Point was the site of the first trans Atlantic, wireless signal radio communication when Marconi sent a signal to St John's, Newfoundland. The technology is one of the key advances to the development of radio, television, satellites and the internet.
A radar station called RAF Dry Tree was built during World War II. The site was later chosen for the Telstar project in 1962; its rocky foundations, clear atmosphere and extreme southerly location being uniquely suitable. This became the Goonhilly satellite earth station, now owned by Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd. Some important developments in television satellite transmission were made at Goonhilly station. A wind farm exists near to the Goonhilly station site.
Geology
Known as the Lizard Complex, the peninsula's geology is the best preserved example of an exposed ophiolite in the United Kingdom.
An ophiolite is a suite of geological formations which represent a slice through a section of ocean crust (including the upper level of the mantle) thrust onto the continental crust.
The Lizard formations comprise three main units; the serpentinites, the "oceanic complex" and the metamorphic basement. The serpentinite contains significant samples of the serpentine polymorph lizardite, which were named after the Lizard complex in 1955.
Ecology
Several nature sites exist on the Lizard Peninsula; Predannack nature reserve, Mullion Island, Goonhilly Downs, and the Cornish Seal Sanctuary at Gweek. An area of the Lizard covering 16.62 square kilometres (6.42 sq mi) is designated a national nature reserve because of its coastal grasslands and heaths and inland heaths. The peninsula contains 3 main Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), both noted for their endangered insects and plants, as well as their geology. The first is East Lizard Heathlands SSSI, the second is Caerthillian to Kennack SSSI and the third is West Lizard SSSI, of which the important wetland, Hayle Kimbro Pool, forms a part of.
The area is also home to one of England's rarest breeding birds — the Cornish chough. This species of corvid is distinctive due to its red beak and legs and haunting "chee-aw" call. Choughs were extinct in Cornwall but returned naturally in 2001 and began breeding on Lizard in 2002 following a concerted effort by the National Trust, English Nature and the RSPB.
The Lizard contains some of the most specialised flora of any area in Britain, including many Red Data Book plant species. Of particular note is the Cornish heath, Erica vagans, that occurs in abundance here, but which is found nowhere else in Britain. There are more than 600 species of flowering plants on the Lizard, nearly a quarter of all UK species. The reason for this richness is partly because of the many different and unusual Lizard rocks on the Lizard Peninsula. But above all, it is a coming together of multiple factors: a very mild maritime climate, but one prone to gales and salt winds; waterlogged and boggy soils, but ones that often parch and dry out in the summer; soils of greatly contrasting fertility and pH; and lastly man's influence. Any single factor taken on its own would influence the flora; taken together, they combine, overlap and interact. Contrasting plant communities grow side-by-side in a mosaic that changes within a few metres but also changes markedly over time with the cycle of heath fires. It's not so much that conditions are ideal for growth, but that there is such a variety of different, difficult conditions. Each habitat, with its own combination of factors, attracts its own specialist plants. It is also one of the few places where the rare formicine ant, Formica exsecta, (the narrow-headed ant), can be found.
Portrayal in literature, film and music
Daphne du Maurier based many novels on this part of Cornwall, including Frenchman's Creek.
The Lizard was featured on the BBC television programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the South West, and on the BBC series Coast.
In James Clavell's novel Shōgun, ship's pilot Vasco Rodrigues challenges John Blackthorne to recite the latitude of the Lizard to verify that Blackthorne is the Pilot of the Dutch vessel Erasmus.
The Jennifer McQuiston 2015 novel The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior is set primarily in the fictional village Lizard Bay on the Lizard in the mid-nineteenth century.
In the television adaptation of "Horatio Hornblower", an order is given to "Weather the Lizard" in the episode Hornblower:Mutiny.
"Lizard Point" is also a track on the 1982 album Ambient 4: On Land released by Brian Eno.
The book series "Fenton House" by Ben Cheetham is set on the Lizard Peninsula.
Opuwo is the capital of the Kunene Region of Namibia.
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires.
Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires.
Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires.
Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
Manufattura Automobili Torino
Technical : Ferrari 430 Scuderia
4.308 cc
V8
540 Hp @ 8.200 rpm
519 Nm @ 3.750 rpm
Vmax : 274 - 330 km/h
0-100 km/h : 3,3 sec
0-200 km/h : 9,7 sec
n° 1 of 25 ex.
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais 2020
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2020
Estimated : € 700.000 - 900.000
Sold for € 690.000
Few cars attain a status sufficiently exalted that they are revived decades after production ceased; the Ford GT40 is the standout example, to which one can now add the Lancia Stratos.
A limited production 'homologation special', the Lancia Stratos is historically significant as the first car from a major manufacturer conceived specifically for rallying. The spearhead of Lancia's international rally campaign in the 1970s, the Stratos had its origins in a Fulvia-powered, mid-engined design exercise by Marcello Gandini first exhibited on Carrozzeria Bertone's stand at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. Also the work of Gandini and Bertone, the production Stratos of 1972 retained the striking 'wedge' styling of its forbear but employed the powerful Ferrari Dino 2.4-litre V6 engine. The latter was housed in a robust steel monocoque body tub clad in glassfibre coachwork.
That such a daring design actually made it into production is mainly due to Cesare Fiorio, co-founder of the HF Corse team that had become Lancia's official competitions department in 1965. Lancia was already enjoying considerable success in international rallying with modified versions of the Fulvia, but in the Stratos Fiorio saw an opportunity to create a purpose-built rally car from the ground upwards. He was an admirer of Ferrari's quad-cam V6 motor, having evaluated a Dino for rallying purposes, and Enzo Ferrari was duly persuaded to come on board as the engine supplier. The stubby, mid-engined Stratos looked nothing like a traditional rally car, but then Fiorio knew exactly what he was doing.
As befitted a car purpose built to cope with all types of rallying, the Stratos came with fully adjustable, all-independent suspension by double wishbones and coil springs, plus four-wheel disc brakes all round. With 190bhp on tap, the production road-going (Stradale) version was good for 225km/h (140mph). The works Group 4 rally cars were, of course, considerably more powerful, but reliability problems meant that success was slow to come. After its initial major victory in the 1974 Targa Florio, the Stratos went on to dominate international rallying, Lancia winning the World Rally Championship of Makes in 1975 and 1976. Works pilote Bernard Darniche triumphed twice in the world's premier drivers' competition - the European Rally Championship - in 1976 and 1977, and the Stratos helped Markku Alén to the inaugural World Drivers' Championship in 1978. Alén's season had been split between the Stratos and the FIAT 131, and it was the parent company's political decision to favour that latter, rather than any lack of competitiveness, which saw the incomparable Stratos phased out, though private entrants continued to enjoy success at international level into the early 1980s.
Incredible as it may seem today, after the 500-or-so cars required for homologation had been completed in 1975, the vast majority remained unsold due to lack of demand. (As it happens, that crucial '500' figure was never reached, one widely circulated estimate stating that only 492 were built). Almost as soon as it ceased active competition though, the car's historic significance was recognised and prices soared.
There have been various kit-car versions of the Stratos offered over the intervening years, but nothing that compares with MAT's re-imagining, as seen here. The story of what would crystallise as the New Stratos began back in the mid-1990s when a teenage enthusiast named Chris Hrabalek bought the rights to the Stratos name, which Lancia had allowed to lapse. Some ten years later Hrabalek was a postgraduate student on the prestigious Royal College of Art's Vehicle Design Course; rather than present the customary portfolio of drawings as his final-year project, he decided to build his own version of the Stratos. Ten wealthy backers came forward, and Hrabalek's 'Fenomenon Stratos' was duly exhibited at the 2005 Geneva Salon where it caused a sensation.
Encouraged by the car's favourable reception, Hrabalek explored ways to put his vision into production. One of those original ten backers, German billionaire Michael Stoschek, agreed to bankroll the project, and the legendary Italian design house of Pininfarina came on board as a technical partner. It was decided to use the then current Ferrari 430 Scuderia as the basis of the New Stratos. Using Hrabalek's art school project as the starting point, Pininfarina refined the design to suit the 430 Scuderia platform, taking a whopping 7.9" (20cm) out of the wheelbase and using a wind tunnel to check the aerodynamics.
By 2010 the New Stratos was ready. Although the result was well received by Ferrari - its then CEO, Luca di Montezemolo, greatly enjoyed his drive in the prototype - they declined to supply parts for the 25 cars planned and Pininfarina had no choice but to abandon the project.
Fast forward eight years: the Ferrari 430 Scuderia is no longer in production and there are plenty of used examples and spare parts available. Equally importantly, Paolo Garella, who had been the special projects manager at Pininfarina during New Stratos development, was now running his own company: Manufattura Automobili Torino (MAT). Garella revived the project, although this time using Ferraris supplied by his customers.
The New Stratos has a carbon fibre body while the interior is uncompromisingly Spartan, in keeping with original's competition-car rationale. Boasting a revised exhaust system and changes to the engine-management electronics, Ferrari's 4.3-litre V8 produces 540bhp in the New Stratos, some 37 horsepower more than in the Scuderia and 57 more than in the base 430. More powerful and some 110lb (50kg) lighter than the Scuderia, the New Stratos comfortably out-performs its Ferrari cousin in every department.
The highly esteemed American motoring journal Road & Track is one of the few fortunate enough to have tested a New Stratos. They were particularly impressed by its handling and cornering power: "One would expect a cut-down Ferrari on wide Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s to generate a lot of grip. And the Stratos does. But nothing can prepare you for the way in which the car changes direction... Turn in is otherworldy... There is no hesitation, no roll, no body motion, and no warning; the Stratos merely flings itself in whichever direction you turn the wheel." The ultimate driver's car? Very possibly.
Based on a 2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia, which the client supplied, the example we offer is number 1 of the 25 planned. This car had approximately 30,000km showing on the odometer when the transformation commenced, the mechanicals being overhauled in the process. The car was finished in 2019 and first registered on 25th March that year. The result is nothing less than stunning, and when inspecting the Stratos one is surprised by the sense of quality and precision; nothing looks cheap or hurried, as is so often the case with limited production vehicles. Now run for some 3,000km and nicely set up, the car comes with regular German registration documents where all the modifications have been duly noted. Offered in white with (adhesive) Alitalia livery and black interior, this must surely be the first of these stunning cars to come to auction, and as such represents an exciting opportunity for the Stratos/Ferrari/Supercar enthusiast.
impressions from graceful and historic Hoi An. Hoi An is known as Veitnam’s most atmospheric and delightful town. Once a major port, it boasts the grand architecture and beguiling riverside setting that befits its heritage.The face of the Old Town has preserved its incredible legacy of tottering Japanese merchant houses, Chinese temples and ancient tea warehouses – though, unfortunately, residents and rice fields have been gradually replaced by tourist businesses. Especially around the Japanese covered bridge is very crowded. The bridge was first constructed in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters. Over the centuries the ornamentation has remained relatively faithful to the original Japanese design – Hoi An, Vietnam
Two great rivers come together at Cairo, Illinois. Going by volume of water, it is the Ohio River which should keep its name as it flows on southwards to the Gulf of Mexico, not the Mississippi. The Ohio River flow (nearly 8000m^3/s) is higher than that of the Mississippi River (nearly 6000m^3/s) so hydrologically, the Ohio River is the main stream of the river system. (Wikipedia)
The States of Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky meet at the confluence; nearby is the southernmost point of Illinois. This photo. was taken from area around the parking lot near Fort Defiance, definitely in Illinois (and not as Flickr supposes in Missouri). The geotag is accurate to a few metres. We are looking slightly east of south.
The US62 crosses the Mississippi near the confluence, connecting Missouri with Illinois; Fort Defiance Park occupies the peninsula tip, attesting to the strategic importance of the place during the Civil War, and indeed before. Unfortunately, the State of Illinois does not yet see fit to maintain the Park as would befit the history of the place. Lewis and Clark made camp here, too.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Defiance_(Illinois)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo,_Illinois
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River
A older former standard....
Seen here is 69409 (SN09FBE) in the Midland Bluebird fleet, looking a little rough as befits Midland Bluebird’s Cinderella reputation in First’s Scottish fleets. It’s a late model original Eclipse Urban as by this stage, Wrightbus had begun production of the Eclipse 2. It differs from earlier Eclipse Urbans mainly with regards to the positioning of the emergency door to comply with changes to legislation which required the door to be in the accessible area. Previously it had been after the rear axle. Another slight change was the style of the engine grill to accommodate the Euro IV engine
The Volvo B7RLE was First’s standard single decker more or less from its launch in the United Kingdom (UK). It replaced the hapless B7L which flopped in the UK, with First being the only real buyer of that type. The B7RLE was actually based on a chassis designed for the Australian market but was adapted for the UK, initially to compliment the B7L but realistically to replace it.
Major purchasers of the B7RLE included Arriva (134), Blazefield Group (88), Bus Éireann (73), East Yorkshire Motor Services (27), FirstGroup (820), Lothian Buses (90), National Express West Midlands (188), Ulsterbus (46), Wellglade Group (51) and Wilts & Dorset (78).
Initially the B7RLE was only available in the UK with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork. The B7L, which was supplied with Wright Eclipse bodywork, had its bodywork name changed to be known as the Wright Eclipse Metro from the launch of the B7RLE, to differentiate the two. From 2004 it was built as a low-floor single-decker coach, with a longer front overhang and Wright Eclipse Commuter body adapted from the Eclipse Urban. The idea was to introduce a dual purpose coach vehicle equally adaptable as a bus with an accessible entrance where the wheelchair could be. But sadly it was a flop as only four were ever built. The main issue was it was too like a bus but it could be argued that Plaxton’s Elite-I body is a modern day successor and more successful, as it looked like an actual coach. A more successful variant of the Commuter design was the Wright Eclipse Schoolrun, which was basically the same bus but without the accessible entrance. It was designed for Translink in Northern Ireland to replace various older school buses. 160 were built before production ceased in 2008.
From late 2006 the B7RLE in the UK was available with Plaxton Centro bodywork followed by Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 and Optare Esteem bodywork in 2008. With newer and more modern body designs now also appearing on the B7RLE, Wrightbus launched the Eclipse 2 with updated styling matching its new Gemini 2 body in 2008. However the original design remained an option up until 2011 until it was dropped in favour of the Eclipse 2. First has bought the Eclipse 2 design but only for fleets outside Scotland. All of First’s Scottish fleets do have significant numbers of Eclipse Urbans in their fleets with the largest concentration in First Glasgow. However with the advent of lightweight designs such as the Enviro 200MMC and Wright Streetlite, none have entered service with First after 2012.
The third generation Eclipse, known as the Eclipse 3, was launched in 2015. The Eclipse 3 was only available on Volvo B8RLE chassis, the successor to the B7RLE. As well as the difference in chassis, the front and rear ends initially underwent a minor facelift, incorporating design features from the Wright StreetLite integral design. The first Eclipse 3s entered service with Trentbarton in November 2015 and the second batch by Stagecoach in the Fens for the Cambridgeshire Busway. The front design was revised further in spring 2017 incorporating design elements from the Streetdeck double decker, with the first, and still only 13.2M examples being purchased by Lothian Buses subsidiary East Coast Buses. The first 11.8M variant with the revised bodywork has since entered service with Delaine Buses, both long-time Wrightbus and Volvo customers. However with Wrightbus’s insolvency event in 2019, no more have been built.
The B8RLE still remains available, but only now with MCV eVoRa bodywork at present and has sold reasonably well in a market where the demand for such vehicles has collapsed, with a large batch having recently entered service with Lothian Buses, ironically seeing off most of its remaining Eclipse Urbans as a result. As a consequence, Wrightbus has since launched a new full size heavy-duty single decker, based on its Streetdeck double decker with a Mercedes-Benz engine but looking very similar to the Eclipse 3. At present this bus appears to be nameless, known only as the HDSD (Heavy Duty Single Decker) and first examples are now entering service with Translink.
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires. Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
W111
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 260.000 - 350.000
Sold for € 270.250
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
"If you feel obligated to ask about the price you not only will never understand the car, you have branded yourself incapable of ever appreciating its virtues even if someone gave you one." – Car & Driver on the Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5.
The fact that the esteemed American motoring magazine felt compelled to remark on the 280 SE's price is understandable when one considers that at $13,500 in 1970 it was not only $3,500 more than that of the equivalent Mercedes-Benz sedan but also more than double that of a Cadillac Deville Coupé!
The 3.5-litre version of the 280 SE typifies the resurgence of larger-engined Mercedes-Benz models that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the progressive easing of fiscal constraints, which had dissuaded customers from buying cars with large capacity engines, encouraged the German manufacturer to offer bigger, more potent power units. Thus the ultra-luxurious 280 SE Coupé/Cabriolet and 300 SEL saloon were the models chosen by Mercedes-Benz to launch its magnificent new 3.5-litre V8 engine in September 1969. An over-square design featuring a cast-iron block and aluminium-alloy cylinder heads, each equipped with a single overhead camshaft, this all-new, state-of-the-art power unit produced 200bhp courtesy of Bosch electronic fuel injection and transistorised ignition. The new V8 engine had particularly smooth running characteristics and endowed the 280 SEs with performance superior to that of many out-and-out sports cars. Thus equipped, the Coupé/Cabriolet was good for 200km/h with 100km/h reachable in 9.6 seconds, a substantial improvement on the six-cylinder version's figures. As befitted top-of-the-range luxury models, the 280 SE 3.5 Coupé and Cabriolet came equipped with automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows, and a stereo radio as standard.
Although the equivalent SEL saloon used the 'New Generation' bodyshell, the 280 SE Coupé and Cabriolet kept the elegant coachwork that had debuted back in 1959 on the 220 SE. Nevertheless, there had been some refinements made: the radiator shell was lower and wider, with a correspondingly flatter front end to the bonnet, a characteristic that has led to enthusiasts referring to these face-lifted cars as 'Flachkühler or flat radiator' models, while the bumpers were now fitted with rubber strips. Significantly, the 280 SE 3.5 was to be the final model featuring this long-established and much admired body style. It was truly Mercedes-Benz's flagship model, representing status, luxury and reliability. The company's last hand built convertible, these last-of-the-line classics are highly sought after by today's discerning Mercedes-Benz collectors.
One of only 1,232 Cabriolets produced, this automatic transmission Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 features a Becker Mexico radio, air conditioning, and power windows. The car was sold new to the United States and later exported to The Netherlands where it has been maintained in excellent condition. Subsequently, the Mercedes was sold to a Belgian car collector from Antwerp. We are advised by the current private vendor that there are no leaks and that the exhaust was replaced recently. The car drives very well and recently participated in several rallies, including one in Tuscany, Italy. One need hardly mention that it has proven very reliable. Offered with an illustrated valuation report from 2021, the car is matching numbers and its very striking colour combination is original.
Opuwo is the capital of the Kunene Region of Namibia.
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found made from old car tires.
Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty.
Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo membership (patrilineal descent group), the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty. Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
Rules:
Sun. Sand. Sea. Surf. Life is always better at the beach! Show us how your doll(s) enjoys island life. You can photograph whatever comes to mind! Just make sure your doll is ready to soak up some sun! Good luck, participants! :)
Well as Great Britain is an Island I thought it would be fun to create some images of Island Life in good Ol' Blighty! A day by the sea often involves sitting in the car with a thermos flask eating sandwiches while watching the crashing waves mix with the driving rain... I was inspired by Tim Burton's fabulous film Sweeney Todd featuring Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp in full gothic mode! Of course, my models had to be the palest of pale skin tones, as befits the average Brit!
I specifically visited the harbour today Sat 11th August 2018 to capture this beauty arrive, many people turned out to welcome HMS Diamond to Aberdeen Harbour , I have numerous photos and a couple more videos of her arriving though unable to post until later this evening when I get home ,I’ve posted some details of the vessel below .
HMS Diamond is the third ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in 2007, completed her contractor's sea trials in July 2010 and arrived at her base port on 22 September 2010.
Diamond was commissioned in a traditional ceremony on 6 May 2011, and formally entered service on 12 July 2011.
Name: HMS Diamond
Ordered: December 2000
Builder: BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions
Yard number: 1063
Laid down: 25 February 2005
Launched: 27 November 2007
Sponsored by: Lady Johns
Commissioned: 6 May 2011
Identification: Deck code: DM
Pennant number: D34
International callsign: GPLC
IMO number: 4907763[5]
Motto: Honor clarissima gemma
("Honour is the brightest jewel")
Status: In active service, as of 2017
Class and type: Type 45 Guided missile destroyer
Displacement: 8,000[6] to 8,500 t (8,400 long tons; 9,400 short tons)
Length: 152.4 m (500 ft 0 in)
Beam: 21.2 m (69 ft 7 in)
Draught: 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Installed power: 2 × Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines, 21.5 MW (28,800 shp) each
2 × Wärtsilä 12V200 diesel generators, 2 MW (2,700 shp) each
Propulsion: 2 shafts integrated electric propulsion with 2 × Converteam electric motors, 20 MW (27,000 shp) each
Speed: In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range: In excess of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)
Complement: 191 (accommodation for up to 235)
Sensors and processing systems:
SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar (Type 1045)
S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar (Type 1046)
Raytheon Integrated Bridge and Navigation System
2 × Raytheon AHRS INS
(MINS 2)
2 × Raytheon I-band Radar
(Type 1047)
1 × Raytheon E/F-band Radar
(Type 1048)[13]
Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System (EOGCS)
Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system
Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar
Electronic warfare
& decoys: UAT Mod 2.0 (2.1 planned)
AN/SSQ-130 Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system
Seagnat
Naval Decoy IDS300
Surface Ship Torpedo Defence
Armament: Anti-air missiles:
Sea Viper air defence system, with a 48-cell Sylver A50 VLS, for mix of up to 48:
Aster 15 missiles (range 1.7–30 km)
Aster 30 missiles (range 3–120 km)
Anti-ship missiles:
2 × quad Harpoon launchers[N 1]
Guns:
1 × BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun
2 × Oerlikon 30 mm guns
2 × Phalanx CIWS
2 × Miniguns
6 × General purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried:
1–2 × Lynx Wildcat, armed with: 4 × anti ship missiles, or 2 × anti submarine torpedoes
1 × Westland Merlin,armed with: 4 × anti-submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities: Large flight deck and Enclosed hangar
Nearly as tall as Nelson’s Column, Diamond's sleek lines are designed for stealth at sea, appearing virtually invisible on enemy radar.
Packing cutting-edge military sensors and a range of potent weapons systems, Diamond is ready to detect and destroy any airborne, surface and sub surface threat.
Her motto befits her name: honor clarissima gemma – honour is the brightest jewel.
She is proud to be affiliated with the cities of Coventry and Aberdeen, and with the Livery Companies the Worshipful Company of Barbers and the Worshipful Company of Playing Card Makers.
W111
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 75.000 - 100.000
Sold for € 83.375
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
'Exclusive' is a much bandied-about word in the classic car world, but it is a most apt description of the Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5. Why? Because at $13,500 in 1970 its price was not only $3,500 more than that of the equivalent Mercedes-Benz sedan but also more than double that of a Cadillac Deville Coupé! Commonplace it was not.
The 3.5-litre version of the 280 SE typifies the resurgence of larger-engined Mercedes-Benz models that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the progressive easing of fiscal constraints, which had dissuaded customers from buying cars with large capacity engines, encouraged the German manufacturer to offer bigger, more potent power units. Thus the ultra-luxurious 280 SE Coupé/Cabriolet and 300 SEL saloon were the models chosen by Mercedes-Benz to launch its magnificent new 3.5-litre V8 engine in September 1969. An over-square design featuring a cast-iron block and aluminium-alloy cylinder heads, each equipped with a single overhead camshaft, this all-new, state-of-the-art power unit produced 200bhp courtesy of Bosch electronic fuel injection and transistorised ignition.
The new V8 engine had particularly smooth-running characteristics and endowed the 280 SEs with performance superior to that of many out-and-out sports cars. Thus equipped, the Coupé/Cabriolet was good for 125mph (200km/h) with 60mph (97km/h) reachable in 9.5 seconds, a substantial improvement on the six-cylinder version's figures. As befitted top-of-the-range luxury models, the 280 SE 3.5 Coupé and Cabriolet came equipped with automatic transmission, power windows, and a stereo radio as standard.
Although the equivalent SEL saloon used the 'New Generation' bodyshell, the 280 SE Coupé and Cabriolet kept the elegant coachwork that had debuted back in 1960/1961 on the 220 SE. Nevertheless, there had been some refinements made: the radiator shell was lower and wider, with a correspondingly flatter front end to the bonnet, a characteristic that has led to enthusiasts referring to these face-lifted cars as 'flat radiator' models, while the bumpers were now fitted with rubber strips. Significantly, the 280 SE 3.5 was to be the final model featuring this long-established and much-admired body style. It was truly Mercedes-Benz's flagship model, representing status, luxury and reliability. Today these last-of-the-line classics are highly sought after by discerning Mercedes-Benz collectors.
Most elegantly finished in the original colour combination of beige grey (beigegrau) with bamboo (bambus) coloured leather interior, this beautifully presented Mercedes-Benz incorporates a host of desirable options including a Becker Grand Prix radio; central armrests front and rear; heated rear screen; additional spotlights; automatic transmission; electric sliding sunroof; and electric windows.
As per the Mercedes-Benz data card (copy on file), the car was sold new via the Munich based dealer (code 226) but its first custodian was a medical doctor based in Vienna. The doctor owned the Mercedes from new until 1989 when the car was sold to its second Austrian owner, who would keep it until 2012 (copies of Austrian registration documents are on file). In 2012 the car was sold via a German dealer to its first German owner, who in turn sold it to the current vendor, a very well-respected collector of fine cars based in Munich. Clearly this car has been looked after all its life, and recent expenditure includes the following:
• 2017: comprehensive service by Mercedes-Benz in Munich including a comprehensive brake service; repair of the power-assisted steering; cooling circuit overhaul; installing new engine mounts; check and repair of heating and ventilation system, etc for a total of €14,600
• 2018: overhaul of the automatic gearbox and further smaller repairs, again at Mercedes-Benz Munich €5,530
• 2018: installing safety belts at CarTech Knowledge, Ismaning near Munich €2,000
• 2020: dry ice blasting and repair of some rust on wheel arches including paint, again at CarTech €5,150
• 2021: service with some minor repairs at CarTech €3,050
Passed this man on crutches in old Town Havana. He required one peso to pose for a photo. Luis was a street extra in Buena Vista Social Club (before becoming an amputee). I think diabetes is the cause of his leg being amputated. He is the former world record holder for his 300+ piercings.
------
havanajournal.com/culture/entry/cuban-healthcare-a-diabet...
Cuban Healthcare - A Diabetes study is underway
Posted by publisher in Cuban Healthcare (0 comments)
Email this article | Print this article | Search Havana Journal
Granma.cu | BY LILLIAM RIERA
Number of diabetics in Cuba could double by 2010 • In the Habana municipality of Jaruco an active investigation within the population is underway, looking to the prevention and treatment of diabetes, an effort that is later to be extended to the rest of the country
CURRENTLY there are 375,095 registered cases of diabetes in Cuba, a figure that could reach 624,000 by 2010, affirmed Dr. Oscar Díaz, director of the National Institute of Endocrinology, a special center devoted to treatment of this condition that causes the death of three million people a year worldwide.
Diabetes is a disease that is on the rise. According to facts broadcast on the Cuban “Roundtable” TV program addressing the issue, 246 million people in the world are currently living with the affliction, a figure that is expected to reach 380 million by 2025.
The disease can lead to a diabetic coma, that can be fatal, and other chronic complications which can manifest themselves in the long term as heart trouble or cardiac arrest, thrombosis or brain hemorrhage, kidney disease, vision loss and others like sores on the feet that, left untreated, can lead to amputation.
In Cuba, where more than 3% of the population has diabetes, it is the eighth most frequent cause of death. As Dr. Díaz explained to the weekly Trabajadores, of the total diagnosed, only around 1,000 are children.
Cuba has Diabetic Treatment Centers in all provinces except Sancti Spíritus and the special municipality of the Isle of Youth, where patients are taught to understand and control their disease in order to live independent and useful lives.
Adults as well as children learn exercises that they should do, the type of nutrition that is best for them, the use of specific medications, checking glucose in the blood and urine to prevent complications which, if they should arise, can be given specialized treatment within the national health system.
For example, angiology services are provided which serve to prevent amputations required as a result of diabetic foot ulcers. Also to be highlighted is the unique product developed by Cuban biotechnologists, Citoprop-p, which has been used successfully to cure these lesions.
Currently, public health officials are actively working on research and inquiries into diabetes within the community.
As was reported on the “Roundtable,” the Habana municipality of Jaruco, an agricultural community of 25,574 residents, was selected as the locale for this pilot program that will later be implemented across the country.
Dr. Vladimir González, Jaruco’s municipal public health director, explained that the study involves more than 20,000 individuals over the age of 15 and includes questionnaires and analyses carried out in the family doctor offices.
This effort will allow for even more information on the incidence of diabetes within the Cuban population and at the same time support its control through prevention (the most important according to expert opinion), early detection, education of the afflicted and their families and the implementation of measures to prevent complications.
It is recognized that in order to prevent diabetes, it is necessary to understand the risk factors and to administer glucose tolerance tests.
Some of these risk factors (age and genetics) cannot be changed, but others related to patterns of behavior (obesity and sedentary life style) can be addressed.
==========
canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/7872
Cuba, Castro, Che Guevara was jailer and executioner-in-chief of Castro's dictatorship
Cuba: A Photograph as Metaphor
By Online Saturday, January 24, 2009
Fausta Wertz, faustasblog.com
Cuba celebrated fifty years of its Communist Revolution the other day. It was a subdued celebration, as befits a celebration where the locals were not invited, and where the anniversary is marked by grief.
I was doing a roundup of posts for my blog’s Monday Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean when I came across this image:
The rusted wrought-iron balconies and fading handcrafted doors look back to an older era of artisanship and pride of ownership, now gone. Paint colors from decades ago, stucco coming apart from the wall, graffiti and mold, signal decay and pain.
Hope has bypassed that wall.
The photograph is in an article about Steven Soderbergh’s latest movie, Che, but it is emblematic of today’s Cuba: the only recent paint that building has seen is the iconic figure of Che (most prominently the Korda photo), whose myth and fiction override the reality of the hundreds of people he killed:
But a glance beneath the surface glamour of Alberto Korda’s 1960 beret-and-curls photograph of Guevara is enough to expose the less-than-romantic reality. At the time he posed for Korda’s camera, Guevara was jailer and executioner-in-chief of Castro’s dictatorship. As boss of the notorious La Cabaña prison in Havana, he supervised the detention, interrogation, summary trials and executions of hundreds of “class enemies”.
We know from Ernest Hemingway – then a Cuban resident – what Che was up to. Hemingway, who had looked kindly on leftist revolutions since the Spanish civil war, invited his friend George Plimpton, editor of the Paris Review, to witness the shooting of prisoners condemned by the tribunals under Guevara’s control. They watched as the men were trucked in, unloaded, shot, and taken away. As a result, Plimpton later refused to publish Guevara’s memoir, The Motorcycle Diaries.
There have been some 16,000 such executions since the Castro brothers, Guevara and their merry men swept into Havana in January 1959. About 100,000 Cubans who have fallen foul of the regime have been jailed. Two million others have succeeded in escaping Castro’s socialist paradise, while an estimated 30,000 have died in the attempt.
The building it’s painted on, like hundreds of other buildings in Cuba, won’t be restored, or for that matter, brought back to minimum standards because it’s not a tourist destination or owned by a Communist Party big-shot. Since in Cuba only the state has the right to sell property, and the average wage is $20 a month, the only way that building got new paint was a picture of Che. Like the Revolución, even that image is showing cracks.
The woman in front of the building looks at the contents of a small shopping bag, where she may be carrying the meager rations that Fidel Castro introduced in the country in 1962, rations that compare to that which Cuban slaves received in the 1840s.
A month’s rations would fit in that bag.
Of course there’s a propaganda aspect, and the Cuban government places the blame for nearly everything on the USA and the embargo, el bloqueo, even when the US is Cuba’s #5 trading partner according to the Cuban government’s own figures:
Trade data for 2007 posted on the website of Cuba’s National Statistics Office placed the U.S. fifth at $582 million, compared with $484 million in 2006, including shipping costs.
By the way, food and medicine were never subject to the embargo.
Fausta Wertz also blogs at faustasblog.com
Poem.
Childish excitement travelling from east to west in late winter.
You know soon, very soon, the West Coast “Munros” will gleam like incisor teeth above the forested landscape.
Forcan, left, and The Saddle, right, are such peaks that advertise the thousand metre micro-climate of semi-Alpine splendour.
Spin-drift sweeps off the upper slopes to accumulate in layers like royal icing.
The snowy back-cloth forms a pleasing contrast to the pastel tans and greens of the bracken and forest of the lower slopes of this historic Glen.
The West Coast beckons.
Such a grand mountain corridor befits the momentous land and seascapes that lie in prospect.
Mercedes-AMG GT (2014-21) 3982cc Twin Turbo V8
Registration Number MB 17 GTR (A Mercedes demostration number, now retired, and presumably belonging to Mercedes Benz World)
MERCEDES SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623671722255...
The Mercedes-AMG GT is a grand tourer designed by Huey Lee and Mark Feathersto,n produced in coupé and roadster bodystyles (C190, R190). Introduced at the 2014 Paris Motor Show it is after the SLS AMG, it is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG, going on sale from September 2015. The GT uses a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, with the engine positioned inside of the vehicle's wheelbase. The spaceframe chassis and body are made out of aluminium alloys, while the trunk lid is made of steel and the hood is made of magnesium. The suspension system is a double wishbone unit at the front and rear, with forged aluminium wishbones and hub carriers. The car is powered by a 4.0-litre M178 twin-turbocharged V8 engine, with exhaust manifolds and turbochargers inside the cylinder banks to reduce turbo lag and uses dry sump lubrication Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a seven-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT dual-clutch transmission; the GT S variant employs an electronically controlled mechanical limited-slip differential.
As befits such a specialised car there are a number of variants.
The GT R is a high-performance variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT and was introduced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 24 June 2016, with its M178 engine tuned to an output of 577bhp (585 PS)it has a claimed top speed of 198mph and covers the O-100 kmph (62mph) sprint in 3.6 seconds. It is lighter than the GT losing Keyless-Go, the integrated garage-door opener, the heated and power-folding side mirrors, the auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors and reverts to the basic light-weight 4-speaker audio system of the GT. When it was launched, the GT R had several cosmetic changes compared with the standard car, notably the vertical slats in the front grille, an adjustable rear wing, new front air intakes and new front and rear diffusers. The styling of the GT R is more comparable to that of the AMG GT3 race car.
A Roadster version was introduced in March 2019 and would be limited to 750 unit
Diolch am olygfa anhygoel, 63,756,076 oblogaeth y Lloegr honno dros y Mynyddoedd
Thanks for a stonking 63,756,076 views
Danke für 63,756,076 Aufrufe, sehr geschätzt
Merci pour 63,756,076 vues, très apprécié
Bedankt voor de 63,756,976 views, zeer gewaardeerd
Gracias por 63,756,076 visitas, muy apreciado.
Grazie per 63,756,076 visualizzazioni, molto apprezzato
63,756,076 ビューありがとうございます、ありがとうございました
Shot 01.01.2018 at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey Ref 132-187
‘Cook’ looks suitably naval, as befits a ship’s captain, in this statue on Kaiti Hill, overlooking Gisborne. It was erected to commemorate the bicentenary of his visit, in 1969, but in fact is an ‘imposter'. Everyone thought it was Captain James Cook until someone pointed out he was wearing an Italian naval uniform not a British one
It is in fact a bronze casting of a marble statue imported from Italy, by Captain Cook Breweries in Auckland, and is not a likeness of Cook.
MEN LOVE WAR
(“ I don’t know what weapons men will use in the Third World War ,
but in the Fourth it will be sticks and stones”-Einstein)
Men love war. In joyous chorus
They sound the colorful call to arms
For the dubious sport of death.
They love it with undisguised love.
They parede it in the streets
Create manuals and schools
Raising flags and lowering coffins
Entoning slogans and burying songs.
Men love war. And they don’t love war
Merely with athletic courage
And military pride, but with the pious
Voice of the priest, who before the battle
-serves the Host of Death.
It was thus in Crimea and Troy
In Eritrea and Angola
In Algiers and Mongolia
In Siberia and Now.
Men love war
And can barely stand peace.
Mem love war and so
There is no danger of peace.
Men love war, profane
Or holy, it’s all the same.
Men make war their mistress
Although they’re wedded to peace.
And Lord, what ravenous pastures when they meet!
What pleasures! What screams! What moans!
What sublime pervertions schemed
In the shroud of sheets, soiling
The bed or battlefield.
For centuries I thought
War was a detour
And peace was the route. Wrong. They’re paralled
Banks of the same river, hand and glove
Foot and boot. More than twins,
Odd and even, good luck and bad,
they’re sword-swallowers,
tail-in-mouth snake, they’re ouroboros
eternally devouring us.
War is no intermezzo.
It is part of the show. And not just a tragedy,
It’s comedy two, royal or plebeian.
War is not cruelly unforeseen.
It is recidivistic vice. A rite
Full of risks. Why
It’s better than the circus:
It’s where the happy acrobat
Dressed like a kamikase
Jumps without a rope or net,
All the plates get smashed
And the contortionist breaks in half
In Death’s own Kamasutra.
But war is not the opposite of peace
It is its cradle, its complementary teat.
Horror is not the inverse of beauty
-they’re on a par. Men love the beautiful, but
they like horror in art. Horror
is not darkness, it’s counterpart of light.
Lucifer,light-bringer, is brilliant like Gabriel
And terror attracts. Nothing more attracting
-then Christ dead on the cross.
War is not, then, just a mass
That the father says, a science
That hallucinates wise, a sport
That fascinates the strong. War is art.
And so wirth the ardor of vanguardist
We attend the Biennial of Horror
And inaugurate the Bauhaus of Death.
But atop the carnage are no buzzards,
Jackals, vultures, hyenas.
Only showy heron of aluminum, serene
In their electronic ballet.
Perhaps it was the Dance of Death, pathetic.
Not so. It’s just another lesson in aesthetics.
And thus the modern soldiers
Are like doctor and engineers
And no the minister of war
Would wear a butcher’s gear.
War is war!
Said the violent invader
Raping the nun in the convent.
War is war!
Said the statue of the admiral
With his mouth full of cement.
War is war!
We say with our radar
Savoring the enemy
Somewhere north ou our resentment.
There is no nead, then, no disguise
The love of war was Patriotic Love
Of Defense of Home. We love both war
And peace-will such bigamy ever cease?
I, a poet of today, eternal Baudelaire,
You and I, mon hypocrite lecteur,
Mon semblable, mon frère.
We want battles, planes in flames,
Sinking ships, the spectacles of confrontation.
Tomorrow we’ll open up fish bellies
With a bayonet blade.
And when the trumpet plays “Soupy”
We’ll stick our pigs with knives
And pin exquisite medals on
-the dead men on the table.
Clean flesch, if posible, no blood.
Let the missile,launched from afar,
In silence, not splatter our clothes.
But if a “blood bath” it be,
Then , as Terece said:” I am human
And nothing human is alien to me.”
Death and war, in any case
Will catch me off guard no more.
I inscribe theeir effigy on the stone
As if the dice of my fate
No longer rolled on their own.
As if I passed from white
To black and back to with again
And was never in the dark.
So bring on war. Total.
Atomic trumpet blast, beginning of the end.
With caution as befits the sage
I’ll first cry out against what’s done.
But with voraciousness as befits the race
And seeing then invade my garden space
I’ll fashion from the leaves of the banana
An ideological banner
And fulminate my enemy before he can attack.
And should he not shoot back or come,
I’ll take advantage of weakling’s slipe,
Invade his house and sate my millenial cannibal-wise
Roaring behind my human mask.
-Poet, your words terrify!
(I hear someone say).
Terrified I wrote them.
Now I feel I’m free.
Death and war
No longer frighten me.
Like Oedipus perplexed
I deciphered them in my bowels
Before I was devoured
By the inscrutable sphinx.
Neither cynical nor sad. An animal
Human too, I go marching, dancing, praying
Toward the mighty carnival.
Soldier, penitent, poet,
-peace and war, life and death
await for me
-at the atomic funeral.
-Will the human species disappear from Earth?
No. There’ll be some new Adam and Eve
To remake love, and two brothers:
-Cain and Abel
- to reinvent war.
(VALE A PENA TRADUZIR, É A MAIS PURA REALIDADE....)
Newly renovated Liszt Academy of Music reopens after 4 years!
Körösfői Kriesch Aladár: Pilgrimage to the Fountain of Art.
The artist's dedication written on the pillar in the middle and on the right corner of the picture:
"Cennino Cennininek hálámat
Hódolatomat a sienai mestereknek"
"Elzarándokolnak a Művészet forrásához"
"My gratitude to Cennino Cennini
My tribute to the Masters of Siena"
"They go on a pilgrimage to the Fountain of Art"
Architects: Korb Flóris & Giergl Kálmán,
built in 1907, in late Art Nouveau style.
Murals and mosaic design: Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár (Gödöllő Artists' Colony)
Stained glass windows and glass mosaic: Róth Miksa (Budapest)
Ceramics (pyrogranite and majolica): manufactory of Zsolnay Vilmos (Pécs)
See my sets of Hungarian Secession and its most remarkable artists (Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár, Róth Miksa, Zsolnay Vilmos etc.).:
www.flickr.com/photos/37578663@N02/sets/72157626716617371/
www.flickr.com/photos/37578663@N02/sets/72157633197689652...
www.flickr.com/photos/37578663@N02/sets/72157633191622672/
www.flickr.com/photos/37578663@N02/sets/72157633515931509/
www.flickr.com/photos/37578663@N02/sets/72157636928215363/
Budapest Academy of Music, founded by Hungarian Ferenc Liszt (1875), the first piano superstar and composer, reopened its main concert hall on Tuesday, on Liszt's birthday, 22nd of October, refurbished under an ambitious plan to give the 138-year-old institution, and its music study programme, a new lease of life.
One of the world's cherished concert venues, where audience and performers alike praise the acoustics and say the spirit of musicians past seems to seep through the walls, the "Large Hall" in Budapest has been painstakingly restored during a four-year closure to its 20th-century late Art Nouveau style.
The building has a rich history: teachers at the Academy since its first opening in 1907 have included Hungarian classical music composers Béla Bartóó, Zoltán Kodály, Ernő von Dohnányi, and György Kurtág.
The reconstruction of the 1907 hall, where such greats as pianist Sviatoslav Richter, Géza Andai, Annie Fischer, Zoltán Kocsis, András Schiff, Dezső Ránki, violinist Yehudi Menuhin, Jasha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, celloist Pablo Casals, Mikhail Rostropovich, Miklós Perényi and conductor Arturo Toscanini, Otto Klemperer, Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Antal Doráti, György Solti, Claudio Abbau, György Ligeti performed, is distinguished by ebony-hued wood panelling laced with white geometric decoration. It replaces a drab brown coating dating from 1960.
The Art Nouveau building that Hungarians just call by its household name Zeneakadémia was restored to its old splendor with stained glass windows made by Miksa Róth, iridescent Zsolnay tiles, crystal-and-brass chandeliers, glittering golden mosaics, and colorful murals made by great secessionist artist, Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár. The renovators reinstated two obelisks at the corners of the building outside that were removed in the 1920s because of their Free Masonry symbolism. The Grand Music Hall, famed for its unique acoustics, carries decorative elements from Greek mythology.
The renovation project, which included construction or modernization of several facilities of the Academy, which also serves as a university, cost 44.8 million euros ($61.4 million), 90% of which was financed by the European Union. A new building a few blocks away with some 50 rooms dedicated to the tuition of the university’s 250 students carries the name of Mr. György Ligeti, who is considered one of the most important avant-garde composers of the 20th century.
The performance venues have been expanded to include a chamber hall, where the first opera to be staged will be Mozart’s Magic Flute in December. The new chamber hall is named after György Solti (Sir George Solti), who fled Hungary in 1938 due to anti-Semitic laws. Jazz and folk music will also be part of the repertoire as befits the tuition offered by the Academy in these genres. In the 2013/2014 season, Brad Mehldau and Chick Corea will give solo piano concerts and guitar player Ferenc Snétberger will also play here.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Liszt_Academy_of_Music
hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liszt_Ferenc_Zenem%C5%B1v%C3%A9szet...
Több mint száz restaurátor és összesen több mint ezer ember munkájának eredménye látható a megújult Zeneakadémián.
Az 1907-ben emelt zeneoktatási épület helyreállítására 2008-ban nyert el 10,6 milliárdos uniós támogatást az intézmény, 2009 novemberében, négy éve zárt be.
A felújítás részben az akadémia eredeti, műemléki értékeinek megmutatását, visszaállítását tartotta szem előtt, másrészt pedig a technikai korszerűsítést. Ennek szellemében újultak meg koncerttermek, a tantermek, továbbá az udvarok befedésével bővültek a közönségforgalmi terek és teljesen kicserélődött a gépészet.
a teljes rekonstrukció - amelynek része volt a 2011-ben elkészült Ligeti György-épület - összesen 13,2 milliárd forintból, európai uniós és hazai forrásokból valósult meg.
A komplex fejlesztési programról 2008 októberében írtak alá támogatási szerződést. A fejlesztés középpontjában az egyetem központi műemlék épületének teljes rekonstrukciója, korszerűsítése állt. A projekt teljes költségéből 11,829 milliárd forintot fedezett EU-támogatás az Európai Regionális Fejlesztési Alapon keresztül, a Közép-magyarországi Operatív Program keretében.
A kisterembe, amelyben főként az opera szak vizsgáit tartják, és kamaraoperaként is működni fog, zsinórpadlást, világítási rendszert, öltözőket és zenekari árkot szereltek fel. Az alagsorban helyezték el a hangszerraktárt, az énekkari és zenekari muzsikusok öltözőjét, valamint a közönség számára itt létesítettek új mosdókat.
A nagyterem székeit újrakárpitozták, erre és a függönyökre összesen 460 négyzetméter bársonyt használtak fel. A földszinti széksorok távolságát megnövelték, így kevésbé zsúfolt a nézőtér, a helyek száma itt csökkent 579-ről 432-re, az emeleten a helyek száma változatlan maradt.
A földszinti előcsarnokban a büfé megszűnt, a nagyterem jobboldalán az üvegtetős udvaron egy kávéházat alakítottak ki a közönség számára. A nagyterem emelete és a kisterem a rekonstrukció nyomán lifttel közelíthető meg.
rekonstrukció fő szempontja a 21. századi korszerű oktatási és kényelmi funkciók bevezetése mellett a műemléki szempontok szigorú betartása volt.
A kutatások nyomán visszakapta eredeti színvilágát a ház, több mint száz restaurátor munkája nyomán a szobrok, a Róth Miksa ólomüveg ablakok és mozaikok, fafelületek, falikárpitok, a pirogránit és eozinmázas Zsolnay-kerámiadíszek, továbbá Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár freskói mind megújultak. A nagy- és kisterem csillárjait tízcentis darabonként alkották újra.
Már a próbaüzemkoncerten bebizonyosodott, hogy a nagyterem híresen kifinomult akusztikája tökéletes maradt. A Zeneakadémia újranyitása után az egyetemhez társult Zeneakadémia Koncertközpont a legmagasabb szakmai színvonalú programmal várja a közönséget.
A kép alján az alig olvasható felirat:
"CENNINO CENNININEK HÁLÁMAT
HÓDOLATOMAT A SIENAI MESTEREKNEK"
"ELZARÁNDOKOLNAK A MŰVÉSZET FORRÁSÁHOZ"
Aguttes
Autoworld - Auction & Motion
Estimated : € 80.000 - 100.000
Not Sold
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
October 2025
In the early 1950s, Chevrolet introduced one of the most iconic models in American production, the Corvette. The C1 was the first production car at the time to feature a fibreglass body. Its highly innovative design was taken directly from the EX-122 Roadster concept car unveiled in January 1953 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The car was powered by a 3.9-litre Chevrolet inline 6-cylinder engine coupled with an automatic transmission. Unfortunately, this Blue Flame engine did not deliver the power expected by its users. In order to correct this flaw and increase sales, a new engine was introduced in 1955. It was a V8, an architecture that would be used in future generations. Coupled with an automatic or 3-speed manual transmission, this 4.3-litre V8 engine developed 195 hp. It was really in 1956 that the range was equipped with engines powerful enough to meet market standards. The 4.3-litre V8 was available in three versions developing 210, 225 or 240 hp. Performance improved significantly, as did sales, which followed the same trend. A 4-speed manual gearbox was then offered in 1957. Engine sizes and power continued to increase until the model was replaced in 1963.
Beyond its performance, the Corvette legend was also born from the exceptional look of this first generation. The C1 is characterised by its unique styling, drawing inspiration from the world of aeronautics, its futuristic dashboard and its wraparound panoramic windscreen. Its bodywork underwent several stylistic changes, notably with the appearance in 1958 of a front end with four headlights.
Our model is equipped with a 283 ci (4.6 l) V8 engine developing 230 hp, coupled with a 4-speed manual gearbox, as befits this sports model. As was often the case at the time, it is two-tone, turquoise blue and white, a combination that perfectly highlights the original lines of this 1960 model. It is also one of the most sought-after vintages, with its four-headlight grille and rounded rear. Regularly and carefully maintained by its owner, this car is in beautiful condition and runs very well. It took part in a rally across the United States in 2017, the famous Tour America, via Santa Fe, Moab, Las Vegas and San Francisco.
Commentary.
Childish excitement travelling from east to west in late winter.
You know soon, very soon, the West Coast “Munros” will gleam like incisor teeth above the forested landscape.
Forcan, left, and The Saddle, right, are such peaks that advertise the thousand metre micro-climate of semi-Alpine splendour.
Spin-drift sweeps off the upper slopes to accumulate in layers like royal icing.
The snowy back-cloth forms a pleasing contrast to the pastel tans and greens of the bracken and forest of the lower slopes of this historic Glen.
The West Coast beckons.
Such a grand mountain corridor befits the momentous land and seascapes that lie in prospect.
Heading for the Welwyn tunnel is D9013 'The Black Watch' (Haymarket).
It will be seen how well the Deltics were kept as befitted their importance at the time. 27/4/63. (Another grainy HSEktachrome shot).
Basking in the early evening sunlight at the Riverside Museum after finishing the day's work on the 2018 West End Festival Vintage Bus Service is immaculate Western SMT Y Type-bodied Leyland Leopard SCS 335M (KL2466).
As befits the reputation of this chassis/body combination, this is a stalwart performer at the GVVT running days and is a true credit to it's owner's hard work and dedication.
Photo Date: 24th June 2018
Land Rover Series 1 (1948-58) Engine 1997cc S4 Petrol
Registration Number GBJ 542 (Berkshire)
LAND ROVER SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623671619947...
Introduced in 1948 with a 1.6ltr petrol engine of 50bhp replaced in 1952-3 by a 2.0ltr Siamese bore engine, meaning no water passages between the pistons. Originally on an 80 inch wheelbase, for the 1954 model year saw the 86 inch wheelbase replace the 80 inch and the introduction of a 107 inch wheelbase Pick Up version.
In Britain the Land Rover occupies a strange position in the taxation system. The original vehicle was classified as a commercial vehicle and as such was exempt from Purchase Tax, however this meant that as a Commercial vehicle it was subject to a speed limit of 30mph on British roads. After an appeal to the Law Lords, following the prosecution of a driver charged with exceeding this limit, the vehicle was reclassified as multi-purpose and only to classified a commercial if used for that purpose. Although not often applied today this means that a Land Rover registered as commercial has a 60mph speed limit, those not registered as such can drive up to the National Speed limit of 70mph. Nearer to home i have the err... pleasure of living near the UK's only toll road, and a case arose that a Land Rover driver was asked to pay the higher toll charge of a commercial vehicle
As befits a Series 1 Landy, this is still a working vehicle, note the large towing hook at the front
Diolch yn fawr am 66,958,434 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mwynhewch ac arhoswch yn ddiogel
Thank you 66,958,434 amazing views, enjoy and stay safe
Shot 22.07.2018 at the Steam Fair, Barton Gate, Barton under Needwood, Staffordshire Ref 135-315