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ORNL's Brian Friske holds an iridium alloy clad vent set — virtually indestructible metal cups — encapsulate Pu-238 within the radioisotope thermoelectric generator . Iridium, among the platinum-group metals on the periodic table, is extremely durable and can withstand temperatures with a melting point of more than 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the 1970s, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have custom designed the alloy cladding for space travel to ensure the fuel within would remain contained even during anomalous events. Credit: Carlos Jones/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Tomb with life-sized effigy in stone to Sir William de Tyrington / Terrington 1409, clad in armour, his feet on a lion.
William was the son of Geoffrey Barkworth of Terrington, and changed his name to the village of his birth.
While still young he took part in various campaigns overseas, serving in the retinue of Humphrey, Earl of Hereford., first going abroad in July 1366 before which he obtained royal letters patent permitting him to appoint 2 attorneys to supervise his affairs at home. He fought under Hereford’s banner on 2 more expeditions, including a naval engagement with the French in 1371.
William m 1367 Joan widow of Robert Fitzwyth 1362 www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/9g356K of Wigginton & Bubbenhall & John de Gyse Lord of Aspley Guise 1363
Children
1. Ellen
He m2 pre 1408 Anne ……..
He owed his position in the Bedfordshire community (which returned him as MP to at least 11 Parliaments) to his first wife Joan, who brought him extensive and profitable estates both here and in Warwickshire and Oxfordshire.
However Joan does not appear to have been an heiress in her own right, and her landed income came almost entirely from dower settlements and other gifts of land made upon her by her 2 previous husbands, and after their marriage they were faced with the first of a series of lawsuits from rival claimants to this property. .
From her second husband (John Guise) Joan obtained a life interest in the manor of Aspley Guise, after his death becoming guardian of his grandson & heir Anselm who once he came of age, advanced a title to that part of the manor which had been held as dower by his late mother. By Michaelmas term of 1367 the dispute was heard before the court of common pleas. Anselm evidently lost his case as William & Joan made an enfeoffment of the whole manor in 1374, although they subsequently (informally ?) agreed to grant him the reversion after Joan’s death. (Anselm seems to have gained some property in 1375 , died 1412 and was succeeded by his son Reginald)
The problem of recovering the land which Joan had received as dower from her first husband, Robert Fitzwith, meanwhile proved far more serious. Her rightful third of the manors of Bubbenhall and Shotteswell in Warwickshire and Wigginton, Weston and Ardley in Oxfordshire had been seized in the early 1360s by her stepdaughter’s husband Sir John Beauchamp† of Holt, a powerful adversary who claimed she had forfeited her title to the estate by deserting Robert Fitzwith to live in adultery with Roger Careswelle at St. Thomas’s hospital in Southwark. Her counter story was that, on the day in question, Roger and others of his "covin" came armed , and wounded her husband Robert so severely that he died 3 days later. Joan had resisted Roger and the others, over the body of Robert, trying to rescue him, but they had assaulted wounded and maimed her, then had seized her against her will and by force, thrown her across a horse and abducted her to Southwark. As soon as she could Joan had escaped and within 4 days she had returned where she found Robert dead and buried. Immediately she had accused Roger and the others of Robert's death and they were outlawed.
Joan won her case against Beauchamp and obtained formal restitution of the property . Beauchamp later agreed to pay her an annuity of £20 in return for the land , and after he was executed , a victim to the Merciless Parliament of 1388, this arrangement was upheld.
Joan’s difficulties were not, however, over for before his death Beauchamp had granted a life tenancy of the manors of Shotteswell and Bubbenhall to his kinsman John Catesby who refused to honour his commitment to pay part of the pension. Once again William & Joan went to law, winning their suit against Catesby in 1391 after considerable delays and prevarications.
Much later, in April 1405, they were obliged to petition Henry IV for a special assize to be held after their eviction from the 3 Oxfordshire manors
After Joan's death Wiliam still styled himself ‘lord of Aspley Guise’, and continued to live here with his second wife,
William was sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in 1391, but he received very little in the way of royal patronage. After 1410 his last years were passed in retirement without incident.
William drew up his will on 22 December 1408, and died within 6 months. He asked to be buried in a side chapel here where his tomb stands. He left the residue of his goods to his widow Anne who together with family chaplain William Lawnsleyn was his executor.
www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member...
www.geni.com/people/John-Catesby-Jr/6000000003087134335 www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/beds/vol3/pp338-343
The New York Palace Hotel (formerly The Helmsley Palace)
455 Madison Avenue at 50th Street
New York, NY 10022
Entrance to GILT from Villard House
-------------
The Villard Houses were brownstone residences built by Henry Villard in 1884. Villard was a railway promoter and financier, who took over the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1881. The architect was McKim, Mead & White. The firm also designed the Pennsylvania Hotel in Manhattan. The six residence building was clad in quarried brownstone and wrapped around a u-shaped courtyard representative of a 15th century Italian palazzo. Four homes opened onto the courtyard while two had entrances on 51st Street.
Villard moved into the corner residence at 451 Madison, at the corner of 50th Street for just a short while before declaring bankruptcy. Much of the interior decoration is still visible today in the restaurant Gilt (formerly Le Cirque 2000).
In the 1940’s the Villard House was known as Women's Military Services Club. It served women in the military that could stay there for .50 cents a night. By the late 60’s the Archdiocese of New York owned the complex.
In the early 70’s Harry Helmsley found the perfect location in which to build his dream hotel. The Villard House was located on New York's Madison Avenue, across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Helmsley negotiated a 99 year lease on the site from the the Archdiocese of New York and proposed gutting the interiors of the Villard and putting a 51-story hotel on top of it. The preservationists prevailed and Helmsley’s plan was changed to save most of the interiors of the Villard houses, though the buildings' rear facades were demolished and incorporated in to the new 51-story hotel. long-term ground lease, which runs for decades. The Archdiocese of New York receives $10 million annually in ground rent.
Helmsley commissioned architects Emery Roth & Sons and Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer to design the modern structure and integrate the 1884 houses. The tower’s façade is a dark bronze reflective glass that was to blend with the Villard Houses. Started in 1977, the 905-room hotel project was completed in 1980.
Leona Helmsley spent a great deal of time and energy managing the decorating and staffing of the hotel. Leona took seriously her role as President of Helmsley Hotels and was determined to give her guests unprecedented service.
On September 15, 1980, the opulent Helmsley Palace Hotel opened. At the time The Helmsley Palace had the highest hotel rates in the city. An early print advertisement featuring Leona had the by-line: “It’s the only palace in the world where the Queen stands guard”
The hotel has four Triplex Suites. Situated at the top of the tower and occupying the four corners, each 2-bedroom suite is spread over three floors and include a private roof terrace.
In 1982, the limited partners in the Helmsley Palace Hotel partnership forced an arbitration proceeding after Harry Helmsley, in his role as general partner demanded more money from the limited partners for cost overruns in building the hotel. The limited partners said the Helmsley’s had mismanaged the business and had hurt the partnership through several self-dealing transactions. The arbitrators ruled in favor of the limited partners and forced the Helmsley’s to pay the cost overruns and an additional $3.5 million to the partnership.
Leona Helmsley, was convicted of income tax fraud in August 1989 - (“We don’t pay taxes … only the little people do”). Leona was convicted of 33 felony counts of trying to defraud the government and IRS, including mail fraud, tax evasion and filing false tax returns (essentially running millions of dollars of personal expenses through the Helmsley Palace and Park Lane books)
Harry Helmsley was indicted on similar charges in 1988, but was found too ill to stand trial. He died in 1997.
Following appeals Leona Helmsley was imprisoned from 1992-1993.
The limited partners in the Palace partnership were rightfully concerned during the Helmsley’s legal mess that the hotel was in desperate need for another general partner. The limited partners contended Helmsley Enterprises breached its fiduciary duties in managing and operating the partnership. They sought through the courts to remove the Helmsleys as general partner, and to appoint a receiver until a new general partner and manager can be found or the hotel be sold. They also sought restoration of any money the Helmsleys may have diverted to their affiliates through self-dealing.
Helmsley operated the Helmsley Palace hotel until 1992. She was known to fire managers from her jail cell.
Interstate Hotels was appointed by the court as the hotel’s receiver. The hotel changed its name to The New York Palace Hotel. The receiver received 6 qualified bids for the hotel.
In November 1993 The Royal Family of Brunei agreed to buy the New York Palace for $202 million (the highest offer). The agreement to buy the Palace is with Amedeo Hotels Limited Partnership, an investment company in Brunei. The Sultan of Brunei, through its development company, Amedeo Limited, contracted with Harman Jablin Architects for the complete renovation of the hotel and Villard Houses.
The hotel is comprised of three structures: the899-room 55-story hotel tower, the 5-story Villard House, and the 2-story Maloney & Porcelli restaurant.
The wealth of the royal family of Brunei, a tiny oil-rich sultanate on the island of Borneo, is controlled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, whose estimated worth of $33 billion makes him one of the world's richest men. He and his family also own the 263-room Beverly Hills Hotel in California, bought for $187 million in 1987, and the Dorchester Hotel in London, bought for about $85 million in 1985.
The Royal Family’s new wealth comes from a constant flow of royalties into their private bank accounts from Shell Oil, who they joint ventured with to extract Brunei’s only natural resource.
The Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah younger brother is Prince Jefri Bolkiah who was the finance minister of Brunei from 1986 to 1998 and thus the chairman of The Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) responsible for overseas investments. He was known for his extravagant lifestyle, which included a private Boeing 747 and 2,000 automobiles. Hotels he controlled included The New York Palace Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles and Plaza Athénée in Paris.
Following an audit in 1987 The Brunei government charged Prince Jefri with embezzling $14.8 billion and he was removed as chairman of BEI.
In July 2008 BEI signed management contracts with the Dorchester Group to operate the New York Plaza and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.
Prince Jefri’s two main legal and financial advisors, the British husband and wife lawyers Thomas Derbyshire and Faith Zaman were dispatched by the Prince to the New York Palace in 2004 to protect his interests. The two were involved in many aspects of Prince Jefri’s business affairs and they held powers of attorney to act of his behalf.
So In November 2005, Zaman claims Jefri gave them a 17-year lease on a 2,800-square-foot apartment on the third floor of the hotel, which rented as a suite for $20,000 a night. The prince gave the apartment to them rent-free for the first five years After that, the charge would be $500 a month, with an option to renew for 51 years. According the Vanity Fair this was done so the sultan if ever was successful in taking over the hotel, he would have to deal with them for the rest of his life.
In February 2006, John Segreti, the managing director of the Palace, dropped dead at 52 of a pulmonary embolism. Segreti formerly was the chief operating officer at Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, in Hong Kon).
In March 2006 Faith Zaman was appointed Managing Director of the Palace. Her annual salary included 5 percent of the hotel’s gross operating profit, a car allowance of $100,000 per year, and free use of the company credit card for personal expenses. Also the prince gave her control of a second lease at a low price for the Maloney & Porcelli steak house on the hotel’s ground floor, on East 50th Street.
Meanwhile Derbyshire was working hard on finding a way for Jefri to cash in on two of his biggest assets the New York Palace and Hotel Bel-Air. A prospective buyer, Ty Warner (owner of the Four Seasons New York), was found who had agreed to acquiring the two hotels for $800 million. The sell certainly would have breached the government of Brunei’s freeze of Prince Jefri’s assets and further, what bank in the world could be used to deposit the proceeds and hide it from the government of Brunei.
The sell never occurred. Prince Jefri filed a suit against Derbyshire and Zaman seeking to recover $7 million in questionable expenses, Derbyshire and Zaman countersued for $13 million in contractual wages never received. In December 2010 the New York City jury awarded Derbyshire and Zaman $21 million.
Prince Jefri, a father of 17 with four wives, has swapped a decadent lifestyle for a fugitive existence. He is reported to have been allowed back in Brunei.
In 1997, with a new name--Le Cirque 2000--the restaurant moved from the Mayfair to the New York Palace Hotel and its landmark, the Villard Houses. Designer Adam Tihany gave Le Cirque its dazzling new look, and, as the opening approached, Siro Maccioni told New York magazine, "They're either going to give us a medal or exile us to Kilimanjaro."
In 2006 Siro Maccioni moved Le Cirque from the Palace Hotel to the Bloomberg building on East 58th Street.
John Segretti, the hotel’s managing director, decided The Palace Hotel should operate its own restaurant in the Villard space. In December 2005 it opened the 52-seat restaurant GILT with the interior design done by Patrick Jouin. The executive chef was Paul Liebrandt. The NY Times food critic panned Gilt two months after opening describing some entrees as “no larger than a hockey puck”. Shortly after Liebrandt was fired. In 2009 GILT was awarded Twp Michelin Stars under the direction of Executive Chef Justin Bogle.
In July 2011 Northwood Investors acquired the New York Plaza for approximately $400 million. The price is low by NYC standards – held down due to the $10 million dollar a year ground lease. The seller Brunei Investment Agency also owns the Dorchester Collection of luxury hotels. The New York Palace is no longer affiliated with the Dorchester Collection.
Northwood Investors is a privately-held real estate investment advisor that was founded in 2006 by John Z. Kukral, the former President and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Advisors. It also owns the Alden Houston Hotel and The Radisson Hotel Boston.
Northwood has appointed David Chase to general manager of The New York Palace. Most recently he was the pre-opening general manager of Trump SoHo New York.
The New York Palace Hotel (formerly The Helmsley Palace)
455 Madison Avenue at 50th Street
New York, NY 10022
The 50th Street Entrance
---------------
The Villard Houses were brownstone residences built by Henry Villard in 1884. Villard was a railway promoter and financier, who took over the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1881. The architect was McKim, Mead & White. The firm also designed the Pennsylvania Hotel in Manhattan. The six residence building was clad in quarried brownstone and wrapped around a u-shaped courtyard representative of a 15th century Italian palazzo. Four homes opened onto the courtyard while two had entrances on 51st Street.
Villard moved into the corner residence at 451 Madison, at the corner of 50th Street for just a short while before declaring bankruptcy. Much of the interior decoration is still visible today in the restaurant Gilt (formerly Le Cirque 2000).
In the 1940’s the Villard House was known as Women's Military Services Club. It served women in the military that could stay there for .50 cents a night. By the late 60’s the Archdiocese of New York owned the complex.
In the early 70’s Harry Helmsley found the perfect location in which to build his dream hotel. The Villard House was located on New York's Madison Avenue, across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Helmsley negotiated a 99 year lease on the site from the the Archdiocese of New York and proposed gutting the interiors of the Villard and putting a 51-story hotel on top of it. The preservationists prevailed and Helmsley’s plan was changed to save most of the interiors of the Villard houses, though the buildings' rear facades were demolished and incorporated in to the new 51-story hotel. long-term ground lease, which runs for decades. The Archdiocese of New York receives $10 million annually in ground rent.
Helmsley commissioned architects Emery Roth & Sons and Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer to design the modern structure and integrate the 1884 houses. The tower’s façade is a dark bronze reflective glass that was to blend with the Villard Houses. Started in 1977, the 905-room hotel project was completed in 1980.
Leona Helmsley spent a great deal of time and energy managing the decorating and staffing of the hotel. Leona took seriously her role as President of Helmsley Hotels and was determined to give her guests unprecedented service.
On September 15, 1980, the opulent Helmsley Palace Hotel opened. At the time The Helmsley Palace had the highest hotel rates in the city. An early print advertisement featuring Leona had the by-line: “It’s the only palace in the world where the Queen stands guard”
The hotel has four Triplex Suites. Situated at the top of the tower and occupying the four corners, each 2-bedroom suite is spread over three floors and include a private roof terrace.
In 1982, the limited partners in the Helmsley Palace Hotel partnership forced an arbitration proceeding after Harry Helmsley, in his role as general partner demanded more money from the limited partners for cost overruns in building the hotel. The limited partners said the Helmsley’s had mismanaged the business and had hurt the partnership through several self-dealing transactions. The arbitrators ruled in favor of the limited partners and forced the Helmsley’s to pay the cost overruns and an additional $3.5 million to the partnership.
Leona Helmsley, was convicted of income tax fraud in August 1989 - (“We don’t pay taxes … only the little people do”). Leona was convicted of 33 felony counts of trying to defraud the government and IRS, including mail fraud, tax evasion and filing false tax returns (essentially running millions of dollars of personal expenses through the Helmsley Palace and Park Lane books)
Harry Helmsley was indicted on similar charges in 1988, but was found too ill to stand trial. He died in 1997.
Following appeals Leona Helmsley was imprisoned from 1992-1993.
The limited partners in the Palace partnership were rightfully concerned during the Helmsley’s legal mess that the hotel was in desperate need for another general partner. The limited partners contended Helmsley Enterprises breached its fiduciary duties in managing and operating the partnership. They sought through the courts to remove the Helmsleys as general partner, and to appoint a receiver until a new general partner and manager can be found or the hotel be sold. They also sought restoration of any money the Helmsleys may have diverted to their affiliates through self-dealing.
Helmsley operated the Helmsley Palace hotel until 1992. She was known to fire managers from her jail cell.
Interstate Hotels was appointed by the court as the hotel’s receiver. The hotel changed its name to The New York Palace Hotel. The receiver received 6 qualified bids for the hotel.
In November 1993 The Royal Family of Brunei agreed to buy the New York Palace for $202 million (the highest offer). The agreement to buy the Palace is with Amedeo Hotels Limited Partnership, an investment company in Brunei. The Sultan of Brunei, through its development company, Amedeo Limited, contracted with Harman Jablin Architects for the complete renovation of the hotel and Villard Houses.
The hotel is comprised of three structures: the899-room 55-story hotel tower, the 5-story Villard House, and the 2-story Maloney & Porcelli restaurant.
The wealth of the royal family of Brunei, a tiny oil-rich sultanate on the island of Borneo, is controlled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, whose estimated worth of $33 billion makes him one of the world's richest men. He and his family also own the 263-room Beverly Hills Hotel in California, bought for $187 million in 1987, and the Dorchester Hotel in London, bought for about $85 million in 1985.
The Royal Family’s new wealth comes from a constant flow of royalties into their private bank accounts from Shell Oil, who they joint ventured with to extract Brunei’s only natural resource.
The Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah younger brother is Prince Jefri Bolkiah who was the finance minister of Brunei from 1986 to 1998 and thus the chairman of The Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) responsible for overseas investments. He was known for his extravagant lifestyle, which included a private Boeing 747 and 2,000 automobiles. Hotels he controlled included The New York Palace Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles and Plaza Athénée in Paris.
Following an audit in 1987 The Brunei government charged Prince Jefri with embezzling $14.8 billion and he was removed as chairman of BEI.
In July 2008 BEI signed management contracts with the Dorchester Group to operate the New York Plaza and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.
Prince Jefri’s two main legal and financial advisors, the British husband and wife lawyers Thomas Derbyshire and Faith Zaman were dispatched by the Prince to the New York Palace in 2004 to protect his interests. The two were involved in many aspects of Prince Jefri’s business affairs and they held powers of attorney to act of his behalf.
So In November 2005, Zaman claims Jefri gave them a 17-year lease on a 2,800-square-foot apartment on the third floor of the hotel, which rented as a suite for $20,000 a night. The prince gave the apartment to them rent-free for the first five years After that, the charge would be $500 a month, with an option to renew for 51 years. According the Vanity Fair this was done so the sultan if ever was successful in taking over the hotel, he would have to deal with them for the rest of his life.
In February 2006, John Segreti, the managing director of the Palace, dropped dead at 52 of a pulmonary embolism. Segreti formerly was the chief operating officer at Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, in Hong Kon).
In March 2006 Faith Zaman was appointed Managing Director of the Palace. Her annual salary included 5 percent of the hotel’s gross operating profit, a car allowance of $100,000 per year, and free use of the company credit card for personal expenses. Also the prince gave her control of a second lease at a low price for the Maloney & Porcelli steak house on the hotel’s ground floor, on East 50th Street.
Meanwhile Derbyshire was working hard on finding a way for Jefri to cash in on two of his biggest assets the New York Palace and Hotel Bel-Air. A prospective buyer, Ty Warner (owner of the Four Seasons New York), was found who had agreed to acquiring the two hotels for $800 million. The sell certainly would have breached the government of Brunei’s freeze of Prince Jefri’s assets and further, what bank in the world could be used to deposit the proceeds and hide it from the government of Brunei.
The sell never occurred. Prince Jefri filed a suit against Derbyshire and Zaman seeking to recover $7 million in questionable expenses, Derbyshire and Zaman countersued for $13 million in contractual wages never received. In December 2010 the New York City jury awarded Derbyshire and Zaman $21 million.
Prince Jefri, a father of 17 with four wives, has swapped a decadent lifestyle for a fugitive existence. He is reported to have been allowed back in Brunei.
In 1997, with a new name--Le Cirque 2000--the restaurant moved from the Mayfair to the New York Palace Hotel and its landmark, the Villard Houses. Designer Adam Tihany gave Le Cirque its dazzling new look, and, as the opening approached, Siro Maccioni told New York magazine, "They're either going to give us a medal or exile us to Kilimanjaro."
In 2006 Siro Maccioni moved Le Cirque from the Palace Hotel to the Bloomberg building on East 58th Street.
John Segretti, the hotel’s managing director, decided The Palace Hotel should operate its own restaurant in the Villard space. In December 2005 it opened the 52-seat restaurant GILT with the interior design done by Patrick Jouin. The executive chef was Paul Liebrandt. The NY Times food critic panned Gilt two months after opening describing some entrees as “no larger than a hockey puck”. Shortly after Liebrandt was fired. In 2009 GILT was awarded Twp Michelin Stars under the direction of Executive Chef Justin Bogle.
In July 2011 Northwood Investors acquired the New York Plaza for approximately $400 million. The price is low by NYC standards – held down due to the $10 million dollar a year ground lease. The seller Brunei Investment Agency also owns the Dorchester Collection of luxury hotels. The New York Palace is no longer affiliated with the Dorchester Collection.
Northwood Investors is a privately-held real estate investment advisor that was founded in 2006 by John Z. Kukral, the former President and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Advisors. It also owns the Alden Houston Hotel and The Radisson Hotel Boston.
Northwood has appointed David Chase to general manager of The New York Palace. Most recently he was the pre-opening general manager of Trump SoHo New York.
Mademoiselle Eden is wearing jeans from Earth Angel Eden Blair, top is from an OOAK DB fashion, cardigan is Dagamoart, handbag is Little Day Ensemble Véronique Perrin. Earring are JamieShow.
Notice the bulls eye glass in the modern windows, . The wall is particuarly nice, inspired by Barbara Hepworth, possibly.
This is what Under Vines looks like in autumn and from a different angle.
At Lutheran All-Faiths Cemetery.
(Highest Explore position: #494 on Monday, April 13, 2009 \o/ )
Everyone in their PJs (because every time I change their clothes I take a mandatory group photo....)
Cladding of a building in Duesseldorf´s harbour area. Often photographed, still fascinating (at least to me). Rolleiflex SL66, Planar 2,8/80, Orangefilter, MLU, Acros (scan from negative).
Altro Whiterock durable, impact resistant and hygienic wall cladding great for healthcare, commercial kitchens, wet environments and as wall protection in areas with heavy traffic.
For more information visit altro.com/whiterock
A lovely muse, clad in a pristine white gown with flowing black hair, sits upon a chair amidst the verdant lawn. With a cheerful demeanor, she poses gracefully, holding a bouquet of flowers in the morning light.
I have a friend that lives in Mendlesham, and we have talked about visiting St Mary several times. But I decided come what may, this would be the day when I would do it.
You can see the tower of St Mary from the A140, two miles off, a shallow valley lies between, meaning as you get closer, St Mary disappears. But then as you enter the village, it is standing on Chapel Street, towering over the timber framed houses of the village.
I approached the church, but found the south door locked. The door under the tower was locked too, but the north door, in another porch was open, and inside I could tell I wasn't going to be disappointed, this is a high church on a grand scale, where nothing was done in half measures.
----------------------------------------
2009: Ten years ago, I set out to visit all the churches of Suffolk, and managed it, on and off, over the next four years. Revisiting them all now, I have found changes, some for the worse but many for the better. At Mendlesham, there had been almost no change at all since my previous visit, which seemed entirely appropriate, and so I reproduce word-for-word what I wrote then.
2003: I often get asked which is my favourite Suffolk church. It is easy to make the case for Thornham Parva and Flowton, both of which are beautiful, and always open. Westhall and Denston are perhaps the most interesting, and it is hard to beat the special atmosphere of Kettlebaston and Blythburgh. For grandness, take me to Southwold or Eye, although there are those who swear by Lavenham, Long Melford and Clare, and for sheer magical presence I’d argue for the haunting Ramsholt and Withersdale. As for architecture, or medieval survivals – well, it is probably best not to get me started.
But there is one church that fits into pretty much all these categories, and it is here, not far from the main Ipswich to Norwich road. Not only is St Mary of Mendlesham architecturally and historically fascinating, it is also magical, grand, interesting, beautiful and open. What more could you want in a church? St Mary has a special place in the hearts of one particular strand of the Church of England; for here in this busy little working village among the barley plains is the last surviving thorough-going Anglo-Catholic parish church in all Suffolk. For well over a quarter of a century, Father Philip Gray has kept the flame of the Faith alive here. No Affirming Catholicism pussyfooting for Mendlesham. Here, Mass is still celebrated daily, the sacraments are administered, and the great Feast of the Assumption still kept as the highest Saint’s day of the year, as it once was all over Suffolk.
I remember attending the Assumption Day Mass here in the mid-1990s. There were nearly as many Priests concelebrating as there were people in the congregation, but you had to count them quickly before they disappeared in clouds of incense. Nobody can swing a thurible as energetically as an Anglo-Catholic Priest, and Father Philip is more energetic than most. At the time, I was rather more used to the post-Vatican II simplicity of what Anglo-Catholics call the ‘Roman’ Church, so to say that I was impressed is an understatement.
As you’ve probably realised if you have travelled extensively around this site, I am utterly fascinated by the Anglo-Catholic movement. I think it quite the most interesting thing about the Church of England. What fascinates me most is the mindset of a movement that was born in the fire of the great 19th century sacramental revival, and is now the last remaining memory of that extraordinary epoch. It is as if, as Larkin says, it finds itself out on the end of an event, having survived it.
It is easy to think of the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Anglican Church as a movement besieged. In its Forward in Faith incarnation in particular, it comes in for a great deal of stick, and rarely for theological reasons. It is accused of being misogynist, separatist, and authoritarian.
The first of these is because it has not only declined to recognise the orders of ordained female ministers, but also refused to accept the authority of those who ordain them. Indeed, the FiF movement goes as far as to use the concept of ‘taint’ to describe a male priest who has concelebrated with what are dismissively referred to as ‘priestesses’.
In its defence, the FiF Anglo-Catholics argue that, if the Church of England is a true part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, as they believe it to be, then a decision to ordain women cannot be taken in isolation from this worldwide Church – that is to say, the Catholic Church. Because of this, they argue that the ordination of women is actually invalid. Several Anglo-Catholics have told me that if the Pope in Rome started ordaining women, they would accept them with open arms at once, although this was obviously said in the safe knowledge that it isn’t going to happen.
The perceived separatism of the movement is a direct by-product of this position. FiF churches are effectively carving out a separate communion within the Anglican Church. By steadfastly defending their altars, accepting the authority of the so-called flying Bishops, and using the concept of taint to keep non-sympathetic male Priests at arms length, they have created a situation where, while accepting the authority of Canterbury, their congregations are no longer in communion with the rest of that church.
While this situation appears untenable to many outsiders, FiF claims it has been done to safeguard the handing on of the Faith to future generations. It looks like they are settling in for a long siege. While I find myself more sympathetic to the Anglo-Catholics than to their accusers, I can’t help but be reminded of Sellar and Yeatman’s famous analysis of the English Civil War in 1066 and all that – that the Cavaliers were wrong, but romantic, while the Roundheads were right, but revolting. I think the Anglo-Catholics are the Cavaliers of the Church of England, although I fear that the dull-minded Roundheads will win in the end.
But the liturgical character of the church will not be your first impression, or possibly even your second. The main thing that will strike you as you approach it is quite how big it is, and how ornate; an imposing presence, which is partly a result of it being placed flush to the road, where two street signs show that the road against the tower is called Church Street, and the one leading away from it Chapel Street. This must have seemed more symbolic in the 19th century than it does now, and I wondered if the 21st Century might more appropriately demand a DIY Superstore Street, or a Recovering From a Hangover Street, or even a Too Bloody Lazy To Get Up On A Sunday Morning Street. Like a modern Pilgrim’s Progress, perhaps.
Next, there’s the porches. Suffolk has some amazing late 15/early 16th century porches – Cautley thought Woolpit’s the best in England – so it is always a pleasure to come across one. Mendlesham has two. The ornate southern one is now blocked off as a chapel, so don’t miss it – you’ll need to go right around the east end of the building to get to it. But the northern porch is the most remarkable.
For a start, it is huge. It is crowned with quite the biggest grotesques in the county – even Bramford can’t compete. You’ll spot Suffolk’s finest woodwose; nothing symbolic about him, he looks ready to step down and belt you over the head with his club.
If you are used to the ultramontane exotica of London's Anglo-Catholic citadels, it may surprise you to find that Mendlesham is, well, so very English.
One of the charges levelled against Anglo-Catholic churches is that they are somehow foreign to English tradition – all those tacky continental statues, pictures of Mary, and even candles burning, are enough to turn the stomach of a thoroughgoing protestant Englishman. While the aesthetic qualities of some statues leave a lot to be desired (not at Mendlesham, I hasten to add) this charge is ridiculous. Before the Reformation, England was considered Our Lady’s Dowry, the most faithfully Catholic country in Europe. The putting down of a sacramental life was a symptom of the Reformation as much as a cause of it. There’s nothing unpatriotic about the Hail Mary. The imposition of Protestantism was the most remarkable sleight of hand on the part of the Tudors, and one from which some parts of the British Isles are still suffering violent consequences. It is just my opinion, but I do not feel that the English are natural protestants.
Each age constructs its own sense of Englishness, depending on who is in a position to impose it. For Anglicans, being the state church with the reigning monarch at its head has meant it has been continually buffeted by the winds of change. Even worse, there is the strain of the complex relationship between a spiritual kind of Englishness, which is much to be desired, and the more shady concept of Britishness and the Union. Why Anglican churches persist in displaying the Union flag instead of the English flag of St George is beyond me. I imagine it is a legacy of the First World War. At the time, the Church of England was in the most powerfully strong cultural position, and shamefully sanctified the slaughter. Several Vicars have told me how much they’d like to take the flags down. But they never do.
So it was, on a Spring day in 2003, when our brave lads were away bringing death and destruction to a country of which we still appear to have learned nothing, I came to Mendlesham again. I am not an Anglican, but this church feels to me like a touchstone of what it means to be English, and to be a Suffolker, with a sense of a past, present and future.
The church was open - it is always open. From the wide graveyard, an old lady passed me on her way into the church - as it turned out, to light a candle. This seemed to me such a beautiful, natural thing to do if you were visiting your dead family. I followed her into the porch.
The upper part of the porch contains Mendlesham’s famous armoury, which can be visited by appointment. It is well worth the detour, and if you doubt the wisdom of having a weapons museum in a church, you might be relieved to learn that it is was quite common in the late Tudor and early Stuart periods for church porches and towers to host the Parish armoury. Some of the arms here date back to the 16th century, but more interesting perhaps is the Civil War stuff. Some of this was carried at the famous muster on Mellis Common which resulted in Suffolk’s only two Civil War deaths, when a musket went off by accident. Which just goes to show that ‘friendly fire’ is nothing new.
I mention the upper room of the porch before we go inside, because I want nothing to distract us from the impact of St Mary’s interior. A clue that we are about to leave the mundane world behind is in the porch itself; pressed into service as a holy water stoup is one of the loveliest fonts in the county. It came from Rishangles, when the church there was made redundant and sold off by the money-changers. It has had various claims made for its age, Mortlock unaccountably dating it as 1600; but it must surely be late 19th century. Whatever, it is stunning, and a mark that this church has always found a home for orphans of elsewhere, and that some of these orphans are beautiful.
So, we step through into the devotional interior. If you were expecting a grimy gloom overlooked by kitschy statues, you are going to be disappointed. St Mary is full of light. And yet, from all corners there are glimpses of flickering candles, the gleam of icons and images.
The church had a fairly early restoration, in 1860, at the hands of a major architect, Ewan Christian. You find yourself standing in a large space, much of the west end of the church devoted to the font, the organ, and some fascinating medieval benches. I spotted a cockerel and a wyvern, and a woman at a prayerdesk which might once have been part of an Annunciation scene. Among them are some slightly later benches, probably early 17th century, that came from Rishangles. The font cover is also 17th century, dated 1630, at the height of Laudian piety. It is nice to think that, given this church's modern tradition, it took a similar line back then. It was made locally, but contains Renaissance imagery rarely seen in this country; it would be quite at home at St Eustache in Paris.
St Mary has two major brasses; but it didn't. The biggest is up at the east end of the nave (the placing of a nave altar turns this into a crossing) and is to John Knyvet. He died in 1417, and isn't far short of life-size. He's very typical of the period, in his armour, with the dragon head crest behind him. There's no inscription. There is one, however, on the other brass, which is mounted on the wall in the south aisle. This is the one that should really be at Southolt, and is to Margaret Armiger, a typical post-reformation sentiment of the 1580s.
It really shouldn't be on the wall. If there was a fire, it would melt; floor-mounted brasses don't melt. It would be nice if it was still at Southolt, where the local people are extraordinarily caring about the little church. Unfortunately, at the time of its redundancy, the church was very badly vandalised, and we have Mendlesham to thank for rescuing this and other priceless art objects. Indeed, at Southolt it was actually mounted on a pew, fuel to the fire if there'd been one. I am sure that the nice people at Southolt today would do their best to look after it if they had it now, but it wouldn't have survived if it had been left there.
Also from Southolt are the panels of medieval glass in the north aisle. They were angels and Apostles - you can easily spot fragments of St Andrew, St Bartholomew and St Thomas. The figure of St Thomas has been given the head of a lion. I loved this.
St Mary has more altars in use than any other church in Suffolk. There are five of them. I have already mentioned the nave altar, used for Mass. There is a very simple, typically rural high altar, dignified only by the big six candlesticks. At the east end of the south aisle is an extraordinary thing; an altar made of pieces of medieval mensas. A reliquary is set in the front. It is the only one of its kind in an Anglican church anywhere in Suffolk. The Stuart table imposed on the church by the prayer book liturgy has been turned into an altar in the north aisle. This is rather beautiful, with the image of the Mother of God in the central alcove above, and other Marian imagery. It was originally restored as a chapel as a memorial to the First World War. Finally, in the converted south porch, there is a Holy Cross chapel, dating from the 1970s. The wall paintings are quite, quite extraordinary. One of them is of St Helen finding the true cross. In another, as far as I can make out, a group of Celts are watching the raising of Lazarus.
Above the chancel arch, a rather restrained rood group reminds us of the glory that once was pre-Reformation Suffolk. Up in the chancel itself, you'll find the shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham. Not on sale in the church, but generally available in Walsingham, is a lovely book by Father Philip, the Rector here, about the churches of Walsingham. I recommend it. There is also a place where you can light a candle for the work of Forward in Faith.
If I have one criticism of this splendidly welcoming, interesting and devotional church, it is that there is no guide book.
Over the course of the following week, I attended Mass in two Irish churches; one in South Armagh, the other on the Falls Road in Belfast. Neither was as ornate as St Mary of Mendlesham, neither was as filled with a sense of prayer and awe. I am sure that a time-traveller from the 15th century would have recognised Mendlesham as the real Catholic church, not the two Irish ones. Obviously, I believe they’d be wrong to think this, but I could understand it.
So is Anglo-Catholicism anything more than a historical re-enactment? Are its churches merely liturgical museums? Is there life in the old movement yet?
Come here, and look around. Everything is neat and clean, obviously much loved. This is not just a shrine; it is a living centre of its community. Here, the local people come for their baptisms, weddings and funerals; but they also come for private prayer, for the sacraments of Holy Mother Church as they understand them.
As I said earlier, it always disturbs me seeing the Union Flag in a church; but there is something rather striking about seeing it draped beside an ikon of the Holy Mother of God. Also, there is something moving about a place that encourages candles to be lit, about corners that draw the eye and reveal unrealised paths to God. This is undoubtedly an English Parish Church of the 21st century; and yet, it has recaptured some of the mystery of its past, and is filled with a deep spirituality and sense of the numinous. For this alone, it is one of the most significant of all Suffolk churches, and one of my favourites.
Simon Knott, 2003, updated July 2009
www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/mendlesham.htm
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The magnificent 15th century tower of St Mary's, stands as a beacon for those travelling on the A140 between Ipswich and Norwich.
The church is predominantly Early English and contains a wealth of interest. The unusual and elaborate font cover was carved in 1630 by John Turner, who also carved the pulpit. There is a wonderful collection of mediaeval pews and a 14th Century brass to John Knyvet.
The South Aisle contains the stone altar which was raised from the floor in 1981. It is now the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
The church has two porches. The upper floor of the North porch, originally a priest’s room, contains a unique armoury - “the most complete armoury of any English parish church” (Pevsner). As well as the parish collection of armour, assembled at the time of the Armada, it contains part of an Elizabethan longbow, several parish chests, a ‘Vinegar’ Bible and other artefacts. It is open on the afternoon of the first bank holiday in May (Mendlesham Street Fayre day) and by appointment with Fr Philip.
The South Porch is now the Chapel of the Holy Cross, designated especially for prayer for the dead, where candles are lit for the departed and there are to be found two chantry books; one for the parish and the other containing the names of the 190 American servicemen based at Mendlesham airfield who died in action in WW2.
www.stmarysmendlesham.org.uk/the-church-building.html
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The Suffolk village of Mendlesham is a picturesque place, with timber-framed buildings and that quiet air of timelessness that Suffolk seems to specialise in. At the heart of the village is the 13th century church of St Mary the Virgin, punctuated with a superb 15th century west tower.
In the north aisle are 15th century benches that were brought here from Rishangles church. The benches in the nave a re slightly younger, dating to the mid-16th century. The bench ends sport a wonderful array of carved figures, including a dragon biting its own tail.
There are fragments of medieval glass in the north aisle windows, including a figure of a lion sticking its tongue out.
The Lady Chapel stands at the east end of the north aisle. the altar table is 16th century, and if you look closely you can see that one of the table legs has ben carved the wrong way around. In the north wall of the chapel is 14th century glass from Rishangles church, including a likeness of a horse's head and bridle and a figure of St John holding a cup.
There are several very interesting memorials in the chancel including a wall monument to William Cuthbert, who served a a doctor in Mendlesham for over 50 years. The altar rails date to around 1660.
The beautifully carved pulpit was installed in 1620 and was carved by a local craftsman named John Turner, who also made the wooden font cover at the same time. Nearby is a memorial brass to John Knyvet (d. 1417), showing him clad in armour. One very odd feature about the Knyvet brass is that he is shown with his beard outside his armour.
At the back of the nave are two biers for carrying coffins. One is a rare child bier, a scaled down version of the normal adult bier. Both biers have their original straps.
In the south porch is the Chapel of the Holy Cross with vivid modern wall paintings adding a rather odd touch under the beautifully carved 15th century porch roof. In the chapel is a memorial to the American Airmen of the 34th Bomber Group, who were stationed near Mendlesham in WWII. A memorial to American servicemen stands in the churchyard to the south of the church.
In the south aisle is a royal coat of arms to George III and a memorial brass to Margaret Arminger. The aisle roof is at least 16th century and one of the beams at the east end has traces of late medieval paintings. The altar stone at the east end of the aisle is late medieval as well, and on the aisle wall is a funeral hatchment. There are medieval glass fragments in the east window.
One unusual feature at Mendlesham church, and one that is not normally on display to visitors, is a rare armoury in the chamber above the north porch. Church armouries are not unique, but it is rare to find one as complete as this. The parvise, or chamber over the porch entrance, has been used as the parish armoury since 1593. The armoury has a collection of Elizabethan armour brought together at the time of the Spanish Armada invasion.
There are breastplates, helmets, a crossbow, and one of only 4 original Elizabethan longbows in existence. Another rarity is a 'pauldron', a piece of shoulder armour which is pone of the very few complete specimens in existence. The armoury also holds three parish chests, as well as a copy of the 1717 'Vinegar Bible' and a 17th century book of sermons.
The armoury is open only on special church open days or by special appointment with the rector.
www.britainexpress.com/counties/suffolk/churches/mendlesh...
The 2015 HUNKY JESUS CONTEST with THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE !
A MUSCLE-BOUND, diaper clad, HUNKY JESUS carrying his toy Easter bunnies, two baby bottles filled with milk, and sucking on a pacifier waddled up on stage much to the delight of Sister ROMA and the crowd. Everyone went in to a wild uproar when he squirted his bottle of milk all over his golden tan, rippled muscled beautiful body a la Flashdance. Milk really do a body good...BABY JESUS won the title of 2015 HUNKY JESUS CONTEST!
The sexy lanky ROLLER DISCO JESUS stunned the crowed with his roller skating antics on stage, ok it was his tight muscled body in a white disco jumpsuit which was ripped open in just the right places !
The EXORCIST JESUS also got the audience howling with his Dr. Frankenfurter black lace , neglige outfit and 6-inch black platform boots.
Afterwards, HUNKY, MUSCLE-BOUND BABY JESUS was pulled aside by tons of people for a photo-op !
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Thanks to everyone for visiting my Flickr site ! The VIEW COUNT is over SEVENTY-FIVE MILLION VIEWS (75,000,000 VIEWS) !
THANK YOU for visiting this virtual gallery! Enjoy my social documentary photos of the various events in San Francisco! Thank you FLICKR for providing an outlet for my artistic creativity !
THANK YOU to all the ADULTS who let ADDA take their photos! (Everyone was properly asked & everyone consented.) These are my original photos which were taken by me! They are NOT stolen! Do NOT steal them !
These photos carry copyright protection. Do NOT post them elsewhere! )
NUDES are PROPERLY marked RESTRICTED ! (EVERYONE PHOTOGRAPHED IS OVER 18-YEARS-OLD! ) There is NO PORN on my site! There are no stolen photos, either. and, Don't steal mine!
NOTE: MY photos are NOT to be reproduced, COPIED, BLOGGED, USED in any way shape or form. Use of them by anyone is an infringement copyright ! © All rights reserved. Use without permission is illegal
The window in the brick wall looks into what will be the workshop - small but dedicated to the bikes.
Potton Sunday morning cafe culture
Personally I think there should be laws against this form of hideous exposure of knobbly knees and any form of lycra.
The 2015 HUNKY JESUS CONTEST with THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE !
A MUSCLE-BOUND, diaper clad, HUNKY JESUS carrying his toy Easter bunnies, two baby bottles filled with milk, and sucking on a pacifier waddled up on stage much to the delight of Sister ROMA and the crowd. Everyone went in to a wild uproar when he squirted his bottle of milk all over his golden tan, rippled muscled beautiful body a la Flashdance. Milk really do a body good...BABY JESUS won the title of 2015 HUNKY JESUS CONTEST!
The sexy lanky ROLLER DISCO JESUS stunned the crowed with his roller skating antics on stage, ok it was his tight muscled body in a white disco jumpsuit which was ripped open in just the right places !
The EXORCIST JESUS also got the audience howling with his Dr. Frankenfurter black lace , neglige outfit and 6-inch black platform boots.
Afterwards, HUNKY, MUSCLE-BOUND BABY JESUS was pulled aside by tons of people for a photo-op !
+++++
Thanks to everyone for visiting my Flickr site ! The VIEW COUNT is over SEVENTY-FIVE MILLION VIEWS (75,000,000 VIEWS) !
THANK YOU for visiting this virtual gallery! Enjoy my social documentary photos of the various events in San Francisco! Thank you FLICKR for providing an outlet for my artistic creativity !
THANK YOU to all the ADULTS who let ADDA take their photos! (Everyone was properly asked & everyone consented.) These are my original photos which were taken by me! They are NOT stolen! Do NOT steal them !
These photos carry copyright protection. Do NOT post them elsewhere! )
NUDES are PROPERLY marked RESTRICTED ! (EVERYONE PHOTOGRAPHED IS OVER 18-YEARS-OLD! ) There is NO PORN on my site! There are no stolen photos, either. and, Don't steal mine!
NOTE: MY photos are NOT to be reproduced, COPIED, BLOGGED, USED in any way shape or form. Use of them by anyone is an infringement copyright ! © All rights reserved. Use without permission is illegal
Phylogenetic position of the FslK.Phylogenetic trees were calculated using Maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods, respectively. Both methodologies gave similar tree topology. The tree presented here is the BI tree. Numbers on major branches indicate SH-like approximate likelihood ratio test (SH-aLRT) probabilities/Bayesian posterior probabilities. Branches with Bayesian posterior probability less than 0.5 have been collapsed. The simple cladogram of eukaryotic groups on the top right corner was drawn according to the tree of life (tolweb.org/tree/). Ac, Acanthamoeba castellanii; At, Arabidopsis thaliana; Ce, Caenorhabditis elegans; Cr, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; Dd, Dictyostelium discoideum; Dm, Drosophila melanogaster; Eh, Entamoeba histolytica; Hs, Homo sapiens; Mb, Monosiga brevicollis; Mm, Mus musculus; Pi, Phytophthora infestans; Pr, Phytophthora ramorum; Ps, Phytophthora sojae; Su, Sea Urchin; Tv, Trichomonas vaginalis. For abbreviations of fungi see Table S1.
Yesterday's GoodWill Shopping. Large & Small Skillets, Large Saute Pan, & Small Wok. All for less than $20.
Somewhere between the map and reality, these two travellers took a wrong turn into charm. Our stripe-shirted friend consults the paper oracle while his darker-clad comrade—armed with tactical cargos and the thousand-yard tourist stare—follows bravely into the unknown. One sports a backpack, the other a hint of military chic, and both are walking proof that getting lost is half the fun in Edinburgh.
Quelque part entre la carte et la réalité, ces deux voyageurs ont pris un détour… droit vers le charme. L’un scrute le plan comme une relique précieuse, pendant que son acolyte en pantalon cargo tactique et regard un peu perdu avance avec courage. Un sac à dos, une touche de style baroudeur, et la preuve vivante que se perdre fait partie du plaisir — surtout dans les rues d’Édimbourg.