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Committed to Lomography Fantome using a Leica M6 and 35 mm Summicron v3 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago R9 (rodinal) 1:50 as per the suggested times and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro. Dust removal and further contrast adjustment in Photoshop.
I committed to photographing sunrise from Dante’s View in Death Valley National Park one morning earlier this year. Badwater was flooded, and I hoped for an interesting morning. The clouds though, were almost exactly at the height of Dante’s View. Since there was nowhere else to go in time, I stuck it out, hoping to get a glimpse of some magic. And for a brief moment, the very temporary lake at Badwater was revealed through a hold in the roof. Warm sunlight colors can be seen reflecting in the lake’s imperfect surface, providing some insight into what was happening just out of view beneath the clouds. This is also one of the dustiest photos I’ve ever taken, with probably over 100 pieces of sensor dust that had to be removed. Suffice to say I cleaned the sensor thoroughly when I realized this. I hope the lake returns this winter.
Brockholes is a new kind of nature reserve, an unreserved reserve owned and managed by The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.
There's lots to see and do at Brockholes, you can hunt out our floating Visitor Village with a restaurant, shops and Welcome Centre or explore our family-friendly hides, walking trails and play area.
At Brockholes you can explore our beautiful reserve, see the wildlife that call it ‘home’ or hunt out our Visitor Village with restaurant and shops, all of which float (yes really!) on one of our lakes.
Our floating Visitor Village features a gift shop and a restaurant providing stunning views across the lake. You can also discover our interactive Welcome Centre and learn all about the wildlife that you could see on-site. Be sure to call in to pick up a welcome leaflet that will help you plan your day. You can view the reserve map in our Welcome Leaflet here to help you plan your first visit.
2013/14 Opening Times:
4th November 2013 to 31 March 2014 10am-4pm
1st April 2014 to 31st October 2014 10am-5pm
Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day only
Car Park Charges
We don't charge for entry and any profits made here go back into looking after the reserve. So every time you pay for parking, treat yourself in the shop or enjoy some lunch, you are helping look after the reserve and the wildlife that visits us!
Sorry no dogs allowed!
There is a good reason! Dogs can disturb wildlife, especially nesting birds. If your dog was to get too close to a nesting bird it would cause the mother to leave the nest. So to avoid any accidents we ask that you don’t bring your dog. (Assistance dogs are welcome.)
Explore the reserve
Brockholes is one of the best sites in the UK for many species of bird and has one of the largest strips of ancient woodland in the county. You can take a stroll by the River Ribble, explore our woods or enjoy the lakes on site, which have all been specially designed to attract all kinds of wildlife for you to see!
Walks around Brockholes
What can I see at Brockholes?
Read about the happy habitats we've been working hard to create at Brockholes.
Watch out!
The Visitor Village floats on water and there are lots of areas of open water on the reserve. Take care in these areas and keep an eye on any children with you. The following activities are not allowed on the reserve:
Barbecues and fires
Fishing
Swimming
Please do not feed the birds
Big gulls know it’s much easier to find food when we leave it lying around rather than finding their own lunch. Here at Brockholes we have lots of species breeding with us, little ringed and ringed plover, lapwing, oystercatcher and redshank. Unfortunately the big gulls will eat the chicks of these special birds so if we feed the gulls and encourage them to stay there is a big chance that they will eat our important chicks, so please do not feed the birds and take your leftover picnic away with you.
www.brockholes.org/our-journey
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has been working on developing Brockholes for nearly 20 years, here is an overview of our journey.
1992 Lancashire Wildlife Trust first contests the quarrying of Brockholes.
27 November 2006 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has four weeks to raise £50,000 to buy the Brockholes site, near Preston, and protect it from development. Brockholes sits next to J31 of the M6 and is the size of 120 football pitches.
15 January 2007 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust makes the biggest land purchase in its history - thanks to donations from Wildlife Trust members, and an investment of £800,000 from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) under the Newlands scheme. The project to buy and develop Brockholes is also supported by The Tubney Charitable Trust.
3 May 2007 Ian Selby is appointed as Brockholes project manager. Ian has 20 years' experience of managing the North West's canal network for British Waterways, followed by environmental regeneration work. Sophie Leadsom, Brockholes' new reserve manager, has worked in conservation for 14 years.
July 2007 The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced the launch of a new open competition to design new visitor facilities.
5 October 2007 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust announced the shortlist for the new multi-million pound visitor centre. 61 architects from all over Europe submitted designs. The five were Adam Khan Architects, Arca, Architecture 2B, AY Architects, McDowell + Benedetti.
25 February 2008 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT) and partners announce the winner of its competition to design a visitor facility. Adam Khan Architects was selected for its inspirational design concept: "A Floating World". Designed as a cluster of buildings constructed largely of wood and other sustainable materials, it resembles an ancient marshland village.
April 2008 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust announced the completion of its first phase of preparatory work, including the restoration of the wetlands, creation of ponds, seeding of meadows, planting new hedgerows and trees, making access paths and building proper bird watching hides.
March 2009 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust secured £8million of funding from the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The investment was made under ‘Newlands’, a NWDA and Forestry Commission programme that is regenerating brownfield land across the Northwest into economically viable community woodland.
Summer 2009 Volunteers gave us 134 hours of their time to help propagate our own reed seedlings on-site. We ended up with 20,000 new redd seedlings ready to plant out around our new visitor centre, creating two hecatres of brand new reedbed.
August 2009 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust were granted detailed planning permission for the site.
December 2009 Contractors first day of work as they begin to construct the iconic floating visitors centre. Press conference being held with a ‘cutting of the first sod’
November 2010 A herd of longhorn cattle move into Brockholes to graze the reserve.
December 2010 BBC Countryfile fronted by Julia Bradbury visit Brockholes to film a feature that airs in January 2011.
March 2011 Brockholes makes history as the Visitor Village is floated for the first time.
Easter Sunday 2011 Brockholes opens its doors to the public for the first time!
www.brockholes.org/happy-habitats-brockholes
Happy habitats at Brockholes
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust are using their expertise to create habitats that will encourage lots of different species to visit the site, read more about the work we are doing on the reserve...
Number 1 Pit
Uniform and steep, the edges around the original gravel pit used to look very different. The island looked different too – an egg-shaped piece of land sticking out of the water by three metres. These land profiles weren’t great for the bird species and aquatic invertebrates we wanted to attract. So, with bulldozer and digger we pushed earth into the lake to create shallow, underwater ledges and peninsulas where birds can roost and feed, safe from predators. Diving ducks, such as Great Crested Grebe, now hunt for fish in the deep water.
Nook Pool
The edge of this pool has been planted with reed to create places for small fish and aquatic invertebrates like dragonfly larvae to hide and grow, away from predator fish. The shelter provided by the vegetation provides an ideal hunting ground for lots of species of dragonfly including the impressive Brown Hawker and Emperor Dragonfly.
Meadow Lake
This shallow lake is great for bird watching: when the water level is down, wading birds feed on small invertebrates in the exposed mud. This lake has some of the richest water plant life in and around it, including White Water Lily and Cuckooflower. The reed fringes are becoming well established and hold some of the largest populations of birds on site. The islands provide safe roosting and breeding areas, we keep the vegetation short so the birds can watch out for predators.
Boilton Marsh
This area is part of our newly created wet grassland habitat. We remodelled 17,000 cubic metres of quarry spoil to create 10 hectares of wet grassland with nearly 2km of channels and five pools. This is the ideal habitat for breeding wading birds such as Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe. We now graze traditional breeds of cattle and sheep that thrive on the coarse grasses and rushes and provide the low grassland sward that encourages wading birds to nest.
The channels and pools are kept topped up by using a high-level reservoir, filled from Number One Pit by way of a solar pump.
Woodland
Brockholes is fringed by the ancient woodland of Boilton, Red Scar and Tunbrook Woods. Woodland has grown here for thousands of years and developed a very rich variety of wildlife. Looking after our trees and paths will help the woodland to thrive and enable you to see the wildlife safely.
Reedbeds
Reedbeds are home to Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and Water Rail. We protect the new reed from grazing birds like Coot, Mute Swan and Canada Goose, by erecting chicken wire fences and baling string barriers. It will take several years before our lak fringes start to look like reedbeds. You might notice that the Visitor Village has been nestled in reedbed. This helps it to blend into the reserve and allows you to hear the song and chatter of the birds that nest there.
www.brockholes.org/brockholes-partners-and-funders
Brockholes partners and funders
For the past ten years, The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside have been working to secure this site of national environmental importance, and restore habitats to their full potential.
The £8.6 million of regeneration funding was provided for the Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Reserve project has been granted under 'Newlands' - a £59 million, Northwest Regional Development Agency and Forestry Commission programme to transform brownfield land into durable community woodland, which act as catalysts for economic, social and environmental gain.
The Lancashire Environmental Fund awarded £446,000 for the development of the education facilities, hides and infrastructure on the site. Tubney Charitable Trust granted £350,000 for Biodiversity and Natural England DEFRA's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund awarded circa. £300,000. The Environment Agency granted £50,000 for the continued development of Brockholes.
The support of these funders helped make Brockholes a reality, as did the amazing support from our public appeal, which raised an amazing £63,000 - the most successful public appeal the Lancashire Wildlife Trust has ever run!
Volunteering at Brockholes
Around 200 volunteers have now been recruited, inducted and trained to begin volunteering at Brockholes, so we offer an enormous thank you to all who are helping it make such a big impact on our visitors... Volunteers truly are the face of Brockholes.
There are currently some exciting opportunities to be had volunteering here at Brockholes. Please have a look below at roles (you can click on the titles to download a full role description) which might suit you and click here to register, mentioning Brockholes and the role on the form.
Seasonal Activities Volunteer
Our seasonal activities program is the ideal opportunity for young people aged 16-23 to get involved here at Brockholes.
Running throughout all school holiday periods, you are expected to volunteer for 7 hours per week (normally one full day).
The Seasonal Activities Volunteer role is ideal for friendly, outgoing people who want to utilise their creative skills and help visitors – in particular children – enjoy the reserve. You will work alongside other volunteers to plan and deliver a variety of activities including pond dipping, guided walks, bird watching. The role will also include assisting with larger events such as our Extreme Adventure Weekend and Craft Fayres. Support will be given to you by the Events & Communications Manager.
This placement is perfect for those undertaking various award schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, as over the course of the summer you have the opportunity to gain upto 50 volunteering hours.
For full details on the role and what it entails, click here.
Seasonal Retail & Visitor Services
Our seasonal activities program is the ideal opportunity for young people aged 16-23 to get involved here at Brockholes.
As a volunteer for Retail & Visitor Services you will provide a warm welcome for visitors, helping to ensure that their Brockholes experience is a positive one. You will help visitors by providing them with information about products on sale in our gift stores and help them plan their visit by telling them about the various events and activities we have on offer.
The role suits a friendly, outgoing person who has an interest in wildlife and conservation.
Running throughout the school holiday periods, you are expected to volunteer for 7 hours per week (normally one full day).
This placement is perfect for those undertaking various award schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, as over the course of the summer you have the opportunity to gain upto 50 volunteering hours.
Each volunteer will be required to undergo a minimum of 1 and a half days training before they start. If you’d like to find out more or ask questions about any of these roles do not hesitate to get in touch with Catherine Haddon, Volunteering Support Officer on 01772 324 129 or email volunteer@lancswt.org.uk
Awards
Brockholes has scooped many high profile awards since opening in April 2011:
2013 Lancashire Tourism Award for Best Conference/Meeting venue
VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) 'Excellent'
Green Tourism Gold Award
Customer at the Heart Award
Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards 'Marketing Campaign of the Year'
National Wood Award
BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ for the interim design stage
Chartered Institute of Building Services – Building of the Year 2011
Civic Trust Award
Civic Trust Special Award for Sustainability
Highly Commended in portfolio of Newlands sites in Landscape Awards
CIWEM Living Wetlands award
Greenbuilds award
Green Apple Awards for the Visitor Centre
Sustainable Project of the year – 2012 Building Awards
RICS North West – Overall award
RICS North West – Tourism and Leisure
RICS NW – Design & Innovation
RIBA North West Building of the Year
RIBA North West Sustainability Award
RIBA Award for top 50 new buildings in the UK
Brockholes is an award winning-venue, which floats on one of our lakes - the only one of its kind in the UK.
Combine this unique design with access straight off the M6, a beautiful nature reserve, ample parking and on site catering, and you have found yourself the perfect venue for your next event. View our Conference Brochure here.
We think Brockholes is the natural place to do business, our dedicated centre can cater for 50 to 130 delegates.
We have a choice of two conference rooms and a reception/break-out area.
www.brockholes.org/conference-packages
At Brockholes we want you to be in control of your event as much as possible. This is why we have created these basic packages, enabling you to tweak each element to build an individual event.
Alternatively, we can cater to your specific requests if you require half day, early morning or evening hire.
Here is an overview of our conference packages, please contact us for a quote.
Our Conference brochure can be viewed in digi-book format here.
Day Delegate Package
Private room hire from 9am - 5pm
Tea and coffee served on arrival with bacon rolls
Mineral water for each guest
Tea and coffee served mid-morning
Buffet lunch served with tea, coffee and fresh fruit platter
Tea, coffee and biscuits served mid-afternoon
Use of a flip chart, screen and projector
Recycled pen and notepad for each delegate
Dedicated co-ordinator to assist you throughout the planning to delivery of your meeting
24 Hour Delegate Package
All of the above plus;
Three course dinner
Full breakfast
Accommodation in a standard bedroom at our recommended accommodation supplier
Accommodation
Preferential rates are available on request from a local hotel when booking through the Brockholes Sales Team.
We can tailor our packages to suit your needs. Make the UK's first floating venue your next choice
Please contact us for more information or to arrange a meeting or showround with our Conference Sales Co-ordinator
Call us on 01772 872005 or enter your details below and we will contact you to discuss your requirements.
www.brockholes.org/sponsorship-opportunities
Sponsorship Opportunities
Brockholes is an award winning nature reserve owned and manages by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, which was opened in 2011. The 250 acre reserve is already attracting record numbers of breeding birds and around 170,000 visitors each year. Brockholes runs a wide range of events throughout the year and has a particularly strong offer for families. Events include wild families, school holiday clubs, school and community group visits, self led trails and larger festivals during the summer holidays.
The key marketing campaigns run targeting families include Christmas, Summer and Easter. Each campaign targets a series of family focused publications across the North West, with a monthly average reach online of over 40,000 people through the website and social media. Advertising and direct marketing campaigns have an average reach of 70% of the total North West population.
Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities
Summer at Brockholes sees a host of family events each year, from school holiday clubs to open air theatre, guided walks to family fun. Over the Summer period, Brockholes expects to welcome over 60,000 visitors. The marketing campaign is multi channel and will reach a wide audience of families across the North West. Brockholes has also been featured in the National Press for some of the unique events run. We have some new opportunities for sponsorship and partnership, which will allow your business to raise brand awareness and fulfill part of your Corporate Social Responsibility by supporting Brockholes and The Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
Summer at Brockholes Headline Sponsorship £4500
Expose your brand to thousands of families across the North West.
- Logo on all Summer promotional material
- Inclusion in all four of the Summer e-news and Lancashire Wildlife Trust e-news
- Sponsor Feature on Brockholes.org
- On site promotion
- Promotion through social media channels
- Inclusion in all PR activity
- Temporary use of Brockholes logo on promotional material directly related to the partnership
Wild Families Sponsorship £4000 per year
Our Wild Families events are always fully booked. With themes ranging from scarecrow hunts to nature detectives, each event provides quality family time for family members of all ages. Events are run throughout school holidays.
-Logo on marketing materials for Wild Families
-Inclusion in PR for trail launch
-Inclusion in social media activity
-Inclusion in Brockholes e-news
Seasonal Trail Sponsorship £500 per trail
Each visitor to Brockholes can collect their free seasonal trail on arrival. The trail helps visitors to explore the reserve, learn more about what to see and how the reserve changes with the season and challenges them to spot things.
-Logo on sponsorship trail
-Inclusion in PR for trail launch
-Inclusion in social media activity around the trail
Half term at Brockholes £1500
-Logo on all marketing materials
-Inclusion in launch PR
-Social media promotion
Annual Headline Sponsorship £10,000
- Logo inclusion on all Promotional Material
- Dedicated web page on Brockholes.org
- On site promotion
- Dedicated stand area on key event days
- Promotion through Brockholes and LWT e-news, member magazine
- Promotion through social media channels
- Inclusion in all PR activity
-Discounted delegate rate on our conference facilities
Children's Corner £500
Would you like to help brighten up the children's corner in our restuarant for our younger visitors?
-Inclusion in PR activity
-Recognition in the children's area
-Inclusion in activity to our database promoting the new area
To talk to us more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Ruth Gaskell rgaskell@lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129.
www.brockholes.org/commercial-opportunities
Commercial Opportunities
Make Brockholes your business
Businesses are being offered an opportunity to become partners in a North West tourism and wildlife success story.
Brockholes nature reserve is entering the second phase of development which will provide commercial opportunities for other businesses and boost local employment.
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust attraction attracted 185,000 people to its nature reserve and the first ever floating visitor village in the UK, last year. It is looking to top that visitor figure this year.
Just off the M6 at Preston and easily accessible from anywhere in the UK, Brockholes has received more than 30 regional and national awards despite only opening in 2011. Visitors continue to pour in despite the reserve being surrounded by the attractions of Manchester, Blackpool and Liverpool.
The business has shown year-on-year growth and, as a result, is seeking commercial partners for the next phase of development.
Anne Selby, Chief Executive of the Wildlife Trust said “Brockholes has performed incredibly well despite being launched in a recession. We have steered the business through the stormy weather and achieved fantastic results.
“We are now looking to move into the next phase of development. As a conservation charity, we want to ensure our focus remains on the nature conservation of the reserve, whilst ensuring the commercial income supports this work. We are looking for expressions of interest at this stage and asking businesses to be creative with their proposals.”
The Visitor Village has a restaurant, shops, conference centre, welcome centre and education centre. Major companies have made use of the conference centre including RBS and Aldi. The surrounding nature reserve is continuing to grow, with an increasing population of resident creatures and rare visitors like red kite, bittern and otter.
Anne continued: “Brockholes received funding for the initial start up and development phases but it was always designed to be a self-sustaining model. By making the most of the commercial opportunities and keeping these balanced carefully with the needs of nature, we believe we can continue to success of Brockholes into the future and achieve even more fantastic results for wildlife, our wide range of visitors and the tourism economy”.
Opportunities include retail, water sports (non-motorised), indoor play provision, events partners and mobile food concessions. However, the Trust is open to hear if any investors would wish to develop sympathetic commercial facilities on the site.
An opportunity information pack is available by request from:
Karen Williams Karen.Williams@brockholes.org
Expressions of interest should initially be made to
Lindsey Poole, Commercial Development Manager lpoole@lancswt.org.uk
Group Visits
Whether it’s a full day out or just a quick stop off on the way to your destination, Brockholes is the ideal place for groups to visit.
There's so much for all ages to see and learn about at Brockholes. Everyone from toddlers to seniors will find something to fascinate them, whether through our exciting range of organised events, or by just wandering around the site.
We are passionately committed to lifelong learning for all – our belief is that everyone should leave knowing something they didn't when they arrived! The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has over a decade of experience in delivering environmental education, so you can relax, enjoy the surroundings and be sure to come away both enchanted and enlightened...
We have several options for various groups, each with a variety of benefits. For more information click on the relevant link below…
Coach Groups
School Groups
Community Groups
To enquire about group visits please call 01772 872000 or email info@brockholes.org. Or leave your details on the form below and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Coach Groups
Situated next to Junction 31 on the M6, we are the ideal stop for coach trips, whether it is for a short stop, as a green motorway services, or as part of a full day visit.
Free entry for coaches and convenient coach drop-off point
We have a variety of walking trails for your group to explore, ranging from half an hour to 2 hours in length.
We have our floating visitor village that features a stunning waterside restaurant, 2 unique gift shops and a welcome centre with exhibits, which are ideal should your guests decide for something less active (or if the weather lets you down)!
All our buildings are fully accessible, while the vast majority of our paths are well surfaced, level and suitable for wheelchairs.
We now have a more convenient drop-off point exclusively for coaches and in addition have a number of benefits for coach groups:
• Free entry to the reserve and visitor centre
• Free coach parking
• Refreshment voucher for the coach driver
• Free familiarisation visit for group organisers
• Free meet and greet at the coach (on request)
• Free Brockholes welcome leaflet and trail guide
• Free events and activities throughout the year (visit our events calendar for details)
• Free play area
• Pre-booked guided tours (available at an extra charge)
• Adapted toilets available at the visitor centre
Please note that there is a 4 metre high bridge on the entrance to Brockholes. We also advise all coaches to let us know of their visit in advance by calling us on 01772 872000.
For any further information please just call 01772 872000, email info@brockholes.org
School Groups
Our 250 acre nature reserve and Visitor Village is a great place for school groups to visit. Children can learn about the geological history and how the quarrying has shaped the land today. And because we are a new nature reserve, you can watch it grow! It is also home to the UK's first floating Visitor Village.
Most importantly of all, the children will be able to see that Brockholes is home to a host of wildlife, with many different species of bird popping by throughout the year, along with brown hare, dragonfly and deer to name a few!
Facilities
Your school will have use of the education centre on our floating visitor village and you will have at least one Education Officer dedicated to your group throughout the day.
Plus... NEW FOR 2014!
Next year your school will be able to get even closer to nature at Brockholes by booking an education session in our new purpose-built bird hide classroom, right on the edge of the lake!
The hide will overlook No 1 Pit Lake which is home to many different species of birds and you'll also be able to look across to the new sand martin wall, which will provide valuable breeding habitat when they arrive in spring.
Why not your details below if you'd like us to keep to informed of these exciting new developments!
Programmes
We offer a wide range of programmes including:
Big Adventure in a Miniature World
Life Cycles
Migration and Hibernation
Environmental Art
Geography and Geology
Forest School
You can read more about the education programmes available at Brockholes here.
Education Team
Our Education Team are based at Brockholes and have a huge amount of experience in inspiring young people about the natural world. They are a lively bunch and pride themselves on creating an exciting and memorable experience for your school. You can read about how great our team is here: Meet the Education Team.
Outreach
Can't get to us? Then we can come to you! Our outreach education programme is very popular and offers a wide range of programmes for those who are unable to reach Brockholes.You can view our Outreach Programmes here.
For any information just call us on 01772 872000 for more information, email eduadmin@lancswt.org.uk
Community Groups
Brockholes is a great place to bring your community group, whether it's the Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies or Beavers or a rambling or photography group, there is something for everyone!
As well as exploring our stunning nature reserve you can enjoy an activity such as a guided walk, a mini-beast hunt or an environmental art session.
You can visit Brockholes during the day or we have special community group evenings when the reserve is open beyond our usual opening hours. Group activities usually take place between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
Forest Schools
Forest Schools is a unique outdoor learning experience that improves children's self-esteem, confidence and abilities.
Brockholes provides an inspirational setting for Forest Schools sessions and training, and is conveniently located just off junction 31 of the M6 at Preston.
Our Forest School sessions are designed and delivered by our experienced and fully qualified Education Team including our Level 3 Trained Forest Schools Practioner.
Our next Forest Schools adult training session will be running in October. To find out more about Forest School sessions at Brockholes please call 01772 872017 or email kphillips@lancswt.org.uk
Shop til you flock
Why not drop into our two on-site shops, The Nest and Village Store, which are packed with all sorts of goodies. We've a variety of products from local beverages and food, to cards and books and crafts and jewellery. They are the perfect place to pick up a unique gift... and there's plenty of treats for the little ones too!
The Nest
The Nest is home to an inspiring collection of gifts, jewellery, books, toys, arts & crafts. Discover what's inside The Nest here.
The Village Store
The Village Store stocks a wide range of products, from locally sourced food and drink treats to bird food, garden accessories and wildlife books. Come and look inside here.
Membership of the Wildlife Trust
Brockholes is a Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve. You can become a member today or talk to our friendly staff members and volunteers on your next visit to Brockholes. Gift membership is available in The Nest or you can buy it online here.
Our restaurant is the perfect place to stop and watch the world go by with panoramic views of our lake. Scrumptious homemade dishes and a taste bud tingling selection of Lancashire's finest local produce are all here to tempt you, along with fair trade tea and coffee.
Our restaurant is open from 10am to 5pm.
www.brockholes.org/very-special-occasions
Brockholes is a fantastic place for your very special occasions.
Our floating venue is one of the newest and most unique in Lancashire and promises you and your guests an unforgetable event whatever the occasion.
We have a dedicated function centre that can accomodate weddings, christenings and all sort of functions.
The clean, contemporary finish of our venue means that you have the perfect opportunity to put your own stamp on your event, with a flexible range of catering available from our on-site restaurant.
We have a dedicated Conference and Events Co-ordinator that will be available to help you plan your special occasion.
Very Special Weddings
We had our first wedding celebration September 2011 and since then it's been all go with Wedding Fayres and lots more bookings for this year and next. Find out more about weddings at Brockholes here.
Very Special Christenings
Brockholes is a real family friendly venue for a Christening celebration that you will remember for years to come. Find out more here.
For general enquiries about holding a function at Brockholes please call 01772 872005 or email philip.dunn@brockholes.org.
Committed to Ilford FP4+ using a Hasselblad X-pan and 45 mm lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
How committed am I to this 365? Enough to drink this wine and save the corks so that on a Sunday when I didn't have anything else to shoot I could haul them out, shoot them, and sit back and relax.
7.14.13
Committed to Ilford FP4+ using a Leica M6 and 50 mm Summicron V3 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
since i committed myself to following through with this 52 week photo project, i sucked it up and did a camera toss. to make it nice and safe i did it over my bed and used my monitor as the light source. i put this picture on my monitor for the tosses.
assignment 52 week 14 - camera toss
Committed to Kodak Ektar 100 using a Hasselblad 503 CX, with Zeiss 100 mm f3.5 lens and 55 mm extension ring. Developed with a C-41 kit from Ars-Imago and scanned using an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and levels done with Negative Lab Pro.
Happy Rezz Day to Me!
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- Happy Rezz Day to Me! The longest committed relationship I’ve ever been in is the one I have with my @secondlife avatar. 15 years ago I saw people fighting over land on an episode of Judge Judy and I had to try it out. Over the years we’ve been on again and off again. I’ve been through countless heartbreaks, scandals and name changes 😂 I went from embarrassed to tell people I played to a successful content creator. Along the way I’ve forged so many life changing relationships and friendships and I’m so grateful for those people. Without Second Life, my real life would be so boring LOL so here’s to 15 and 15 more! As long as SL’s around, I will be too!
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georgia hair by punklist - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/PUNKLIST/161/132/2506
hermosa hairbase and bangs by studio exposure - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Stone%20Diamond/123/128/20
ziva earrings by yorke - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Valhalla%20Estates%20Manag...
tahir latex dress by rowne - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rowne/89/107/2006
party balloons (round balloons, tinted by me) by bijou - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/BIJOU%20BLUE/91/113/24
gigi balloons (number balloons, tinted by me) by legna - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dream%20Lake/91/113/24
Listen to my Meet the iPhone Photographer interview here - itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id993249071
Committed to Ilford FP4+ using a Hasselblad X-pan and 45 mm lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
Committed to Ilford HP5+ pushed to 800 using a Leica M6 and 35 mm Summicron v3 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
About my work
Susanna Inglada is an example of a politically committed artist whose work is formally refined, rich in links to art history and, above all, not flattened on a single meaning. From masters like Goya and, among the contemporaries, Leon Golub, she has learned not to turn her eyes away from violence and abuse of power; and from beloved artists like William Kentridge and Paula Rego, she has drawn a crucial lesson as to the inherent complexity and ambiguity of human nature. Her paper theatre, halfway between drawing and sculpture, exposes dynamics of manipulation and aggression, but does not offer us the cheap consolation of believing to be on the right side: it does not give us safe distance – the very spectator is turned into an actor, a character among characters – nor does it allow us to easily distinguish guilty from innocent, oppressor from oppressed, and even tragedy from farce. Where do we draw a line? Lines are windy and entangled in Inglada’s work, as they are in her very drawings – and in daily life. ( text by curator Simone Menegoi)
My good friend Jim totally committed to capturing 'that' sunrise during an early morning excursion at Blackhall Rocks on the Durham coast. Although the long exposure gives the appearance of calm seas it was anything but, causing us to relocate constantly. The inside of my wellies will testify to that!
Committed to Ilford FP4+ using a Leica M6 and 50 mm Summicron V3 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
Committed to Rollei RPX 25 using a Mamiya 645 1000S and 80 mm f1.9 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
Committed to Rollei RPX 25 using a Mamiya 645 1000S and 80 mm f1.9 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
Committed to expired Kodak Portra 160 and Kodak Ektar 100 using a Mamiya 6 with 75 and 50 mm lenses. Developed using a C-41 kit from Ars-Imago and digitised with a digital camera. Positive conversion, colours and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro. Dust cleaning and final tweaks in Photoshop.
Committed to Ilford Delta 400 using a Hasselblad 503 CX and 60 mm lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
This time at Ruddington’s bus event I really committed to going for rides of stuff. The first bus I rode on was NABS’s open top Atlantean ORC 545P in its faux Trent livery, which is also the Notts TV bus used for broadcasting at Splendour. Because they ran out of timetables I had no idea where this was going, so by complete surprise it took us to Rushcliffe Halt station, in East Leake.
Normally buses to here would connect with the heritage trains, but seeing as the trains weren’t running it just ended up being a visit to the station for a look around. A small portacabin was serving tea and snacks, and there was a piece of artwork showing different trains at Rushcliffe Halt made by artists in East Leake. The station itself seems to look different to when I last saw it, though that’s possibly just down to the vegetation being cut back. There’s two platforms and a small wooden waiting shelter on each side, decorated with period parcels, suitcases and a bicycle. Inside one of the shelters was a 00 scale model of the station.
Since I visited trains have begun running at GCRN again, but as far as I can tell they’re only able to use the short spur between Ruddington Fields and the 50-steps footbridge a few hundred yards down the line. Hopefully when trains are back to running the full length of the line, they can run the intense timetable (which I think they used to before?) where two service trains cross in the loop at Rushcliffe Halt.
21.7.24
Committed to Ilford Delta 400 using a Hasselblad 503 CX and 60 mm lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
Committed to Lomography Fantome using a Leica M6 and 35 mm Summicron v3 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago R9 (rodinal) 1:50 as per the suggested times and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro. Dust removal and further contrast adjustment in Photoshop.
" My name is Penny Oliver and I am committed to creating artwork that will inspire and reinvigorate you in your practice of medicine.
By interpreting and translating anatomic, histologic and diagnostic images, I seek to create art that is both beautiful to the layperson and meaningful to the medical professional.
Contact me to see how your work and passion can be transformed into a stunning piece of original art. "
Diagnosis ART, Custom Paintings for the Medical Professional
Copyright Diagnosis Art - All rights reserved - Blog - Facebook - Linkedin - Twitter
by Penny Oliver - all our posts about clear cell adenocarcinoma - cca.
Watch DES videos, read more about Diethylstilbestrol - DES Daughters - DES Sons
the wine was excellent - very refreshing - while I couldn't put down his first book, The Sympathizer, this one is dragging.... not sure if I'm committed to finishing.
Ok, so yesterday I committed my own personal cardinal sin, by uploading something that I wasn't really happy with.
So I took the photo down and worked on this guy a little more, until I was happy with the overall look of the face. I lowered the brow to sort out the eye shape and I sculpted a jaw piece and repainted the teeth (it's not as smooth as I would like, but I don't really think there's much I can do about that).
I also decided to ditch the minigun, as it just looked too big and I wanted the fig to remain a little more true to the original character.
Anyway, hope you like it better this time ; )
Qurac, 4:31, god this has gotten out of hand, completely off course from the original description of the mission. It’s been two weeks, two damn weeks since I came to Qurac. Ruhollah Abbas, he’s my target, the corrupt political leader has committed quite a few crimes recently, violations of human rights to be specific. The Deputy Director assigned me to this mission, I was excited, finally a big mission, I’d get to brag about to all the other guys at work, but this…isn’t much to brag about. But hey, I still have my sniper rifle, a couple days into my mission I had been scoping out the area he would be speaking at the next day. Then some guards saw me, the bullets flew at me, and I thought quickly, I shot at them, from a rather close distance too. Only two of the bullets hit my pursuers, now I only have three left in this round, with one in the chamber, worst part is, one of them got a lucky shot, hit my gun, It’s lodged in there and I don’t know if it’ll affect me when I fire later. Once I escaped my pursuers, I had noticed that I had gotten away with some scrapes, and a mark from a bullet that grazed my arm, the wound was bleeding but not too badly. I had trudged back in the sand, for an hour and a half, I’m sure plenty of people have walked that long, and so have I, but it’s different in Qurac, the large, harsh, desert, the sun’s rays were too much after a while, but I had to get medical attention for this wound, so I put the front part of my suit over my head, blocking the sun. Eventually winds picked up slightly, it whipped in my face, pain was all around me, I didn’t want to move, but I had to keep going. Eventually I realized I was too far away from any civilization, they chased me in the wrong direction, and I was screwed, I found a cavern, not too big, I scouted it, and made a makeshift bandage for my wound. Soon I settled down in the cave.
The next day I continued going forward. By afternoon everything had been “normal” I had trudged along, looking for land, when I found an unexpected surprise in the ground. I believed that I had seen something in a faraway distance, but to make sure it wasn’t a marriage I sat down, attempting to get a different view on it, I had gotten down and put my right hand on the sand to support myself, in my left I had my sniper rifle, but I felt like relaxing completely, taking advantage of the rest stop, so I threw it to the side, then as I began to put my hand down, I saw a shiny glimmer from the corner of my eye, as my left hand began to rest, I looked around, and I recognized it, a landmine, I had put enough pressure that if I took my hand off of it, no more left arm. I waited for a couple minutes, then took some of my rations out of my shirt’s pocket, and slowly, replaced my hand with it, I swiped my left hand off, and sprinted away from it, then I threw a rock on it, blowing it up, that was one of my closest encounters with death in my career so far. Soon enough I finally found a town, a small one, but good enough, I went to get some food, but I realized most of my money was in the same pack my rations were, I only had the equivalent of $6, with that much I was able to schedule a ride back to the place where Abbas would be speaking. But what happened on the ride there was very unexpected.
“Young man, are you in need of supplies?”
“No, well yes...but I spent the rest of my money on this ride, but thanks.”
“I’ll give you this, as a gift” he bends over, and hands me a bow, and one arrow.
“Use this, for whatever you’re about to do, and if I were you I’d zip that bag up” I then looked over to see that my rifle was sticking out, I quickly stuffed it in farther, while looking quite embarrassed.
“Thanks, but why’d you give me a weapon, you don’t even know me, I could be a criminal.”
“You mentioned our leader before, and once I saw your gun, I put two and two together, so now I’ll help you” I smile, and nod my head, glad that I have another option, even if I shouldn’t have to use this one.
“My son…he fought against him, and was killed, now I want you to help me” emotion surges through me, I feel grateful that I was given this, I feel pain from all those days in the desert, and now, I feel sadness, knowing just how this man has affected all these people, but most of all, I feel determined, with motivation surging through me, enough to get me through this mission.
“Alright, just know this, your son didn’t die for nothing, he’ll be remembered” we talked for a bit more but that didn’t matter. I’d hung around in town for a while, a couple days to be exact, wait for the next public appearance, and about an hour before this big speech today, I made my way to an empty area, the perfect range for my rifle. Now, we’re back where we began.
Once he starts to give the speech, I know it’s time, I begin to ready my rifle, I aim at him, one shot to the head will finish him off. I pull the trigger…and nothing happens, shit, my rifle, one of my most efficient weapons in my arsenal, reduced to this. Suddenly heat fills the weapon, and I throw it to the side, an overload causes the gun to blow out it’s insides, with sparks flying from it, my only other option, the bow and arrow. With no scope I have to rely on my eyes, my skill, and my good luck.
I really focus on his head as I draw my bow, all these thoughts swirl about, I hope I can be forgiven for all the times I’ve killed while on duty, and let it be known, it was done for my country, I hope this doesn’t cause more problems here, and that his death, stops some of the crimes, hopefully I’ll get out of here, will I die here, can I make it, and the most prominent thing, I’ve gotta make this last resort work, oh god all this stuff building in me, IT’S GOTTA WORK, then…nothing, the tension is released as I hear that sound.
ZIIING
I Open my eyes and see it, the arrow flies, and hits him, clean, through the head, he’s done, his criminal actions will be judged throughout time, but he will never go to a real court, for on this day I was judge, jury, and executioner, two weeks finally paid off, and thanks to what I least expected, the last weapon I thought to use in my Arsenal, and I think I’m beginning to like it a lot. I pull out a small capsule, and remove part of it, which shows a single button, I press it and run, now they know I finished the mission, and soon my CIA buddies will come flying in at the LZ, so I got to get there fast. As I run off into the distance, using every bit of energy I have, I know I did the right thing for the people here, for the people of the world, an evil dictator, gone, I don’t care about my ragged clothes, my tired grizzled appearance, right now, I’m in the clear, and I’m on my way home.
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Well this is my second app for an else worlds character, I put quite a bit of work into it and am pretty proud of it, normally I'd do a DCSG character, since I prefer sticking to source material, but recently i was struck with a bout of inspiration, to write a story about Roy Harper, If i get accepted I would probably make a trilogy of these, and maybe more someday. I hope you enjoy this take on Roy Harper, if you liked it comment below saying what you liked about it, thanks and have a good day.
I'm simply convinced on where I'm goin', I'm committed
I promise if I fly, or if I fail, I won't regret it
I'm workin' on my temper, tryna be more empathetic
'Cause Kyrie gave me years on the couch, I'm still indebted
I'm workin' on my money and my word and on my credit
But they think that I'm lazy what I'm readin' on my Reddit
Momma kidneys failin', and plus she pre-diabetic
Future lookin' shredded, drown you if you let it
Nigga, you are lookin' at a Chicago da Vinci
Came up from the gutter, where the chopper's complimentary
How'd I get this far, sometimes it's hard to put it simply
Things you'll only learn when you watch the documentary
I ain't never been a wrestler, I ain't been up under pressure
I ain't never felt the stretch at all
I ain't never playin' dress up
I ain't talkin' when they pull up to arrest us, nigga, that's the law, uh
I ain't never been a liar, I ain't never been no wire
I ain't never scared to fire y'all
I'm standin' here in the heart
I'm ready for a fuckin' war, uh
I ain't never been a taker
I ain't never scared of vapor
I ain't never did no niggas wrong
I ain't never been a liar
I ain't never play Mariah
I ain't never sang a different song
I ain't never been a ducker
I ain't never been a sucker
On the Bible or on the Quran, uh
See, I don't care if we don't get along
It's what I offer though…
Committed to Ilford FP4+ using a Hasselblad X-pan and 45 mm lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
Committed to Ferrania P30 using a Leica M6 and 50 mm Summicron V3 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
The Bridge of Lions has been rebuilt and updated for the times, and the proud and beautiful lions that seem like sentries on either side of it have been returned to their posts after all of the construction. It was a bit disconcerting several years ago when they were working on the new bridge, and the lions were removed from the site, as they have become such iconic fixtures of the area and are loved by all.
Many legends revolve around this old city. St. Augustine is considered the oldest in the country, and as such has the history and stories to go along with its title. The legend of the lions was that when the artist created them, he forgot to carve the tongues in their mouths, and was so distraught that he committed suicide as a result! From what I've read, this is not true, but has been perpetuated for decades. it's part of the charm of the place; a city with both Spanish and English roots, with a little French thrown in. With tall ships frequently in the harbor, and some of the old buildings still standing, St. Augustine can seem a little like a step back in time.
Committed photo for Maura Taurog's model book
Model: Maura Taurog
Photo&Edit: Daniele Eberhardt ]RagDoll[GraphicArt
Oil on cardboard
Clarice Beckett was committed to painting en plein air. But it wasn't just a matter of being outdoors that thrilled her, it was about trying to capture the world of her times. As in the photography of the pictorialists, most artists of her day sought out subjects of beauty. Beckett also painted still lifes, and these were to have a big impact on the much later work of Margaret Olley (1923-2011).
But Clarice Beckett was influenced by the emerging stream of Modernist photographers who were trying to document the everyday world - warts and all. No subject was out of bounds, whether it be petrol pumps. motor cars, or advertising signs. We'll never know the full extent of her commitment to these artistic values because most of her work has been destroyed. Barely 600 paintings and sketches survived out of the thousands of paintings she made in her short lifetime.
But this sketch of a petrol station does show us a lot about her compositional techniques (strong vertical lines giving structure, diagonal leading lines, a viewpoint looking up into the subject, and of course impressionistic colour).
Committed to Rollei RPX 25 using a Mamiya 645 1000S and 80 mm f1.9 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago FD as per the Massive Dev chart and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro.
Committed to Lomography Fantome using a Leica M6 and 35 mm Summicron v3 lens. Developed using Ars-Imago R9 (rodinal) 1:50 as per the suggested times and scanned with an Epson V850 using Silverfast. Positive conversion and contrast done with Negative Lab Pro. Dust removal and further contrast adjustment in Photoshop.
When you look upon a tomb stone, all most people see is just that, an empty grave site. But if you can look closer perhaps another story can unfold. So was the case of a distant relative of mine.
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Arthur LeClair was Murdered Dec. 22, in 1907 in Neche, North Dakota and was a distant family member of mine. He was murdered by his best friend. It made headlines in the surrounding towns. A very interesting story to read with a "surprise ending".
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The Pink Paper
Bathgate, Pembina Co, North Dakota
December 25, 1907
HORRIBLE MURDER
ARTHUR LECLAIR OF NECHE
KILLED WITH A HATCHET
Suspect arrested at Bathgate on Monday
Coroner’s inquest to be held today.
On Monday morning this city was greatly stirred up over a phone message to the effect that Arthur LeClair, well known to our young people, had been murdered the previous evening at Neche.
Inquiry at the chronotype office brought the following information. Arthur had been about town on Sunday evening until about 11:15 p.m. when he started home along.
That was the last seen as he did not go home, that night, his father became some what worried over his absence. He called the residence of Robert Faulker, a neighbor, and the two started to look for him. They thought he might have gone to the ice rink on the river near the Great Northern Railroad crossing and perhaps had fallen in some way and injured himself. When within a few hundred feet of the dam they came across a pool of blood but were not especially alarmed, thinking it, that of some animal. They followed the bloody trail and shortly came on a small axe or hatchet covered with blood and as they approached the dam they saw Arthur’s hat at the head of it. By this time they were fully aroused to the seriousness of the situation. There was blood down the apron of the dam and a small opening consequent on the flow of water but the body could not be seen. Mr. Faulker went to his residence near by and secured an axe and enlarged the opening a few feet when they saw the body of Arthur under the water and the remains were quickly recovered and taken to the residence of his parents. His face was not disfigured but there was a large gash in the back of his head through which his blood flowed.
The Lampman family and others of Neche people heard screams the previous evening about the hour Arthur must have started for home but thought it was probably some late roysters from across the line and paid no particular attention to it. At this hour of going to press nothing definite seems to have developed regarding the murderer or the cause of the crime.
As is usual in such cases the air is full of rumors, the most authentic of which connects the name of a Negro transient with the crime. The Negro is said to have been seen in Arthur’s company on Sunday and later in the day was evidently under the influence of liquor. He was in Neche until Monday morning when he left afoot in a southerly direction and stopped at the Vospers, Hicks, Messacres and other places and reach Bathgate shortly after noon. Marshall O’Harra received notice that the Negro was probably in this place and was wanted as a suspect. O’Harra soon rounded him up and he was taken back to Neche by officers. So far as we are able to learn the evidence against the suspect is purely circumstantial. The inquest will probably develop farther facts.
Arthur LeClair resided at Neche since his birth, with his parents and was 21 years of age. He has been engaged for some time past as fireman on the Neche and Walhalla branches of the Great Northern Railroad. He was at home to spend the holidays. The Neche people are aroused and will see that the matter is sifted to the bottom and the murderer brought to justice. It was evidently the most cold blooded and shocking murders ever committed in this county and no expense should be spared on the part of the county officials to make the investigation most thorough.
Coroner Bour of St. Thomas has been notified but not in time to get to the scene of the crime on Monday.
The Pink Paper
Bathgate, Pembina Co, North Dakota
January 1, 1907
The funeral of Arthur LeClair took place on Thursday. The body was taken from the LeClair home to the R. C. church, where a very brief and simple service was said by Rev Fr. Fobes. The casket was covered with floral tributes, and the hearse was followed by a large delegation of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fireman, of which Arthur was a member, with whom marched a number of other friends of the dead boy, forming quite a procession. Interment was made in the Catholic cemetery here.
The Pink Paper
****Jan. 1, 1907****
Mr. Eli Roy, father of Mrs. Fred LeClair, and Mrs. J. Roy, sister-in-law of same, of St. Jean, Manitoba, arrived on Tuesday, calied by the death of Arthur LeClair.
The Pink Paper
Jan. 8, 1908
NECHE MURDER
-------------
WAS ONE OF THE MOST LAMENTABLE
CRIMES EVER COMMITTED IN
PEMBINA COUNTY
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James O’Brien, of Neche made a complete confession of the murder of Arthur LeClair, the Great Northern Fireman, Sunday. The 16 year old slayer gave up the details of his crime to J. C. Crawford a Pinkerton detective, who had been working on the case.The confession came after he had been confronted with his bloody clothing, hatchet with which the crime had been committed a bloody scarf and other evidences of his guilt. When the news was broken to the father of O’Brien, for years a resident of Neche and Customs Officer there, he broke down completely. Fred LeClair the father of the murdered boy called on him in an endeavor to console him.
Detective Crawford, 18 years in the business, had quite a time getting the murderer to confess. He worked various schemes and was finally successful, after picturing to the boy, the certainty of his conviction, and calling his attention to the great expense with which his father would be burdened, in case he fought the case in District Court.
The following is the complete confession of young O’Brien: To J.C. Crawford Pinkerton Detective.
On Sunday December 22, 1907, LeClair and I went to Gretna twice and drank each time. Coming back the second time both of us were quarreling as to who was the Best Man and LeClair said he could lick three O’Brien’s and I got mad. When we left Cook’s shop, I made an excuse to go out to the closet and I got a hatchet and we started for the rink. When we got down there he made some remarks about fighting me and he put one foot behind me and threw me over. I got up and he hit me and I hit him with a hatchet and after I saw what I had done, I hit him again and took his pocketbook and threw it in the river. I got the hatchet from behind the house where the ice is kept. I threw the body over the bank and followed the body down the bank, I think I had hold of him by the collar and dropped him right at the head of the dam, in the river. James O’Brien-
Witness (to Confession)
J.H. Anderson
J.C. Fielding
George Roadhouse
I James O’Brien, do voluntarily make a statement in my own handwriting and of my own free will before witness, J.C. Fielding and Geo. Roadhouse, that the contents and page no. 2 is a true statement of how I, James O’Brien, killed Arthur LeClair on Sunday, December 22, 1907. I have written this statement for the purpose of telling the truth on my part and have not shield anyone, as there was nobody implicated but myself.
_James O’Brien
Dated Sunday, December 22, 1907
Witness- Geo. Roadhouse
-J.C. Fielding
An effort was made yesterday to locate the money claimed by O’Brien to have been thrown in the Pembina River. Ice was broken but the money was not found. It is thought probable that O’Brien had not told the truth about the quarrel with LeClair and the disposition of the money. LeClair was not of a quarrelsome disposition and it is the general opinion, that he was killed in Cold Blood.
Although the above confession has been since shown by the boy murderer himself to have been in part a lie, it contains at least one horrible truth-James O’Brien foully murdered his friend. Whether he committed the crime as he relates it or whether he stepped behind LeClair and dealt the blow that felled him to the ground-interrupting perhaps a friendly conversation to do this deep most dark and damnable-will perhaps never be known except to him who has forever quitted god’s good sunshine for the light of a felon’s cell, who has forever breathed his last of the sweet air of liberty.
To return to the proceedings of the Saturday session of the coroner’s inquest. James O’Brien was the principal witness. He did not waver as he told states attorney Brynjolfson lie for lie; he did not change color when his gray haired father was forced to undergo the ordeal of accounting for his son’s movements the night of the murder; he did not blush for shame when his sorrow stricken mother was called upon to tell of the hatchet with which he had slain his chum; he did not even shudder when confronted with his own garments in which he knew was dried the blood of Arthur LeClair yet the meshes of the law were already about the boy, and he felt them tighten when he was place under arrest by sheriff Roadhouse Saturday evening. He must have realized that his guilt was known when he was taken to Pembina and place in a cell, in the county jail, but never, do we think, has he realized the enormity of his crime. He sang and whistled in his cell, and managing to lift the window, called to his acquaintances and held converse with them.
Pinkerton detective Crawford was admitted to O’Brien cell on Sunday afternoon, he told the boy that his guilt was known and that the proofs were positive He told him that one or two fates surely awaited him-hanging or life imprisonment. He told him that his crime was of a nature that merited hanging, and that the law had so inexorably provided. O’Brien still maintained his innocence. The detective told him that if the case came to trail and the prisoner entered a pea of not guilty, his guilt would surely be proven to the jury, and the Judge would undoubtedly be obligated, in view of the conclusive evidence submitted, to give him to the gallows. He told the boy that if he plead not guilty his father would, beggar himself in his defense, and all to no end-the result would be the same- a verdict of guilt. Still the boy protested that he had nothing to do with the murder of Arthur LeClair. Then the Pinkerton man told Jimmie that there were others suspected of complicity, and that a confession from him would not only cause sympathy as could be extended a murderer for himself, but would accelerate the ends of justice, while on the contrary if he, the prisoner, remained silent he could expect no mercy if found guilty, and a stigma of doubt would forever attach to the names of some perhaps innocent people. Already, the detective urges, the prisoner’s parents had suffered the pangs and pains of heartbreak, and by maintaining his innocence to the end, they would be further humiliated and their shame and sorrow held up to the gaze of all men, O’Brien was still obdurate. Then, after the detective had presented all these arguments in every light-and sympathy for the unfortunate boy perhaps made him eloquent-Jimmie at last burst into tears, and laying his head on Mr. Crawford knee’s confessed that he “did it alone.” Both the prisoner and the detective were now weeping. The confession followed which the boy-murderer has since himself proven to be a lie with the exception of the one all important fact-his hand, and his alone, dealt the blows that drove the life from the body of Arthur LeClair.
States-attorney Brynjolfson was called at once. O’Brien wrote with a lead pencil the confession which appears foregoing, in the presence of the witnesses whose names are there unto, subscribed. On Monday morning detective Crawford drove to Neche with the confession in his pocket, and proceeded to publish it to the townspeople. Everyone-even the family of the murderer-experience a feeling of great relief. Everyone had been morally certain-as certain as men can be before a trail by judge and jury-that James O’Brien had been the main actor in the hideous drama enacted on the night of December 22, but the demeanor of the murderer and the peculiar character of the trail made by dragging the body from the river bank to the hole below the dam-which indicated to those whose good judgment was recognized and respected that two had dragged the corpse, one at the head and one at the feet-led may to a belief that O’Brien had at least one accomplice. When it was learned that no one else had been in any way concerned in the commission of the crime everyone breathed freer, and to some the knowledge came as a relief from doubt and suspense.
*
*
After the inquest the prisoner made a request that he be allowed to see his parents before he was taken back to jail. The request was granted. In the intervening time, before his father could come to see him, he managed to communicate with one of the town boys to the effect that he would “find something, if he look under the rocks at the dam”. The officers were at once apprised of this statement, and a thorough search was made of the place mentions, which revealed nothing but three lead pencils found hidden under a stone. When the prisoner was allowed to see his father the latter on his knees begged his son to tell what had been done with the money. “I burned it,” was the reply. The search for the money by cutting ice below the dam was now discontinued. Shortly the prisoner left his parents, he told the detective that if he would allow, the place where the money was hidden would be revealed. The officer went with the boy to his father barn, and in the loft from under a handful of twine on a beam the boy took seventy dollars six five and four ten dollar bills. This O’Brien vowed was all the money he had taken from LeClair, the pocketbook he said he had burned in the kitchen stove. Sheriff Roadhouse took his prisoner back to Pembina Tuesday evening. Since then he has further amended his original confession by admitting that he had no quarrel with LeClair. This marks every vestige of the original confession as untruth, with the exception of the bare fact of the murder.
Detective Crawford on Wednesday secured a sworn affidavit from a seventeen year old boy who was a eye witness to the murder. The boy was
going home from Giadue’s rink that night about 11:15, and when coming up the road that runs along the river bank he saw figures ahead of him, and by their conversation recognized them as Arthur LeClair and James O’Brien. He was at this time standing about 60 feet from the spot where the murder occurred. As the boy relates it in his affidavit a conversation like this ensued between O’Brien; O’Brien-”Come on, Goose, let’s go down to the rink.” LeClair-”No, I'm sick; I’m going home and to bed.” O’Brien-”If you’re sick, lets walk to the woods-walk off your jag.” LeClair-”No, “I’m going home to bed.” O’Brien-”What you afraid of the wolves?” LeClair-Not afraid of anything, but I’m going home to bed.” The boy who had over heard this conversation saw the murder done. He ran home in terror, told his father what he had heard and seen, and begged him not to tell for fear “they might do something to him for it .” The affidavit was given on condition that the boy’s name would not be disclosed. It proves that there was nothing like a quarrel or a scuffle just before the murder. The thing was done in cold blood-a murder most foul.
O’Brien was given a preliminary hearing at Pembina Thursday. He plead guilty and was bound over to the session of the District court for sentence. It is believed he will receive a sentence of life imprisonment. The character of his crime would indicate that he can receive nothing less than this-If indeed, he escapes the hangman.
The Pink Paper
Jan. 15, 1908
CRIMINAL CALENDER
James O’Brien, aged 16 years, was sentenced at Pembina to life imprisonment for the murder of Arthur LeClair the Great Northern Fireman at Neche on Dec. 22th.
O’BRIEN PLEADED GUILTY
An appeal for clemency was made by John F. Conmy, attorney for the prisoner. Attorney Conmy pointed to the youth of the prisoner and the fact that he had become intoxicated as a result of saloons being kept open illegally at Gretna (Canada) on Sunday. As attorney Conmy pleaded for him O’Brien broke down and wept.
Judge W. J. Kneeshaw spoke for about 15 minutes to the prisoner and his remarks were intended as much for the great crowd assembled in the court room. He pictured O’Brien as one who had given away to his baser feelings and who was not about to pay the penalty. Bad habit, disregard for the law and the rights of others finally ended in the murder of a friend for a paltry sum of money.
A foul murder has been committed in Neche, by a boy of tender years, only sixteen years of age. He comes of a good family but had previous to
committing this crime built up an unsavory reputation. We do not know why. Whether improper administration of the parent is responsible for the acts of a boy so young can not always be determined. But waywardness and evil tendencies manifest themselves in a character at premature age and then is the time to apply or administer the remedy. Keep track of the boy and try and see that he does not frequent places of questionable demeanor that fill the atmosphere with the fumes of moral perversion. See to it that he selects
Good and Virtuous companions and guide him along the pathway of youth in
such manner that no one can point a finger of scorn at you for delinquency in parental duties. The church, the Sunday school, the home and the Public school have that boy in their care and his future is molded by the influences and environments of youth. “As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined”, if you deem yourself a good father or mother keep your eye on your boy.
O’Brien father was present in the court room with the boy. The old man is over come with sorrow and the disgrace the boy had brought upon him.
O’Brien was taken to the penitentiary Saturday evening.
Before passing sentence Judge Kneeshaw said;
“You are accused of murder in the first degree for the murder of Arthur LeClair, aforethought, with premeditated design to effect the death of Arthur LeClair; then and there assaulted and beat him with a hatchet from which he died. Have you any reason why the court should not sentence you?”
PLEA FOR O’BRIEN
J. P. Conmy, counsel for the defendant, in reply said:
“At this time, before sentence is pronounced, we wish to say a few words. We know just the position in which the court is placed in this case according to the law. However, we throw our self upon the mercy of the court and ask for clemency. Consider the character of the accused. He is not a hardened and unfeeling criminal. We do not mean that there should be no punishment for crime, on account of the tender age-but we do feel that in this case where a boy has confessed. In such a case, your honor, we believe that there is due clemency from this court. However, now that matters have been placed before you in their true light, that the accused stands before you readily, bear in mind the youthfulness of the lad-life is sweet to him-and the heartrending of his parents. Extend to him all the clemency in your power. This confession was not given to obtain the mercy of the court. It was given by James O’Brien with the purpose of removing the doubt, if there was any, from others and to prevent any further torture to his parents. On the circumstances surrounding the crime let me dwell. Let me introduce to you the surrounding which have assailed the life of the accused, the bars, and saloons of Grenta, the one necessary qualification being the price. How easy to pass from one station to the other. Think of the temptations which surrounded your life, of the temptations of any boy at the age of 16. How easy then it was to fall into temptations, which robbed him of his senses from unlawful administration of others. While we ask clemency we know the position in which the court is placed. His confession was made to free all others on whom the shadow of doubt might rest.”
COURT TO THE ACCUSED
Judge Kneeshaw said to James O’Brien:
“The law of this state when a defendant pleads guilty to a charge of murder provides that if he pleads guilty to murder in the second degree it then devolves into murder and the court may then examine witnesses in order to inquire into the enormity of the crime, or he may call in a jury to pass on the punishment, or he may refuse to pass on the plea and submit the case to a jury. In this case I have decided to receive the plea of guilty in the first degree and I will say that by so doing I have been placed in a very trying position. You, James O’Brien, I have known since you were a baby, and I have known your father and mother for 30 years. They are some of the old settlers in the county, and when I say old settlers of the Red River valley I mean they consist of the best people that ever lived. I have known your father when I was a young man, and learned to like him as a brother, and it is indeed, a trying thing for me to pass sentence upon you. I have no doubt that the bars of Gretna are largely responsible for the death of LeClair. No person can realize that a boy your age could ever commit a crime as been developed in this case. No more dastardly deed has ever been committed in this county.
JUDICIAL MURDER
“The penalty provided for such crime is death or imprisonment for life. In this case I will say and I feel proud to be able to say that I consciously do not believe that capital punishment is justifiable. Hanging is nothing but judicial murder. There is no excuse for a state to take a man out in cold blood and hang him by the neck. Most people of the present day believe hanging is a relic of barbarism. Now, Jimmie, you can see what whisky, and bad company have brought upon you. You can realize that in cold blood, you killed your chum and brought him before God and his maker. You can see what trouble rests upon your parents and all on account of whisky and bad company. I have noticed that during the proceedings you have shed many tears. I am glad of that. I believe that when a boy is able to shed tears and show that he is penitent that there is some hope that he may repent. This is indeed not only to you and boys of this country of the bad effects of whisky and I hope that everyone in my hearing will take this home with them. Now, Jimmie, I will have to sentence you. I hope that god’s holy spirit may be with you and help you and guide you in your future life. I think I have expressed to you all I can on this line.
“The sentence of the court is that you James O’Brien, shall be confined in the state penitentiary in the county of Burleigh, state of North Dakota, at hard labor for the rest of your natural life, commencing at 12 o’clock noon today.”
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Epilogue:
When World War I broke out the army needed bodies and promised any one in prison who would serve in the army, and survived, would be offered a pardon when the war ended. As luck would have it O’Brien served throughout the war without a scratch. After the war he returned to Neche. However, the local people would have nothing to do with him and shunned him. After a short time he left and was never seen or heard from again.
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Family Church is on mission to make disciples of Jesus in the places where we live, work and play. We are continuing a legacy of people committed to taking the gospel—the good news that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried and raised from the dead—to the ends of the earth.
We were founded as the First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach in 1901 when there were fewer than 1,000 people living in the city. A small group met first in a home, then in the city’s reading room and then in a donated building on Clematis Street. As the church grew, we changed location and acquired buildings and property to accommodate the growth. Our current downtown worship center was built in the year 1965. Over the years, buildings have come and gone but our church has reinvented herself to continue spreading the gospel in South Florida.
This mission is more important now than ever before. There are an estimated 1.4 million people in Palm Beach County and 96% of them remain unconnected to God and His church. When Pastor Jimmy Scroggins came as our Lead Pastor in 2008, he brought to us a vision to plant 100 neighborhood churches. We want to more effectively go out to reach people rather than expecting them to come to us.
We are growing as a multicultural, multigenerational and multisite church. The name “Family Church” incorporates this vision and has allowed us to plant campuses across Palm Beach County and beyond. Our church planting residency program trains bi-vocational campus pastors as well as other pastors and ministry leaders in areas such as worship, assimilation, adults, students, kids and operations. These men and women are planting churches all over South Florida—turning a vision into a reality.
Each Family Church campus has been launched by a group of courageous individuals who are willing to go and make disciples. God raised up our first church plant, Family Church Abacoa in October 2010, out of a partnership between Family Church Downtown and Central Baptist Church. Our first Spanish-speaking campus, Iglesia Familiar Downtown, was launched in January 2011 and expanded in April 2014 when we partnered with Centro Familiar Cristiano to form Iglesia Familiar Greenacres. We are intentionally reaching out to the fastest-growing demographic in our area — those whose heart language is Spanish.
Family Church West was launched in October 2013 to reach our western communities, and Family Church Sherbrooke joined them to the south in October 2014. Then in March 2015, believing they would be better together, Family Church Abacoa partnered with Palm Beach Community Church to become Family Church Gardens. Continuing to pursue the vision of planting 100 neighborhood churches, Family Church Gardens launched the first Family Church “grandbaby,” Family Church Jupiter, in October 2015. We all partnered with the Church in The Farms and Harvest Bible Chapel in October 2016 to launch Family Church in The Farms.
God is still writing our story. There is no master plan other than His. We constantly challenge each other to be His ambassadors, joining God in the work He is doing to reconcile broken people to Himself. At each campus, we are committed to teach the Bible, build families and love our neighbors. We are on mission to be the church OUT THERE, helping people discover and pursue God’s design.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
Just as I was leaving the park, I see this lady coming out with the crutches. I had to have this pic. What sells it for me is the way the son is looking at his mom!
Having shut himself off from access to Heaven and having several times repeated—within ever narrower limits—his initial fall, man has ended by losing his intuition of everything that transcends himself, and he has thereby sunk below his own nature, for one cannot be fully man except through God, and the earth is beautiful only through its link with Heaven. Even when a man still believes, he forgets more and more what religion really demands: he is astonished at the calamities of this world, without its occurring to him that they may be acts of grace since—like death—they rend the veil of earthly illusion and thus allow man “to die before dying”, hence to conquer death.
Many people imagine that purgatory or hell are for those who
have killed, stolen, lied, committed fornication, and so on and that it suffices to have abstained from these actions to merit Heaven; in reality the soul is consigned to the flames for not having loved God or for not having loved Him enough; this can be understood if we recall the supreme Law of the Bible: to love God with all our faculties and all our being. The absence of this love does not necessarily involve murder or lying or some other transgression, but it does necessarily involve indifference; and indifference, which is the most generally widespread of faults, is the very hallmark of the fall.
It is possible for the indifferent not to be criminals, but it is
impossible for them to be saints; it is they who go in by the “wide gate” and follow the “broad way”, and it is of them that Revelation says, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth” (3:16).
Indifference toward truth and toward God borders on pride and is not free from hypocrisy; its seeming harmlessness is full of complacency and arrogance; in this state of soul the individual is content with himself even if he accuses himself of minor faults and appears modest, which in fact commits him to nothing but on the contrary reinforces his illusion of being virtuous. It is this criterion of indifference that makes it possible for the “average man” to be so to speak “caught in the act”, for the most surreptitious and insidious of vices to be as it were taken by the throat, and for every man to have his poverty and distress proven to him; in short it is indifference that is “original sin” or its most general manifestation.
Indifference is diametrically opposed to spiritual impassibility
or contempt of vanities as well as to humility. True humility is to know that we can add nothing to God and that, even if we possessed all possible perfections and had accomplished
the most extraordinary works, our disappearance would take nothing away from the Eternal.
Even believers themselves are for the most part too indifferent to feel concretely that God is not only “above” us “in Heaven”, but also “ahead” of us, at the end of the world or even simply at the end of our life; that we are drawn through life by an inexorable force and that at the end of the course God awaits us; that the world will be submerged and swallowed up one day by an unimaginable irruption of the purely miraculous—unimaginable because surpassing all human experiences and standards of measurement. Man cannot possibly draw on his experience to bear witness to anything of the kind any more than a mayfly can expatiate on the alternation of the seasons; for a creature that is born at midnight and whose life will last but a day, the rising of the sun can in no way enter into the series of its habitual sensations; the sudden appearance of the solar disk, unforeseeable by reference to any analogous phenomenon that had occurred during the long hours of darkness, would seem like an unheard of and apocalyptic prodigy. Now it is thus that God will come. There will be nothing but this one advent, this one presence, and by it the world of experiences will be shattered.
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Frithjof Schuon: Light on The Ancient Worlds