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Currently dog sitting for my daughter Kate who presented us with our first grandchild at 07:57 on 07/08/25 a baby girl called Margot.
Rainy day today, quiet around the house, miss my own home, worn but well.
Enjoying being artful again, even if it is only a little. Hopeful that I will get to dig in and be wrist deep in paint and glue this weekend. Need some studio time badly...have some mixed media pieces, collages, in mind and my muse is burning so brightly she is threatening to scorch my insides out just to be free...
near to far. grey. off white, white, black, navy, blue, green, red, pink, yellow, orange, golden tan, tan, chocolate & Brown. White with red laces enroute :)
Big Spring is the first spring I visited on my Missouri springs tour. I was running late and didn't arrive until after sunset so I wasn't anticipating any photography, but I grabbed my camera as soon as I pulled up and saw the fog shrouding the spring. I doubt I'd have found it if it wasn't so noisy
286,000,000 gallons of water coming out of the ground tends to make a little noise. That's the average daily flow, which makes it the largest spring in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world.
This is a 30 second exposure taken at the edge of twilight. It was so dark I essentially had to guess the composition and exposure.
Missouri Ozarks Spring Tour Blog Post
MDC 75th Anniversary Photo Contest
Habitats and landscapes
Winds bear down on the ocean to create surface currents, seen here swirling off the coast of Florida in this NASA-created image, a still capture from a 4-minute excerpt of "Dynamic Earth: Exploring Earth's Climate Engine," a fulldome, high-resolution movie playing at planetariums around the world.
The excerpt explores the fundamental power of the sun and how its energy drives the climate on Earth, and is made up entirely of new visualizations -- created by NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio -- that illustrate NASA satellite and model data of a coronal mass ejection from the sun, Earth's magnetic fields, and winds and ocean currents circulating around our planet.
To see the full, narrated excerpt, go to: youtu.be/ujBi9Ba8hqs
These visualizations were recently accepted to be shown at the SIGGRAPH 2012 computer animation conference. To read more about this, go to:
www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/dynamic-earth.html
The excerpt was also the basis for the 100th story released through the Scientific Visualization Studio's iPad app, called NASA Visualization Explorer. To see the app story in web form and to download the app, go to:
Clockwise from top right - Life booklet of index cards bound in leather; green postcard bag; large Midori Traveler's notebook with Blackwing pencil; dark brown Life notebook cover (for books and iPad); Kaweco rollerball pen with leather case; MT washi tape; Traveler's stamp; golden clip from Japan; Faber-Castell Ambition fountain pen in Pearwood
currently on transfer to East/West Scotland from Dover, via repaint at Bus & Coach World, Blackburn.
With the current lack of any bus-related events going on, alternative entertainment is being provided by what some of us refer to as 'Rail Replacement Running Days'.
Searching through the SWR Planned Engineering Works list revealed that on 26/07/2020 Virginia Water would be the hub of activity by seeing Staines-Reading (fast & slow), Staines-Woking and Staines-Aldershot services all pass through on hourly services.
The Reading runs were each worked by a pair of double-deckers with single-deckers working alone on the other two services.
I caught the comings and goings at Virginia Water, Bracknell and Staines on a busy day for the camera.
.
Today, the 22nd of July, I took
care of my last appointment.
The government has now opened up
the "local" healthcare in order to give
everybody, including foreigners their
covid boosters. Remember around
the end of last year I was taken a
very long ways away twice to get
the first two injections of Pfizer.
So mid morning my brother-in-law
took me over for a booster. Found
out I need two more injections ;-0-
Well today was my third injection.
Thailand is having a large up tic
in covid cases and is once
again trying to catchup.
Horse is already out of the barn !
So what does all this mean you ask ?
It means soon as this's uploaded
I'm going to take a long nap ;-)
But first lets discuss more important stuff.
Wednesday, early morning, we were in
the m/c field and it was a soggy disaster.
At 11:AM that same morning it started
monsoon raining cats and dogs ;-0--
And it has not let up even a little bit.
The river is way high, and way fast !
Many provinces have flood warnings.
So I'm thinking maybe tomorrow
early morning would be a blast
2 push our luck at the m/c field.
Haven't told no# 1 about this plan yet.
Probably wait till we're leaving to
let her know about the plan.
Anyway, I'm burning out fast.
Catch ya on the rebound ;-)
Thank You.
Jon&Crew.
Please help with your temple dog donations here.
www.gofundme.com/saving-thai-temple-dogs.
Please,
No Political Statements, Awards, Invites,
Large Logos or Copy/Pastes.
© All rights reserved.
.
The swollen Current River in Van Buren Missouri by Notley Hawkins Photography. Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens at ƒ/18.0 with a 3.2 second exposure at ISO 200. Processed with Adobe Lightroom CC.
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©Notley Hawkins
In September 1944 the German forces dynamited the bridge so it was replaced by the current bridge built between 1946 and 1950. It is composed of three arches of reinforced concrete covered with stone Hauteville. Its current name was given on 27 January 1964.
The current Reichstag dome is a glass dome, constructed on top of the rebuilt Reichstag building in Berlin. It was designed by architect Norman Foster and built to symbolize the reunification of Germany. The distinctive appearance of the dome has made it a prominent landmark in Berlin.
The Reichstag dome is a large glass dome with a 360 degree view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape. The debating chamber of the Bundestag, the German parliament, can be seen down below. A mirrored cone in the center of the dome directs sunlight into the building, and so that visitors can see the working of the chamber. [Wikipedia]
Palmdale, CA
6/12/17
This Mack Autoreach is an ex Waste Management of the Desert (Palm Desert) truck that currently resides in Palmdale, 135 miles from Palm Desert. In 2006 Waste Management of the Desert sold all their assets and contracts to Burrtec. Before Burrtec took over, this Mack Autoreach was relocated to Corona along with 4 other Autoreach ASL's. In 2011 after recieving several Recycle Long Beach Mack Wittke Curotto Cans, Corona sent 4 ex WM of the Desert Autoreaches to Palmdale and 1 to G.I.
WMmaster626 and I decided to make a trip to Palmdale (and a pitstop at Blue Barrel Disposal) once we found out Palmdale recently received new LNG Peterbilt Amreps. There were several different trucks we wanted to find, but our first priority was a ex WM of the Desert Autoreach before they are gone. The driver Janel was very nice and certainly knows how to drive this Autoreach like a pro and was incredibly fast especially for a 15 year old truck that has worked in tough conditions. Janel picks up 2,000 carts on Wednesdays and she told us she would be working late every Wednesday if she did not rev the Autoreach. WMmaster626 and I were lucky to not only catch this truck before it went into a gated community but we also found a Mackrep (Mack Amrep) working on the same block in a couple clips. This is also what we believe is 1 of 5 ex WM of the Desert trucks still around that Waste Management still owns. Unfortunately one of the WM of the Desert trucks I filmed last year 263265, was recently retired by Baldwin Park (www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBIlVGUgIJM). Baldwin Park still has 1 Mack Wittke from Palm Desert that is a spare commercial truck. If you want to find a Waste Management of the Desert truck I recommend looking soon. Many WM yards had ex Waste Management of the Desert trucks until recently. El Cajon, Moreno Valley, Corona and G.I. all had at least one Waste Management of the Desert truck at one point, but no longer do to our knowledge.
Big thank you to WMmaster626 for all the information about these ex WM of the Desert Autoreaches. Also, thank you to the Autoreach driver Janel who certainly did not disappoint and the Mackrep driver.
Some current project which required me to rebuild the Marina and Shrimp Shack... I should have bought the 32 x 32 tan baseplate that was available years ago if I'm not mistaken. But I guess blue will have to do. Am planning to expand the broad walk and maybe add a sandy beach area there on the right.
All belong to the same faction. The camo on the middle right is a Spetsnaz camo, with my own added twist. It will also go on the right guy. Not sure if I will put it on the legs. The left guys are more desert prepared, so I'm not sure if I should camo them. Knee pads by me.
Soon to be Modern Conflict Standards
-Sphinx
Currently operating for Lufthansa, this Air Dolomiti aircraft is heading to Turin/TRN as flight LH300.
'Tosca Giacomo Puccini' is here taking-off in beautiful sunshine from runway 18/West.
Air Dolomiti, based in Munich, has a fleet of 11 Embraer aircraft.
using "Airdroid" remote, this is a picture of the front camera, triggered online via wifi. It is the current-outlet of my lamp in the living room.
Joking! It is the dwarf star next to our sun. Just some lightyears away.
...in limbo with Canon...DH talking on phone to them now...busy with looking into rental for now. Fingers crossed that all will be well. Hopes up. Back soon...involved with all of this atm.
Taken not long before the big crash yesterday. The camera worked excellently, until it didn't. :)
***LATEST NEWS: Ten days from the time they get it...sooooo...overnight shipping here we come...and probably rental in the meantime...no more buying for my girls...DO hold me to that!
The current building in Madeira Street (at the junction with Prince Regent Street), Leith, was designed by the architect William Burn and was completed in 1816. It has a notable neo-classical portico (with four large Ionic columns), above which is a clock tower surmounted by a slender spire. A pipe organ (by Wadsworth of Manchester) was added in 1880. The building was damaged by bombing during World War II (in 1941), but was repaired by 1950. It is a category A listed building.The church was designed to accommodate 1300 people.
William Burn was also responsible for several other notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Edinburgh Academy and John Watson's College (now the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art).
The associated manse (presumably also by Burn) and known as "Leith Mount", stood on a substantial plot to the south-east of the church, on Ferry Road. The manse and its gardens and orchards were removed in 1920 to provide the site for Leith Theatre. The church connection dates to 1128, when King David I of Scotland granted lands for the construction of Holyrood Abbey. In 1493 Robert Bellenden, Abbot of Holyrood, built St Ninian's Chapel on the north-west bank of the Water of Leith, on lands owned by the Abbey. The small chapel was subsequently rebuilt after the Reformation. The replacement church opened in 1586, and later became the parish church of North Leith, which was created a quoad omnia parish, i.e. a civil and sacred parish, by a resolution of the Parliament of Scotland in 1606. A Dutch-style tower was added in 1675. The discovery of rot in this building in the 18th century led to extensive renovation and the construction of galleries within the building, but the church remained too small for the congregation, leading to its replacement by the current building in 1816 (then in fields just outside the built-up part of Leith). The Dutch-style tower of the old church still stands, although it was later incorporated into a mill. In the old churchyard of St.Ninians stands the altar tomb of Thomas Gladstones (1732 - 1809), a prosperous Leith merchant, and the grandfather of the famous Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Thomas Gladstones was a church elder for the 'Hill' district of Leith for over 40 years.
At the point of the Disruption of 1843 North Leith parish was "vacant" (having no fixed minister) which seemed an encouragement to many to leave. North Leith Free Church was built on the corner of Coburg Street and North Junction Street, east of the church. 600 members of the congregation left, together with all the elders. The first minister was Rev William MacKenzie. The church could hold 1000 people. In 1857 Rev Robert MacDonald replaced MacKenzie. He organised the building of a magnificent new free church on Ferry Road, south of the original church. This was completed in 1859 and could hold 1100 people. The 1844 site was redeveloped as tenements. The 1859 church was demolished in 1981. A datestone was salvaged and re-used in the current church halls. North Leith Free Church no longer exists in any form. Rev Robert MacDonald served as Moderator of the General Assembly for the Free Church in 1882.
North Leith Parish Church united with Bonnington Church in 1968, creating Leith North & Bonnington Church (using the Madeira Street building). In 1982, Leith North & Bonnington Church further united with Leith St Ninian's Ferry Road Church, creating the current congregation with the historic name North Leith Parish Church. Wikipedia
Scotswood Bridge is one of the main bridges crossing the River Tyne in North East England. It links the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank of the river with the MetroCentre and Blaydon in Gateshead on the south bank. It is situated 5.2 km (3.2 mi) upstream of the better-known city centre bridges.
The Chain Bridge
Scotswood Bridge over River Tyne Act 1829
The first bridge across the river at this location was the Old Scotswood Bridge, or "The Chain Bridge" as it was known locally. It was a suspension bridge with two stone towers, from which the road deck was suspended by chains. An act to authorise the building of the bridge was passed by Parliament in 1829 (10 Geo. 4. c. x) and designed by John Green, with construction beginning that year. It was opened on 16 April 1831.
The toll to cross the bridge was abolished on 18 March 1907. In 1931 the bridge needed to be strengthened and widened. The width was increased from 17 ft (5.2 m) to 19.5 ft (5.9 m) with two 6 ft (1.8 m) footpaths. The suspension cables and decking were also strengthened, allowing the weight limit to be raised to 10 tonnes (9.842 long tons; 11.02 short tons). The bridge eventually proved too narrow for the traffic it needed to carry and its increasing repair costs proved too much. After standing for 136 years, it was closed and demolished in 1967 after its replacement had been completed.
Current bridge
Scotswood Bridge Act 1962
A replacement for the Chain Bridge had been proposed as early as 1941. Permission was finally granted in 1960, and authorised by an act of Parliament, the Scotswood Bridge Act 1962. A new bridge was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson and built by Mitchell Construction and Dorman Long. Construction commenced on 18 September 1964. It was built 43 m upstream of the Chain Bridge, which continued operating during the new bridge's construction. The bridge was opened on 20 March 1967. It is a box girder bridge, supported by two piers in the river and carries a dual carriageway road. Combined costs for demolition of the old bridge and construction of the new one were £2.5 million.
Scotswood Bridge carried the traffic of the Gateshead A69 western by-pass from 1970 up until the construction of Blaydon Bridge and the new A1 in 1990. Between June 1971 and January 1974 traffic on the bridge was limited to single file to enable strengthening work to take place, which was needed to address design concerns. It has required further strengthening and repairs a number of times since; between 1979 and 1980, in 1983 and in 1990.
Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle is a cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located on the River Tyne's northern bank, opposite Gateshead to the south. It is the most populous settlement in the Tyneside conurbation and North East England.
Newcastle developed around a Roman settlement called Pons Aelius, the settlement became known as Monkchester before taking on the name of a castle built in 1080 by William the Conqueror's eldest son, Robert Curthose. It was one of the world's largest ship building and repair centres during the industrial revolution. Newcastle was part of the county of Northumberland until 1400, when it separated and formed a county of itself. In 1974, Newcastle became part of Tyne and Wear. Since 2018, the city council has been part of the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
The history of Newcastle upon Tyne dates back almost 2,000 years, during which it has been controlled by the Romans, the Angles and the Norsemen amongst others. Newcastle upon Tyne was originally known by its Roman name Pons Aelius. The name "Newcastle" has been used since the Norman conquest of England. Due to its prime location on the River Tyne, the town developed greatly during the Middle Ages and it was to play a major role in the Industrial Revolution, being granted city status in 1882. Today, the city is a major retail, commercial and cultural centre.
Roman settlement
The history of Newcastle dates from AD 122, when the Romans built the first bridge to cross the River Tyne at that point. The bridge was called Pons Aelius or 'Bridge of Aelius', Aelius being the family name of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who was responsible for the Roman wall built across northern England along the Tyne–Solway gap. Hadrian's Wall ran through present-day Newcastle, with stretches of wall and turrets visible along the West Road, and at a temple in Benwell. Traces of a milecastle were found on Westgate Road, midway between Clayton Street and Grainger Street, and it is likely that the course of the wall corresponded to present-day Westgate Road. The course of the wall can be traced eastwards to the Segedunum Roman fort at Wallsend, with the fort of Arbeia down-river at the mouth of the Tyne, on the south bank in what is now South Shields. The Tyne was then a wider, shallower river at this point and it is thought that the bridge was probably about 700 feet (210 m) long, made of wood and supported on stone piers. It is probable that it was sited near the current Swing Bridge, due to the fact that Roman artefacts were found there during the building of the latter bridge. Hadrian himself probably visited the site in 122. A shrine was set up on the completed bridge in 123 by the 6th Legion, with two altars to Neptune and Oceanus respectively. The two altars were subsequently found in the river and are on display in the Great North Museum in Newcastle.
The Romans built a stone-walled fort in 150 to protect the river crossing which was at the foot of the Tyne Gorge, and this took the name of the bridge so that the whole settlement was known as Pons Aelius. The fort was situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the new bridge, on the site of the present Castle Keep. Pons Aelius is last mentioned in 400, in a Roman document listing all of the Roman military outposts. It is likely that nestling in the shadow of the fort would have been a small vicus, or village. Unfortunately, no buildings have been detected; only a few pieces of flagging. It is clear that there was a Roman cemetery near Clavering Place, behind the Central station, as a number of Roman coffins and sarcophagi have been unearthed there.
Despite the presence of the bridge, the settlement of Pons Aelius was not particularly important among the northern Roman settlements. The most important stations were those on the highway of Dere Street running from Eboracum (York) through Corstopitum (Corbridge) and to the lands north of the Wall. Corstopitum, being a major arsenal and supply centre, was much larger and more populous than Pons Aelius.
Anglo-Saxon development
The Angles arrived in the North-East of England in about 500 and may have landed on the Tyne. There is no evidence of an Anglo-Saxon settlement on or near the site of Pons Aelius during the Anglo-Saxon age. The bridge probably survived and there may well have been a small village at the northern end, but no evidence survives. At that time the region was dominated by two kingdoms, Bernicia, north of the Tees and ruled from Bamburgh, and Deira, south of the Tees and ruled from York. Bernicia and Deira combined to form the kingdom of Northanhymbra (Northumbria) early in the 7th century. There were three local kings who held the title of Bretwalda – 'Lord of Britain', Edwin of Deira (627–632), Oswald of Bernicia (633–641) and Oswy of Northumbria (641–658). The 7th century became known as the 'Golden Age of Northumbria', when the area was a beacon of culture and learning in Europe. The greatness of this period was based on its generally Christian culture and resulted in the Lindisfarne Gospels amongst other treasures. The Tyne valley was dotted with monasteries, with those at Monkwearmouth, Hexham and Jarrow being the most famous. Bede, who was based at Jarrow, wrote of a royal estate, known as Ad Murum, 'at the Wall', 12 miles (19 km) from the sea. It is thought that this estate may have been in what is now Newcastle. At some unknown time, the site of Newcastle came to be known as Monkchester. The reason for this title is unknown, as we are unaware of any specific monasteries at the site, and Bede made no reference to it. In 875 Halfdan Ragnarsson, the Danish Viking conqueror of York, led an army that attacked and pillaged various monasteries in the area, and it is thought that Monkchester was also pillaged at this time. Little more was heard of it until the coming of the Normans.
Norman period
After the arrival of William the Conqueror in England in 1066, the whole of England was quickly subjected to Norman rule. However, in Northumbria there was great resistance to the Normans, and in 1069 the newly appointed Norman Earl of Northumbria, Robert de Comines and 700 of his men were killed by the local population at Durham. The Northumbrians then marched on York, but William was able to suppress the uprising. That same year, a second uprising occurred when a Danish fleet landed in the Humber. The Northumbrians again attacked York and destroyed the garrison there. William was again able to suppress the uprising, but this time he took revenge. He laid waste to the whole of the Midlands and the land from York to the Tees. In 1080, William Walcher, the Norman bishop of Durham and his followers were brutally murdered at Gateshead. This time Odo, bishop of Bayeux, William's half brother, devastated the land between the Tees and the Tweed. This was known as the 'Harrying of the North'. This devastation is reflected in the Domesday Book. The destruction had such an effect that the North remained poor and backward at least until Tudor times and perhaps until the Industrial Revolution. Newcastle suffered in this respect with the rest of the North.
In 1080 William sent his eldest son, Robert Curthose, north to defend the kingdom against the Scots. After his campaign, he moved to Monkchester and began the building of a 'New Castle'. This was of the "motte-and-bailey" type of construction, a wooden tower on top of an earthen mound (motte), surrounded by a moat and wooden stockade (bailey). It was this castle that gave Newcastle its name. In 1095 the Earl of Northumbria, Robert de Mowbray, rose up against the king, William Rufus, and Rufus sent an army north to recapture the castle. From then on the castle became crown property and was an important base from which the king could control the northern barons. The Northumbrian earldom was abolished and a Sheriff of Northumberland was appointed to administer the region. In 1091 the parish church of St Nicholas was consecrated on the site of the present Anglican cathedral, close by the bailey of the new castle. The church is believed to have been a wooden building on stone footings.
Not a trace of the tower or mound of the motte and bailey castle remains now. Henry II replaced it with a rectangular stone keep, which was built between 1172 and 1177 at a cost of £1,444. A stone bailey, in the form of a triangle, replaced the previous wooden one. The great outer gateway to the castle, called 'the Black Gate', was built later, between 1247 and 1250, in the reign of Henry III. There were at that time no town walls and when attacked by the Scots, the townspeople had to crowd into the bailey for safety. It is probable that the new castle acted as a magnet for local merchants because of the safety it provided. This in turn would help to expand trade in the town. At this time wool, skins and lead were being exported, whilst alum, pepper and ginger were being imported from France and Flanders.
Middle Ages
Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was England's northern fortress, the centre for assembled armies. The Border war against Scotland lasted intermittently for several centuries – possibly the longest border war ever waged. During the civil war between Stephen and Matilda, David 1st of Scotland and his son were granted Cumbria and Northumberland respectively, so that for a period from 1139 to 1157, Newcastle was effectively in Scottish hands. It is believed that during this period, King David may have built the church of St Andrew and the Benedictine nunnery in Newcastle. However, King Stephen's successor, Henry II was strong enough to take back the Earldom of Northumbria from Malcolm IV.
The Scots king William the Lion was imprisoned in Newcastle, in 1174, after being captured at the Battle of Alnwick. Edward I brought the Stone of Scone and William Wallace south through the town and Newcastle was successfully defended against the Scots three times during the 14th century.
Around 1200, stone-faced, clay-filled jetties were starting to project into the river, an indication that trade was increasing in Newcastle. As the Roman roads continued to deteriorate, sea travel was gaining in importance. By 1275 Newcastle was the sixth largest wool exporting port in England. The principal exports at this time were wool, timber, coal, millstones, dairy produce, fish, salt and hides. Much of the developing trade was with the Baltic countries and Germany. Most of the Newcastle merchants were situated near the river, below the Castle. The earliest known charter was dated 1175 in the reign of Henry II, giving the townspeople some control over their town. In 1216 King John granted Newcastle a mayor[8] and also allowed the formation of guilds (known as Mysteries). These were cartels formed within different trades, which restricted trade to guild members. There were initially twelve guilds. Coal was being exported from Newcastle by 1250, and by 1350 the burgesses received a royal licence to export coal. This licence to export coal was jealously guarded by the Newcastle burgesses, and they tried to prevent any one else on the Tyne from exporting coal except through Newcastle. The burgesses similarly tried to prevent fish from being sold anywhere else on the Tyne except Newcastle. This led to conflicts with Gateshead and South Shields.
In 1265, the town was granted permission to impose a 'Wall Tax' or Murage, to pay for the construction of a fortified wall to enclose the town and protect it from Scottish invaders. The town walls were not completed until early in the 14th century. They were two miles (3 km) long, 9 feet (2.7 m) thick and 25 feet (7.6 m) high. They had six main gates, as well as some smaller gates, and had 17 towers. The land within the walls was divided almost equally by the Lort Burn, which flowed southwards and joined the Tyne to the east of the Castle. The town began to expand north of the Castle and west of the Lort Burn with various markets being set up within the walls.
In 1400 Henry IV granted a new charter, creating a County corporate which separated the town, but not the Castle, from the county of Northumberland and recognised it as a "county of itself" with a right to have a sheriff of its own. The burgesses were now allowed to choose six aldermen who, with the mayor would be justices of the peace. The mayor and sheriff were allowed to hold borough courts in the Guildhall.
Religious houses
During the Middle Ages a number of religious houses were established within the walls: the first of these was the Benedictine nunnery of St Bartholomew founded in 1086 near the present-day Nun Street. Both David I of Scotland and Henry I of England were benefactors of the religious house. Nothing of the nunnery remains now.
The friary of Blackfriars, Newcastle (Dominican) was established in 1239. These were also known as the Preaching Friars or Shod Friars, because they wore sandals, as opposed to other orders. The friary was situated in the present-day Friars Street. In 1280 the order was granted royal permission to make a postern in the town walls to communicate with their gardens outside the walls. On 19 June 1334, Edward Balliol, claimant to be King of Scotland, did homage to King Edward III, on behalf of the kingdom of Scotland, in the church of the friary. Much of the original buildings of the friary still exist, mainly because, after the Dissolution of the Monasteries the friary of Blackfriars was rented out by the corporation to nine of the local trade guilds.
The friary of Whitefriars (Carmelite) was established in 1262. The order was originally housed on the Wall Knoll in Pandon, but in 1307 it took over the buildings of another order, which went out of existence, the Friars of the Sac. The land, which had originally been given by Robert the Bruce, was situated in the present-day Hanover Square, behind the Central station. Nothing of the friary remains now.
The friary of Austinfriars (Augustinian) was established in 1290. The friary was on the site where the Holy Jesus Hospital was built in 1682. The friary was traditionally the lodging place of English kings whenever they visited or passed through Newcastle. In 1503 Princess Margaret, eldest daughter of Henry VII of England, stayed two days at the friary on her way to join her new husband James IV of Scotland.
The friary of Greyfriars (Franciscans) was established in 1274. The friary was in the present-day area between Pilgrim Street, Grey Street, Market Street and High Chare. Nothing of the original buildings remains.
The friary of the Order of the Holy Trinity, also known as the Trinitarians, was established in 1360. The order devoted a third of its income to buying back captives of the Saracens, during the Crusades. Their house was on the Wall Knoll, in Pandon, to the east of the city, but within the walls. Wall Knoll had previously been occupied by the White Friars until they moved to new premises in 1307.
All of the above religious houses were closed in about 1540, when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries.
An important street running through Newcastle at the time was Pilgrim Street, running northwards inside the walls and leading to the Pilgrim Gate on the north wall. The street still exists today as arguably Newcastle's main shopping street.
Tudor period
The Scottish border wars continued for much of the 16th century, so that during that time, Newcastle was often threatened with invasion by the Scots, but also remained important as a border stronghold against them.
During the Reformation begun by Henry VIII in 1536, the five Newcastle friaries and the single nunnery were dissolved and the land was sold to the Corporation and to rich merchants. At this time there were fewer than 60 inmates of the religious houses in Newcastle. The convent of Blackfriars was leased to nine craft guilds to be used as their headquarters. This probably explains why it is the only one of the religious houses whose building survives to the present day. The priories at Tynemouth and Durham were also dissolved, thus ending the long-running rivalry between Newcastle and the church for control of trade on the Tyne. A little later, the property of the nunnery of St Bartholomew and of Grey Friars were bought by Robert Anderson, who had the buildings demolished to build his grand Newe House (also known as Anderson Place).
With the gradual decline of the Scottish border wars the town walls were allowed to decline as well as the castle. By 1547, about 10,000 people were living in Newcastle. At the beginning of the 16th century exports of wool from Newcastle were more than twice the value of exports of coal, but during the century coal exports continued to increase.
Under Edward VI, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, sponsored an act allowing Newcastle to annexe Gateshead as its suburb. The main reason for this was to allow the Newcastle Hostmen, who controlled the export of Tyne coal, to get their hands on the Gateshead coal mines, previously controlled by the Bishop of Durham. However, when Mary I came to power, Dudley met his downfall and the decision was reversed. The Reformation allowed private access to coal mines previously owned by Tynemouth and Durham priories and as a result coal exports increase dramatically, from 15,000 tons in 1500 to 35,000 tons in 1565, and to 400,000 tons in 1625.
The plague visited Newcastle four times during the 16th century, in 1579 when 2,000 people died, in 1589 when 1700 died, in 1595 and finally in 1597.
In 1600 Elizabeth I granted Newcastle a charter for an exclusive body of electors, the right to elect the mayor and burgesses. The charter also gave the Hostmen exclusive rights to load coal at any point on the Tyne. The Hostmen developed as an exclusive group within the Merchant Adventurers who had been incorporated by a charter in 1547.
Stuart period
In 1636 there was a serious outbreak of bubonic plague in Newcastle. There had been several previous outbreaks of the disease over the years, but this was the most serious. It is thought to have arrived from the Netherlands via ships that were trading between the Tyne and that country. It first appeared in the lower part of the town near the docks but gradually spread to all parts of the town. As the disease gained hold the authorities took measures to control it by boarding up any properties that contained infected persons, meaning that whole families were locked up together with the infected family members. Other infected persons were put in huts outside the town walls and left to die. Plague pits were dug next to the town's four churches and outside the town walls to receive the bodies in mass burials. Over the course of the outbreak 5,631 deaths were recorded out of an estimated population of 12,000, a death rate of 47%.
In 1637 Charles I tried to raise money by doubling the 'voluntary' tax on coal in return for allowing the Newcastle Hostmen to regulate production and fix prices. This caused outrage amongst the London importers and the East Anglian shippers. Both groups decided to boycott Tyne coal and as a result forced Charles to reverse his decision in 1638.
In 1640 during the Second Bishops' War, the Scots successfully invaded Newcastle. The occupying army demanded £850 per day from the Corporation to billet the Scottish troops. Trade from the Tyne ground to a halt during the occupation. The Scots left in 1641 after receiving a Parliamentary pardon and a £4,000,000 loan from the town.
In 1642 the English Civil War began. King Charles realised the value of the Tyne coal trade and therefore garrisoned Newcastle. A Royalist was appointed as governor. At that time, Newcastle and King's Lynn were the only important seaports to support the crown. In 1644 Parliament blockaded the Tyne to prevent the king from receiving revenue from the Tyne coal trade. Coal exports fell from 450,000 to 3,000 tons and London suffered a hard winter without fuel. Parliament encouraged the coal trade from the Wear to try to replace that lost from Newcastle but that was not enough to make up for the lost Tyneside tonnage.
In 1644 the Scots crossed the border. Newcastle strengthened its defences in preparation. The Scottish army, with 40,000 troops, besieged Newcastle for three months until the garrison of 1,500 surrendered. During the siege, the Scots bombarded the walls with their artillery, situated in Gateshead and Castle Leazes. The Scottish commander threatened to destroy the steeple of St Nicholas's Church by gunfire if the mayor, Sir John Marley, did not surrender the town. The mayor responded by placing Scottish prisoners that they had captured in the steeple, so saving it from destruction. The town walls were finally breached by a combination of artillery and sapping. In gratitude for this defence, Charles gave Newcastle the motto 'Fortiter Defendit Triumphans' to be added to its coat of arms. The Scottish army occupied Northumberland and Durham for two years. The coal taxes had to pay for the Scottish occupation. In 1645 Charles surrendered to the Scots and was imprisoned in Newcastle for nine months. After the Civil War the coal trade on the Tyne soon picked up and exceeded its pre-war levels.
A new Guildhall was completed on the Sandhill next to the river in 1655, replacing an earlier facility damaged by fire in 1639, and became the meeting place of Newcastle Town Council. In 1681 the Hospital of the Holy Jesus was built partly on the site of the Austin Friars. The Guildhall and Holy Jesus Hospital still exist.
Charles II tried to impose a charter on Newcastle to give the king the right to appoint the mayor, sheriff, recorder and town clerk. Charles died before the charter came into effect. In 1685, James II tried to replace Corporation members with named Catholics. However, James' mandate was suspended in 1689 after the Glorious Revolution welcoming William of Orange. In 1689, after the fall of James II, the people of Newcastle tore down his bronze equestrian statue in Sandhill and tossed it into the Tyne. The bronze was later used to make bells for All Saints Church.
In 1689 the Lort Burn was covered over. At this time it was an open sewer. The channel followed by the Lort Burn became the present day Dean Street. At that time, the centre of Newcastle was still the Sandhill area, with many merchants living along the Close or on the Side. The path of the main road through Newcastle ran from the single Tyne bridge, through Sandhill to the Side, a narrow street which climbed steeply on the north-east side of the castle hill until it reached the higher ground alongside St Nicholas' Church. As Newcastle developed, the Side became lined with buildings with projecting upper stories, so that the main street through Newcastle was a narrow, congested, steep thoroughfare.
In 1701 the Keelmen's Hospital was built in the Sandgate area of the city, using funds provided by the keelmen. The building still stands today.
Eighteenth century
In the 18th century, Newcastle was the country's largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge, and the Literary and Philosophical Society of 1793, with its erudite debates and large stock of books in several languages predated the London Library by half a century.
In 1715, during the Jacobite rising in favour of the Old Pretender, an army of Jacobite supporters marched on Newcastle. Many of the Northumbrian gentry joined the rebels. The citizens prepared for its arrival by arresting Jacobite supporters and accepting 700 extra recruits into the local militia. The gates of the city were closed against the rebels. This proved enough to delay an attack until reinforcements arrived forcing the rebel army to move across to the west coast. The rebels finally surrendered at Preston.
In 1745, during a second Jacobite rising in favour of the Young Pretender, a Scottish army crossed the border led by Bonnie Prince Charlie. Once again Newcastle prepared by arresting Jacobite supporters and inducting 800 volunteers into the local militia. The town walls were strengthened, most of the gates were blocked up and some 200 cannon were deployed. 20,000 regulars were billeted on the Town Moor. These preparations were enough to force the rebel army to travel south via the west coast. They were eventually defeated at Culloden in 1746.
Newcastle's actions during the 1715 rising in resisting the rebels and declaring for George I, in contrast to the rest of the region, is the most likely source of the nickname 'Geordie', applied to people from Tyneside, or more accurately Newcastle. Another theory, however, is that the name 'Geordie' came from the inventor of the Geordie lamp, George Stephenson. It was a type of safety lamp used in mining, but was not invented until 1815. Apparently the term 'German Geordie' was in common use during the 18th century.
The city's first hospital, Newcastle Infirmary opened in 1753; it was funded by public subscription. A lying-in hospital was established in Newcastle in 1760. The city's first public hospital for mentally ill patients, Wardens Close Lunatic Hospital was opened in October 1767.
In 1771 a flood swept away much of the bridge at Newcastle. The bridge had been built in 1250 and repaired after a flood in 1339. The bridge supported various houses and three towers and an old chapel. A blue stone was placed in the middle of the bridge to mark the boundary between Newcastle and the Palatinate of Durham. A temporary wooden bridge had to be built, and this remained in use until 1781, when a new stone bridge was completed. The new bridge consisted of nine arches. In 1801, because of the pressure of traffic, the bridge had to be widened.
A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of Fenham Barracks in 1806. The facilities at the Castle for holding assizes, which had been condemned for their inconvenience and unhealthiness, were replaced when the Moot Hall opened in August 1812.
Victorian period
Present-day Newcastle owes much of its architecture to the work of the builder Richard Grainger, aided by architects John Dobson, Thomas Oliver, John and Benjamin Green and others. In 1834 Grainger won a competition to produce a new plan for central Newcastle. He put this plan into effect using the above architects as well as architects employed in his own office. Grainger and Oliver had already built Leazes Terrace, Leazes Crescent and Leazes Place between 1829 and 1834. Grainger and Dobson had also built the Royal Arcade at the foot of Pilgrim Street between 1830 and 1832. The most ambitious project covered 12 acres 12 acres (49,000 m2) in central Newcastle, on the site of Newe House (also called Anderson Place). Grainger built three new thoroughfares, Grey Street, Grainger Street and Clayton Street with many connecting streets, as well as the Central Exchange and the Grainger Market. John Wardle and George Walker, working in Grainger's office, designed Clayton Street, Grainger Street and most of Grey Street. Dobson designed the Grainger Market and much of the east side of Grey Street. John and Benjamin Green designed the Theatre Royal at the top of Grey Street, where Grainger placed the column of Grey's Monument as a focus for the whole scheme. Grey Street is considered to be one of the finest streets in the country, with its elegant curve. Unfortunately most of old Eldon Square was demolished in the 1960s in the name of progress. The Royal Arcade met a similar fate.
In 1849 a new bridge was built across the river at Newcastle. This was the High Level Bridge, designed by Robert Stephenson, and slightly up river from the existing bridge. The bridge was designed to carry road and rail traffic across the Tyne Gorge on two decks with rail traffic on the upper deck and road traffic on the lower. The new bridge meant that traffic could pass through Newcastle without having to negotiate the steep, narrow Side, as had been necessary for centuries. The bridge was opened by Queen Victoria, who one year later opened the new Central Station, designed by John Dobson. Trains were now able to cross the river, directly into the centre of Newcastle and carry on up to Scotland. The Army Riding School was also completed in 1849.
In 1854 a large fire started on the Gateshead quayside and an explosion caused it to spread across the river to the Newcastle quayside. A huge conflagration amongst the narrow alleys, or 'chares', destroyed the homes of 800 families as well as many business premises. The narrow alleys that had been destroyed were replaced by streets containing blocks of modern offices.
In 1863 the Town Hall in St Nicholas Square replaced the Guildhall as the meeting place of Newcastle Town Council.
In 1876 the low level bridge was replaced by a new bridge known as the Swing Bridge, so called because the bridge was able to swing horizontally on a central axis and allow ships to pass on either side. This meant that for the first time sizeable ships could pass up-river beyond Newcastle. The bridge was built and paid for by William Armstrong, a local arms manufacturer, who needed to have warships access his Elswick arms factory to fit armaments to them. The Swing Bridge's rotating mechanism is adapted from the cannon mounts developed in Armstrong's arms works. In 1882 the Elswick works began to build ships as well as to arm them. The Barrack Road drill hall was completed in 1890.
Industrialisation
In the 19th century, shipbuilding and heavy engineering were central to the city's prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution. Newcastle's development as a major city owed most to its central role in the production and export of coal. The phrase "taking coals to Newcastle" was first recorded in 1538; it proverbially denotes bringing a particular commodity to a place that has more than enough of it already.
Innovation in Newcastle and surrounding areas included the following:
George Stephenson developed a miner's safety lamp at the same time that Humphry Davy developed a rival design. The lamp made possible the opening up of ever deeper mines to provide the coal that powered the industrial revolution.
George and his son Robert Stephenson were hugely influential figures in the development of the early railways. George developed Blücher, a locomotive working at Killingworth colliery in 1814, whilst Robert was instrumental in the design of Rocket, a revolutionary design that was the forerunner of modern locomotives. Both men were involved in planning and building railway lines, all over this country and abroad.
Joseph Swan demonstrated a working electric light bulb about a year before Thomas Edison did the same in the USA. This led to a dispute as to who had actually invented the light bulb. Eventually the two rivals agreed to form a mutual company between them, the Edison and Swan Electric Light Company, known as Ediswan.
Charles Algernon Parsons invented the steam turbine, for marine use and for power generation. He used Turbinia, a small, turbine-powered ship, to demonstrate the speed that a steam turbine could generate. Turbinia literally ran rings around the British Fleet at a review at Spithead in 1897.
William Armstrong invented a hydraulic crane that was installed in dockyards up and down the country. He then began to design light, accurate field guns for the British army. These were a vast improvement on the existing guns that were then in use.
The following major industries developed in Newcastle or its surrounding area:
Glassmaking
A small glass industry existed in Newcastle from the mid-15th century. In 1615 restrictions were put on the use of wood for manufacturing glass. It was found that glass could be manufactured using the local coal, and so a glassmaking industry grew up on Tyneside. Huguenot glassmakers came over from France as refugees from persecution and set up glasshouses in the Skinnerburn area of Newcastle. Eventually, glass production moved to the Ouseburn area of Newcastle. In 1684 the Dagnia family, Sephardic Jewish emigrants from Altare, arrived in Newcastle from Stourbridge and established glasshouses along the Close, to manufacture high quality flint glass. The glass manufacturers used sand ballast from the boats arriving in the river as the main raw material. The glassware was then exported in collier brigs. The period from 1730 to 1785 was the highpoint of Newcastle glass manufacture, when the local glassmakers produced the 'Newcastle Light Baluster'. The glassmaking industry still exists in the west end of the city with local Artist and Glassmaker Jane Charles carrying on over four hundred years of hot glass blowing in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Locomotive manufacture
In 1823 George Stephenson and his son Robert established the world's first locomotive factory near Forth Street in Newcastle. Here they built locomotives for the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, as well as many others. It was here that the famous locomotive Rocket was designed and manufactured in preparation for the Rainhill Trials. Apart from building locomotives for the British market, the Newcastle works also produced locomotives for Europe and America. The Forth Street works continued to build locomotives until 1960.
Shipbuilding
In 1296 a wooden, 135 ft (41 m) long galley was constructed at the mouth of the Lort Burn in Newcastle, as part of a twenty-ship order from the king. The ship cost £205, and is the earliest record of shipbuilding in Newcastle. However the rise of the Tyne as a shipbuilding area was due to the need for collier brigs for the coal export trade. These wooden sailing ships were usually built locally, establishing local expertise in building ships. As ships changed from wood to steel, and from sail to steam, the local shipbuilding industry changed to build the new ships. Although shipbuilding was carried out up and down both sides of the river, the two main areas for building ships in Newcastle were Elswick, to the west, and Walker, to the east. By 1800 Tyneside was the third largest producer of ships in Britain. Unfortunately, after the Second World War, lack of modernisation and competition from abroad gradually caused the local industry to decline and die.
Armaments
In 1847 William Armstrong established a huge factory in Elswick, west of Newcastle. This was initially used to produce hydraulic cranes but subsequently began also to produce guns for both the army and the navy. After the Swing Bridge was built in 1876 allowing ships to pass up river, warships could have their armaments fitted alongside the Elswick works. Armstrong's company took over its industrial rival, Joseph Whitworth of Manchester in 1897.
Steam turbines
Charles Algernon Parsons invented the steam turbine and, in 1889, founded his own company C. A. Parsons and Company in Heaton, Newcastle to make steam turbines. Shortly after this, he realised that steam turbines could be used to propel ships and, in 1897, he founded a second company, Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company in Wallsend. It is there that he designed and manufactured Turbinia. Parsons turbines were initially used in warships but soon came to be used in merchant and passenger vessels, including the liner Mauretania which held the blue riband for the Atlantic crossing until 1929. Parsons' company in Heaton began to make turbo-generators for power stations and supplied power stations all over the world. The Heaton works, reduced in size, remains as part of the Siemens AG industrial giant.
Pottery
In 1762 the Maling pottery was founded in Sunderland by French Huguenots, but transferred to Newcastle in 1817. A factory was built in the Ouseburn area of the city. The factory was rebuilt twice, finally occupying a 14-acre (57,000 m2) site that was claimed to be the biggest pottery in the world and which had its own railway station. The pottery pioneered use of machines in making potteries as opposed to hand production. In the 1890s the company went up-market and employed in-house designers. The period up to the Second World War was the most profitable with a constant stream of new designs being introduced. However, after the war, production gradually declined and the company closed in 1963.
Expansion of the city
Newcastle was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835: the reformed municipal borough included the parishes of Byker, Elswick, Heaton, Jesmond, Newcastle All Saints, Newcastle St Andrew, Newcastle St John, Newcastle St Nicholas, and Westgate. The urban districts of Benwell and Fenham and Walker were added in 1904. In 1935, Newcastle gained Kenton and parts of the parishes of West Brunton, East Denton, Fawdon, Longbenton. The most recent expansion in Newcastle's boundaries took place under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974, when Newcastle became a metropolitan borough, also including the urban districts of Gosforth and Newburn, and the parishes of Brunswick, Dinnington, Hazlerigg, North Gosforth and Woolsington from the Castle Ward Rural District, and the village of Westerhope.
Meanwhile Northumberland County Council was formed under the Local Government Act 1888 and benefited from a dedicated meeting place when County Hall was completed in the Castle Garth area of Newcastle in 1910. Following the Local Government Act 1972 County Hall relocated to Morpeth in April 1981.
Twentieth century
In 1925 work began on a new high-level road bridge to span the Tyne Gorge between Newcastle and Gateshead. The capacity of the existing High-Level Bridge and Swing Bridge were being strained to the limit, and an additional bridge had been discussed for a long time. The contract was awarded to the Dorman Long Company and the bridge was finally opened by King George V in 1928. The road deck was 84 feet (26 m) above the river and was supported by a 531 feet (162 m) steel arch. The new Tyne Bridge quickly became a symbol for Newcastle and Tyneside, and remains so today.
During the Second World War, Newcastle was largely spared the horrors inflicted upon other British cities bombed during the Blitz. Although the armaments factories and shipyards along the River Tyne were targeted by the Luftwaffe, they largely escaped unscathed. Manors goods yard and railway terminal, to the east of the city centre, and the suburbs of Jesmond and Heaton suffered bombing during 1941. There were 141 deaths and 587 injuries, a relatively small figure compared to the casualties in other industrial centres of Britain.
In 1963 the city gained its own university, the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, by act of parliament. A School of Medicine and Surgery had been established in Newcastle in 1834. This eventually developed into a college of medicine attached to Durham University. A college of physical science was also founded and became Armstrong College in 1904. In 1934 the two colleges merged to become King's College, Durham. This remained as part of Durham University until the new university was created in 1963. In 1992 the city gained its second university when Newcastle Polytechnic was granted university status as Northumbria University.
Newcastle City Council moved to the new Newcastle Civic Centre in 1968.
As heavy industries declined in the second half of the 20th century, large sections of the city centre were demolished along with many areas of slum housing. The leading political figure in the city during the 1960s was T. Dan Smith who oversaw a massive building programme of highrise housing estates and authorised the demolition of a quarter of the Georgian Grainger Town to make way for Eldon Square Shopping Centre. Smith's control in Newcastle collapsed when it was exposed that he had used public contracts to advantage himself and his business associates and for a time Newcastle became a byword for civic corruption as depicted in the films Get Carter and Stormy Monday and in the television series Our Friends in the North. However, much of the historic Grainger Town area survived and was, for the most part, fully restored in the late 1990s. Northumberland Street, initially the A1, was gradually closed to traffic from the 1970s and completely pedestrianised by 1998.
In 1978 a new rapid transport system, the Metro, was built, linking the Tyneside area. The system opened in August 1980. A new bridge was built to carry the Metro across the river between Gateshead and Newcastle. This was the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, commonly known as the Metro Bridge. Eventually the Metro system was extended to reach Newcastle Airport in 1991, and in 2002 the Metro system was extended to the nearby city of Sunderland.
As the 20th century progressed, trade on the Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides gradually declined, until by the 1980s both sides of the river were looking rather derelict. Shipping company offices had closed along with offices of firms related to shipping. There were also derelict warehouses lining the riverbank. Local government produced a master plan to re-develop the Newcastle quayside and this was begun in the 1990s. New offices, restaurants, bars and residential accommodation were built and the area has changed in the space of a few years into a vibrant area, partially returning the focus of Newcastle to the riverside, where it was in medieval times.
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a foot and cycle bridge, 26 feet (7.9 m) wide and 413 feet (126 m) long, was completed in 2001. The road deck is in the form of a curve and is supported by a steel arch. To allow ships to pass, the whole structure, both arch and road-deck, rotates on huge bearings at either end so that the road deck is lifted. The bridge can be said to open and shut like a human eye. It is an important addition to the re-developed quayside area, providing a vital link between the Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides.
Recent developments
Today the city is a vibrant centre for office and retail employment, but just a short distance away there are impoverished inner-city housing estates, in areas originally built to provide affordable housing for employees of the shipyards and other heavy industries that lined the River Tyne. In the 2010s Newcastle City Council began implementing plans to regenerate these depressed areas, such as those along the Ouseburn Valley.
Sorry for the crappy picture quality, I just thought maybe you guys wanted to see my collection :) I currently have 6 EAH dolls.
"The Reynolds-Morris House is a historic house at 225 South 8th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built in 1786–87 by John and William Reynolds, it is a well-preserved example of a Philadelphia Georgian townhouse. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967, and is currently operated as a hotel.
The Reynolds-Morris House stands one block west of Washington Square in Philadelphia's Center City, on the east side of South 8th Street between St. James and Locust Streets. It is a 3+1⁄2-story brick building, with a gabled roof pierced by pedimented gable dormers. It is five bays wide, with the main entrance at the center, framed by pilasters and a half-round transom topped by a gable. The walls are laid in Flemish bond, with projecting stringcourses between the floors. Sash windows are set under heavy splayed stone lintels with scoring that is intended to resemble keystoning. The interior spaces are adorned with high quality Federal period woodwork.
The house is a rare example of a double rowhouse, built on two lots in 1786–87 by John and William Reynods. It was sold in 1817 to Luke Wistar Morris, the son of captain Samuel Morris of the First City Troop, of the prominent Morris family, who occupied the house for 120 years. Although it was built as a rowhouse, the neighboring houses were bought and torn down by the Morrises in the early 20th century. The historic home was later transformed into a boutique hotel amid a greater series of renovations during the early 21st century. Debuting as the Morris House Hotel in 2004, the building was inducted into Historic Hotels of America, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in 2022.
Washington Square West is a neighborhood Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood roughly corresponds to the area between 7th and Broad Streets and between Chestnut and South Streets, bordering on the Independence Mall tourist area directly northeast, Market East to the north, Old City and Society Hill to the East, Bella Vista directly south, Hawthorne to the southwest, and mid-town Philadelphia and Rittenhouse Square to the west. In addition to being a desirable residential community, it is considered a hip, trendy neighborhood that offers a diverse array of shops, restaurants, and coffee houses. Washington Square West contains many gay-friendly establishments and hosts annual events celebrating LGBT culture in Philadelphia including OutFest. The area takes its name from Washington Square, a historic urban park in the northeastern corner of the neighborhood.
Philadelphia's Antique Row lies in the area, as does the nation's oldest hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Philadelphia's oldest Jewish burial ground, Mikveh Israel Cemetery. Educational and medical facilities associated with Thomas Jefferson University, a leading regional medical university and health care center, are located within the neighborhood. The one-time headquarters of the former Curtis Publishing Company and the University of the Arts lie at the edges of the neighborhood.
Washington Square West's real estate is mixed commercial, residential and service industries, characterized by two, three, and four-story rowhouses interspersed with condominiums, mid-rise apartments, hospitals and offices with ground-floor retail. The neighborhood follows William Penn's original grid layout for the city, with many one-lane and pedestrian side streets added later as the population became denser. In addition to the block-sized Washington Square Park to the East, the neighborhood contains the smaller Kahn Park, named after the Philadelphia architect Louis Kahn who resided in the neighborhood.
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City, and the 68th-largest city in the world. Since 1854, the city has been coextensive with Philadelphia County, the most populous county in Pennsylvania and the urban core of the Delaware Valley, the nation's seventh-largest and world's 68th-largest metropolitan region, with 6.245 million residents as of 2020. The city's population as of the 2020 census was 1,603,797, and over 56 million people live within 250 mi (400 km) of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn, an English Quaker. The city served as capital of the Pennsylvania Colony during the British colonial era and went on to play a historic and vital role as the central meeting place for the nation's founding fathers whose plans and actions in Philadelphia ultimately inspired the American Revolution and the nation's independence. Philadelphia hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774 following the Boston Tea Party, preserved the Liberty Bell, and hosted the Second Continental Congress during which the founders signed the Declaration of Independence, which historian Joseph Ellis has described as "the most potent and consequential words in American history". Once the Revolutionary War commenced, both the Battle of Germantown and the Siege of Fort Mifflin were fought within Philadelphia's city limits. The U.S. Constitution was later ratified in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. Philadelphia remained the nation's largest city until 1790, when it was surpassed by New York City, and served as the nation's first capital from May 10, 1775, until December 12, 1776, and on four subsequent occasions during and following the American Revolution, including from 1790 to 1800 while the new national capital of Washington, D.C. was under construction.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Philadelphia emerged as a major national industrial center and railroad hub. The city’s blossoming industrial sector attracted European immigrants, predominantly from Germany and Ireland, the two largest reported ancestry groups in the city as of 2015. In the 20th century, immigrant waves from Italy and elsewhere in Southern Europe arrived. Following the end of the Civil War in 1865, Philadelphia became a leading destination for African Americans in the Great Migration. In the 20th century, Puerto Rican Americans moved to the city in large numbers. Between 1890 and 1950, Philadelphia's population doubled to 2.07 million. Philadelphia has since attracted immigrants from East and South Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
With 18 four-year universities and colleges, Philadelphia is one of the nation's leading centers for higher education and academic research. As of 2021, the Philadelphia metropolitan area was the nation's ninth-largest metropolitan economy with a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of US$479 billion. Philadelphia is the largest center of economic activity in Pennsylvania and the broader multi-state Delaware Valley region; the city is home to five Fortune 500 corporate headquarters as of 2022. The Philadelphia skyline, which includes several globally renowned commercial skyscrapers, is expanding, primarily with new residential high-rise condominiums. The city and the Delaware Valley are a biotechnology and venture capital hub; and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, owned by NASDAQ, is the nation's oldest stock exchange and a global leader in options trading. 30th Street Station, the city's primary rail station, is the third-busiest Amtrak hub in the nation, and the city's multimodal transport and logistics infrastructure, including Philadelphia International Airport, the PhilaPort seaport, freight rail infrastructure, roadway traffic capacity, and warehouse storage space, are all expanding.
Philadelphia is a national cultural hub, hosting more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other American city. Fairmount Park, when combined with adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the same watershed, is 2,052 acres (830 ha), representing one of the nation's largest contiguous urban parks and the 45th largest urban park in the world. The city is known for its arts, culture, cuisine, and colonial and Revolution-era history; in 2016, it attracted 42 million domestic tourists who spent $6.8 billion, representing $11 billion in total economic impact to the city and surrounding Pennsylvania counties.
With five professional sports teams and a hugely loyal fan base, the city is often ranked as the nation's best city for professional sports fans. The city has a culturally and philanthropically active LGBTQ+ community. Philadelphia also has played an immensely influential historic and ongoing role in the development and evolution of American music, especially R&B, soul, and rock.
Philadelphia is a city of many firsts, including the nation's first library (1731), hospital (1751), medical school (1765), national capital (1774), university (by some accounts) (1779), stock exchange (1790), zoo (1874), and business school (1881). Philadelphia contains 67 National Historic Landmarks, including Independence Hall. From the city's 17th century founding through the present, Philadelphia has been the birthplace or home to an extensive number of prominent and influential Americans. In 2021, Time magazine named Philadelphia one of the world's greatest 100 places." - info from Wikipedia.
The fall of 2022 I did my 3rd major cycling tour. I began my adventure in Montreal, Canada and finished in Savannah, GA. This tour took me through the oldest parts of Quebec and the 13 original US states. During this adventure I cycled 7,126 km over the course of 2.5 months and took more than 68,000 photos. As with my previous tours, a major focus was to photograph historic architecture.
Now on Instagram.
the -ish is because this was yesterday -- no sunshine on the ridges today, but above-0° temps both days and lots of melting... my driveway is a solid chunk of ice & requires spikes on one's shoes to traverse without imperiling life and limb...
==The Clocktower- Current Residence of the Bat-Family. One day after the Misfits' attack==
"Thank you, Mr Pennyworth," Needham said gratefully, as he took his cup of tea from off of Alfred's silver platter, and sipped it slowly. “Look," he continued, turning his attention to Bruce. "Fiasco believed that Day was masterminding events; Toying with Carson and the Misfits, maybe King of Cats too, all in a deliberate attempt to lure Walker back to Gotham. As part of a scheme where he needed him, and the rest of his crew, in attendance.”
“And you believe him?” Bruce asked.
"Hhn. I believe something's going on. But whether Day's the mastermind, or he's another pawn like Carson is another matter entirely."
Bruce considered this. “That doesn't absolve Walker. Or Fiasco."
“No," Needham agreed, staring into the cup distractedly. "Still, I had to let them go. I have faith that if they can just put the pieces together, maybe find a way to neutralise Krill, then perhaps-"
"That's not on them, Eric. And it's not on you either."
"But Batman, listen-"
"No. If there is a conspiracy at large, I'll look into it myself, but I need you focused on the False Facers. Word is that Henry Ferris, Iron-Hat, is back in Gotham, operating under Sionis' orders and I need to know why. There's a gang war brewing here; one our new mayor will undoubtedly profit from."
"Batman-"
"That's an order, Spider."
Needham obliged, and rose to his feet, walking towards his parked motorcycle. Turning his head back to Bruce, he spoke. “Do you know why Walker's gotten to you? Because you believed in him. Because you had to. After Dent, and Hush, you desperately needed to believe in redemption; real, honest redemption. But, the truth is, it doesn't exist. Because people... people are ugly and messy. But that doesn't mean you stop trying; It was your faith in me that kept me going and it's my faith in them that's going to save the Misfits."
==Arkham Asylum==
When The Joker had first taken over the Asylum, Jeremiah Arkham had himself been taken prisoner; in the subsequent weeks, he would become an outlet for the clown's musings and sadistic habits. With Day forging documents on his behalf and Zolomon dealing with the odd trespasser, few had even noticed Arkham was missing. And so long as Billings' illusion held, the Asylum would appear to outsiders as it always had; A dark blemish in the Gotham skyline. All except for one man, who watched the building vigilantly, a gun in his hand, scanning the windows for any sign of movement, any hint at the horrors hidden behind its grim facade.
Making himself at home in the doctor's study, the clown had been quick to dismantle his trophies, vandalise his artwork and incinerate his paperwork. "Tut tut tut, a lot of ABBA. You like ABBA, Jerry?" he asked mockingly, as he rifled through Arkham's rather pitiful record collection. "Mama Mia, here we go again..." he muttered under his breath.
His concentration, was disrupted by the sudden crashing of the door, as a black suited man barged into the room; the watcher from outside, who aimed a silver pistol between the clown's soulless eyes, and without a moment's hesitation, pulled the trigger. Before it could reach its target however, the bullet was intercepted by Zoom's gloved hand, who held it between his fingers, mere inches from the clown's face. The breeze from Zoom's arrival had knocked the intruder backwards, separating him from his weapons as he landed at Joker's feet.
"Huh," the clown frowned, an ABBA record still in his hand. "You, sir, look more like a Nirvana fan. You even smell like Teen Spirit to boot. Pwhoar!"
"Youuuuuuuu saaaaaaaaid wewouldbe secure," Zolomon hissed, as he watched the man curiously.
"Uhuh; almost, Hunter. I said almost," the clown corrected him, as he knelt down beside the intruder. "Always read the terms and conditions. You know, I'm slowly beginning to understand what it's like being an Arkham guard... Revolving door indeed... Eraser, isn't it?" he asked. "Awfully hard to keep track of your lot, you know. You multiply like rabbits."
Fiasco snarled. "Go to hell."
"Already been and already barred! It's overrated anyhow and not at all like the brochure," Joker replied.
"Hooooowwwwwwwdid yoooooou find uuuuuus?" Zoom demanded, as he pulled their new prisoner to his feet. Fiasco, stared back at him in utter incomprehension.
"He's asking how you found us, sweetie," Joker said flatly. "In English, Hunter, please."
Fiasco scoffed bitterly. "It wasn't hard; you're all far too sentimental; Day used Arkham as a staging ground in his last big attack. And I knew Crane wouldn't resist getting another shot at revenge neither. Factor in some poetic symmetry, that this was where Drury killed Larson that first time, and boom. Kinda obvious, really."
"Touché..." Joker smirked. "Though I think you'll find it's Carson."
"Daaaaay called him Barson," Zolomon intruded.
"I think you'll find that I don't care either way," Fiasco shot back at them both.
"Oh my, he's a rather sharp witted pencil, isn't he? Adorable," Joker remarked to an unimpressed Zoom. "It's almost a shame that he's been putting threads together. Ones that we simply can not allow to get out... Oh, well."
"Oh, please," Fiasco spat, still struggling in Zoom's grip, "If I know, it's only a matter of time before the Bat does too."
Joker laughed. "Batsy, yes... Now there's an ever present pain in my abdomen; or perhaps that's the appendicitis again... Still, we've got a contingency for that. You've met Spellbinder, wonderful houseguest. Heavy drinker... A real pity, that."
He snapped his fingers, and Billings limped into the room, his eyes widening as they made contact with Fiasco's. "How did you-?" he began, sweating nervously.
"Well, isn't that the question of the hour!" Joker glared maliciously. "I didn't clothe you, feed you and spring you from Blackgate just for some faulty hardware. Imagine if it failed for Batsy, or Drubert, heaven forbid!"
Billings swallowed, avoiding the clown's eyeline. "As I... tried to explain, the illusion holds for long as those affected continue to accept it as their reality. Once rejected or dismissed, however, the illusion loses its hold on the mind and simply... fades away. Like a mirage in the desert."
"Then whatdowe dooooooowith him?" Zoom inquired, glaring at Fiasco, his arm still wrapped around his neck.
Joker smiled. "Keep 'im. I want to have a spare for when Arkham dies."
~-~
Days passed, and still, Fiasco remained The Joker's prisoner. Following a lead from Mr Freeze, Batman had come and gone, with the clown's cabal believing he'd found nothing of note during his brief visit; Fiasco himself had been moved to Crane's old cell.
Meanwhile, in the study, the clown was firing arrows blindly. Strapped to a chair, squirming as each misfire drew closer to his skull, was Jeremiah Arkham, an apple laid atop his sweaty head. About half the arrows had rubber tips; Harmless; The rest, had recently been sharpened. Joker stuck his tongue out, in a display of faux determination and fired his next arrow. "Now, I know you're just a side project, but I can't help but think we've developed a real bond here! And I don't just mean the ropes and zip-ties."
"The Caaaaaaaaalendar Maaaaaan has returned," Zolomon announced, speeding into the room.
Joker turned his head, put his bow on the ground and winked at Arkham. "Goody, send him in. You- don't go anywhere: Can't be far from a nervous breakdown now, huh, Jerry?" he chuckled as strutted over to his captive and took a bite of the apple, spewing chunks into Arkham's hair as he spoke. "Clearly, the apple doesn't fall all that far from the tree. Hah!"
"I know about Fiasco, Joker," Day stormed into the room. "We had an arrangement; The Misfits were mine."
"Yes, an arrangement that was null and void the second that little stripey son of a tree pointed a gun in my face," Joker rolled his eyes. "He's not harmed. Much."
"I trusted you-" Day spluttered.
Joker shrugged. "Eh. You really shouldn't have."
Zoom put himself in-between Joker and Day, placing a hand around the latter's arm. "Enough. Weeeeeeee mussssssssstfind Walker," he insisted. "The Erasaaaaaaaaaser knows Waaaaaaalker. Sohe must bemadeto taaaaaaalk."
"No need," Day replied plainly. "Abner has a lead."
=Tompkins Homeless Shelter. Gotham=
Behind his iron mask, Ferris' nose wrinkled; This was not where he had wanted to meet. He, would've preferred the Iceberg Lounge, even that Olympus bar, run by that delusional Zeus character would be preferable; Provided he'd put a shirt on, that is.
Instead, he was stuck here; in a venue almost certainly chosen to make him as uncomfortable as possible.
The door chimed as a white suited figure entered the building and greeted Ferris. "Hey, don't I know you from somewhere? Maybe an old Hitler Youth ad?" he joked.
Ferris tilted his head upwards. "Krill," he said coldly.
"Adolf," the spotted man smiled snidely.
"Hope you don't mind," he elaborated, as he slid into the chair opposite him. "But the gay bar down the street's closed, and that feminist rally has been rescheduled."
"Sure," Ferris said stiffly.
"Don't worry, you're safe here; free food, doctor/patient confidentiality, the works. Oh, over here, love," Krill called out, as the server, a young Vietnamese woman, placed two hot bowls of noodle soup between them. Krill winked at her, then slurped down the mixture hungrily. Ferris looked back at him, the mask failing to hide the disgust emanating from his body.
"Ordered in advance," Krill slurped, as his free hand waved his phone at Ferris. "Not a problem for you, I'm sure."
"Of course not," Ferris lied, as he watched Krill spoon several clumps of wet noodles into his mouth. "You're a hard man to get a hold of."
Krill raised a warning finger. "And with good reason; I've only ever accepted serious and/or rich clients. Well, and you, I suppose. Might I just say that helmet really brings out your eyes? That is a very deep shade of blue," Krill teased. "Now, you said you had something for me?"
"Correct," Ferris said. "I'd heard you were looking for those... bug boys, Misfits, whatever you wanna call 'em, doesn't matter... About a week ago, I overheard the chi-"
At this, Krill cringed. "Oho, wow. Oh, wow, you're doing a hardcore racist thing- classy. Real high brow," he recoiled.
"Fine," Ferris hissed reluctantly. "I overheard Bookworm mention a school to Sionis. Greendale. Didn't think much of it, until one of my contacts said they spotted Lynns and the ni- Firebug" he breathed in heavily, "In the city center scoffing down ice cream and swinging their swords around."
Krill paused."That's not a homophobic euphemism is it-?" he queried.
"No," Ferris growled, his patience growing thinner.
"Just checking!" Krill shrugged passively. "Still, worth a look. Greendale, did you say? Neato..."
As Krill rose to his feet, he turned back to Ferris, his lip curled. "What is it?" Ferris demanded.
"Y'know, normally, I wouldn't care, but you've piqued my interest... What exactly do you get out of this? If it were Franco, sure, I'd understand, but you? I mean, let's say Sionis got wind of this-"
"Well he's not going to, is he?" Ferris challenged him. Beneath his mask, he smiled as he repeated Franco's own mantra; "The wind's changing, Mr Krill. From what I hear, there's going to be a change in management very soon; I'm just making sure I'm on their side when it comes. And Sionis? Well, Sionis can't exactly weld another mask to my face, can he?"
"No," Krill conceded, a coy smile on his face. "But you can't exactly rule out a codpiece either."
Fine Art Ballet Photography: Nikon D810 Elliot McGucken Fine Art Ballerina Dancer Dancing Ballet Spring Wildflowers! Black leotard!
Dancing for Dynamic Dimensions Theory dx4/dt=ic: The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial dimensions at the rate of c!
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Nikon D810 Epic Fine Art Ballerina Goddess Dancing Ballet! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Ballet!
Marrying epic landscape, nature, and urban photography to ballet!
Nikon D810 with the Nikon MB-D12 Multi Battery Power Pack / Grip for D800 and D810 Digital Cameras allows one to shoot at a high to catch the action FPS! Ballerina Dance Goddess Photos! Pretty, Tall Ballet Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! Captured with the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II from Nikon, and the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon! Love them both!
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A pretty goddess straight out of Homer's Iliad & Odyssey!
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The 45EPIC landscapes and goddesses are straight out of Homer's Iliad & Odyssey!
I'm currently updating a translation with the Greek names for the gods and goddesses--will publish soon! :)
"RAGE--Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Zeus fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another. " --Homer's Iliad capturing the rage of the 45EPIC landscapes and seascapes! :)
Ludwig van Beethoven: "Music/poetry/art should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman."
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Currently broken down. It still works hauling logs, like this, it's his main job, i believe it is now owned by the son of the previous owner, it still has the old logos, at least it still belongs to the same family, i always love to see him pass by, it was bought new to Câmara Municipal do Funchal, i believe it's the last Scania Series 2 from my county still working, nice to finally have caught it, it makes 40 years of service this year. He passed me yesterday, at end of the day, don't know if he broke down yesterday or today...
Today’s #conservationlands15 Top 15: Places on National Conservation Lands for Night Sky Viewing
The stars really do come out at night on BLM’s National Conservation Lands – and lots of them! Far from city lights, these landscapes offer some of the most outstanding viewing opportunities anywhere. Viewing night skies in some of these remote locations takes some planning. It’s important to contact the local BLM office (linked for each location) to obtain information on camping rules and current road conditions. Here are 15 of the best areas:
Alaska
#1 Steese National Conservation Area: Drive out the Steese Highway for some of the best northern lights viewing anywhere. Don’t expect to see this amazing light show in summer – the midnight sun makes the sky too bright!
Arizona
#2 Just beyond the glow of the City lights of Phoenix, the Sonoran Desert National Monument offers great dark skies to the south, where the milky arcs across the sky.
#3 The high elevations near Mount Trumbell and Mount Logan offer expansive vistas in the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument whose outstanding night sky viewing opportunities have resulted in its “International Night Sky Province” designation.
California
#4 Several Wilderness Study Areas in the Eastern Sierra, including Slinkard (on Monitor Pass) and the Bodie Hills (near Bridgeport), are a world apart from California’s urban coastal areas and contain some of the darkest skies in the golden state.
#5 California Coastal National Monument: Although clear skies are difficult to predict along the fogbound coast, the Big Sur, Mendocino Coast and King Range Coast are all far from city lights so you can see stars over the ocean.
Colorado
#6 Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: Its easy to contemplate how “the ancient ones” studied the stars in this vast desert landscape near the four corners. Contact the Anasazi Heritage Center for ideas on camping/viewing locations.
#7 Alpine Loop: This BLM backcountry byway runs near the Uncompagre Wilderness and both Handies Peak and Redcloud Peak Wilderness Study Areas. The thin air at 11,000 feet seems to make the stars here appear extra crisp.
Idaho
#8 Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area: Just a stone’s throw from Boise, this area is truly on the edge of civilization. Overlooks along the north rim of the Snake River Canyon offer great viewing of the dark skies to the south.
Montana
#9 Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and Wild and Scenic River: Nothing is more relaxing than floating down a river and sleeping under the stars here in Big Sky Country at night.
Nevada
#10 Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trail National Conservation Area: Just avoid the last week of August when Burning Man lights up the playa, and you’ll be treated to some of the darkest skies in the U.S.
New Mexico
#11 Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument and Wild and Scenic River: Vast volcanic tablelands above the narrow gorge of the river and crisp high elevation rocky mountain skies offer excellent viewing opportunities.
Oregon
#12 Steens Mountain Wilderness: Southeast Oregon’s highest peak offers hiking, camping and a scenic drive to the high elevation viewing areas.
Utah
#13 Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: From spectacular Grand Staircase of cliffs and terraces to the wonders of the Escalante River canyons, the monument offers nearly 1.9 million acres to starwatch and explore.
Washington
#14 Juniper Dunes Wilderness: Enjoy the open skies and rolling dunes here in the southeast part of the state.
Wyoming
#15 South Pass – California-Oregon-Pony Express and Mormon Emigrant Trails: Its easy to imagine the feeling of vastness that the emigrants found here in the mid-1800s as they rested under the stars before hitching up the oxen to continue their arduous trek.
Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.
This castle owes it's current decor due to the work of one man who renovated and expanded the building during the 19th century.
The building can be traced back to the Roman periods. It is reported that in 780 Charlemagne could have passed by the place on his way back from Rome, where he went to have his son baptized by the Pope.
In the 1970’s from the 20th century the castle was transformed into a hotel, only to close its doors in the 1990’s. The castle remains unused to this day.
The castle is built in different styles; including Moorish and Indian. It has 365 rooms and every room has a different theme.
The man down Italian toll tour. Taking in some Italian delights on a 4 day explore.
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