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This is the same eagle from the previous photo. I cropped it to make it look wide.
In viewing large size, guess I should have made it bigger.
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Abandoned Abused Street Dogs.
This is one of the three puppies left.
Photo is taken at the exact same spot
Baby Mama and her Mom used to play
after eating a fresh meal delivered daily.
That would have been 6 years ago when
this whole dog saga first started.
Furthermore, this puppy has Mamas DNA !
How did that happen you ask ? Simple !
Some time back I explained how Mr Rocky
was playing "the birds and bees" with the girl
next door - Hocus Pocus Rocky became Daddy.
When the cute blond next door came into heat
"No" other male dog dared to enter Rockys turf !
So anyway there ya go, a small slice of history ...;-)
Thank You.
Jon&Crew.
Please help with your donations here.
www.gofundme.com/saving-thai-temple-
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Please No Awards or Group Icons.
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A little different from the usual. Spring has definitely sprung when the local woods start filling with Bluebells. For locals these are not the usual part of Slindon Woods entered from Dukes Road but further east and due south of Slindon Village in the woodland surrounding Park Lane Car Park, known as Butchers Copse. Many Bluebell pictures are either eye level views of the woods or close ups. Seeing this path I decided to go for a woodland view at Bluebell level. This shot was taken at 6.40pm about 90 minutes before sunset for better light.
The picture was taken on a mini tripod with a Sony A550 with a Sigma 28-80 zoom at 28mm I used the A550 for its folding screen to make it easier to get a low down image.
A single image was taken and first processed in RAW. I then used Topaz DeNoise followed by Topaz Clarity to recover detail.
For my Photography books Understand Your Camera and Compose Better Pictures see My Author Page USA or My Author Page UK
Please visit my │ Facebook Page
For Galleries, Prints and Licences see Edwin Jones Photography
Eden Project Cornwall, UK
Grimshaw Architects - Dominic Cole Landscape Architects
The Eden Project is the largest botanical garden in the world. It is a scientific experiment which uses a highly innovative technology to create different climates. Combines ecology, horticulture, science, art and architecture, offering an informative and enjoyable experience while promoting ways to maintain a sustainable future depends on plants and trees. The exhibition includes more than one hundred thousand plants representing 5,000 species from many of the world’s climate zones.
The project was conceived by Tim Smit and designed by the English architect Nicholas Grimshaw and engineering firm Anthony Hunt and Associates. The challenge for this project was to design buildings that provide the environment to create different microclimates. The building opened its doors to the public in March 2001 with the first two phases built. The Eden Project covers 15 hectares of land located in an old clay quarry in St. Austell, Cornwall, UK.
The Humid Tropics Biome is the largest glasshouse in the world, covering 1.56 hectares. It measures 55 meters high, 100 meters wide and 200 long. Here is kept moist climate and dense rainforest, with orchards of bananas, coffee, rubber and bamboo, among others.
The smaller biome retains the warm temperate and arid areas, between 30 and 40 degrees latitude. It covers 0.65 hectares, 35 meters high, 65 wide and 135 meters long. Among the species that are home to vineyards and olives.
A third ecosystem, similar to Britain, is on display outdoors in the gardens surrounding the domes, with plants such as tea, lavender, hops and hemp. The exact location of the biomes on the site was determined by a sophisticated technique that shows where to get more sunlight each gain structure.
The Eden Foundation is the phase 3, which opened in 2003. The Core is part of the fourth phase of development. Eden Project provides an education facility, incorporating classrooms and exhibition spaces. Within the master plan for the whole site contemplating future ambitions, included the design of the access road project.
Standing together in Swansea Bus Station park on 17-06-14 are East Yorkshire 78 YY63 OEJ and First South Wales 20321 YN57 BVU.
I never tire of being a BBC weather watcher. A picture with the iPhone is uploaded immediately onto the BBC weather pages. there is a wait to see if your picture gets selected by the weather presenter. Shefali Oza is one of the regular presenters on BBC Midlands. I know that she has a love of pictures from Baddesley Clinton. The trick is to get a different view of this beautiful property with the blue skies. I generally have a 1 in 10 to 20 chance of getting selected. The picture in the thread is the original.
Photo Credit 1: By Paul Hermans (Own work) , via Wikimedia Commons
Over the last few years, I have seen a rise in the popularity of Phalaenopsis as house plants. For good reason, too. Their needs are simple and are very hearty in a typical household environment. Phalaenopsis Orchids come in an array of beautiful colors that can bring a festive splash or flora in your home. How do I know? Because I have one in my little orchid collection.
With the love of these little plants increasing, there is an ever-growing community of orchid lovers on the internet. If you love orchids as I do, I want to share eight unbelievable things you probably never knew about orchids.
1. Ice Orchids Are Mini Phalaenopsis
Yes, you heard me correctly. Ice orchids are just miniature hybrid versions of the Phalaenopsis species of orchid.
Don't get me wrong. These mini phals are beautiful, dainty, and are delightful to have in any collection. I just don't want you to be misled by false hype.
2. They Have a Life Cycle
Like most plants and animals on the planet, these little beauties have a life cycle. Since the Phalaenopsis can be grown year-round as a houseplant, their cycle is not seasonal.
First, new leaves will grow from the base of the plant. Next, a stem with a node that looks like a mitten will grow. These are called flower spikes, but the orchid will usually only throw one spike per cycle.
As the spike continues to grow, more nodes will form along the new growth. From these nodes, buds will start to form. Healthy buds will swell in size and burst into bloom. A well cared for ice orchid can bloom for up to 3 months at a time.
Finally, after the last flower shrivels and falls, the plant will go back to a semi-dormant stage as it gathers energy and nutrition to start the cycle over again.
3. Using Ice to Water your Orchid is Harmful
As a general rule, orchids do not care for cold, nor they like having their feet wet. Ice orchids are a marketing gimmick. Watering your orchids with ice can be harmful, especially is it touches their leaves and roots.
Orchids like good drainage, and plenty or air. The ice orchids that you get in grocery stores and super stores like Wal-Mart are likely in either soil or moss. These hold too much moisture without enough air. The orchid is, in a sense, drowning.
It is best just to mist and water your ice orchid just as you would any other Phalaenopsis. Just make sure you repot it into the proper pot with orchid bark after it finishes blooming.
Photo Credit 2 By No machine-readable author provided. Kugamazog~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid
4. They are known as the Moth Orchid
No, really. It is true. The genus Phalaenopsis is a Greek generic name. It is likely that it refers to the word Phalaena, which is the family of a kind of moth. If you get a chance to see some pictures of the Phalaena moths while they are flying, you might see a resemblance to some species of Phalaenopsis.
5. Phalaenopsis Orchids can be Stubborn
Many new orchid fanatics get their plants from supermarkets or big box stores. A great deal of these orchids has been forced into bloom so they will be shown to buyers. If you started out that way, as I know I did, it was a significant effort to learn their habits.
Even with the best care: repotting, orchid medium, the right light, moisture, and temperature, they can still take a couple of years to bloom again. The shock of the forced bloom makes it take that much longer to recover enough to grow and bloom again for you.
Photo Credit 3: By Guillaume Paumier (Own work) , via Wikimedia Commons
6. They can get Stressed Out!
When you bring a new plant home, or transition them into a different medium, they can get just as stressed as we do. They just display it in a differently. Sometimes the leaves will get soft, but not mushy. It may look a little wilted. The best advice for this is just to be patient, and care for it properly, and it will heal itself. Phalaenopsis are pretty resilient with proper treatment.
7. Orchids can Reproduce Asexually
Orchids, like other plants, can produce seeds through sexual breeding, but did you know that orchids can reproduce asexually, too? With no help from its human caretakers or wild pollinators, orchids can make babies on their spikes. The baby plants are called keikis.
A keiki is an exact clone of the parent plant. This is common in Phalaenopsis orchids, as well as Dendrobiums, and Epidendrums. These babies can be removed once you see it growing roots of its own, and placed into its home.
This video from the American Orchid Society shows you just how easy it is to repot a keiki.
Photo Credit 4: Public Domain--fb207 ( pixabay.com/en/orchid-phalaenopsis-rosa-green-525197/ )
8. Phalaenopsis is the Perfect Orchid for Beginners
As you start on your journey of orchid-husbandry, it is recommended to read all you can. When you are prepared to obtain your first plant, getting a Phalaenopsis is a good choice. They are not as temperamental as other orchids and do very well in the typical household. There are hundreds of varieties and hybridizations in any combination of colors you could ever want.
I have been an orchid addict for a long time. My personal collection is small but satisfying. I have a couple of Phalaenopsis myself, including one of the Just Add Ice orchids. We all live quite happily with the vanilla and Brassia orchids, as well as a couple of bromeliads. They are my children with leaves. Come to the orchid side. We are waiting for you. nikisessentials.com/8-unbelievable-things-you-probably-ne...
From the underground steel cage fight matches at Silent Sam's, Ben 10 prepares for combat!
Character Biography
Benjamin Kirby "Ben" Tennyson is the titular main protagonist of the Ben 10 franchise. He was an ordinary 10-year-old boy until he found the Omnitrix, a powerful watch-like device that allowed him to turn into 10 different aliens.
Though initially immature and clumsy, Ben grew to be a true hero. By the time he was 16, he had become famous in not only his hometown of Bellwood but on Earth and beyond. Ben has also been deputized by the Plumbers and has gained more aliens as time progressed.
Appearance
Ben's physical appearance has changed throughout the series from a 10-year-old to a 16-year-old. However, he retains some recurring characteristics. He has brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, and he is quite skinny for his age, though he shows a lot of muscle definition due to being athletic.
Regular Appearances
In the Omniverse flashbacks in which he was five years old, Ben wore green overalls with a white shirt underneath it. White numbers saying "5 1/2" were on a black square in front of his overalls.
In the Original Series and Omniverse flashbacks, Ben's usual clothes consisted of a black-striped, white shirt with short sleeves, military green cargo pants with side pockets with a black belt hidden under his shirt, and black and white sneakers with black stripes. Ben wore the original Omnitrix on his left wrist.
In Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, Ben wore a black short-sleeved T-shirt, blue jeans, and a green jacket with white stripes on his left sleeve and the number 10 on the right, white socks, and black and white Converse-style shoes. His hair is also shorter than it was when he was 10/11 years old. Ben wore the reconfigured original Omnitrix in Alien Force and the Ultimatrix in Ultimate Alien on his left wrist.
In Omniverse, Ben wears a black shirt that has a green stripe in the middle with a white 10 and green stripes on the sides of his shirt. He wears brown cargo pants with pockets at the knees with a brown belt hidden under the shirt and green and white shoes. He has also grown out his hair. He wears the Omnitrix on his left wrist.
During water-based activities in the Original Series, he wore a blue swimsuit in The Krakken and A Small Problem and a red and yellow swimsuit in Divided We Stand and Big Fat Alien Wedding.
In a daydream in The Galactic Enforcers, Ultra Ben looked like Ben with a stereotypical superhero costume in a grey, black and white color scheme.
In Back With a Vengeance, he wore a yellow raincoat while touring Niagara Falls on a ship.
In A Change of Face, he wore a pilgrim outfit.
In Merry Christmas, while cursed as an elf, he had pointy ears, and his eyes were fully green.
In Game Over, while inside Sumo Slammer Smackdown, he wore brownish-green armor and had longer hair, tied in a ponytail.
In The Unnaturals, he wore a blue baseball shirt with the letter "C" at the front and number 23 at the back, white shorts, blue and yellow socks, blue and white shoes, and a blue baseball helmet. Before the baseball game and after he battled the Squires and Coach Finn, he wore a blue and yellow baseball cap with the letter "C" in the middle.
In Secret of the Omnitrix, he wore light blue pajamas. Later in the movie, he wore a pale blue spacesuit with white stripes on the sleeves and thighs, along with a white helmet with pale blue stripes.
In a dream in Perfect Day, Ultra Ben wore frameless blue goggles with horn-like extensions, a cyan shirt and white pants. He also donned a white cape.
In Big Fat Alien Wedding, during the wedding ceremony, he wore a purple tuxedo with a red bow tie and white polo shirt.
In Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2, he temporarily wore a visor in the Mt. Rushmore Plumber base.
In Ben 10 Returns: Part 1 and War of the Worlds: Part 1, Ben's soccer clothes consisted of the T-shirt he wore as a 10/11-year-old but with the number 10 at the back, a long-sleeved green undershirt, green shorts, gray gloves with black stripes, and knee-high socks.
In a flashback in Ben 10 Returns: Part 2, Young Ben wore his T-shirt from the Original Series and shoes from Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, along with military green shorts, white socks, and a bluish grey bicycle helmet.
In What Are Little Girls Made Of? and In Charm's Way, he wore green trunks.
In Save the Last Dance, he wore a white bicycle helmet.
In Birds of a Feather, when on the Moon, he wore an orange spacesuit with four arms.
In Alien Swarm, he briefly wore a dark grey hoodie. While riding Max's motorcycle, he wore a black helmet.
In The Final Battle: Part 1, when held captive by Kraab, he wore an orange cuff.
In Duped, The Perfect Girlfriend and Of Predators and Prey: Part 1, Ben briefly wore 3D glasses. In Duped, along with the glasses, he also wore a black wig in the style of a bun.
In Ultimate Alien, Ben wore a standard Plumber suit during a few of his off-world excursions.
In Video Games, he wore a blue full-body motion capture suit with white balls on it.
In Fused, Revenge of the Swarm, and Night of the Living Nightmare, Ben's sleeping clothes consisted of his usual black T-shirt and white shorts.
In Basic Training, while at the barracks in the Plumbers' Academy, he wore an olive tank top and black shorts.
In Inspector #13, he wore a green T-shirt and black shorts.
In Catch a Falling Star, he wore a white cast around his right arm.
In The Ultimate Enemy: Part 2, he wore full-body armor while wielding Ascalon.
In Omniverse, Ben sometimes wears a white hooded jacket with green stripes on both arms and a green number 10 on the right side.
In Omniverse, while riding the Tenn-Speed, Ben wears a white helmet with the number 10 on it, a green visor, a short-sleeved black T-shirt, long white pants and a belt with the number 10 on it.
In Malefactor, 11-year-old Ben wore a Psycholeopterran-proof visor.
In Arrested Development, 11-year-old Ben's gym clothes consisted of a white T-shirt with a red outline, and red shorts with a vertical white line.
In Bros in Space, he wore a ceremonial female Revonnahgander outfit.
In Special Delivery, while working for Mr. Baumann, he wore a pink and white cap and a pink apron with a black 'B' on it.
In From Hedorium to Eternity, 11-year-old Ben's pajamas consisted of a green T-shirt with a white "10" on it, as well as white shorts.
In The Most Dangerous Game Show, Ben wore a crown bestowed upon him by Charles Zenith.
Personality
“You think I don't know? When it's hero time, if I mess up, somebody could die. From what you told me, if we mess up this time, everybody could die... Maybe that's too much to have in your head when you have to win. Maybe if I pretend everything is a big joke, when the time comes, I'll be able to do what I have to do.”
– 10-year-old Ben to 17-year-old Kevin asking him to be serious.
Initially cocky, childish, and selfish, Ben's immaturity and attention-seeking behavior often led him to joke around, regardless of the situation, which landed him in trouble with adults. When he was 10 years old, he often used the Omnitrix improperly in order to benefit himself instead of actually helping others, such as using Grey Matter to search cereal boxes for a gold Sumo Slammer card.
His allies often criticized his attitude, unaware of the fact that he used humor to mask his fears. It was also implied that, on some level, Ben helped people to get rewards and for the thrill of being a hero, rather than because it was the right thing to do.
Despite some childish attitude, Ben was heroic, caring and generally good-natured, always willing to save others at any time even at the risk of himself. In spite of this good nature, heroism, and his moments of maturity, Ben could occasionally get carried away when it came to fame and recognition.
This led him to act rather arrogantly and recklessly, and occasionally made dire mistakes and alienated his loved ones. However, he was quick to realize his mistakes and is quick to take responsibility and knew not to take things too far.
Over the years, Ben has displayed good leadership skills, as well as the ability to adapt his attitude to a situation, becoming serious when it's called for. He became more mature, responsible and sensible. He continues to be kind-hearted and willing to lay down his own life for others, such as when he attempted to sacrifice himself to set the sentient Ultimate Forms free from the Ultimatrix.
His idealistic views and unwillingness to compromise his values – aspects condemned by Azmuth, yet commended by others – sometimes drive him to act against reason, such as helping his enemies if they need it (most remarkably Vilgax).
Professor Paradox has praised Ben's good nature, going so far as to say he had the gift to make the right choices at the right moments, and even Azmuth himself states that Ben ultimately always does the right thing.
Also, Ben doesn't give up and wouldn't let anyone stop him from doing what's right for those in need, especially his family, friends and mentors, or to bring enemies down, even when he once got a broken arm.
However, even as a teen, Ben still displays some of his negative childish traits at times, which usually comes to light when Ben gets too caught up with fame.
Ben also has a violent, aggressive side: when Ben fails to save someone, is worried about the well-being his loved ones, or if people get hurt because of his failure, he becomes angry and lashes out, even at people he cares about.
Perhaps the most notable of these instances is when Kevin willingly mutated himself to stop Aggregor, Ben was determined to kill Kevin, even fighting Gwen when she refused to help him.
During the episode, Ben confessed to Max that he felt guilty for letting fame get into his head and claimed that he was trying to act more mature for once. He also threatened to hunt down and destroy the Forever Knights if Driscoll did not promise to cease hunting down aliens.
Ben has experienced trust issues, when it comes to automatically trusting everybody and teaming up with people whose true colours are later revealed and turns against the team.
Though often perceived as unintelligent because of his immaturity and constant joking, Ben is cunning and resourceful when needed, quickly adapting when the Omnitrix doesn't provide him with the alien he wanted. He has once admitted that people assume he's not paying attention, but he actually is.
In Omniverse, Ben started thinking of himself as more of a superhero than a Plumber, often remarking that he's not a cop, but a superhero.
Powers and Abilities - Street Fighting Proficiency
Ben is a fairly proficient fighter, even as a human, being able to hold his own against Pierce.
Although he mainly employs a loose street fighting style, he also knows martial arts, having been trained in savate and karate by Gwen, and Marquess of Queensbury boxing.
On top of that, he has gained practical experience from years of fighting aliens. He copied a lot of his fighting moves from Kangaroo Commando.
Ben has also received basic Plumber training, having succeeded in the Plumbers' Academy with a 95 out of a 100.
Ben has good reflexes, being able to easily dodge shots from Manny's blasters before disarming him while in human form, dodge Sunder's axe attacks, Zed's lunges, and a laser blast from Tummyhead.
Ben has an extraordinarily sharp memory, as he was perfectly capable of remembering and writing down the mystic rune-like symbols for entering the inter-dimensional realm of Legerdomain with just one glance from a distance. This is even more true for things that interest him.
Ben is surprisingly a natural at hoverboard-based combat, which generally requires intensive training and the use of holographic simulators. Relatedly, he is also good at snowboarding.
Ben has shown himself to be quite proficient in using weaponry, such as a DNA Repair Gun and Ascalon.
Ben is proficient at driving, having been taught by Max. For example, he was able to swerve out of the way at the last second to avoid coming into contact with Eunice's crashing pod.
Ben has impressive piloting skills, as shown when, at 10 years old, he could adequately control a gyropod (a small ship designed for alien pilots) within seconds of testing, and at 16 years old, could pilot the Rustbucket 3. He gets this skill from a combination of playing video games and tap lessons Sandra made him take, though he would never admit it. Despite this, Kevin is considered to be a better pilot than Ben.
Ben is proficient at baseball.
Ben is proficient at soccer, serving as a goalie for his high school team. In fact, he was the first freshman start as goalie on his school's team.
Ben is a decent musician, as he knew a variety of electric guitar techniques like shredding, hammer-ons, and pinch harmonics, and on drums, was able to keep up with a professional rock band.
It is evident that Ben is smart in some respects, possessing an above-average to high intelligence and maintaining a B+ average at school. Gwen even stated that he really is not working up to his potential at school.
Equipment - Omnitrix
“"You are...one of us?"
"I'm one of everybody."”
– A Necrofriggian Guard and Big Chill.
Ben is the wielder of the Omnitrix (formerly the Ultimatrix and first Omnitrix), which gives him the power to modify his own genetic code in order to turn into various alien creatures. Traditionally, he could only transform into ten aliens at the beginning of both the Original Series and Alien Force, but he later gained additional forms by either unlocking them or by scanning the DNA of aliens he met.
When transforming into an alien, Ben gets all the creature's features, including its appearance, voice, all of its unique and special abilities and powers, strengths and weaknesses. Though he mostly retains his personality, there are some cases where the transformation causes a change in it, like with Rath and Juryrigg.
Though he usually uses his alien forms to fight, he can impersonate aliens as he did with Waterhazard to convince P'Andor to go home, though he was only successful at getting P'Andor to believe he was Bivalvan.
In addition to transforming into aliens, the Ultimatrix included what is referred as an "evolutionary function", that allowed Ben to evolve his alien forms, referred to as Ultimate Forms.
In addition to the primary transformations and evolutionary function, the Omnitrices and Ultimatrix can both be used for various purposes. Both have a built-in Universal Translator that allows Ben to communicate with most aliens that do not speak English.
The original Omnitrix displayed the ability to manipulate and repair genetic damage, a function he used to cure DNAliens and save the Highbreed from extinction. Azmuth also mentioned that Ben could use the original Omnitrix to bring back to life any species stored on Primus.
The current Omnitrix also has a failsafe to help prevent Ben from dying.
Ben formerly owned an X321 hoverboard, given to him by Tetrax. It was destroyed when it fell into a vat of nuclear waste. Tetrax gave him a second hoverboard which was later destroyed by Khyber. The second hoverboard was later either rebuilt or replaced.
Plumber Badge
Ben has a Plumber suit, allowing him to survive in unsuitable environments. Kevin modified his suit by installing a propulsion unit and neuroshock pulsers.
As a Galactic Enforcer, Ben had a badge which allowed him to activate some features from the team's ship remotely.
Ben formerly had a hazmat suit, given to him by Max. The suit protected him from the effects of Corrodium and allowed him to survive in space.
Ben temporarily wore a spacesuit, given to him by Tetrax, which allowed him to survive in space.
Ben temporarily used an ID Mask to disguise himself as a DNAlien to navigate a Highbreed ship.
Ben temporarily drove Kevin's car when Kevin had been aged into an old man by the Time Monster.
Ben formerly wielded a DNA Repair Gun, which he used to revert the DNAliens back to human. Simian later sold it to the Incurseans.
Ben temporarily used Max's motorcycle during Alien Swarm.
Ben formerly owned the Mark 10, given to him as a birthday gift by Kevin. The car is now owned by Sandra.
Ben temporarily wielded Ascalon, which also covered him in armor.
Ben, as Juryrigg, created the Tenn-Speed from parts of the destroyed Proto-TRUK. It was later damaged by Ben off-screen prior to Let's Do the Time War Again, and its parts were used by Ben 10,000 as Uprigg to create the Time Cycles. Both Time Cycles were destroyed when Ben and Rook crash-landed onto the Contumelia Ship.
When in Sumo Slammer Smackdown, he had access to a sword.
Weaknesses - Coulrophobia
Ben appears to have a short attention span and very little patience at times. More often than not, it can get him into trouble, such as not reading the directions when trapped in Sumo Slammer Smackdown.
Though he has matured substantially since receiving the original Omnitrix, he is still a teenager with much to learn and is prone to irrational impulses and recklessness.
Ben has coulrophobia (i.e. a fear of clowns), which was indirectly caused by Max.
Ben is vulnerable to the cold virus.
Ben is vulnerable to hypnosis.
Ben is not immune to Corrodium and will be mutated when exposed to this mineral unless he either wears special protection or transforms into an alien.
Ben can be rendered unconscious by sedative quills, such as those generated by Argit's species.
Ben has an allergy to peanuts.
Ben can experience pain from electricity, such as that generated by a Nosedeenian, Phil as a Terroranchula, a Conductoid or a Cerebrocrustacean.
Ben's worst fear is that of peacocks.
Ben's worst subject is Physics.
Whenever the Omnitrix times out, Ben is left powerless until he either dodges or switches to a new alien form. In addition to gaining the selected alien's powers and strengths, he gains its weaknesses.
Whenever Ben unlocks a new alien form, he is at a disadvantage of not knowing its abilities and weaknesses until he gains experience with using that alien. However, this was not an issue when he wielded the recalibrated original Omnitrix, as the device granted him full understanding of the aliens' powers.
Despite his experience in using the Omnitrices and Ultimatrix, Ben still does not know every function of them. Due to his inquisitive nature and impatience, he has accidentally unlocked new functions such as the Master Control and the randomizer, which can at times do more harm than good.
Though the current Omnitrix is designed to work only for him, Ben still has not mastered it. According to Azmuth, Ben may get the Master Control on his 18th birthday.
The current Omnitrix does not actually mistransform, but rather it is due to Ben hitting the Omnitrix too hard, thereby causing the time-out function to select another alien at random.
At times, the natural biological behavior of certain aliens can override Ben's behavior, such as Big Chill's reproductive phase or Swampfire's blossoming process.
Any illness Ben is experiencing in his human form will affect his alien forms.
Family
Ben has stated that he loves and cares about his mom and dad, and that they're good parents and raised him well enough to become the person he is today.
Ken Tennyson
Ben looked up to Ken as a role model, and Ben practically "worshipped" Ken when he was 10. Ken took Ben to his first soccer practice.
Gwen Tennyson
In the Original Series, Ben's relationship with Max seemed to be that of a father and son, because the majority of the series took place in the summer and Max was the only guardian available. When he was seriously injured in The Alliance, Ben went full strength with Four Arms and brutally destroyed Vilgax's Mechadroids as they were the catalyst for his injury. His relationship with his grandfather has not changed much at all during Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, and Omniverse.
In Ben 10 Returns: Part 1, he yelled at Gwen when she jokingly wondered how Max's cooking hadn't killed him, as he was worried about where he was.
Lucy Mann
Ben and Lucy get along quite well in both the Original Series and Omniverse, though Ben was nervous about dancing with her in Big Fat Alien Wedding. During the Omniverse flashbacks, he was shown to enjoy her company, which she reciprocated.
Allies
Azmuth
Ben's initial thoughts of Azmuth before meeting him were never stated, but he did find it to be somewhat surprising that he was a Galvan. After meeting him, he thought of him as a jerk who cared about no one but himself. However, his perception of him changed when Azmuth fixed the Omnitrix.
Five years prior to Omniverse, Ben and Azmuth interacted more frequently after the latter's reintegration into Galvan society. Ben was disgusted towards Azmuth's refusal to correct Malware, but they still respected and assisted each other. In a flashback in Showdown: Part 1, Azmuth warned Ben to not overuse Feedback, but Ben did not heed his warning and Feedback was lost from the Omnitrix after a fight with Malware. and during a flashback in Showdown: Part 2, Azmuth offered Ben advice and comfort after he lost Feedback.
In Alien Force, Ben respected Azmuth as the creator of the Omnitrix, though he was willing to go against his orders when he deemed it necessary, such as when he refused to stay out of the final battle against the Highbreed. In Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 2, Ben lost Azmuth's trust after hacking the Omnitrix.
Professor Paradox
Ben first met Professor Paradox in Paradox to stop a Trans-Dimensional Creature. Professor Paradox claimed he would help Ben save the "whole entire universe".
Paradox puts great faith in Ben, even stating to Azmuth that he was destined for greatness.
Jimmy Jones
Jimmy revealed Ben's identity to the public on Earth by linking alien sightings along with the intergalactic peace symbol all on their chests matching that of a picture of Ben ready to activate the Omnitrix and leaking it to his own personal website.
In Ultimate Alien, Ben considered him a reliable source of information. However, in Omniverse, Ben is shown to be very skeptical and dismissive of Jimmy's claims and theories.
Skurd
Initially, Ben and Skurd had a strenuous relationship, with Ben finding Skurd's snark to be annoying and Skurd finding Ben to be nothing more than a "free lunch". During their tenure together, they would frequently bicker. However, over time, the two grew closer, with both saying they owed the other their life. Ben 10,000, upon seeing Skurd for the first time in years, recalled fond memories.
Romantic
Elena Valadis
Elena Valadis is one of the Plumbers' kids and a former member of Ben's soccer team. Ben met Elena when he was 13 and had to convince his soccer teammates to let her join. She appeared in the live-action film Ben 10: Alien Swarm.
Elena also appeared in Revenge of the Swarm, where she served as the Queen of the Hive. Victor Valadis attacked Ben at night, so the trio went to her to find whether she knew anything about the Microchips.
Later, when Ben mentioned Julie, it made her angry and jealous, and she kidnapped her in order to keep Ben all to herself. They almost kissed, but her plan was revealed to Ben, and he saved Julie. Elena, being possessed by the Hive Queen, encountered Armodrillo and choked him with the Microchips.
However, she was convinced by Julie to not to do so. She willingly sacrificed herself in order save Ben, proving how much she liked him and that there was still the Elena that cared for him. Ben became sorry for her, understanding how much she had liked him. At the end of the episode, the Microchips reformed, revealing she was still alive.
Elena appeared in The Perfect Girlfriend disguised as Julie. As Julie, she tried to do everything to make Ben happy. Once Ben found out Julie was Elena, he tried to reason with her, but when the real Julie turned up, he ended up fighting her as Ultimate Echo Echo, during which she choked him with the Microchips again. Julie told Elena that if she killed him, then no one could have him. At the end of the episode, Elena retreated into the sewer, "knowing what hate feels like" indicating that she now had a hatred for Ben and promised to return.
Eunice
The Unitrix's pod was discovered in the forest at the same time Ben's team was driving for a camping trip. After encountering her, she stayed with them for the day, bonding with Ben (who had recently broken up with Julie).
The two of them were soon attacked by Sunder, who shut Eunice down and attempted to get away before Gwen and Kevin stopped him as Kevin restarted the Unitrix again. While the four of them scuffled with Sunder that led to a muddy area, Azmuth arrived, broke up the fight, and cleared things up. Following a brief argument, Ben allowed Azmuth, under a compromise, to take on Eunice as one of his assistants on Primus.
Emily
Emily briefly dated Ben, but the reason they broke up was that Ben went "hero" and left Emily on a 200-foot-tall watchtower, causing Emily to get angry at Ben.
Ester
When Ester first met Ben in Hot Stretch, they fought for the fusion device. When she realized the other Kraaho were doing evil things, she joined Ben's team. She introduced him to her friends, and they played an alien version of hockey.
Ben turned into Waterhazard and splashed everyone with water to cool them down, even when Ester told him not to. He then brought her a towel, and she blushed as he gazed at her.
She turned the water floating around him into snowflakes and ran off laughing. Rook told Ben she liked him. When she became the chief, she hugged Ben and told him she and her kind would be good neighbors. Later Ester's friends called Ben her boyfriend, and Ben at first denied it, but then excitedly asked Rook if he had a chance with her.
In Rules of Engagement, Ben offered to help clean up the Hot Spot with her. She excitedly agreed, wrapping her arms around his arm. She also stated that she is fond of Mr. Smoothy.
Sometime before Return to Forever, they went on a movie date.
In Catfight, Ester was in a double date with Ben, Rook, and Rayona. Later in the episode, she hugged Ben, and the two ran off to watch Sumo Slammers 6 3D again.
In Fight at the Museum, Ester invited Ben to the Bellwood Museum for a date, but Ben, not knowing it was a date, brought Rook since Rook enjoys museums. Ester was shown to be horrified when she heard that Ben and Kai end up together in the future Spanner comes from, while Ben himself stated there was no way that was going to happen.
Later in The Most Dangerous Game Show, feeling that Ben really was destined to be with Kai, Ester decided to let go of him. While trying to talk to Ben, who she couldn't get in contact with, Ester ultimately fell in love with Antonio. Eventually, Ester made her feelings known to Ben, breaking up on good terms, even stating she still liked him while remaining friends.
Empress Attea
In The Frogs of War: Part 2, Bullfrag infiltrated Attea's team and from the moment she saw him, Attea had a crush on him. When they met in the cell block of Plumber Headquarters, Bullfrag came up to her and started flirting, taking note that his new form showed her in a whole new light. Attea was a bit flustered, but started flirting back, only to be knocked out by a mana blast by Gwen. Bullfrag blamed his crush on Attea on his Incursean DNA.
At the end of the episode, when leaving Earth, she gave Ben the offer to come with her and "Ditch that monkey face and turn into Bullfrag again". He promptly declined. Attea gave him a kiss to the back of his head with her long tongue, winked, and took off.
She later decided that Ben was her only option for a mate in Catfight. However, Ben later convinced her that she was capable of ruling on her own.
Drew Saturday
In T.G.I.S., Ben gained a crush on Drew Saturday the minute he saw her. She responded to Ben saying, "right back at ya". When Doc told Ben, Rook, Zak, and Fisk that Dr. Animo and his Chupacabra army were attacking Mr. Baumann's store, Drew offered to stay behind to look after the petrified Gilford Bromley.
Ben, though, suggested that Rook stay behind, and Drew come with him, telling them that they might need her medical expertise. Later, when Ben, Rook, Zak, and Fisk arrived at the airship to stop V.V. Argost and his army of cryptids, Doc and Drew revealed themselves and told them that they escaped moments before Argost showed up. Ben then instantly told Drew that he was happy that she was okay, causing Zak to remind him that Doc was okay too. At the end of the episode, Ben told Zak how it was a pleasure to work with him and his mom. He then took a photo with Zak, Doc, Drew, and Fisk as Four Arms.
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A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Ben 10
Sumo Slammers
Ben 10
2006, Bandai
Is food for the body somehow different?
I have always loved food, perhaps even more than flowers. My whole family enjoyed food. In fact, on my grandmother’s deathbed, her last conversation with my father was to ensure that he knew all the ingredients to all the family recipes. (Sometimes my grandmother would withhold the identify of one ingredient so that no one else could make a dish exactly as she did.)
My mother’s family was Polish and Russian, and my father’s family was Spanish and Mongolian, so I had a pretty broad exposure to food as a kid. In addition, we owned a large farm, which produced all sorts of fresh produce. One of my happier memories as a child was sitting down to special summer meals, which consisted of one fresh crop of food: strawberries, for example, or corn. We would gorge ourselves on the fresh produce to celebrate its arrival.
However, as much as I love food, I didn’t really think about photographing it, except to document certain recipes. Occasionally, I might take a snapshot of something that I bought, but such pictures were usually spur of the moment activities that took place only because my camera was near where I unloaded the groceries.
Rather a different car to top up down by the lakes! I still find their quietness a problem! Just the faint whisper of wheels and they're right up there ready to knock you over! 😁
The Tesla Model 3 first arrived in the UK in 2019. It’s the cheapest Tesla you can buy (Ahem, if you think that 52k is cheap!).
According to Tesla, it’s a 100% battery electric vehicle (BEV), and the combination of its price, styling, performance, and advanced technology has already made it a highly desirable electric 5 seat saloon car to drive.
Think I'll stick with my Mercedes for the foreseeable future! 🤔 Which reminds me ... I filled up with petrol in the week between Christmas and New Year ... today I added £30 worth! 😂
Ceduna. This “capital” of the Far West Coast is 50 kms further from Adelaide than Melbourne is from Adelaide. As it is 780 kms west of Adelaide it should be in a different time zone but it is not. With Thevenard it has 2,200 residents. Almost 25% of residents are Aboriginal but this figure is does not include the floating or transient population of Aboriginal visitors from inland areas and further west (Yalata) which is 250 kms away. The people from Yalata speak Pitjantjatjara unlike the local Wirangu people. Most of the permanent Aboriginal residents are employed by local government, the state government or the local industries. The transient population usually come to Ceduna for medical treatment. The Ceduna Hospital has 15 acute overnight beds, four day beds, two dialysis beds and 38 general beds. Medical imaging is available two days a week at the hospital. Rex Airlines provides seven flights a week to Adelaide. The Western Australian border across the Nullarbor is 500 kms west of Ceduna. The Head of the Bight is 300 kms west. The Eyre Highway to the WA border was sealed in 1976.
European exploration of the Ceduna area and Murat Bay began in 1627 when Captain Francois Thijssen, a Dutch explorer in his ship the Golden Zeepard, visited this region with Pieter Nuijts. The islands off the coast were named Nuyts Archipelago in honour of that voyage by Captain Matthew Flinders when he charted the coast here in 1801. The largest island in the archipelago was named by Captain Thijssen in 1627 after the patron saint of Nuijt – St Pierre Isle now known as St Peters Island. The second largest island in the archipelago he named after his own patron stain St Francois – St Francis Island. Another European, the French man Nicholas Baudin named Murat Bay when he charted the coast also in 1802. He was the explorer who met Matthew Flinders near Victor Harbor which Flinders named Encounter Bay. Murat was a French general and brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte. When Flinders entered the bay next to Murat he tested the water for salinity as he felt sure a major river would have an estuary on the bay. In disappointment he named it Denial Bay. In 1893 the Hundred of Bonython was declared around Murat Bay. It was not changed to Ceduna until the railway arrived in 1915 when the railways named their station Ceduna. Ceduna is believed to be a corruption of the local Wirangu Aboriginal word 'chedoona' which means "a place to sit down and rest". The foreshore of Murat Bay is a great place to sit down and rest under the Norfolk Island pine trees looking towards Thevenard. Or you can get almost the same view from the Ceduna Foreshore Hotel!
Unlike most South Australia towns Ceduna was founded in the 20th century when the optimism of the 19th century farmers had waned. Early explorers had not reported favourably on the land here. Edward John Eyre made his visit to the region in 1839 after sailing to Port Lincoln and then he explored it again in 1840/41. On his second trip he complained about the lack of any water after a ship had provided water to him at Streaky Bay. His party then walked as there was no water for horses. This fateful journey, when Aborigines killed two of his party and Eyre and his Aboriginal friend Wylie nearly died of thirst, Eyre managed to cross the Nullarbor Plain to WA. But none of his reports encouraged settlers. Two explorers Miller and Dutton in 1857 noted no water but said there were good areas of grasslands. The first large pastoral leaseholds were taken up in 1860 but soon surrendered and taken up again after 1868. This was tough country even for sheep. Robert Barr smith took out the Fowlers Bay run which included Murat Bay and covered 199 square miles. Other leaseholds were also taken up along the coast. All were resumed by the government in the late 1880s when the hundreds were declared. The Hundred of Bonython which covers Ceduna was declared in 1893 and a small farming community began on Murat Bay. Thirty early settler families petitioned the government for a surveyed town in 1896. This happened in 1901 and it was named Murat Bay. But the town developed very slowly. The first church opened in 1909; the government school only opened in 1914 and minimal development occurred before 1915 when the railway from Port Lincoln reached the town. The first government wharf was built in 1902 to take away the bagged grain; and early stone Institute building was erected; there were two early general stores; the town had a stone hotel –licensed to Mr Charles Mudge in 1901 for opening in 1902; the first police station opened in 1903; the first wooden Post Office opened in 1902; the town before 1909 had a saddler, a blacksmith, a butcher, baker, etc but no candle stick maker.
All the major Christian faiths have been represented in Ceduna. The first church built in Ceduna was the Methodist in 1909 in Poynton Street. Its porched was added 1959 and the “new” church hall was added in 1962. The second church was the early Anglican Church also built in Poynton Street in 1911. It was last used for services in 1954 when the new St Michael’s and All Angels Church across the street opened. It was dedicated by the Bishop of Willochra in 1955 and the adjacent parish hall was built in 1981. The third church erected in town was the Lutheran Church in East Terrace. It was built in 1928 but was in a deteriorating condition by 1970. In 1971 it was demolished and a new Lutheran Church opened. Lutheranism was a strong faith in this region with the Koonibba Lutheran Aboriginal Mission (est. 1901) 39 kms out of town and the early Lutheran Church in Denial Bay 13 kms away which was the first church in the whole region built in 1896. In 1929 the Catholics built a church in Bergman Drive. It was dedicated as Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. A new parish hall was erected in 1977. Ceduna became a separate Catholic parish with a resident priest in 1973 when it broke away from Streaky Bay.
Thevenard. Ceduna-Thevenard was the main terminus of the Eyre Peninsula railway system with the line from Port Lincoln reaching here in 1915. The town of Thevenard was surveyed and land sold in 1915. The railway line from Port Lincoln reached Wudinna, about half way in 1913.Then the first trains operated to Ceduna in 1915 with a passenger train for travel to or from Port Lincoln. It took two days with an overnight stay in Minnipa! Almost all the railway stations and sidings on Eyre Peninsula have local Aboriginal words for their names. Here are some of the interesting siding names from near Ceduna – Yantanabie; Chillundie; Mudamuckla; Chimbingina; Uworra; Nunjikompita; Yantanabie; Puntabie; Wiabuna; Koonibba; Kalanbi; Chinta. Passenger trains on Eyre Peninsula from Ceduna were coordinated to arrive in Port Lincoln to connect with coast steamers to Adelaide until the last steamer service ended in 1963. The railway from Thevenard was extended to Penong further west (73 kms) in 1924. This is now the only railway line in operation on Eyre Peninsula since May 2019 when Viterra grain handlers could not reach an agreement with the track owners of Eyre Peninsula, Genesee & Wyoming Australia. The rail service was terminated. The last grain train to Penong operated in 1997 but the line to Kevin gypsum mines still operates. Three round trips are made each day for most days of the week. The export of gypsum is one of the major exports from Thevenard. The jetty at Thevenard was extended in 1972 to allow larger ships to visit the port. Thevenard exports roughly 6 million bushels of grain a year, 80,000 tons of salt and 200,000 tons of gypsum from the mines at Kevin near Penong and increasing amounts of mineral sands (zircon). Some processed and frozen fish and seafood are also exported from Thevenard. Flinders Ports Holdings operates the port which is the second busiest in South Australia. There are current plans for a $15million upgrade of Thevenard jetty and port. A transportable Methodist Church was moved to Thevenard in 1953 and a small Greek Orthodox Church opened in Thevenard in 1972. Prior to that Orthodox services were held in the Greek Hall. For many years Thevenard had a gypsum factory producing plaster.
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i had a photo shoot yesterday for the artwork that is going to be on display on the walls of a new restaurant/bar opening here in Tallahassee. It's all pin-up girl themed and this is a behind the scenes shot of what we did yesterday.
This was toward the end of the shoot when we didn't have 4 hair/make up people, other models, another photog, and just random people coming in and out.
It was super hectic, but the images that I got are hands down some of my best. Super excited to post some of them!
strobist: if it's not obvious:
ab800 through socked beauty dish
ab800 to the right had different gels shooting onto the background
ab800 to the left as a little rim light
all fired via pocket wizardry
This image is protected by copyright, no use of this image shall be granted without the written permission from Yaman Ibrahim.
End of 44th Baltimore LGBTQ Pride Parade March along East 23rd Street between North Charles and St. Paul Street in Baltimore MD on Saturday afternoon, 15 June 2019 by Elvert Barnes Photography
DC DIFFERENT DRUMMERS / MARCHING BAND
www.facebook.com/DCs.Different.Drummers/
Elvert Barnes 44th Baltimore LGTBQ Pride 2019 docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/BmoreGayPride2019
Ian's on the road again, wearing different shoes again.
Or something.
Yes, have audit will travel is taking me back to the north west and head office (UK) in Warrington.
I wasn't keen to go, as I would be one of those being audited, rather than being the auditor.
So it goes.
Up even earlier than usual, Jools went swimming first thing, while I woke up and packed.
It was to be a bright if cold day, and the promise of actual snow once I reached Manchester, so that was something to look forward to. No?
Jools dropped me off on the prom so I could have a walk, take some snaps before picking up the car.
It was cold.
Not Canada cold, clearly.
Minus three. And too cold to linger to watch the actual sunrise, so made do with snapping the reflected light of the hotels and a ferry coming into the harbour. I walked over Townwall Street, now cold to the bone, hoping the car hire place would be open on time.
It wasn't, but a couple of minutes later, a guy came to open up and let me inside where it was slightly warmer.
My old ruse of getting an automatic thus getting a larger car was ruined this time was I was given a Toyota Yaris. It struggled to get up Jubilee Way without the engine screaming. You'd better behave yourself for the next three days I told it.
Back home for breakfast, load the car and say goodbye to the cats. One last look, and I was off. The car had no sat nav, so had to use the phone.
Before going to the hotel, I was going to visit a former colleague who lives in Warrington, or nearly St Helens as I found out later, so programmed her address in, and off I went, along our street and towards the A2 and the long slog up to Dartford.
I connected my phone to charge, and straight away tunes from my Apple music store started playing. So, apart from the free U2 album it forced on all users, the rest was good if a little Skids and Velvet Underground heavy.
The miles were eaten up, even if I had to turn the music way up to drown the sound of the screaming engine.
Like all trips, I had something extra to sweeten the time away, and in this case it was a church. But not just any church, as you will see.
I watched a short documentary on Monday about Mary Queen of Scots, and remembered that she had been imprisoned and executed at Fotheringhay Castle in what is now Northamptonshire, and if I went over the Dartford Crossing, up the M11 to Cambridge, then were the A14 crossed the Great North Road, ten miles north was Fotheringhay.
So, I pressed on, under the river and into Essex, then along to the bottom of the M11, and north past Stanstead to Cambridge. Traffic wasn't bad, so I made good time, my phone telling me I would reach Fotheringhay at midday.
Turning off the A1, down narrow lanes, then the view to the church opens up, in what is possibly one of the finest vistas in all of England. St Mary and All Saints, 15th century and in its Perpendicular finest, it looks too good to be that old, but is.
Not only is the church mostly as it was, if plain inside, this was the parish church of the House of York, of several Kings including the final, Richard III.
This is real history.
I crossed over the narrow hump-back bridge that spanned the fast flowing, and nearly flooding, River Neane, into the village and parked outside the church. A set of grand gates lead off the main road to the northern porch, lined with fine trees, naked it being winter.
The tower seems over-large for the Nave and Chancel, it stands 116 feet tall, and is a chonker, the rest of the church seems small beside it, but the interior of the church is a large space, high to its vaulted roof.
I take shots, not as many as perhaps I should, but the church doesn't have centuries of memorials, but does have two House of York tombs, or mausoleums.
I had some time, so I thought I would visit any interesting church I might see before getting back on the A14.
That was the plan.
The road took me round Oundle, which had at least two interesting looking churches, but them being what you might call "urban", I passed both and carried on over the rolling hills of Northamptonshire, much hillier than you might have thought.
Just before the A14, I see a large tower, and a lane lead to the village of Titchmarsh.
Titchmarsh is the name of a very famous TV gardener over here in Britain, not sure if this is where he hails from.
The village itself is set along a long high street, lined with half-timbered houses, most thatched, which was very picturesque.
I parked up, screams from the primary school, out for lunch, filled the air. But I had eyes on the church.
Oddly, on the north side, the churchyard is marked by a haha, or half of one.
A ha?
Certainly not a ditch, but there was a grille in the wall to allow water to get out.
Access to the church was over a small bridge, the grand porch in front.
The door opened easily, and I saw first, lots of wall paintings. Not old, perhaps Victorian.
I set to work taking shots, using the compact to snap close ups of the windows.
In truth, not much of great interest, and I was aware from the radio there being talk of snow.
Better get going and head north.
Back outside, my phone tells me I should be in Warrington by four, my friend, Teresa, wouldn't be home until half past, so I could have another break on the way.
The sat nav took me back to the A14, and from there it is just a 60 mile drive to the bottom of the M6 and then the hike two hours north.
At least it was a sunny day, though clouds were building, and was it my imagination, or did it look like snow falling already?
No, it was snow. big, fat, wet flakes at first, not much to worry about, but I pressed on past Coventry to the toll road, I sopped for half an hour there, enough time to have a drink and some crisps, then back outside where darkness was falling, as well as more snow.
The M6 might have had its upgrade complete, but a trip on it is rarely without delays. And for me, an hour delayed just before Warrington due to a crash, so we inched along in near darkness.
Teresa lived the other side of Warrington, so I had to press on further north, then along other main roads, round a bonkers roundabout before entering the town. Roads were lined with two up/two downs, doors leading straight onto the pavement. Cozy and northern.
They have two dog-mountains, I'm not sure of the breed, but think of something like a St Bernard and go bigger. They had just been for a walk, were damp and happy to be inside, laying on the kitchen floor. Taking up all the kitchen floor.
We talked for an hour, then I received a call from a guy I was supposed to be meeting up with: heavy snow was falling, I should get there sooner than later. So, I said my goodbyes and programmed the route to the hotel. Sorry, resort. Golf resort.
16 miles.
Snow was falling heavy, not too bad on main roads back to the motorway, though traffic on that was only going 40, it was fast enough. But the final six miles was long a main road, but it was covered in snow, with more falling.
The the fuel warning light went on.
Ignore that, I just wanted to get to the hotel safe and have dinner. Not end up in a hedge.
The final mile was very scary, snow only an inch deep, but slippery. There was a gatehouse marking the entrance to the golf club, I turned in and parked in the first space I came to.
Phew.
I checked in, and the place is huge, swish, but full of golfers.
But it does a sideline in conferences, training centre and a hotel. It was full.
I checked in, walked to the room, which is huge, and very comfortable, dropped my bags and went to the bar for dinner of beer and burgers. The place was almost empty, I watched cricket live from South Africa while I ate and drank.
Would I be tempted by the cheeseboard?
I would, dear reader, I would.
To my room to watch the football and relax while snow fell outside.
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Another bike ride into the wilds and wolds of Northamptonshire. I set off from Huntingdon railway station, and after a sixteen mile slog into the wind I crossed the county boundary at Clopton, a church I visited three weeks ago. Now, the real bike ride could now begin. Resisting a revisit to the church, I turned off on a very lonely, narrow lane through the woodlands. The Cambs/Northants borderlands are often like this, remote and lonely, wooded and rolling, devoid of houses outside the villages and with only the rare car, horse or other cyclist. It reminds me of parts of France.
After a couple of miles I came to Titchmarsh, and its splendid church, a big church in a pretty stone village. The tower is enormous ('The finest church tower in England outside of Somerset' - FJ Allen) and there is no spire. The churchyard is surrounded by a haha, with a little bridge across the moat. The church was being prepared for a rock concert, with a stage built up under the tower and tables and chairs in the nave. Not a huge amount to see in any case, although I liked the memorial to a servant who saved his master's life by getting in the way of an assassin's knife, only to later drown in the Nene. As you'd expect in this part of the world, good stone capitals in the arcades, with stiffleaves you could cut yourself on as well as dripping fruit.
And then it was on past the IKEA warehouse ('the largest building in the British Isles') into the town of Thrapston.
Simon Knott, July 2017.
www.flickr.com/photos/norfolkodyssey/35483761652/in/photo...
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The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, standing in a prominent position on the higher ground to the North of the village, has been the centre of the Christian community in Titchmarsh for some 800 years.
The name of Tichmarsh (or the modern version Titchmarsh) seems to date from Anglo-Saxon times when a piece of land was granted to one Ticcea and became known as Ticcea’s marsh (Ticceanmersce, Tychemerche, etc).
The earliest records of the church date from 1240. It was from Tichmarsh that Viscount Lovell left his manor to fight with Richard III at Bosworth. Before that he had employed his Somerset mason to build what Pevsner described as “the noblest village tower outside Somerset”, on top of which in 1588 an Armada beacon was lit.
The church is remarkable for its magnificent tower, its long and lofty clerestory, its spacious chancel, and for its light and uncluttered interior. It also houses a collection of unique and interesting wall monuments, fine stained glass windows and a recently restored 1870 TC Lewis organ. (see separate links)
The building that you see today is not the first church to have existed on this site. The remains of a 12th century doorway in the chancel is the only relic of the Norman building, and the subsequent centuries have each made their distinctive architectural contribution. The building assumed its present appearance when, late in the 15th century, the tower, clerestory and porch were added, and the present perpendicular style windows were inserted. In the late 17th and early 18th century the Pickering family contributed a number of important memorials, including one to John Dryden the poet- laureate, who spent his childhood in Titchmarsh. In the 19th century a number of the windows had stained glass inserted, a vestry was added in the northwest corner, and much of the internal woodwork was replaced (including the pews, recently adapted to provide more mobile seating).
The focus of the church, both architecturally and spiritually, is the Altar. This is God’s table, at which the faithful share in the power of Christ’s Risen Life, by feeding on the Sacrament of his Body and Blood under the forms of bread and wine. The reredos of Caen stone and Derby alabaster (1866) depicts the Old Testament scenes of Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine, and Abraham’s offering of his only son Isaac, illustrating different aspects of the eucharistic theme.
The semi-circular Norman arch to the south side is a visible reminder that Christian worship has been offered on this site for at least some eight centuries.
The two-level sedilia and the piscine are of the 13th century, as is also the arcading which opens into the north chapel (now occupied by the organ). The opening known as a hagioscope or squint, gave additional visual access from the north chapel to the High Altar. The low, pointed 13th century doorway to the north of the Altar probably led to a tomb or chantry adjoining the Chancel on the north side. Much of this work can be attributed to the patronage of the Lovel family, who were Lords of the Manor from about 1268 until 1485.
Piercing the north-west corner of the Chancel wall are the remains of the stairway which originally led to the Rood-loft.
Dimly discernible in the apex of the Chancel arch is a crowned head. Experts suggest that it most closely resembles Edward IV who died in 1483 when Francis 1st (and only) Viscount Lovel was Lord of the Manor. The last years of the reign of Edward IV covered a peaceful period, favourable to the rebuilding of a church. In 1486 Henry VII granted the Manor of Tichmarsh to Sir Charles Somerset when Francis Lord Lovel who had supported Richard III was deprived of his estates at the end of the War of the Roses. This is the Lovell, who as Richard III’s Chamberlain and friend, was lampooned in the contemporary rhyme:
‘The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell our dog
Rule all England under the Hog’.
The walls and windows of the chancel were much embellished in Victorian times. The stained glass in the chancel windows is all by Messrs. Hardman of Birmingham. The east window depicts Christ’s Nativity, Baptism, Crucifixion and Ascension, and several episodes from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom the church is dedicated. The windows on the south side of the chancel depict various incidents from the New Testament, giving particular prominence to St Mary Magdalene and St Peter.
The reredos of Caen stone and Derby alabaster were completed.
The organ, a good example of the work of TC Lewis was installed and first used in 1870. (fully restored in 2016). We learn from the Parish Magazine that prior to the installation of the instrument, music for Devine service had been supplied by a barrel organ, the introduction of which in 1837 replaced the services of the eight singers who had occupied a musicians gallery under the tower, and sang very loud. Singing was also led by string and woodwind instruments until 1861.
According to the parish magazines, the paintings on the chancel walls were by Miss Agnes Saunders, who was sister-in-law to the Rev. F M Stopford, (rector 1861-1912). The fine limed oak chancel screen was the gift of Canon A M Luckock, (rector 1912-1962).
The North Chapel and Transept
This was largely rebuilt in the 14th century, and now houses many mural memorials to the Pickering family
Gilbert Pickering bought the manor of Tichmarsh from Charles Somerset’s grandson in 1553, and for more than two hundred years it remained in the possession of his descendants. When the direct line came to an end, the estates were acquired in 1778 by Thomas Powys, later the first Lord Lilford.
John Pickering married Susannah Dryden of Canons Ashby in 1609, and twenty-one years later, Susannah’s brother Erasmus married John’s cousin Mary Pickering. Of these unions were born two men well known in the highest circles of their day, the notorious Sir Gilbert Pickering (1613-1668) and the famous John Dryden the poet (1631-1700).
Sir Gilbert was a convinced Parliamentarian, and became Lord Chamberlain to Oliver Cromwell. John Dryden’s upbringing in Tichmarsh is mentioned in one of the memorials. This and another were painted by Sir Gilbert’s daughter, Elizabeth, who became the wife of John Creed.
A woman of talent with needle, pen and brush, Elizabeth Creed was responsible also for the wording of the altar tomb and wall angle memorials of the south aisle as well as the Dryden monument which has been moved to the north transept.
The South Aisle
Here we find Mrs Creed lamenting the death of her husband, a boon companion of Samuel Pepys, of their son Christ’s family. By ancient custom the Font stands near the main (west) door of the physical building, as a reminder that it is through Baptism that we enter Christ’s Church.
The West Window
The tracery of the tower window is 15th century, (extensively restored in 2016). In 1904 the west window was filled with stained glass, the gift of Rev’d F M Stopford to mark his 50th year in Holy Orders. It is a powerful representation of Christ’s Second Coming and the Day of Judgement, and approximately balances the episodes of Christ’s first Advent depicted in the east window. The same firm of artists, Messrs Hardman of Birmingham, was employed for the work, and it is interesting to notice how the passage of some forty years makes a considerable difference in style and taste between the tower window and their earlier work.
The Bells
The tower houses a fine ring of eight bells. All were recast and re-hung in 1913 as a memorial to Rev’d F M Stopford who died in office in 1912 having been rector for 51 years, and a chaplain to Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George V. Before recasting, the oldest bells dated from 1688, with additions in 1708 and 1781. The ring was completed in1885 by the gift of two bells in memory of Florence Augusta Stopford, the rector’s first wife. At the same time the present church clock, which strikes the hours and quarters, replaced the previous one made by George Eayre in 1745.
At the base of the tower are some interesting photographs of the re-hanging of the bells.
The South Porch
The original porch was a single storey structure, with window openings to east and west. The upper storey was added in1583 and housed the Pickering family pew, complete with fire place! After the death of the last Tichmarsh Pickerings the wall opening was blocked up. It was reopened in 1931, when Canon Luckock (rector 1912-1962) and his wife put in the present glass panel and hung the massive oak south door as a thanksgiving for their silver wedding. The seating around the walls of the porch is a reminder of its earlier function as a place of meeting.
The Exterior
The large and splendid tower is built in four stages, richly decorated with triple bands of quatrefoils in circles on the ground storey and similar bands on the second and third stages. The niches on the west face contain modern stone figures representing Moses and Aaron, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Peter, and the archangels Michael and Gabriel. The parish magazine for 1901 records that the rector’s wife paid for the replacements by breeding and selling black fantail pigeons.
The ‘crown’, ie. parapet and pinnacles above the fourth stage is considered by experts to date from about 1500. The will of one Thomas Gryndall, dated 1474, bequeaths money towards the building of the tower, probably completed except for the ‘crown’ in about 1480.
The prominence and size of the tower made it a significant landmark. In 1585 when the country prepared to resist the threatened invasion from Spain, the Lord Lieutenant, Sir Christopher Hatton of Kirby Hall, gave order for Beacons to be made in places accustomed and that ‘Tychemershe Beacon’ be sett upon Tychemershe church steeple
On the south wall of the tower is a painted sundial, dated 1798, and below it a disused clock face made in 1745. There are three scratch dials on the south side of the church – on the porch and on two of the buttresses.
The churchyard, which contains many good examples of local stonemasons’ work of the 18th and 19th centuries, is remarkable and perhaps unique in being bounded almost entirely by a ha-ha.
Acknowlegements: The Victoria County History of Northamptonshire; Northamptonshire by Niklaus Pevsner; and to various numbers of the Titchmarsh Parish Magazine; Titchmarsh Past and Present by Helen Belgion, published 1979
titchmarsh.info/church-of-st-mary-the-virgin/church-history/
After a westbound cleared at CP 182, L10, on the west leg of the wye at Springfield whistles for Linden Ave and pulls out on to the main for the trip back west to Dayton. The train has been completely turned after making its set off and pickup in the yard. Milepost 0 is the beginning of the former NYC branch to Mechanicsburg which is operated by the I&O.
Ian's on the road again, wearing different shoes again.
Or something.
Yes, have audit will travel is taking me back to the north west and head office (UK) in Warrington.
I wasn't keen to go, as I would be one of those being audited, rather than being the auditor.
So it goes.
Up even earlier than usual, Jools went swimming first thing, while I woke up and packed.
It was to be a bright if cold day, and the promise of actual snow once I reached Manchester, so that was something to look forward to. No?
Jools dropped me off on the prom so I could have a walk, take some snaps before picking up the car.
It was cold.
Not Canada cold, clearly.
Minus three. And too cold to linger to watch the actual sunrise, so made do with snapping the reflected light of the hotels and a ferry coming into the harbour. I walked over Townwall Street, now cold to the bone, hoping the car hire place would be open on time.
It wasn't, but a couple of minutes later, a guy came to open up and let me inside where it was slightly warmer.
My old ruse of getting an automatic thus getting a larger car was ruined this time was I was given a Toyota Yaris. It struggled to get up Jubilee Way without the engine screaming. You'd better behave yourself for the next three days I told it.
Back home for breakfast, load the car and say goodbye to the cats. One last look, and I was off. The car had no sat nav, so had to use the phone.
Before going to the hotel, I was going to visit a former colleague who lives in Warrington, or nearly St Helens as I found out later, so programmed her address in, and off I went, along our street and towards the A2 and the long slog up to Dartford.
I connected my phone to charge, and straight away tunes from my Apple music store started playing. So, apart from the free U2 album it forced on all users, the rest was good if a little Skids and Velvet Underground heavy.
The miles were eaten up, even if I had to turn the music way up to drown the sound of the screaming engine.
Like all trips, I had something extra to sweeten the time away, and in this case it was a church. But not just any church, as you will see.
I watched a short documentary on Monday about Mary Queen of Scots, and remembered that she had been imprisoned and executed at Fotheringhay Castle in what is now Northamptonshire, and if I went over the Dartford Crossing, up the M11 to Cambridge, then were the A14 crossed the Great North Road, ten miles north was Fotheringhay.
So, I pressed on, under the river and into Essex, then along to the bottom of the M11, and north past Stanstead to Cambridge. Traffic wasn't bad, so I made good time, my phone telling me I would reach Fotheringhay at midday.
Turning off the A1, down narrow lanes, then the view to the church opens up, in what is possibly one of the finest vistas in all of England. St Mary and All Saints, 15th century and in its Perpendicular finest, it looks too good to be that old, but is.
Not only is the church mostly as it was, if plain inside, this was the parish church of the House of York, of several Kings including the final, Richard III.
This is real history.
I crossed over the narrow hump-back bridge that spanned the fast flowing, and nearly flooding, River Neane, into the village and parked outside the church. A set of grand gates lead off the main road to the northern porch, lined with fine trees, naked it being winter.
The tower seems over-large for the Nave and Chancel, it stands 116 feet tall, and is a chonker, the rest of the church seems small beside it, but the interior of the church is a large space, high to its vaulted roof.
I take shots, not as many as perhaps I should, but the church doesn't have centuries of memorials, but does have two House of York tombs, or mausoleums.
I had some time, so I thought I would visit any interesting church I might see before getting back on the A14.
That was the plan.
The road took me round Oundle, which had at least two interesting looking churches, but them being what you might call "urban", I passed both and carried on over the rolling hills of Northamptonshire, much hillier than you might have thought.
Just before the A14, I see a large tower, and a lane lead to the village of Titchmarsh.
Titchmarsh is the name of a very famous TV gardener over here in Britain, not sure if this is where he hails from.
The village itself is set along a long high street, lined with half-timbered houses, most thatched, which was very picturesque.
I parked up, screams from the primary school, out for lunch, filled the air. But I had eyes on the church.
Oddly, on the north side, the churchyard is marked by a haha, or half of one.
A ha?
Certainly not a ditch, but there was a grille in the wall to allow water to get out.
Access to the church was over a small bridge, the grand porch in front.
The door opened easily, and I saw first, lots of wall paintings. Not old, perhaps Victorian.
I set to work taking shots, using the compact to snap close ups of the windows.
In truth, not much of great interest, and I was aware from the radio there being talk of snow.
Better get going and head north.
Back outside, my phone tells me I should be in Warrington by four, my friend, Teresa, wouldn't be home until half past, so I could have another break on the way.
The sat nav took me back to the A14, and from there it is just a 60 mile drive to the bottom of the M6 and then the hike two hours north.
At least it was a sunny day, though clouds were building, and was it my imagination, or did it look like snow falling already?
No, it was snow. big, fat, wet flakes at first, not much to worry about, but I pressed on past Coventry to the toll road, I sopped for half an hour there, enough time to have a drink and some crisps, then back outside where darkness was falling, as well as more snow.
The M6 might have had its upgrade complete, but a trip on it is rarely without delays. And for me, an hour delayed just before Warrington due to a crash, so we inched along in near darkness.
Teresa lived the other side of Warrington, so I had to press on further north, then along other main roads, round a bonkers roundabout before entering the town. Roads were lined with two up/two downs, doors leading straight onto the pavement. Cozy and northern.
They have two dog-mountains, I'm not sure of the breed, but think of something like a St Bernard and go bigger. They had just been for a walk, were damp and happy to be inside, laying on the kitchen floor. Taking up all the kitchen floor.
We talked for an hour, then I received a call from a guy I was supposed to be meeting up with: heavy snow was falling, I should get there sooner than later. So, I said my goodbyes and programmed the route to the hotel. Sorry, resort. Golf resort.
16 miles.
Snow was falling heavy, not too bad on main roads back to the motorway, though traffic on that was only going 40, it was fast enough. But the final six miles was long a main road, but it was covered in snow, with more falling.
The the fuel warning light went on.
Ignore that, I just wanted to get to the hotel safe and have dinner. Not end up in a hedge.
The final mile was very scary, snow only an inch deep, but slippery. There was a gatehouse marking the entrance to the golf club, I turned in and parked in the first space I came to.
Phew.
I checked in, and the place is huge, swish, but full of golfers.
But it does a sideline in conferences, training centre and a hotel. It was full.
I checked in, walked to the room, which is huge, and very comfortable, dropped my bags and went to the bar for dinner of beer and burgers. The place was almost empty, I watched cricket live from South Africa while I ate and drank.
Would I be tempted by the cheeseboard?
I would, dear reader, I would.
To my room to watch the football and relax while snow fell outside.
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Another bike ride into the wilds and wolds of Northamptonshire. I set off from Huntingdon railway station, and after a sixteen mile slog into the wind I crossed the county boundary at Clopton, a church I visited three weeks ago. Now, the real bike ride could now begin. Resisting a revisit to the church, I turned off on a very lonely, narrow lane through the woodlands. The Cambs/Northants borderlands are often like this, remote and lonely, wooded and rolling, devoid of houses outside the villages and with only the rare car, horse or other cyclist. It reminds me of parts of France.
After a couple of miles I came to Titchmarsh, and its splendid church, a big church in a pretty stone village. The tower is enormous ('The finest church tower in England outside of Somerset' - FJ Allen) and there is no spire. The churchyard is surrounded by a haha, with a little bridge across the moat. The church was being prepared for a rock concert, with a stage built up under the tower and tables and chairs in the nave. Not a huge amount to see in any case, although I liked the memorial to a servant who saved his master's life by getting in the way of an assassin's knife, only to later drown in the Nene. As you'd expect in this part of the world, good stone capitals in the arcades, with stiffleaves you could cut yourself on as well as dripping fruit.
And then it was on past the IKEA warehouse ('the largest building in the British Isles') into the town of Thrapston.
Simon Knott, July 2017.
www.flickr.com/photos/norfolkodyssey/35483761652/in/photo...
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The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, standing in a prominent position on the higher ground to the North of the village, has been the centre of the Christian community in Titchmarsh for some 800 years.
The name of Tichmarsh (or the modern version Titchmarsh) seems to date from Anglo-Saxon times when a piece of land was granted to one Ticcea and became known as Ticcea’s marsh (Ticceanmersce, Tychemerche, etc).
The earliest records of the church date from 1240. It was from Tichmarsh that Viscount Lovell left his manor to fight with Richard III at Bosworth. Before that he had employed his Somerset mason to build what Pevsner described as “the noblest village tower outside Somerset”, on top of which in 1588 an Armada beacon was lit.
The church is remarkable for its magnificent tower, its long and lofty clerestory, its spacious chancel, and for its light and uncluttered interior. It also houses a collection of unique and interesting wall monuments, fine stained glass windows and a recently restored 1870 TC Lewis organ. (see separate links)
The building that you see today is not the first church to have existed on this site. The remains of a 12th century doorway in the chancel is the only relic of the Norman building, and the subsequent centuries have each made their distinctive architectural contribution. The building assumed its present appearance when, late in the 15th century, the tower, clerestory and porch were added, and the present perpendicular style windows were inserted. In the late 17th and early 18th century the Pickering family contributed a number of important memorials, including one to John Dryden the poet- laureate, who spent his childhood in Titchmarsh. In the 19th century a number of the windows had stained glass inserted, a vestry was added in the northwest corner, and much of the internal woodwork was replaced (including the pews, recently adapted to provide more mobile seating).
The focus of the church, both architecturally and spiritually, is the Altar. This is God’s table, at which the faithful share in the power of Christ’s Risen Life, by feeding on the Sacrament of his Body and Blood under the forms of bread and wine. The reredos of Caen stone and Derby alabaster (1866) depicts the Old Testament scenes of Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine, and Abraham’s offering of his only son Isaac, illustrating different aspects of the eucharistic theme.
The semi-circular Norman arch to the south side is a visible reminder that Christian worship has been offered on this site for at least some eight centuries.
The two-level sedilia and the piscine are of the 13th century, as is also the arcading which opens into the north chapel (now occupied by the organ). The opening known as a hagioscope or squint, gave additional visual access from the north chapel to the High Altar. The low, pointed 13th century doorway to the north of the Altar probably led to a tomb or chantry adjoining the Chancel on the north side. Much of this work can be attributed to the patronage of the Lovel family, who were Lords of the Manor from about 1268 until 1485.
Piercing the north-west corner of the Chancel wall are the remains of the stairway which originally led to the Rood-loft.
Dimly discernible in the apex of the Chancel arch is a crowned head. Experts suggest that it most closely resembles Edward IV who died in 1483 when Francis 1st (and only) Viscount Lovel was Lord of the Manor. The last years of the reign of Edward IV covered a peaceful period, favourable to the rebuilding of a church. In 1486 Henry VII granted the Manor of Tichmarsh to Sir Charles Somerset when Francis Lord Lovel who had supported Richard III was deprived of his estates at the end of the War of the Roses. This is the Lovell, who as Richard III’s Chamberlain and friend, was lampooned in the contemporary rhyme:
‘The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell our dog
Rule all England under the Hog’.
The walls and windows of the chancel were much embellished in Victorian times. The stained glass in the chancel windows is all by Messrs. Hardman of Birmingham. The east window depicts Christ’s Nativity, Baptism, Crucifixion and Ascension, and several episodes from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom the church is dedicated. The windows on the south side of the chancel depict various incidents from the New Testament, giving particular prominence to St Mary Magdalene and St Peter.
The reredos of Caen stone and Derby alabaster were completed.
The organ, a good example of the work of TC Lewis was installed and first used in 1870. (fully restored in 2016). We learn from the Parish Magazine that prior to the installation of the instrument, music for Devine service had been supplied by a barrel organ, the introduction of which in 1837 replaced the services of the eight singers who had occupied a musicians gallery under the tower, and sang very loud. Singing was also led by string and woodwind instruments until 1861.
According to the parish magazines, the paintings on the chancel walls were by Miss Agnes Saunders, who was sister-in-law to the Rev. F M Stopford, (rector 1861-1912). The fine limed oak chancel screen was the gift of Canon A M Luckock, (rector 1912-1962).
The North Chapel and Transept
This was largely rebuilt in the 14th century, and now houses many mural memorials to the Pickering family
Gilbert Pickering bought the manor of Tichmarsh from Charles Somerset’s grandson in 1553, and for more than two hundred years it remained in the possession of his descendants. When the direct line came to an end, the estates were acquired in 1778 by Thomas Powys, later the first Lord Lilford.
John Pickering married Susannah Dryden of Canons Ashby in 1609, and twenty-one years later, Susannah’s brother Erasmus married John’s cousin Mary Pickering. Of these unions were born two men well known in the highest circles of their day, the notorious Sir Gilbert Pickering (1613-1668) and the famous John Dryden the poet (1631-1700).
Sir Gilbert was a convinced Parliamentarian, and became Lord Chamberlain to Oliver Cromwell. John Dryden’s upbringing in Tichmarsh is mentioned in one of the memorials. This and another were painted by Sir Gilbert’s daughter, Elizabeth, who became the wife of John Creed.
A woman of talent with needle, pen and brush, Elizabeth Creed was responsible also for the wording of the altar tomb and wall angle memorials of the south aisle as well as the Dryden monument which has been moved to the north transept.
The South Aisle
Here we find Mrs Creed lamenting the death of her husband, a boon companion of Samuel Pepys, of their son Christ’s family. By ancient custom the Font stands near the main (west) door of the physical building, as a reminder that it is through Baptism that we enter Christ’s Church.
The West Window
The tracery of the tower window is 15th century, (extensively restored in 2016). In 1904 the west window was filled with stained glass, the gift of Rev’d F M Stopford to mark his 50th year in Holy Orders. It is a powerful representation of Christ’s Second Coming and the Day of Judgement, and approximately balances the episodes of Christ’s first Advent depicted in the east window. The same firm of artists, Messrs Hardman of Birmingham, was employed for the work, and it is interesting to notice how the passage of some forty years makes a considerable difference in style and taste between the tower window and their earlier work.
The Bells
The tower houses a fine ring of eight bells. All were recast and re-hung in 1913 as a memorial to Rev’d F M Stopford who died in office in 1912 having been rector for 51 years, and a chaplain to Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George V. Before recasting, the oldest bells dated from 1688, with additions in 1708 and 1781. The ring was completed in1885 by the gift of two bells in memory of Florence Augusta Stopford, the rector’s first wife. At the same time the present church clock, which strikes the hours and quarters, replaced the previous one made by George Eayre in 1745.
At the base of the tower are some interesting photographs of the re-hanging of the bells.
The South Porch
The original porch was a single storey structure, with window openings to east and west. The upper storey was added in1583 and housed the Pickering family pew, complete with fire place! After the death of the last Tichmarsh Pickerings the wall opening was blocked up. It was reopened in 1931, when Canon Luckock (rector 1912-1962) and his wife put in the present glass panel and hung the massive oak south door as a thanksgiving for their silver wedding. The seating around the walls of the porch is a reminder of its earlier function as a place of meeting.
The Exterior
The large and splendid tower is built in four stages, richly decorated with triple bands of quatrefoils in circles on the ground storey and similar bands on the second and third stages. The niches on the west face contain modern stone figures representing Moses and Aaron, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Peter, and the archangels Michael and Gabriel. The parish magazine for 1901 records that the rector’s wife paid for the replacements by breeding and selling black fantail pigeons.
The ‘crown’, ie. parapet and pinnacles above the fourth stage is considered by experts to date from about 1500. The will of one Thomas Gryndall, dated 1474, bequeaths money towards the building of the tower, probably completed except for the ‘crown’ in about 1480.
The prominence and size of the tower made it a significant landmark. In 1585 when the country prepared to resist the threatened invasion from Spain, the Lord Lieutenant, Sir Christopher Hatton of Kirby Hall, gave order for Beacons to be made in places accustomed and that ‘Tychemershe Beacon’ be sett upon Tychemershe church steeple
On the south wall of the tower is a painted sundial, dated 1798, and below it a disused clock face made in 1745. There are three scratch dials on the south side of the church – on the porch and on two of the buttresses.
The churchyard, which contains many good examples of local stonemasons’ work of the 18th and 19th centuries, is remarkable and perhaps unique in being bounded almost entirely by a ha-ha.
Acknowlegements: The Victoria County History of Northamptonshire; Northamptonshire by Niklaus Pevsner; and to various numbers of the Titchmarsh Parish Magazine; Titchmarsh Past and Present by Helen Belgion, published 1979
titchmarsh.info/church-of-st-mary-the-virgin/church-history/
Taken in the butterfly enclosure at Jimmys Farm a few weeks ago.
It's something completely different for me. I would have liked it to be a little sharper, but as it was the first time shooting this kind of subject I think I did OK.
As always, thanks for taking the time to visit my stream. Any comments or faves are appreciated