Although also visible for several miles inland, the lighthouse can prove very difficult to locate once you are in the town! Southwold lighthouse which commenced operation in the 1890s is located near East Green and replaced the original wooden structure at Gun Hill. It was built to guide ships entering the River Blyth and to warn of dangerous shingle banks along the coast. Originally illuminated by paraffin, it was converted to electricity in 1938. It remains a working lighthouse today, although with an electric lamp remotely controlled from Harwich. Currently it can be seen up to 17 miles offshore. The lighthouse opens its doors on certain days and you can climb the 100-feet to the top to view the lamp close-up and get great views over the town and coast. Unfortunately not open when we visited.

The Vasa Museum is a wonderful place to visit but as the ship is kept in semi darkness it is difficult to photograph. It is a beautiful ship , made of Japanese Oak, with some incredible carvings, particularly on the stern. Its sinking in Stockholm Bay , without a shot being fired, must have been an amazing tragedy to witness . It lay on the bed of Stockholm bay for 333 years.

Vasa is a Swedish warship built 1626-1628. The ship foundered and sank after sailing less than a nautical mile (ca 2 km) into its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. It fell into obscurity after most of its valuable bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century. After it was located again in the late 1950s in a busy shipping lane just outside the Stockholm harbor, it was salvaged with a largely intact hull in 1961. The ship is one of Sweden's most popular tourist attractions. Vasa was built top-heavy and had insufficient ballast. Despite an obvious lack of stability in port, it was allowed to set sail and foundered only a few minutes after it first encountered a wind stronger than a breeze. The impulsive move to set sail was the result of a combination of factors: Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, who was leading the army on the continent on the date of its maiden voyage, was impatient to see it join the Baltic fleet in the Thirty Years' War; at the same time, the king's subordinates lacked the political courage to discuss the ship's structural problems frankly or to have the maiden voyage postponed.

The ship was one of the biggest and most heavily armed at that time and was a symbol of Gustavus Adolphus's expansion plans as he was at war with Poland at the time . He was a dab hand at playing the " Papist" card and had the Swedish people whipped up into a religious frenzy. The ship was due to take on supplies further down the Stockholm bay but because it was so top heavy without the supplies and ballast only sailed a very short distance before it topped over and sank.

Tonnage:1210 tonnes displacement

Length:

Sparred Length: 69 m (226 ft)

Between perpendiculars 47.5 m (155.8 ft)

Beam:11.7 m (38 ft)

Height:52.5 m (172 ft)

Draft:4.8 m (16 ft)

Propulsion:Sails, 1,275 square m (13,720 sq ft)

Crew:145 sailors, 300 soldiers

Armament:

64 guns, including:

24-pounders—48

3-pounders—8

1-pounders—2

howitzers—6

It's becoming too difficult to focus so I'll not be taking too many more photos...or perhaps I'll just use my primes

Right my little group of wildlife loving flickrites – iv got some dragonfly related questions!

I was really trying to get some pics of them at the weekend and went to two reserves – and it is difficult! In fact got quite disenchanted by how tricky i found it! Iv mentioned it on a couple of people’s streams recently as i have even more respect for other people's shots of them now as it’s so hard!

I saw a lot of the small blue damselflies, and some red and green ones – they seemed to settle quite a lot so these weren’t too bad. These were mostly flying around in pairs – with the male leading the female around by the head

Then there were some smaller red dragonflies that settled a couple of times – but usually on the floor or on some other un-natural looking background!

Then there were these huge ones flying about – a gentleman told me they were brown, and common, hawkers. They were buzzing about frantically and i was surprised at how loud they were, you could hear their wing as they flew around your head – but they whenever they got close to each other the noise intensified and they sounded like little helicopters! A couple looked like they were scrapping in mid-air!

Round and round and round they went never stopping! Where do they get all this energy! And what’s it all about? Are they displaying for a female?

The whole time i was there this is the only time one stopped, and i got this shot! Not a natural back ground but at this stage i took what i could get! This is a flag in the marsh, by the pond he was circling.

You can’t really see from this photo, as he was flapping away – but his wings were really tatty! Im guessing he was more of a fighter than a lover!

Back to the question then – i was watching one of the big ones (probably a brown hawker) and still amazed by their aerial ballet, i had just started to say “look he’s chasing that butterfly . . .” when he grabbed it!! He then flew about all over the place carrying it!! (i was a cabbage white i think)

I tried to tell myself that he was actually giving the butterfly a nice little ride, like they do on cartoons like Antz, but i fear this wasn’t the case!

Do dragonflies hunt butterflies?

PLEASE NO GROUP INVITES OR AWARDS WITH FLASHY BADGES

The most difficult thing in this picture were books. For this selfie I brough all available books from my home. It's almost half of the picture. The other difficult thing was make books stand. It was not easy. But nevertheless I'm glad that this picture done)

Photograph for project malstra.ru

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Hmm. This is a little more difficult without notes, flickr! I think sometimes that since last summer you're trying really hard to drive us all away.

But I digress.

A list will do! I'm into lately: bright brights on dark backgrounds, scrappy low volume, pale pink, different shades of green mixed together, rosy tones, turquoise, farmer's wife blocks, sampler style quilts, repetitive geometric patterns (especially churn dash or single girl, which I think would be wonderful miniaturized), flea-market-fancy-pink, the high contrast in photo #7, and the cool effect of faux gingham in photo #10. I know that these don't all necessarily go together and some are mutually exclusive, I hope, partner, that you'l just take this as a list of things I'm into and run with it in whatever direction you feel inspired. Thank you for making me something -- I'm sure I'll love it!

1. Putting the puzzle together, 2. Single Girl Quilt, 3. 2 pillow shams for swap, 4. Flea Market Fancy Love, 5. Vintage Saucers, 6. week two hundred & forty one, 7. Quilt meeting Leiden Januari 2013, 8. Inspiration photo for the Zinnia quilt, 9. # 47 Homemaker, 10. gingham-like patchwork

difficult decision

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations

It's difficult not to take a self-portrait in a surface as reflective as this. Detail from this set of steel steps here.

The internet has made churchcrawling easier, and so some churches that prooved difficult to see inside can be contacted and visits arranged.

Over the years, several have taken a couple of years or more to see inside: Thannington, Hinxhill, Preston and Betteshanger just off the top of my head. But most difficult have been Barming.

We first visited here one Good Friday over a decade ago, one of several along the valley that were either closed or had services on. Since then I have been insde Mereworth and Waterningbury, but each time we went past Barming, it has been closed.

Then a few weeks ago, a friend posted pictures from inside, and told me he had arranged a visit from their website. I did the same, though one visit a few weeks back had to be postponed, a few weeks later I was back, hoping to meet a warden at ten.

It was at least a fine sunny and warm spring morning, perfect for snapping the churchyard and finding yet more details on the body of the church to record.

St Margaret sites halfway between the River Medway and the old high road out of Maidstone, and once might have been a separate village from Maidstone, but is now just a suburb of the town. The church sits down a dead end lane, and is really a wonderful location overlooking the valley to East Farleigh on the other bank.

The churchyard is filled with spring bulbs, and so in spring it is a riot of colour.

I saw the warden park her car, and walk towards me, so I get up from the bench near the porch to meet her, and than her warmly for opening up.

Unusually, I had read up on the church before my visit, and so was aware of the 14th century bench ends in the Chancel. They did not disappoint.

------------------------------------------

An isolated church at the end of a lane above the River Medway. Norman origins are obvious - three windows in the east wall indicate the earliest work. The nave is also early and to this was added the fifteenth century tower with stair turret and needle-like spire. The north aisle was a nineteenth century addition and the chancel was restored by Sir Ninian Comper and represents some of his earliest work. Later generations have, unfortunately, undone much of his original design. The memorable feature of the church is the set of fourteenth century Rhenish carvings showing St Michael, Samson and Our Lord worked into bench ends in the chancel.

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Barming

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BARMING.

CALLED in antient records, Bermelinge, lies the next parish to East Farleigh, on the opposite or northern side of the river Medway.

THE PARISH of East Barming lies on high ground, declining southward to the valley, through which the river Medway flows, being its southern boundary. It is situated opposite to East Farleigh, than which it has a far less rustic and more ornamented appearance. The soil like that is a fertile loam, slightly covering the quarry rock, from under which several small springs gush out, and run precipitately in trinkling rills into the Medway; it is enriched too with frequent hop and fruit plantations; the fields are in general larger, and surrounded with continued rows of lofty elms and large spreading oaks, which contribute greatly to the pleasantness of the place. The situation of it, as well as of the neighbouring parishes, from Maidstone as far as Mereworth, is exceedingly beautiful, the river Medway meandering its silver stream in the valley beneath, throughout the greatest part of the extent of them; the fertility of soil, the healthiness of air, the rich variety of prospect, adorned by a continued range of capital seats, with their parks and plantations, form altogether an assemblage of objects, in which nature and art appear to have lavished their choicest endeavours, to form a scene teeming with whatever can make it desirable both for pleasure and profit.

The high road from Maidstone to Tunbridge crosses the upper part of the parish of East Barming, over a beautiful, though small plain, called Barmingheath, part of which is in Maidstone parish, a little distance below which is a modern, and rather elegant seat, built by John Whitaker, gent. second son of Mr. Tho. Whitaker, of Trottesclive, since whose death it has come to his nephew, Thomas Whitaker, esq. of Watringbury; but Mr. William Rolfe resides in it. Farther on is the village of Barming, in which is a pleasant seat, called the Homestall, built about the year 1720, by Mr. James Allen, whose heirs are now entitled to the see simple of it; but by the foreclosure of a mortgage term, the possession of it became vested in Arthur Harris, esq. who kept his shrievalty here in 1746; his brother Thomas resided likewise here, and dying unmarried in 1769, gave this seat to Mrs. Mary Dorman for life; remainder to Mr. John Mumford, of Sutton-at-Hone, whom he made heir to the bulk of his fortune; she now possesses and resides in it. A small distance from hence is the seat of Hall-place; hence the ground rises to the coppice woods, part of which lie within this parish, and adjoin to a much larger tract northward. About a quarter of a mile on the other side of the road is the church, standing by itself among a grove of elms, the slight delicate white spire of which rising above the foilage of the grove, affords a pleasing prospect to the neighbouring country. From the above road the village extends southward down the declivity of the hill, almost to the river, over which there is a wooden bridge, built at the expence of the commissioners of the navigation. It is called St. Helen's bridge, from its contiguity to that manor, situated at a very small distance from it; about a mile from the village, close to the eastern boundary of the parish, adjoining to that of Maidstone, on the declivity of the hill, leading down to East Farleigh bridge, is the parsonage, lately almost rebuilt by the present rector, the Rev. Mark Noble, who resides in it, and by his judicious management and improvements has made this benefice, perhaps one of the most desirable in the diocese.

A few years ago several Roman urns, pieces of armour, and skeletons, were dug up within the bounds of this parish; the latter were no doubt belonging to those who fell in the skirmish between the Royalists and Oliverians at Farleigh bridge, in 1648; and the former serves to shew, that the Roman highway, a different one from the larger one of the Watling-street, and directing its course towards Oldborough, in Ightham, led near this place, of which more will be noticed hereafter.

THERE GROWS on Barming heath, the plant, Chamæmelum odoratissimum repens flore simplici, common camomile, in great plenty; and verbascum album vulgare five thapsus barbatus communis, great mul lein, or hightaper, more plentifully, and of a larger size than I have met with elsewhere.

THE MANOR of East Barming was given by king William the conqueror to Richard de Tonebrege, the eldest son of Gislebert earl of Brion, in Normandy, the son of Geffry, natural son of Richard, the first of that name, duke of Normandy, whence he bore the name of Richard Fitz Gilbert at his coming hither; (fn. 1) he was one of the principal persons who came into England with duke William, to whom he gave great assistance in that memorable battle, in which he obtained the crown of this realm. He had for that service, and in respect of his near alliance to him in blood, great advancements in honour, and large possessions both in Normandy and England, bestowed upon him; among the latter he possessed thirty-eight lordships in Surry, thirty-five in Essex, three in Cambridgeshire, three in Kent, one in Middlesex, one in Wiltshire, one in Devonshire, ninety-five in Suffolk, and thirteen burgages in Ipswich, of which Clare was one, besides others in other counties; accordingly, in the survey of Domesday, taken about the year 1080, being the 15th of the Conqueror's reign, this estate is thus entered under the title of, Terra Ricardi F. Gisleb'ti, the land of Richard, the son of Gislebert.

In Medestan hundred the same Richard (de Tonebrige) holds Bermelinge. Alret held it of king Edward (the Confessor) and then and now it was and is taxed at one suling. The arable land is four carucates. In demesne there are two carucates and five villeins, with eight borderers, having five carucates. There are thirteen servants, and one mill of five shillings, and four acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of ten hogs. In the time of king Edward it was worth four pounds, and afterwards 100 shillings, now four pounds.

This Richard Fitz Gilbert, at the latter end of the Conqueror's reign, was usually called Rich. de Tonebrige, as well from his possessing that town and castle, as from his residence there; and his descendants took the name of Clare, from the like reason of their possessing that honour, and were afterwards earls of Clare, and of Gloucester and Hertford. Of this family, as chief lords of the fee, Barming was afterwards held in moieties by Fulk Peyforer and Roger de Kent, each of whom held their part of the honour of Clare.

In the reign of king Edward II. the heirs of Lora Peyforer and those of Roger de Kent, being Thomas de Barmeling and Wm. de Kent, held these moieties as above mentioned; and in the 20th year of the next reign of king Edward III. John Fitz Jacob, Thomas and John de Kent, held these moieties of this estate, in East Barmeling, of the earl of Gloucester.

THE FORMER OF THESE MOIETIES, held by the family of Peyforer, seems to have comprised the MANOR of EAST BARMING, and to have been given afterwards to the Benedictine nunnery of St. Helen's, in Bishopsgate street, London, whence it acquired the name of ST. HELEN'S, alias East Barming manor, by the former of which only it is now called; with the above priory this manor remained till its dissolution, in king Henry VIII.'s reign, when it was surrendered into the king's hands, who, in his 35th year, granted his manor, called St. Elen's, among other premises, to Richard Callohill, to hold in capite by knights service, who that year sold it to Gabriel Caldham, freemason, of London; and he next year sold it to Tho. Reve, (fn. 2) whose grandson of the same name, in the 4th year of queen Elizabeth, levied a fine of it, and then passed it away by sale to Mr. Stephen Pearse, who some years afterwards alienated it to Sir Robert Brett, on whose death, without surviving issue, in 1620, (fn. 3) this manor came by will to Robert Lynd, esq. who bore for his arms, Argent a cross ingrailed gules; and he sold it to Sir Oliver Boteler, of Teston, in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Philip Boteler, bart. who died in 1772, s. p. and by will gave one moiety of his estates to Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Chart Sutton; and the other moiety to Elizabeth viscountess dowager Folkestone, and Wm. Bouverie, earl of Radnor; and on a partition afterwards made between them, this manor was allotted to lady Folkestone, who died in 1782, on which it came to her only son, the Hon. Philip Bouverie, who has since taken the name of Pusey, and he is the present owner of it.

This manor extends its jurisdiction over the whole of this parish; the antient house of it, as well as the dove cote, stood nearly at the foot of the hill near St. Helen's bridge; both have been pulled down not many years since.

THE OTHER MOIETY of the estate of East Barming, held by John Fitz Jacob and John de Kent, seems to have passed afterwards into the family of Fremingham; for John, son of Sir Ralph de Fremingham, of Lose, died possessed of it about the 12th year of king Henry IV. and leaving no issue, he by his will gave it to certain feoffees, who, in compliance with it, next year assigned it to John Pimpe, and his heirs male, for the finding and maintaining of two chaplains, one in the monastery of Boxley, and the other in the church of East Farleigh, to celebrate for the souls of himself, his wife, and others their ancestors and relations therein mentioned. From the family of Pimpe this estate came, in king Henry VIII.'s reign, to Sir Henry Isley, who by the act of the 2d and 3d of king Edward VI. procured his lands in this county to be disgavelled.

Being concerned in the rebellion raised by Sir Tho. Wyatt, in the 1st year of queen Mary, he was attainted, and his lands were consiscated to the crown, whence this estate was granted that year to Sir John Baker, the queen's attorney general, to hold in capite by knights service; (fn. 4) in whose descendants it continued down to Sir John Baker, bart. of Sissinghurst, of whom it seems to have been purchased in the reign of king Charles II. by Golding, who died possessed of it in 1674, and was buried in this church, bearing for his arms, A cross voided, between four lions passant guardant. His son, Mr. Henry Golding, gent. about the year 1700, alienated this estate to Nicholas Amhurst, gent. of West Barming, who died possessed of it in 1715; and his grandson, John Amhurst, esq. is the present possessor of it.

HALL PLACE is a reputed manor in this parish, the antient mansion of which is situated at a small distance westward of the present seat, and is little more than an ordinary cottage, serving as a farm house to a small parcel of land. It formerly gave both residence and surname to a family, written in antient deeds, At-Hall, who before the end of the reign of king Edward III. had alienated their interest in the greatest part of it to one of the Colepepers, of Preston, in Aylesford, and the rest of it to Clive; and this part was by John Clive, about the 7th year of king Henry IV. likewise conveyed to Colepeper, who in the 10th year of that reign passed away the entire fee of it to Sampson Mascall, whose family was originally of Mascall's, in Brenchley, and in his descendants Hall-place continued till the latter end of queen Elizabeth's reign, when it was conveyed to Alchorne, whose ancestors were possessed of Alchorne in Rotherfield, in Sussex; in which name the fee of this estate remained at the time of king Charles II.'s restoration, but the use and profits of it were made over, for a long series of years, to Mr. Cook, of Stepney; and he, in 1656, alienated his interest in it to Mr. Rich. Webb, rector of this parish, who in 1667, gave it to his grandson, Richard Webb, gent. who, in 1726, conveyed it by sale to Mr. Peter Smart, who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three pheons sable; about which time Christopher Smart, the poet, is said to have been born in this parish; at length, Mr. Peter Smart's widow, and their children, in 1746, passed away their interest in it to John Cale, esq. who resided here, and dying in 1777, was buried in this churchyard, having been a benefactor to the poor of this parish; and by his will he devised this, among the rest of his estates in this county, to the heirs of Tho. Prowse, esq. of Axbridge, in Somersetshire; in consequence of which his two daughters and coheirs became intitled to it; the youngest of whom married Sir John Mordaunt, bart. of Walton, in Warwickshire, and they became possessed of this estate in undivided moieties, and in 1781, joined in the sale of it to John Amhurst, esq. of Barnjet, the present owner of it.

CHARITIES.

THOMAS HARRIS, esq. of this parish, in 1769, gave by will, 5l. per annum for fifty years, 2s. of it to be given to the poor of this parish in bread, on each Sunday in the year, excepting Easter and Whitsunday.

JOHN CALE, esq. of this parish, in 1777, gave by will the sum of 200l. in East India annuities, the interest of it to be given to the poor yearly at Christmas, in linen and bread, vested in trustees, of the annual produce of 61.

THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Rochester and deanry of Malling.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Margaret, is a small building, consisting of one isle and a chancel, with an elegant spire steeple. The present rector, Mr. Noble, about twelve years ago, at his own expence, entirely repaired and ornamented the chancel; he gave likewise a new altar and pulpit cloth, and cushion; and the parishioners, followed his example, in the repair and ornamenting of the church itself; so that from being one of the most neglected, it is become equal to most of the neighbouring churches in those respects.

Walter, bishop of Rochester, in the reign of king Stephen, confirmed to the prior and canon of Ledes the patronage of the church of Barmyng, as it was granted to them by the lords of the soil, and confirmed to them by their charters.

Gilbert, bishop of Rochester, in the reign of king Henry II. granted to the prior and canons two shillings, to be received by them yearly, as a pension from this church, saving the episcopal right of the bishop of Rochester, &c. (fn. 5) The patronage of the church of Barming, together with this pension, remained part of the possessions of the above mentioned priory till the dissolution of it in the reign of king Henry VIII. when it came into the king's hands. Since which, the patronage of this rectory has continued vested in the crown, but the above mentioned yearly pension of two shillings was, by the king's dotation charter, in his 33d year, settled on his new erected dean and chapter of Rochester, who are now intitled to it.

¶In the 15th year of king Edward I. the church of Barmelyng was valued at twelve marcs. It is valued in the king's books at 12l. 7s. 1d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 5s. 8½d.z The glebe land belonging to this rectory contains eighty-three acres.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol4/pp383-392

Wat Mahathat‎是深受高棉影響的寺廟，由King Borommaracha I（1370-1377）建於1374年，被稱為大舍利寺，寺廟被緬甸軍摧毀，現在已是殘垣斷壁。但仍然能看出其宏偉的規模，在東南角可以找到破損的佛頭，彷彿從樹中長出來一樣。

歷史參考如下：

Wat Maha That or the “Monastery of the Great Relic” is located on the city island in the central part of Ayutthaya in Tha Wasukri sub-district. The temple is situated on the corner of the present Chikun Road and Naresuan Road. The monastery stood on thewest bank of Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak, an important canal, which has been filled up somewhere in the early 20th century. In ancient times the temple was likely fully surrounded by canals and moats. The structure has been registered as a national historic site by the Fine Arts Department on 8 March 1935 and is part of the Ayutthaya World Heritage Historical Park.

History

The exact date of the establishment of Wat Maha That is difficult to assess.

The Luang Prasoet version of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya put its construction in 736 Chula Sakarat (CS) or 1374 of the Christian Era, during the reign of King Borommaracha I (r. 1370-1388), somehow 23 years after the establishment of Ayutthaya. The chronicles mention that the central prang had a height of 46 meter.

In 736, a year of the tiger, King Bòromracha I and the Venerable Thammakanlayan first erected the great, glorious, holy jeweled reliquary, towering one sen and three wa, to the east of the royal lion gable.

Later versions of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya state that Wat Maha That was established by King Ramesuan (r. 1388-1395) after his attack of Chiang Mai in 1384 (746 CS). But this date is not corroborating with his period of reign.

Then the King went out to observe the precepts at Mangkhalaphisek Hall. At ten thum he looked toward the east and saw a Great Holy Relic of the Lord Buddha performing a miracle. Calling the palace deputies to bring his royal palanquin, he rode forth. He had stakes brought and pounded into the ground to mark the spot. The great holy reliquary which he built there was nineteen wa high, with a nine-branched finial three wa high, and named the Maha That Monastery. Then the King had the Royal Rite of Entering the Capital performed and festivities were held in the royal residence.

In general, historians bet on the two horses and take as granted that the construction of the monastery was started by King Borommaracha I and completed in King Ramesuan’s reign. In the second version the prang was 38 meter high with on top, a finial of 6 meter.

An earlier source (1), Jeremias Van Vliet, a chief merchant of the Dutch East India

Company in Ayutthaya, wrote in his “Short History of the Kings of Siam” in 1640, that it

was Prince U-Thong, the later King Ramathibodhi I, who built Wat Maha That.

Then Thao U Thong began to re-establish the city on the fifth day of the waxing fourth moon (in our reckoning being the month of March) in the Year of the Tiger and called it Ayutthaya. He also built three temples which are still considered to be the most important in the whole kingdom: the Nopphathat, the most holy; Ratchaburana, the same size and shape as the Nopphathat but not visited by the kings because of a prophecy that the first king who goes in there will die shortly thereafter; and Wat Doem still the foremost [monastic?] school. After Thao U Thong had built the aforementioned city, he had the entire population called together and declared himself king.

The chronicles mention that King Borommaracha II (r. 1424-1448) attacked Angkor in 1431 and had a large number of sacred images of oxen, lions and other creatures removed from the temples there. These images were brought to Ayutthaya and installed as offerings at Wat Maha That.

In 793, a year of the boar King Bòromracha II went and seized Nakhòn Luang. He then had his son, Prince Nakhòn In, ascend the royal throne of Nakhòn Luang. At that time the King then had Phraya Kaeo and Phraya Thai and all of the images brought to Ayutthaya.] [BCDF: The King then had Phraya Kaeo, Phraya Thai, and their families, as well as all the images of sacred oxen and all the images of lions and other creatures, brought along. When they reached Ayutthaya, the King therefore had all of the animal images taken and presented as offerings, some at the Phra Si Ratana Maha That Monastery and some at the Phra Si Sanphet Monastery.

Wat Maha That was one of the most important monasteries of the Ayutthaya kingdom, not only because it was the religious centre and enshrined relics of the Buddha, but also because of its proximity to the Grand Palace. It was a royal monastery and the seat of the Supreme Patriarch of the City Dwelling sect till the end of the Ayutthaya period - at par with the Supreme Patriarch of the Forest Dwelling sect, which had its seat at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon (called Wat Pa Kaeo in earlier times). Van Vliet wrote in 1638 in his “Description of the Kingdom of Siam” that from the highest ecclesiastic regents, namely the four bishops of the principal temples of Judia, “The bishop of the Nappetat (2) has the supreme dignity”

In the past, it was the venue of important royal ceremonies and celebrations. Van Vliet describes the splendor of yearly Royal procession to Wat Maha That on the occasion of Kathin, where the Ayutthayan Kings “made their offerings to the gods and prayed for the welfare of the country”. An excerpt from “The Description of the Kingdom of Siam” of 1638 can be read here .

Some sources state that during King Songtham’s reign (r. 1610/1611-1628) the prang fell in decay and the upper part of the main prang came down. Van Vliet although wrote in “The short History of the Kings of Siam” (1640) that the tower collapsed in the third year of King Prasat Thong’s reign (r. 1629-1656), thus being 1632.

In the third year of his reign the golden tower of the Nopphathat suddenly collapsed without a crosswind, thunder, or lightning. He had it quickly erected again, but before this tower was totally restored, the scaffolding (beautifully durably made of bamboo) also collapsed unexpectedly during a rain to consequence, strange omens were seen but were kept secret by the soothsayers.

Prasat Thong restored the stupa in 1633 and increased it considerably. The prang was raised to 44 meters and reached at that time, with its finial, a height of 50 m.

In 995 (1633 AD), a year of the cock, the King in His holy compassion had the holy stupa of the Monastery of the Great Relic, which had been destroyed earlier, restored. Originally the main section had been nineteen wa, with a sky trident spire of three wa, so the King said, “The original form was extremely squat. Rebuild it so it is a sen and two wa high but retain the sky trident spire so that together they equal one sen and five wa.” When it was built it looked conical and it was ordered that makha wood be brought and added to the brick and that mortar be taken and added to it. In nine months it was completed and a ceremony to dedicate it was ordered to be held on a grand scale.

Wat Maha That was restored again in King Borommakot’s reign (r. 1733-1758). Four porticos were added to the prang, which was restored at the same time as the royal vihara and the ordination hall. No evidence of restoration of the monastery could befound after. Obviously chedis, prangs, and viharns were added on several occasions in time. At the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, the monastery was set on fire in the Burmeseattack.

Wat Maha That housed before an unusual Buddha image of green stone believed to be made in the Dvaravati style (Mon) dating from 707 - 757 AD. A governor of Ayutthaya got this statue moved to Wat Na Phra Men during the reign of King Rama III, where it still resides in a small vihara next to the ubosot.

The main prang of Wat Maha That survived until the reign of King Rama V, as seen in a photograph taken in 1903, early 1904. On 25 May, 1904, at 0500 Hr in the morning, the main prang collapsed at the level of the niche. The prang fell further apart in 1911 during the reign of King Rama VI. The Fine Arts Department restored it partially. The symmetrical base with staircases on the four sides is all what remains of the once majestic prang.

Wat Maha That was certainly not exempted from looting. From its destruction in 1767 until its restoration by the FAD last century, the temple has been prone of severe looting and damage by illegal excavation.

From the collection of the aerial photograph Peter Williams-Hunt, who took pictures during reconnaissance missions of Royal Air Force in the 2nd World War, I choose two photographs to indicated the state of the ruins of Wat Maha That in the year 1946. It is obvious that quite a bit of restoration had been undertaken by the Fine Arts Department.

Excavations

In 1956 the Fine Arts Department started excavations at Wat Maha That. At first workers, found in the main chamber of the principal prang, half buried in the sand under the pedestal of the pagoda, a solid gold lion, sitting in a fish-shaped container decorated with a gilded motif and filled with other gold accessories.

At a later stage the smell of sandalwood oil hung in the air and the upper ventilation hole of the crypt was found. A shaft was discovered in September, when a vertical excavation from the floor of the relic chamber was performed.

Aphivan Saipradist recounts the story of one of the workers, Mian Youngpradit, digging for the crypt in its analysis as follows:

It was both exciting and tiring. We had only a crow bar and a basket. And we had to dig just a big enough hole to go through, layer by layer, until we reached the main crypt 17 meters underneath. We had to use a lantern. But the ventilation was so poor that breathing became more difficult. We had to lower leafy guava branches down the hole to help with the ventilation. The noise of the crow bar touching the stone in the tiny hole was heart wrenching. When it hit the box, the compressed air suddenly burst out of the tiny hole was so violent that it seemed like a big serpent jumping at us. If we had not been prepared, it could’ve killed us. That was how many crypt diggers were killed.

In the 17 m deep shaft a hollow stone pillar 3.20 m high with a lid buried in a cemented-brick pedestal was found. Five days were needed to remove it. On 30 August 1956 the stone container was opened in presence of authorities. The container was filled with a small stupa wrapped in a lead sheet containing relics, gold ornaments, a large quantity of bronze images, pewter votive tablets and other valuables.

Architecture

Wat Maha That as Wat Phra Ram, Wat Phutthai Sawan and the later built Wat Racha Burana follows the Khmer concept of temple construction. We find nearly identical, but earlier built structures at Angkor. Phnom Bakheng, Preah Rup, East Mebon, Baphuon and Ta Keo were all Temple Mountains, consisting of a central tower surrounded by four corner towers, forming a quincunx, the latter also often was surrounded by a courtyard and a gallery.

The design, architecture and decoration of a Khmer temple were modeled according to a series of magical and religious beliefs. Devotees moved from the mundane world to a spiritual one by walking along one of the four axes, each of which has a different astrological value. East, the direction of the rising sun, was auspicious, representing life and the sexual prowess of the male. Most of the Khmer temples were built with the entrance to the east, as this was the formal approach to most Hindu shrines. In general, however, west is considered inauspicious and represents death, impurity and the setting sun. North is also auspicious, while South has a neutral value. The Khmers adhered to the Hindu belief that a temple must be built correctly according to a mathematical system in order for it to function in harmony with the universe. The sanctuary or the abode of gods was built in the center of the city to imitate Mount Meru which the Khmersbelieved to be the center of the universe. The town layout, a square-shape, corresponded with the Mandala concept, arising from Hindu beliefs, which indicated the boundary of the universe.

All temples in the early period of the establishment of Ayutthaya were clearly Khmer styled, consisting primary of laterite structures (instead of sandstone) and bricks, enhanced with stucco. Wat Maha That consisted basically of a large central prang surrounded by four subsidiary prangs at the four inter-cardinal points, standing on araised square platform. The quincunx was surrounded by a courtyard and a roofed gallery, lined with a row of Buddha images. Typically for the Ayutthaya period is that often the gallery was penetrated by a monastic structure, being an ordination or an assembly hall, or even sometimes both. An exception to this was Wat Phutthaisawan.

The principal prang of Wat Maha That was constructed of laterite at the base. The top part of the stupa was of brick and mortar. Brick work at the four sides of the base indicates that the prang had porches in the cardinal directions, a feature not used in the Early Ayutthaya period (1351 - 1491). These porches could be reached by a staircase. Historians believe that these porches were added during the renovation of the temple done in 1633 during King Prasat Thong’s reign. Mural paintings of Buddhas in the different postures were found inside the prang. The prang stood until the beginning of the 20th century, but finally the brick part collapsed as unfortunately no preserving had been done since the fall of the city in 1767. Fifty years after its collapse a crypt was found containing relics of the Buddha inside the stupa.

The Vihan Luang or the Royal Assembly Hall of Wat Maha That stood east of the prang, orientated towards Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak. The rectangular structure was quite large, measuring 40 m by 20 m. The vihara had a front porch (east) which could be reached by tree staircases. There was also an entry into the hall from both sides. Behind the main pedestal were two exits leading down to the gallery. The multi-tiered roof of the viharn was supported by two rows of columns. The hall contained mural paintings of the Vessantara Jataka. Viharn Luang has undergone several restorations in the past as well as in recent times.

The ubosot or ordination hall was rectangular and stood west of the main prang. The hall had a double entry to the west and two exits on the sides near the main pedestal which contained the presiding Buddha image. The hall was surrounded by an inner wall (Th: kamphaeng kaew, literally Crystal Wall), forming an inner court which gave access to the gallery. Outside and around the ubosot were eight boundary stones or marker slabs (Th: bai sema) at the eight cardinal points in order to demarcate the sacred area of the Sangkha (Buddhist brotherhood). Two sets of marker slabs were found in this area. The first set was made of reddish stone measuring 1 m x 67 cm x 11 cm. The second set was made of fine greenish stone and had the characteristics of Sukhothai’s boundary stones, measuring 1.12 m x 72 cm x 8 cm. The stones are believed to have been made in 1374 CE during King Ramesuan’s reign.

Aphivan Saipradist writes in his analyses that the presiding Buddha images in the ubosot and vihara were large-sized stone sculptures that existed before the establishment of Ayutthaya. Also the stone Buddha images along the gallery he describes, as statues with big and peculiar robes, stout bodies in the Bayon style with sharp chins, considered older than Sukhothai period. He is although not clear about the origin of these statues and the question remains open if they were once looted from Angkor or at least modeled from Khmer war loot (See King Borommaracha II and Angkor above).

The northwestern prang of the temple is one of the few structures that still contain mural paintings from the early Ayutthaya period. The wall opposite the entrance shows a trace of a bell jar which normally accompanies a Buddha image, which however is missing. The left wall was adorned with the paintings of three rows of Buddhas, while the paintings on the right wall are almost completely vanished. The colors used were black, white and red.

Identical to other large temple sites, smaller pagodas and minor viharas were continually added, restored and reconstructed at the complex.

Saipradist states that the tradition of building pagodas to enshrine relics of the Buddha spread widely in time and that apparently there was a Royal decree issued to establish in each important city, a temple being the most important religious focal point for that area. As thus we see Wat Maha That or Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat established in Lopburi, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet etc.

Johannes Vingboons (c.1616 - 1670), a Dutch cartographer, created a painting named "Afbeldinge der stadt Iudiad Hooft des Choonincrick Siam" published in Vingboons Atlas around 1665. In this painting, Wat Maha That can clearly be discerned. Historians believe that the information to make this painting was collected during Van Vliet's time (1640) in Ayutthaya. On Vingboons map we see a large Khmer prang surrounded by four subsidiary stupa (the one behind the main prang is not visible) and a gallery; the Royal vihara and multiple satellite chedis. The kutis or lodging for the monks seems to be located behind the monastery walls. It was although not customary for the monks to be housed in stone structures, but the later could have been the Residence of the Supreme Patriarch.

Description of Wat Maha That by one of the Lankan Ambassadors to Ayutthaya in 1751 AD

On the twenty-first day of the solar month Kanya, being Sunday, three officers came in the morning and accompanied us in boats to the vihare called Maha Dhanvarama, in the district named Na pu than, that we might make offerings there to the Baddha and acquire merit, and also see the beauties of the place; and this is what we saw there. The place was a fertile stretch of level land enclosed by four walls, outside which ran four canals.

From the water-course to the east up to the gate there was a long covered passage of two stages. On entering at the gateway we saw on the four sides eight holy dagabas, so covered with gilding that they resembled masses of kinihiriya flowers. In the intervals were various images. Among them at the four sides were four buildings of two stages against the inner walls of which, and rising to the roof were large gilt images of the Buddha. Within the space enclosed by these were four handsome gilt dagabas with images interspersed. In the very centre of all was a dagaba richly adorned, with doors on the four sides fitted with stairs, up and down which we could ascend and descend. At the four, corners of the square base of the spire were four dragons with wings outstretched and meeting above; in the four panels were four images of gods adorned with all the divine ornaments, as well as images of the gods who preside at the four points of the compass, with their bands clasped overhead. In the intervals were images of door-guardians armed with swords, of rakshas with clubs and of bairayas with staves, while above the circular base of the spire were depicted in solid gold the sacred halo. On either side of the stair leading from the eastern gate ran two snakes, their bodies the size of palmirah palms; where they reached the ground their hoods were raised and renting on slabs of crystal; their open jaws and projecting fangs filledthe hearts of those who saw them with terror.

Starting from here there were ranged round the dagaba images of lions, bears, swans, peacocks, kinduras, deer, oxen, wolves, buffaloes, makaras, and door guardians armed with swords. Also, carrying palm fans, chamaras, sesat, triumphal chanks, and various offerings, with their hands clasped above their heads, were numerous images of Brahmas, Sakras, and the Sujama gods, all adorned with gold. In the hall to the east, with its eye: fixed on the dagaba, was an image of the Buddha supported on either side by images of the two great disciples with their hands clasped above their heads. Also there was another image of the lord as he was in life, begging for food with his bowl in his sacred hand. In another building, which was reached by a flight of steps, were various images of the Buddha and two figures of the Sacred Footprint with the auspicious symbols in gold. In a similar hall to the west were three images. Here was depicted in gold our lord reposing in lion fashion in his scented room, whilst Ananda Mahasami is approaching holding in his right hand a golden candlestick.

On the four walls was depicted the Vessantara birth-story, and next his birth in Thusita heaven, whence again he was begotten of King Suddhodana in the womb of Queen Mahamaya and was brought forth into the arms of gods, after which he made his Great Renunciation, and on his gleaming throne under the sacred Bo attained Buddha hood; and, seated on the White Throne of Sakraya, he preached his Abhidharma to the gods, and after receiving the offerings of the gods and Brahmas he descended by the divine stair to the Sakya city; - all this was pictured in gilt. Outside the great wall of the vihare were several preaching-halls: to the west of this was the residence of the Sanga Raja ; the dining and preaching-halls were adorned in diverse fashions with gilding. One room was hung with awnings and curtains embroidered with gold whilst the floor was covered with various precious carpets. There were vases arranged in rows filled with flowers, whilst above were hung circular lamps. On two thrones on either side were placed two priestly fans; the handles of these were made of elephants' tusks, the ivory of which was sawn very fine like the leaves of the kus-kus, and woven with red velvet and thin strips of gold and silver like rushes to form the leaf of the fan. Two holy priests stood on either side making obeisance to where the Sanga Raja was. Behind a curtain curiously embroidered with gold was a throne on which the Sanga Raja himself was seated. His face was screened by a fan of golden-hued bird's plumes which he held in his right hand. ... Surrounding this spot were several houses occupied by a vast number of priests and Samaneras, devotees of either sex who observe Dasasil, as well as a crowd of pious and courtly folk who provided daily offerings.

Find this collection of images from the Royal Visit to Expo 88 in our catalogue:

www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/items/ITM436213 Dept No CN88-695B

The Birth of South Bank (or, why one should always read the legislation)

Anthony S Marinac

This article speaks only of the modern history of the area now known as South Bank. The author respectfully acknowledges the Yuggera and Turrbal people, who first occupied the lands now constituting South Bank.

As we press towards 2020, it has become difficult to imagine a Brisbane without the South Bank parklands. The parklands have become the city’s playground; a garden and exercise space; a space for public performance; an important restaurant quarter; and an urban beach for a city which has ideal beach weather, but which lacks a Bondi or a St Kilda. With the release of the 1988 Queensland cabinet papers, it has become possible to take a deeper look at the genesis of this key feature of modern Brisbane. In reality, South Bank began with three key events which live in Brisbane’s historical memory: the 1974 floods, the 1982 Commonwealth Games, and the 1988 World Expo.

Early history

For much of its early European history, the southern side of the Brisbane River’s city reach was a commercial hub. The interstate railway terminal was located adjacent to where the South Brisbane railway station still stands, and the southern side of the city had wharves, and warehouses, and the infrastructure which went along to support them, including some of the less legitimate types of business: “Between the wharves and the interstate railway station built in the 1880s, were streets of sly grog and loose women, dance halls and theatres, a place where local mixed with foreign. In the years after the second world war, however, the area fell into something of a decline. 3 By the later 1960s, there were plans to redevelop part of the area into a cultural precinct. The Exhibition Building on Gregory Terrace, which housed the Queensland Art Gallery and the Queensland Museum, had been well and truly outgrown, and was damaged by winds in Brisbane’s 1974 flood crisis. The South Brisbane site was purchased in 1969, and the Art Gallery opened there in 1982.

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre followed in 1985, the Queensland Museum in 1986, and the State Library of Queensland in 1988. The latest addition, the Gallery of Modern Art, opened in 2006. During the era of the cultural centre’s development, the South Brisbane area lost its centrality as a transport hub, when the interstate rail terminus shifted to the Roma St Transit Centre in 1986. To make matters worse, South Brisbane was inundated by the cataclysmic Brisbane River flood in 1974. Following the flood, it was clear that some form of redevelopment was going to be necessary in the South Brisbane area, well beyond the cultural centre. In 1982, Brisbane hosted the Commonwealth Games, a major international event which began the city’s transition into a modern, world city. One of the defining moments of the Commonwealth Games was the victory, in the Marathon, of Australia’s Robert de Castella. The marathon began and ended on what is now South Bank, in the shadow of the cultural centre. 5 Almost immediately after the Commonwealth Games, bolstered by the confidence engendered by the games itself, planning began in earnest for the World Exposition – Expo.

Expo

The Queensland Parliament passed the Expo ’88 Act 1984, which created the Expo Authority, properly titled the “Brisbane Exposition and South Bank Redevelopment Authority” although virtually everyone, it seems, immediately forgot the second half of the title. The authority, under the leadership of former Liberal leader Sir Llewellyn Edwards, had extensive powers to enable the Expo to be undertaken, including the power to resume land. Many of those who were moved on for the purpose of Expo were essentially voiceless, however close to the opening of Expo, the Courier Mail newspaper gave attention to renters in the surrounding areas of South Brisbane and West End, who were being squeezed out of rental markets by demand from, for instance, delegation staff from overseas. Section 30 of the Expo ’88 Act 1984 gave the Expo Authority the power to dispose of the lands resumed for the purpose of Expo. During initial planning for the Expo, these land sales were expected to form a substantial proportion of the income which would make Expo financially viable, hence the requirement that the Expo authority “secure for itself the maximum return that is reasonable to expect at the material time.”

Even in the immediate leadup to Expo, there was widespread concern about its potential success or failure. It was, however, a triumph, and a halcyon moment for the city. Its success appeared to occur at two levels: as a purely commercial venture it was successful, both in its own terms and in terms of generating longer term investment; but at a social level, Expo became a place to meet and socialise, particularly for the many thousands of Brisbane residents who had purchased season passes. Somewhere along the line, Queenslanders became proprietorial about Expo itself, and there was a substantial public desire to retain something of the spirit of what had become, in essence, an open and beloved public space.

Cabinet’s approach to redevelopment

At this point, we turn to the Cabinet documents, and things become somewhat odd. In 1986, expressions of interest were invited for the redevelopment of the site by private development consortia.8 Based on the Expo ’88 Act 1984, one would have expected those expressions of interest to have been assessed by the Expo Authority, most likely with input from the Brisbane City Council.9 However Cabinet called for these expressions of interest – it is not clear by what authority – and Cabinet established a committee to evaluate those proposals and to report back to Cabinet. The Committee was chaired by the Director General of the Premier’s Department, and included the Under Treasurer, the Chairman of the Expo Authority, and the Town Clerk of the Brisbane City Council. It is worth noting, as an aside, that the Council’s concerns were quite different from those of the Expo authority. Had South Bank become a rival commercial precinct across the river from the Brisbane CBD, there was the possibility of massive reductions in the commercial viability of office space in the CBD. The Council’s later push for open public space may therefore not have been entirely altruistic. The fact that Cabinet had absolutely no authority to call for, or assess these tenders, and that the Expo Authority had the right, if it wished, to simply proceed with the disposition of the land, does not seem to have occurred to anybody. Indeed the legislation itself is not mentioned anywhere in the Cabinet submission. Four submissions were shortlisted by the committee and considered by Cabinet: they were offered by the Kern Corporation, the CM Group, the World City 2000 Consortium, and the River City consortium. Cabinet considered the pros and cons of each submission, but it was always clear that budget considerations would take priority. At this stage (February 1988) it was not yet known whether Expo would be a success, and budgeting for the event required site sales of $150 Million in order for Expo to break even. Ultimately Cabinet settled on the proposal by River City 2000 consortium. The consortium included the Roma Street Development Group, Kern Corporation (which had also put in a separate bid), and the Conrad Hilton/Conrad Jupiters Group. The net present value of the offer was $136.83 Million, to be made as $200 Million in staged payments between 1989 and 1995. The general proposal was for two harbours and a substantial canal to be cut into the foreshore at South Bank, and the spill to be used to create a large island, to be called Endeavour Island, on the southern side of the river. Endeavour Island was to be dominated by an exhibition and convention centre, a hotel, a casino, and a proposed World Trade Centre. The shore-side of the canal was to include further office buildings, and the southern end was to include residential complexes. There were three immediate complications with this proposal. First, there were reservations expressed by the Brisbane City Council about the total amount of commercial and office floor space which was proposed by the River City consortium. Second, Cabinet had no capacity to influence the location of a World Trade Centre in the city. The World Trade Centres Association had granted to a company called the Fricker company the exclusive right to develop a world trade centre in Brisbane. Fricker was examining a number of sites in the Brisbane CBD and on Kangaroo Point. Cabinet could (and did) encourage the Fricker company “to examine the possibility of developing [a] World Trade Centre or associated facilities on the Expo site”10 but that was as far as Cabinet could go. Third, there was little appetite in the conservative Cabinet for a new casino. The Jupiters Casino had opened on the Gold Coast in 1985, and held a guarantee that no other casino would be developed in south-east Queensland until at least 1992 (although this may not have been insisted on since Conrad Jupiters were part of the River City consortium). Instead, Cabinet decided:

That no action be taken at this time to enter into any arrangement with the “preferred developer” for granting a casino licence for the site, but that the “preferred developer” be required to [include] provision for a casino facility within the site, at a location and under conditions acceptable to the Government. That the Under Treasurer be asked to investigate all aspects of the granting of a casino licence for the site and report back to Cabinet through the Cabinet Budget Committee.

Public reaction to the proposal was swift and negative. Neither the committee proposal nor the cabinet process had included any public consultation at all; the Endeavour Island concept failed to capture the public imagination; and the Courier Mail newspaper led a campaign sharply critical of the proposal. The title of its editorial said it all: South Bank – selling the city’s birthright. Sir Llew Edwards tried to distance the Expo Authority from the decision, but the Courier Mail was having none of it – and clearly journalist Don Petersen had read the legislation: The seven-member board of the Expo Authority meets today to vote on the State Government’s preferred developer for the post-Expo site … Authority Chairman Sir Llew Edwards said last week the vote was not necessary because responsibility for the decision rested with the Governor in Council. This is strange since the Expo 88 Act of 1984 specifically charges the authority with “disposing” of the land in an endeavour to gain the best possible price that might reasonably be expected. Public reaction became even more important after Expo commenced at the end of April 1988. As noted above, Expo exceeded all possible expectations, and despite its entry fees, the expo park became in essence a public space, with the many season pass holders making repeated visits. The lack of public input into the plan was a decisive aspect of its eventual downfall. The other key feature was the conduct of the River City consortium itself. Despite section 30, Cabinet continued to be the lead agency on behalf of government, and the River City consortium began immediately to push for government commitments in relation to both the World Trade Centre and the casino. Just a week after the initial decision, Cabinet made a curious decision, on the basis of an oral submission by the Premier, that the initial cabinet decision “be confirmed” and that “the River City 2000 Consortium be advised accordingly.” Once can only surmise that Cabinet had been asked to review its earlier decision, Cabinet not being in the habit of routinely reaffirming earlier decisions. Initially, Cabinet had set a deadline of 18 February 1988 to finalise agreement with the River City Consortium on outstanding issues. On that date, a two week extension was granted. A further extension was granted on 29 February 1988, setting the deadline at 8 April, and when it became clear that this deadline, too, would be missed, the Premier returned to Cabinet with a substantive report. Unsurprisingly, two of the three outstanding matters were:

negotiations with Fricker Developments regarding a World Trade Centre or a component thereof on the site; (iii) the interpretation of Cabinet’s decision regarding a Casino facility on the Expo site. The Premier asked for the timing of negotiations to be left to his discretion “in view of my continuing personal involvement in the negotiations, which I consider is necessary now.”

The fall of River City and the birth of the South Bank Development Corporation

The Premier’s involvement turned out to be decisive. Somewhere along the line, after the Premier became personally involved, someone finally seems to have fully grasped the importance of section 30 of the Expo ’88 Act. The Premier met with Sir Llew Edwards, and then returned to Cabinet to sound the death knell for River City 2000: Arising from my detailed involvement in the negotiations, I have become very much aware of the legislative requirements regarding the disposal of the Expo site. These requirements, in effect, are that the Expo authority shall dispose of the site in a way which will achieve a net financial result that will not impose a burden of cost on the Government of Queensland … in dealing with these details, I questioned why the Government is, in fact, embroiled in much of this public debate and criticism, when in fact most of the matters should be negotiated between the Expo Authority, Brisbane City Council, and the preferred developer, for submission in due course to the Government.19 Cabinet decided to withdraw preferred developer status from River City 2000, and to instruct the Expo Authority to commence the tender process all over again. This second process was to be based on the clear understanding that the Government had no capacity to influence the location of a World Trade Centre, and that any question of a casino licence would be completely divorced from South Bank redevelopment. This approach relieved pressure on the government in terms of the casino and World Trade Centre, but there remained the issue of public expectations. By this stage, Expo was well underway, and the enthusiasm of the people of Brisbane was a key element in its success. Expo forecasts required approximately 8 million visitors through the gate in order to meet its budget; it quickly became apparent that this number would be comprehensively surpassed. In the end, more than 18 million visitors passed through the gates. This, in turn, relieved financial pressure on the sale of the site. Thus the people themselves, in the process of falling in love with Expo, had helped to create the economic circumstances which allowed the government to seek a path other than a real estate fire sale. After the Expo Authority took responsibility for the tender process, it “subsequently became apparent that under this [tender] approach, it would be very difficult to meet public expectations for significant open space on the site with minimal commercial development together with the need for a financial return sufficient to enable the Expo Authority to break even.”

Instead, at the end of June 1988, the Premier joined with the Expo Authority Chairman and the Lord Mayor of Brisbane to announce the formation of the South Bank Development Corporation, which would take possession of both the assets and the liabilities of the Expo authority, including the land space, and which could then develop the site. Having learned from the first process, the Expo Authority produced a:

Statement of Development Principles for the South Bank together with some graphics showing the conceptual proposal for development of the main Expo site plus a land use proposal for the broader area. This material together with further graphics will be presented to the public as a set of eighteen display panels of which it is proposed that ten such displays be manned at various centres throughout Brisbane for a month within which the public will have the opportunity of commenting on the proposals. A press and media campaign will complement the static displays.

The public reception on this second occasion was far more positive, and the following year, Ahern introduced the South Bank Corporation Bill. In his second reading speech, he stated that the Act: provides the necessary statutory foundation from which the Expo South Bank area in particular, as well as the surrounding area, can be developed to produce a result of outstanding merit. Such a result will bring benefits not only to the City but to the State as a whole through tourism and its ability to identify Queensland to the World.

It need hardly be stated that this was far from the end of the South Bank story. The legislation has been repeatedly amended, and South Bank itself has continued to evolve in the three decades since its foundation. It is, however, well to remember the fact that the site was very nearly sold to private developers, and that the South Bank of today exists in its current form only because some anonymous angel on Ahern’s staff remembered to read the relevant legislation, and discovered section 30 of the Expo Act.

Story source: Queensland State Archives: 1988 - The birth of Southbank

It’s difficult to improve upon a thoroughly considered $1.6 million hypercar, but McLaren has certainly given it one helluva crack. The marque’s special ops team (McLaren Special Operations) has just released a drool-worthy new theme for the McLaren Elva to one-up the original 804 hp roadster.

Inspired by Bruce McLaren’s superlight M1A, the reimagined Elva honors the marque’s storied racing history while showcasing all the latest automotive innovations. It’s an amalgamation of old and new and boasts impressive specs to boot.

A worthy muse, McLaren’s M1A was the quickest car on track at the Canadian Sports Car Grand Prix in 1964, smashing the lap record multiple times. The ferocious racer hit eye-watering speeds while exuding McLaren’s distinctive aesthetic beauty and has been artfully re-created thanks to this theme.

Sporting a sleek, black exterior, the roadster has Bruce McLaren’s iconic number 4 emblazoned on the rear quarter panels and silver-and-red racing stripes across the front bumper and rocker panels. Meanwhile, the Alcantara interior pairs jet black with plush burgundy upholstery.

While this one-of-a-kind Elva may take some design cues from the ‘60s, performance-wise it’s decidedly futuristic. Officially the lightest McLaren road car ever, the Elva boasts a bespoke carbon-fiber body and chassis, plus feather-light materials throughout. The land missile can soar from standstill to 60 mph in less than three seconds, thanks to a thundering 804 hp, twin-turbo V-8.

On top of that, McLaren claims the open-air dream machine, which has no roof, windshield or side windows, features the world’s first Active Air Management System. This ingenious design redirects airflow over the cockpit to create what the marque calls “a bubble of calm,” which means your hat should stay on even at menacingly high speeds.

The original McLaren Elva will be limited to just 399 examples and is expected to roll off the production line towards the end of this year. McLaren did not disclose exactly how many Elva M1As will be made but, hopefully, it won’t be too long before we see one flying through the streets.

So if you are at Beijing, and have difficult and complicated case... you know where to go, right?

Remembrance Day near the Dominion Trust Building completed in 1910.

Taken in Lampeter.

Spy Optic sunglasses are very important in your clothing everyday, .. both for men and women. But .. it is difficult to distinguish which one is right for men or to women ... because it all looks the same ..

However, when more closely examined, .. it can not be denied, .. spy optic sunglasses that women tend to look more sexier and richer colors and or on models ..

Spy optic sunglasses for Men

No doubt, .. form design sunglasses man, .. displays tend to be more daring styles .... Yes, .. you are right, ... evokes images of "Macho".

Look, .. goggles used by pilots, .. (Flight Combat), .. and also note the protagonist of the movie "Men in Black" ... who helped popularize the image of the style of "macho and brave" .. for a black sunglasses ...

But current trends show, ... that men prefer to use spy optic sunglasses with a smaller size such as the specification of the Spy Optic brand, .. small size, .. but still look masculine ...

For young men, .. sunglaases style to the "gangster", .. will increase the sexual allure,,,

Glasses he usually has a dark lens, a good many perfectly round, square, or straight at the top ...

They also tend to have a frame of dark, with arms wider.

Conservative man match frame color. Hard rock star sunglasses with frames decorated with semi-precious stones ..

Surprisingly, ... by wearing spy optic sunglasses, .. increasingly appearing in the various rating shows popular shows, TV talk show .., .. and gossip.

But for the average man, simpler and more conservative style is usually preferred.

Spy optic sunglasses for Women

Women have the advantage dibandig men in terms of choosing the design variation of sunglasses .. Simply put, .. women are more willing to take risks associated with their choice, .. for the assessment of the negative impact their choice of performance sunglasses ... and try to be more flamboyant with the latest styles ...

. Women, from all walks of life, can basically play around with their glasses!

Women, .. can make her sexy, sweet, or choose from an image a little meskulin sunglasses.

To be feminine girl, you can find the glasses with a frame that displays such a variety of colors of the rainbow that looks more colorfull.

Herein lies the major difference between the use of spy optic sunglasses men and women. It's about the taste of the wearer. To resolve the ambiguity difference worn by men or women .., there are unisex sunglasses, but still, more women benefit most from the unisex style.

Women can get away with pink, purple, and red frame. They can go to spot leopard, silver or plain stainless steel frame with ease ... Sunglasses basically women are smaller and lighter than his glasses but with the same level of UV protection, depending on the brand and type of glasses are used.

How to buy Spy Optic Sunglasses

A match is very important. If you are going to wear your sunglasses outdoors for hours, or during physical activity, you should choose a model that provides comfort that suits you ...

Also, make sure your sunglasses really protect your eyes from harmful UV rays from the sun.

Choose sunglasses with lenses featuring UVA and UVB protection (especially UV400 Protection, which is the best protection for your eyes).

Finally, consider your face shape. This is an important factor that will either make or break a good appearance

You .. in this case how you look at the suitability of your personal style while wearing sunglasses

SEE MORE SPY OPTIC SUNGLASESS HERE : www.flickr.com/photos/48455792@N04/sets/72157630869598480/

.

In the extremely difficult and stressful time that we are all in now, please do remember to be patient and to be kind and thankful to everyone who still has to work, especially Health Care workers - my daughter is one of them, and she said that she is overly stressed and exhausted, partly because of families and visitors who lose their temper over restrictions that have been put in place in the hospital.

About a week ago, I finally made a trip to a couple of stores, that I really didn't want to do. I knew that if there were a lot of people, I would instead turn around and go home. I needed food and I did buy an extra one of various items - but no hoarding. The cashier at the food store told me that one of the younger cashiers had been in tears because of being yelled at by some customers. At the drug store, the young woman cashier told me that she was so stressed out, again partly because of angry, yelling customers, that she was about to burst into tears. We had a good talk, as there was no one waiting behind me in line, and I made sure to thank her for meticulously sanitizing the work space at the till. A few kind words can make all the difference, people! There were no line-ups at either store, for which I was extremely thankful. I know I do need to be very careful myself - I have 3 of the risk factors; age, high blood pressure, and the most concerning being a chronic cough that I have had for maybe 10 or so years, which sometimes turns into a coughing fit where I can't breath. Went through all sorts of tests but no one could find a cause. So, here I am, still coughing! The last thing I would want is the Coronavirus cough on top of it! Stay safe and well, everyone!!

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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, 16 March 2020: 74 confirmed cases in Alberta, 342 in Canada. 4 deaths in Canada - so far, all have been in British Columbia.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, 17 March 2020: 97 confirmed cases in Alberta, 447 cases in Canada. 70 confirmed cases in the Calgary Zone. 7 deaths in Canada.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, 18 March 2020: 119 confirmed cases in Alberta, 83 confirmed cases in Calgary Zone, 591 in Canada. 8 deaths in Canada.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, 19 March 2020: 146 confirmed cases in Alberta, 101 confirmed cases in Calgary Zone, 736 in Canada. 9 deaths in Canada, 1 death in Alberta.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, 20 March 2020: 195 (up from 146!) confirmed cases in Alberta, 101 confirmed cases in Calgary Zone, 846 in Canada. 10 deaths in Canada, 1 death in Alberta.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, 22 March 2020: 259 (up from 226) confirmed cases in Alberta, 1,302 (up from 1,048) in Canada. 19 deaths in Canada, 1 death in Alberta.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, 23 March 2020: 301 (up from 259) confirmed cases in Alberta, 1,432 (up from 1,302) in Canada. 20 deaths in Canada, 1 death in Alberta.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, 26 March 2020: 419 (up from 358) confirmed cases in Alberta, 3,385 (up from 2,020) in Canada. 250 in the Calgary Zone (1 death). 35 deaths in Canada, 2 deaths in Alberta. Completed tests (as of March 25) in Alberta 35,089 - 419 positive.

www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx

24 March 2020: "14 people sick at Calgary care centre (the McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre) where woman died of COVID-19."

calgary.ctvnews.ca/14-people-sick-at-calgary-care-centre-...

National Parks in Canada have now been shut down.

Olympics 2020 in Japan has been postponed to 2021.

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Wednesday, 25 March 2020: our temperature this afternoon is -3C (windchill -5C). Sunrise is at 7:25 am, and sunset is at 7:59 pm. Sunny today.

The 8 photos posted today were all taken on Day 11 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, in March 2019. The first place we went to was the Birding and Nature Centre, on South Padre Island. The afternoon before, we had spent two hours there, but our "proper" visit was for three hours in the morning of Day 11. Such a great place!

www.spibirding.com/

Simply amazing artist! "The South Padre Island Convention Center boasts one of only 100 Wyland Whaling Wall murals. The mural titled "Orcas of the Gulf of Mexico," depicts life-sized killer whales and is number 53 of Wyland's Whaling Walls series."

This is a list of Whaling Walls, which are large outdoor murals by the artist Robert Wyland, featuring images of life-size gray whales, breaching humpback whales, blue whales, and other sea life. Whaling Walls (a pun on the Wailing Wall) are created by invitation of the communities, institutions, and building owners of the structures on which they are painted. The one hundredth and possibly final Whaling Wall was painted in Beijing in 2008" From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Whaling_Walls

Someone told us about a different location, and a short drive south from the Centre took us to around W Sheepshead St and Laguna Blvd, where we saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Monarch butterflies, and a Green Anole (lizard).

We had our picnic lunch at the nearby Convention Centre, which is near the Birding and Nature Centre, and then looked for a Yellow-throated Warbler near the Centre. Amazingly, we did see it, along with a Black-and-white Warbler and a Wilson's Warbler. Not easy trying to photograph these fast-moving little birds that get hidden among the branches.

Driving north again, we called in at a beach that was part of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, where we could enjoy seeing the ocean waves and Laughing Gulls. This was our last stop before returning to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Brownsville.

The next day, 30 March 2019, we had to drive from Brownsville to Houston, where we stayed for one night at La Quinta Inn & Suites Houston. The following day, we flew from Bush Intl Airport back to Calgary. What a fantastic holiday we had!

Den starts the difficult task of excavating the grey water irrigation pipes.

These wild caribbean parakeets are loud and fast. It was very difficult to get anywhere close to them. This was the most exotic bird I saw on the island during my visit.

Click her to view other photos I took in Curacao Dutch Antilles

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Most of these photos, for the exception of the Willemstad photos, were take at or around the Santa Barbara Beach and Golf resort. For more information on this resort go to www.santabarbararesortcuracao.com/ . This is one fo the top five islands in Caribbean it is especially popular for snorkelers and divers because it boasts of 100m of visibility in their emerald blue waters. It is 25 miles from the coast of Venezuala and one of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) The landscape is beautiful but rugged full of thick brush and cactus. The temperature (in November) was close to 90 degrees F each day I was there. The capital city, Willemstad, is rich with history with fort walls and cannons protecting its coastline. The buildings are colorful and rich with the Dutch influenced architecture. For more information on this island to to www.curacao.com/ or en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cura%C3%A7ao

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Today was difficult. It was a day of learning how messed up the country is, and how much distrust there is floating around.

This was another of the so called free days in the itinery. But we gave people the option of this visit, and everyone wanted to come along. From my point of view, this is reassuring. When we set up this whole trip, we specifically asked people who would take this seriously and be part of a learning and developing project. It would have been very easy for people to have a nice lie in, then a relaxing day In jerusalem, or to do some shopping since there's been no time for that yet. But I think we're all seeing just how much there is that needs to be known here, and we are going to have to make effort to do that.

Our first problem arose. Two of the group had forgotten their passport. They realised this on the coach after it was too late to go back. So we had to leave them before we got to the checkpoint, and let them catch a bus back to Jerusalem. Kusloom, a native arabic speaker, went with them to make sure they'd get back ok, and if they had time, they'd bus it back and meet us with passports.

We went into Dheisheh refugee camp. The name is a bit misleading. It is a refugee camp – but it has existed since 1948, and by now it's the size of a small town. It is one of the biggest refugee camps in the area – about 12,000 people live there. We met a guy called Yusuf. He has previously come to Gloucester, and through local churches done some fundraising work for Dheishah. We came to know about all this through Joanne Moston, who I have a lot of respect for, and who really started to make me think about what I should be doing for Palestine.

He first took us to a project for people with disabilities. The project has previously been supported by the UN, but that financial support has now stopped. They talked about how the governments don't do anything. The area that the camp is in is a Zone C area. That means that while it's technically Palestine, not Israel, Israel still controls all the civic services and the security measures. (Zone A is fully controlled by Palestinians, and Zone B has Palestinian control of civic services while Israel controls security) But this basically means that neither the Palestinans nor the Israeli's are taking responsibility for anything in Zones B and C (Zone A is only about 15 percent of the current occupied land of Palestine.) So basically it seems as though everyone is left to fend for themselves.

Yusuf took us to him home were he and his brother spoke to us and gave us a bit of history about Dheisheh. Like I said before, in 1948 when thousands of people fled from around Jerusalem, a refugee camp was set up in this small area just outside of Bethlehem. At that time as a temporary measure, the UN gave each family a tent to sleep in. There were about three and a half thousand people at that time. Ten years later the tents were replaced with small concrete living units as it became blindinly obvious this wasn't to be a temporary thing. As families grew, and as the population expanded, there was nowhere to expand the camp but up – so more and more stories were built upon the concrete units. So we have this town with about 1.5 square kilometers, packed to the brim.

We went to his roof where we could have a good view of the camp. Yusuf pointed out the water tanks on the roofs. They have to have these to store water for when the Israeli's cut the supply. Without notice the water would be off, with no idea for how long. It's quite common for the water to be off for up to a month at a time. So the people have to store as much water as they can, and hope it lasts. So basically if they can afford it – they fill the roofs with water tanks.

Yusuf's brother told us of how lucky he was since he was married to a woman from Jerusalem. This means he has the right to travel into Jerusalem. Most people who live in the West Bank don't. Yusuf hasn't been into Jerusalem for 15 years. So even though it's only 20 minutes drive away, He's just not allowed in.

While we were up there, Aunty Sanaa decided that she would wander around the camp. She's a very self determined lady who's from Syria. So because she speaks the language, she's very much at home just wandering around speaking to people. More than that she clearly loves it. She just went knocking on doors talking to people, finding out about how life is for people here, and in particular trying to find out about what people think of Yusuf and the project for the disabled people. She felt that if we were going to donate money, then we should do some investigation work. I could see the logic in that, but she tends to have a very brutal blunt approach (I think it's a very different cultural outlook that the Arabs have, that we clearly don't)

According to her polling, results were mixed. So she basically decided that it was much better to wander around, see which families were clearly the most in need and to hand out money accordingly. I didn't agree with this approach, but there was clearly no stopping her. So a few of us tagged along, and handed her money on demand to pass around. Now I'm sure this would upset Yusuf. He lives in the area, and would know better the situation here. But Aunty Sanaa felt the need to do this on her own. To be fair we did see some horrendous places that clearly were in a lot of need. But what I was trying to remind people is that there are 12,000 people in this camp, and the vast majority of them would be in need. Yusuf supports 41 families – he can't possibly support them all. I also know for a fact that if you asked a number of local people back in Gloucester what they think of the Friendship Cafe; a third of them would cuss us and call us heathens, a third would never have heard of us, and a third might say something nice.

Walking around Dheisheh was very upsetting. Nothing about it was fit for any human purpose. Just the fact that there was UN food rations being handed out was bizarre enough. I don't expect to see stuff like this in a so called democratic developed country. Even seeing cute children playing in the streets was fairly upsetting – just knowing how terribly hopeless it is for them. The worst part of it all is that these are just the things that we can see. Everyone says that all this is much much better than the situation in Gaza.

As we drove back to Jerusalem we have to drive up close next to the Wall. We wanted the driver to stop so we can take photos, but he was very nervous about it – if Israeli police find out, there'd be trouble. So instead we asked him to drive slowly past it while we took pictures slyly out of the window. We got to see Sheikh Bukhari's massive face on the wall as part of the Face 2 Face project – www.face2faceproject.com. We even drove past some Banksy stuff, but too fast for me to photo.

To get back to Jerusalem we have to go through a Checkpoint. There is a very ironic sign that says “Welcome to Jerusalem” right at the gate. The 8 meter high wall, and sniper towers offered a different view. There was lots of really cool graphitti on the wall. I particularly liked one right next to the “Welcome” sign that said “TO EXIST IS TO RESIST!”

On the drive back to Jerusalem we were talking to the driver. He seemed very concerned about our money donating. His view was that we shouldn't give to any organisations – only to individual families. He had a very jaded view that eveyone is corrupt and nobody is to be trusted. He didn't see why any money should go to running an organisation – that all the money should go to the end family. Now being involved with community organisations myself, I can see how limiting that view can be. But he did have a point – the only way to be sure the money is going to the right places is to see for youself. The problem we have is how do we from the UK do that? We tried to explain that we need some linking organisation. Instead he said that he would take us round to visit families himself, and that we should talk to them and dedide for ourselves if we'd like to donate to them. This seemed a bit over the top to me – but it appealed to Aunty Sanaa.

The driver also started telling us about how crazy the Palestinian internal politics are. People are turning on each other all the time. His had some very strong views that anyone with a good job and a religious look had to be a collaborator – there would be no other explanation for it.

As we got closer to the old city of Jerusalem, we hit more and more road blocks. Not really sure what was happening. In the end we had to stop a little away from our hotel and walk the rest. As we got to the hotel we met thousands of jews marching down the street. I ran up to the roof of the hotel to get a better look. Something big was happening. Later on we found out that this was the funeral of the Rabbi and wife that were murdered in India recently. They were to be buried on the Mount of Olives.

As we prayed our evening prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque the whole business of our donations was going through my mind. Aunty Sanaa clearly was thinking the same, and spoke to the Imam of the Mosque to get his view on where we should donate the money. He gave her some suggestions which she was happy about. But as he left a random person came up to her and told her not to trust him – that he wasn't a nice man. She tried to explain what was happening – but I could only get the bare jist of it, as she was ranting away in Arabic.

Later on throughout the evening we met a number of locals; each one with a different and conflicting piece of advice – give to the mosques, don't give to the mosque. Trust the Imam, don't trust the Imam. One person says that you shouldn't give to the refugee camps since they get a lot of international aid – but being there it was hard to see any. He also said that nobody in Jerusalem needs financial help as they all have “blue cards” which means that they can work or claim welfare. Another person says that the blue cards only work if you're a collaborator, and so if you're not you'll get no help.

I was finding this very overwhelming. I must say that I personally have seen no reason to distrust anyone, and I have no desire to cast aspersions as to anyone's intent or actions. But at the same time, we were trusted with the money that was collected, and so we have a duty to use it rightly. In the end we had a little meeting. It was decided that as long as we're fair to all sides, we should be ok. The problem seems to be that because there is so much need everywhere, people are now competing against each other, and more than that, distrusting and fighting each other.

Even on those difficult days, if you look hard enough, you can just about guarantee you'll find some sort of beauty around you.

I was just standing on my porch the other day and saw the light shining over the fields, making them glow. Sometimes you've just got to look a little bit harder to see the beauty that's right in front of you.

Enjoy!

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The most difficult footpath?

My wife & I walked the Blencathra Wainwrights. Finishing on Blencathra, we descended Doddick Fell (one of the ridges on the south side of the mountain). This path is steep and rocky but has no great difficulty. At the bottom, direct access to the road (A66) is not possible and we had to follow the footpath (on the fell side of the open land boundary wall) eastwards towards Scales. I could see from the map that the path loops into the Scaley Beck valley.

Upon reaching this valley we encountered this steep, rocky and smooth step. We managed to get down by holding onto the fence as the rock was curiously devoid of good handholds. This put us onto a horizontal path which led in a few yards to a second, even steeper rocky step. This step was much steeper than the first and was about 15 feet high (high enough to do serious damage upon falling). To the left (facing downhill) was a vertical chimney absolutely oozing with water and slime; in the middle is an overhang; to the right was a vertical wall. Again the slabs above were curiously devoid of good hand holds. Hoping to get a better grip on the rock and fully expecting to be down in a minute, I removed my gloves in order to get a better grip and threw them down to the bottom. Bare hands didn't help at all and after lots of dithering, we climbed back to above the first step. A faint path leading higher into the valley seemed to offer a safer alternative. We followed this, heading for what appeared to be a more manageable slope, but this path soon petered out. As we battled further up through dense foliage, a walker appeared at the top of the corresponding Bad Step on the West Bank coming in the opposite direction. He had some difficulty in descending that step but did make progress. I realised that he would find my gloves and I tried to shout down to him, but he couldn't hear because of the water and he didn't look our way, so didn't see us. I was hoping that he would be stopped by the West Bank step because I knew that he would pick up my gloves.

The thick foliage and steep slope slowed us considerably and it took a while to reach the stream bed further up the valley. We now followed the stream down hill, back towards the path. Even here progress was difficult, with many rocky drops being encountered; at several places we actually had to wade in the water. After a long time we finally regained the path where it crosses the stream. There was no sign of the walker nor of my gloves, so presumably he'd climbed the step and picked up my gloves thinking that he might catch up with their owner (me).

My wife and I managed to ascend the rock step on the East Bank without too much difficulty; it's definitely easier than the West Bank step, although again, it might be intimidating to descend.

We finally got back to the car at Scales. I looked at the map, trying to decide where the lone walker might emerge onto the road. We drove to several possible locations but we never saw him (or my gloves) again. What was bizarre was that he was the only other walker we saw on that side of the mountain and at the very moment that I was (temporarily) separated from my gloves.

Has anybody else walked that path and encountered those Bad Steps? I would say that they are definitely the most difficult that I have encountered on a footpath.

Holding a difficult tumbler of wine, if you look closely!

Hmmmm, how difficult is this multiple self portrait thingy to do...

Multiples of me, edited using the gimp. My first ever go, a trial run really :-)

Well, it is a nasty grey day outside, what else was I supposed to do!?

Explore: Highest position: 171 on Friday, August 24, 2007

Difficult week at chez Lebeus. I had some minor surgery on my ear, which took about 10 minutes, and am fine now. The kitten had a stretched ligament in her paw that was pulling the bones out of place. 4 hours of surgery to fix, mainly because the bones are so small they couldn't take the smallest screws. Now she's got to wear that huge splint and bandage for the next 4-6 weeks, and orange really isn't her colour.

Difficult to see with her long pants !

difficult to be eye to eye

Difficult to make out the registration on the Escort, and I haven't got time to try lots of permutations on DVLA, but pleasingly the Rover is still around. DVLA suggests it has just been taxed for another year. I'd happily drive that one around.

Nice timewarp shot for 2008, with no other cars or wheelie bins visible to spoil it.

Edit: MicraK10 has confirmed the van's registration as G879ADX, last taxed until May 2010.

Built in 1903-1905, this Prairie-style mansion was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Larkin Company executive Darwin D. Martin, whom built the house as a way to bring his family, which had been scattered in various parts of the United States when his mother had died early in his childhood. The house was the culmination of immense personal wealth and professional success that Martin had enjoyed in his life despite his difficult childhood, starting as a soap seller in New York City, being hired by the Larkin Company in 1878, before moving to Buffalo and becoming the single office assistant to John D. Larkin in 1880, and in 1890, replaced Elbert Hubbard, who was a person that Martin immensely admired, as the Corporate Secretary of the Larkin Company. When the Larkin Company was seeking a designer for a major new office building for the company at the turn of the 20th Century, Martin, whom had witnessed Wright’s work in Chicago and Oak Park, wished to hire the architect as the designer of the new building, but needed to convince the skeptical John D. Larkin and other executives at the company of Wright’s suitability for the project. As a result, Martin decided to have Wright design his family estate. Darwin D. Martin became such a close friend of Wright that he commissioned the family’s summer house, Graycliff, located south of Buffalo on the shores of Lake Erie, to be designed by Wright in 1926, and spearheaded the effort to assist Wright with his finances when his personal residence, Taliesin, was threatened with foreclosure in 1927.

The main house is made up of four structures, those being the house itself, which sits at the prominent southeast corner of the property closest to the intersection of Summit Avenue and Jewett Parkway of any structure on the site, the pergola, which is a long, linear covered porch structure that runs northwards from the center of the house, the conservatory, which sits at the north end of the pergola and features a statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which is visible from the front entrance to the house down the long visual axis created by the pergola, and the carriage house, which sits immediately west of the conservatory and behind the west wing of the house, enclosing the rear of the house’s main garden.

On the grounds of the mansion are two other houses, those being the Barton House, built at the northeast corner of the property along Summit Avenue to house Darwin D. Martin’s sister, Delta Martin Barton, and her husband, George F. Barton, which was the first structure to be built on the property and very visually similar to the main house, using the same type of bricks and incorporating many smaller versions of features found on the main house, and the Gardener’s cottage, built in 1909 to house gardeners who maintained the grounds of the property, which is the smallest and plainest of the three houses, which is sandwiched into a narrow strip of the property between two other houses, fronting Woodward Avenue to the west.

The main house features a buff roman brick exterior with raked horizontal mortar joints and filled in vertical joints, giving the masonry the appearance of being made of a series of solid horizontal bands with recessed joints, accentuating the horizontal emphasis of the house’s design and creating texture with shadows. The roof is hipped with wide overhanging eaves, with the gutters draining into downspouts that drop water into drain basins atop various one-story pillars at the corners of the house, with the roof having a T-shaped footprint above the second floor and three separate sections above the first floor, which wrap around the second floor to the south, west, and north, with the roof soaring above a porte-cochere to the west of the house, as well as a separate roof suspended above a porch to the east. The house’s roof is supported by pillars that sit near, but not at the corners of the building, with windows wrapping the corners. The windows are framed by stone sills and wooden trim, with some windows featuring stone lintels. The front door is obscured inside a recessed porch on the front facade, with the tile walkway to the door turning 90 degrees upon its approach to the doorway, a quite common feature of many of Wright’s houses at the time. The house is surrounded by a series of low brick walls with stone bases and stone caps, with sculptural decorative stone planters atop the pillars at the ends of many of these walls, with some of the planters containing carefully chosen decorative vegetation, and others serving as semi-hidden drainage basins for the adjacent one-story roofs.

Inside, the house features a foyer with a head-on view of the pergola and the conservatory to the north, simple but finely crafted wooden trim elements, the beautiful Wisteria Mosaic Fireplace between the foyer and dining room on the first floor that reflects light in different ways via various types of tile with different types of glazing, rough plaster painted a variety of colors, careful use of shadow to highlight certain elements while obscuring others, art glass windows featuring stained glass and clear glass panes in decorative patterns, wooden built ins and Frank Lloyd Wright-designed furnishings, a large kitchen with lots of white surfaces and wooden cabinets overlooking the garden, a living room with a vaulted ceiling and brick fireplace featuring an arched hearth opening, extensive use of expansion and compression via ceiling height to drive movement through the space, ventilation ducts that can be operated via decorative casement windows at the pillars ringing the various spaces of the house, wooden screens to obscure the staircase and second floor, custom light fixtures, art glass ceiling panels, and five large doors with art glass lights to the eastern porch on the first floor. The second floor of the house has multiple bedrooms with a variety of Frank Lloyd Wright built-in and freestanding furniture, wooden trim, and multiple bathrooms. The house is further decorated with Japanese art pieces procured by Wright in Japan, as well as being heavily inspired by traditional Japanese architecture, with usage of shadow and light to obscure and highlight different features, as well as the general form of the house, with the wide eaves providing ample shade to the interior during the summer months, while still allowing light to easily enter the space during the darker winter months.

To the north of the main house is an approximately 90-foot-long pergola with evenly spaced brick pillars framing the tile walkway, decorative wooden trim on the ceiling at each column, light fixtures at each column, and a glass transom and a door with large glass lights and a narrow frame providing a nearly unobstructed view of the interior of the conservatory at the north end of the pergola, focusing the attention of visitors upon their entrance to the house, as the conservatory and pergola form a continual visual axis from the foyer to the statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace that stands in the northern end of the conservatory. This entire section of the house was rebuilt during its restoration, having been demolished in the 1960s after falling into disrepair. The pergola features a gabled roof that terminates at the bonnet roof around the perimeter of the conservatory to the north and at the first floor hipped roof of the house to the south.

The conservatory sits at the north end of the pergola, and has a latin cross footprint, with a glass skylight roof with a gabled section running north-south and a pyramidal hipped section at the crossing. The skylight terminates at a parapet that surrounds it on all sides, which features distinctive and decorative “birdhouses” at the north and south ends, apparently intended to house Blue Martins, but were not designed appropriately for the specific needs of the species, and have thus never been occupied. Two of the birdhouses survived the decay and demolition of the original conservatory in the 1960s, and were prominently displayed atop a wall in front of the house until the restoration of the complex in 2007. The interior of the conservatory features only a few concrete planters flanking the walkways and below the large Winged Victory of Samothrace that sits in the northern alcove of the space, with this apparently not having been what the Martin family had in mind, leading to the erection of a prefabricated conventional greenhouse made of metal and glass to the west of the Carriage House shortly after the house’s completion. The conservatory utilizes the same small tile on the floor as other areas of the house, with suspended wooden trim frames breaking up the large void of the space into smaller sections, supporting the space’s light fixtures and carefully framing the planters, fountain, and sculpture.

To the west of the conservatory is the two-story Carriage House, which features a simple pyramidal hipped roof with wide overhanging eaves, recessed corner pillars with central sections featuring wrap-around bands of windows on the second floor, a large carriage door in the center of the south facade, flanked by two smaller pillars and two small windows, and a one-story rear wing with a hipped roof. The interior presently houses a gift shop, but is set up like the original structure, demolished in the 1960s, would have been, with horse stables, red brick walls, a utility sink, and a simple staircase to the upper floor.

The house complex was home to the Martin family until 1937, when, owing to financial difficulties brought on by the loss of the family fortune during the 1929 Black Friday stock market crash and Darwin D. Martin’s death in 1935, the house had become too difficult for the family to maintain, with the family abandoning the house, allowing it to deteriorate. Additionally, Isabelle Reidpath Martin, Darwin’s widow, did not like the house’s interior shadows, which made it difficult for her to see. D.R. Martin, Darwin’s son, tried to donate the house to the City of Buffalo and the State University of New York system for use as a library, but neither entity accepted the offer, and the house remained empty until 1946, when it was taken by the city due to back taxes. In 1951, the house was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, which intended to convert the house into a summer retreat for priests, similar to the contemporaneous sale of Graycliff by the Martin family to the Piarists, a Catholic order. However, the property languished until 1955, when it was sold to architect Sebastian Tauriello, whom worked hard to save the architecturally significant and by-then endangered property, hoping the house would avoid the fate that had befallen the Larkin Administration Building five years prior. The house was subdivided into three apartments, with the carriage house, pergola, and conservatory demolished and the rear yard sold, and two uninspired apartment buildings with slapped-on Colonial Revival-style trim known as Jewett Gardens Apartments, were built to the rear of the house. In 1967, the University at Buffalo purchased the house, utilizing it as the university president’s residence, with the Barton House and Gardener’s Cottage being parceled off, both converted to function as independent single-family houses. The university attempted to repair the damage from years of neglect and did some work to keep the house functioning, modernizing portions of the interior and returning several pieces of original furniture to the house. The house would exist in this condition for the next half-century.

In 1975, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1986, was listed as a National Historic Landmark. In 1992, the nonprofit Martin House Restoration Corporation was founded with the goal of eventually restoring the historically and architecturally significant complex, and opening it as a museum. In 1994, the organization purchased the Barton House, and had the Martin House donated by the University of Buffalo in 2002. The restoration of both houses began under the direction of Hamilton Houston Lownie Architects shortly thereafter, and the Jewett Gardens Apartments were demolished upon the acquisition of the site by the nonprofit around the turn of the millennium. In 2006, the Gardener’s cottage was purchased from private ownership, and work began to rebuild the lost Pergola, Conservatory, and Carriage House, which were completed in 2007. Additional work to restore the house continued over the next decade, restoring the various interior spaces, with extensive work being put in to restore the kitchen and bedrooms. Finally, in 2017, the last part of the house was restored, being the beautiful Wisteria Mosaic Fireplace between the dining room and foyer, which had been extensively altered. An addition to the grounds, located on the former rear yard of an adjacent house, is the contemporary, sleek glass and steel-clad Eleanor & Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion Visitor Center, designed by Toshiko Mori, with a cantilevered roof that appears to float and tapers to thin edges, with glass walls on three sides, which houses the visitor information desk, ticket sales, presentation space, a timeline of the Martin House’s history, and restrooms. The restoration of the house marks one of the first full reconstructions of a demolished Frank Lloyd Wright structure, and is one of several significant works by the architect in Buffalo, including three designs that were built posthumously in the early 21st Century - the Fontana Boat House in Front Park, the Tydol Filling Station at the Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum, and the Blue Sky Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery, which was designed for the Martin family in 1928, but not built until 2004.

Today, the restored Darwin D. Martin House complex serves as a museum, allowing visitors to experience one of the largest Prairie-style complexes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, faithfully restored to its circa 1907 appearance, giving visitors a sense of the genius and design philosophy of Wright.

Monsoon season river in new water ...So fishing is very difficult

It all began with a steam-driven car: bulky, heavy, ugly and difficult to get moving. This set the tone for the future of Dampf Kraft Wagen, which excelled at not excelling. Famed (or rather notorious) for its lack of adventurous design and mediocre engines, DKW sought improvement in 1932 through a merger with Horch, Audi and Wanderer to create Auto-Union. It was the harsh economic reality of the times that forced the Germans to consider this huge conglomerate, although all four brands kept their name and their identity. For DKW this meant various (but not 50) shades of grey. Moreover, its vehicles were as bland as the company’s image. DKW built masses of small two-stroke cars that were mockingly known as ‘Duitse Kinder Wagens’ (German Children’s Cars). Things did not get appreciably better after the Second World War, with the company still producing new models that looked old before they were launched. The type 1000 was a typical example. It was the only saloon car that ever bore the name Auto-Union on its bodywork and the very first with the four interlocking rings on the shield on its grille. It was this run of the run-of-the-mill vehicle that the new owners, Daimler-Benz, tried to jazz up by launching the 1000 SP. The suffix stood for Spezial and not for Sport, because this coupé was anything but sporty. At a push, this last ever West German two-stroke model could generate 55 horsepower and reach a top speed of 140 kilometres per hour (with the wind behind it). No ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ yet. That being said, the 1000 SP at least had its looks going for it. Its sloping lines, tail fins, open-mouth radiator grille and smallish headlights gave it the appearance of a shark, albeit a sad one. This was another car with a mocking nickname: ‘Baby Thunderbird’, a reference to the more muscular Ford it attempted to resemble. DKW eventually had 5,004 units of the coupé version built by Baur in Stuttgart, a company that for many years had crafted top-class coachwork for BMW. Less than a thousand units of the later cabriolet version were made.

Mahy added this damaged shark dating from 1960 to his collection in 1977. It cost him peanuts, since at that time the SP 1000 was very definitely not in demand. Its production had been terminated abruptly in 1965, when Auto-Union was taken over by Volkswagen. The new owners had very different plans for the four rings.

981 cc

3 In-line 2-stroke

55 hp

Mahy - a Family of Cars

09/09/2021 - 31/10/2021

Vynckier Site

Nieuwevaart 51-53

Gent

Belgium

Red-muniya is very difficult to see, because of his small size.Most of the time, they fly in pairs from one place to another.Due to the small size, sometime it's difficult to capture the picture of that bird on.Their voices are beautiful. During the breeding season their body looks more deep reddish in color.

The female bird has brown, throaty, chest, abdominal white and a few white spots on the wings less than the male bird.

Day by day, the nests of munia birds are declining. In the city, many of these birds are hidden and sold, which is a legally punishable offense. Birds of this species cannot survive in cage. Many times they die suddenly or gradually become ill.Bird capture and bird killing are punishable offenses. We need to inform this important message among the people's.

Gear : Nikon D7100 | 200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

Exif : 1/500 | f/6.3 | 320

Place & Date : Bangladesh | Oct 2019

|| Thanks for checking my photography ||

© andré bernardo

Reposts of previously posted due to being blurred, some came out better than others.

I was having trouble with my computer at the time, making editing difficult.

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WATRINGBURY.

NORTH-EASTWARD from East or Great Peckham lies Watringbury, called in Domesday, OTRINGEBERGE, and in the Textus Roffensis, WOTRINGABERIA. It is supposed to have taken its name from its low and watry situation.

THE PARISH of Watringbury is almost square, about a mile and a quarter each way, and contains about eighty-three families.

So much of it as lies southward of the quarry hills, which cross the northern part of it, is within the district of the Weald. beyond which there are some coppice woods adjoining to East-Malling heath. The soil is exceedingly fruitful for corn, fruit and hops, being a loam thinly covering the rock stone. The village, which stands on the high road from Maidstone towards Mereworth and Tunbridge, is both healthy and pleasant; in it is the vicarage, a neat genteel house, almost rebuilt by Mr. Charlton, a late vicar, since much improved, and the ground round it laid out in the modern taste by the Rev. Mr. Style, the present vicar, who for some time resided in it; and at the west end of it is Watringbury-place, a handsome brick mansion; at the east end of the village is Watringbury-cross, whence the road leads down to the river Medway, at the south east boundary of this parish. It is well watered by several springs of sweet clear water, which rise near the place house, and run into the stream which comes from Mereworth, and turning a mill, goes on south-eastward towards the Medway, which it joins near Bow-bridge.

There is a vill or boroughin this parish, containing the west division of it, the hamlet of which is situated on the Maidstone road, adjoining to Mereworth parish, being called Pizein-well, from one Pizein, who owned the well here.

Lilly is another hamletbelonging to this parish, which lies about five miles to the south of it, and is surrounded by the parishes of Yalding, East Peckham, and Tudeley. It is a low wet place, containing but one house, which, with the greatest part of the land here, was in the possession of Mr. Henry Simmonds, who in 1764 alienated his interest in it to Alexander Courthorpe, esq. of Horsemonden, who died a few years ago, and by will gave this among his other estates to his nephew John Cole, esq. of Horsemonden, the present owner of it.

There was till of late years, a singular, though a very antient custom, kept up, of electing a deputy to the dumb borsholder of Chart, as it was called, claiming liberty over fifteen houses in the precinct of Pizein-well; every housholder of which was formerly obliged to pay the keeper of this borsholder one penny yearly. This dumb borsholder was always first called at the court leet holden for the hundred of Twyford; when its keeper, who was yearly appointed by that court, held it up to his call, with a neckcloth or handkerchief put through the iron ring fixed at the top, and answered for it. This borsholder of Chart, and the court leet, has been discontinued about sixty years; and the borsholder, who is put in by the quarter sessions for Watringbury, claims over the whole parish.

This dumb borsholder was made of wood, about three feet and half an inch long, with an iron ring at the top, and four more by the sides, near the bottom, where it had a square iron spike fixed, four inches and an half long, to fix it in the ground, or on occasion to break open doors, &c. which was used to be done, without a warrant of any justice, on suspicion of goods having been unlawfully come by, and concealed in any of these fifteen houses.

It is not easy at this distance of time to ascertain the origin of this dumb officer. Perhaps it might have been made use of as a badge or ensign, by the officer of the market here. The last person who acted as deputy to it, was one Thomas Clampard, a blacksmith, whose heirs have it now in their possession.

The market granted in king Edward IId.'s time as above-mentioned, is reported by tradition to have continued to be held here in a place called Chart-garden, now a wood near Pizein well, in the south-west part of this parish, in which wood there are to be seen foundations of walls and houses, and in it and the neighbouring lands are several draw wells.

Watringbury, with other places in this neighbourhood, was bound antiently to contribute to the repair of the fifth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 1)

THIS PLACE, at the time of taking the survey of Domesday, in the reign of William the Conqueror, was part of the possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, half-brother to that king; and it is accordingly entered, under the general title of his lands, in that survey as follows:

Ralph Fitz Turald bolds of the bishop (of Baieux) Otringeberge. It was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and six villeins, with eight borderers, having three carucates. There is a church, and two mills of three shillings, and two acres of meadow, and a fishery of thirty eels; wood for the pannage of two bogs. In the time of king Ed ward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth forty shillings, now six pounds. Leveva held it of king Edward.

To this manor belong four houses in the city, paying three shillings.

Hugo de Braiboue holds of the bishop Otringberge. It was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is four carucates. In demesne there is one, and nine villeins, with four borderers, having two carucates. There are three servants, and one mill of sixteen pence, and three acres of meadow; wood for the pannage of two bogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth four pounds, now one hundred shillings. Godil held it of king Edward.

Leuric de Otringeberge, at the time above-mentioned, is recorded in the same survey, to have had the liberties of sacand soc for his lands within the lath of Aylesford.

In the reign of king Henry II. Richard de Otringeberge appears to have held two knights's fees in Watringbury of Walter de Meduana, who held the same of the king in capite; which were held in like manner of king Henry I. by Jeffry Talbot. (fn. 2)

In the reign of king Henry III. this place continued in the possession of the same family, Gilbert de Watringberi, who bore for his arms, Argent, six lioncels rampant, sable, held this estate as one knight's see and an half, of Warine de Montchensie. (fn. 3)

Soon after which it came into the family of Leyborne, of Leyborne-castle, in this neighbourhood. Henry de Leyborne held it in the reign of king Edward II. in the 4th year of which he obtained for his manor of Wateringbury a market there on a Wednesday, and one fair on the feast of St. John the Baptist, and free warren in the lands of it. He died without issue, leaving his niece Juliana his heir, who was likewife heir to her father Thomas de Leyborne, and likewife to her grandfather William; and from the greatness of her possessions in this county was called the Infanta of Kent.

On her death in the 41st year of king Edward III. without issue by either of her husbands, this manor, with the appendant ones of Chart, in this parish, and of Fowkes, in Mereworth, escheated to the crown for want of heirs; for it appears by the inquisition taken in the 43d year of the above reign, that there was then no one who could make claim to her estates, either by direct, or even collateral alliance. (fn. 4)

After which the king, by his charter, in the 50th year of his reign, granted these manors, among other premises, to seoffees, for the endowment of his newlyfounded Cistertian abbey, called St. Mary Graces, near the Tower of London, and king Richard II. by his letters patent, in his 22d year, granted them to that abbey, in pure and perpetual alms, for the performance of certain religious purposes therein mentioned; and he gave licence to the surviving feoffees to release these premises to the abbot and his successors for ever.

This manor, with its appendages above mentioned, remained part of the possessions of the above monastery till the dissolution of it in the 30th year of king Henry VIII. when they were surrendered into the king's hands, who in the 36th year of his reign granted them to Giles Bridges, citizen and baker of London, and Robert Harris, to hold in capite by knight's service. Notwithstanding which, Giles Bridges appears to have had the sole interest in them, and he that year passed these manors, with woods called Baldinge, Selwood, and Abbots-thorpe, to Sir Robert Southwell, of Mereworth, who two years afterwards had a confirmation of these manors. He quickly after alienated them to Sir Edward North, chancellor of the court of augmentation, and of the privy council, who in the 6th year of king Edward VI. passed them away by sale to Sir Martin Bowes, and he alienated them quickly afterwards to Sir John Baker, of Sifinghurst, who died in the 5th and 6th year of Philip and Mary, and was succeeded in them by his eldest son, Sir Richard Baker, who in the 1st year of queen Elizabeth had possession granted of them, but his grandson John Baker, esq. in the 17th year of that reign, alienated them to Nevill de la Hay, son of Hugh de la Hay, by Anne, daughter and coheir of Thomas Roydon, of East Peckham, whose son, George de la Hay, in the latter end of that reign, conveyed the manor of Chart to Roger Twysden, esq. of East Peckham, whose descendant, Sir William Jarvis Twysden, bart. of Roydon-hall, is the present possessor of it.

BUT THE MANOR of Watringbury, with that of Foulkes, was conveyed by George de la Hay to Mr. Wilkinson, of Lenham, who bore for his arms, Gules, a fess vaire between three unicorns passant or; which coat was confirmed to Richard Wilkinson, of this place, one of the clerks in chancery, by William Camden, clarencieux, in 1605. He alienated them to Oliver Style, esq. second son of Sir Humphry Style, of Langley, in Beckenham. (fn. 5)

He served the office of sheriff of London, and on purchasing this manor retired to the mansion of it, called Watringbury-place, where he died in 1622, bearing for his arms, as did his several descendants, sable, a fess or, fretted of the field, between three fleurs de lis, and within a bordure of the second.

He was succeeded in this estate by Thomas, his only surviving child, who resided here, and was created a baronet on April 21, 1627, being the third year of king Charles I.

His grandson, Sir Thomas Style, bart. of Watringbury-place, married first Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Armine, bart. of Osgodby, in Lincolnshire, by whom he had Oliver, his only surviving son, and four daughters, of whom Mary was married to Sir Felix Wild, bart. of Malling, and Susan to Thomas Dalyson, esq. of Hamptons. By his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Twisden, bart. of Bradborne, he had a son Thomas, who survived him; and Margaret, married to Robert Viner, esq.

Sir Thomas Style died in 1702, in his 78th year, and was buried in this church. He was succeeded by his only surviving son, by his first marriage, Sir Oliver Style, bart. who died without issue the same year, and lies buried under a handsome monument, in the south part of this church-yard. (fn. 6) On which the title and estate descended to his half brother Thomas, above mentioned, who in 1707 pulled down the mansion of Watringbury-place, a very antient building, moated round, and erected the present seat more to the westward of the other, in which he kept his shrievalty in the 8th year of queen Anne, anno 1710, and resided to the time of his death in 1768. He lies buried in this church, as does Elizabeth his wife, eldest daughter of Sir Charles Hotham, bart. by whom he had four sons, Thomas who died in 1741, and lies buried at Ormskirk, in Lancashire; Charles, who succeeded him in title and estate: Robert, now vicar of this parish, and rector of Mereworth, who married Priscilla, daughter of the Rev. John Davis, late rector of Mereworth; and William, late a major-general, who married Catherine, sister and coheir of John Long Bateman, esq. of Ireland; and also two daughters, Elizabeth and Charlotte, who both died un married, the latter at Canons, in this parish in 1795. Sir Charles Style, bart. of Watringbury-place, married Miss Isabella Wingfield, sister to the lord viscount Powerscourt, and dying in London in 1774, was buried in this church, leaving one son and one daughter, the former is the present Sir Charles Style, bart. of Watringbury place, who married in 1795 the eldest daughter of James Whatman. esq. of Vinters, in Boxley, and he is the present possessor of the manors of Watringbury and Fowkes.

WESTBERY is a manor in this parish, which in the reign of king Henry III. was held by Peter Fitz. Robert, of Simon Fitz Adam, as the twentieth part of one knight's fee; after which it came into the possession of a family, who took their surname from it. (fn. 7) Robert de Westbery was owner of it in the reign of king Edward II. and his descendant, Thomas de Westbery, paid aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III.

The last of this name, who owned this place, was John de Westbery, who in the beginning of the reign of king Henry VI. dying without issue, gave it by will to Agnes Ellis, his niece, and she in the 23d year of that reign, alienated it to Richard Fishborne, who in the 33d year of it conveyed it by sale to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth-castle, treasurer of the houshold, and privy counsellor to king Henry VI. whose descendant Sir Thomas Browne, of the same place, in the 25th year of queen Elizabeth, passed it away by sale to Roger Twysden, esq. of East Peckham, (fn. 8) whose descendant Sir Wm. Jarvis Twysden, bart. of Roydon-hall, is the present possessor of it.

CANONS-COURT is a manor here, which acquired that name from its being part of the possessions of the prior and canons of Leeds.

This place, in the reign of king Henry III. was in the tenure of Gilbert de Watringbury, who then held it as one 4th part of a knight's see, of Simon Fitz Adam, and gave it in pure and perpetual alms to that priory; which gift was confirmed by Bartholomew, his son.

It continued part of the possessions of the priory of Leeds till the dissolution of it, in the reign of king Henry VIII. when it was, together with all its revenues, surrendered into the king's hands, who by his dotation charter, under his great seal, in his 33d year, settled it on his new-erected dean and chapter of Rochester, where the inheritance of it still remains.

Mr. Robert Scoles was lessee of this manor, as well as the parsonage, in 1649, and resided here, and his son, Jaiper Scoles, esq. died lessee of both. Since which the family of Style have been for many years tenants to the dean and chapter for both. Sir Charles Style, bart. is the present lessee.

There is a court baron held for this manor.

THE CODDS were an antient family in this parish, and had their seat in it, called PELICANS, to which belonged a large tract of land. William Codd, esq. died possessed of it in the reign of king William and queen Mary, and was buried in this church, leaving by Deborah his wife an only son and heir, James Codd, esq. who resided at Pelicans, and died whilst sheriff in 1708, and was buried here, bearing for his arms, Argent a fess embattled sable, between six pellets. He died without issue and intestate; so that his estate became divided among several claimants; one of whom, Thomas Kirby, gent. enjoyed the family seat, as part of the share which fell to his lot, and his heirs conveyed it to Sir Thomas Style, bart. in whose great grandson, Sir Charles Style, bart. of this parish, the present inheritance is now vested.

WARDENS is an estate in this parish, which was the antient seat of the Woods, who bore for their arms, Argent, on a fess ragule azure, three fleurs de lis or; which coat was confirmed, or assigned by patent, by Segar to Henry Wood, of London and Watringbury, and to Robert Wood, his brother, the last of this name who resided in it, alienated it, about 1674, to Sir Thomas Style, bart. whose son of the same name, conveyed it to William Burleston, clerk, rector of Warehorne, in whose family it remained till about thirty years ago, when it was sold to Mr. John Whitaker, gent. of Barming, whose nephew, Thomas Whitaker, esq. of Trottesclive, is the present owner of it.

Charities.

HENRY WOOD, citizen and haberdasher of London, a native of this parish, gave, in the year 1630, 40s. per annum to the poor of it for ever; and 8s. per annum for a sermon to be preached yearly on the Sunday next after Candlemas-day in the afternoon; when the distribution of the money is to be made.

OLIVER STYLE, ESQ. in 1632, gave the weekly sum of 1s. to be distributed in bread in the church, every Sunday, to six poor persons for ever.

THE LADY of Sir Thomas Style, bart. in 1737, gave the silver slaggon and plate, for the altar.

MRS. CHARLTOS, relict of the late Mr. George Charlton, the vicar, was a benefactor to this church, by giving the pul pit cloth and cushion, and other things to it, at different times.

There has been A SCHOOL in this parish at times for teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, for near 100 years; but as there is neither house nor salary for the master, the number of scholars is very uncertain.

WATRINGBURY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Rochester, and deanry of Malling.

The church, which is dedicated to St. John Baptist, stands at the west end of the village, It is an antient gothic building, with a high spire steeple, in which hang three bells, it was repaired at a great expence in 1745; the church is handsomely pewed and wainscotted. There are some remains of good painted glass in the windows, particularly of king Edward III. and his queen, and before the late great hail storm, there was in the south window the history of the decollation of St. John Baptist, pretty entire; but it was then part of it broke to pieces.

This church, which was antiently appendant to the manor of Canons-court, was given in the reign of king Henry II. by Hamo, son of Richard de Watringbury, lord of this parish, to the prior and canons of Leeds, and it was confirmed to it by Walter, then bishop of Rochester, who, on the resignation of Walter, then parson of it, admitted the prior, in the name of his convent, into the actual possession of it. (fn. 9)

It was some time after this appropriated to that priory; in which situation it continued till the dissolution of it in the reign of king Henry VIII. when it was, among the other possessions of the priory, surrendered up to the king, who by his dotation charter, in his 33d year, settled both the parsonage, and advowson of the vicarage, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom they now remain. The lessee of the parsonage has always been the same as of Canon-court, the present lessee being Sir Charles Style, bart. but the dean and chapter retain the advowson in their own hands.

¶On the intended dissolution of deans and chapters, after the death of king Charles I. the possessions of the dean and chapter of Rochester, in this parish, were surveyed in 1649, by order of the state; when it appeared, that they consisted of the manor of Canon-court, together with the rectory or parsonage of Watringbury appendant to that manor, and certain woodlands there. That the parsonage consisted of all the tithes, and tithe-corn, annually coming, aris ing, and growing out of all the lands and fields within the precincts and extreme bounds of this parish, with all commodities and appurtenances belonging to them, which premises were valued at the annual sum of sixty pounds, and were let by the late dean and chapter, in the 15th year of the late king Charles, to Robert Scoles, for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of 13l. 6s. 8d. and six capons, valued at twelve shillings, which rent was apportioned, 5l. 6s. 8d. to the manor of Canon-court, the same being worth 36l. 2s. 7d. yearly, over and above the said rent; and the remainder of the rent, being 8l. 12s. was apportioned to the parsonage, which was worth yearly, over and above the same, 51l. 8s. That the lessee was bound to repair the premises, and the chancel of the church, and that he was immediate tenant of these premises. That the advowson, or right of patronage to the vicarage, belonged to the lord of the abovementioned manor, which vicarage was then worth 30l. per annum. (fn. 10)

The vicarage of Watringbury is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-eight pounds, the yearly tenths of which are ten shillings.

Mr. George Charlton, vicar of this place, rebuilt the vicarage-house in 1731, at the expence of 400l. and having obtained 100l. of Sir William Langhorne's legacy, and 15l. 15s. from the dean and chapter of Rochester, he added the residue to make it the sum of 200l. and thereby entitled this vicarage to queen Anne's bounty of the further sum of 200l. with which it was augmented about the year 1732.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol5/pp106-118

Rodney Wills [L] and Scott G [R].

GravelCrew members, Rodney Wills and Scott G make the trip over to see what is really going on and how it's done!!!! WARNING - 8,000 WORDS!!! Eight days in the UK

Our trip to the Network Q Rally of Great Britain 2001

Words & fotos: rodney wills

We had dreamed of flying over to the UK to witness real deal rally action in what we consider the homeland of rally, Great Britain. This was our first trip to the UK with no prior desire to go, but the rally bug has gotten the better of us. While at the 2001 SEMA show in Los Vegas rally racing was all the buzz on the show floor with Scott Hartman on Intrax/Proflex Suspension Systems winning the best of show with his Ford Focus styled in rally trim. We had meet with some people and said we where thinking about going. It was just a thought with not a ticket

purchased or arrangement made. Mention was made to us about how difficult it would be to get press passes to the rally event. We proceeded with last minute efforts that ended in failure due to passed deadlines for press credentials. We did not care. We have seen all the videos, photos and Speedvision coverage of the massive amounts of fans at these events and said to ourselves that we too would be happy and content right there on the sidelines with the true enthusiast! With truth, what a lie! Being media types, we want those photo pass aprons for our collection. It in it’s self is a material prize. We scored some cheap tickets online and proceeded with our dream with an evil eye from my wife, as we would miss our first Thanksgiving holiday together!

November 20’01 - Tuesday

We had a 6:20 am flight out of LAX / Los Angeles, so Scott crashed on my couch, luckily for him! When we woke up in the morning to go to the airport his eyes seemed to have dealt him the worst misery that all metal fabricators dread – “welding flash.” Scott awoke to eyes oozing with liquid and could not keep his eyes open nor could he see. When he tried it was screaming agony. He said it would be OK, but I feared the worst. I had no idea what was instore for his eyes as we made way to the airport. He said his eyes felt like sand paper was in the eyelids and when his eyes rolled it made tears and burned as if salt was thrown on an open wound. He looked a horrible mess so we donned him with sunglasses, but looked a bit funny with only the moon in the sky. We did not care how shady of a character he looked; we were off to the UK for some real core rally action. But after some time, we had plenty, with our sixteen-hour trip ahead, his eyes cleared up to my joy and amazement. I did not have to lead a blind man in the forest!

November 21’01 – Wednesday

It’s was cold and had just rained. We landed 6:00 in the morning at Heathrow airport in London via a stop over in Washington DC. We noticed a guy getting on the plain back in DC carrying a record bag filled enough to spin several sets. We talked with him once we landed and was doing to baggage claim thing and found out that he was the owner of Ohm Records and doing a couple of gigs. We exchanged biz cards and he helped us to find the bus station per his recommendation of getting around cheap. We are on a budget! Scott and I booked our selves bus tickets to Cardiff where the rally headquarters was but with Gloucester as a stopover to visit our friends at CA Magazine – the primer car audio magazine for the UK. We arrive mid-day after making the journey up the twisting roads and were quite shocked to find the magazine located in such a small town. Luckily for us a girl overheard our conversation on the bus and said she knew the location for CA Mag. It was walking distance from the bus station so she walked us to the CA office. She was a New Zealander and played professional rugby for one of the local women’s teams hence her residency in Gloucester. Chris the editor for the mag was out of the office some 200 miles away so we were done for the day. We found a cheap hotel within walking distance with the help of the CA office staff calling ahead for us to reserve the spot. The main strip in town has all the shops that support the local town with all it’s shopping duties from clothing, food, books, to what ever a small town might fancy. Our hotel was located on the center of the strip between a newsstand and a small sandwich shop. A big wooden gate of mid-evil area was brought to mind as we passed through it between these two shops as this was the main entrance to the hotel. We walked in and Cedric the attendant, not the entertainer, but entertaining enough, simple gave us the key with no exchange of credit card information, name, address or anything and said breakfast is served from 7:00 –11:00 in the morning after showing us to our room. We dropped the bags in the room and headed for food and to scout locations as to what we thought might make for good photo shoot locations for cars. We thought we would be shooting some cars the next day for Car Audio Mag USA - WRONG. Cool cars do not exist in Gloucester. Also we found that McDonald’s hamburgers do not taste the same, not in a bad way, but not in a better way either. Just different. But we did find the French fries to taste better if you could believe that! Through the rain we found this very large Cathedral that was used for the Harry Potter movie and found in its presents to be very moving and reminiscent of old times. After our visit of the main tourist attraction we walked up town to see what the local flavor in shops is. Remember the days of AFX and Tyco electric racetracks? In the local toy stores we found SCX and Ninco are the names in 1:32 scale Rally style electric racetracks complete with “Super Sliding Curve Set” action and snow drifts. We could have wasted a lot of money in this store! It just goes to show how we have NASCAR and the UK has Rally. I think we are cheating ourselves. Later, Cedric had shown us the history of our hotel with its historic paintings and a bar in the basement that was said to be the first bar in existence. Then Cedric showed us the tunnel that runs some eight blocks away from the Cathedral to the underground bar. He said this is were the monks would sneak through and come drink. Upstairs in the Hotel’s sitting area we saw a painting of the Cathedral grounds and were titled “ West Gate.” The painting was painted directly on the wall, not on a removable canvas. This painting was of the same quality of paintings I have seen in art history books and museums. We were very impressed and shocked at this small town’s history. We found that the city once had a large public bath area as such in historical times and we did some more scouting down by the docks to find ships where capable up coming up the river to dock and deliver good to the local shops. Dark and still raining, after scooting the town we crashed out for the night, but not after taking the big warm dip in the extra large and deep bath tub down the hall from our room, yes the one bath on the floor, no shower, but we did not complain.

November 22’01 – Thursday – The Superspecial

Eggs, toast and Marmalade, we will find is the standard for most breakfasts. Not that we are complaining, I actually like the Marmalade other wise know for to us as orange jelly. We make our way back over to see Chris at CA Mag and find out what the deallio is with shooting a couple of cars. One crashed as we maid our trip over to the UK and as discovered – everything else is far away – minimum 100 miles! We negotiate over a photo trade with a recent Subaru they shot. We may have something in the bag and something else lined up for later. We can work with this as our mind shifts to the next portion of our trip! So we make our way to the bus station to make our 1:35hr trip to Cardiff by way of Bristol via bus. We stop in Bristol long enough for us to jump on our skateboards and shoot down the hill and grab some lunch at a pizza parlor on the corner of a very busy intersection in what seems to be a larger and more modern city with sidewalks filled with people. The pizza was off the hook too! Maybe we were just very hungry, but I do remember the pizza being very good! As we head back up the hill with our skateboards in tow, a local group of kids sort of snicker as they see us with our boards but one noticed the OBEY stickers and recognizes us as being Americans and caught their curiosity but we was off on our way. Back on the bus and as we get closer to Cardiff we start to see images of racing! Three big Michelin tire support trucks rolls by. A couple of Subaru gravel sweep pre-runners go by. Another race support vehicle goes by and the goose bumps began. As we roll into the city and by the massive city hall, we see the starting point of the race! Big Network Q banners, WRC banners and Playstation logos as well! Our bus quickly rounds another corner and out of site but the town is filled with rally enthusiast and or race teams on every street and at every corner. We pull into the bus station and cross the street over to the travel information center to ask about hotels. The lady at the counter looks at us and says “sorry, there is nothing available in the city this weekend”. We have the race, an rugby match and a football (soccer) match all this weekend!” “Plus, everyone is in town doing the holiday shopping.” There is a pause in the air as our stomachs get that funny feeling and then she offers a solution that is right up our alley. A place up the street called Backpackers hostel takes in foreign travelers in a dormitory style setting and is cheap. WE WILL TAKE IT!!! We hop a cab over to this place to find the cool local tip that a lot of young travelers use. Each room has three bunk beads with lockable storage cabinets. A down stairs cafeteria and bar where you can use everything in the kitchen yourself. You prepare and clean yourself. Basically it’s a college dorm type setting. We could care less, we had a safe place to keep our belongings and a bed to sleep in, we had a Speical Stage within hours to catch and some press passes to be hussled up (in our dreams)!So out the door we go in eclectic oxymoron fashion with camera / video gear in the Clive backpacks and skateboards under foot, we were off the Rally Headquarters! Once we get there we see several mock rally cars on display from each of the manufacture teams so we whip out the cameras and strap the skateboards to the packs. The skateboards strapped to the packs almost has a military look to it, but it is obviously not because people are starting to look at us a bit wired; professional camera gear on one side and skateboards strapped to the backside… at the worlds largest rally race event. It just was not adding up to the officials, and the fact we are from the USA, we may as well have been from Mars! Although several kids in the crowd were giving us the thumbs up as they understood our language. After finding out how much spectator passes where going to cost, we were in trouble! We make our way into the headquarters office and knowing we had been previously turned down for press passes via fax back in the USA, but we were desperate at this time! We did have the entire proper credentials request from the event; it was just the time issue so we press our way up to the media credentials booth. Luckily for us some one felt sorry for us making the trip over from the USA and no other press form the USA had checked in at that time. We got the media badge, media special stage parking pass and headquarters parking pass without a snag, hiccup or hassle. Great! But we did not have a car. Not to worry though, there is a bus leaving for the Special Stages. We made our way out side and darkness and already fallen and the cold was bone chilling. Before we boarded the bus we went to all the booths to find Playstation everywhere and every type of rally memorabilia. RallyXS Magazine was on hand with Playstation showing off the new WRC rally game! What game? Of course, the new WRC rally came officially licensed by Playstation and everyone had it in there both! Ford had a full rally car with large flat screen monitor mounted just outside the windscreen and the steering wheel and pedals where the actual controls for the game, and yes it was the WRC Playstation game. Pirelli tires had a trailer with fold down walls with a car inside. The car was a modified Subaru WRX. Modified in a way that when you played the video game (the new WRC rally game of course) the car would lean or dip in the proper direction to give the full driving sensation. In other booths, Factory team jackets shirts bags and toys where all on display to be purchased. We could have blown every penny we had right there but we managed to hold back. I only bought a Subaru baseball cap. The USA versions are wimpy compared to the UK version, so I had to get it! It was time to head to the buses that carted us off to fist leg of the race called a “special stage.” This nearby location with a prepared Special stage consisted of side by side racing with a two-lap course of equal length with a bridge cross over; one car went over and the other under on the second lap they cars would switch and complete with a water crossing splash section. The event began with a bang! Fireworks galore and the music that plays on TV from the Speedvision broadcast of the WRC events was blaring in the air as goose bumps of excitement run through us. At the same time it seamed to get even colder as the wind blew off the nearby ocean, but the racecars quickly turned up the heat as two cars at a time race on this special spectator staged event. We watched from our vantage point as well as on the very large screen in the middle of the raceway and witness what we had dreamed of. What we saw were more than just the cars racing, but the fans cheering and blowing the canned air horns. The one sound we would become very familiar with as we took in our dose of gravel slinging and motor growling with turbo boost snaring. The air horn, by the hundreds if not thousands all unleashed there spray as Colin McCrae of Ford and Richards Burns of Subaru rounded the track for the final duo of top manufactures or should we say the personal battle between these two world class drivers. Colin won the stage by mere milliseconds and the night was done. We made our way back to the Backpackers Inn and went over our notes of what was happening in the morning. It would be a surprise not in our favor.

November 23’01 – Friday – Leg 1

We wake up at 5:00 am to make the start of the race at 6:00 at City Hall. I do not even remember if we had breakfast? I brought the Tiger Milk and Power Bars, but Scott said the Tiger Milk’s taste like cardboard. We get to rally headquarters to find out that there are no buses going to the special stages, it was only for last night’s local event. We get that funny stomach feeling again as we make our way over to the car park where the racecars are kept over night and the race begins. We start asking if anyone is going up to the Service Park. Our thought was if we got there at least we could see the teams go and come from there and maybe find some other press guys to go up into the special stages. We found no press people there at the Park Ferme this morning, all obviously had made may to the mountains. Then two guys approach us and began to ask us about where to find the press credentials office. They began to tell us of their late arrival from Spain last night and did not make it to press check in time. All of this was through broken English and Scott’s bootleg Spanish translation. It was enough to get us by, get them the press passes and us a ride to the special stages! We hop in the car and try to follow some of the racecars that are still heading out to the service area. Our mission was to follow one out to the start. After we passed the Service Park and noticed that McCrae and Sainz and a couple of the other big names where headed back down the freeway, we knew that stage was finished by those guys and was transiting to the next stage. Our best plan was to navigate our lost arses and try to catch the start of stage 3. As we got into the mountains and traffic was backing up, we decided to move to stage 4 in better hopes of catching the first cars. This was the comedy of the trip; Spaniards driving a right had drive car for the first time, Americans in the back seat navigating in the UK! We made it to stage 4, don’t ask us how we made our way up the dirt, or should I say complete mud / gravel combo road. A little Spaniard driving finesse complete with paint code swapping with some local cars and we made it there. We hopped out of the car just in time to see McCrea top the hill with the arse of the car standing straight up in the air at a 100mph! Flipped and offed with complete yard sale! It was not confirmed that it was him till a few other racecars passed through, but it was Burns and Sainz, so the other Focus had to be McCrae. We traversed through the soggy fields in the rain along the racecourse. McCrae and Grist where walking down the road with helmets in hand and disgust on there face. Grist on the phone t headquarters with the news and, “send in the pick-up chopper.” Two turns earlier, they were to be the champions only now to be walking down the racecourse in disbelief.

November 24’01 – Saturday – Leg two

Today we had to find ourselves another place to stay due to previous people booking the rooms ahead of time, so this put a wrinkle in our plans of chasing the rally cars, but gained our bodies the much needed break from all the walking that us Americans are not accustom to. Right, yes! We had a meeting set up with head officer of the Network Q press office at 6:00am trying to gain the much sought after press aprons or bibs that the real photo guys had which secured the “go everywhere” ghetto pass. We were there but he had already gone to the Service Park area at 5:00am. So instead we got and eat a proper breakfast up in the press hall and played the new Playstation WRC Rally video game for an hour or so. Scott swears he’s good, but the editor of Rally XS magazine has a bit more practice on this new game. After about an hour of Playstation battle we start walking again to look for a Hotel and to do a little foot tour of the Cardiff City. No more than five blocks away Scott spots the sign “every room 44l.” We go over to the hotel and to our surprise find rooms available and cheap too! Ibis Hotel is the best! Funky cool modern design always wins – and available, when the travel center said nothing was! Well, there were only two rooms available, so it was close and we were very lucky! We walk back to our Backpacker joint and started the packing process. Too many magazines and assorted rally crap collected on Thursday and Friday from the event. We could start a small rally library! We have… We get our stuff back over to the Ibis hotel and head back to rally headquarters. While waiting again for our meeting with the head press officer, the newswire comes down; Carlos Sainz / Ford Focus has crashed and hit fifteen people (unconfirmed numbers at that time). With McCrae already out of the race, Ford withdraws its team effort from the race all together. At this point we just don’t know how to even portray this to the American press and start asking the proper questions as to how we should – official statement please. This is one of the major concerns for WRC coming to the USA’s hungry lawyers. At the end of the day, no one was killed with only a couple of reported minor injuries. This is a dangerous sport from all aspects.

The Spaniard’s that we hooked up with on Friday had to leave first thing on Sunday so no ride is going to be possible so we break down and rent a car. Other events that are coming up also lead to this decision. It’s my first time driving a right hand drive car and it’s stick at that! We get a four door Vauxhall and it’s actually easier than I thought, but I am sure under pressure things could get a bit sticky. I’ll stick with my left-hand drive cars back home for simplicity. We head out to the Service Park to catch the drivers coming in and we took this time to meet the teams and mill around in the pits. We found out what the “mule” is and decided we need some! Very pricey and only available to full factory teams, it is an inner bladder that basically prevents rim bite, which occurs when the car comes off a big jump. I am sure it has other purposes as well, whatever, we will take it! Right! At close to $200 each and this is just something to go inside the tires we have now. We have had no problem with our little production car so we will wait on these puppies or should I say muses. We met some guy’s rally racing a Honda Civic and they were shocked to see someone form the USA at an UK rally event! Over at the Subaru camp there is this lanky young 20-year-old American kid hanging around with the Prodrive team – meeting and greeting. Travis Pastrana is his name and is one of the top names in motorcross, but you already know that. Right. So he is here to fulfill his lifelong dream to drive a real deal WRC rally car. His sponsor, Alpinestars president, Gabriele Mazzarolo along with his manager “Hollywood” of No Fear and with some connections at RacerX (motocross magazine USA) help to make all his dreams come true. Since Alpinstars is the official clothier for Subaru World Rally Team, they sewed a few more strings and pulled the whole deal together. We did not quite understand exactly what was going on, but Subaru USA in conjunction with SWRT (Subaru World Rally Team) asked us to come along for a couple of days after the event. We drooled our way over to the Ford camp were we met the motorsports PR guy and began to tell him about our ’98 Escort with 8.5 inches of wheel travel and how we are taking off-road truck racing technology and applying to rally racing. He is quite amused and told us that he saw us earlier at headquarters with our skateboards. We go back over to rally headquarters, put some more time behind the Playstaion WRC wheel.

November 25’01 – Sunday – Leg three

We get up early because we know this is our last chance to catch the cars in action. It’s cold and raining at five in the morning. As we drive up into the mountains it’s raining harder than any point of the weekend. The spectators are everywhere. On the map, Scott somehow miraculously navigates a back way up into stage 14 and saving us quite a bit of time. It’s the first course of the morning and the rally cars will come back to it for stage 16, so we made the decision to stay on this section and work around it. The backroad paid off big time, but as we came to the gate where everyone was coming in, we realized just how dedicated these UK fans are. The stage starts at 7:58am and it’s already 6:00am and people are everywhere, more than the trees and the forest is thick over there! As we work our way up into the car park area that is already full, we notice people are camping out in tents. It freezing and raining! How much more hardcore can you get?! USA guys at the UK rally in the freezing rain? Right. The out-door campers are way more core. We hike our way up the hill to catch a good sweeping down hill view. It’s few minutes before the race. We are just astounded at the amount of people waiting to catch another glimpse of the rally cars. We overhear the speculation as to who is to win and who is there favorite and the politics of the teams driver / car combinations. These people are the true enthusiast! Fathers with their kids and wives too! Boy with there girlfriends drenched in rain. The whole family! People of all walks and ages are here with airhorns in tow to blast and cheer the rally cars as they pass by. It was one of those most memorable moments for me, but I began to question the moment… Scott was freezing and his jacket was soaked and he was swearing up and down left his rain suit home as per my suggestion. I was just trying to get my camera equipment out and prepared to shoot with the help of a local holding his umbrella over my head to keep from not testing how waterproof my camera is not. As soon as we heard the first car, the air horns started blaring, there was no question in my mind at all – this was the place for me to be. Everything was so right. We stayed till some of the 1600 Series cars came around and then we started to make our way down the hill to the car. Plan was to dry out and move to a new location. We get back out to the street and make our way back down the “secret” local rout that saved us so much time coming up. As we made our way to the next location we noticed some people going up into a section not clearly marked on the map as a viewing area. But I think anywhere you can get is viewing area within safety. We went through this tiny apartment area and all the local elderly people were standing in their doorways and looking at all the traffic coming through. We made our way up the hillside and we were extremely excited to see that there was a food coach in service as we came around the last bend at the top of the hill, in the middle of nowhere! We noticed a hairpin turn was heavily marked and referenced ourselves back to our course map. We saw where we were and instantly understood that this was a local favorite spot and locally organized with turn marshals and food vending by the locals. We were not quite to the top of the hill yet, but sprinting distance from the food as the rain kept poring. Those hamburgers were some of best on the whole trip! After the food and after stage 14 was over people moved off the very tip of the hill, so once it was clear we charged for front row parking. Once we had our car in position we draped the dripping wet jackets up from the sun visors and blasted the heat to dry everything out. Seems we were not the only ones drying out as we saw all types of feet fogging up windows as socks hung down from every possible position. The crowds reappeared and stage 15 began as the rain continued to fall. After the event we drove down the hill to catch the winners coming into the Service Area. I got my blue Ecko jacket signed by Richard Burns as he was the new champion and winner of the Rally Great Britain.

November 26’01 – Monday

It was a cold chilly Monday morning, the day after one of the most exciting weeks of our lives after chasing WRC rally cars through the woods of Whales. But today was to be a new venture off into the upper northern region of Whales were legends have been molded and reputations planted. As we drove through the woods it looked as if the Loc Ness Monster was from these parts with the fog drifting in over the surrounding murky lakes. Today we are going to the Phil Hill Rally School escorted by the members of Prodrive Team along with Travis Pastra and Alpinestars crew! As we drive through the rolling hills of Whales glimpses and flashes of the Ari Vatinnan’s “The Ari Vatanen Touch” video runs through my head. I can hear his old 1970’s Escort Cosworth motor with that distinctive sidedraft sound echoing off the narrow passages and rounding the hills of the cold damp morning. We arrive at what seemed to be another track of farmland and as we made our way up the road it was just that, a beautiful farm spread among the valleys. Nestled atop of a tree cover hill was a simple garage from our vantage, as we drive up the leave covered pathway. As we make our way out of our cars and into the brisk early morning air we can see just past the building, rows of used tires. Not just any old used tires, but stacks upon stacks of used rally tires. We can feel the history already being spoken to us threw all of these tires and know we are some place very special. What we are about to partake in will be history of “grooming lessons.” That after noon we make our way to the hotel “Inn,” “manor” what have you, I am not quite sure of the proper word for such a place of such grand design of old word “nice” and “big.” Seems the Prodrive guys use this place from time to time when testing and keeping all the troops under one roof complete with large eating area and well stocked bar. Seems the owner and his family are the keepers of the facility and the father also manufactures some very serious one-off racing composites and exotic materials at another facility as a side business. We are hanging out with the Subaru World Rally Teams top brass.. Pinch me!

November 27’01 – Tuesday

Awoke to rain and a chance to ride in the real WRC car! Great breakfast inside, but we can see the rain falling outside the windows as the SWRT director announces we will be making a hour’s drive further up into North Wales to a larger testing facility and briefs us on today’s details. As we make our journey through the hillsides we confirm everything we have seen so far. In comparison the US, we have dirt roads, in the UK, yes, but it has gravel added due to the over abundance of rain. Gravel covers every major dirt road in sight and gives us a better sense of the terrain “terror-in-rain.” As we make our way around a large mountain, an open valley is presented in great view as we make our way down the side only to get to the bottom and start the assent up the other side. A small roadside farm building is present just ahead as we slow down. No major signs, no major gate, just major farm equipment as we start to traverse this gravel road, just as we start to pass the final building we see a couple of very old and retired rally cars behind some of the equipment and know we are close. Along the gravel trail we get happy with our right hand drive rental car and want to test the e-brake and driftability of the car on wet gravel on the curvy path. Through the trees and over yet another hillside our emotions jump as we see the little valley with the large flat bottom area full of mud and gravel that has been pushed around by quite recognizable patterns of drifts and slides. There is a creek crossing and several roads leading up and out the other side of the valley. At the far end of the valley we see two large buildings but what really caught the eye were several official Subaru support vehicles in crystal method blue coloring to contrast the lush green and brown landscape. “We have been to the mountain and seen the other side…” A full race support rig, hospitality tour bus and several Subaru WRX’s scattered around, but as we drove up, we saw the rear of what we really came to see poking out of the garage area chocked full of tools and test equipment all around the room. For the Alabama in me, this was heaven. This is the way a farm should look! Full factory race in a barn facility! Two things happened on this day that will be with me forever: I rode in the real deal WRC rally car and I witnessed Travis Pastrana unleash raw talent behind the wheel of a WRC car. My pilot for the trip around the six mile course was no other than Mark Lovell who is the factory pro driver for the Subaru USA Rally Team. That afternoon we make our way back to Heathrow Airport and find a Hotel. We are speechless for the two hour drive back to Heathrow.

November 28’01 – Wednesday

We get up, drop off the rental car and witness the Concord jet taking off for New York with the most thunderous sound I’ve ever heard in my life. Roughly $10,000 round trip from London to New York in what will take us eight hours in done in merely ONE HOUR!

Today 02/2003

Any day Scott’s and Marvin’s WRC game times are better than the UK kid that won the EVO7. My drum & bass music is from the UK. Orange marmalade is the only jelly I like now and I have a passion for UK stuff. I bought my wife some Paul Frank sunglasses with little Union Jack flags emblems on the frames. Although from Finland, Ari Vatanen, his video is always on deck! Rally full ahead! Convert to dirt, for me it’s getting back to my roots – in Alabama and in the dirt. And for those of you who love NASCAR it’s OK, but the real history of NASCAR is RALLY!

Photo-documenting is really important for ground controllers!

MOST DIFFICULT PIC TO SHOOT EVER ! 30 sec exp. of a sleeping Leopard ... thank god she was sleeping soundly ;-) The night safari is something that should be in your list of 10 things to do before you die!

Difficult music on Vinyl - but i just love the sleeve..