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The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, in Gloucester, Gloucestershire.
Conceived in the Canal Mania period of the late 18th century, the Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal scheme (as it was originally named) was started by architect and civil engineer Robert Mylne. In 1793 an Act of Parliament was obtained authorising the raising of a total of £200,000. The project rapidly encountered financial difficulties - to such an extent that Mylne left the project in 1798. By half way through 1799 costs had reached £112,000 but only 5½ miles of the canal had been completed. Robert Mylne's role was taken over by James Dadford who had originally been engaged as resident engineer on the project in 1795. Lack of funds resulted in the company ceasing to employ Dadford in 1800.
Between 1800 and 1810 various attempts were made to raise money to allow further building but they came to nothing. Moneys from tolls and rents allowed for some improvements to be made to the basin at Gloucester in 1813.
From 1817 onwards the Poor Employment Act meant it was possible for the company to loan money from the Exchequer Bill Loan Commission. This along with further share issues provided enough money to bring the scheme to completion. After these significant delays, the canal opened in April 1827. During its construction the canal had cost £440,000.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, it proved possible to pay a small dividend, the debt to the Exchequer Bill Loan Commission having been repaid with the help of a loan of £60,000 from the Pelican Life Assurance Company. In 1871 the last of the debts incurred while funding the canal including the Pelican Life Assurance Company loan were paid off.
In 1905 traffic exceeded 1 million tons for the first time. Oil was added to the list of cargoes carried by the canal, with bulk oil carriers taking fuel to storage tanks sited to the south of Gloucester. In 1937 the canal was navigated by the submarines HGloucester Gloucestershire "West Midlands" Midlands England English UK "United Kingdom" GB "Great Britain" Britain British "West Mercia" "Gloucester and Sharpness Canal" "Gloucester and Berkeley Canal" "Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal" canal waterway reflection bridge "Robert Mylne" "James Dadford" "Poor Employment Act" "Exchequer Bill Loan Commission" "Pelican Life Assurance Company" "Sharpness Dock Police" "British Transport Police" "Board of Survey of Canals and Inland Waterways"MS H33 and HMS H49.
The canal was nationalized in 1948. At the same time the Sharpness Dock Police which had policed the dock since 1874 were absorbed into the British Transport Police. In 1955 the Board of Survey of Canals and Inland Waterways released a report that, among other things, described the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal as carrying substantial traffic and offering scope for commercial development.
By the mid-1980s commercial traffic had largely come to a halt with the canal being given over to pleasure cruisers except for a few passages by grain barges. The oil trade ceased in 1985 with the closure of the petroleum depot at Quedgeley.
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After our lunch at Mt Difficulty we went up the Felton Road to Felton Road Winery. March 6, 2014 Central Otago, Bannockburn, South Island, New Zealand.
Felton Road Winery. is situated on warm, north facing slopes of glacial loess soils in Bannockburn, in the heart of Central Otago. The modern gravity fed winery receives 100% estate grown fruit from its three vineyards that are all farmed biodynamically and are fully certified by Demeter. Minimal intervention in the winemaking with such practices as wild yeast, no fining or filtration, allow the unique vineyard characters to further express their considerable personality.
Since the first vintage in 1997, Felton Road has acquired a formidable worldwide reputation.
Zero waste By-products:
Winery waste is, probably more than any other substance, lees. Lees are a mixture of sediments left over from winemaking, and consist mainly of dead yeast and tartaric and malic acid. It isn’t particularly hostile stuff, but acids are a problem in any waste system, so winery waste management systems are designed to deal with this mixture. It takes a lot of money to build a waste management system and a lot of energy to run it so, in a perfect world, we’d do without one. But is it possible to do that? We have demonstrated that it is. Our solution is simple: don’t throw anything away. Nothing whatsoever goes down our drains unless we have failed to find a better use for it. And since almost all waste has some form of value, there is a better use out there. Lees, for example, get separated into fine lees (the more liquid stuff) and the solid gunk. The solids are composted. It might be tricky to compost something this acidic for some wineries, but as we make well over 100 tonnes of compost a year anyway, the lees solids are literally a drop in the manure heap. That leaves the more liquid stuff to deal with. Each year it goes to a beautiful wood fired copper still and is distilled into “Fine”: the term for brandy distilled from wine lees. Roughly a thousand litres of lees yields about 100 litres of wonderful brandy. After 5 years of aging in French oak using a “solera” type system, it is ready to bottle.
What better way to recycle something that most regard as an industrial waste product?
Taken from and for more info: www.nzwine.com/winery/felton-road/
Eaglehawk Neck.
The dramatic coastline here shows the difficulties mariners faced reaching Hobart in the 19th century. There are caves and blow holes along the coast. The narrow isthmus which separates the Tasman Peninsula from the mainland shows why Port Arthur was such an easily defended prison site. The tessellated (tiled) pavement is unique in Australia. The flat sandstone here has fractured into rectangular tiles, which have then been eroded by water and waves. The fractures dry out at low tide allowing salt crystals to form which speeds up the erosion of the pan or tile surfaces, leaving the original fractures higher.
Port Arthur 1830-1877.
What became the largest convict prison in VDL was started at Port Arthur in 1830 and named after the strict disciplinarian governor of the day, Sir George Arthur. 75,000 convicts served time in VDL before 1853 compromising roughly half of all convicts transported to Australia. Most came direct from England, but a few thousand came from other colonies or Ireland. At its peak in 1847, there were over 30,000 convicts in VDL. The majority were assigned to work for private colonists, some worked on government projects such as roads and bridges and public buildings. The worst criminals and those least likely to reform themselves were sent to convict prisons such as Port Arthur. Most of those assigned to farm work were from the petty criminal class of the industrial cities of Britain but they were not necessarily less skilled than free workers of those days. Port Arthur never had more than 1,200 prisoners there at any one time during its 47 year history. But it had a well deserved reputation for brutality and harshness. It was not an idle penal base; its inmates, if not in solitary confinement, worked felling timber, in foundries, the prison gardens, erecting buildings, and in the nearby coal mines- usually in chain gangs. Port Arthur was an industrial complex. Six forges operated here, bricks, barrels, coach wheels, and shoes were among the major products produced. The dock at Port Arthur was always busy with shipping arrivals and departures. It was not until the last years of the prison that the complex based on Pentonville in London was constructed (1848-52) where the cells were six feet by nine feet, dark and damp. The most infamous commandant, known for his brutality was Captain Charles O’Hara Booth who headed the prison from 1833 to 1844.
The main structures at Port Arthur include many that have not been demolished over the years: the Commandant’s House 1833; the round guard Tower 1835; the church 1836 (partially destroyed by fire in 1884); the Shipwright’s House 1834; the Clerk of Work’s House 1841; the Hospital 1842; the Commandant’s Office 1848; the Magistrates House 1847; the Medical Officer’s House 1847; the large four storey mill and granary was converted into the Penitentiary for those who were left at Port Arthur after 1853; the Model Prison 1852. In its heyday Port Arthur was much bigger than what you see today. After the end of transportation those prisoners convicted for life stayed on until the prison closed in 1877. Some were then transferred to Hobart or other prisons.
The Island of the Dead that we will cruise past is believed to contain about 1,100 graves. Only about 90 still have headstones. The civil workers were separated even in death from the convicts who were buried on the Island of the Dead. Marcus Clarke briefly visited Port Arthur in 1870 as it was winding down to get material for his fictional account of the life of a convict called For the Term of His Natural Life, which was first serialised in newspapers between 1870-72.
St Mary, Flowton, Suffolk
A visit in February 2019. Two years previously, I had written: Listen: the winter is cold and dark, but the days are lengthening. On a Sunday in early February which promised gloom, but burst instead into a bright unforecast winter sunlight, I headed back to Flowton. All the way, the fields were dead, the crows in possession. Riding the hills from Nettlestead, I freewheeled down into Somersham and up the other side of the valley. Now the clouds began to gather again, but I was not downhearted, for snowdrops in the hedgerows signalled the yearly cycle beginning again, Spring not unheralded. The world will come back to life, and all too soon it will be May, Mary's month; the hedgerows will be full of birdsong, as the endless cycle of life renews itself. Chaffinches will spiral and fluster in their ritual of courting and nesting; below them, a pair of warblers will twist in a perilous skein over the road surface. A pair of jays will hammer the sky beyond.
This is spring as it has always been, adapting itself minutely from year to year as Suffolk around it changes. A hundred years ago, these lanes were full of people, for in those days the villagers were enslaved to the land. But a farm that might support fifty workers then needs barely two now, and the countryside has emptied, villages reduced to a third of their size. To be a farmworker these days is a solitary calling, and I felt at one with them as I raced over the gentle rises on my bike. In all this journey from Claydon, and apart from a brief frenzy of activity at Somersham, I had seen only one other person, and she was three miles ago. Suffolk is quieter now than at any time since before the Saxons arrived, and nature is returning to it.
In the early spring of 1644, a solemn procession came this way. The body of Captain William Boggas was brought back from the Midlands, where he had been killed in some skirmish or other, possibly in connection with the seige of Newark. The cart stumbled over the ruts and mud hollows, and it is easy to imagine the watching farmworkers pausing in a solemn gesture, standing upright for a brief moment, perhaps removing a hat, as it passed them by.
But no sign of the cross, for this was Puritan Suffolk. Even the Church of England had been suppressed, and the local Priest replaced by a Minister chosen by, and possibly from within, the congregation.
William Boggas was laid to rest in the nave of the church, beside the body of his infant daughter who had died a year earlier. His heavily pregnant widow would have stood by on the cold brick floor, and the little church would have been full, for he was a landowner, and a Captain too.
And the story doesn't end there. So, I cast my mind back to a glorious May day in 2007, with the heat of summer already more than a promise, I arrived again in Flowton. Here, the trees in the hedgerows gathered, and the early leaves sent shadows dappling across the road beneath my wheels. The antiquarian David Davy came this way in a bad mood in 1829, with his friend John Darby on their way to record the memorials and inscriptions of the church: ...we ascended a rather steep hill, on which we travelled thro' very indifferent roads to Flowton; here the kind of country I had anticipated for the whole of the present day's excursion was completely realised. A more flat, wet, unpleasant soil and country I have not often passed over, & we found some difficulty in getting along with safety & comfort.
The roads have changed here since Darby and Davy came, but the church hasn't much. The Victorians were kind to Flowton; perhaps, because the Puritans had been. It has a delicious atmosphere, that of an archetypal English country church. The narrow green sleeve of the graveyard enfolds it, rather formal to the north, but wildly overgrown on the south side. The tower is one of those curious affairs where the upper storeys have been taken down at some time, presumably because they were unsafe. The capped base looks rugged and primitive; one might think it early, even Norman. In fact, this pretty little church is almost all of a 14th century piece, in the Decorated style.
The west face of the tower still has its niches, which once contained the images of Saints who watched over the travellers passing by. Another thing curious about the tower is that it has no west door. Instead, the door is into the south side of the tower. There must be a reason for this, for it exists nowhere else in Suffolk. Perhaps there was another building to the west of the tower. However, there are several churches in this area with towers to the south of their naves, and the entrance through a south door into the porch beneath the tower. Perhaps that was originally the intention here.
The notice in the lychgate says Welcome to Flowton Church.Now, this is easily done, but how rare it is! Does it mean anything? Yes, it does, for this church is always open. I stepped into a sweetly ancient space, a slight damp in the air from the winter now gone.
The brick floors are uneven; I stepped inside carefully. Brick floors are lovely though, and once all churches must have had them. The bricks lend an organic quality to the font, which seems to grow out of them, and they spread up beyond the chancel arch into the chancel itself. Glazed Minton tiles have their place; fortunately, that place is not here. On the south side of the sanctuary there is a great rarity. The piscina that formerly served the altar here still retains its original wooden credence shelf. On the opposite wall is a fine corbel of a madly grinning devil.
I wandered back down into the nave, to the ledger stone of Captain William Boggas. It reads Here lyes waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ the body of William Boggas gent, deere to his Countrey, by whoes free choyce he was called to be Captayne of their vountaries raysed for their defence: pious towards God, meeke & juste towards men & being about 40 yeeres of age departed this life March 18: 1643.
To the north of it lie two more ledgers, the easterly one to his young daughter, which in chilling legalese records the date of her birth and her death in the next ensuing month. To the west of that is one to William, his son, who was born on April 11th 1644.
Now hang on, you may be thinking. How could his son have been born in April 1644 if William senior had died in March 1643?
Simply, in those days the New Year was counted not from January 1st, but from March 25th; this is a quarter day usually referred to as Lady Day, in an echoing memory of the pre-Reformation Feast of the Annunciation. So William Boggas died one month before his son was born, not thirteen. It would be good to tell you that William Junior led a similarly exciting and possibly even longer life than his father. But this was not to be, for he died at the age of just two years old in 1645. As he was given his father's name, we may assume that he was his father's first and only son.
A further point of interest is that both Williams' stones have space ready for further names. But there are none. There would be no more children; how could there be? But William's wife is not buried or even remembered here. Did she move away? Did she marry again, and does she lie in some other similarly remote English graveyard? Actually, it is possible that she doesn't. Since I first wrote this account in 2007, I've come across considerable evidence to show that Boggas's wife was Flowton girl Mary Branston, and she had been married before, to Robert Woodward of Dedham, Essex. Between the time of William Boggas's death in 1644 and the 1647 accounting of the Colony, Mary's daughter and nephews by her first marriage had been transported to the Virginia Colony in the modern United States. Is it possible that Mary went to join them?
And finally, one last visitor. Four months after the birth of the younger William, when the cement on his father's ledger stone was barely dry, the Puritan iconoclast William Dowsing visited this remote place. It was 22 August 1644. The day had been a busy one for Dowsing; Flowton was one of seven churches he visited that day. Like me, he came here after Nettlestead and Somersham. Like me, he noticed the piscina in the sanctuary. Unlike me, he ordered its destruction. This obviously didn't happen; perhaps it was filled in instead.
Dowsing had arrived here in the late afternoon on what was probably a fine summer's day, since the travelling was so easy. I imagined the graveyard that day, full of dense greenery. He came on horseback, and he was not alone.With him came, as an assistant, a man called Jacob Caley.
Caley, a Portman of Ipswich, was well-known to the people of Flowton. He was the government's official collector of taxes for this part of Suffolk. One thinks he must not have been a popular man. What the villagers couldn't know, of course, was that Caley was actually hiding away a goodly proportion of the money he collected.
In 1662, two years after the Commonwealth ended, he was found guilty of the theft of £3000, about a million pounds in today's money. He had collected £118 of this from Flowton alone, and John Blatchly, in Trevor Cooper's new edition of the Dowsing Journals, thinks the amount he was found guilty of stealing is probably understated.
On that May day in 2007 I stepped out into the calm of the graveyard, through clusters of yellow cowslips that were scattered here and there across the tussocky ground. In this place of the dead, I breathed deeply the smell of new life. A cluster of sparrows suddenly erupted from the undergrowth, boiling high above me in busy chatter, and on this bright day I thought this as lovely a place as any I have ever been in Suffolk.
The Kuryong Waterfall Tour Course is one of several tour courses of varying difficulty available to visitors to the Kumgang Mountain area. This course is about 12 mi./19 km. long. It will take the slowest walkers 4-5 hours, and the faster ones only 1-2 hours, to complete the roundtrip. The object is not to race along but to view the various scenic spots and vistas along the way up to the Kuryong Waterfall. The path itself follows a relatively narrow valley up into the mountains. The waterfall is one of the three tallest waterfalls in Korea, measuring 46 ft./74 m. high. One of the unique features of the waterfall and the pond below it is that they are made from one solid rock.
At the end of the falls is Kuryong Pond about 13 meters deep. According to a legend, there lived nine dragons in the pond.
Smithfield is an area on the Northside of Dublin not far from my apartment. Historically, Smithfield was a suburb of Oxmantown and lay within the civil parish of St. Paul's. There is no general agreement on the extent of the area known as Smithfield, but it might be said to incorporate the area bounded by the River Liffey to the south, Bow Street to the east, Queen Street to the west, and North Brunswick street in the suburb of Grangegorman to the north.
The focal point is a public square, formerly an open market, now officially called Smithfield Plaza, but known locally as Smithfield Square or Smithfield Market.
Smithfield Market was laid out in the mid 17th century as a marketplace. Until recently the square was lined with inner city 'farm yards' housing livestock. In 1964 Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor spent time here, as Burton worked on the film set in Smithfield for the film adaptation of John le Carré's novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Smithfield "played a role" of Checkpoint Charlie in the movie.
Smithfield was recently rejuvenated under the HARP (Historic Area Rejuvenation Plan). An architectural competition was held and won by McGarry NiEanaigh Architects in 1997. The restoration involved lifting more than 400,000 one hundred and twenty-year-old cobblestones, cleaning them by hand and re-laying them. Following each monthly horse fair at the plaza, despite the best efforts of city council cleaning staff, the cobbles remain stained and grubby, with animal waste to be found permanently staining the plaza.
Contemporary architecture and twelve 26.5 metre gas lighting masts, each with a 2-metre flame, now flank the square. Although the flames are rarely lit, the lighting mast shades are regularly to be seen in different colours, reflecting cultural events throughout the year. For example, they change to a vivid green shade as part of St Patrick's Day celebrations.
The Smithfield area is also home to the Dublin City Fruit Vegetable and Flower Market. The Fish Market adjacent to it was torn down by the City Council who plan to redevelop the rest of the site.
Smithfield's iconic tower, and its observation deck, is no longer accessible to the public, as it has long-since been closed due to health and safety concerns.
The Light House Cinema was resurrected in May 2008 in the Smithfield Square, after it had been forced to close its doors on Abbey Street on 27 September 1996. It closed at this location in April 2011 due to difficulties in paying the rent. The Lighthouse Cinema reopened to the public on January 20th 2012.
Site of the death of Sir Henry Gurney, British High Commissioner for the Federation of Malaya on 6 October 1951
Sir Henry Lovell Goldsworthy Gurney KCMG, K.St.J. was the British High Commissioner for the Federation of Malaya (i.e. the Governor) who was assassinated by communist terrorists during the Malayan Emergency.
Gurney was born on 27 June 1898 in Cornwall. He was the son of G.G.H. Gurney and Florence Gurney. He was educated at Winchester College and University College, Oxford. He married Lady Isabel Lowther Weir in 1924 and they had two sons, Michael and Peter.
He served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps from 1917 to 1920. He joined the Colonial Service and was posted as the Colonial Servant in Kenya (1921). He also posted as the Assistant Colonial Secretary in Jamaica (1935), Chief Secretary to the Conference of East Africa Governors (1938–1944), Colonial Secretary in Gold Coast (1944–1946), Chief Secretary to the Palestine Mandate Government (1946–1948). Gurney became British High Commissioner in Malaya on 13 September 1948.
In the 1947 he was given the honour of Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) when he represented the British Government as the Chief Secretary to the Palestine Mandate. In 1949 he was made a Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John.
On 6 October 1951 he was shot to death on his way to Fraser's Hill for a meeting by guerrillas of the Malayan Communist Party during the Malayan Emergency period. He was gunned down when Malayan Communist Party guerillas ambushed his Rolls Royce in Batu 56 1/2, Jalan Kuala Kubu Bharu near Fraser's Hill. According to Lady Gurney who was with him at the time, he sacrificed himself to the attackers in order to protect the lives of her and his staff. His wife, Lady Gurney, personal secretary D.J. Staples and a Malay police constable, Mohd Din, who were travelling with him escaped unhurt.
According to Communist leader, Chin Peng, the ambush was routine, the killing by chance, and the guerrillas only learned the High Commissioner was among the dead from news reports.
The text of telegram from Sir M.V.del Tufo, Chief Secretary, Federation of Malaya Government to Mr. Griffiths, Secretary of State for the Colonies was as follows:
"The High Commissioner's car with Sir Henry and Lady Gurney in the back of the car and the Private Secretary (D.J. Staples) in front with a Malay driver was proceeding to Fraser's Hill escorted by one Land Rover and one armoured scout car. A Police wireless van, which was also part of the convoy, unfortunately had broken down about eight miles short of the ambush position. Party was ambushed at 1.15pm about two miles short of the Gap. Driver of the car was hit in the head on the first outburst of fire. Private Secretary managed to stop the car from falling over the edge of a precipitous slope on the left of the road and brought it to a standstill. Heavy automatic fire was directed from the right and rear both against the High Commissioner's car and the Land Rover after first burst of fire. Gurney opened the door of the car and stepped out and was immediately shot down by heavy automatic fire. Scout car drove up behind and with difficulty pushed past the High Commissioner's car to fetch help from the Gap police station. Intermittent fire continued at any sight of movement for about ten minutes, at the end of which a bugle was blown and the bandits withdrew. Lady Gurney and the Private Secretary remained in the car until the firing eased when they crawled out and found Gurney's body in the ditch on the right side of the road. Officer in charge of the Scout car returned about twenty minutes later on foot with reinforcements from the Gap Police station, bandits having felled a tree across the road above the site of the ambush. Armoured vehicles from Kuala Kubu arrived on the scene about 2.15pm and engage in follow up operations. Hogan (M.J.P.Hogan, Attorney General, Federation of Malaya, 1950-55) and wife were following the High Commissioner's party in their own car and were about half a mile behind at the time of the ambush. They stopped when they heard firing in front. After a few minutes the telecommunication van (which had been passed by the High Commissioner's party ) appeared from the opposite direction and it was possible to tap the overhead telephone wires and communicate with Kuala Kubu. Ambush position was some half mile long and clearly carefully prepared. Estimated size of bandit party was 20. Full investigation into the circumstances is being made".
In a letter to the New Straits Times dated 30 November 1999, D.C. Alfred wrote "the ambush party comprised 38 armed with three Bren Guns, Stenguns and rifles from 11th Regiment Malayan Races Liberation Army and were led by Sui Mah who was subsequently killed by his own men near Ipoh in March 1959.
Gurney was buried at Cheras Christian Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
His tombstone is inscribed with the following:
“In proud and loving memory of Henry Lovell Goldsworthy Gurney K.C.M.G.
High Commissioner for the Federation of Malaya 1948–1951
Born 27 June 1898
Died 6 October 1951
Greater Love Hath No Man Than This That A Man Lay Down His Life for His Friends R.I.P.”
A signboard was unveiled at the spot on 21 June 2009.
Cotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth in clothing today.
Successful cultivation of cotton requires a long frost-free period, plenty of sunshine, and a moderate rainfall, usually from 600 to 1200 mm (24 to 48 inches). Soils usually need to be fairly heavy, although the level of nutrients does not need to be exceptional. In general, these conditions are met within the seasonally dry tropics and subtropics in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, but a large proportion of the cotton grown today is cultivated in areas with less rainfall that obtain the water from irrigation. Production of the crop for a given year usually starts soon after harvesting the preceding autumn. Planting time in spring in the Northern hemisphere varies from the beginning of February to the beginning of June. The area of the United States known as the South Plains is the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world. It is heavily dependent on irrigation water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer.
Cotton is a thirsty crop, and as water resources get tighter around the world, economies that rely on it face difficulties and conflict, as well as potential environmental problems.
Most cotton in the United States, Europe, and Australia is harvested mechanically, either by a cotton picker, a machine that removes the cotton from the boll without damaging the cotton plant, or by a cotton stripper, which strips the entire boll off the plant. Cotton strippers are used in regions where it is too windy to grow picker varieties of cotton, and usually after application of a chemical defoliant or the natural defoliation that occurs after a freeze. Cotton is a perennial crop in the tropics and without defoliation or freezing, the plant will continue to grow.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...
38. Spiritual Practice is Will Asserted and Reasserted
Questioner: The Westerners who occasionally come to see you are faced with a peculiar difficulty. The very notion of a liberated man, a realised man, a selfknower, a God-knower, a man beyond the world, is unknown to them. All they have in their Christian culture is the idea of a saint: a pious man, law-abiding, God-fearing, fellow-loving, prayerful, sometimes prone to ecstasies and confirmed by a few miracles. The very idea of a jnani is foreign to Western culture, something exotic and rather unbelievable. Even when his existence is accepted, he is looked at with suspicion, as a case of self-induced euphoria caused by strange physical postures and mental attitudes. The very idea of a new dimension in consciousness seems to them implausible and improbable. What will help them is the opportunity of hearing a jnani relate his own experience of realisation, its causes and beginnings, its progress and attainments and its actual practice in daily life. Much of what he says may remain strange, even meaningless, yet there will remain a feeling of reality, an atmosphere of actual experiencing, ineffable, yet very real, a centre from which an exemplary life can be lived.
Maharaj: The experience may be incommunicable. Can one communicate an experience?
Q: Yes, if one is an artist. The essence of art is communication of feeling, of experience.
M: To receive communication, you must be receptive.
Q: Of course. There must be a receiver. But if the transmitter does not transmit, of what use is the receiver?
M: The jnani belongs to all. He gives himself tirelessly and completely to whoever comes to him. If he is not a giver, he is not a jnani. Whatever he has, he shares.
Q: But can he share what he is?
M: You mean, can he make others into jnanis? Yes and no. No, since jnanis are not made, they realise themselves as such, when they return to their source, their real nature. I cannot make you into what you already are. All I can tell you is the way I travelled and invite you to take it.
Q: This does not answer my question. I have in mind the critical and sceptical Westerner who denies the very possibility of higher states of consciousness. Recently drugs have made a breach in his disbelief, without affecting his materialistic outlook. Drugs or no drugs, the body remains the primary fact and the mind is secondary. Beyond the mind, they see nothing. From Buddha onwards the state of self-realisation was described in negative terms, as 'not this, not that'. Is it inevitable? Is it not possible to illustrate it, if not describe. I admit, no verbal description will do, when the state described is beyond words. Yet it is also within words. Poetry is the art of putting into words the inexpressible.
M: There is no lack of religious poets. Turn to them for what you want. As far as I am concerned, my teaching is simple: trust me for a while and do what I tell you. If you persevere, you will find that your trust was justified.
Q: And what to do with people who are interested, but cannot trust?
M: If they could stay with me, they would come to trust me. Once they trust me, they will follow my advice and discover for themselves.
Q: It is not for the training that I am asking just now, but for its results. You had both. You are willing to tell us all about the training, but when it comes to results, you refuse to share. Either you tell us that your state is beyond words, or that there is no difference; that where we see a difference, you see none. In both cases we are left without any insight into your state.
M: How can you have insight into my state when you are without insight into your own? When the very instrument of insight is lacking, is it not important to find it first? It is like a blind man wanting to learn painting before he regains his eyesight. You want to know my state — but do you know the state of your wife or servant?
Q: I am asking for some hints only.
M: Well, I gave you a very significant clue — where you see differences, I don't. To me it is enough. If you think it is not enough, I can only repeat; it is enough. Think it out deeply and you will come to see what I see. You seem to want instant insight, forgetting that the instant is always preceded by a long preparation. The fruit falls suddenly, but the ripening takes time. After all, when I talk of trusting me, it is only for a short time, just enough time to start you moving. The more earnest you are, the less belief you need, for soon you will find your faith in me justified. You want me to prove to you that I am trustworthy! How can I and why should l? After all, what I am offering you is the operational approach, so current in Western science. When a scientist describes an experiment and its results, usually you accept his statements on trust and repeat his experiment as he describes it. Once you get the same or similar results, you need not trust him any more; you trust your own experience. Encouraged, you proceed and arrive in the end at substantially identical results.
Q: The Indian mind was made ready for metaphysical experiments by culture and nurture. To the Indian words like 'direct perception of the Supreme Reality' make sense and bring out responses from the very depths of his being. They mean little to a Westerner; even when brought up in his own variety of Christianity, he does not think beyond conformity with God's commandments and Christ's injunctions. First-hand knowledge of reality is not only beyond ambition, but also beyond conceiving. Some Indians tell me: 'Hopeless. The Westerner will not, for he cannot. Tell him nothing about self-realisation; let him live a useful life and earn a rebirth in India. Then only will he have a chance'. Some say: 'Reality is for all equally, but not all are equally endowed with the capacity to grasp it. The capacity will come with desire, which will grow into devotion and ultimately into total self-dedication. With integrity and earnestness and iron determination to overcome all obstacles, the Westerner has the same chance as the Oriental man. All he needs is the rousing of interest. To rouse his interest in self-knowledge he needs to be convinced about its advantages.
M: You believe it is possible to transmit a personal experience?
Q: I do not know. You speak of unity, identity of the seer with the seen. When all is one, communication should be feasible.
M: To have the direct experience of a country one must go and live there. Don't ask for the impossible. A man's spiritual victory no doubt benefits mankind, but to benefit another individual, a close personal relation is required. Such relation is not accidental and not everybody can claim it. On the other hand, the scientific approach is for all. 'Trust-test-taste'. What more do you need? Why push the Truth down unwilling throats? It cannot be done, anyhow. Without a receiver what can the giver do?
Q: The essence of art is to use the outer form to convey an inner experience. Of course, one must be sensitive to the inner, before the outer can be meaningful. How does one grow in sensitivity?
M: Whichever way you put it, it comes to the same. Givers there are many; where are the takers?
Q: Can you not share your own sensitivity?
M: Yes, I can, but sharing is a two-way street. Two are needed in sharing. Who is willing to take what I am willing to give?
Q: You say we are one. Is this not enough?
M: I am one with you. Are you one with me? If you are, you will not ask questions. If you are not, if you do not see what I see, what can I do beyond showing you the way to improve your vision?
Q: What you cannot give is not your own.
M: I claim nothing as my own. When the 'I' is not, where is the 'mine'?. Two people look at a tree. One sees the fruit hidden among the leaves and the other does not. Otherwise there is no difference between the two. The one that sees knows that with a little attention the other will also see, but the question of sharing does not arise. Believe me, I am not close-fisted, holding back your share of reality. On the contrary, I am all yours, eat me and drink me. But while you repeat verbally: 'give, give', you do nothing to take what is offered. I am showing you a short and easy way to being able to see what I see, but you cling to your old habits of thought, feeling and action and put all the blame on me. I have nothing which you do not have. Self-knowledge is not a piece of property to be offered and accepted. It is a new dimension altogether, where there is nothing to give or take.
Q: Give us at least some insight into the content of your mind while you live your daily life. To eat, to drink, to talk, to sleep — how does it feel at your end?
M: The common things of life: I experience them just as you do. The difference lies in what I do not experience. I do not experience fear or greed, hate or anger. I ask nothing, refuse nothing, keep nothing. In these matters I do not compromise. Maybe this is the outstanding difference between us. I will not compromise, I am true to myself, while you are afraid of reality.
Q: From the Westerner's point of view there is something disturbing in your ways. To sit in a corner all by oneself and keep on repeating: 'I am God, God I am', appears to be plain madness. How to convince a Westerner that such practices lead to supreme sanity?
M: The man who claims to be God and the man who doubts it — both are deluded. They talk in their dream.
Q: If all is dreaming, what is waking?
M: How to describe the waking state in dreamland language? Words do not describe, they are only symbols.
Q: Again the same excuse that words cannot convey reality.
M: If you want words, I shall give you some of the ancient words of power. Repeat any of them ceaselessly; they can work wonders.
Q: Are you serious? Would you tell a Westerner to repeat 'Om' or 'Ram' or 'Hare Krishna' ceaselessly, though he lacks completely the faith and conviction born of the right cultural and religious background. Without confidence and fervour, repeating mechanically the same sounds, will he ever achieve anything?
M: Why not? It is the urge, the hidden motive that matters, not the shape it takes. Whatever he does, if he does it for the sake of finding his own real self, will surely bring him to himself.
Q: No need of faith in the efficacy of the means?
M: No need of faith which is but expectation of results. Here the action only counts. Whatever you do for the sake of truth, will take you to truth. Only be earnest and honest. The shape it takes hardly matters.
Q: Then where is the need of giving expression to one's longing?
M: No need. Doing nothing is as good. Mere longing, undiluted by thought and action, pure, concentrated longing, will take you speedily to your goal. It is the true motive that matters, not the manner.
Q: Unbelievable! How can dull repetition in boredom verging on despair, be effective?
M: The very facts of repetition, of struggling on and on and of endurance and perseverance, in spite of boredom and despair and complete lack of conviction are really crucial. They are not important by themselves, but the sincerity behind them is all-important. There must be a push from within and pull from without.
Q: My questions are typical of the West. There people think in terms of cause and effect, means and goals. They do not see what causal connection can there be between a particular word and the Absolute Reality.
M: None whatsoever. But there is a connection between the word and its meaning, between the action and its motive. Spiritual practice is will asserted and re-asserted. Who has not the daring will not accept the real even when offered. Unwillingness born out of fear is the only obstacle.
Q: What is there to be afraid of?
M: The unknown. The not-being, not-knowing, not-doing. The beyond.
Q: You mean to say that while you can share the manner of your achievement, you cannot share the fruits?
M: Of course I can share the fruits and I am doing so all the time. But mine is a silent language. Learn to listen and understand.
Q: I do not see how one can begin without conviction.
M: Stay with me for some time, or give your mind to what I say and do and conviction will dawn.
Q: Not everybody has the chance of meeting you.
M: Meet your own self. Be with your own self, listen to it, obey it, cherish it, keep it in mind ceaselessly. You need no other guide. As long as your urge for truth affects your daily life, all is well with you. Live your life without hurting anybody. Harmlessness is a most powerful form of Yoga and it will take you speedily to your goal. This is what I call nisarga yoga, the Natural yoga. It is the art of living in peace and harmony, in friendliness and love. The fruit of it is happiness, uncaused and endless.
Q: Still, all this presupposes some faith.
M: Turn within and you will come to trust yourself. In everything else confidence comes with experience.
Q: When a man tells me that he knows something I do not know, I have the right to ask: 'what is if that you know, that I do not know?'
M: And if he tells you that it cannot be conveyed in words?
Q: Then I watch him closely and try to make out.
M: And this is exactly what I want you to do! Be interested, give attention, until a current of mutual understanding is established. Then the sharing will be easy. As a matter of fact, all realisation is only sharing. You enter a wider consciousness and share in it. Unwillingness to enter and to share is the only hindrance. I never talk of differences, for to me there are none. You do, so it is up to you to show them to me. By all means, show me the differences. For this you will have to understand me, but then you will no longer talk of differences. Understand one thing well, and you have arrived. What prevents you from knowing is not the lack of opportunity, but the lack of ability to focus in your mind what you want to understand. If you could but keep in mind what you do not know, it would reveal to you its secrets. But if you are shallow and impatient, not earnest enough to look and wait, you are like a child crying for the moon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt from I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj
I Am That is a compilation of talks on Shiva Advaita (Nondualism) philosophy by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, a Hindu spiritual teacher who lived in Mumbai. The English translation of the book from the original Marathi recordings was done by Maurice Frydman.
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Illustration: Purusa - Paris, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques.
As I had difficulty finding a location with an unobstructed view I missed the arrival of the winner at the finish line by about ten minutes. In case you don't know here are the results:
Geoffrey Ndungu won the Dublin City Marathon for the second year running in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 9 seconds. The time was outside last year's course record time of 2:08.33.
Paul Pollock from Belfast was the first Irish man home in ninth place in 2:16.30, ahead of Sean Hehir who finished in 2:17.50.
Magdalene Mukunzi was the first woman home in a time of 2:30.46 which was outside the course record of 2:26.13. Maria McCambridge was the first Irish woman through the finishing line in 2:35.28.
Luke Jones from Wales won the wheelchair section.
A total of 14,300 people registered for this year's race which was without a major sponsor for the first time in 20 years.
Some difficulty in choosing the shots from the 40-odd taken and this one crept in at the last minute as, well, its not a bad view with 'enthusiasts' clustered along the Midland Road bridge, but also some new construction appears to be going on, just to the right of the station at the other side of the bridge. The area around here has changed somewhat over the years and particularly in that spot, so will have to investigate to see what is going on, probably a house extension I would guess as that side of the tracks is almost all residential now. 'Clun Caste' is signal checked wit ha red on S0425, which will allow another form of classic traction, the last run of the RHTT set this year, to pass by on the main line, its signal to the left, S0423, is showing a single yellow aspect, which means the signal beyond, is at red. The driver of the 'Castle' unfortunately pulled up right under the bridge with the over-pressure regulators starting to 'blow off', see next picture but one, and made a proper shot of the loco impossible. The coach at the front is a British Rail, G.U.V., General Utility Van, number W96100, weight, 30T Tare; maybe this is where they keep the day's supply of booze and mince pies! The tender looks full of coal, to the tune of 6 long tons, 13,400lb and the set is now only around 1h 40mins from York. 'Vintage Trains' are operating 'Castle Class', 7029, 'Clun Castle' on the 1Z34, 6 hour, Dorridge to York, 'Polar Express' charter with, at the rear, B.R. green liveried diesel, class 47, 47773, ex-D1755, once named, 'The Queen Mother' and then 'Reservist' before reverting back to 'The Queen Mother' once more, it is now unnamed. Some information regarding getting the 'Castle' back into mainline operation can be found here-
www.railadvent.co.uk/2019/02/watch-steam-locomotive-7029-...
and relating to the preservation of 'Clun Castle', here-
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to everyone who celebrates this special day today!
What a mess Flickr was last night! I had difficulty adding titles to my uploaded images, comments didn't save and, after I had added a description to each of the 20 photos, the descriptions all disappeared. When I opened Flickr this morning, there was still no sign of them. Then, suddenly, they re-appeared.
My photos taken at the National Butterfly Centre, Mission, South Texas, have now come to an end, so you can sigh a huge sigh of relief : ) After that, I have just a few photos taken at another place that we called in at later in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we only had an hour there before closing time, but how glad we were that we found this place. The highlight there was watching 25 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons coming in to roost for the night in the trees, right where we were standing! What a great sight this was, and we were lucky enough to have a good, close view of these gorgeous birds. We also saw some Purple Martins and their circular, hanging nest "gourds".
On Day 6 of our birding holiday in South Texas, 24 March 2019, we left our hotel in Kingsville, South Texas, and started our drive to Mission, where we would be staying at La Quinta Inn & Suites for three nights. On the first stretch of our drive, we were lucky enough to see several bird species, including a Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Hooded Oriole, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Harris's Hawk, Pyrrhuloxia male (looks similar to a Cardinal) and a spectacular Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. I'm not sure if this stretch is called Hawk Alley.
We had a long drive further south towards Mission, with only a couple of drive-by photos taken en route (of a strangely shaped building that turned out to be a deserted seed storage building). Eventually, we reached our next planned stop, the National Butterfly Centre. This was a great place, my favourite part of it being the bird feeding station, where we saw all sorts of species and reasonably close. Despite the name of the place, we only saw a few butterflies while we were there. May have been the weather or, more likely, the fact that I was having so much fun at the bird feeding station. We also got to see Spike, a giant African Spurred Tortoise. All the nature/wildlife parks that we visited in South Texas had beautiful visitor centres and usually bird feeding stations. And there are so many of these parks - so impressive!
nationalbutterflycenter.org/nbc-multi-media/in-the-news/1...
"Ten years ago, the North American Butterfly Association broke ground for what has now become the largest native plant botanical garden in the United States. This 100-acre preserve is home to Spike (who thinks he is a butterfly) and the greatest volume and variety of wild, free-flying butterflies in the nation. In fact, USA Today calls the National Butterfly Center, in Mission, Texas, 'the butterfly capitol of the USA'." From the Butterfly Centre's website.
The Centre is facing huge challenges, as a result of the "Border Wall". The following information is from the Centre's website.
www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/about-nbc/maps-directions...
"No permission was requested to enter the property or begin cutting down trees. The center was not notified of any roadwork, nor given the opportunity to review, negotiate or deny the workplan. Same goes for the core sampling of soils on the property, and the surveying and staking of a “clear zone” that will bulldoze 200,000 square feet of habitat for protected species like the Texas Tortoise and Texas Indigo, not to mention about 400 species of birds. The federal government had decided it will do as it pleases with our property, swiftly and secretly, in spite of our property rights and right to due process under the law."
"What the Border Wall will do here:
1) Eradicate an enormous amount of native habitat, including host plants for butterflies, breeding and feeding areas for wildlife, and lands set aside for conservation of endangered and threatened species-- including avian species that migrate N/S through this area or over-winter, here, in the tip of the Central US Flyway.
2) Create devastating flooding to all property up to 2 miles behind the wall, on the banks of the mighty Rio Grande River, here.
3) Reduce viable range land for wildlife foraging and mating. This will result in greater competition for resources and a smaller gene pool for healthy species reproduction. Genetic "bottlenecks" can exacerbate blight and disease.
IN ADDITION:
4) Not all birds can fly over the wall, nor will all butterfly species. For example, the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, found on the southern border from Texas to Arizona, only flies about 6 ft in the air. It cannot overcome a 30 ft vertical wall of concrete and steel.
5) Nocturnal and crepuscular wildlife, which rely on sunset and sunrise cues to regulate vital activity, will be negatively affected by night time flood lighting of the "control zone" the DHS CBP will establish along the wall and new secondary drag roads. The expansion of these areas to vehicular traffic will increase wildlife roadkill.
6) Animals trapped north of the wall will face similar competition for resources, cut off from native habitat in the conservation corridor and from water in the Rio Grande River and adjacent resacas. HUMANS, here, will also be cut off from our only source of fresh water, in this irrigated desert.
This is a converted heavy truck used by militias across africa and the middle east. Often a large anti-air gun or some other sort of heavy weapon will be mounted on to a technical.
-----------------------------------------
-Not That Dead-
As I had difficulty finding a location with an unobstructed view I missed the arrival of the winner at the finish line by about ten minutes. In case you don't know here are the results:
Geoffrey Ndungu won the Dublin City Marathon for the second year running in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 9 seconds. The time was outside last year's course record time of 2:08.33.
Paul Pollock from Belfast was the first Irish man home in ninth place in 2:16.30, ahead of Sean Hehir who finished in 2:17.50.
Magdalene Mukunzi was the first woman home in a time of 2:30.46 which was outside the course record of 2:26.13. Maria McCambridge was the first Irish woman through the finishing line in 2:35.28.
Luke Jones from Wales won the wheelchair section.
A total of 14,300 people registered for this year's race which was without a major sponsor for the first time in 20 years.
As I had difficulty finding a location with an unobstructed view I missed the arrival of the winner at the finish line by about ten minutes. In case you don't know here are the results:
Geoffrey Ndungu won the Dublin City Marathon for the second year running in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 9 seconds. The time was outside last year's course record time of 2:08.33.
Paul Pollock from Belfast was the first Irish man home in ninth place in 2:16.30, ahead of Sean Hehir who finished in 2:17.50.
Magdalene Mukunzi was the first woman home in a time of 2:30.46 which was outside the course record of 2:26.13. Maria McCambridge was the first Irish woman through the finishing line in 2:35.28.
Luke Jones from Wales won the wheelchair section.
A total of 14,300 people registered for this year's race which was without a major sponsor for the first time in 20 years.
Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional - they say. On October 8, 2005, a massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the richter scale played havoc in many a lives in Pakistan, leaving thousands dead or injured and millions homeless -- a word that personifies endless suffering with approaching dreadful winter. Many have perished giving in to the extreme weather and non-availability of medication and basic facilities.
In this bleak situation, an 8 year old, Waqas, stands tall as a towering image of strength and proactivity -- a lesson many of us need to learn and remember in our own hot waters.
Waqas's world rocked and toppled down with the quake leaving him among many unfortuante homeless children who have happened to survive in the first place. His hometown - a small vicinity of Jabbar in Mansehra District became a cluster of demolished houses, which tell a tale of the destruction and catastrophe as the result of the disaster.
Although, this young lad simply refuses to let all the disappointment and despair around take away his million-dollar smile, that is so heart warming within. A smile that encourages one to believe in oneself and strive hard to overcome a test, difficulty or hopelessness.
It's indeed shamefully easy to sympathize or pity for such folks but people like Waqas are certainly not the children of a lesser God. In fact, they depict the most authentic human spirit that elates to unimaginable heights through simplest of acts showing the weaker ones among us the path to follow.
Pushing the envelop, breaking down the barriers of temporary setbacks defeat us, and above all - never losing hope. With a simple smile and a bright glimmer in his eyes, Waqas sends a message loud and clear to the world:
'A smile is a curve which can set a lot of things straight...
....even in a rubble!'
🚀 Destiny : 🔢 Numeration (🎮 Video Game Universe) 🔽 🇬🇧
💡HOW ? 🔽
📋 No restrictive rights that this will do on our part (However, the Game does not belong to us).
c
🎥 Video : [~~~]
🎮 Game 🏢 Company 🔬 Engine : [###]
️ Play : [***]
📋WHAT ? 🔽
ℹ️ Dead Space is a 2008 survival horror video game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows as the debut entry in the Dead Space series. Set on a mining spaceship overrun by deadly monsters called Necromorphs released following the discovery of an artifact called the Marker, the player controls engineer Isaac Clarke as he navigates the spaceship and fights the Necromorphs while struggling with growing psychosis. Gameplay has Isaac exploring different areas through its narrative, solving environmental puzzles and finding ammunition and equipment to survive.
Dead Space was pitched in early 2006, with an early prototype running on Xbox. Creator Glen Schofield wanted to make the most frightening horror game he could imagine, drawing inspiration from the video game Resident Evil 4 and films including Event Horizon and Solaris. The team pushed for innovation and realism in their design, ranging from procedural enemy placement to removing HUD elements. The sound design was a particular focus during production, with the score by Jason Graves designed to evoke tension and unease.
Dead Space debuted to slow sales but eventually sold over a million copies worldwide. Critics praised its atmosphere, gameplay and sound design. It won and was nominated for multiple industry awards and has been ranked by journalists as one of the greatest video games ever made. The series spawned two numbered sequels (released in 2011 and 2013), several spin-off titles, and other related media, including a comic book prequel and an animated film. A remake is currently in development by EA's Motive Studios and set for release in 2023.
### 🐉 Serie 🎮 Game 🏢 Company 🔬 Engine ️ Game Console :
🐉 Dead Space
🎮 Dead Space
🏢 Electronic Arts 🏢 EA Redwood Shores
🔬 Godfather Engine Havok 🔬 Game Dynamics SDK
️ Computer
###
🎭 Style : 🔥 Action Adventure Horror 🎯 Third Person Shooter ☢️ Survival
📝 Type : 🔉 Audio of the Work 🙊 No Comments ️ Language Integrate 🔞 Adapt for Adult 😑 eMotion Serious 🔮 Future Era 👽 Fantastic ⌨️ Keyboard & Mouse 👤 Single Player Intelligence : Artificial 😰 eMotion Fear ️ Compilation 🔶 Work Edit 🎵 Music 🏆 Difficulty : Maximum
🚸 May be present during the game : 💉 May Harm: Immoral/Psychopathy
💉 May Harm: Imprudence 💉 May Harm : illicit 💉 May Harm : Gross Language 💉 May Harm : Fear 💉 May Harm : Violent
✔️ DOWNLOAD: www.dropbox.com/sh/6n0rgpnn264nhho/AABGhGN9l9kYUaFQdVXO8g...
📖HOW MUCH ? 🔽
⏳ Video From 10 Minutes to 30 Minutes
WHO ? 🔽
📡 Posted by Laurent Guidali
🎮 Play by Laurent Guidali
️ Video by Laurent Guidali (OBS Studio & Adobe Premiere Pro 2022)
🌅 Thumbnail by Laurent Guidali (Adobe Photoshop 2022)
🕓WHEN ? 🔽
🎆 2021/2022 (Play)
🎆 2008 (Game)
🕔 Real Time
⏳ Past
🔖 React with official Hashtags :
#Etoile
#ETL
#eXultation
~~~ *** 🎥 Video & ️ Play :
Laurent Guidali
~~~ ***
--- 🎵 Music :
Steezy Prime
📌 Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCM58uwWBcmkSYiK-nkaFreg
📌 Youtube Music: www.youtube.com/channel/UCM58uwWBcmkSYiK-nkaFreg
📌 Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/4ApyJoQGYHAcMtJEvK5tRx?autoplay=true
📌 Apple Music: music.apple.com/artist/steezy-prime/1087013636
📌 Deezer: www.deezer.com/artist/9907574?autoplay=true
📌 Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/PRIME
📌 Twitter: twitter.com/steezyprime
📌 Instagram: www.instagram.com/steezy_prime
Dj Quads
📌 Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/DjQuadsOfficial
📌 Facebook: www.facebook.com/DjQuadsOffical
📌 Twitter: twitter.com/DjQuads
📌 Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/djquads
📌 Instagram: www.instagram.com/djquads
📌 Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/2VZrdImbvB03VWApYtBRr3
📧 johanlilja@live.se
Selvi Beats
📌 Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCyK4mqCda2RIHj1rF7C3O1Q/videos
📌 Beat Stars: www.beatstars.com/trapallvi/tracks
📌 TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@selvibeats
📌 Instagram: www.instagram.com/selvibeats
📌 Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/selverbajrami7
📧 Email: selvibeats.info@gmail.com
---
You want this game. Even if you've played it before on the PS2 or Cube, you'll still want to download Alien Hominid on Xbox Live Arcade. There's something about it that makes Alien Hominid not just a fun game, but also an excellent fit for the XBLA. Whether it's the classic level of difficulty, the great sense of humor or the perfect combination of both, we can't say for sure. All we know is that you want this game. We want it.
Alien Hominid draws inspiration from its predecessors, most obviously Contra and Metal Slug, but injects a healthy dose of style and originality that gives it an identity all its own. Shooting is the name of the game here. Lots of it. As the title Alien, it's your job to piece together your spaceship and enact revenge for being blasted out of the sky. Blockheaded kids will occasionally give you some handy power-ups, but you'll have to rely on your laser gun for most of the work. There are a few little moves you can perform, such as jumping on an enemy's shoulders and biting his head off or whipping out a knife for close encounter kills, but the main gameplay is pretty straightforward. It's simple, but there are enough quirks thrown in to keep things fresh through the entire game.
Those quirks come in the level design, which is spot on. Hopping along the roofs of cars on a speeding highway, riding a snowmobile through an obstacle course while attacking a train, or taking control of a giant yeti; it's all just part of the game. If you've played your share of classic side-scrollers, you'll have passing feelings of dejavu that will last about a second before the difficulty forces you to stop trying to remember where you've seen something like this in the past. It all feels oddly familiar, yet totally fresh.
If there can be any harsh criticism leveled at Alien Hominid, it would have to be directed at its difficulty which ranges from insane to impossible. A single shot from an enemy is enough to end your life and those little balls of death hurtling your way can easily be lost in the vibrant backgrounds. There's no way around it -- you will die very regularly and be forced to use nearly all of your continues to finish just a single stage. Occasionally, you'll find yourself in situations where death is the only option. Practice makes perfect, but this game can be brutal even after many hours of playing. A second player can hop in at any time for co-op action (offline only), though it hardly makes anything easier. In fact, we found it harder than ever at times since a second player only adds to the onscreen confusion. Thankfully, you can load any level you've previously reached and begin with a clean set of continues, ensuring that you'll be able to keep progressing through the game in spite of itself.
The hand-drawn art looks crisp and better than ever running in HD. This isn't the most technically proficient game ever made, but the inviting art style and quirky humor built into everything from the backgrounds to the animations will make you sit back and wonder why we don't see more 2D shooters these days. All it takes is one look at the little guy's smiling face as he rides in a tank blasting oversized cannonballs at his foes, and any anger you may have had from dying incessantly will instantly melt away.
Alongside the 16-stage game are eight minigames to be unlocked, including a massive set of short little platforming stages called PDA games. Some of these games can be played through Xbox Live, but most are a solo affair. Outside of the PDA games, which can be played for hours if you enjoy their simplicity, the minigames aren't much more than a distraction. But, hey, they're still a nice bonus on top of the great campaign.
The achievements, like the game, are tough as nails. There are a few that are easy, though this is hardly a game for anyone looking for an easy 200 points. Most are centered on the main game, but you'll have to become an expert in a few minigames to get every achievement.
At 800 Microsoft Points ($10 USD), deciding whether to download and give Alien Hominid a shot is an easy choice. This game is such an excellent fit for the Xbox Live Arcade that you'll want to try out the demo at the very least, even if shooters aren't your cup of tea. The game oozes style and humor out of every wound the alien leaves in his wake of destruction. It's hardcore on the level that may discourage some, but it has the most important quality a game can have as well: It's fun. Brief quotes from recognizable media outlets often serve as testimonials and really help drive interest in videogames, so here come the one-liners fit to be printed on any box...
"Alien Hominid is what Neo Contra should have been."
"It's a new Metal Slug with more style."
"I like hominids and Cap 'n Crunch!"
"This game is so much fun, Ed's brain hemorrhaged while we were playing together and now he's stuck in one those poses that are usually reserved for victims of The Joker."
"I used to dream about being a member of the Stargate program. Now I dream of owning a UFO, a tractor beam, and a wood chipper. Thanks, Alien Hominid!"
Well, maybe the last few wouldn't be such good descriptors. The point is, Alien Hominid is a great game worthy of a purchase. Unfortunately for us, it's one of twenty great games worthy of purchase this holiday shopping season. Still, it has its place and it has it for a reason.
This 2004 shopping season brings us our fair share of platformers, action titles, adventures, flight combat games, sports games, and RPGs, but we lack the precious conventional shooters that serve our memories so well. We lack those games that hearken back to an age when reflex ruled and responsiveness was not to be taken for granted (especially where quarters were concerned). Alien Hominid is that game. It's a side and top down shooter with exquisite style, brilliant art, lots of action, slick animations, interesting boss fights, and innovative gameplay mechanics. For the unfamiliar, Alien Hominid was originally free and for the browser on your computer. In fact, the prototype was first released on Newgrounds.com way back in August of 2002 and has since been downloaded approximately six million times. Only now you're going to pay for it and be happy! Don't fret, though, it's not really the same game. Alien Hominid for consoles features new everything.
Let's talk gameplay. You can walk left and right and you can shoot. Enjoy! There's also a jump, a crouch, crouch-walking, a charge shot, multiple weapon types, and multiple grenade types that are dependent on weapon power-ups. Hominid also adds a left or right quick roll, the ability to jump on the heads of enemies to direct them around or throw them, and a burrow maneuver that enables the little yellow protagonist to hide from attacks and pull foes into the ground. These new mechanics play out all the time too, particularly in patterned boss fights that boast such outrageous creatures as the destructive metallic bee, a series of over anxious Soviet bears, and an Area 51 robot that's really, really hungry. It makes this expanded shooting experience quite interesting.
The bee fight actually takes place on the tops of cars speeding down the freeway. You have to jump from one exploding car to the next, hit the bee with everything you've got, and then duck into the cars when he lowers his stinger to scrape their roofs. It's a great use of the varying mechanics presented, and it's not the only example. Later on you'll race snowmobiles alongside a speeding train. This involves ducking under and jumping over trackside obstructions while simultaneously contending with the baddies onboard. It's very hectic, but it's just another level for Alien Hominid. Cool!
All told, Alien Hominid features about 15 of these insane levels, which means there are roughly 15 boss encounters (all very distinct) and tons of mini-bosses dotted along the way. Even when you're not fighting them, just moving from the beginning of a level to the end is enjoyable.
It's an ultra cute, hilarious kind of action that features some of Itchy and Scratchy's explicit cartoon violence. Your little alien (and a friend's alien if you want to play together), are stranded on Earth and you have to kill things...lots of things. It starts with FBI agents but later moves to Soviets and then eventually other aliens. Throughout the killing you're rolling, burrowing, shooting, lobbing grenades, mounting heads, and slicing people in half. And the whole time you're doing it all, your little guy keeps giving off the funniest expressions (I'm especially fond of his face pressed against the glass of the Area 51 walking tank). This makes driving a tank, a car, or a Russian Yeti pretty amusing. When you consider that it's all backed by some truly challenging, frantic gameplay, you can understand the appeal. There are actually only two real faults with the gameplay. 1) It's short, but even then it'll still last for no less than six Neo Contras. And 2) It's sometimes impossible to avoid death. Gamers have always given demanding shooters a certain amount of leeway when it comes to forced deaths, but Alien Hominid is plain unfair at times. Part of this can be attributed to some truly malicious level design (staring up at a massive pudding monster with aerial attacks while soldiers shoot from the sides), but most of it's the result of the game's distinctly cluttered art style.
True, Alien Hominid isn't technically the most impressive game around, but it sure looks good. It's all hand animated, but it's the moving parts and incredibly slick explosions (of which there are many varieties) that make Alien Hominid feel like one of the slickest hand animated titles around. Sometimes all of the animations and effects supersede the gameplay, however, which makes avoiding bullets you can't even see a little tough (even if bullets now shimmer and rapidly change colors).
That's hardly a serious complaint given the quality of this shooter, though. Dying on occasion as a result of something you have no control over can be a little aggravating when you're going for a high score, but it's not the most terrible thing when you're riding a yeti or moving up a series of beams while circumventing falling barrels, flame spews, and some kind of orbital laser cannon.
Again, the game doesn't really last all that long, but then it is just $30 to begin with. And if you do finish you can still enjoy the PDA, which offers around 200 levels of single screen platforming reminiscent of a rudimentary Out of this World or an ultra old school Montezuma's Revenge / Prince of Persia thing. It's presented wonderfully (like the rest of the game) too, and is very addicting. I've personally only reached level 25, but I plan on making my way to at least 100. The game even includes an editor that allows players to create their own mini-game scenarios. Very good stuff. With Alien Hominid everything you need as a shooting fan is right here on the table. It looks good, it's cute and funny, its bosses are interesting, the control is tight, and the game is seriously intense. It's easy to appreciate the aforementioned qualities too, because they're the same ones that have been making games great for the last twenty years. If you're capable of fondly remembering your favorite shooters as attractive, tight, and interesting, the chances are strong that you'll fondly remember this one for the same reasons.
The truth is out there. Believe in the supernatural and buy Alien Hominid. If you're a PC freebie junkie looking for more or if you're just into fun, you can ride a Sasquatch for less than thirty bucks. What do you have to lose?
Accumulating financial difficulties for several months, the government of Brian Cowen has resigned under pressure from European leaders, to accept financial assistance from the IMF-led European Union. This "bailout" in the form of a loan of 85 billion euros at the rate of 6.7%, is widely criticized by the population because of its prohibitive cost and the austerity plan associated with it. It is expected a decrease in the minimum wage by 12% and large tax increases on households (3000 euros increase per household per year on average).
These challenges present an enormous challenge for the people and the Irish government.
Facing difficulty in picking the right strategy or the areas of focus for digital marketing in 2015? Here is an inspiring collection of the marketing experts revealing the most significant changes and important trends in 2015.
As I had difficulty finding a location with an unobstructed view I missed the arrival of the winner at the finish line by about ten minutes. In case you don't know here are the results:
Geoffrey Ndungu won the Dublin City Marathon for the second year running in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 9 seconds. The time was outside last year's course record time of 2:08.33.
Paul Pollock from Belfast was the first Irish man home in ninth place in 2:16.30, ahead of Sean Hehir who finished in 2:17.50.
Magdalene Mukunzi was the first woman home in a time of 2:30.46 which was outside the course record of 2:26.13. Maria McCambridge was the first Irish woman through the finishing line in 2:35.28.
Luke Jones from Wales won the wheelchair section.
A total of 14,300 people registered for this year's race which was without a major sponsor for the first time in 20 years.
As I had difficulty finding a location with an unobstructed view I missed the arrival of the winner at the finish line by about ten minutes. In case you don't know here are the results:
Geoffrey Ndungu won the Dublin City Marathon for the second year running in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 9 seconds. The time was outside last year's course record time of 2:08.33.
Paul Pollock from Belfast was the first Irish man home in ninth place in 2:16.30, ahead of Sean Hehir who finished in 2:17.50.
Magdalene Mukunzi was the first woman home in a time of 2:30.46 which was outside the course record of 2:26.13. Maria McCambridge was the first Irish woman through the finishing line in 2:35.28.
Luke Jones from Wales won the wheelchair section.
A total of 14,300 people registered for this year's race which was without a major sponsor for the first time in 20 years.
(Let's see, currently, I'm freezing my ass off, wondering why in the beginning of March, it feels like January all over again. Other than that, life is good, I made it out to play DDR, scored an "A" and a "B" on a couple songs I didn't think I'd do good in (though Beginner difficulty ^_^;), and I'm almost finished watching the original Japanese release of Godzilla - 100% uncut and devoid of Raymond Burr.)
Call this a "quid pro quo" shot, and one I've been meaning to get posted for the last few months.
This one's from the replica set of the bridge of the original U.S.S. Enterprise, from Star Trek: The Exhibition, currently running through April 11, 2010 at The Tech Museum of Innovation, in glorious Downtown San Jose!
Info at www.thetech.org/StarTrek/
It is actually a pretty incredible exhibit. Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours or more checking out all they have to offer, including props and replicas of outfits and equipment from the films and TV series, more information about the timeline and universe of Trek than you might possibly be able to handle at once. (Unless you're a Vulcan, or at least a half Terran-Vulcan ^_^;)
Be warned, you won't be able to bring in your own camera or cell phone, but you can have your picture taken on the Enterprise bridge, and in the transporter exhibit, and purchase your own copies to take home when you're in the gift shop.
Anyway, here I am, in the Captain's chair, with the classic "Kirk" pose. (No, it's not the "Will someone PLEASE kill me now?" pose. ^_^;)
To the left: Patrick, and to the right, Dominic. Don't ask me which one's supposed to be Spock, and which one's Dr. McCoy. Can't you see I'm planning how I'll skirt the rules of the Federation, save the day, get the girl, and get away without even being reprimanded?
Oh... I'd like to make it out there again before mid-April, and this time, see if I can get people's attention by reenacting as much of the dialog from the "Darmok" episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. ^_^;
"Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra. Darmok on the ocean.The Beast of Tenagra. Uzani, his fists closed. Shaka, when the walls fell..."
Temarc, the river Temarc, in winter. Good night, space travellers... ^_-;
(Good Morning Thurs 3-11-2010-1001 PST: Got back from the dentist an hour ago - Stepping up tooth brushing made a difference! Now, I just have to work on flossing and rinsing more. ^_^; - Watched the 1954 original Japanese release of Godzilla (Gojira), and then the 1956 English "hack" version with Raymond Burr - Guess which one I'd rather see? - Other than that, 3 days after playing it, the stage 1 "Strange Football" music from Data East's "Nitro Ball" arcade game from 1992 is pretty damn catchy. It's still in my head - I sampled the music and transferred it to my iPod - Yes, I like video game music. I like to re-create it if I can. I'm going to transfer this mini-bloglet entry to another picture soon, ok? ^_^; See you later!)
The difficulties of looking through a snorkeling mask, a camera bag, and a viewfinder, while floating, in a pool full of moving water... the split doesn't always come out perfect. The angle of the camera lens is greatly exaggerated because of the level of the water and the magnification involved. Solution - take lots of pictures and hope for the one that works. I din't get enough. Taken with a Nikon D90 in a Dicapac underwater camera bag.
As a kid, I had a lot of difficulties. I went to a school with a lot of kids, and my class consisted mostly of bullies. Unfortunately for me, I was made the victim. It wasn't really all that hard either. A chubby kid with glasses, a thing for computers, who didn't play soccer or handball or any other kind of activity? I played the piano. I was fine with that. But everyone else was obviously not.
Then, a few years later, I got into martial arts. What happened? I don't know. But I knew martial arts was the thing for me. I had the interest, I loved the uniforms, learning to kick, to punch, to be able to beat the living hell out of someone. The first time I put on my uniform and tied the white belt around my waist was incredible. I looked myself in the mirror. A white uniform with the word TAEKWONDO plastered on the front and back. The brand new white belt hanging down. Needless to say, I was thrilled with what I had just done.
Again, though, I was struck by bad luck. The martial arts school I had signed up for was a McDojo. A belt factory. Where money mattered more than the welfare of the students. So, I quit, vowing that I would never practice taekwondo again. I did, however. Six months later I joined a school that seemed more classy. They knew what they were doing. They didn't charge 250 dollars for a black belt testing. I was right. It all began. I slowly found my self respect. My confidence. My passion. My one true love.
And all of a sudden, I felt good being me. I felt good about being the chubby guy with the glasses and the thing for computers. I felt good about what I did and how I did it, and if anyone had a problem with that, I really didn't care. 'Cause I loved it. And then, in January, 2006. I finally got the chance. I finally got to test for my black belt. I kicked. I punched. I beat the living hell out of my opponents. And at the end of the day, they called my name at the ceremony. I got up and walked up to one of the master instructors as everyone applauded me. He reached his hands out to congratulate me. And he gave me the one thing I had worked so hard for for seven years. And as I tied that belt around my waist a few minutes later, I found myself crying. Nearly sobbing.
But none the less, I had done it.
And now I find myself sitting here, writing this. I've visualized these exact words a million times. But I really haven't found a way of expressing them.
But this is me. My love. My passion. My confidence. Me.
This is me.
Urbex Benelux -
The difficulty of a location differs quite a bit. At one location you walk in with two fingers in your nose, while another location takes months to prepare. In particular, try to visit urban exploring locations that are not too difficult and that have often been photographed. That way you get a slow experience and you know how to act in various situations. It is also interesting to read a little in advance in the history of the location. This makes it more fun to walk around the site and recognize things. It is useful to have an (offline) satellite image of the location and the environment.
File name: 07_11_000338
Title: Pursuit of Knowledge Under Difficulties
Creator/Contributor: Thompson, Alfred Wordsworth, 1840-1896 (artist); L. Prang & Co. (publisher)
Date issued:
Copyright date: 1878
Physical description note:
Genre: Chromolithographs; Genre prints
Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department
Rights: No known restrictions
Schweiz / Wallis - Edelweissweg
Höhbalmen
View Back
Rückblick
Every mountain hiker dreams of spotting edelweiss in the alpine pastures. Here that dream comes true. Along this trail, walkers even spot these beautiful flowers at eye level. The walk leads to one of the finest vantage points in the Zermatt region.
Type Mountain trail
Difficulty hard
Duration 7,30 h
Distance 20,7 km
Ascent 1195 m
Descent 1195 m
Lowest point 1605 m
Highest point 2745 m
Description
The edelweiss can be admired at a variety of habitats in the Zermatt mountains. It won’t grow on ground formed of crystalline rock, but it flourishes on calcareous sediments – despite the often harsh conditions. The fleecy hairs help protect the flowers from solar radiation, frost and aridity. The seeds require exposure to frost before they can germinate the following year.
Hikers on this trail experience a magical moment on the climb up to Trift as the pinnacle of the Matterhorn emerges unexpectedly from behind a hilltop. Who’ll spot it first? The path then continues to one of Zermatt’s finest viewpoints, at Höhbalmen. The panorama is breathtaking: the north face of the Matterhorn with the Zmuttgrat ridge, the Breithorn, Liskamm and the Monte Rosa massif.
Edelweiss: a protected plant
Information panels about the plants along the way
Between the Gasthaus Edelweiss and the Berggasthaus Trift hotels: edelweiss at eye level (right-hand side)
Unusual view of the Monte Rosa massif
Possible encounters with Valais Blacknose sheep and Valais Blackneck goats
(zermatt.ch)
The Dom is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, located between Randa and Saas-Fee in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. With a height of 4,546 m (14,915 ft), it is the seventh highest summit in the Alps, overall. Based on prominence, it can be regarded as the third highest mountain in the Alps, and the second highest in Switzerland, after Monte Rosa. The Dom is the main summit of the Mischabel group (German: Mischabelhörner), which is the highest massif lying entirely in Switzerland.
The Dom is noteworthy for its 'normal route' of ascent having the greatest vertical height gain of all the alpine 4000 metre peaks, and none of that route's 3,100 metres of height can be achieved using mechanical means.
Although Dom is a German cognate for 'dome', it can also mean 'cathedral' and the mountain is named after Canon Berchtold of Sitten cathedral, the first person to survey the vicinity.
The former name Mischabel comes from an ancient German dialect term for pitchfork, as the highest peaks of the massif stand close to each other.
Geographical setting
The Dom is the culminating point of a chain running from the Schwarzberghorn on the south, at the intersection with the main chain of the Alps (Alpine watershed), to the Distelhorn on the north and ending above the town of Stalden. The chain lies entirely in the district of Visp.
The two valleys separated by the range are the Mattertal on the west and the Saastal on the east. The towns of Randa and Saas-Fee lie both six kilometres from the summit (to the west and the east, respectively). The elevation difference between the summit and the valley floor is 3,150 metres on the west side (Randa) and 3,000 metres on the east side (Saas-Grund). On the Mattertal side, the Dom faces the almost equally high Weisshorn and, on the Saastal side, it faces the Weissmies. The Dom is the highest point of the Saastal and the second highest mountain of the Mattertal after Monte Rosa.
Since the Dom is not on the main Alpine chain, the rivers flowing on both the west and east side of the massif end up in the same major river, the Rhone, through the Mattervispa and the Saaservispa. The Dom is the highest mountain in the Alps with this peculiarity.
The Mischabel group includes many subsidiary summits above 4,000 metres. To the north lies the Nadelgrat, composed of the Lenzspitze, the Nadelhorn, the Stecknadelhorn, the Hohberghorn and the Dürrenhorn. The Nadelgrat is easily visible from the north and gives the massif its characteristic pitchfork appearance. The second highest peak of the massif, the Täschhorn to the south, culminates at 4,491 metres, and south of it, is the characteristically flat summit of the Alphubel. In total, eight summits above 4,000 metres make up the Mischabel massif. Other important peaks of the massif are the Ulrichshorn and the Balfrin. The Dom has a western shoulder (4,479 m) and an eastern shoulder (4,468 m).
Generally, areas above 3,000 metres are covered by glaciers, the two largest being the Ried Glacier situated at the foot of the Nadelgrat and the Fee Glacier, at the foot of the Dom itself, below the east face.
Geology
The massif is almost entirely composed of gneiss from the Siviez-Mischabel nappe. The latter is part of the Briançonnais microcontinent and is located in the Penninic nappes.
Climbing history
The first ascent of the Dom was made on 11 September 1858. It was reached via the Festigrat (north-west ridge) by John Llewelyn Davies with guides Johann Zumtaugwald, Johann Krönig and Hieronymous Brantschen. Davies published an account of his ascent in Peaks, Passes and Glaciers.
The first ascent of the western ridge (above the Festikinlücke) was made in 1879 by two parties. One comprised Mrs E. P. Jackson with her guides Aloys Pollinger, Peter Josef Truffer and Josef Biner. The second consisted of Percy Thomas with Josef Imboden and Josef Lengen. They bypassed the upper section and traversed the west face to join the upper part of the Festigrat before arriving to the summit. The first complete ascent on the entire western ridge was made later in 1882 by Paul Güssfeldt and guides Alexander Burgener and Benedict Venetz.
The direct route on the west face (50° ice slope, TD-) was first ascended in 1962.
The 1000-metre-high east face above Saas-Fee was climbed in 1875 by Johann Petrus, along with his clients Alfred and Walter Puckle, and a local hunter, Lorenz Noti.
A route on the south face was first made in August 1906 by Geoffrey Winthrop Young and R. G. Major, with the guides Josef Knubel and Gabriel Lochmatter of St. Niklaus in the canton Valais. According to Young it was more dangerous than the south-west face of the nearby Täschhorn, which they had climbed two weeks earlier.
On 18 June 1917, Arnold Lunn, a pioneer ski mountaineer, and Josef Knubel of St. Niklaus in the canton Valais made the first ski ascent of the Dom, by the Hohberg Glacier (north flank).
Climbing routes and huts
Climbing the Dom by its normal route is a relatively straightforward, but nevertheless long and somewhat arduous 3,100-metre ascent on foot from the valley, and taking 6 hours to the summit from the Dom Hut. The route is graded as PD- on the French adjectival climbing scale. This route has been described in the mountaineering literature as "something of a snow trudge". The only mechanical means of access is located in the Saas-Fee area, on the east side of the mountain, from which all the routes to the Dom are much harder.
The easiest way to the summit starts from Randa, where there is a railway station (1,407 m) served by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn. From Randa a trail leads to the Dom Hut (2,940 m), which also crosses the Europaweg near the Europa Hut. Climbing the mountain requires an overnight stay at the Dom Hut. The normal route starts from the hut and goes on the Festigletscher glacier towards the Festijoch (3,720 m). It then follows the Hohberggletscher glacier to the summit above the north face.
An alternative route is provided by the Festigrat, which is the Dom's north-western ridge. It goes directly from the Festijoch to the summit, and is preferred by climbers who wish to avoid the long slopes of the north flank. In good conditions it is graded at PD/PD+. However, its upper section can be treacherous in icy conditions, in which case the north flank approach is better.
Domgrat
The summit of the Dom can also be reached from the south by the classic and exposed 'Täsch-Dom traverse'. This is a very long, committing and challenging mountaineering route which has been described as "one of the most demanding ridge grandes courses in the Alps". This route (via the south ridge or Domgrat), first requires an ascent of the adjacent Täschhorn - most easily attained from the Mischabel Bivouac Hut perched on Mishabeljoch. From there, an ascent of the Täschhorn's south-southeast ridge (Mischabelgrat, grade AD, III) is made in 4 to 5 hours. The descent from the Täschhorn to the Domjoch (4,282m) is on steep, slabby and sometimes icy rock, taking 2–3 hours, followed by a further 2–3 hours ascent of the rocky crest of the Domgrat (Grade D, III+) before the Dom's summit cross is finally reached after some 8 to 11 hours of sustained climbing in total, followed by a long but simple descent of the 'normal route' to reach the Dom Hut.
Highest flowering plant in Europe
In the late 1970s, mountain guide brothers Pierre and Grégoire Nicollier discovered a Two-flowered Stonecrop (Saxifraga biflora) about a hundred meters below the summit, on the southern ridge of the Dom. This caused a sensation as scientists believed it to be the highest flowering plant ever found in Europe. However, in subsequent climbs of the southerly Taeschhorn-Dom-Ridge, the plant could no longer be located, but a new record holder was found: an opposite-leaved saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia), which thrived and bloomed on the same ridge, about 40 meters below the summit. Mountain guide Jürg Anderegg documented this with pictures in 2011, and botanist Christian Körner from the University of Basel published it in the specialist journal Alpine Botany.
Since the location is difficult to access, documentation remained scarce, and the condition of the plant was uncertain. As part of an art project, Swiss artist Sandro Steudler, together with mountain guide Alexander Kleinheinz and alpine photographer Caroline Fink, set out in July 2023 to search for the plant. Despite challenging conditions and snow on the ridge, Alexander Kleinheinz succeeded in finding the plant and placing a temperature sensor beneath it, which had been given to them beforehand by Christian Körner; Caroline Fink documented the location photographically. The sensor will record the temperature under the stonecrop until 2026. It is believed that this saxifrage grows in the coldest location in the world where a flowering plant has been found so far.
(Wikipedia)
The Täschhorn (4,491 metres (14,734 ft)) is a mountain in the Pennine range of the Alps in Switzerland. There are no easy mountaineering routes to its summit, and it is regarded as being among the top ten 4,000-metre mountains in the Alps for difficulty, and "one of the highest, finest and least accessible 4000m mountains". It lies immediately north of the Alphubel, and south of the Dom within the Mischabel range, and is very similar in shape to the Dom when seen from the upper Zermatt valley.
History
The first ascent of the mountain was by John Llewelyn Davies and J. W. Hayward with guides Stefan and Johann Zumtaugwald and Peter-Josef Summermatter on 30 July 1862. They climbed via the north-west (Kin Face) route, with a midnight start from the valley settlement of Randa.
Climbing routes
Mischabelgrat (south-south-east-ridge)
The Täschhorn is normally climbed via its south-south-east ridge, known as the Mischabelgrat. The ascent route starts from the relatively innaccessible bivouac hut situated at its base on the Mischabeljoch. The route follows the exposed and often corniced crest of the ridge from the hut. It is graded AD and can take 4 to 5 hours to the summit. If not continuing to the Dom, descent from the Täschhorn's summit to the Mischabeljoch can take a further 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
The continuation route to the Dom (known as the Täschhorn–Dom traverse) has been described by alpine guide, Martin Moran, as a "magnificent traverse" and "one of the most demanding of the grandes courses in the Alps". With no easy way off, and because of its high altitude, the route can easily be affected by ice and snow in bad weather. In normal conditions, and in good weather, a climber can take between 4 and 6 hours to descend from the Täschhorn's summit to the Domjoch, and then to ascend the Dom's south ridge (Domgrat) to the latter's summit.
Kin Face (north-west face)
The Täschhorn can also be climbed via the obvious glacier tongue that descends from the summit on its north-west face (Kin Face). The route, graded AD+, is a classic expedition on snow and ice. Nevertheless, access to the route is not easy because of awkward terrain on the lower Kin Glacier. However, the installation of a via ferrata on the Kinfelsen ridge offers and alternative route and some security to climbers from the Kin Hut, and has nowadays replaced the long, traditional approach from the Dom Hut, which has become complicated and risky. The route should still only be attempted when there is good quality snow cover on the upper face.
South-west face
Climbed only very rarely, the ascent of the south west face is an extremely serious undertaking on broken mixed ground, and has been compared to the north face of the Matterhorn. It is graded TD+. It was first climbed on 11 August 1906 by the 19 year old guide, Franz Lochmatter and his brother Josef, together with their regular client, Valentine John Eustace Ryan. Also involved in the ascent party were Geoffrey Winthrop Young and Josef Knubel. Together, they faced many difficulties and number of falls on very committing and fragile, unprotectable mixed ground and very steep final rock pitch, and their efforts became one of the most 'epic adventures' in the history of Alpine mountaineering. It was not repeated until 37 years later. By the end of summer 1956, the face had only been climbed six times.
(Wikipedia)
The Alphubel (4,206 m) is a mountain of the Swiss Pennine Alps, located between the valleys of Zermatt and Saas in the canton of Valais. It is part of the Allalin Group, a subgroup of the Mischabel Group, which culminates at the Dom (4,545 m). The summit of the Alphubel consists of a large ice-covered plateau, part of the Fee Glacier on its east side. The west side of the mountain is more rocky and much steeper. It overlooks the Weingartensee.
The nearest settlements are Täsch (north of Zermatt) and Saas-Fee.
Geography
North of the Alphubel is the higher Täschhorn, the southernmost top of the Mischabel, from which it is separated by the saddle of Mischabeljoch (3,847 m), while the ridge to the south is less prominent running via the Alphubeljoch (3,771 m) to the Feechopf (3,888 m) and Allalinhorn. While the terrain drops steeply into the Mattertal valley to the west, the east side is flat and, compared to its neighbours, almost smooth. The characteristically flat summit of the Alphubel is mostly covered with firn and has, in addition to the main summit, a northern top of 4,188 m, which barely rises above the flat summit area.
From the Alphubel a prominent, ice-free, rocky arête, the Rotgrat, strikes westwards down to the Täsch Hut (Täschhütte, 2,701 m), while the main, north-south, ridge and an unnamed arête running northeast are largely covered by ice. Due to its considerable height and relatively low gradient of its slopes, there are several glaciers in the summit area of the Alphubel: To the northwest and west of the summit is the Weingarten Glacier, which has now disintegrated into three ice masses, reaching down to about 3,100 m in front of which is Lake Weingarten (Weingartensee). The entire eastern flank is taken up by the Fee Glacier, one of the larger glaciers of the region, which extends over several square kilometres and still almost reaches the valley basin near Saas-Fee. The Alphubel Glacier, the smallest glacier on the summit, lies in the south-west.
Climbing history
The first ascent of the mountain was by Leslie Stephen and T. W. Hinchliff with guides Melchior Anderegg and Peter Perren on 9 August 1860, starting at Täsch and via the south-east ridge and the Alphubeljoch.
Routes
The morphology of the Alphubel and its proximity to the Saas-Fee funicular make the Alphubel one of the comparatively easier four-thousanders of the Swiss Alps to climb. Nevertheless, all the ascents have the character of a high mountain tour with all the typical dangers of such a tour.
The normal route leads from Berghaus Längflue (2,867 m) above Saas-Fee over the flat but crevassed Fee Glacier to the summit. The ascent takes 4-5 hours and is rated PD or WS ("wenig schwierig / a little difficult") on the Swiss Alpine Club's high tour scale.
Another option with Saas-Fee as the base is a high-level tour from Mittelallalin (3,457 m), which can be easily reached via the Metro Alpin funicular. From there, the ascent, partly over rock, leads via the Feejoch (3826 m), Feechopf and Alphubeljoch to the summit (also WS, 4 hrs).
From the west, the best known route leads from Täsch via Täschalp and the Täschhütte and from there over the Alphubel Glacier via the Alphubeljoch over the main south-south-east running ridge (Eisnase) to the summit. This route takes about 5 hours and is also rated WS.
Huts
Täsch Hut
Britannia Hut, via Mittelallalin
Kin Hut (Kinhütte)
Mischabeljochbiwak, a refuge hut on the eponymous saddle between the Alphubel and Täschhorn
(Wikipedia)
Einmal im Leben ein Edelweiss in der Bergwiese sehen, davon träumt jeder Berggänger. Hier wird der Traum wahr. Die Edelweiss leuchten, auf diesem Weg manchmal gar auf Augenhöhe! Die Wanderung führt zu einem der schönsten Aussichtspunkte im Gebiet von Zermatt.
Typ Bergwanderweg
Schwierigkeit schwer
Dauer 7,30 h
Länge 20,7 km
Aufstieg 1195 m
Abstieg 1195 m
Niedrigster Punkt 1605 m
Höchster Punkt 2745 m
Beschreibung
Das Edelweiss ist in den Zermatter Bergen in verschiedenen Gebieten anzutreffen. Einfach nie da, wo kristallines Gestein den Untergrund bildet, wohl aber bei den Sedimenten, im Kalkgestein. Hier trotzt es den Unbilden der Natur. Die flauschigen Härchen dienen dem Schutz vor starker Sonneneinstrahlung, Frost und Austrockung. Das Edelweiss ist ein Frostkeimer: Die Samen müssen zuerst gefrieren, bevor sie im darauffolgenden Jahr wachsen.
Die Wanderung bietet einen speziellen Moment. Beim Aufstieg vom Trift taucht unverhofft der mächtige Spitz des Matterhorns hinter dem Hügel auf. Wer entdeckt es zuerst? Danach führt der Weg zu einem der schönsten Aussichtspunkte von Zermatt, auf Höhbalmen. Der Blick ist einmalig: Matterhorn mit Nordwand und Zmutt-Grat, Breithorn, Liskamm und Monte Rosa-Massiv.
Edelweiss: geschützte Pflanze
Informationstafeln über die Pflanzen am Weg
zwischen Gasthaus Edelweiss und dem Berggasthaus Trift: Edelweiss auf Augenhöhe (rechter Hand)
ungewohnte Aussicht auf das Monte Rosa-Massiv
Eventuell Schwarznasenschafe und Schwarzhalsziegen
(zermatt.ch)
Der Dom in den Walliser Alpen ist mit einer Höhe von 4546 m ü. M. der höchste Berg, der mit seiner kompletten Basis innerhalb der Schweiz liegt.
Lage und Umgebung
Der Dom gehört zur Mischabelgruppe, nach dem Monte Rosa das zweithöchste Gebirgsmassiv der Schweiz. Benannt wurde er zu Ehren des Domherrn von Sitten, Josef Anton Berchtold. Zum Teil ist auch überliefert, dass Berchtold im Zuge der Vermessungsarbeiten (1833), die er selbst vorgenommen hatte, die ganze Mischabel „Dom“ genannt habe. Ob dies allerdings zu Ehren seines eigenen Standes geschah, erscheint zweifelhaft.
Besteigung
Zum ersten Mal bestiegen wurde der Dom am 11. September 1858 von J. Llewellyn Davies, Johannes Zumtaugwald, Johann Kronig und Hieronymous Brantschen über den Nordwestgrat.
Die Normalroute führt von Randa (1407 m ü. M.) im Mattertal zunächst über Wanderwege und versicherte Steige zur Domhütte (2940 m ü. M.). Dort beginnt dann die eigentliche Hochtour. Über den Festigletscher erreicht man das Festijoch, von wo aus der ziemlich schwierige Festigrat zum Gipfel führt. Der Normalanstieg erfolgt jedoch über die technisch einfachere, objektiv aber gefährlichere (Gletscherspalten) Route über den Hohberggletscher. Beide Anstiege führen über einen schmalen, ausgesetzten Firngrat zum Gipfel.
Der Dom ist auch ein Skiberg, die erste Skibesteigung gelang bereits am 18. Juli 1917 dem Briten Sir Arnold Lunn mit dem Führer Joseph Knubel.
Höchstgelegene Blütenpflanze Europas
Ende der 1970er Jahre entdeckten die Bergführer-Brüder Pierre und Grégoire Nicollier rund hundert Meter unterhalb des Gipfels, am Südgrat des Dom, einen Zweiblütigen Steinbrech (Saxifraga biflora). Dies sorgte für Aufsehen, da es sich laut Wissenschaftern um die höchstgelegene je gefundene Blütenpflanze Europas handeln musste. Bei späteren Begehungen konnte die Pflanze jedoch nicht mehr aufgefunden werden, allerdings wurde ein neuer Rekordhalter gefunden: ein Gegenblättriger Steinbrech (Saxifraga oppositifolia), der am selben Grat – rund 40 Meter unter dem Gipfel – gedieh und blühte. Bergführer Jürg Anderegg dokumentierte diesen 2011 mit Bildern; der Botaniker Christian Körner der Universität Basel publizierte dazu im Fachmagazin Alpine Botany.
Da der Standort schwer zugänglich ist, blieb die Dokumentation jedoch dünn und der Zustand der Pflanze ungewiss. Im Rahmen eines Kunstprojekts machte sich der Schweizer Künstler Sandro Steudler im Juli 2023 gemeinsam mit Bergführer Alexander Kleinheinz und Alpin-Fotografin Caroline Fink auf die Suche nach der Pflanze. Trotz schwierigen Bedingungen und Schnee am Grat gelang es Alexander Kleinheinz, die Pflanze zu finden und eine Temperatur-Sonde unter der Pflanze zu deponieren; Caroline Fink dokumentierte den Standort fotografisch. Der Sensor wird bis 2026 die Temperatur unter dem Steinbrech aufzeichnen. Es wird angenommen, dass dieser Steinbrech am kältesten Standort der Welt wächst, an dem bislang eine Blütenpflanze gefunden wurde.
(Wikipedia)
Das Täschhorn liegt in den Walliser Alpen und hat eine Höhe von 4491 m.
Das Täschhorn ist der zweithöchste Gipfel der Mischabelgruppe, nach dem Monte Rosa das zweithöchste Gebirgsmassiv der Schweiz. Das Täschhorn gehört zu den schwer zu ersteigenden Viertausendern des Wallis. Aufgrund des anspruchsvollen Normalwegs (Mischabelgrat) wird dieser Gipfel relativ selten begangen.
Die Erstbesteigung des Täschhorns erfolgte am 30. Juli 1862 durch Stefan und Johannes Zumtaugwald, J. Llewelyn Davies, J.W. Hayward und Peter-Josef Summermatter über die NW-Flanke (Kinflanke) direkt von Randa aus.
Routen
Nordwestflanke (Kinflanke)
Schwierigkeit: ZS, II (Frz. Skala: AD; mit II. UIAA-Grad Felskletterei)
Zeitaufwand: 6 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Domhütte (2940 m ü. M.) oder Kinhütte (2584 m ü. M.)
Talort: Randa (1407 m ü. M.)
Mischabeljoch
Schwierigkeit: ZS-, II (Frz. Skala: AD-; mit II. UIAA-Grad Felskletterei)
Zeitaufwand: 4 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Täschhütte (2701 m ü. M.)
Talort: Täsch (1450 m ü. M.)
Mischabelgrat
Schwierigkeit: ZS, III (Frz. Skala: AD; mit III. UIAA-Grad Felskletterei)
Zeitaufwand: 4 Stunden
Ausgangsort: Mischabeljochbiwak (3847 m ü. M.)
Talort: Täsch (1450 m ü. M.)
Westsüdwestgrat (Teufelsgrat)
Schwierigkeit: S+, IV (Frz. Skala: D+; mit IV. UIAA-Grad Felskletterei)
Zeitaufwand: 12–14 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Täschhütte
Talort: Täsch
(Wikipedia)
Der Alphubel ist ein 4206 m ü. M. hoher Berg in den Walliser Alpen in der Schweiz. Der zur Allalingruppe gehörende Berg liegt südlich der Mischabel auf dem Grat zwischen dem Mattertal und dem Saastal auf Boden der Gemeinden Täsch und Saas-Fee.
Geographie
Nördlich des Alphubels liegt das höhere Täschhorn, der südlichste Gipfel der Mischabel, von dem es durch das Mischabeljoch (3847 m) getrennt ist, während der Grat im Süden weniger deutlich via Alphubeljoch (3770 m) zum Feechopf (3888 m) und Allalinhorn verläuft. Während das Terrain nach Westen zum Teil recht schroff ins Mattertal abfällt, ist die Ostseite flach und verglichen mit seinen Nachbarn geradezu lieblich. Der charakteristisch flache Gipfel des Alphubels ist mehrheitlich firnbedeckt und besitzt neben dem Hauptgipfel einen nördlichen Gipfel mit einer Höhe von 4188 m, der sich aber kaum von der flachen Kuppe absetzt.
Der Alphubel entsendet nach Westen einen deutlichen, eisfreien Felsgrat, den Rotgrat, bis hinunter zur Täschhütte (2701 m), während der Nord-Süd-Hauptgrat und ein namenloser nordöstlich verlaufender Grat weitgehend eisbedeckt sind. Aufgrund seiner beträchtlichen Höhe und der relativ geringen Neigung seiner Hänge befinden sich im Gipfelgebiet des Alphubels mehrere Gletscher: Nordwestlich bzw. westlich des Gipfels liegt der inzwischen in drei Eismassen zerfallene Weingartengletscher, der bis ca. 3100 m hinunterreicht und in dessen Gletschervorfeld sich der gleichnamige Weingartensee befindet. Die ganze Ostflanke wird vom Feegletscher eingenommen, einem der grösseren Gletscher der Region, der sich über mehrere Quadratkilometer erstreckt und immer noch fast den Talkessel bei Saas-Fee erreicht. Im Südwesten liegt mit dem Alphubelgletscher der kleinste Gletscher des Gipfels.
Besteigungsgeschichte
Die Erstbesteigung fand am 9. August 1860 durch T.W. Hinchliff und Leslie Stephen mit den Führern Melchior Anderegg, Peter Perren und Franz Andenmatten statt.
Routen
Die Morphologie des Alphubels und seine Nähe zu den Bergbahnen von Saas-Fee machen den Alphubel zu einem der vergleichsweise leicht besteigbaren Viertausender der Schweizer Alpen. Dennoch haben sämtliche Anstiege den Charakter einer Hochtour mit allen objektiven Gefahren einer solchen.
Die Normalroute führt vom Berghaus Längflue (2867 m) oberhalb von Saas-Fee über den flachen, aber spaltenreichen Feegletscher auf den Gipfel. Der Aufstieg nimmt 4–5 Stunden in Anspruch und wird in der SAC-Hochtourenskala mit WS gewertet.
Eine weitere Möglichkeit mit Talort Saas-Fee besteht in einer Hochtour vom Mittelallalin (3457 m) aus, der sich bequem mit der Metro Alpin erreichen lässt. Von dort führt der Aufstieg, z. T. über Fels, via Feejoch (3826 m), Feechopf und Alphubeljoch zum Gipfel (ebenfalls WS, 4h).
Von Westen führt die bekannteste Route von Täsch via Täschalp und Täschhütte und von dort über den Alphubelgletscher und das Alphubeljoch über den südsüdöstlich verlaufenden Hauptgrat ("Eisnase") zum Gipfel. Diese Route dauert ca. 5 h und wird ebenfalls mit WS bewertet.
Hütten und Biwaks
Täschhütte
Berghaus Längflue
Britanniahütte, via Mittelallalin
ggf. Kinhütte
Mischabeljochbiwak auf dem namensgebenden Joch zw. Alphubel und Täschhorn
(Wikipedia)
Carreg Cennen Castle is a castle sited on a high rocky outcrop overlooking the River Cennen, close to the village of Trap, four miles south east of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales.
The dramatic limestone precipice was originally the site of a native Welsh castle, possibly constructed by The Lord Rhys (d. 1197), although any remains of this castle have been subsumed by later English work. In 1277, during the conquest of Wales by Edward I, the English gained control of the castle. It was briefly retaken by Welsh forces in 1282, but was back under English control by the following year, when it was granted to the English baron John Giffard (d. 1299). The castle was unsuccessfully besieged by Owain Glyndŵr during the Welsh Revolt. During the Wars of the Roses it was surrendered to the Yorkists and slighted in 1462 to prevent further use.
The castle visible today was probably constructed by John Giffard and his son John (d. 1322). It is situated within the Brecon Beacons National Park and is now in the care of Cadw, the Welsh Government historic environment service.
Carreg Cennen Castle consists of a strongly-walled and towered square court. There are six towers, all of different shapes, including a great twin-towered gatehouse on the north side. A range of apartments on the east side of the inner court, or ward, includes a hall, kitchens, chapel, and the so-called 'King's Chamber'. This chamber has a well-carved stone fireplace, and traceried windows, one facing into the courtyard, the other outwards commanding impressive views to the south. These date from the late 13th or early 14th century.
The castle is protected by limestone cliffs to the south and rock-cut ditches to the west. To the north and east there is an outer ward, and within that a barbican, gatehouse. Three drawbridges over deep pits protected the access to the inner ward. In the south-east corner of the inner ward steps lead to a vaulted passage and a natural cave beneath the castle, which leads deep into the hillside. A freshwater spring rises in the cave, which would have been a useful supplement during dry weather when the castle would have had difficulty harvesting rainwater in filling the rainwater cisterns. The castle is under the care of Cadw, who have stabilised and, to a limited extent, restored some of the remains. The castle is accessed via a steep climb up the hill from Castell Farm, which is near the car park. A large threshing barn has been converted to tearooms and a shop, whilst the majority of the farm buildings, around a traditional farmyard, retain their agricultural purposes. Since 1982 these have been part of a farm park with rare and unusual breeds of cows and sheep. This castle did not have a keep as such; the gatehouse acted as the castle's keep because this was the tallest part of the Castell Carreg.
The first masonry castle was probably built by The Lord Rhys, and remained a possession of the Deheubarth dynasty for the next 50 years. The earliest documented mention of the castle is 1248, when Brut y Tywysogion records that Rhys Fychan ap Rhys Mechyll's mother Matilda de Braose, to spite her son, granted the castle to the Norman English, but before the English took possession of it Rhys captured the castle.
For the next 30 years it changed hands frequently between Rhys and his uncle Maredudd, who were fighting for control of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. In 1277, at the start of the conquest of Wales by Edward I, the Welsh lords of the region sided with Edward against the Welsh leader Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and the castle was handed over to the English. In 1282, a second phase of fighting began and the local Welsh nobles switched sides, joining the widespread Welsh rebellion and seizing control of the castle. By the following year it was back in English hands.
In 1283 Edward I granted the castle to John Giffard, the commander of the English troops at Cilmeri where Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was killed. Giffard was probably responsible for the remodelled castle we see today; reconstruction occurred in phases, and it is likely the work was completed under his son, John.
Rhys ap Maredudd briefly captured Carreg Cennen during a rebellion against English rule in 1287, although he did not retain control of the castle for long.
In early July 1403 Owain Glyndŵr, together with 800 men, attacked Carreg Cennen, but, although inflicting severe damage to the walls, failed to take the castle. It was defended against Glyndwr's forces, who laid siege to it for several months, with Owain himself present, by a man who was to marry one of Glyndwr's daughters just a few years later, Sir John Scudamore of Herefordshire.
The damage was repaired in 1409, and by the mid-fifteenth century had come into the possession of the Duchy of Lancaster. Its custodian was Gruffudd ap Nicolas. During the Wars of the Roses, Carreg Cennen became a Lancastrian stronghold. The Yorkist victory at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 forced Gruffudd's sons to surrender the castle. The Yorkists subsequently set about demolishing (slighting) it with a team of 500 men.
Ownership of the castle passed to the Vaughan and Cawdor families, and from the 18th century it started to attract artists. J. M. W. Turner painted the castle in 1798. The second Earl Cawdor began an extensive renovation in the 19th century, and in 1932 Carreg Cennen was given to the guardianship of the Office of Works. In the 1960s Carreg Cennen Castle was acquired by the Morris family of Castell Farm, when Lord Cawdor's legal team made a mistake in the wording of the deeds and included the castle as part of the farm. Today, the castle remains privately owned by Margaret and Bernard Llewellyn, daughter and son in law of the late Mr. Gwilim Morris. The castle is now maintained by Cadw. It is open daily from 9.30am to 5.00pm between April and October and 9.30 to 4.30pm between November and March (closed Christmas Day).
Carmarthenshire is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as the "Garden of Wales" and is also home to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
Carmarthenshire has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The county town was founded by the Romans, and the region was part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in the High Middle Ages. After invasion by the Normans in the 12th and 13th centuries it was subjugated, along with other parts of Wales, by Edward I of England. There was further unrest in the early 15th century, when the Welsh rebelled under Owain Glyndŵr, and during the English Civil War.
Carmarthenshire is mainly an agricultural county, apart from the southeastern part which was once heavily industrialised with coal mining, steel-making and tin-plating. In the north of the county, the woollen industry was very important in the 18th century. The economy depends on agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. West Wales was identified in 2014 as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys with the decline in its industrial base, and the low profitability of the livestock sector.
Carmarthenshire, as a tourist destination, offers a wide range of outdoor activities. Much of the coast is fairly flat; it includes the Millennium Coastal Park, which extends for ten miles to the west of Llanelli; the National Wetlands Centre; a championship golf course; and the harbours of Burry Port and Pembrey. The sandy beaches at Llansteffan and Pendine are further west. Carmarthenshire has a number of medieval castles, hillforts and standing stones. The Dylan Thomas Boathouse is at Laugharne.
Stone tools found in Coygan Cave, near Laugharne indicate the presence of hominins, probably neanderthals, at least 40,000 years ago, though, as in the rest of the British Isles, continuous habitation by modern humans is not known before the end of the Younger Dryas, around 11,500 years BP. Before the Romans arrived in Britain, the land now forming the county of Carmarthenshire was part of the kingdom of the Demetae who gave their name to the county of Dyfed; it contained one of their chief settlements, Moridunum, now known as Carmarthen. The Romans established two forts in South Wales, one at Caerwent to control the southeast of the country, and one at Carmarthen to control the southwest. The fort at Carmarthen dates from around 75 AD, and there is a Roman amphitheatre nearby, so this probably makes Carmarthen the oldest continually occupied town in Wales.
Carmarthenshire has its early roots in the region formerly known as Ystrad Tywi ("Vale of [the river] Tywi") and part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth during the High Middle Ages, with the court at Dinefwr. After the Normans had subjugated England they tried to subdue Wales. Carmarthenshire was disputed between the Normans and the Welsh lords and many of the castles built around this time, first of wood and then stone, changed hands several times. Following the Conquest of Wales by Edward I, the region was reorganized by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into Carmarthenshire. Edward I made Carmarthen the capital of this new county, establishing his courts of chancery and his exchequer there, and holding the Court of Great Sessions in Wales in the town.
The Normans transformed Carmarthen into an international trading port, the only staple port in Wales. Merchants imported food and French wines and exported wool, pelts, leather, lead and tin. In the late medieval period the county's fortunes varied, as good and bad harvests occurred, increased taxes were levied by England, there were episodes of plague, and recruitment for wars removed the young men. Carmarthen was particularly susceptible to plague as it was brought in by flea-infested rats on board ships from southern France.
In 1405, Owain Glyndŵr captured Carmarthen Castle and several other strongholds in the neighbourhood. However, when his support dwindled, the principal men of the county returned their allegiance to King Henry V. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary forces under Colonel Roland Laugharne besieged and captured Carmarthen Castle but later abandoned the cause, and joined the Royalists. In 1648, Carmarthen Castle was recaptured by the Parliamentarians, and Oliver Cromwell ordered it to be slighted.
The first industrial canal in Wales was built in 1768 to convey coal from the Gwendraeth Valley to the coast, and the following year, the earliest tramroad bridge was on the tramroad built alongside the canal. During the Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815) there was increased demand for coal, iron and agricultural goods, and the county prospered. The landscape changed as much woodland was cleared to make way for more food production, and mills, power stations, mines and factories sprang up between Llanelli and Pembrey. Carmarthenshire was at the centre of the Rebecca Riots around 1840, when local farmers and agricultural workers dressed as women and rebelled against higher taxes and tolls.
On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Carmarthenshire joined Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire in the new county of Dyfed; Carmarthenshire was divided into three districts: Carmarthen, Llanelli and Dinefwr. Twenty-two years later this amalgamation was reversed when, under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, the original county boundaries were reinstated.
The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys (historic county Brecknockshire), Neath Port Talbot (historic county Glamorgan) and Swansea (also Glamorgan), to the south by the Bristol Channel and to the west by Pembrokeshire. Much of the county is upland and hilly. The Black Mountain range dominates the east of the county, with the lower foothills of the Cambrian Mountains to the north across the valley of the River Towy. The south coast contains many fishing villages and sandy beaches. The highest point (county top) is the minor summit of Fan Foel, height 781 metres (2,562 ft), which is a subsidiary top of the higher mountain of Fan Brycheiniog, height 802.5 metres (2,633 ft) (the higher summit, as its name suggests, is actually across the border in Brecknockshire/Powys). Carmarthenshire is the largest historic county by area in Wales.
The county is drained by several important rivers which flow southwards into the Bristol Channel, especially the River Towy, and its several tributaries, such as the River Cothi. The Towy is the longest river flowing entirely within Wales. Other rivers include the Loughor (which forms the eastern boundary with Glamorgan), the River Gwendraeth and the River Taf. The River Teifi forms much of the border between Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, and there are a number of towns in the Teifi Valley which have communities living on either side of the river and hence in different counties. Carmarthenshire has a long coastline which is deeply cut by the estuaries of the Loughor in the east and the Gwendraeth, Tywi and Taf, which enter the sea on the east side of Carmarthen Bay. The coastline includes notable beaches such as Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands, and large areas of foreshore are uncovered at low tide along the Loughor and Towy estuaries.
The principal towns in the county are Ammanford, Burry Port, Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanelli, Llandeilo, Newcastle Emlyn, Llandovery, St Clears, and Whitland. The principal industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Although Llanelli is by far the largest town in the county, the county town remains Carmarthen, mainly due to its central location.
Carmarthenshire is predominantly an agricultural county, with only the southeastern area having any significant amount of industry. The best agricultural land is in the broad Tywi Valley, especially its lower reaches. With its fertile land and agricultural produce, Carmarthenshire is known as the "Garden of Wales". The lowest bridge over the river is at Carmarthen, and the Towi Estuary cuts the southwesterly part of the county, including Llansteffan and Laugharne, off from the more urban southeastern region. This area is also bypassed by the main communication routes into Pembrokeshire. A passenger ferry service used to connect Ferryside with Llansteffan until the early part of the twentieth century.
Agriculture and forestry are the main sources of income over most of the county of Carmarthenshire. On improved pastures, dairying is important and in the past, the presence of the railway enabled milk to be transported to the urban areas of England. The creamery at Whitland is now closed but milk processing still takes place at Newcastle Emlyn where mozzarella cheese is made. On upland pastures and marginal land, livestock rearing of cattle and sheep is the main agricultural activity. The estuaries of the Loughor and Towy provide pickings for the cockle industry.
Llanelli, Ammanford and the upper parts of the Gwendraeth Valley are situated on the South Wales Coalfield. The opencast mining activities in this region have now ceased but the old mining settlements with terraced housing remain, often centred on their nonconformist chapels. Kidwelly had a tin-plating industry in the eighteenth century, with Llanelli following not long after, so that by the end of the nineteenth century, Llanelli was the world-centre of the industry. There is little trace of these industrial activities today. Llanelli and Burry Port served at one time for the export of coal, but trade declined, as it did from the ports of Kidwelly and Carmarthen as their estuaries silted up. Country towns in the more agricultural part of the county still hold regular markets where livestock is traded.
In the north of the county, in and around the Teifi Valley, there was a thriving woollen industry in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Here water-power provided the energy to drive the looms and other machinery at the mills. The village of Dre-fach Felindre at one time contained twenty-four mills and was known as the "Huddersfield of Wales". The demand for woollen cloth declined in the twentieth century and so did the industry.
In 2014, West Wales was identified as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys. The gross value added economic indicator showed a figure of £14,763 per head in these regions, as compared with a GVA of £22,986 for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Welsh Assembly Government is aware of this, and helped by government initiatives and local actions, opportunities for farmers to diversify have emerged. These include farm tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and added-value food products.
Carmarthenshire County Council produced a fifteen-year plan that highlighted six projects which it hoped would create five thousand new jobs. The sectors involved would be in the "creative industries, tourism, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, energy and environment, and financial and professional services".
Carmarthenshire became an administrative county with a county council taking over functions from the Quarter Sessions under the Local Government Act 1888. Under the Local Government Act 1972, the administrative county of Carmarthenshire was abolished on 1 April 1974 and the area of Carmarthenshire became three districts within the new county of Dyfed : Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli. Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Dyfed was abolished on 1 April 1996 and Carmarthenshire was re-established as a county. The three districts united to form a unitary authority which had the same boundaries as the traditional county of Carmarthenshire. In 2003, the Clynderwen community council area was transferred to the administrative county of Pembrokeshire.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Carmarthen and Wrexham were the two most populous towns in Wales. In 1931, the county's population was 171,445 and in 1951, 164,800. At the census in 2011, Carmarthenshire had a population of 183,777. Population levels have thus dipped and then increased again over the course of eighty years. The population density in Carmarthenshire is 0.8 persons per hectare compared to 1.5 per hectare in Wales as a whole.
Carmarthenshire was the most populous of the five historic counties of Wales to remain majority Welsh-speaking throughout the 20th century. According to the 1911 Census, 84.9 per cent of the county's population were Welsh-speaking (compared with 43.5 per cent in all of Wales), with 20.5 per cent of Carmarthenshire's overall population being monolingual Welsh-speakers.
In 1931, 82.3 per cent could speak Welsh and in 1951, 75.2 per cent. By the 2001 census, 50.3 per cent of people living in Carmarthenshire could speak Welsh, with 39 per cent being able to read and write the language as well.
The 2011 census showed a further decline, with 43.9 per cent speaking Welsh, making it a minority language in the county for the first time. However, the 2011 census also showed that 3,000 more people could understand spoken Welsh than in 2001 and that 60% of 5-14-year-olds could speak Welsh (a 5% increase since 2001). A decade later, the 2021 census, showed further decrease, to 39.9% Welsh speakers -- the largest percentage drop in all of Wales.
With its strategic location and history, the county is rich in archaeological remains such as forts, earthworks and standing stones. Carn Goch is one of the most impressive Iron Age forts and stands on a hilltop near Llandeilo. The Bronze Age is represented by chambered cairns and standing stones on Mynydd Llangyndeyrn, near Llangyndeyrn. Castles that can be easily accessed include Carreg Cennen, Dinefwr, Kidwelly, Laugharne, Llansteffan and Newcastle Emlyn Castle. There are the ruinous remains of Talley Abbey, and the coastal village of Laugharne is for ever associated with Dylan Thomas. Stately homes in the county include Aberglasney House and Gardens, Golden Grove and Newton House.
There are plenty of opportunities in the county for hiking, observing wildlife and admiring the scenery. These include Brechfa Forest, the Pembrey Country Park, the Millennium Coastal Park at Llanelli, the WWT Llanelli Wetlands Centre and the Carmel National Nature Reserve. There are large stretches of golden sands and the Wales Coast Path now provides a continuous walking route around the whole of Wales.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales displays plants from Wales and from all around the world, and the Carmarthenshire County Museum, the National Wool Museum, the Parc Howard Museum, the Pendine Museum of Speed and the West Wales Museum of Childhood all provide opportunities to delve into the past. Dylan Thomas Boathouse where the author wrote many of his works can be visited, as can the Roman-worked Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
Activities available in the county include rambling, cycling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, horse riding, caving, abseiling and coasteering.[7] Carmarthen Town A.F.C. plays in the Cymru Premier. They won the Welsh Football League Cup in the 1995–96 season, and since then have won the Welsh Cup once and the Welsh League Cup twice. Llanelli Town A.F.C. play in the Welsh Football League Division Two. The club won the Welsh premier league and Loosemores challenge cup in 2008 and won the Welsh Cup in 2011, but after experiencing financial difficulties, were wound up and reformed under the present title in 2013. Scarlets is the regional professional rugby union team that plays in the Pro14, they play their home matches at their ground, Parc y Scarlets. Honours include winning the 2003/04 and 2016/17 Pro12. Llanelli RFC is a semi-professional rugby union team that play in the Welsh Premier Division, also playing home matches at Parc y Scarlets. Among many honours, they have been WRU Challenge Cup winners on fourteen occasions and frequently taken part in the Heineken Cup. West Wales Raiders, based in Llanelli, represent the county in Rugby league.
Some sporting venues utilise disused industrial sites. Ffos Las racecourse was built on the site of an open cast coal mine after mining operations ceased. Opened in 2009, it was the first racecourse built in the United Kingdom for eighty years and has regular race-days. Machynys is a championship golf course opened in 2005 and built as part of the Llanelli Waterside regeneration plan. Pembrey Circuit is a motor racing circuit near Pembrey village, considered the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks. It was opened in 1989 on a former airfield, is popular for testing and has hosted many events including the British Touring Car Championship twice. The 2018 Tour of Britain cycling race started at Pembrey on 2 September 2018.
Carmarthenshire is served by the main line railway service operated by Transport for Wales Rail which links London Paddington, Cardiff Central and Swansea to southwest Wales. The main hub is Carmarthen railway station where some services from the east terminate. The line continues westwards with several branches which serve Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour (for the ferry to Rosslare Europort and connecting trains to Dublin Connolly). The Heart of Wales Line takes a scenic route through mid-Wales and links Llanelli with Craven Arms, from where passengers can travel on the Welsh Marches Line to Shrewsbury.
Two heritage railways, the Gwili Railway and the Teifi Valley Railway, use the track of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway that at one time ran from Carmarthen to Newcastle Emlyn, but did not reach Cardigan.
The A40, A48, A484 and A485 converge on Carmarthen. The M4 route that links South Wales with London, terminates at junction 49, the Pont Abraham services, to continue northwest as the dual carriageway A48, and to finish with its junction with the A40 in Carmarthen.
Llanelli is linked to M4 junction 48 by the A4138. The A40 links Carmarthen to Llandeilo, Llandovery and Brecon to the east, and with St Clears, Whitland and Haverfordwest to the west. The A484 links Llanelli with Carmarthen by a coastal route and continues northwards to Cardigan, and via the A486 and A487 to Aberystwyth, and the A485 links Carmarthen to Lampeter.
Bus services run between the main towns within the county and are operated by First Cymru under their "Western Welsh" or "Cymru Clipper" livery. Bus services from Carmarthenshire are also run to Cardiff. A bus service known as "fflecsi Laugharne Town Hall (Welsh: Neuadd y Dref Talacharn) is a municipal building in Market Street in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Laugharne Corporation, is a Grade II* listed building.
The first municipal building in the town was an ancient guildhall located on or near the same site which may have dated back to the formation of Laugharne Corporation by the Marcher Lord, Sir Guy de Brian (Gui de Brienne), in the late-13th century. By the mid-18th century the tower had become ruined and civic leaders decided to erect a new structure. The new building was designed in the Italianate style, built in rubble masonry with a whitewash finish and was completed in 1747.
The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with a hall section of two bays facing onto Market Street with rusticated quoins and an attached tower. The hall section featured two segmental headed openings with wrought iron grills and voussoirs on the ground floor and two windows on the first floor. The tower, which featured clock faces on the north and south sides, was surmounted by a pyramid-shaped roof. Internally, the principal rooms were the market hall on the ground floor and the courtroom on the first floor.
A lean-to containing a lock-up for petty criminals was added to the east side in 1774, a bellcote with a bell designed and cast by Rudhall of Gloucester together with a weather vane in the form of a peacock were added to the roof in 1786, and the first floor was re-fenestrated with Gothic-style sash windows in 1814.
Laugharne Corporation was formally abolished under the Municipal Corporations Act 1882 but fortnightly meetings of the court baron continued take place in the town hall under the auspices of a Grand Jury, which was presided over by the portreeve, acting as the chief magistrate, to ensure the corporation's extensive property portfolio continued to be properly managed.
The clock was replaced in the late 19th century and a gabled porch was added in 1910. In the early 1950s, the poet, Dylan Thomas, who lived in the town, wrote to his patron, Margaret Taylor, describing Laugharne as "timeless" and, with the town hall in mind, claiming that "it's clock tells the time backwards".
Carmarthenshire is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as the "Garden of Wales" and is also home to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
Carmarthenshire has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The county town was founded by the Romans, and the region was part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in the High Middle Ages. After invasion by the Normans in the 12th and 13th centuries it was subjugated, along with other parts of Wales, by Edward I of England. There was further unrest in the early 15th century, when the Welsh rebelled under Owain Glyndŵr, and during the English Civil War.
Carmarthenshire is mainly an agricultural county, apart from the southeastern part which was once heavily industrialised with coal mining, steel-making and tin-plating. In the north of the county, the woollen industry was very important in the 18th century. The economy depends on agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. West Wales was identified in 2014 as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys with the decline in its industrial base, and the low profitability of the livestock sector.
Carmarthenshire, as a tourist destination, offers a wide range of outdoor activities. Much of the coast is fairly flat; it includes the Millennium Coastal Park, which extends for ten miles to the west of Llanelli; the National Wetlands Centre; a championship golf course; and the harbours of Burry Port and Pembrey. The sandy beaches at Llansteffan and Pendine are further west. Carmarthenshire has a number of medieval castles, hillforts and standing stones. The Dylan Thomas Boathouse is at Laugharne.
Stone tools found in Coygan Cave, near Laugharne indicate the presence of hominins, probably neanderthals, at least 40,000 years ago, though, as in the rest of the British Isles, continuous habitation by modern humans is not known before the end of the Younger Dryas, around 11,500 years BP. Before the Romans arrived in Britain, the land now forming the county of Carmarthenshire was part of the kingdom of the Demetae who gave their name to the county of Dyfed; it contained one of their chief settlements, Moridunum, now known as Carmarthen. The Romans established two forts in South Wales, one at Caerwent to control the southeast of the country, and one at Carmarthen to control the southwest. The fort at Carmarthen dates from around 75 AD, and there is a Roman amphitheatre nearby, so this probably makes Carmarthen the oldest continually occupied town in Wales.
Carmarthenshire has its early roots in the region formerly known as Ystrad Tywi ("Vale of [the river] Tywi") and part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth during the High Middle Ages, with the court at Dinefwr. After the Normans had subjugated England they tried to subdue Wales. Carmarthenshire was disputed between the Normans and the Welsh lords and many of the castles built around this time, first of wood and then stone, changed hands several times. Following the Conquest of Wales by Edward I, the region was reorganized by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into Carmarthenshire. Edward I made Carmarthen the capital of this new county, establishing his courts of chancery and his exchequer there, and holding the Court of Great Sessions in Wales in the town.
The Normans transformed Carmarthen into an international trading port, the only staple port in Wales. Merchants imported food and French wines and exported wool, pelts, leather, lead and tin. In the late medieval period the county's fortunes varied, as good and bad harvests occurred, increased taxes were levied by England, there were episodes of plague, and recruitment for wars removed the young men. Carmarthen was particularly susceptible to plague as it was brought in by flea-infested rats on board ships from southern France.
In 1405, Owain Glyndŵr captured Carmarthen Castle and several other strongholds in the neighbourhood. However, when his support dwindled, the principal men of the county returned their allegiance to King Henry V. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary forces under Colonel Roland Laugharne besieged and captured Carmarthen Castle but later abandoned the cause, and joined the Royalists. In 1648, Carmarthen Castle was recaptured by the Parliamentarians, and Oliver Cromwell ordered it to be slighted.
The first industrial canal in Wales was built in 1768 to convey coal from the Gwendraeth Valley to the coast, and the following year, the earliest tramroad bridge was on the tramroad built alongside the canal. During the Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815) there was increased demand for coal, iron and agricultural goods, and the county prospered. The landscape changed as much woodland was cleared to make way for more food production, and mills, power stations, mines and factories sprang up between Llanelli and Pembrey. Carmarthenshire was at the centre of the Rebecca Riots around 1840, when local farmers and agricultural workers dressed as women and rebelled against higher taxes and tolls.
On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Carmarthenshire joined Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire in the new county of Dyfed; Carmarthenshire was divided into three districts: Carmarthen, Llanelli and Dinefwr. Twenty-two years later this amalgamation was reversed when, under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, the original county boundaries were reinstated.
The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys (historic county Brecknockshire), Neath Port Talbot (historic county Glamorgan) and Swansea (also Glamorgan), to the south by the Bristol Channel and to the west by Pembrokeshire. Much of the county is upland and hilly. The Black Mountain range dominates the east of the county, with the lower foothills of the Cambrian Mountains to the north across the valley of the River Towy. The south coast contains many fishing villages and sandy beaches. The highest point (county top) is the minor summit of Fan Foel, height 781 metres (2,562 ft), which is a subsidiary top of the higher mountain of Fan Brycheiniog, height 802.5 metres (2,633 ft) (the higher summit, as its name suggests, is actually across the border in Brecknockshire/Powys). Carmarthenshire is the largest historic county by area in Wales.
The county is drained by several important rivers which flow southwards into the Bristol Channel, especially the River Towy, and its several tributaries, such as the River Cothi. The Towy is the longest river flowing entirely within Wales. Other rivers include the Loughor (which forms the eastern boundary with Glamorgan), the River Gwendraeth and the River Taf. The River Teifi forms much of the border between Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, and there are a number of towns in the Teifi Valley which have communities living on either side of the river and hence in different counties. Carmarthenshire has a long coastline which is deeply cut by the estuaries of the Loughor in the east and the Gwendraeth, Tywi and Taf, which enter the sea on the east side of Carmarthen Bay. The coastline includes notable beaches such as Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands, and large areas of foreshore are uncovered at low tide along the Loughor and Towy estuaries.
The principal towns in the county are Ammanford, Burry Port, Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanelli, Llandeilo, Newcastle Emlyn, Llandovery, St Clears, and Whitland. The principal industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Although Llanelli is by far the largest town in the county, the county town remains Carmarthen, mainly due to its central location.
Carmarthenshire is predominantly an agricultural county, with only the southeastern area having any significant amount of industry. The best agricultural land is in the broad Tywi Valley, especially its lower reaches. With its fertile land and agricultural produce, Carmarthenshire is known as the "Garden of Wales". The lowest bridge over the river is at Carmarthen, and the Towi Estuary cuts the southwesterly part of the county, including Llansteffan and Laugharne, off from the more urban southeastern region. This area is also bypassed by the main communication routes into Pembrokeshire. A passenger ferry service used to connect Ferryside with Llansteffan until the early part of the twentieth century.
Agriculture and forestry are the main sources of income over most of the county of Carmarthenshire. On improved pastures, dairying is important and in the past, the presence of the railway enabled milk to be transported to the urban areas of England. The creamery at Whitland is now closed but milk processing still takes place at Newcastle Emlyn where mozzarella cheese is made. On upland pastures and marginal land, livestock rearing of cattle and sheep is the main agricultural activity. The estuaries of the Loughor and Towy provide pickings for the cockle industry.
Llanelli, Ammanford and the upper parts of the Gwendraeth Valley are situated on the South Wales Coalfield. The opencast mining activities in this region have now ceased but the old mining settlements with terraced housing remain, often centred on their nonconformist chapels. Kidwelly had a tin-plating industry in the eighteenth century, with Llanelli following not long after, so that by the end of the nineteenth century, Llanelli was the world-centre of the industry. There is little trace of these industrial activities today. Llanelli and Burry Port served at one time for the export of coal, but trade declined, as it did from the ports of Kidwelly and Carmarthen as their estuaries silted up. Country towns in the more agricultural part of the county still hold regular markets where livestock is traded.
In the north of the county, in and around the Teifi Valley, there was a thriving woollen industry in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Here water-power provided the energy to drive the looms and other machinery at the mills. The village of Dre-fach Felindre at one time contained twenty-four mills and was known as the "Huddersfield of Wales". The demand for woollen cloth declined in the twentieth century and so did the industry.
In 2014, West Wales was identified as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys. The gross value added economic indicator showed a figure of £14,763 per head in these regions, as compared with a GVA of £22,986 for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Welsh Assembly Government is aware of this, and helped by government initiatives and local actions, opportunities for farmers to diversify have emerged. These include farm tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and added-value food products.
Carmarthenshire County Council produced a fifteen-year plan that highlighted six projects which it hoped would create five thousand new jobs. The sectors involved would be in the "creative industries, tourism, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, energy and environment, and financial and professional services".
Carmarthenshire became an administrative county with a county council taking over functions from the Quarter Sessions under the Local Government Act 1888. Under the Local Government Act 1972, the administrative county of Carmarthenshire was abolished on 1 April 1974 and the area of Carmarthenshire became three districts within the new county of Dyfed : Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli. Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Dyfed was abolished on 1 April 1996 and Carmarthenshire was re-established as a county. The three districts united to form a unitary authority which had the same boundaries as the traditional county of Carmarthenshire. In 2003, the Clynderwen community council area was transferred to the administrative county of Pembrokeshire.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Carmarthen and Wrexham were the two most populous towns in Wales. In 1931, the county's population was 171,445 and in 1951, 164,800. At the census in 2011, Carmarthenshire had a population of 183,777. Population levels have thus dipped and then increased again over the course of eighty years. The population density in Carmarthenshire is 0.8 persons per hectare compared to 1.5 per hectare in Wales as a whole.
Carmarthenshire was the most populous of the five historic counties of Wales to remain majority Welsh-speaking throughout the 20th century. According to the 1911 Census, 84.9 per cent of the county's population were Welsh-speaking (compared with 43.5 per cent in all of Wales), with 20.5 per cent of Carmarthenshire's overall population being monolingual Welsh-speakers.
In 1931, 82.3 per cent could speak Welsh and in 1951, 75.2 per cent. By the 2001 census, 50.3 per cent of people living in Carmarthenshire could speak Welsh, with 39 per cent being able to read and write the language as well.
The 2011 census showed a further decline, with 43.9 per cent speaking Welsh, making it a minority language in the county for the first time. However, the 2011 census also showed that 3,000 more people could understand spoken Welsh than in 2001 and that 60% of 5-14-year-olds could speak Welsh (a 5% increase since 2001). A decade later, the 2021 census, showed further decrease, to 39.9% Welsh speakers -- the largest percentage drop in all of Wales.
With its strategic location and history, the county is rich in archaeological remains such as forts, earthworks and standing stones. Carn Goch is one of the most impressive Iron Age forts and stands on a hilltop near Llandeilo. The Bronze Age is represented by chambered cairns and standing stones on Mynydd Llangyndeyrn, near Llangyndeyrn. Castles that can be easily accessed include Carreg Cennen, Dinefwr, Kidwelly, Laugharne, Llansteffan and Newcastle Emlyn Castle. There are the ruinous remains of Talley Abbey, and the coastal village of Laugharne is for ever associated with Dylan Thomas. Stately homes in the county include Aberglasney House and Gardens, Golden Grove and Newton House.
There are plenty of opportunities in the county for hiking, observing wildlife and admiring the scenery. These include Brechfa Forest, the Pembrey Country Park, the Millennium Coastal Park at Llanelli, the WWT Llanelli Wetlands Centre and the Carmel National Nature Reserve. There are large stretches of golden sands and the Wales Coast Path now provides a continuous walking route around the whole of Wales.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales displays plants from Wales and from all around the world, and the Carmarthenshire County Museum, the National Wool Museum, the Parc Howard Museum, the Pendine Museum of Speed and the West Wales Museum of Childhood all provide opportunities to delve into the past. Dylan Thomas Boathouse where the author wrote many of his works can be visited, as can the Roman-worked Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
Activities available in the county include rambling, cycling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, horse riding, caving, abseiling and coasteering.[7] Carmarthen Town A.F.C. plays in the Cymru Premier. They won the Welsh Football League Cup in the 1995–96 season, and since then have won the Welsh Cup once and the Welsh League Cup twice. Llanelli Town A.F.C. play in the Welsh Football League Division Two. The club won the Welsh premier league and Loosemores challenge cup in 2008 and won the Welsh Cup in 2011, but after experiencing financial difficulties, were wound up and reformed under the present title in 2013. Scarlets is the regional professional rugby union team that plays in the Pro14, they play their home matches at their ground, Parc y Scarlets. Honours include winning the 2003/04 and 2016/17 Pro12. Llanelli RFC is a semi-professional rugby union team that play in the Welsh Premier Division, also playing home matches at Parc y Scarlets. Among many honours, they have been WRU Challenge Cup winners on fourteen occasions and frequently taken part in the Heineken Cup. West Wales Raiders, based in Llanelli, represent the county in Rugby league.
Some sporting venues utilise disused industrial sites. Ffos Las racecourse was built on the site of an open cast coal mine after mining operations ceased. Opened in 2009, it was the first racecourse built in the United Kingdom for eighty years and has regular race-days. Machynys is a championship golf course opened in 2005 and built as part of the Llanelli Waterside regeneration plan. Pembrey Circuit is a motor racing circuit near Pembrey village, considered the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks. It was opened in 1989 on a former airfield, is popular for testing and has hosted many events including the British Touring Car Championship twice. The 2018 Tour of Britain cycling race started at Pembrey on 2 September 2018.
Carmarthenshire is served by the main line railway service operated by Transport for Wales Rail which links London Paddington, Cardiff Central and Swansea to southwest Wales. The main hub is Carmarthen railway station where some services from the east terminate. The line continues westwards with several branches which serve Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour (for the ferry to Rosslare Europort and connecting trains to Dublin Connolly). The Heart of Wales Line takes a scenic route through mid-Wales and links Llanelli with Craven Arms, from where passengers can travel on the Welsh Marches Line to Shrewsbury.
Two heritage railways, the Gwili Railway and the Teifi Valley Railway, use the track of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway that at one time ran from Carmarthen to Newcastle Emlyn, but did not reach Cardigan.
The A40, A48, A484 and A485 converge on Carmarthen. The M4 route that links South Wales with London, terminates at junction 49, the Pont Abraham services, to continue northwest as the dual carriageway A48, and to finish with its junction with the A40 in Carmarthen.
Llanelli is linked to M4 junction 48 by the A4138. The A40 links Carmarthen to Llandeilo, Llandovery and Brecon to the east, and with St Clears, Whitland and Haverfordwest to the west. The A484 links Llanelli with Carmarthen by a coastal route and continues northwards to Cardigan, and via the A486 and A487 to Aberystwyth, and the A485 links Carmarthen to Lampeter.
Bus services run between the main towns within the county and are operated by First Cymru under their "Western Welsh" or "Cymru Clipper" livery. Bus services from Carmarthenshire are also run to Cardiff. A bus service known as "fflecsi Bwcabus" (formerly just "Bwcabus") operates in the north of the county, offering customised transport to rural dwellers.
Carmarthenshire has rich, fertile farmland and a productive coast with estuaries providing a range of foods that motivate many home cooks and chefs.; (formerly just "Bwcabus") operates in the north of the county, offering customised transport to rural dwellers.
Carmarthenshire has rich, fertile farmland and a productive coast with estuaries providing a range of foods that motivate many home cooks and chefs.
Einstein once said*: "Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater." (* or might have said, attribution is often tricky with Einstein).
Well, if you react with surprise to the fact that my photo of the day is from the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield, let me assure you that my surprise is far greater.
Sue got Laura some tickets for Christmas back when things were starting to take an upturn in the Covid stakes. Then January happened, and lockdown 2.
We wrote it off for this year, but as the vaccine programme kicked in it was determined that this would be part of the Event Research Programme and partial audiences would be allowed in under variable conditions.
This led to ticketholders being asked if they wanted to be included in a lottery for places. We gave it the nod with a nonchalant shrug and then got lucky.
There were conditions. You had to agree to share data with the governmental research project or you didn't get in. You needed evidence of a negative lateral flow test, and you were requested (but not mandated) to also get a PCR test. Evidence of all of this, as well as photo ID, had to be taken to the venue for scrutiny.
Even with all of this in place, I vividly remember how I got burned on the Everton/City match at the end of last year, and I wasn't going to believe that this was actually going to happen until my arse was in the seat.
Well, it happened, and this afternoon we watched Mark Selby take six frames against a struggling Mark Allen's two, in the great grandfather of snooker venues - the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield (which is tiny!).
In terms of safety, it was hugely impressive. We looked at trains but could only book seats on the outbound journey and not the return, and so to safeguard against infection risk we went in the car. This gifted us a run along the Snake Pass in glorious conditions - quite the way to do the first meaningful drive in forever.
The venue was less than half full and very well spaced. Everyone in there had to provide evidence of a negative test, and even then everybody was required to wear a mask. Best of all, the bars were shut, so you didn't have people in and out carrying plastic pints all the time. It felt, and in fact almost certainly was, safer than a day in work.
A nice surprise. :)
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Puolustusvoimat’s (Finnish Defense Force) “Ilves” is an indigenous battle tank design, tailored to fulfill the requirement for a lighter, more mobile modern tank than the Finnish Army’s standard MBT (the Leopard 2 of German origin) that can effectively operate in woodland and water-rich regions where the heavier MBTs might have difficulties traversing. Patria started the design for the new XA-2000 ‘Ilves’ (Lynx) tank when the Finnish Army started negotiations to procure Leopard 2A4 MBTs from Germany in the late 1990ies. 100 of these battle tanks were eventually ordered and delivered between 2002 and 2004, but it was clear that these large and heavy tanks – most suited for long-range battle in open field situations – would leave a tactical gap between them and the Finnish Army’s armed infantry fighting vehicles, which were lighter and more compact, so that they could operate more flexibly in the Finnish forests. However, these light vehicles did not offer the armament to fight enemy tanks at medium to long range, and the XA-2000 was to fill this gap.
From the outset, the XA-2000 was designed to be capable of being airlifted to improve its export chances, but it was not designed to be amphibious, due to the heavy turret which would raise the vehicle’s center of gravity and make any naval operations unsafe. The new third generation tank was expected to be much more mobile than typical main battle tanks, due to its light weight and high power/weight ratio. Power came from an electronically controlled 1,000 hp (746 kW) diesel engine, with hydro-mechanical fully automatic transmission. The tank is also capable of neutral steering and featured a hydro-pneumatic suspension.
The Ilves’ main armament was a fully stabilized Rheinmetall Rh-105-30 rifled gun, a modernized version of the famous Royal Ordnance L7 gun with reduced recoil for use in lighter vehicles. This proven weapon offered an effective firing range of 3 km and was compatible with all standard NATO 105 mm tank ammunition. The ammunition selections included APFSDS, HEAT and HE (High explosive) rounds. APFSDS and HEAT rounds were used against enemy armor while HE rounds were used against enemy infantry positions, light/non-armored vehicles, buildings, and field fortifications. The APFSDS projectiles were capable of penetrating 500 mm (20 in) of armored steel at 2,000 meters (1.2 mi), even though this was not considered sufficient to penetrate the front armor of modern main battle tanks such as the T-90. The sustained fire rate was supported by a bustle-mounted autoloader system, which reduced the crew to 3 and helped keeping the vehicle’s dimensions limited. The spent cases were ejected automatically via a hatch at the turret rear. The XA-1200 could hold a total of 38 various 105 mm shells, stored in the turret bustle for improved safety; the ammunition was retrieved from a tail autoloader with blowout panels.
Secondary armament included a 7.62 mm KVKK 62 coaxial machine gun of Finnish origin, and a remote-controlled weapon station mounted on the turret roof, operated by the commander, which was fitted with a 40 mm M203 automatic grenade launcher and a 12.7 mm RSKK 2005 (Browning M2) heavy machine gun.
The XA-2000 featured modern sensory and fire control systems, including laser rangefinder, advanced ballistic computer, meteorological sensors, gunner thermal imaging sight, millimeter-wave radar, and commander's panoramic sight. The fire control system supported automatic target tracking, hunter-killer capabilities, and commander takeover. Other equipment included air conditioning system, oxygen-production equipment for the crew, command and control equipment, battlefield management system, and navigation suite fitted with both inertial navigation system (INS) and satellite navigation system.
The XA-2000 featured two sets of armor packages providing different tactical mobility. Standard armor package featured classic steel armor protection with additional layers of advanced composite armor panels covering the tank turret, hull, and flanks, with additional lightweight explosive reactive armor blocks protecting the front hull. The enhanced package featured thicker explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks, in addition to the composite armor panels underneath, covering the whole tank turret and hull. ERA mounted armor-skirt and slat armor could also be mounted on the side and rear side of the tank hull for additional protection. The enhanced armor set was designed for open area battle under heavy defensive conditions, but only intended as a tactical option.
As additional protective measure the XA-2000 was fitted with a 360° laser warning sensor system to detect incoming range-finding and anti-tank missiles, mounted at the turret’s corners, and the tank could automatically deploy smoke grenades in dischargers if the tank was being illuminated by enemy laser beams. Other protective features included chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) protection, and a fire suppression system.
The first XA-2000 prototype was ready for tests in 2009, but it took five more years until the design was finalized and cleared for serial production. In late 2015 the first serial production tanks were delivered to the Finnish Army. A total of 100 XA-2000 had been ordered, but this was soon cut down to just seventy vehicles when the Finnish Army bought more Leopard 2A4 tanks in 2009 and launched an upgrade program for them. In January 2014, Finland agreed with the Netherlands to purchase 100 used Leopard 2A6NL tanks for approximately €200 million. This prevented more XA-2000 orders, even though there were still plans to procure 80 more of these light tanks until 2020. With the more modern tanks from the Netherlands available, most of the Finnish Leopard 2A4s were moved into reserve in 2015, with some converted into Marksman AA vehicles, bridge-laying, and mine-clearing tanks with Israeli-made Urdan mine rollers.
Even though the XA-2000 had been offered since 2016 for export its very specific design and limited firepower did not attract any buyers. Austria had shown early interest, as a potential replacement for the indigenous Kürassier anti-tank SPG, but eventually decided to procure more Leopard 2 tanks. Other countries which had been identified as potential users were Sweden, Canada, and Brazil, but despite successful demonstrations, no export deals have been closed yet.
Specifications:
Crew: Three (commander, gunner and driver)
Weight: 33 tons standard
36 tons with external armor package
Length: 9.2 meters (30.18 ft) overall
7.5 meters (24.61 ft) hull only
Width: 3.3 meters (10.83 ft)
Height: 2.5 meters (8.20 ft)
Ground clearance: Up to 17 in (430 mm)
Suspension: Hydropneumatic
Fuel capacity: 570 l (150 US gal, 120 imp gal)
Armor:
Standard steel armor protection with additional advanced composite armor
and/or explosive reactive armor package
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 70 km/h (43 mph)
Operational range: 480 km (300 mi)
Power/weight: 30.30 hp/ton
27.8 hp/ton with enhanced armor package installed
Engine & transmission:
Electronically controlled Patria 8V132 diesel engine with fully-automatic transmission, 1000 hp (746 kW)
Armament:
1× 105mm Rheinmetall Rh-105-30 rifled gun (with 38 rounds in an autoloader)
1× 7.62 mm KVKK 62 light machine gun, co-axial with the main gun, 4.500 rounds
Remote-controlled weapon station on the turret roof with co-axial…
1× 40 mm M203 automatic grenade launcher with 80 rounds
1× 12.7 mm RSKK 2005 (Browning M2) heavy machine gun with 600 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
The fictional Finnish XA-2000 tank model was a submission for the 2023 “1 Week Group Build” at whatifmodlellers.com – I had tackled a more complex project, but since I knew that the weekends were already blocked and the week in between quite busy, I decided to embark upon a more modest project – also because my usual “building routine” includes a background story and scenic pictures or a model, which take some time beyond the building phase.
I had this project on my agenda for some time, and also had already stashed away the kit, a Meng 1:72 ZTQ-15 light battle tank, a relatively new kit from 2021. The plan was simple: build the ZTQ-15 OOB and just apply a fictional paint scheme, to save time and reduce the risk of unexpected complexities through conversions.
And that’s what happened: the ZTQ-15 went together surprisingly well, with little trouble. Fit is very good, just the attachment points to the sprues are a bit weird, because they reach into gluing surfaces, calling for thorough cleaning. The benefit, though, is that there are no marks on the model’s visible surfaces.
Esp. the turret consists of a zillion small bits and pieces, but if you follow the instructions everything finds its place. Surface detail is also very good, just the weapons in the remote-controlled barbette look somewhat heavy-handed, detail fetishists might want to replace them with something more delicate.
The tracks are also nice; these are IP parts, and a little thick, but each track only consists of four segments (one upper and lower section, plus two very short rounded segments for the drive sprocket and the idler wheel) which are very easy to mount onto the wheels.
The only real change I made to the kit are different side skirts – instead of the OOB parts I implanted parts from a Leopard I tank (Revell kit), which had a similar length and offered thanks to their wavy lower edge, a slightly different look. To change the overall impression away from a PLA/Russian tank I omitted the auxiliary drum barrels on the rear, as well as the log for self-freeing and the protected replacement barrels at the turret’s rear.
Another mod is the open commander’s hatch with a figure; the hatch was a separate piece, so that no cutting was necessary, the figure was puzzled together from torso, arms and head from an 1:72 aftermarket set.
Painting and markings:
The ZTQ-15 was a good canvas to apply a modern Finnish Army camouflage paint scheme, which consists of three colors in a splinter pattern. Reliable information about the tones was not available, though, so I consulted a multitude of pictures of a wide range of vehicles under different light and weather conditions, and I eventually settled for a dirty black, a yellowish light green and a rather bluish dark green. The basic colors I used were Revell 06 (Tar Black, RAL 7021), a mix of 2 parts Humbrol 80 (Grass Green) and 1 part 159 (Khaki Drab), and Humbrol 195 (Chrome Oxide Green, RAL 6020), and in combination they look very good – even though Finnish real-world tanks look lees colorful due to sun-bleached paint.
The pattern was adapted from real Finnish Army T-72 tanks, even though slightly modified to take into account the much bigger turret and the wider hull that covers the tracks. The rubber side skirts and the running surface on the wheels were painted with Revell 09 (Anthracite); the open hatch and the turret interior in Humbrol 41 (Ivory). The commander figure’s suit was painted in an overall olive drab (Revell 46, NATO olive), with a dirty black helmet, light grey gloves and green-grey belts for the weapon holster – with a picture of a real-world Finnish tank commander as benchmark.
The model received a light overall washing with a mix of black ink and umbra and sienna watercolors, the markings/decals were puzzled together. The small Finnish roundels came from a 1:144 Mark I Decals aftermarket sheet (actually for aircraft), the tactical codes on the turret flanks were puzzled together from single, relatively narrow white digits, IIRC from a Roden IS-3 kit’s sheet. This kind of markings is not normally carried on Finnish Army vehicles, but without them, I found the model to look a I bit bleak? The “registration plates” on front and back – normally the only tactical marking on Finnish Army vehicles – came from an IDF Merkava, just trimmed down on their right side and a with a small “P” added to the left to simulate a typical Finnish registration.
As a colorful peacetime detail I added warning stripes on the rear mudguards, composed from a base decal stripe in fluorescent orange with sloping clear-and-yellow stripes on top of that. Looks very good!
The model was sealed overall with matt acrylic varnish and some finishing touches were made, including antennae made from heated black sprue material, glass blocks in the commander und driver cupolas (made with gloss black paint) and various lights (with clear paint over a silver base). Finally, some more mud and dust residue around the running gear was simulated with umbra watercolor.
Well, this build was intended to be completed in a week, but the model itself was already finished in one and a half day! The additional scenic pics with editing took almost the same time, though. However, the simple travesty of a modern Chinese tank into a Finnish Army vehicle went well, the package looks IMHO very plausible. The three-tone splinter cammo even makes it look quite attractive – the idea and building plan worked out well. :D
Group
Buena Fotografía!!! www.flickr.com/groups/2153540@N22/
The theme of this month. "Sculpture". It was a difficulty to me.
And the theme of August. Sensenkyokyo. I pray that is not difficult.
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world, most recently in the 2011 Sendai earthquake disaster in Japan.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
57-0457 is an early C-130A variant--most A-models were retrofitted with the more familiar nose profile of the later C-130 models and four-bladed propellers. It joined the USAF in 1958 and was assigned to the 317th Troop Carrier Wing at Evreaux, France, the unit 57-0457 would spend its entire active-duty career with. In 1971, as the older C-130s began to be relegated to Reserve and ANG units, 57-0457 was assigned to the 926th Tactical Airlift Group (Reserve) at NAS New Orleans, Louisiana. It was assigned to the Reserves until 1988, when it was passed on to the 118th TAW (Tennessee ANG) at Nashville, and retired with that unit in 1990. In 1994, as one of the last remaining A-models left, it was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum.
57-0457 has definitely seen better days: its 1980s-era Europe One tactical camouflage has badly faded, and close inspection of the aircraft shows a great deal of graffiti scratched into its fuselage. Hopefully it will get some TLC soon.
As I had difficulty finding a location with an unobstructed view I missed the arrival of the winner at the finish line by about ten minutes. In case you don't know here are the results:
Geoffrey Ndungu won the Dublin City Marathon for the second year running in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 9 seconds. The time was outside last year's course record time of 2:08.33.
Paul Pollock from Belfast was the first Irish man home in ninth place in 2:16.30, ahead of Sean Hehir who finished in 2:17.50.
Magdalene Mukunzi was the first woman home in a time of 2:30.46 which was outside the course record of 2:26.13. Maria McCambridge was the first Irish woman through the finishing line in 2:35.28.
Luke Jones from Wales won the wheelchair section.
A total of 14,300 people registered for this year's race which was without a major sponsor for the first time in 20 years.
In my original 100strangers project, I tried a few profile shots just for something different. In this newest addition to my project, I thought I would try the profile shot over my shots of him facing me. With a bit of post processing, this was my preference for a number of reasons.
Although he was comfortable talking about his background and about being photographed, I thought there was a certain anonymity that I wanted to give him as I told his story. In the political climate of our country at this time, I feel I owe even more respect for people who have immigrated here looking for work and a better life compared to that of their country of origin. He is Haitian. Although we did not get into a discussion of the circumstances of his moving to the states, I sensed he was looking for a better life. Over the 12 years he has lived here, he has worked to improve his vocational status and continues to aim for higher goals. He said he enjoyed his position at the museum because he gets to talk to a lot of people and has never encountered any confrontation where he had to intervene, other than advising visitors not to touch the exhibits. He was dressed impeccably in a suit and tie and spoke with an ease with the language he has mastered here, although his accent was definitively foreign.
At the time I noticed him, he was "guarding" the entrance to an exhibit that was under construction. As I mentioned, he was not the focus of my original shot, but after I noticed him in the shot, I approached to ask if he was uncomfortable with being in the shot. After he said he was not, and we conversed for a few minutes, I asked if he was willing to participate in my project.
I had some difficulty with the exposure because I didn't want to approach to better meter his skin tone. The white wall distorted the light reading on my limited camera. I apologized when I showed his the shot for the exposure problem.
So I chose to accentuate rather than try to fix the exposure, and after giving it a high key appearance, I posterized it slightly. Your comments on my choices are welcomed since it is a different presentation than most of the stranger shots posted in this group.
He is the 182nd person I have approached to participate in this project. You can see more at 100 strangers. I have also added this to another group, an offshoot of the strangers project at The Human Family.
The true believers neither become so happy with life's successes that they forget Allah, nor do they become so depressed with life's difficulties and failures that they lose hope in Allah. Instead, they trust in His decisions.
Dr. Bilal Philips
His Solitude With Us
"But when He was alone…the twelve asked Him about the parable." [Mark 4:10]
When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted desires, a broken friendship, or a new friendship— when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us. Notice Jesus Christ’s training of the Twelve. It was the disciples, not the crowd outside, who were confused. His disciples constantly asked Him questions, and He constantly explained things to them, but they didn’t understand until after they received the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26). As you journey with God, the only thing He intends to be clear is the way He deals with your soul. The sorrows and difficulties in the lives of others will be absolutely confusing to you. We think we understand another person’s struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives. There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships, and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with Him. Hallelujah, God bless
__________
As I had difficulty finding a location with an unobstructed view I missed the arrival of the winner at the finish line by about ten minutes. In case you don't know here are the results:
Geoffrey Ndungu won the Dublin City Marathon for the second year running in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 9 seconds. The time was outside last year's course record time of 2:08.33.
Paul Pollock from Belfast was the first Irish man home in ninth place in 2:16.30, ahead of Sean Hehir who finished in 2:17.50.
Magdalene Mukunzi was the first woman home in a time of 2:30.46 which was outside the course record of 2:26.13. Maria McCambridge was the first Irish woman through the finishing line in 2:35.28.
Luke Jones from Wales won the wheelchair section.
A total of 14,300 people registered for this year's race which was without a major sponsor for the first time in 20 years.
it has been an emotional, but a very exciting and hopeful week for alot of people after the election. :))) let's stay inspired and believe that anything is indeed possible! ;))) peace and many blessings to everyone!! ^^
"...so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, i still have a dream. it is a dream deeply rooted in the american dream. ...i have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. ...i have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character..."
- martin luther king, jr.
have a great weekend, dear friends! *hugs* xoxo ^-^/
flower fields
carlsbad, ca
2008 apr 12
© woolloomooloo / woolloomooloosky. all rights reserved.
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
Whoever did take this picture was probably aware that 61-2358 was the first C-130E to come off the production line. They would be unaware that it would also be the last C-130E to leave USAF service. 61-2358 entered service as a JC-130E testbed, flying from both Lockheed Georgia at Dobbins AFB and the Air Force Test Center at El Centro, California, where it would remain between 1961 and 1972.
It was then transferred to its intended role, flying with the 172nd Tactical Airlift Group (Mississippi ANG) at Jackson until 1980. 61-2358 then went to the 146th TAW (California ANG) at Van Nuys until 1994, then to the 191st Airlift Group (Michigan ANG) at Selfridge ANGB until 2003, before going to the 189th AW (Arkansas ANG) at Little Rock AFB. Surprisingly, it was transferred back to an active duty unit, the 314th AW--also at Little Rock--in 2007. 61-2358 was finally retired after an incredible 51 years of service in 2012. Because of its unique and long-lasting service, it was decided to preserve 61-2358, and its last flight was to Edwards AFB, California for eventual public display at the Air Force Test Center Museum.
Fittingly enough, this picture looks to have been taken at 61-2358's eventual home, Edwards AFB. It carries the white over bare metal markings usually used by test transports during the 1960s; at the time, the aircraft was still a JC-130. The engines are being run up to taxi; probably the ramp is still down to ward off the heat of the desert.
(Disclaimer: I found this picture among other photos in my dad’s slides. I’m not sure who took them; some of them may be his. If any of these pictures are yours or you know who took them, let me know and I will remove them from Flickr, unless I have permission to let them remain. These photos are historical artifacts, in many cases of aircraft long since gone to the scrapyard, so I feel they deserve to be shared to the public at large—to honor the men and women who flew and maintained them.)
As I had difficulty finding a location with an unobstructed view I missed the arrival of the winner at the finish line by about ten minutes. In case you don't know here are the results:
Geoffrey Ndungu won the Dublin City Marathon for the second year running in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 9 seconds. The time was outside last year's course record time of 2:08.33.
Paul Pollock from Belfast was the first Irish man home in ninth place in 2:16.30, ahead of Sean Hehir who finished in 2:17.50.
Magdalene Mukunzi was the first woman home in a time of 2:30.46 which was outside the course record of 2:26.13. Maria McCambridge was the first Irish woman through the finishing line in 2:35.28.
Luke Jones from Wales won the wheelchair section.
A total of 14,300 people registered for this year's race which was without a major sponsor for the first time in 20 years.