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As this picture makes clear, the store is much more modern that would be expected of one built in the 70s! That's because the store was very comprehensively remodeled and expanded in 2012, turning it from a smaller, grocery-less store into a full-line (extra-large, in fact) Fred Meyer store with everything you'd expect from a brand-new hypermarket.

 

However, even that's over-simplifying the history of this place. The original store was built as a general-merchandise-only Fred Meyer long after they had largely abandoned that format in favor of true hypermarkets, with both grocery and general merchandise, because of an adjacent grocery store, over towards where the garden center is in this picture. That store was built in 1966 as a Lucky store (no clue whether it was affiliated with any of the various grocery chains of that name or something local), and operated under various brands over the years. It's last tenant was Greenwood Market, an upscale grocery store owned by the local Town and Country Markets chain. The two stores coexisted for a while, but I'm sure Fred Meyer was never super happy to be redirecting business to another store, especially with this being one of the last GM-only stores in the chain. Eventually, in the late 2000s, they managed to convince their landlord to kick Greenwood Market out. Of course, that was not without controversy, as the "fancy people" of Greenwood (I'm sure you can tell what I mean there) couldn't bear to lose their higher-end grocery store... Oh well, they're all shopping at the (fairly high end) Fred Meyer these days! Here's Street View showing the little Greenwood Market building; spin around to see the rather odd looking Fred Meyer pre-remodel.

 

But even that's not quite the end of the story! In the mid 2000s, the block to the east was partially redeveloped with fancy new retail and housing developments. Fred Meyer (and/or its landlord) originally wanted to extend this across the street to the Fred Meyer property, completely replacing the two stores and parking lot with new mixed-use buildings of their own, including an all-new (and mostly underground, strangely enough) Fred Meyer store. Here's their conceptual design from the redevelopment attempt. Of course, the late 2000s weren't exactly the best time to propose a large new real estate development, and the plan eventually died, being scaled back into the expanded stand-alone Fred Meyer of today. In today's Seattle housing market, I'm sure they're kicking themselves for cancelling the project, and the store is slowly but surely being surrounded by the mid-rise mixed-use buildings that they had originally proposed. There are at least three similar cancelled mixed-use retail redevelopment proposals I can think of in Seattle... such a missed opportunity, with how scarce housing (and land in general) is in this area these days.

Bethesda expect the Survival Mode update for Fallout 4 to be available on PC pretty soon.

  

bit.ly/21G4MQ6

#21: I didn’t expect to see that

We didn't expected it but when returning from North Ronaldsay the ferry didn't go between the islands but around Sanday so tried to take a few shots as the sea was wild at that time.

2017 Mid-Season Invitational Finals at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 21 May 2017.

Life is all full of expectations. Expectations about some one special, expectations about future, expectations about friends, expectations about job, expectations about ourselves... The list goes on.

 

Found this pretty model in Trivandrum zoo. My 70-300 did a good job for me reaching this guy on top of a big tree.

 

[Press L to view large in black]

From 24-10-09 this pic has the most views in all my photo stream!

When I took the pic I was personally not interested in buying a diesel, in fact I bought a 1.4 petrol TSI in 2014!

 

New GTD has arrived in Stafford!

I also saw a white TSI 160ps similar to this (brand new) being driven away by a lady.

 

GTD 2.0 TDI 3 door 2.0 ltr 6 speed manual Output PS170

Sister car to new GTI was unveiled at the 2009 Leipzig Motor Show - (diesel powered) Golf GTD.

 

The ability to accelerate to 62 mph in 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 136 mph are combined with average fuel consumption of 53.3 mpg and a range in excess of 650 miles on a single tank of fuel to create a hot hatch of the moment. Lessons learned through the creation of the sixth generation GTI are applied to the new GTD. Sharp responses and an agile chassis complement the car’s substantial torque which is available from as low as 1,750 rpm. Powering the new GTD is a refined 2.0-litre (1,968 cc) common rail TDI engine, producing 170 PS and 258 lbs ft of torque. Driving through a six-speed manual or automatic DSG gearbox, this translates to effortless performance with CO2 emissions of just 139 g/km. Maintaining the sharp responses expected of the GTD is suspension lowered by 15 mm when compared to the standard Golf. In addition, Volkswagen’s innovative Adaptive Chassis Control system (ACC), featuring pneumatically controlled damper units, can be specified on the GTD. This allows the driver to select from normal, comfort or sport modes to define the desired suspension, steering and accelerator response settings for any particular journey. The Golf GTD’s appearance will differ significantly from that of the standard Golf’s. It gains the GTI’s honeycomb grille, badge-style and front-end design, though with the addition of chrome rather than red highlights. At the back, full body-coloured bumpers make the GTD appear lower and wider than it really is, while the Golf’s standard wheels are replaced with unique 17-inch ā€˜Seattle Black’ alloys. Inside, the main contact points are unique to the Golf GTD – a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a GTD gearshift and a standard tartan interior. The tartan finish is subtly different from that in the GTI, being grey, white and black, rather than red, white and black. As with the entire Golf range, the new GTD will feature class-leading levels of safety with ABS, ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme) and seven airbags, including for the first time a knee airbag, all standard. The Golf was recently awarded a maximum five-star rating by the EuroNCAP crash testing agency. UK buyers will be able to order a Golf GTD from the end of April 2009.

Statue of St Benedict in the courtyard of the Abbey on Monte Casino

I had my very first maternity session this week. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but really can't wait for warmer weather so I can book sessions outdoors. This particular client was fabulous. She had all her props ready to go before I arrived, and was even willing to hop up on a bureau (she teaches dance, so she's pretty agile for a mom-to-be) to make use of the light coming in the window. Her house was extremely dark, but it was just too cold to take the show outside. Thank goodness for my new speedlight and Photoshop! :)

from Tim Robertson

Jun 15, 2014

Dear Friends and Family,

 

Last Saturday I found myself playing the role of fake teacher. I can now see the humor of the situation but it was not an experience that I had expected. I suppose I should have seen it coming the evening before, when my supervisor from the Office of Foreign Affairs invited me and my colleague out to dinner with some of her friends - the first time this has happened since I began teaching on the old campus. She began the occasion by giving us both a gift and then proceeded to apologize for not having done her job adequately in her responsibility toward us foreign teachers. I felt embarrassed for her since giving an explicit apology is quite uncommon in Chinese culture and, although true, it was surprising to hear her admit it. I quickly assured her that she had been very helpful and that she had a very difficult job with complicated situations. I wanted her to feel I was very sympathetic toward her so that she would be more inclined to get my papers filed and completed for my new job. I needed all the help I could get and I was desperate to use whatever leverage I had to move the process forward as best I could. Was this the answer to my prayers?

 

Midway through the elaborate dinner Greg and I were asked to help her friends to start a new English language school to prepare local high school graduates to attend college abroad. This was the real purpose of the invitation and by that time we had no choice but to agree to their request to help them recruit students and their parents. As it turned, out the next day the official college entrance exam (the infamous gaokou) was being held at local high schools so Greg and I were taken to various schools to pose as teachers for this new business. While there, I learned that I was not to identify myself as a teacher at the local college, since it would be illegal for us to work at a private school, not to mention a violation of our contract. We were just supposed to stand next to the local recruiters and lend a white face to provide prestige and credibility for a school that we knew nothing about. I don’t know how successful they were in signing up students but we went out in the morning and afternoon and were paid for our ā€œservicesā€. We were both relieved to find out that our participation was not needed on Sunday.

 

Hiring foreigners to pose as fake associates in a business is quite common in China (see link below) but it is was never something I aspired to do. In the past I have helped to give publicity for a local training school where I was actually teaching classes, and I expected that I would be doing somewhat the same this time as well. But the main motivation for me to accept was to curry favor with the college liaison in order to give her a personal reason to do her job on my behalf. She has been quite uncooperative and irritated with my frequent requests that she get the documents that are required by the system for this process to be completed. I am hoping she will be able to get the last document that I need to renew my resident visa, and then get a two week visitor visa to provide enough time for the process to be completed. This last official document should have been given to me a month ago but for political reasons too complicated for me to understand or explain, I will not get it until five days before my contract and resident permit expire. That is why I will need the additional two weeks to send the papers to Liaoning province, in order get my new Foreign Expert Certificate and resident permit.

 

Each of the ten documents so far have needed to be written, translated, signed and stamped by a different person, so it has been a real education for me to find my way through the bureaucracy without offending and irritating too many people by my persistence. If I do not get the last two documents all will be for naught and I will have leave the country in order to get a new entry visa, which can be quite expensive, time consuming and complicated. This is an education for me to see what Chinese must do on a regular basis and it illustrates the need to trade favors and use connections to get even simple things done. Being an outsider (non-Chinese) with no real connections or political influence, I am constantly bumping up against the inertia and indifference of officials who got their positions through family members in the party and feel no need to do anything to earn their salary. In fact, most of the time it is safer to do nothing so as to avoid irritating a superior or losing face by helping the wrong sort of people – like me.

 

This next week I will be doing final exams with each of my students by conducting an informal five minute discussion. It is challenging for me to ask different questions of each student based on their choice of one of the four movies we have used this semester. These students are masters at memorizing answers to questions if they know them ahead of time and, of course, they are expected to tell their classmates the questions that I have asked them. I find it difficult to evaluate their oral language skills objectively and consistently, especially when I am tired by doing so many within a limited time frame. My consolation is that I feel that I am getting better each time I do it, but I am keenly aware of my limitations. I also feel that I am responsible for their progress even though I have them for a total of an hour and a half each week, which is totally inadequate. But I do the best to work within the system, because, as my students often remind me, it may not be a good system, but it is the only one we have. So I feel compassion for them considering the system that they have work with and the disadvantages they have in this area of China.

 

Tonight I will go to my last English Corner and try to find something interesting to discuss. One of the recurring questions has been, ā€œWhy did you decide to come to work here?ā€ This reflects the response to my question, ā€œWhat is you biggest disappointment in life.ā€ The most common response being, ā€œhaving attend this college.ā€ Anhui has the reputation of being the poorest province in China and has even been called ā€œthe Appalachia of China.ā€ So it is understandable that they would want to know why I would want to teach at this college, which is in the poorest, most remote part of the province. They find it surprising when I say I like it here, but aside from it being true, I could hardly respond by showing lack of respect for the local conditions. I do like the students very much but many of them lack the motivation to study hard and do as little as possible. Perhaps this is true of a certain percentage of college students anywhere, but the standards here are dis-hearteningly low, with little incentive, since most everyone passes their classes no matter what.

 

To illustrate this point, I asked a graduating senior that I have gotten to know quite well and is known as a good student, ā€œDid you download your senior thesis from the internet?ā€ He became quite irritated at my question but not for the reason that I had expected. His response, ā€œOf course I did, because 99% of all senior theses at this school are from the internet.ā€ After looking over and reading his thesis, I was struck by how my research papers in high school had higher requirements, and that was before computers or the internet when I actually had to read books and type it on a manual typewriter with footnotes and bibliography. This was the only research paper required of these students in their four years of college. So it is easy for me to get cynical and feel I am part of a diploma mill as a fake teacher. But I take it as a challenge to give more than required and more than is expected out of concern for them as individual students and out of my desire to represent my Lord. Perhaps too out of a desire to feel that I am making a difference in their lives and they will remember and appreciate my efforts. Perhaps this illustrates my own overgrown ego to think I am doing something important and of eternal value.

 

Last week I went on a long bike ride with another foreign English teacher who is teaching at a local high school before returning to Iowa to begin her master’s degree. I took her on a ride I had made before, but this happened to be in the middle of the wheat harvest so the concrete road on top of the levee was covered most of the way with wheat stalks that were drying from the heavy rain a couple days before. As vehicles passed over them, the grain was loosened and would later be separated from the straw and the chaff. This is a normal part of the wheat harvest although it is technically illegal to use the road for drying and threshing of crops, but universally ignored. Perhaps we were of some assistance to the farmers as we rode on top of the wheat stalks, but it certainly took more effort and we often had to stop and manually remove the straw that had gotten wrapped around the gears and jammed the gear shift mechanism. This is an example of how the experience of riding over the same route can be completely different depending on the season and the activities of the local farmers. This week my allergies were activated by the smoke from burning straw in the fields - also illegal.

 

About a month ago I took a long ride with a couple of students and the fluff from the cottonwood trees was so thick in the air it seemed like a snow fall in mid-May. It was particularly enchanting because the ā€œsnowflakesā€ did not actually fall, but drifted on the breeze as far as the eye could see. I had to remember to close my mouth as I rode so as not to inhale the minute fibers causing me to stop from time to time to cough and clear out my throat. We paused to sit along the river bank in front of a local god house which had heaps of blown-up fire crackers and piles of ashes from the burnt incense. The door was locked but I could peer into the gloom and make out the three ancient ancestral gods of the village and three Buddhist images which seemed to have been recently added. It is always striking to me that one never sees a single image; there are always at least three versions of the main figure, and usually many more on the side, often stacked on top of each other. Like Lays potato chips you can never have just one, and the more the better, often numbering in the hundreds or thousands, like wallpaper. Such is the inflation factor of idolatry. One idol is clearly not adequate to represent a deity, but the more you have, the less the value. There is always a need for more, ad infinitum. So they have to build another temple and the process starts all over again, with many temples in a complex, and others under construction. Maybe it shows that they know the gods are fake too.

 

There is a small Buddhist nunnery a short distance from my apartment which I have visited on occasion. At present it is hard to find because it is in the middle of a massive construction site about a square kilometer. When I first arrived the area looked like a bombed out section of Berlin after WW2, covered with heaps of rubble and debris from demolished buildings except for the temple. Now, about 18 months later there are about a dozen high-rise apartment buildings rising out of the ground like erupting teeth in a toddler’s mouth. The work continues seven days a week and would be remarkable except this is going on all round the city and into the country side surrounded by farmer’s fields. This too would be remarkable except for the fact that this is going on all over China in every city and town, with no end in sight. ā€œAnd now the day has come, soon he will be released, Glory Hallelujah! We’re building, building, building the perfect beast.ā€ (Don Henley, 1984, Album: Building the Perfect Beast)

 

I have several good job offers to teach English in China so if you know anyone who is interested, I will be glad to send the job information and contact with a recruiter who will be happy to send a contract to start teaching in September.

 

Please pray during the next two weeks that all the paper work will be done on time and as I move to Dalian (more about that next time).

Thank God, he is in control!

Tim

 

Article on Fake executives: www.cnbc.com/id/37759560

Article on ā€œnaked officialsā€: qz.com/218369/beijing-is-having-a-hard-time-convincing-of...

 

= = =

 

Surprise!

 

May 12, 2014

 

Dear Friends and Family,

 

Today I am thankful that I could take a shower, do laundry, wash dishes and flush the toilet again. Yesterday, instead of writing this letter as I planned I focused my attention and energy on getting the water turned back on to the foreign teacher apartment building and, thankfully I was successful. This saga begins about a month ago when I noticed an official looking message posted on my door. Being illiterate but curious, I asked a student to tell me what it was about. That is how I found out that the school had not paid the water bill and this was a warning that the water was about to be turned off. Fearing the worst I took down the paper and brought it to the foreign affairs office to see what should be done. The liaison officer told me not to worry, that it was no problem and it would be taken care of. So, having received these assurances I did not think much was amiss when there was no water this past Friday.

   

After a few hours I was informed by Greg, my upstairs colleague from the UK , that the water had been turned off due to non-payment by the college. So, at least they knew about the problem and it would be soon be resolved, I assumed. On Saturday morning I began to realize that all was not going as I’d hoped, so I began to send text messages and make phone calls, but got no response until around noon. We were told to go buy drinking water in the store, but that was not very practical for other necessities. Since I was going through a bout of intestinal difficulty, I was about to go down to the river next to my apartment and get a bucket of water to flush with. Eventually I got a return call telling me to meet a student who would take me to the appropriate office close by to make the payment and get the water turned on again. After an awkward discussion, several more phone calls, and my insistence that the water be turned back on to all of the apartments in the building, and not just my own, they told me it was the weekend but it would be done in an hour. After two hours I called again and was told that the man was waiting for the rain stop. Eventually, around 4:00 pm the valve was turned back on. Fortunately, I keep my bottles of boiled water numbered for just such an emergency.

   

This little vignette is somewhat symbolic of my relationship with my supervisor, whose job is to make sure that all goes according to contract. I am usually the one who goes to bat for the other foreign teachers, which often results in a satisfactory resolution of the problem but also gives me the reputation of a trouble maker and an agitator for change. I figure that if I am persistent, the unjust judge will eventually give me what I need, even if it produces the impression that I do not give proper deference expected by a Party member from an underling, and a foreigner to boot. So it was not a big surprise that the administration decided not to renew my contract for next year (coincidentally I found this out at the same time as I gave her the water bill notice). But perhaps being open about my faith, discussing taboo political topics with students, insisting on following the contract and persistent advocacy for my students were also contributing factors. My contract expires at the end of June, along with my resident permit that allows me to stay in the country. So I will need to leave China during finals week which does not give me a lot of time to finish oral exams, submit grades, pack my stuff and remove it from this apartment to my next location – wherever that may be.

   

When I wrote you last month I was planning on teaching here for another year with the same students that I have this year, so I was disappointed to have to change my plans rather abruptly. My job search via phone, internet and email for the last three weeks has resulted in four solid offers (so far) to sign a contract for next year. At the same time, I have been praying for guidance to lead me to the right place and make the best choice based on the limited information that I can get from various sources in English. As of yesterday, I have made a tentative choice as to which offer to accept and now all I need to do is sign the printed contract, scan it and send it back via email attachment. But I continue to pray for assurance before making a commitment for the next year.

   

This afternoon I am meeting a couple of students who asked to go with me for a long bike ride outside the city. It is somewhat ironic that I will be showing them the places where I have already gone but they have not yet ventured. Fortunately the steady rain of yesterday has given way to sunshine and a cool breeze. After that I will meet a man downtown, who has asked me to teach some of his students in an English school that he has recently started. I will see if his schedule will coincide with mine. It is another chance for me to learn by experience in a new setting and earn some pocket money. The opportunities that come my way are surprising and often don’t last very long for various reasons. So I hate to turn down the chance to try something new and challenging to my teaching abilities and add to my previous experience. Unfortunately I have only a few weeks left here to explore the possibilities.

   

At English Corner on Thursday I met several students from my class last year and invited them to come over to my apartment for a spaghetti dinner this evening. The students are always eager to try some American style food and ā€œItalian noodlesā€ are close enough to what they normally eat. I can buy the imported spaghetti and sauce at the local Walmart and cook it in my small kitchen with other local ingredients to make a reasonable facsimile. I only wish I could find Romano or Parmesan cheese to go with it since the supply that I brought back with me from the US has been consumed on previous occasions. I can fit 4 or 5 guests around my coffee table in the sitting room/office where I can play music from my computer and speakers in order to enjoy the friendship they have offered me. The students and teachers I have invited are always very gracious and complimentary toward my efforts at cooking since it is unusual for a man (and a teacher) to offer this sort of hospitality. They also enjoy looking around my apartment and relaxing in my back yard in the hammock among the palm trees and bamboo. Since the weather was great we ate outside until the darkness and bugs drove us back inside.

   

Now that I am facing a new future, I am eager to make the change to see other parts of China with different culture, climate and people. Perhaps I have become too comfortable and complacent here and I need to stretch my faith in God’s provision for me. I have chafed under the oppressive atmosphere at this college and I am hopeful that in time I will see his purpose in taking me through this valley. To paraphrase Paul in 2Cor 8-10: ā€œI want you to be aware of the hardships I have suffered in this province in Asia. I was under such great pressure that at times I had lost hope. In fact I felt in my heart a sentence of death. But this happened so that I would not rely on my own strength, but on the Resurrection and the Life. He has delivered me from this hopeless situation and he will continue to deliver me. I have set my hope on his promise to keep on delivering me.ā€ Hallelujah! God willing, I will go to the city of Hangzhou in September and spend the next year there teaching English, earning my salary and sowing seeds. (James 4:13-15) More on that next time.

   

I am finishing my series of classes on the movie Titanic. It has provided me an opportunity to point out many expressions of faith in the plot, dialogue and the music. For example, when Jack says ā€œI am on God’s good humor.ā€ I interpret that as an expression of his reliance of God’s provision for the future. When he says ā€œLife is a gift and I don’t plan on wasting it,ā€ it indicates that God is the giver of life and we have a responsibility to ā€œmake it countā€ for him. The popular theme song also expresses faith in an afterlife. ā€œThere’s nothing I fear, I believe that the heart does go on.ā€ Faith is also expressed in the church service on the last day before the sinking and in the prayer of the priest as he quotes from Revelation and looks forward to ā€œa new heaven and a new earth.ā€ Jack can also be seen as a savior since he gives up his life for Rose and she says, ā€œBut now you know that there was a man named Jack Dawson and that he saved me in every way that a person can be saved.ā€ There is also an example of lack of faith when Cal says, ā€œGod himself cannot sink this ship.ā€ Director James Cameron has said he intended to depict the end of the world in microcosm. While not exactly the gospel, these offer an opportunity to discuss religious topics in class to students who have been indoctrinated with atheism. I pray that from such small seeds, faith can grow.

   

The influence and popularity of American culture is evident everywhere and hard to miss. From the never ending basketball games that occupy the fourteen courts and backboards that I see every day on my way to classes, to the popularity of faded jeans and tee-shirts emblazoned with fake designer brand names and other random English words. I am the only one on campus who wears shirts and hats with Chinese characters on them. That fits my status as a foreigner trying to honor the host culture that has shifted dramatically in the past couple of decades. Many of my students have watched more American TV shows and movies than I have (since they are freely available to download from the internet), and they know the characters names and personalities too. (Curiously, the most popular line from Titanic in China, which I frequently hear is, ā€œYou jump, I jump.ā€ In the U.S. it is ā€œI’m the king of the world!ā€) When I ask students what their dreams are, the most common response is, to go to America to study, or just to see places they have seen on their video screens. One of my quirks is to try to decipher the English words and letters printed on clothing since it is somewhat altered from the original, either intentionally or in error. Often the words and letters seem to be chosen without rhyme or reason. Most Chinese have no idea what the English words mean, just as many Americans have no idea what the Chinese characters say on their clothes and accessories. So are these people victims of fashion or willing participants in a bizarre cosmic joke? Either way, it brings a smile to my face.

   

Last month I mentioned that my mother’s has cancer is no longer treatable after over 20 years of successful treatment and she is expected to live only few more weeks. I had accepted that I may not see her again in this life, but since then she has regained some strength and I am hopeful that I will be able to see her after finishing this semester. I am still exploring options for how to spend the two months of July and August between spring and fall semester. I am open to suggestions and offers of hospitality. Perhaps this is a time to try to reconnect with members of my family whom I have not seen for many years.

   

Thank-you for praying with me,

 

Tim

  

= = =

On Saturday, April 12, 2014 2:15 PM, "robertsontim66@gmail.com" wrote:

 

Dear Friends and Family,

 

I am have been experiencing internet connection problems for several days so I am not sure when I will be able to send this off, but as always, I do what I can and hope for the best.

 

Now that I have started my second year, classes are easier because I am able to reuse some of the lesson material that I created last year. I have to adapt them to my students on this campus who have lower English skills and don’t seem to be quite as motivated, but I enjoy the challenge. My students have become somewhat accustomed to my unorthodox teaching methods and my expectations of them. After many weeks I have gotten them to put away their mobile phones, and text books, and take notes in a notebook. That is the bargain I have struck with them, since they would much prefer using American movies as a source of dialogue than using their text, which is designed to teach British English to students in the UK. I have just finished a three week series using the Disney/Pixar video of Brave, which focuses on a mother daughter relationship and whether to follow tradition. Since 90% of my classes are made up of young women who are the first in their families to go to college, this is something they can all relate to on a personal level.

 

Next week I plan on starting a series on Titanic since it is a popular movie in China and many of the students have already seen it. Hopefully the level of difficulty will not be too high but I feel it is better to use real actors than animated characters, which I have used so far. I also choose popular songs to go with the plot of the stories from ones they have requested and written down for me in the attendance book that I pass around for them to mark. It usually takes three times before they feel ready to sing along, but repetition and review is part of the learning process. I also use short video clips of OMG!Meiyu that are produced by Voice of America and teach authentic language used by young people in American pop culture. The slang, idioms, and figures of speech are presented by a cute young American named Bai Jie (Jessica Beinecke) who speaks fluent Mandarin and has a large following on Weibo - the Chinese version of Facebook/Twitter. She is much more attractive and interesting to watch than me, so I use a couple of her three minute videos each week to help explain expressions related to the dialogue from the movie. I also find pictures and use music videos on the internet to help illustrate new concepts and settings. The combination of multi-media helps to produces images, sounds and scenarios so that I do a minimum of explaining and oral instruction. In addition, I make a list of new words and idioms from the script that I put up on the screen for them to write in their notebooks, along with the slang expressions, which I write on the chalk board.

 

After I show selected scenes from the movie with subtitles, and have them read the parts from the script (which I transcribe and project onto the screen) in groups. I then ask some of them to perform it in front of the class from a printed copy of the script, while the rest read along from the screen. In this way, they go over the same material three times. The visual images, pronunciation, context and plot are much better in communicating the meaning of the language than a textbook or a lecture on grammar or traditional memorization. This technique allows me to engage all of the students in the class all of the time without intimidation or embarrassment, since ā€œlosing faceā€ is such a huge deterrent for them to speak up in class. I usually end the class by drawing parallels between the characters and situations in the movie to China and the students themselves. Thus, they learn English as well as how we share many things in common on a cultural and personal level. I teach each lesson eight times but I have to adapt and modify it each time according to how the students respond. By the end of the week I have the bugs worked out so that I can move seamlessly between the various programs and media in the right order and within the given time frame. The many hours spend preparing, finding and downloading pay off with greater enthusiasm and participation in the classroom.

 

I have started wearing short sleeved shirts as the weather warms and the bright green of new leaves appear on the various kinds of trees, especially the gingko and the dawn redwoods. The cherry blossoms are out and leaves are emerging on the bamboo and palm trees that I planted in my back patio area. I have strung up the hammock (that I bought in Qingdao last summer) between a tree and the concrete wall. I find it a relaxing way to end the day gazing up at the birds, moon and stars as they make their way through the tree branches in the evening. I listen to music with headphones or play my harmonica while tugging on a wire to keep swaying gently in the evening breeze. This reminds me of the many hours that I spent reading and relaxing at my home in the jungles of Peru many years ago, although I do miss the grand sweep of the Milky Way visible in the southern hemisphere.

 

The weather is also ideal for long rides out into the country side where the winter wheat is over a foot tall and the yellow rape seed is blooming in the fields and garden plots. The birds are singing to their mates, especially the black and white magpies which are as big as ravens and build onto their huge nests each year in the tops of the cottonwood trees. The air is full of the drifting fluff from the ever present cotton woods which is the primary tree planted for wood. On a recent ride I stopped to watch some men and women operating a large lathe to peel sheets off the logs, which are then cut put on racks in the yard to dry in the sun before being trucked off to be laminated. I was impressed at how much human labor was used and how small the logs were – usually less than a foot in diameter. The operators were happy to let me ride around and watch them at work, and even offered me a smoke. It was the first time I had observed this process although I have often seen the machinery and products along the road from a train or bus window. The physical exercise and the peaceful landscape, crowded with farms and villages give me a chance to see new aspects of life in this area which are good for body, heart and mind.

 

I have been gradually broadening my range of dishes that I can cook in my rudimentary kitchen equipped with only a hotplate, a microwave oven, a rice steamer and an electric tea kettle. As a result, I am finding it harder to shed the extra weight I gained during the winter when I spent many days without physical activity due to the weather and my travel itinerary. Perhaps I am also burning less calories in nervous energy that inevitably came with adapting to a new culture, profession and lifestyle. It seems I am continually moving around the cycle of tension, frustration, cynicism and complacency as a result of trying to solve various problems. I have learned to value the small progress in various areas from the classroom to my apartment and add to my knowledge of this strange and fascinating place called China. For instance, after eight months living in this apartment I was finally able to get my toilet bolted down to the floor. Now if it would only flush properly, stop flushing and refill the tank automatically! Each small victory encourages me to keep pushing for improvements on a personal or professional level. Although it does not seem like much, over time it adds up to significant progress.

 

Another interest I have is in teaching at a local pre-school one afternoon each week. I have finally realized that kids of this age are not impressed with technology and I have switched my focus to high touch. When I enter the room I go around to shake hands and greet them individually. At first, many were reluctant to extend their hands to me, but now they approach me and shake enthusiastically. When I leave at the end of class, I am surrounded by a crowd of three foot tall minions asking to shake hands and get a hug. Breaking the physical barrier also encourages them to speak and sing and dance with me even without the music and video on screen. Since most of my college students had never met or talked with a foreigner until my class, it is encouraging to see how quickly and easily three, four and five year-old children have adapted to me as their teacher – often, faster than college students. In China the old ways change very slowly but once the change has come on a personal level of experience, there is no going back. Building up familiarity, respect and credibility takes much time and effort, but it is the only way to open minds and hearts. In the same way I swing back and forth between empathy and impatience with my students and the pace of learning in the classroom, but the progress is evident and inevitable if I do not grow weary and lose heart.

 

There are many pleasant elements to life on campus, like the strains of instrumental melodies leaking out of the music building close to my apartment, and the family of feral cats that I feed on my back patio. (Thanks to Greg, my upstairs neighbor who buys their food.) They have gotten used to me giving them food and water, hanging up my laundry and hanging out in my hammock. So much so, that if I do not close my door, some of them will venture inside looking for more food. Somewhat less enjoyable is the chanting that comes from athletic field and vocal warm-ups of voice lessons starting around 6:00. I have gotten used to the frequent honking and the sound of fireworks going off at all times of the day or night. The students’ attire is also changing with the seasons and I am becoming accustomed to seeing short girls in high heels and short skirts with long straight black hair. They enjoy shopping for the latest fashions in the stalls and street markets as well as the large department stores. So, they are more attractively and fashionably dressed than us fashion-challenged foreign teachers. To compensate, I try to wear a different hat to class each week to go along with the lesson – another visual aid.

 

Along with these bright spots comes news of my mother who has recently returned home from the hospital and has been put on hospice care. The medications that she has been taking for the last twenty-five years are no longer effective and the cancer has spread from her breast to her lungs, diaphragm and liver. Unfortunately the cancer meds have also lowered her resistance to infection resulting in her stay at the hospital and taking high dosages of antibiotics. Her doctor estimates that she may have only two months left. I am trying to decide if I should return to Michigan to see her one last time, or for the funeral - as I did for my father about 18 months ago. I knew that when I visited her in early February that it might be the last time that I would see her. My oldest sister and her husband are there to help with another sister coming later from Canada to provide in-home care. The college administration has given me permission to go but I do not look forward to the time and rigors of travelling 10,000 miles there and back again, not to mention the costs. My younger sister has just begun to teach at an adult English training school in Shanghai and my older brother will soon be leaving for a job in Africa, but there will be many other family members who will be able to be there. So I am waiting to see what I should do and asking God for wisdom and guidance.

 

I hope you will pray along with me in this and many other matters that I face.

Looking forward to the resurrection,

Tim

 

= = =

Tim Robertson's posts about his time as an English teacher in Anhui at the Fuyang Teachers College are uploaded at: www.flickr.com/photos/ray_mahoney/9114089397/in/photostream, www.flickr.com/photos/ray_mahoney/8302698850/in/photostream, www.flickr.com/photos/ray_mahoney/14217075257/in/photostream; www.flickr.com/photos/ray_mahoney/9012874492/

i am so blessed to have the both of them! i've never been happier! <3

expectant mother

Photographe pour femmes enceintes, bƩbƩ et famille sur toulouse et le sud ouest de la France.

Cette photo est la propriƩtƩ de Jenny'S, toute reproduction, copie, modification ou autre autre est interdite sans mon autorisation. Merci

Heres information about central florida broadcast stations

 

Broadcast Tower,WFTT-TV is the Telefutura affiliate for Tampa Bay, owned by Univision and operated by Entravision, owners of WVEA-TV. The station, which broadcasts on UHF channel 50, is based at WVEA's studios on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa, and transmits from Riverview. WFTT can be seen on cable throughout the Bay Area on Bright House channel 5, and on Comcast in Sarasota County on channel 23.

 

With the completion of the 442.550 repeater in Riverview at 805ft in January, the western pointing antenna on the 442.825 repeater caused a expected overlap that was unnecessary. Since 442.550 now blankets Hillsborough County, we have as of April 11th taken the antenna off the west leg of the Pebbledale tower site at 800ft and moved it to the east leg of the tower. What does mean for users? The tower has a 7 foot wide face, which creates a null that is created behind the antenna. This null used to face a huge portion of Polk County. By moving this antenna to the east, the null is now facing essentially Brandon/Riverview, where 442.550 is now located at 805ft. So far we have gotten incredible results from users in eastern Polk County. Some users in Sebring reporting almost full scale signal, and mobile users with hand helds on 27 at 5 watts can use 442.825 now. None of this was previously possible. So with this move, expect to hear more Polk, Osceola and I-4 corridor area users making it into the network.

 

A nother tower WVEA (channel 62) is Tampa Bay, Florida's first Spanish-language TV station, which had its start in the early-1980s as low-powered W50AC ch.50, which offered programming from the Spanish International Network (SIN), the forerunner of today's Univision. In 1988, to make way for new HSN flagship WBHS (now WFTT-TV), the station relocated to channel 61 and became W61BL. In the mid-1990s, the station was re-called "WVEA-LP". In 2000, WVEA's parent company, Entravision, acquired Sarasota English independent WBSV channel 62, with the intent of moving the transmitter from Venice to the antenna farm at Riverview. WBSV signed on May 3, 1991 as the Sarasota area's own independent station, designed to compete against WWSB and the other stations in the Tampa Bay and nearby Ft. Myers markets. Licensed to Venice, Florida the call letters stood for Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, the three cities it primarily served. WBSV had a variety of syndicated and local programming, plus infomercials and home shopping programs. early on, they also had its own newscast. But, WBSV was eternally in red ink, and relied more on home shopping and infomercials to keep the station afloat....

 

And then,WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsdiary of the News Corporation. WTVT's studios are located in Tampa, and its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida.

 

Overall the WUSF (89.7 FM) is an NPR-member radio station licensed to Tampa, Florida, USA. The station is currently owned by the University of South Florida. WUSF signed on in 1963, seven years after USF's founding in 1956.

 

WOPX channel 56 is a television station based in Orlando, Florida, USA. An affiliate of the ION Television network, it transmits its analog signal on UHF channel 56 and its digital signal on UHF channel 48, both from a transmitter located near Holopaw. The station signed on the air in 1986.

 

WIWA (1160 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish language Christian format. Licensed to St. Cloud, Florida, USA, it serves the greater Orlando area. The station is currently owned by Centro De La Familia Cristiana Inc.

 

WAFZ-FM (92.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Immokalee, Florida, USA, the station is currently owned by Glades Media Company LLC. WAFZ's programming is also heard on WAFZ AM 1490 in Immokalee.

 

WTVY or WTVY News 4 is a CBS-affiliated television station broadcasting on channel 4 in Dothan, Alabama, owned by Gray Television. The station's signal, originating from a transmitter in Holmes County, Florida, reaches large portions of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. WTVY is also the designated CBS affiliate for the Panama City, Florida market, where Gray also owns that city's NBC affiliate, WJHG-TV. In exchange, WJHG is available in Dothan on cable since Dothan does not have its own NBC affiliate. In fact, WTVY's transmitter is located within the Panama City market. WTVY-DT uses digital subchannels to operate MyNetworkTV affiliate My 4 and CW affiliate Dothan's CW.

 

WJED (91.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Dogwood Lakes Estate, Florida, USA. The station is currently owned by Bethany Bible College.

 

WTVJ, channel 6, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station for South Florida, licensed to Miami. Its analog transmitter is located in Redland. The station's digital transmitter is located near Dolphin Stadium in north Miami-Dade County. Owned by NBC Universal, the station is sister to South Florida's Telemundo owned-and-operated station, WSCV. The two share studios at Peacock Plaza in Miramar.

 

WOIR (1430 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish News/Talk format. Licensed to Homestead, Florida, USA, the station serves the Miami area. The station is currently owned by Amanecer Christian Network, Inc..

 

WTLH is a Fox television affiliate licensed to Bainbridge, Georgia and serves the Tallahassee, Florida television market. It broadcasts its analog signal on UHF channel 49 and its digital signal on UHF channel 50. The station began operations on November 25, 1989. Its transmitter is located in Metcalf, Georgia. The Station is owned by CP Media, LLC. The station runs a duopoly with WFXU, The CW station in Tallahassee. WTLH programming is also seen on a low-powered, Class-A repeater, WBVJ-LP channel 35 in Valdosta.

 

WTXL-TV is the ABC affiliate station for Tallahassee, Florida, Thomasville, Georgia, and Valdosta, Georgia, broadcasting on channel 27. The station is owned by Calkins Media, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based mass media company that owns several small newspapers in Pennsylvania and two other television stations: WWSB in Sarasota and WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama. It was previously owned by Media Ventures Management, and operated by the Sinclair Broadcast Group pursuant to an outsourcing agreement (See: [1]), the first of its kind in the United States. This agreement merged virtually all of WTXL-TV's operations with that of Sinclair's NBC affiliate WTWC. Denis LeClair, General Manager of WTXL-TV and WBXT-TV at the time, was made General Manager for WTXL, WBXT and WTWC under this agreement. He would be followed by Chris Butterick and then Bob Franklin. Eventually, Kim Urbuteit (who was fired in May, 2007) would be named General Manager of WTXL only as Bob Franklin (now in Mobile, AL) oversaw WTWC. Gary Wordlaw is the current General Manager of WTXL-TV.

 

WFSU is the callsign (or variations thereon) for public radio stations operated by Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. WFSU also operates 3 radio stations that serve northern Florida: * WFSU-FM 88.9 FM: Tallahassee-based news/talk/public affairs station carrying several NPR programs and overnight BBC World Service programming. Also heard on these low-powered repeaters: * 97.1 - Carrabelle * 106.1 - Marianna * 96.7 - Apalachicola * 93.7 - Downtown Tallahassee (necessary because the main WFSU transmitter must conform its signal to protect WTSU in Troy, Alabama) * WFSQ-FM 91.5 FM: Tallahassee-based classical music station. Also heard on WFSL-FM 90.7 in Thomasville, Georgia, and on low-powered 92.7 FM in the northeast portion of the city of Tallahassee. * WFSW-FM 89.1 FM: Panama City-based news/talk/public affairs station. Offers many of the same programs as WFSU. Also heard on low-powered 91.1 FM in the Port St. Joe area along the Gulf of Mexico, as well as 94.5 FM in Fort Walton Beach.

 

WESH is the NBC affiliate in Orlando, Florida. It is licensed to Daytona Beach, with studio facilities in Winter Park. It transmits its analog signal on VHF channel 2 and its digital signal on VHF channel 11, when viewed over the air PSIP will display 2.1 for WESH DT and 2.2 for WESH Weather Plus. It is currently owned by Hearst-Argyle Television along with the area's CW affiliate, WKCF. WESH's transmitter is located in Orange City, Florida. The tower is the tallest man-made structure in Florida, at 1,740 feet (530 m). The station also serves as the default NBC affiliate for the Gainesville market, and can be seen on the fringes of the Tampa Bay and Jacksonville markets. WESH was the first station in Orlando to carry an on-site RADAR facility, SuperDoppler 2 as opposed to relying on National Weather Service RADARs. It is installed on top of the tower located at the Winter Park broadcast studio. Today it also promotes a VIPIR 3D RADAR system, taking advantage of the fact that the RADARs at Melbourne, Tampa, Jacksonville and Miami can all reach Orlando, in addition to SuperDoppler 2. The primary news anchors at WESH are Martha Sugalski and Jim Payne....

 

WOMX is a radio station located in the Orlando, Florida area and broadcasts at 105.1. WOMX 105.1 plays the "Best MIX of the 80s, 90s and Today," though the station programming focuses mostly on rock and modern rock music from the 90's and 2000's. Every Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., Mix 105.1 presents Friday Night 80's. The "Saturday Night Party MIX" airs every Saturday night from 7 p.m. to midnight. The "Saturday Night Party MIX" replaced the Orlando heritage show "Seventies Saturday Night" in 2005.

 

WOTF-TV Channel 43 is the TeleFutura station serving the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, Florida television market. It is owned by Univision and managed by Entravision which owns Univision affiliate WVEN-TV 26 and radio station WNUE 98.1 FM and offers a Spanish language entertainment format featuring movies, dramas, comedy shows, and kids shows. The studios are located in Altamonte Springs which is also shared by WVEN.

 

WOFL, "Fox 35", is the Fox owned-and-operated television station serving the Orlando, Florida metropolitan area. It is licensed to Orlando, with studios located in Lake Mary. It broadcasts its analog signal on UHF channel 35, and its digital signal on UHF channel 22. Its transmitter is located in Bithlo, Florida. Its Digital TV transmitter has a power of 1,000 kW. Its Analog TV transmitter has a power of 2,570 kW. WOFL and sister station WTVT of the bordering Tampa market commonly share reporters and footage, as other station groups do.

 

WFTV channel 9 is a television station based in Orlando, Florida, affiliated with the ABC network. It transmits its analog signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter located in Bithlo, Florida, and its digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter located in Christmas, Florida. It is owned by Cox Enterprises along with independent station WRDQ TV 27. The primary news anchors at WFTV are Bob Opsahl and Martie Salt. They anchored the main afternoon newscasts from 1984 through 1994, when Ms. Salt transferred to WFTS, a TV station in Tampa (where she was known as "Martie Tucker"). She returned to anchor WFTV's news again with Opsahl in 2003. Opsahl is one of the longest-serving (at one station) local news anchors in Florida. Barbara West, a 20 year veteran at WFTV and the station's medical reporter is paired with Opsahl at 5:30. Marla Weech, a former anchor for WFTV, was paired up with Bob Opsahl during most of Salt's absence. Weech currently works for WKMG. Tom Terry is the "Chief Meteorologist". WFTV's Severe Weather Center 9 includes WFTV's own doppler weather radar station located at Joint Venture TV Tower Bithlo. Its radar has features that are...

 

WRBW-TV is the MyNetworkTV owned and operated station serving the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, Florida television market. It is owned by the Fox Television Stations Group, along with Fox station WOFL Channel 35. Known on-air as "My65", the station offers sitcoms, cartoons, court shows, and talk/reality shows. Its transmitter is located in Christmas, Florida.

 

WNTF (1580 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Bithlo, Florida, USA, it serves the Orlando area. The station is currently owned by Rama Communications, Inc.

 

WBCC is an educational television station serving the Orlando television market. It broadcasts on UHF channel 68, with a digital signal on channel 30. It is one of the Orlando market's PBS member stations. WBCC's digital signal, on channel 30, offers programming from the University of Central Florida (channel 68.2) and BPS-TV from Brevard Public Schools (channel 68.3), in addition to WBCC's standard programming.

 

WRDQ, channel 27, is an independent television station in Orlando, Florida. Its analog transmitter is located in northeastern Osceola County. The station's digital transmitter is located in Christmas. Onwed by Cox Enterprises, WRDQ is sister to ABC affiliate WFTV. The two stations share studios on East South Street in downtown Orlando. WRDQ offers the Retro Television Network on its second digital subchannel. It can also be seen on Bright House digital channel 1028. Syndicated programming on WRDQ includes: South Park, Scrubs, Merv Griffin's Crosswords, Oprah, According to Jim, and George Lopez. The station can be considered an alternate ABC affiliate. As such, it may take on the responsibility of airing ABC programs whenever WFTV may not be able to do so as in a news-related emergency.

 

WXPX is a television station licensed to Bradenton, Florida. Operating on channel 66, it is an ION Television affiliate, owned and operated by ION Media Networks (formerly Paxson Communications), which has owned the station since its founding in 1994. Current programming on WXPX is virtually the same as other ION affiliates -- infomercials throughout the day and during the overnights, plus ION programming in the evenings. WXPX also shows Tampa Bay Lightning hockey, Orlando Magic basketball, some college football and Tampa Bay Rays baseball, though most of these games are in the evenings only, as WXPX tend to reserve non-prime-time hours for infomercials. Rays games air in high definition on WXPX in the 720p format, the same format as FSN Florida, the producers of the games (See: [1]). The only local programming on WXPX is i on Tampa (public affairs) and the aforementioned Rays and Magic games. The station once aired Miccosukee Magazine along with WPXM Miami and WPXP West Palm Beach, but no longer airs the program. (the latter two stations still do, along with WOPX Orlando) WXPX started in 1994 as WFCT, which featured infomercials at all hours under...

 

Wesh News Cast Bay News 9 Cast Weather Channel

Kristina

 

Abernathy

 

Stephanie

 

Abrams

 

Natalie

 

Allen

 

Tetiana

 

Anderson

 

Adam

 

Berg

 

Mike

 

Bettes

 

Vivian

 

Brown

 

Jim

 

Cantore

 

Jennifer

 

Carfagno

 

Kelly

 

Cass

 

Betty

 

Davis

 

Kristin

 

Dodd

 

Jorma

 

Duran

 

Dr Marcus

 

Eriksen

 

Paul

 

Goodloe

 

Ryan

 

Goswick

 

Rich

 

Johnson

 

Bill

 

Keneely

 

Danny

 

Lipford

 

Warren

 

Madden

 

Mark

 

Mancuso

 

Dr Anna

 

Marie

 

Julie

 

Martin

 

Jeff

 

Mielcarz

 

Jarod

 

Miller

 

Nicole

 

Mitchell

 

Samantha

 

Mohr

 

Jeff

 

Morrow

 

Carl

 

Parker

 

Kim

 

Perez

 

Sharon

 

Resultan

 

Kevin

 

Robinson

 

Marshall

 

Seese

 

Mike

 

Seidel

 

Alexandra

 

Steele

 

Heather

 

Tesch

 

Nick

 

Walker

 

Alex

 

Wallace

Dr Steve Lyons

 

Dr Greg Forbes

 

Dr Heidi Cullen

 

Stu Ostro

Aixa Diaz (NEWS ANCHORS

Jen Holloway

Al Ruechel

Leigh Moody

Erica Riggins

Rick Elmhorst

 

(METEOROLOGISTS)

Mike Clay

Juli Marquez

Josh Linker

Diane Kacmarik

Brian McClure

Alan Winfield

 

(NEWS REPORTERS

Jennifer Anderson

Dalia Dangerfield

Laurie Davison

Melissa Eichman

Samantha Hayes

Chuck Johnson

Troy Kinsey

Jason Lanning

Emily Maza

Carol Minn Vacca

Jonathan Petramala

Josh Rojas

Summer Smith

Kathryn Simmons

Melanie Snow

Melissa Sogegian

Anna Tataris

Ferdinand

Zogbaum

 

(EN ESPANOL

Lydia GuzmƔn

Roy De JesĆŗs

Sandra Pinto

 

Jim Payne

Syan Rhodes

Martha Sugalski

Scott Walker

Eryka Washington

  

Weather:

Jason Brewer

Tony Mainolfi

Malachi Rodgers

Amy Sweezey

 

WESH.com Web Staff:

Jeff Cousins

Managing Editor

Jessica Seeley

   

Washington Reporters:

 

Sally Kidd

Nikole Killion

Laurie Kinney

 

Orlando Sentinel:

Roger Moore

Movie Critic

 

Sports:

 

Pat Clarke

Guy Rawlings

   

Reporters:

Danielle Bellini

Dan Billow

Greg Fox

Bob Kealing

Jeff Lennox

Craig Lucie

Dave McDaniel

Michelle Meredith

Claire Metz

Amanda Ober

Kendra Oestreich

Gail Paschall-Brown

Tim Trudell

Todd Wilson

 

Other Talent:

Jason Chepenik

Financial Analyst

Dr. Todd Husty

Dan McCarthy

Chopper 2 Pilot

Kimberly Williams

Traffic Reporter

This photo - probably taken in the mid 1920s shows the steamer Jap loading timber at the public wharf at Tuncurry. Wright's sawmill can be seen in the background. Forster resident Tina Gogerly has made available the album of photos taken by Lionel Gogerly and collated by her Great Aunt Elsie. Elsie Gogerly grew up and lived her life at Ellerslie property at Whoota in the early 1930s

 

The Jap, a schooner of 200 tons, was built at Failford, NSW, by John Gregory & Son under the supervision of Henry Miles Breckenridge (son of John Breckenridge) for John Breckenridge, sawmiller of Failford. In 1911 she was converted to a steamer in Sydney.

 

Details

Name: JAP - as a schooner 1905 - 1911

Type: three masted schooner with topsails

ON: 121105

Registered Sydney: 33/1905 (July)

Microfilm Reference Reel: Reel C2/10

Length overall: 124.8 ft

Beam: 29.0 ft

Depth: 7.0 ft

Gross tonnage: 200 tons

Builder: John Gregory & Son under supervision of Henry Miles Breckenridge - Failford

Owner: John Breckenridge, Failford

 

Name: JAP - as a steamer 1911 - 1934

Type: Twin screw steamer

ON: 121105

Registered Sydney ON: 121105 18th April 1911; No.11 of 1911

Microfilm Reference Reel: Reel C2/11

Length overall 124.8 ft

Beam 29.0 ft

Depth 7.0 ft

Gross tonnage: 242 tons

Net tonnage: 136 tons

Builder: Messrs Chapman and Co., Druitt St., Sydney, installed the engines, boilers etc. The engines are twin surface condensing engines, nines and eighteens, and are capable of developing up to 250 h.p. The shipwright work, rendered necessary by the alterations, was entrusted to Mr. David Drake, of Balmain, and the joinery work was carried out by Mr. W. Fletcher. The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer - Saturday 20 May 1911

 

Ownership:

Schooner

1905 - 1911 John Breckenridge, Failford

 

Steamer

1911 - 1917 John Breckenridge, Failford

1917 - 1929 John Breckenridge & Sons Ltd, Drummoyne

1930 John Breckenridge & Sons Ltd, Drummoyne (in liquidation)

1930 - 1932 Graham Cecil Harwood Newell & John Raymond Einersen

1933 - 1934 Percy Harwood Newell

1934 Coastal Steamships Ltd.

 

LIFE AS A STEAMER

 

Maiden Voyage

The "new" steamer Jap departed Sydney on her maiden voyage to Failford on 18th May 1911. The anticipation of the crowd was electric: "On Friday morning last (19th May), notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, the quietude of our village was somewhat disturbed by hearing the tooting from several whistles, the mill and steamers evidently having a contest to see which could out-blow the other. Many of our residents not being accustomed to so many whistles at one time concluded that the multiplicity of screeches indicated that the steamship Jap, which had been expected on her maiden voyage, had arrived. This surmise proved correct and the whistling announced her arrival, accorded a welcome to the new ships and in a measure congratulateous to the popular and enterprising owner, Mr. John Breckenridge, on his success.The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer - Saturday 20 May 1911

 

Detailed Description

Prior to conversion she was dependent on the winds for propulsion. After due consideration, the course of conversion into a twin screw steamer was adopted, and the vessel was placed in the hands of Messrs Chapman and Co., Druitt St., Sydney, for the installation of the engines, boilers etc. The engines are twin surface condensing engines, nines and eighteens, and are capable of developing up to 250 h.p. There are two boilers, and two funnels abreast, similarly to those of the s.s. Commonwealth. No expense has been spared in any of the machinery or accessories, nor, it may be said, in any of the reconstructing work. The ship-wright work, rendered necessary by the alterations, was entrusted to Mr. David Drake, of Balmain, and the joinery work was carried out by Mr. W. Fletcher. The alterations effected, otherwise than the installation of boilers and engines, consist of fitting cabins, lockers, lavatories etc., on the same level as the main deck, and cabins and officer's quarters on the upper or promenade deck, and the whole of the work has been carried out on up-to-date lines. She has a roomy, well ventilated saloon, and two state cabins to accommodate eight gentlemen passengers, and four lady passengers respectively below, and a state room on the upper deck, to accommodate four more passengers. The officers’ quarters are also on the upper deck. The promenade deck is roomy and replete with every convenience. The berths on the upper deck are almost ideal; but all are comfortable and as every other modern convenience has been provided the vessel should become very popular. The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer - Saturday 20 May 1911

 

Early Operation

TheJap and the Commonwealth were marketed under the ā€œBreckenridge's Lineā€ with the Jap given over to the Camden Haven trade while the Commonwealth took up the running between Sydney and Cape Hawke. Captain Driscoll, formerly Master of the Commonwealth, was transferred over to the Jap.

 

The Jap traded regularly along the coast for the next ten years with only minor incidents reported. One such rather amusing incident was reported as a regrettable misunderstanding: ā€œThe small steamer Jap was attempting to enter the Heads at 6:30 a.m. yesterday [17th Aug 1914] when a misunderstanding occurred and a shot was fired across her bow from the fort at South Head. The vessel stopped, but she was afterward allowed to proceed up the harbor.ā€ Northern Star (Lismore) - Wed 19 Aug 1914.

 

Ownership transferred to John Breckenridge and Sons Ltd

The company John Breckenridge and Sons Ltd. was formed in 1911 with John Breckenridge as Chairman of Directors and both John Wylie and Henry Miles Breckenridge as Directors. John Breckenridge died in 1917 and in the ownership of the Jap was transferred to the Company in the same year.

 

Collision with ferry Kiamala - 1920

A collision with the ferry Kiamala was to have a lasting impact on the Master, Captain Michael Driscoll). ā€œCertificate Suspended - Captain of Steamer Jap

As a result or the collision between the ferry steamer Kiamala and the steamer Jap off Milson's Point on the night of July 24, the Marine Court (Judge Backhouse, with Captains H. C. Chudleigh and C. W. Davidson as assessors) to-day suspended the certificate of the master of the Jap (Captain Michael Driscoll), for two months, from the date of the accident, and ordered him to pay reasonable costs of the inquiry to the master of the Kiamala.

Mr. Curtis had informed the Court that the captain of the Jap had an unblemished record, and his reputation was of the highest.

Judge Backhouse said that the Court had dealt leniently with Captain Driscoll on account of his excellent record.

If the Court had seen its way not to suspend the certificate, it certainly would have done so.ā€ Evening News - Fri 3 Sep 1920

 

By 1923, Captain Driscoll, who continued as Master of the Jap retired. ā€œCaptain Driscoll, of the steamer Jap, who has been trading on the Camden Haven River for many years, and occasionally visiting the Richmond, has made his last trip, he having retired from the service of John Breckenridge and Sons.ā€ The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser - Tue 5 Jun 1923.

 

By 1928 Jap had virtually ceased trading and the vessel was essentially mothballed. Following financial troubles in 1929 it appears that the Company was put into liquidation and the Jap was put up for sale.

 

Sold to lightering contractors Newell and Einersen

In 1930 the steamer JAP was sold to Graham Cecil Harwood Newell & John Raymond Einersen. ā€œSTEAMER JAP RECOMMISSIONED.

After being laid up at Sydney for a considerable time the steamer Jap has been commissioned. Formerly employed in the timber trade by John Breckenridge Ltd the vessel was recently purchased by Newell and Einersen lightering contractors. Under the command of Captain Coe she sailed for Newcastle yesterday to load coal and is due back at Sydney to day. The Jap is of 246 tons gross and was built in 1905ā€. The Sydney Morning Herald - Saturday 5 July 1930

 

Attempt to Rescue Newton Elm

"NEWTON ELM FIRM ON SAND

The small coastal steamer, Jap, which reached Newcastle late last night, was the first vessel to reach the stranded Newton Elm. Coming down the coast from the Macleay River, a lookout man on the coaster noticed the plight of the larger vessel, Captain W. Benson immediately put in closer to shore to render what assistance he could.

It was 11:30 a.m. on Saturday when the Jap ranged alongside the Newton Elm. A south-easterly wind was blowing, and the sea wash lumpy and rising, Displaying skill and seamanship, the skipper took the Jap as close as possible, and a line was thrown aboard, To this a hawser from the Newton Elm was fastened, and the small Jap attempted to tow the steamer into deeper water. For four and a half hours the Jap stood by. But while thee firemen worked at terrific speed and the little vessel exerted all her strength, she failed to move the stranded steamer." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate - Mon 21 Dec 1931

 

Salvage of Northern Firth - Brush Island

In her new guise as a lighter, the Jap was involved in some interesting tasks. On February 21st 1932 the steamer Northern Firth was wrecked on Brush Island that lies just off Broulee on the South Coast of NSW. Lloyds instructed the Patrick Co., from London, to attempt salvage work and the Jap was sent to the scene to transfer the cargo, which consisted of wine, spirits, canned fruits, jams, beer, maize, syrup, silks and furniture.

 

In 1933 she caused considerable disruption to communications along the NSW North Coast.

ā€œAbout 5 On Friday afternoon word was received at Taree post office that the mast of the steamer Jap, which was proceeding through Coopernook bridge to go up the Lansdowne, had broken about 18 telephone lines which cross the river at this point.

These lines connect Sydney with the whole coast further north right up to Brisbane. It is only last November that the lines were taken from the cable and put across the river. Mr. Coleman, who is in charge of this work at Taree office, and his assistant, Mr. Burgman, at once proceeded go to Coopernook, and it is to their credit that by 10 o'clock the service was restored. The Manning River Times - Wed 21 Jun 1933.

 

Sold to Coastal Steamships Ltd

In September 1933 it was announced that the Jap had been sold. ā€œCoastal Steamships, Ltd. announce that the steamer 'Jap' will commence a weekly service to Taree, Wingham, Coopernook and all parts of the Manning River direct without transhipment, sailing from No. 38 Wharf Darling Harbour, next wharf to James Patrick & Co. Ltd., on Tuesday, 19th September, 1933 and every Tuesday thereafter, weather and circumstances permittingā€. The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer - Fri 15 Sep 1933.

 

Wrecked on the Tuncurry Bar

Her time with Coastal Steamships was brief. In April 1934, loaded with timber, she became stuck on the bar at the entrance to Cape Hawke Harbour while being towed out by the tug Forster. Reports of the day described the scene. ā€œWhen being towed out by the tug Forster on Monday night [2nd April] about ten o’clock, the Coastal Steamship Company’s steamer Jap struck a sand bar just before reaching the outer play. The vessel was proceeding to Sydney and was taken out at the top of high tide. She was carrying a good cargo of timber from the Manning River and this Port. She left the Manning on Friday night half loaded and crossed here on Saturday, completing her loading from the district sawmills on Monday.

After she had been caught end-on, on the bar, it was recognized that the tug could have been no use to her and to save the tug from being pulled into a similar difficulty the tow rope was let go and it was then hoped that the vessel, disabled for the time being, would float off during the next morning or evening, at the latest.

However, within an hour after the mishap occurred, it was found by the master that she was leaking badly and the Pilot Station was signaled to keep a look out for the night in case relief was wanted by the crew.

On Tuesday morning, conditions had not materially improved and though the seas were not high the vessel was leaking badly and towards mid-day the onrushing waters in the openings made in the timbers caused the fires to be extinguished and the crew signalled for immediate assistance, as they had decided to abandon the ship.

With the aid of Mr. James Nicholson’s lobster launch [Hawke], the pilot lifeboat was towed to the disabled ship, and the crew of ten were rescued after some little difficulty, and brought ashore. Mr. Nicholson and his crew are to be commended for the splendid help they rendered and their work was warmly praised by the crew and others who witnessed the heroic rescue of the ships company.

Dungog Chronicle - Friday 6th April 1934

 

With the ship breaking up little could be done. On behalf of the Underwriters' Association, Mr. Bratz, of Porter's sawmills, Tuncurry, received a contract to salvage the cargo. Porter’s log punt, the St. Olive, was used to transfer the cargo and salvage fittings from the wreck.

 

Image Source: Lionel Gogerly, courtesy Tina Gogerly from the Gogerly family album.

 

Acknowledgements. The assistance of Mori Flapan (Mori Flapan boatregister) by providing access to his extensive database is greatly appreciated.

 

All Images in this photostream are Copyright - Great Lakes Manning River Shipping and/or their individual owners as may be stated above and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without prior written approval.

 

GREAT LAKES MANNING RIVER SHIPPING, NSW - Flickr Group --> Alphabetical Boat Index --> Boat builders Index --> Tags List

With up to 150 vehicles registered from all over Europe, previous Lavenham Vintage Volkswagen Shows in Suffolk have been a huge success. Organised by the Historic Volkswagen Club and with assistance from the Split Screen Van Club, expect the 2016 International Vintage Volkswagen Meeting to be an expanded event with greater participation from overseas visitors and the VW trade.

 

The International Vintage Volkswagen Meeting at Lavenham differs from most UK VW shows in two ways. Firstly, it features only stock, un-modified pre-1967 Vintage Volkswagens. Secondly the cars are displayed in a fantastic setting. Surrounded by many timbered buildings, including the famous Guild Hall, Lavenham's picturesque market square in the centre of the village is the setting for a display of the earliest vehicles.

 

Additional displays will be located at Lavenham Hall and in the Sports Arena where the dedicated VW Trade Area and autojumble will also be located, just a short walk from the square and close to the church.

 

Entrance to the Meeting for spectators is free and visitors are invited to have a great day out - wandering around the vintage Volkswagens in the picturesque mediaeval village. It will be a chance to see many of the best early Volkswagens displayed by enthusiasts from around Europe.

foto tomada por CesÔreo Martínez Urbón

Finding the invisible ⚫

 

New Webb data suggests that black holes in the early Universe are growing faster than we expected in early galaxies - and also growing faster than the galaxies that host them.

 

Researchers confirmed an actively growing supermassive black hole within a small, distant galaxy just 570 million years after the Big Bang. You might remember the Little Red Dots (LRDs) that Webb discovered, objects that seemed too big to exist in the early universe and remain a mystery to astronomers. One of these LRDs is called CANUCS-LRD-z8.6 and is the host of this supermassive black hole. Webb’s NIRSpec enabled researchers to observe the faint light from this distant galaxy and detect key spectral features that point to the presence of an accreting black hole.

While relatively small compared to younger galaxies, CANUCS-LRD-z8.6 is the most massive host galaxy known at such an early time, yet its central black hole is even more massive than we would expect. This suggests that black holes may have formed and started growing at an accelerated pace in the early universe, even in relatively small galaxies.

 

This image: This image shows the location of galaxy CANUCS-LRD-z8.6 in galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223, as seen by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). CANUCS-LRD-z8.6 is part of a class of small, very distant and strikingly red galaxies called Little Red Dots (LRDs), which have been spotted in increasing numbers by Webb’s surveys of the early Universe. It is located in the constellation Leo (the Lion), and is seen by Webb just 570 million years after the Big Bang.

 

Read more: esawebb.org/news/weic2522/

 

Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. RihtarŔič (University of Ljubljana, FMF), R. Tripodi (University of Ljubljana, FMF)

 

[Image description: The left side of this visual shows an image of many glowing galaxies in various shapes and colours, including spiral and elliptical galaxies, on a black background. A small box near the top of this image highlights a small collection of galaxies. This box is pulled out to the right side, showing the same area zoomed in to reveal its details up close. This region shows a small circular red galaxy in the centre, which is labelled ā€œCANUCS-LRD-z8.6ā€.]

Long Range Heavy Bomber which first flew in 1952 and is expected to remain in service until 2030.

 

The first specifications for what became the B-52 Stratofortress Strategic Bomber was announced in 1946. The requirement was for a Bomber with a 10,000 mile range and a speed of over 500mph. Boeing originally proposed Piston Engines for the B-52 to achieve this range, but under pressure from the Air Force which wanted the Aircraft to fly as high and fast as possible to deliver Atomic Bombs, the design was eventually modified to incorporate eight Turbojets and swept wings.

 

Production was finally authorised during the Korean War (1950) and the prototype flew in 1952. The total off 744 finally delivered, cost $4,500 million (1961 prises) not including development and operation costs. Since its introduction to service in 1955, the B-52 has been in Front Line Service for over four decades (equivalent to the B-17 still being in service in 1977) the USAF expect to retain 66 Aircraft in service until 2030.

 

Weapons carried by B-52's in the Strategic Role have included early High-Altitude Thermonuclear (hydrogen) Bombs in the 3 to 10 Megaton Range, Parachute-Retarded Bombs for Low-Altitude Attack, Hound Dog and AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missiles for 'Stand-Off Attack'. These different forms of delivery reflected responses to improved Air Defence Systems.

 

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a Long-Range, Subsonic, Jet-Powered Strategic Bomber, designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. it has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950's. The Bomber is capable of carrying up to 70,000lb of Weapons, and has a typical Combat Range of more than 8,800 miles without Aerial Refueling.

 

Beginning with the successful contract bid in June 1946, the B-52 design evolved from a Straight Wing Aircraft powered by six Turboprop Engines to the final prototype 'YB-52' with eight Turbojet Engines and Swept Wings. The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952. Built to carry Nuclear Weapons for Cold War-Era Deterrence Missions, the B-52 Stratofortress replaced the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. A veteran of several wars, and has dropped only Conventional Munitions in Combat. The B-52's official name 'Stratofortress' is rarely used, informally, the Aircraft has become commonly referred to as the ''BUFF'' (Big Ugly Fat Fucker/Fella).

 

The B-52 has been in service with the USAF since 1955, as of June 2019, there are 76 Aircraft in inventory, 58 operated by Active Forces (2nd Bomb Wing and 5th Bomb Wing) 18 by Reserve Forces (307th Bomb Wing) and about 12 in long-term storage at the Davis-Monthan AFB Boneyard. The Bombers flew under the Strategic Air Command (SAC) until it was disestablished in 1992 and its Aircraft absorbed into the Air Combat Command (ACC) in 2010, all B-52 Stratofortresse's were transferred from the ACC to the new Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Superior performance at high subsonic speeds and relatively low operating costs have kept them in service despite the advent of later, more advanced Strategic Bombers, including the Mach 2+ B-58 Hustler, the canceled Mach 3 B-70 Valkyrie, the variable-geometry B-1 Lancer, and the stealth B-2 Spirit. The B-52 completed 60 years of continuous service with its original operator in 2015. After being upgraded between 2013 and 2015, the last Aircraft are expected to serve into the 2030's or possibly beyond.

  

ā–ŖļøŽRole: Strategic Bomber

ā–ŖļøŽNational Origin: United States

ā–ŖļøŽManufacturer: Boeing

ā–ŖļøŽFirst Flight: 15th April 1952

ā–ŖļøŽIntroduction: February 1955

ā–ŖļøŽStatus: In Service

ā–ŖļøŽPrimary Users: United States Air Force / NASA

ā–ŖļøŽProduced: 1952 to 1962

ā–ŖļøŽNumber Built: 744

ā–ŖļøŽCrew: Pilot / Copilot / Weapon Systems Officer / Navigator / Electronic Warfare Officer

ā–ŖļøŽLength: 159ft 4in

ā–ŖļøŽWingspan: 185ft

ā–ŖļøŽHeight: 40ft 8in

ā–ŖļøŽWing Area: 4,000 sq ft

ā–ŖļøŽEmpty Weight: 185,000lb

ā–ŖļøŽGross Weight: 265,000lb

ā–ŖļøŽMaximum Takeoff Weight: 488,000lb

ā–ŖļøŽFuel capacity: 39,948 Imperial gallons

ā–ŖļøŽPowerplant: 8 x Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3/103 Turbofans 17,000 lbf thrust each

ā–ŖļøŽMaximum Speed: 650mph

ā–ŖļøŽCruise Speed: 509mph

ā–ŖļøŽCombat Range: 8,800 miles

ā–ŖļøŽService Ceiling: 50,000ft

ā–ŖļøŽRate of Climb: 6,270 ft/min

ā–ŖļøŽWeapons: 1 x 0.787in M61 Vulcan Cannon originally mounted in a Remote Controlled Tail ā–ŖļøŽTurret on the H-model, removed in 1991 from all Operational Aircraft

ā–ŖļøŽBombs: Approximately 70,000lb mixed Ordnance Bombs / Mines / Missiles in various configurations

ā–ŖļøŽAvionics: Electro-Optical Viewing System that uses Platinum Silicide Forward Looking Infrared and High Resolution Low-Light-Level Television Sensors

ADR-8 Chaff Rocket (1965 to 1970)

LITENING Advanced Targeting System

Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod

IBM AP-101 Computer.

Expecting This Night

Heritage/Ride and Stride weekend was a bit hit and miss, to be expected with COVID, I suppose. But churches next to each other open and closed, or open but with different restrictions or no restrictions.

 

But a 50% open rate wasn't bad.

 

I was last here in January, when mist shrouded St Michael and the view. It looked grim.

 

Fast forward to a sunny September lunchtime, and I arrived with low expectations.

 

A husband and wife team were clearing the summer growth from the path leading to the porch. I stood still until I was noticed by the wife.

 

She smiled.

 

The husband carried on strimming. It was a petrol driven one, and was loud.

 

He stopped, and I saw he had no ear protection and the motor was beside his left ear. I told him to be careful.

 

You sound like my wife, he said.

 

Is the church open, I asked.

 

It is.

 

Can I go in?

 

Of course.

 

We've had a new carpet paid, nice and red.

 

Indeed they had.

 

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This is an enigma! The medieval church, of which the tower with its fine 14th century west window, survives, was destroyed by fire in the late 18th century. The story of the fires is recorded in Hasted`s History of Kent. It was rebuilt by Henry Holland as a classical box with gothic detailing – for instance the vestry lancet – but this was mostly undone by two Victorian restorations which combined to turn the church into a more standard building. The interior is barn like but the fine glass by Barraud and Westlake is all of a date around 1900, though some more recent repairs have been really botched with naĆÆve faces much in evidence. The pulpit is fine work of the Victorian restoration with curving staircase and on the whole nothing jars. It is a building of two periods – each recorded by plaques and boards – and the crumbling ragstone exterior with galletted blocks gives the impression that it is waiting for the next period of change.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Chart+Sutton

 

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

 

CHART SUTTON.

THE next parish southward from Langley is Chart Sutton, or as it should be more properly called, Chart by Sutton, written in Domesday, Certh.

 

THIS PARISH is but small, the lower or southern ridge of Quarry-hills divides the upper and lower parts of it, the latter is in the district of the Weald, where the country is low and flat, abounding with broad hedge rows, filled with large and spreading oaks. It is exceeding wet and miry in winter, the soil being a deep stiff elay. At the foot of the hill there rises a stream, which having turned a mill, flows from thence southward across this parish, till it joins the branch of the Medway just above Herefeed-bridge; on and about the hill the soil consists of the quarry-stone, thinly covered with a loam, being exceedingly fertile for corn, fruit, and hops. Just above the summit of the hill is the village and church, with Chart-place adjoining to the church-yard; beyond which northward the soil becomes less fertile, being a hungry red earth mixed with flints, which continues till it joins the parish of Langley.

 

The mention made in the record of Domesday of the three arpends of vineyard in this parish, ought not to be passed by unnoticed here, this being one of several instances of there having been vineyards in this county in very early times. I mean plantations of the grapevine; for I can by no means acquiese in the conjecture, that VineƦ universally meant plantations of apples and pears, at least so far as relates to this county, where the latter were not introduced at the time, nor for some time after the taking of the survey of Domesday. This opinion is further confirmed by the instance of Hamo, bishop of Rochester, who, when Edward II. in his 19th year, was at Bokinsold, in this county, sent that prince a gift both of wine and grapes, from his vineyard at Halling, near Rochester, the episcopal palace where he then resided. These vineyards being likewise measured by the arpend, the same measure that they usually were in France, shews that when the vine was brought from thence and cultivated here, the same kind of measure was continued to the plantations of them, a measure different from that of any other kind of land. Sir Robert Atkins, in his History of Gloucestershire, has indeed given two instances from records in the reigns of king John and king Edward II. to prove the contrary, which might suit exceeding well with the language of his countrymen, and the bleak county of Gloucester, where the grape-vine had never been seen, and the only beverage was that of the apple and pear, which they had dignisified with the appellation of wine. In my memory there have been two exceeding fine vineyards in this county, one at Tunbridgecastle, and the other at Hall-place, in Barming, near Maidstone, from which quantities of exceeding good and well-flavored wine have been produced. This parish of Chart, among others in the same situation, on the side of the quarry hills, is peculiarly adapted to the planting of vines, as well from the warm and nutritive quality of the soil, as its genial aspect, being entirely sheltered from the north and east, and facing the south on the declivity of the hill.

 

CHART was part of those possessions given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in that record.

 

The same Adam Fitz Hubert holds of the bishop of Baieux, Certh. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is eight carucates. In demesne there is one, and twenty villeins, with five borderers having six carucates. There is a church and eight servants, and six acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of fifty hogs. There are three arpends of vineyard, and a park of beasts of the forest. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, and now, it was and is worth twelve pounds. Alnod Cilt held it.

 

Four years after the taking the above-mentioned survey, the bishop of Baieux was disgraced, and all his estates were confiscated to the crown.

 

This estate afterwards became the property of Baldwin de Betun, earl of Albermarle, likewise lord of the manor of Sutton Valence, to which this estate seems to have been accounted an appendage, and it afterwards continued with it, in a like succession of ownership, down to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, who soon after his coming into the possession of it in 1708, on a spot which he had purchased of others, on which there was then only a mean cottage, built for himself a mansion near the church here, where he afterwards resided. (fn. 1) He died possessed of it in 1733, leaving two sons, who both died without issue, and also two daughters, who became their brother's heirs, and on the partition of their inheritance in 1752, this manor was, among others in this neighbourhood, allotted to the share of the youngest, Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, now of Teston, who continues owner of it.

 

NORTON-PLACE is an antient manor and mansion in this parish, though now and for many years since made use of only as a farm-house, situated about half a mile northward from Chart-place. It was antiently the property and residence of the family of Norton, to whom it gave name; and in the south windows of this church there were formerly the essigies of Stephen Norton, who lived in king Richard II.'s reign, with his arms, Argent, a chevron between three crescents azure, on his tabard or surcoat, and Philipott says that he had found in a tournament of the Kentish gentlemen one of this name, in a tabard of the arms above-mentioned, encountering one Christmas, of East Sutton, not far distant, who was in like manner habited in a surcoat charged with his arms, expressive of his name, viz. Gules, upon a bend sable, three wassail bowls, or; which coat was likewise depicted in the south windows of Sutton church. But the partitions inherent to gavelkind, so diminished the patrimony of this family, that in the reign of queen Elizabeth, and afterwards, they were obliged to sell off several parts of it at different times, all which came at length into the possession of Sir Ed ward Hales, created a baronet in 1611, whose grandson and heir of the same name in 1660 purchased of the two coheirs of the family of Norton, married to Denne and Underwood, the seat itself, with the remainder of the land belonging to it, by a fine then levied by them and their husbands for that purpose. His trustees about the year 1670, conveyed it, with the manor of Sutton Valence and Chart before-mentioned, and sundry other premises, to Sir William Drake, of Amersham, with which it was in like manner sold, about the year 1708, to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, whose daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Teston, after the death of her two brothers, and a partition of her father's estates between herself and her sister, is now entitled to it.

 

WALTERS-FOLLY, in the den of Ivetigh, now vulgarly called THE FOLLY, is an estate situated in the southern part of this parish, about a mile below the summit of the hill. It was antiently the property of the family of Ivetigh, antiently spelt Evythye, who implanted their name on it, as they did on other lands in this parish, still called by their name; and though the deeds of this estate, which mention them as possessors of it, do not reach higher than the reign of king Henry VI. yet, undoubtedly, they were owners of it long before.

 

In the above-mentioned reign, however, this estate was alienated by one of that name to Robert Mascall, who died possessed of it in the 4th year of Edward IV. By his will, dated Nov. 25, that year, he willed his body to be buried in the church yard of this parish. He devised 6s. 8d. towards the pavement of the church, and to the leading of it twenty shillings; all his lands and tenements to his wife, for her life, remainder to his son Thomas, his daughter Elizabeth mentioned in it. His son Thomas Mascall resided here, and some years after his father's death sold it to Wm. Lambe, who changed the name of it to Lambden; in his descendants, who bore for their arms, Sable, on a fess or, two mullets of the field, between three cinquefoils ermine, it continued till it was at length sold to Perry, descended from those of Worcestershire, and it remained in that name till the reign of king Charles I. when Mr. James Perry, of Lenham, dying s.p. his three daughters, Elizabeth, married to Mr. Thomas Petley, of Filston; Anne and Mary became his coheirs, and entitled to this estate, which they afterwards joined in the sale of to Walter, who rebuilt the house on it, which afterwards gained the name of Walter's folly; from one of his descendants it was purchased, in the reign of queen Anne, by Sir Samuel Ongley, of London, who gave it, together with an estate called Elderden, lying at a small distance from it, by will to his nephew, Samuel Ongley, esq. of Old Warden, in Bedfordshire, in tail: on whose death s. p. this estate came by the entail abovementioned to his nephew Robert Henley, esq. who took upon him the name of Ongley, and was in 1776 created baron Ongley, of Ireland, he died in 1785, and his son Robert lord Ongley, is the present owner of it.

 

ALMNERY-GREEN, usually called Almery green, is a place in the western part of this parish, where there is an estate called Haddis tenement, alias Almery, which was for many generations the residence of the family of Hadde, called in antient writings likewise Le Hadde. Robert Hadde lived here in the reign of king Henry III. as did his son William le Hadde in the next reign of Edward I. (fn. 2) At length about the latter end of the reign of king Edward III. this family divided into two branches, of which Robert le Hadde, the eldest son and heir, settled at Frinsted, where his descendants continued for many generations, and the youngest son inherited this family seat at Chart, which remained in the possessions of his descendants, till Thomas Haddys, in the reign of king Henry VII. leaving two daughters his coheirs, Margaret married first Wm. Wright and afterwards Nicholas Harpur; and Catherine, who married Thomas Bidlake, of Devonshire, this house and estate in Chart became the property of his eldest daughter Margaret, who entitled her husband, William Wright, to it; and he, anno 17 Henry VII. conveyed it to Roger Morys, of Ledes, and after some intermediate owners, it came into the possession of Robert Baker, who in 1612 sold it to Sir Edward Hales, bart. The trustees of whose grandson, Sir Edward Hales, bart. sold it with the manor of Sutton Valence, and his other estates in this parish, to Sir William Drake, of Amersham, with which they were in like manner afterwards sold to Sir Christopher Desbouverie; and on the partition between his two daughters and coheirs, these premises were alloted, with other lands in this and the neighbouring parishes, to Anne, the eldest daughter, married to John Hervey, esq. afterwards of Beechworth, who died possessed of them in 1757, and his grandson Christopher Hervey, esq. is now entitled to them.

 

There is an estate on ALMNERY-GREEN, which was formerly part of the possessions of the priory of Ledes, and most probably belonging to the almnery of that house, gave name to this place. It the remained with it till the reign of Henry VIII. when the priory being dissolved, this estate came, with the rest of the possessions of it, into the king's hands, and was settled by him in the 32d year of his reign, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Rochester, who are now entitled to the inheritance of it.

 

LESTED is an antient seat, situated on the northern side of the high road leading from Cocks-heath to Langley-heath, near Chart corner.

 

It was formerly part of the possessions of the family of Potman. who were possessed of other estates in this parish as has been already mentioned and it continued with them till Sir Richard Potman sold it to Simon Smyth, gent. who resided at Buckland, in Maidstone, whose son Simon was of Boughton Monchensie, and had the arms of his family confirmed to him by Camdem, clarencieux, in 1650. (fn. 3). He left a son Simon, of Lested, (fn. 4) whose widow afterwards remarried George Curteis, esq. sheriff of this county in 1651, when he resided here in her right.

 

In the descendants of Simon Smyth this estate descended down to the Rev. John Smyth, vicar of this parish, and rector of Hastingleigh, who died in 1732, and was succeeded by his son John Smyth, esq. whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Smyth survived him, and afterwards resided in it. She was daughter of Ralph Whitfield, esq. major of the Welsh fuzileers, by whom he left four daughters, Felicia, Elizabeth, Anna Maria, and Dorothea, his coheirs, and they or their respective heirs are now entitled to it.

 

CHENEYS-COURT is a reputed manor here, which appears in very early times to have been called Hadenesham, and to have been in the possession of Sir Robert de Shurland, a man of great eminence in the reign of king Edward I. who leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried this estate, with other large inheritanbe, in marriage to William de Cheney, of Patricksborne, in whose descendants it continued so long, that they implanted their name on it; at length Sir Thomas Cheney passed it away to John Iden, who died possessed of it in the 4th year of Henry VIII. and one of his descendants, leaving two daughters and coheirs, one of whom married Browne, and the other Barton, the latter of them, in right of his wife, possessed this estate, and in that name it continued till it was at length alienated to Heyward, for Rowland Heyward had the queen's licence, anno 16 Elizabeth, to alienate the messuage and manor, called Chenye-court, to John Long, of Tunbridge; after which it passed to Wolett, and thence to Jordan, and afterwards to that branch of the family of Fane, who were earls of Westmoreland, in which it continued till John, earl of Westmoreland, dying in 1762, s. p. this, among his other estates in this county, is at length, by the limitations of his will, come to the right hon. Thomas, lord le Despencer, who continues the present possessor of it.

 

There is the appearance of an old manor-pound belonging to it; but there has been no court held for this manor in the memory of man.

 

THE FAMILY OF SPENCER once possessed an estate in this parish, and resided here for some generations; one of whom John Spencer, esq. was of Chart Sutton, and bore for their arms, Argent, a fess engrailed, in chief three lions rampant, gules, at the latter end of the reign of king Henry VIII. as was his son of the same name afterwards. He left two sons, John and Nicholas, and five daughters, who on their elder brother's death s. p. became his coheirs; and in the beginning of the reign of king Charles I. joined with their respective husbands in the sale of their inheritance in this parish, to Sir Edward Hales, bart. it afterwards passed into the possession of Sir William Drake, and then to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, in whose descendants it has continued in like manner as the rest of his estates in this parish to the present time.

 

Charities.

RICHARD MASCALL gave by will in 1599, for the better support of the poor the yearly sum of 40s. in land in Ashford, vested in Edward Finch Hatton, esq. and now of the annual produce of 1l. 11s.

 

JOAN MASCALL gave by will in 1598, for the like use, the annual sum of 10s. in land in this parish, vested in Wm. Spong, and of that annual produce.

 

The poor constantly maintained by this parish are yearly in number about thirty-five, casually about twenty.

 

CHART SUTTON is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sutton,

 

The church, which stands near the summit of the hill, at a very small distance from Sutton Valence, is dedicated to St. Michael.

 

This church has been twice set on fire by lightning: the first time, a few years ago, when it was fortunately soon extinguished; the last time was on April 23, 1779, about seven o'clock in the morning, when in a dreadful storm of thunder, the lightning set fire to the beautiful spire steeple of it, and in about three hours time burnt that and the whole building to ashes, excepting the bare walls; since which it has been rebuilt from a plan of Mr. Henry Holland, junior, architect, at the cost of more than 1,300l. collected by a brief throughout the county from house to house, and a liberal contribution made by the neighbouring gentry and clergy.

 

The church of Chart was given to the priory of Leeds, soon after the foundation of it; the tithes of every kind, arising from the demesnes of the lord of the parish of Chart, and also twenty shillings annual pension from the church, to be paid by the hands of the rector of it, for ever, for the maintenance of the infirmary of the priory, being assigned and granted by archbishop Richard to the canons of the priory. (fn. 5)

 

In the year 1320, Walter, archbishop of Canterbury, appropriated this church to the priory, and then admitted William de Shoreham to the vicarage of this church; at which time he, by his instrument, endowed the vicarage of it as follows: first, he ordained and decreed, that every vicar, for the time being, should receive all oblations and obits according to the altar of the church, which the rectors of it used of old to receive, together with the tithes of wool, lambs, calves, hogs, hay, flax, hemp, mills, pears, apples, milk, milk-meats, sheep, and of whatever was planted and sowed in gardens; and also, that the prior and convent should bear and exonerate all burthens, ordinary and extraordinary, happening to the church, as well in books, vestments, reparations and rebuildings of it, as often as need should require, the procurations of the archdeacon, and other burthens antiently belonging to it, or which might in future be laid on it. And he further decressed, that the prior and convent should assign of the soil of the church, one acre and an half of land, lying conveniently for a dwelling for the vicar, and should build for him on it a convenient house for him and his successors to dwell in, and that they should pay to him and his successors, as an augmentation of his living, forty shillings sterling yearly.

 

On the dissolution of the priory of Leeds, in the reign of Henry VIII. this parsonage, with the advowson of the vicarage, came into the hands of the crown, and was by the king settled in his 32d year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose inheritance it remains at this time.

 

¶On the abolition of deans and chapters, this parsonage was surveyed by order of the state in 1649, when it was returned, that the parsonage, or manorhouse of the parsonage, consisted of a hall, a parlour, kitchen, cellar, buttery, five chambers, three garrets, one dairy-house, barn and stable, with all the tithes thereto belonging, and the tithes of as much of Suttonpark as lay within the precincts of Chart parish, with a court and barn-yard; the whole being valued at fifty pounds per annum, and let by the dean and chapter, anno 26 Charles I. by lease to Sir Edward Hales, bart. and Sir John Hales, his son, for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of 13l 11s. 8d. and one good and seasonable brawn every Christmas, but that the premises were worth over and above, upon improvement, 67l. 3s. 10d. and that the tenant was bound to repair and maintain the chancel of the parish church. At which time the vicarage was valued at thirty-five pounds clear yearly income. (fn. 6)

 

Among the archives of the dean and chapter of Canterbury is a definitive sentence, made at Cranbrook, anno 1400, concerning the custom and method of taking tithes in this parish, made by Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, in a cause of tithes, between the prior and convent of Ledes and John Hadde, parishioner of this church.

 

Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Teston, is the present lessee of this parsonage. The advowson of the vicarage is reserved by the dean and chapter, in their own hands.

 

The vicarage is valued in the king's books at 8l. 12s. 8½d. and the yearly tenths at 17s. 3¾d. (fn. 7) It is now of the clear yearly certified value of 47l. 11s. 9¼d.

 

In 1640 it was valued at thirty pounds per annum, Communicants, 212.

 

The Rev. John Smyth, vicar gave by will in 1732, two hundred pounds as an augmentation, to enable it to receive the benefit of the like sum from queen Anne's bounty, (fn. 8) with which a small farm of twenty pounds per annum in Ashford parish, has been purchased for the benefit of the vicar and his successors.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol5/pp352-364

Zama, Japan – When Army Sgt. Jery L. Hernandezpilier stepped off the tour bus and onto Nissan's Zama Operations Center, he expected to see a few concept cars and a maybe a compact rolling lazily off an assembly line.

 

It didn't take long for Hernandezpilier and his fellow Soldiers from U.S. Army Japan's motor pool in Camp Zama who joined the June 18, 2015, tour to realize that their hosts had a special way to show their distinguished guests in uniform what their corporate motto, ā€œThe power comes from the inside,ā€ defines the Nissan community.

 

ā€œThis was more than your typical tour of an assembly line,ā€ said Hernandezpilier, a power generation equipment repairer for Headquarters & Headquarters Company USARJ. ā€œNissan didn't just showcase their machines. It introduced to the very people who build these machines.ā€

 

Shuji Narazaki, manager of Nissan's human resources division, welcomed his honored guests with an introduction of four of the company's finest technicians.

 

ā€œThese young men before you will represent Japan in the 2015 WorldSkills Olympics in Brazil,ā€ said Narazaki to the small but lively crowd of Soldiers and cameras. ā€œToday they will demonstrate their craftsmanship as they prepare to compete on the world stage.ā€

 

According to its official website, the WorldSkills Olympics stands as the largest professional conference in world history. Thousands of technicians hailing from more than 50 countries converge in one city every two years to compete in one of dozens of career specialties from manufacturing and mobile robotics to hairdressing and graphic design. In August, four of Nissan's young professionals will join Team Japan as they pursue bronze, silver and (preferably) gold medals through their engineering expertise.

 

After watching a brief video summarizing Nissan's achievements in previous WorldSkills Olympics, the hosts divided their guests into three groups and led them to one of three rooms. There, the troops witnessed firsthand the stellar speed and pinpoint precision exemplified by these automotive savants.

 

ā€œNever in all my years working in and around vehicles have I seen a single person disassemble an entire engine, diagnose the problem, fix it and reassemble the engine in 45 minutes,ā€ recalled Hernandezpilier, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. ā€œAmazing still is the fact that this man is not yet old enough to legally drink [alcohol] in the U.S. His skills and knowledge showed us that youth and inexperience are not always related.ā€

 

While Shintaro Matsumoto manipulated the engine with the speed of a NASCAR pit crew, his companions – Shogo Abe, Mizuki Tatsuno, Daiki Wada – toiled in separate rooms with their unique projects.

 

ā€œ[Abe] was busy designing a complex part with finite resources using a CAD (Computer Based Design Program) while [Tatsuna and Wada] were busy building an assembly line that would soon produce [Abe's] design,ā€ said Hernandezpilier. ā€œTheir speed and precision brought shock and awe to our group.ā€

 

Standing alongside Hernandezpilier and his motor pool companions was Army Command Sgt. Maj. Rosalba Dumont-Carrion, command sergeant major of U.S. Army Garrison Japan. As she admired Nissan's prodigies, Dumont-Carrion could also sense where Nissan's philosophy and the Army values intersected.

 

ā€œNissan and the Army cherish commitment and uphold integrity,ā€ said Dumont-Carrion, a native of Apopka, Fla. ā€œWe both respect those who serve us with honor and award them with limitless opportunities to grow in their profession thanks to a diverse career plan that spans several decades.ā€

 

After shaking hands, posing for group photos and wishing one another the very best in their career endeavors, the tour guides led their American guests to the Nissan Heritage Museum. A narrow hallway partially disguised as a modest warehouse entrance unveiled an eclectic collection of Nissan's diverse line of vehicles dating as far back as the 1930s.

 

ā€œThe site almost brought a tear to my eye,ā€ said Hernandezpilier. ā€œIt’s hard to imagine how much time and talent was required to build, maintain and restore these vehicles … Fair Ladies, Skylines, [Datsun] Roadsters … It's a dream come true.ā€

 

Ayaro Eguchi, the group's tour guide, explained that a majority of the the more than 350 cars, trucks, vans and even race cars were donated by private owners or collectors, and approximately 70 percent of them remain in operable condition. A 1935 Datsun Roadster pulling up to the tour group punctuated her point.

 

ā€œNissan is a brand that has literally made its way to every major road in the world,ā€ said Dumont-Carrion. ā€œThe Japanese people have every right to showcase this achievement. The fact that Nissan personally invited us to see this speaks volumes of their respect for the U.S. Army.ā€

 

As the Soldiers and Department of Defense civilians bade farewell and boarded the Nissan tour bus bound for Camp Zama, Hernandezpilier and Dumont-Carrion reflected on the long-term impact of their visit.

 

ā€œIt was a beautiful experience,ā€ said Hernandezpilier. ā€œWe got exclusive access to Japan's master craftsmen who have inspired me to master my craft.ā€

 

ā€œI cannot be more proud of my fellow Soldiers as they show our gracious hosts what it means to be a professional in the United States Army, said Dumont-Carrion. ā€œThe heart of the Army lies with its Soldiers and families, and here at Nissan, I saw the same relationship between the company and its community.ā€

 

Photos and story by Sgt. John L Carkeet IV, U.S. Army Japan

I had no idea what to expect at Yalding, either the town or church. Jools realised it was near to West Farleigh, so we went to investigate.

 

Across what looked like a canal and then the river via an old pack bridge, with the tower of the church on the far bank.

 

The town, or this part of it, stretched either side of the High Street, and once parked, we approach the church down an alleyway and I see the porch doors open; a good sign.

 

I explained what I was at the church for: are you going to be long, I was asked.

 

As quick as I can be.

 

What I found was a huge parish church, the back of which had been converted into a community space, with a fitted kitchen, wooden floor for use possible as a gym or space for yoga, and the east kept as a fine parish church, filled with monuments, memorials and fine fixtures and fittings. Three wardens were tidying up preparing for Candlemass the next day.

 

I go round taking shots, taking nearly and hour to do so, as there was so much detail.

 

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

 

The little cupola on the west tower is topped by a weathervane dated 1734, and summons us to a large church, heavily restored in the 1860s, but worth travelling a long way to see. The nave roof has two interesting features - one is a form of celure or canopy of honour over the third bay from the west. It must have served some long-forgotten purpose. At the east end of the nave there is a real Canopy of Honour in its more usual position over the chancel arch. The south transept contains many interesting features - niches in the walls, bare stonework walls and a good arcaded tomb chest recessed into the south wall. There is a telling string course that suggests a thirteenth-century date, although the two windows in its east wall are Decorated in style. The most recent feature in the church - and by far the most important - is the engraved glass window in the chancel. It was engraved by Laurence Whistler in 1979 and commemorates Edmund Blunden, the First World War poet. It depicts a trench, barbed wire, a shell-burst and verses from Blunden's poems. This feature apart it is the nineteenth-century work that dominates Yalding - especially the awful encaustic tiles with arrow-like designs, the crude pulpit with symbols of the evangelists and the poor quality pews. The glass isn't much better, the Light of the World in the south chancel window being especially poor, but the south window of the south transept (1877) showing scenes from the Life of Christ redeems the state of the art.

 

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

 

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YALDING.

NORTH-WESTWARD from Hunton lies Yalding, antiently written Ealding, which signifies the antient meadow or low ground.

 

Most of this parish is in the hundred of Twyford, and the rest of it, viz. the borough of Rugmerhill, is in the antient demesne of Aylesford. That part of this parish, which holds of the manor of West Farleigh, is in the borough of West Farleigh, and the borsholder thereof ought to be chosen at the court leet there, and so much thereof as is held of the manor of Hunton, is in the borough of Hunton, and the borsholder thereof is chosen at the court leet there; and the inhabitants of neither of these boroughs owe service to the court holden for the hundred of Twyford, within which hundred they both are; but at that court a constable for that hundred may be chosen out of either of these boroughs.

 

THIS PARISH lying southward of the quarry hills, is within the district of the Weald. It is but narrow, but extends full four miles in length from north to south, the upper or northern part reaches up to the quarry hill adjoining to West Farleigh, near which is Yalding down, on which is a large kiln for the purpose of burning pit coal into coke, which is effected by laying the coal under earth, and when set on fire quenching the cinders; the method is used in making charcoal from wood, the former particularly is much used in the oasts for the drying of hops, so profitably encouraged in this neighbourhood. Below it, near the river Medway, its western boundary in this part, opposite to Nettlested, stands the seat of Sir John Gregory Shaw, bart. a retired, but not an ill chosen situation. It was for several generations the residence of the family of Kinward, which from the reign of king Henry VIII. was possessed of good estates in this parish and its neighbourhood, and bore for their arms, Azure, on a bend or, three roses gules, between three cross-croslets, fitchee argent. Robert Kenward, esq. of Yalding, resided here, and dying in 1720, was buried with the rest of his family in this church; he left a son John, and several daughters, of whom the third, Martha, married the late Sir Gregory Page, bart. and died S. P. John Kenward, esq. the son, died in 1749, leaving by Alicia his wife, youngest daughter of Francis Brooke, esq. of Rochester, one daughter and heir Alicia, who carried this seat and a considerable estate in this neighbourhood to Sir John Shaw, bart. late of Eltham, whose eldest son, Sir John Gregory Shaw, bart. is the present owner of it, and resides here. (fn. 1). In this part of the parish the land is kindly both for corn and hops, of which there are several plantations, and round the down there are some rich grass lands, but further southward where the parish extends to Brenchley, Horsemonden, and Mar den, it is rather a sorlorn country, the land lying very low, and the soil is exceeding wet and miry, and much of it very poor, and greatly subject to rushes, being a stiff unfertile clay; the hedge rows are broad and interspersed with quantities of large spreading oak trees.

 

The river Medway flows from Tunbridge along the west side of the upper part of this parish as mentioned before, there are across it here two bridges, Twyford and Brandt bridge, leading hither from Watringbury, Nettlested and East Peckham; a small stream, which comes from Marden, and is here called the Twist, flows through the lower part of this parish towards the west side of it, and joins the main river at Twyford bridge, which extends over both of them; another larger stream being a principal head of the Medway flowing from Style-bridge by Hunton clappers, separating these two parishes, joins the main river, about a quarter of a mile below Twyford bridge; on the conflux of these two larger streams the town of Yalding is situated, having a long narrow stone bridge of communication from one part of the town to the other, on the opposite bank of the Hunton stream. Leland who lived in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, calls it a a praty townelet, to which however at present it has no pretensions. The church and court-lodge stand at the north end of the town. A fair is held in it on WhitMonday, and on October 15, yearly. The high road over Teston bridge, and through West Farleigh, leads through the town, and thence southward along the hamlets of Denover and Collens-street to Marden; at a small distance from the former is the borough of Rugmarhill, esteemed to be within the antient demesne of Aylesford, belonging to Mrs. Milner.

 

Adjoining the town southward is Yalding lees, over which there is another high road, which leads from Twyford bridge, parallel with the other before-mentioned, along the hamlet of Lodingford, and thence through the lower part of this parish towards Brenchley, near the boundaries of which in this parish is an estate still called Oldlands, which appears in king Edward II's reign to have been part of the demesne lands of the manor of Yalding, for he then confirmed to the priory of Tunbridge a rent charge to be received out of the asserts of the old and new lands of the late Richard de Clare, in Dennemannesbrooke, which he had given to it on its foundation; lower down, close to the stream of the Twist, is the manor house of Bockingsold, the lands of which extend across the river into Brenchley and Horsemonden and other parishes.

 

A third high road over Brandt bridge passes along the western bounds of this parish, over Betsurn-green towards Lamberhurst and Sussex.

 

A new commission of sewers under the great seal, was not many years ago obtained to scour and cleanse that branch of the river Medway, or if I may so call it, the Yalding river from Goldwell in Great Chart, through Smarden, Hunton, and other intermediate parishes to its junction with the Rain river, at a place called Stickmouth, a little below the town of Yalding.

 

The commissioners for the navigation of the river Medway, about twenty years ago, made a navigable cut or canal, from a place in the river called Hampsted, where they judiciously constructed a lock to a place in the river near Twyford bridge, where they erected a tumbling bay for the water, when at a certain height, to pass over. The contrivance of this cut from one bend or angle of the river to the other, is of the greatest utility to the navigation, by not only shortening the passage, but by baying up a convenient depth of water, which they could not have had along the lees, and other adjoining low lands on each side of that part of the river, which is avoided by it, or at least not without a very great expence.

 

At the river here the barges are loaded with timber, great guns, bullets, &c. for Chatham and Sheerness docks, London, and other parts, and bring back coals, and other commodities for the supply of the neighbouring country.

 

In 1757 a large eel was caught in the river here, which measured five feet nine inches in length, and eighteen inches in girt, and weighed upwards of forty pounds.

 

THE MANOR OF YALDING, or Ealding, as it was usually written, was, after the conquest, part of the possessions of the eminent family of Clare, who became afterwards earls of Gloucester and Hertford, (fn. 2) the ancestor of whom, Richard Fitz Gilbert, came into England with William the Conqueror, and gave him great assistance in the memorable battle of Hastings, and in respect of his near alliance in blood to the king, he was advanced to great honor, and had large possessions bestowed upon him, both in Normandy and England; among the latter was this estate of Yalding, as appears from the survey of Domesday, taken in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, in which it is thus entered, under the title of Terra Richardi F. Gislebti:

 

Richard de Tonebridge holds Ealdinges, and Aldret held it of king Edward, and then and now it was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is sixteen carucates. There are two churches (viz. Yalding and Brenchley) and fifteen servants, and two mills of twenty-five shillings, and four fisheries of one thousand and seven hundred eels, all but twenty. There are five acres of pasture, and wood for the pannage of one hundred and fifty hogs.

 

In the time of king Edward the Consessor, and afterwards, it was worth thirty pounds, now twenty pounds, on account of the lands lying waste to that amount.

 

The above-mentioned Richard Fitz Gilbert, at the latter end of the Conqueror's reign, was usually called Richard de Tonebridge, from his possessions and residence there, and his descendants took the name of Clare, for the like reason of their possessing that honor. His descendant, Gilbert, son of Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, owned it in the reign of king Henry III. and in the 21st year of Edward I. he claimed before the justices itinerant, and was allowed all the privileges of a manor.

 

¶Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, his son, by Joane, of Acres, king Edward I.'s daughter, succeeded to it, and dying in the 7th year of king Edward II. without surviving issue, his three sisters became his coheirs, and on the partition of their inheritance, this manor, among others in this county, was allotted to Margaret, the second sister, then wife of Hugh de Audley, junior, who in the 12th year of Edward II. obtained for his manor of Ealding, a market to be held here weekly, and a fair to continue three days yearly, viz. the vigil, the day of the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, and the day subsequent to it. He died in the 21st year of it, holding this manor, which he held for his life, by the law of England, of the king in capite. He left an only daughter and heir Margaret, then the wife of Ralph Stafford, who in her right became possessed of the manor of Yalding, and was a man greatly esteemed by king Edward III. who among other marks of his favor, in his 24th year, advanced him to the title of earl of Stafford.

 

After which it continued in his descendants down to his great grandson, Humphry Stafford, who was created duke of Buckingham anno 23 Henry VI. whose grandson Henry, duke of Buckingham, having put himself in arms against king Richard, in favor of Henry, earl of Richmond, and being deserted by his army, had concealed himself in the house of one Ralph Banister, who had been his servant, who on the king's proclamation of a reward of 1000l. or 100l. per annum, for the discovering of the duke, betrayed him, and he was without either arraignment or judgment, beheaded at Salisbury.

 

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

 

The church, which is a large handsome building, consists of three isles and a large chancel, with a square tower at the west end. Against the south wall in it is a very antient altar tomb, which has been much desaced, on which is remaining, Ermine, a bend gules. There was formerly a brass plate on it. On a large stone in the middle isle, is a memorial for Robert Penhurst, descended from Sir Robert Penhurst, of Penhurst, in Suffex, who died in 1610. The arms, on a shield, a mullet. In the chancel there is a handsome monument for the family of Warde, who bore for their arms, Azure, a cross flory or, and one for the family of Kenward, in this parish. In the pavement of the church are several large broad stones, a kind of petrifaction of the testaceous kind, dug up in the moors or low lands in this parish.

 

Richard de Clare, earl of Hertford, gave the church of Aldinges, with the chapel of Brenchesley, and all their appurtenances, in pure and perpetual alms, to the priory of Tunbridge, lately founded by him.

 

Gilbert de Glanvill, bishop of Rochester, who came to that fee in the 31st year of king Henry II. confirmed this gift, and granted, that the prior and canons should possess the appropriation of this church in pure and perpetual alms; saving a perpetual vicarage in it, granted by his authority, with the assent and presentation of the prior and canons as follows:

 

That the vicar should have the altarage, and all obventions, and small tithes belonging to this church, and all houses, which were within the court, and the land belonging to the church, together with the tenants and homages, and the alder-bed, and the tithes of sheaves of Wenesmannesbroke, and the tithes of Longesbroke, of the new assart, and the moiety of meadow belonging to the church; all which were granted to him, to hold under the yearly pension of two shillings, duly to be paid to the prior and canons; and that the vicar should sustain all episcopal burthens and customs, as well for the prior and canons as for himself. And he granted to the prior and canons as part of the appropriation, the tithes of sheaves of this church, excepting the said tithes of Wenesmannesbroke, and of Longebroke; and that they should have the moiety of the meadow belonging to the church, with the fisheries, and the place in which the two greater barns stood, with the barns themselves, and the whole outer court in which the stable stood, with the garden which was towards the east, and the small piece of land which lay by the garden, and the rent of four-pence, which ought to be paid yearly to the court of Eyles forde; reserving to himself the power of altering the endowment of this vicarage, if at any time it should seem expedient; saving, nevertheless, all episcopal rights to the bishop of Rochester, &c. (fn. 16)

 

The church of Yalding, together with the advowson of the vicarage, remained with the priory of Tunbridge, till the suppression of it, in the 17th year of king Henry VIII. when being one of those smaller monasteries which cardinal Wolsey had obtained for the endowment of his colleges, it was surrendered into his hands, with all the possessions belonging to it.

 

After which the king granted his licence to him, in his 18th year, to appropriate and annex this church, among others of the cardinal's patronage, to the dean and canons of the college founded by him in the university of Oxford. But here it staid only four years, when this great prelate being cast in a prƦmunire in 1529, the estates of that college were forfeited to the king, and became part of the royal revenue.

 

¶Queen Elizabeth, in her 10th year, granted the rectory or parsonage of Yalding, and the advowson of the vicarage, for thirty years, to Mr. John Warde, at the yearly rent of thirty pounds, in whose possession they continued till king James I. in his 5th year, granted the see of them to Richard Lyddale and Edward Bostock, at the like yearly rent, (fn. 17) and they soon afterwards alienated them to Ambrose Warde, gent. of this parish, son of John above-mentioned, in whose descendants they continued down till they came into the possession of three brothers, Thomas, of Littlebrook, in Stone; George and Ambrose, among whose descendants they came afterwards to be divided, and again sub-divided in different shares, one third part to captain Thomas Amhurst, of Rochester; one third of a third part, and a third of a sixth part to Mr. Holmes, of Derby; Mr. Ambrose Ward, of Littlebrook, and the Rev. Mr. Richard Warde, late of Oxford, each alike, and the remaining sixth part by the Rev. Mr. John Warde, the present vicar of this parish, who some years ago rebuilt the vicarage-house in a very handsome manner.

 

This rectory now pays a yearly fee-farm rent of thirty pounds to the crown.

 

It is valued in the king's books, at 20l. 18s. 9d. and the yearly tenths at 2l. 1s. 10½d.

 

There are two separate manors, one belonging to the rectory or parsonage, and the other to the vicarage of this church.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol5/pp154-173

Singer and former Dancing with a Stars competitor Katherine Jenkins is pregnant! She and her artist husband, Andrew Levitas, are awaiting their initial child together. Katherine done a large baby proclamation on Instagram.

Katherine and Andrew are awaiting a baby girl!

Katherine common a p...

 

fashionlifestyle.org/katherine-jenkins-is-expecting-her-f...

. . . sadly Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple complex

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The Jagannath Temple of Puri (Odia: ą¬œą¬—ą¬Øą­ą¬Øą¬¾ą¬„ ą¬®ą¬Øą­ą¬¦ą¬æą¬°) is a famous, sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located on the eastern coast of India, at Puri in the state of Odisha.

 

The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of god Krishna and god Vishnu, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages that a Hindu is expected to make in one's lifetime.

 

Even though most Hindu deities that are worshiped are made out of stone or metal, the image of Jagannath is wooden. Every twelve or nineteen years these wooden figures are ceremoniously replaced by using sacred trees, that have to be carved as an exact replica. The reason behind this ceremonial tradition is the highly secret Navakalevara ('New Body' or 'New Embodiment') ceremony, an intricate set of rituals that accompany the renewal of the wooden statues.

 

The temple was built in the 12th century atop its ruins by the progenitor of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva. The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervour.

 

The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava traditions and saint Ramananda who was closely associated with the temple. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.

 

DEITIES

The central forms of Jagannath, Balabhadra and the goddess Subhadra constitute the trinity of deities sitting on the bejewelled platform or the Ratnabedi in the inner sanctum. The Sudarshan Chakra, deities of Madanmohan, Sridevi and Vishwadhatri are also placed on the Ratnavedi. The deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan Chakra are made from sacred Neem logs known as Daru Brahma. Depending on the season the deities are adorned in different garbs and jewels. Worship of the deities pre-date the temple structure and may have originated in an ancient tribal shrine.

 

ORIGINS OF THE TEMPLE

According to the recently discovered copper plates from the Ganga dynasty, the construction of the current Jagannath temple was initiated by the ruler of Kalinga, Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev. The Jaga mohan and the Vimana portions of the temple were built during his reign (1078 - 1148 CE). However, it was only in the year 1174 CE that the Oriya ruler Ananga Bhima Deva rebuilt the temple to give a shape in which it stands today.

 

Jagannath worship in the temple continued until 1558, when Odisha was attacked by the Afghan general Kalapahad. Subsequently, when Ramachandra Deb established an independent kingdom at Khurda in Orissa, the temple was consecrated and the deities reinstalled.

 

LEGENDS

Legendary account as found in the Skanda-Purana, Brahma Purana and other Puranas and later Oriya works state that Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Lord Neela Madhaba by a Savar king (tribal chief) named Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity, King Indradyumna sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity, who was worshipped secretly in a dense forest by Viswavasu. Vidyapati tried his best but could not locate the place. But at last he managed to marry Viswavasu's daughter Lalita. At repeated request of Vidyapti, Viswavasu took his son-in-law blind folded to a cave where Lord Neela Madhaba was worshipped.

 

Vidyapati was very intelligent. He dropped mustard seeds on the ground on the way. The seeds germinated after a few days, which enabled him to find out the cave later on. On hearing from him, King Indradyumna proceeded immediately to Odra desha Orissa on a pilgrimage to see and worship the Deity. But the deity had disappeared. The king was disappointed. The Deity was hidden in sand. The king was determined not to return without having a darshan of the deity and observed fast unto death at Mount Neela, Then a celestial voice cried 'thou shalt see him.' Afterwards the king performed a horse sacrifice and built a magnificent temple for Vishnu. Sri Narasimha Murti brought by Narada was installed in the temple. During sleep, the king had a vision of Lord Jagannath. Also an astral voice directed him to receive the fragrant tree on the seashore and make idols out of it. Accordingly, the king got the image of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan made out of the wood of the divine tree and installed them in the temple.

 

INDRADYUMNA“S PRAYER TO LORD BRAHMA

King Indradyumna put up for Jagannath the tallest monument of the world. It was 1,000 cubits high. He invited Lord Brahma, the cosmic creator, consecrate the temple and the images. Brahma came all the way from Heaven for this purpose. Seeing the temple he was immensely pleased with him. Brahma asked Indradyumna as to in what way can he (Brahma) fulfill the king's desire, since was very much pleased with him for his having put the most beautiful Temple for Lord Vishnu. With folded hands, Indradyumna said, "My Lord if you are really pleased with me, kindly bless me with one thing, and it is that I should be issueless and that I should be the last member of my family." In case anybody left alive after him, he would only take pride as the owner of the temple and would not work for the society.

 

THE EPISODE OF THE LORD“S GRACE DURING A WAR WITH KANCHI

At one time, a king of Kanchi in the down south remarked that the king of Orissa was a chandala (a man of very low caste or status) because, he performs the duties of a sweeper during the Car Festival. When this news reached the ears of the king of Orissa, he led an expedition to Kanchi. Before that, he implored the mercy of Lord Jagannath. The soldiers of Orissa marched towards Kanchi from Cuttack (earlier capital city of Orissa, located on the banks of Mahanadi, at a distance of 30 km from Bhubaneswar. It so happened that when the soldiers, headed by the king Purusottam Dev, reached a place near the Chilika lake, a lady, who was selling curd (yogurt) met him (the king) and presented a golden ring studded with precious gems and submitted. "My Lord, kindly listen to me. A little earlier, two soldiers riding over two horses (white and black in colour), approached me and said we are thirsty give us curds to drink.' I gave them curds. Instead of giving me money, they gave me this ring and said,'the king of Orissa will come here, after some time, on his way to Kanchi. You present it to him and he will pay you the money.' So my Lord, you take it and give me my dues.

 

It took no time for the king to know that the ring belongs to Lord Jagannath. He was convinced that Jagannath and Balabhadra were proceeding to the battle field ahead of him to help him there. To perpetuate the memory of this great incident, the king founded a village in the Chilika lake area. As the name of the lady was Manika, the name given to the village was Manika Patana. Even to this day, the curds of this village are famous.

 

LEGEND SURROUNDING THE TEMPLE ORIGIN

The traditional story concerning the origins of the Lord Jagannath temple is that here the original image of Jagannath (a deity form of Vishnu) at the end of Treta yuga manifested near a banyan tree, near seashore in the form of an Indranila nilamani or the Blue Jewel. It was so dazzling that it could grant instant moksha, so the god Dharma or Yama wanted to hide it in the earth, and was successful. In Dvapara Yuga King Indradyumna of Malwa wanted to find that mysterious image and to do so he performed harsh penances to obtain his goal. Vishnu then instructed him to go to the Puri seashore and find a floating log to make an image from its trunk.

 

The King found the log of wood. He did a yajna from which god Yajna Nrisimha appeared and instructed that Narayana should be made as fourfold expansion, i.e. Paramatma as Vasudeva, his Vyuha as Samkarshana, Yogamaya as Subhadra, and his Vibhava asSudarsana. Vishwakarma appeared in the form of artist and prepared images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra from the tree. When this log, radiant with light was seen floating in the sea, Narada told the king to make three idols out of it and place them in a pavilion. Indradyumna got Visvakarma, the architect of Gods, to build a magnificent temple to house the idols and Vishnu himself appeared in the guise of a carpenter to make the idols on condition that he was to be left undisturbed until he finished the work.

 

But just after two weeks, the Queen became very anxious. She took the carpenter to be dead as no sound came from the temple. Therefore, she requested the king to open the door. Thus, they went to see Vishnu at work at which the latter abandoned his work leaving the idols unfinished. The idol was devoid of any hands. But a divine voice told Indradyumana to install them in the temple. It has also been widely believed that in spite of the idol being without hands, it can watch over the world and be its lord. Thus the idiom.

 

INVASIONS AND DESECRATIONS OF THE TEMPLE

The temple annals, the Madala Panji records that the Jagannath temple at Puri has been invaded and plundered eighteen times. The invasion by Raktabahu has been considered the first invasion on the temple by the Madalapanji.

 

RANJIT SINGH“S WILL

Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, had donated massive amounts of gold to the Jagannath temple. In his last will, he also ordered that Koh-i-noor, the most precious and greatest diamond in the world, to be donated to this temple, but the diamond could never actually make its way to the temple because the British, by that time, had annexed the Punjab and all its royal possessions. Thus, claiming that the Koh-i-noor was theirs. It is currently a part of British crown jewels and is located in the Tower of London.

 

ENTRY AND DARSHAN

Temple has 4 entrances in all directions.Temple security is selective regarding who is allowed entry. Practicing Hindus of non-Indian descent are excluded from premises, as are Hindus of non-Indian origin. Visitors not allowed entry may view the precincts from the roof of the nearby Raghunandan Library and pay their respects to the image of God Jagannath known as Patitapavana at the main entrance to the temple. There is some evidence that this came into force following a series of invasions by foreigners into the temple and surrounding area. Buddhist, and Jain groups are allowed into the temple compound if they are able to prove their Indian ancestry. The temple has slowly started allowing Hindus of non-Indian origin into the area, after an incident in which 3 Balinese Hindus were denied entry, even though Bali is 90% Hindu.

 

The temple remains open from 5 am to 12 midnight. Unlike many other temples devotees can go behind the idols(go round the idols).All devotees are allowed to go right up to the deities during the Sahana Mela without paying any fees . The Sahana mela or the public darshan is usually following the abakasha puja between around 7 to 8 am in the morning. Special darshan or Parimanik darshan is when devotees on paying 50 Rupees are allowed right up to the deities. Parimanik darshan happens after the dhupa pujas at around 10 am, 1 pm and 8 pm . At all other times devotees can view the deities from some distance for free. The rathyatra occurs every year some time in the month of July. 2 or 6 weeks before Rathyatra (depending upon the year) there is a ritual of Lord undergoing "Bhukaar" (sick) hence the idols are not on "Darshan". Devotees to make a note of this before they plan to visit the lord.

 

CULTURAL INTEGRITY

Shrikshetra of Puri Jagannath, as is commonly known, can verily be said to be a truthful replica of Indian culture. To understand this culture, one has to have some idea of the history of this land, which again is different from that of other countries of the world.

 

Starting from Lord Jagannath himself, history has it that he was a tribal deity, adorned by the Sabar people, as a symbol of Narayan. Another legend claims him to be Nilamadhava, an image of Narayana made of blue stone and worshipped by the aboriginals. He was brought to Nilagiri (blue mountain) or Nilachala and installed there as Shri Jagannath in company with Balabhadra and Subhadra. The images made of wood are also claimed to have their distant linkage with the aboriginal system of worshipping wooden poles. To cap it all the Daitapatis, who have a fair share of responsibilities to perform rituals of the Temple, are claimed to be descendants of the aboriginals or hill tribes of Orissa. So we may safely claim that the beginning of the cultural history of Shrikshetra is found in the fusion of Hindu and Tribal Cultures. This has been accepted as a facet of our proud heritage. The three deities came to be claimed as the symbols of Samyak Darshan, Samyak Jnana and Samyak Charita usually regarded as Triratha (of the Jain cult), an assimilation of which leads to Moksha (salvation) or the ultimate bliss...

 

Jagannath is worshipped as Vishnu or Narayana or Krishna and Lord Balabhadra as Shesha. Simultaneously, the deities are regarded as the bhairava with Vimala (the devi or the consort of Shiva) installed in the campus of the temple. So ultimately we find a fusion of Saivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism of the Hindu religion with Jainism and up to an extent Buddhism in the culture of Jagannath and the cultural tradition so reverently held together in Shrikshetra.

 

ACHARYAS AND JAGANNATHA PURI

All of the renowned acharyas including Madhvacharya have been known to visit this kshetra. Adi Shankara established his Govardhana matha here. There is also evidence that Guru Nanak, Kabir, Tulsidas, Ramanujacharya, and Nimbarkacharya had visited this place. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Gaudiya Vaishnavism stayed here for 24 years, establishing that the love of god can be spread by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Srimad Vallabhacharya visited Jagannath Puri and performed a 7-day recitation of Srimad Bhagvat. His sitting place is still famous as "baithakji." It confirms his visit to Puri. A famous incident took place when Vallabhachrya visited. There was a discourse being held between the Brahmins and 4 questions were asked. Who is the highest of Gods, What is the highest of mantras, What is the highest scripture and What is the highest service. The discourse went on for many days with many schools of thought. Finally Shri Vallabh said to ask Lord Jagannath to confirm Shri Vallabh's answers. A pen and paper were left in the inner sanctum. After some time, the doors were opened and 4 answers were written. 1) The Son of Devaki (Krishna) is the God of Gods 2) His name is the highest of mantras 3) His song is the highest scripture (Bhagavat Geeta) 4) Service to Him is the Highest service. The king was shocked and declared Shri Vallabh the winner of the discourse. Some of the pandits who participated became jealous of Shri Vallabh and wanted to test Him. The next day was Ekadashi, a fasting day where one must fast from grains. The pandits gave Shri Vallabh rice Prasad of Shri Jagannathji (The temple is famous for this). If Shri Vallabh ate it, He would break His vow of fasting but if He did not take it, He would disrespect Lord Jagannath. Shri Vallabh accepted the prasad in his hand and spent the rest of the day and night explaining slokas of the greatness of Prasad and ate the rice the next morning.

 

CHAR DHAM

The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Rameswaram, Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka. Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism propagated by Sankaracharya, who created Hindu monastic institutions across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer. The four monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South. Though ideologically the temples are divided between the sects of Hinduism, namely Saivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair. There are four abodes in Himalayas called Chota Char Dham (Chota meaning small): Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - all of these lie at the foot hills of Himalayas The name Chota was added during the mid of 20th century to differentiate the original Char Dhams. The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circumambulation in Hindu temples.

 

STRUCTURE

The huge temple complex covers an area of over 37,000 m2, and is surrounded by a high fortified wall. This 6.1 m high wall is known as Meghanada Pacheri. Another wall known as kurma bedha surrounds the main temple. It contains at least 120 temples and shrines. With its sculptural richness and fluidity of the Oriya style of temple architecture, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India. The temple has four distinct sectional structures, namely -

 

- Deula, Vimana or Garba griha (Sanctum sanctorum) where the triad deities are lodged on the ratnavedi (Throne of Pearls). In Rekha Deula style;

- Mukhashala (Frontal porch);

- Nata mandir/Natamandapa, which is also known as the Jagamohan (Audience Hall/Dancing Hall), and

- Bhoga Mandapa (Offerings Hall).

 

The main temple is a curvilinear temple and crowning the top is the 'srichakra' (an eight spoked wheel) of Vishnu. Also known as the "Nilachakra", it is made out of Ashtadhatu and is considered sacrosanct. Among the existing temples in Orissa, the temple of Shri Jagannath is the highest. The temple tower was built on a raised platform of stone and, rising to 65 m above the inner sanctum where the deities reside, dominates the surrounding landscape. The pyramidal roofs of the surrounding temples and adjoining halls, or mandapas, rise in steps toward the tower like a ridge of mountain peaks.

 

NILA CHAKRA

The Nila Chakra (Blue Discus) is the discus mounted on the top shikhar of the Jagannath Temple. As per custom, everyday a different flag is waved on the Nila Chakra. The flag hoisted on the Nila Cakra is called the Patita Pavana (Purifier of the Fallen) and is equivalent to the image of the deities placed in the sanctum sanctorum .

 

The Nila Chakra is a disc with eight Navagunjaras carved on the outer circumference, with all facing towards the flagpost above. It is made of alloy of eight metals (Asta-dhatu) and is 3.5 Metres high with a circumference of about 11 metres. During the year 2010, the Nila Chakra was repaired and restored by the Archaeological Survey of India.

 

The Nila Chakra is distinct from the Sudarshana chakra which has been placed with the deities in the inner sanctorum.

 

Nila Chakra is the most revered iconic symbol in the Jagannath cult. The Nila Chakra is the only physical object whose markings are used as sacrament and considered sacred in Jagannath worship. It symbolizes protection by Shri Jagannath.

 

THE SINGHADWARA

The Singahdwara, which in Sanskrit means The Lion Gate, is one of the four gates to the temple and forms the Main entrance. The Singhadwara is so named because two huge statues of crouching lions exist on either side of the entrance. The gate faces east opening on to the Bada Danda or the Grand Road. The Baisi Pahacha or the flight of twenty two steps leads into the temple complex. An idol of Jagannath known as Patitapavana, which in Sanskrit, means the "Saviour of the downtrodden and the fallen" is painted on the right side of the entrance. In ancient times when untouchables were not allowed inside the temple, they could pray to Patita Pavana. The statues of the two guards to the temple Jaya and Vijaya stand on either side of the doorway. Just before the commencement of the Rath Yatra the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are taken out of the temple through this gate. On their return from the Gundicha Temple they have to ceremonially placate Goddess Mahalakshmi, whose statue is carved atop the door, for neglecting to take her with them on the Yatra. Only then the Goddess allows them permission to enter the temple. A magnificent sixteen-sided monolithic pillar known as the Arun stambha stands in front of the main gate. This pillar has an idol of Arun, the charioteer of the Sun God Surya, on its top. One significant thing about Arun stambha is that prior it was located in the Konark Sun temple, later, the Maratha guru Brahmachari Gosain brought this pillar from Konark. The Puri Jagannath Temple was also saved by Maratha emperor Shivaji from being plundered at his times from the Mughals.

 

OTHER ENTRANCES

Apart from the Singhadwara, which is the main entrance to the temple, there are three other entrances facing north, south and west. They are named after the sculptures of animals guarding them. The other entrances are the Hathidwara or the Elephant Gate, the Vyaghradwara or the Tiger Gate and the Ashwadwara or the Horse Gate.

 

MINOR TEMPLES

There are numerous smaller temples and shrines within the Temple complex where active worship is regularly conducted. The Vimala Temple (Bimala Temple) is considered one of the most important of the Shaktipeeths marks the spot where the goddess Sati's feet fell. It is located near Rohini Kund in the temple complex. Until food offered to Jagannath is offered to Goddess Vimala it is not considered Mahaprasad.

 

The temple of Mahalakshmi has an important role in rituals of the main temple. It is said that preparation of naivedya as offering for Jagannath is supervised by Mahalakshmi. The Kanchi Ganesh Temple is dedicated to Uchchhishta Ganapati. Tradition says the King of Kanchipuram (Kanchi) in ancient times gifted the idol, when Gajapati Purushottama Deva married Padmavati, the kanchi princess. There are other shrines namely Muktimandap, Surya, Saraswati, Bhuvaneshwari, Narasimha, Rama, Hanuman and Eshaneshwara.

 

THE MANDAPAS

There are many Mandapas or Pillared halls on raised platforms within the temple complex meant for religious congregations. The most prominent is the Mukti Mandapa the congregation hall of the holy seat of selected learned brahmins. Here important decisions regarding conduct of daily worship and festivals are taken. The Dola Mandapa is noteworthy for a beautifully carved stone Torana or arch which is used for constructing a swing for the annual Dol Yatra festival. During the festival the idol of Dologobinda is placed on the swing. The Snana Bedi is a rectangular stone platform where idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are placed for ceremonial bathing during the annual Snana Yatra

 

DAILY FOOD OFFERINGS

Daily offerings are made to the Lord six times a day. These include:

 

- The offering to the Lord in the morning that forms his breakfast and is called Gopala Vallabha Bhoga. Breakfast consists of seven items i.e. Khua, Lahuni, Sweetened coconut grating, Coconut water, and popcorn sweetened with sugar known as Khai, Curd and Ripe bananas.

- The Sakala Dhupa forms his next offering at about 10 AM. This generally consists of 13 items including the Enduri cake & Mantha puli.

- Bada Sankhudi Bhoga forms the next repast & the offering consists of Pakhala with curd and Kanji payas. The offerings are made in the Bhog Mandapa, about 200 feet from the Ratnabedi. This is called Chatra Bhog and was introduced by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century to help pilgrims share the temple food.

- The Madhyanha dhupa forms the next offering at the noon.

- The next offering to the Lord is made in the evening at around 8 PM it is Sandhya Dhupa.

- The last offering to the Lord is called the Bada Simhara Bhoga.

 

The Mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath are distributed amongst the devotees near the Ratnavedi inside the frame of Phokaria, which is being drawn by the Puja pandas using Muruj, except for the Gopal Ballav Bhog and Bhog Mandap Bhoga which are distributed in the Anabsar Pindi & Bhoga Mandap respectively.

 

ROSAGHARA

The temple's kitchen is considered as the largest kitchen in the world. Tradition maintains that all food cooked in the temple kitchens are supervised by the Goddess Mahalakshmi, the empress of Srimandir herself. It is said that if the food prepared has any fault in it, a shadow dog appears near the temple kitchen. The temple cooks, or Mahasuaras, take this as a sign of displeasure of Mahalakshmi with the food, which is, then, promptly buried and a new batch cooked. All food is cooked following rules as prescribed by Hindu religious texts, the food cooked is pure vegetarian without using onions and garlic. Cooking is done only in earthen pots with water drawn from two special wells near the kitchen called Ganga and Yamuna. There are a total of 56 varieties of naivedhyas offered to the deities, near Ratnabedi as well as in Bhoga Mandap on five particular Muhurta. The most awaited Prasad is Kotho Bhoga or Abadha, offered at mid-day at around 1 pm, depending upon temple rituals. The food after being offered to Jagannath is distributed in reasonable portions as Mahaprasad, which is considered to be divine by the devotees in the Ananda Bazar (an open market, located to the North-east of the Singhadwara inside the Temple complex).

 

FESTIVALS

There are elaborate daily worship services. There are many festivals each year attended by millions of people. The most important festival is the Rath Yatra or the Chariot festival in June. This spectacular festival includes a procession of three huge chariots bearing the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra through the Bada Danda meaning the Grand Avenue of Puri till their final destination the Gundicha Temple. Early European observers told tales of devotees being crushed under the wheels of these chariots, whether by accident or even as a form of meritorious suicide akin to suttee. These reports gave rise to the loan word juggernaut suggesting an immense, unstoppable, threatening entity or process operated by fanatics. Many festivals like Dol Yatra in spring and Jhulan Yatra in monsoon are celebrated by temple every year.Pavitrotsava and Damanaka utsava are celebrated as per panchanga or panjika.There are special ceremonies in the month of Kartika and Pausha.

 

The annual shodasha dinatmaka or 16 day puja beginning 8 days prior to Mahalaya of Ashwin month for goddess Vimala and ending on Vijayadashami, is of great importance, in which both the utsava murty of lord Madanmohan and Vimala take part.

 

- Pana Sankranti: Also known or Vishuva Sankranti and Mesha Sankranti: Special rituals are performed at the temple.

 

RATH YATRA AT PURI

The Jagannath triad are usually worshiped in the sanctum of the temple at Puri, but once during the month of Asadha (Rainy Season of Orissa, usually falling in month of June or July), they are brought out onto the Bada Danda (main street of Puri) and travel (3 km) to the Shri Gundicha Temple, in huge chariots (ratha), allowing the public to have darśana (Holy view). This festival is known as Rath Yatra, meaning the journey (yatra) of the chariots (ratha). The Rathas are huge wheeled wooden structures, which are built anew every year and are pulled by the devotees. The chariot for Jagannath is approximately 45 feet high and 35 feet square and takes about 2 months to construct. The artists and painters of Puri decorate the cars and paint flower petals and other designs on the wheels, the wood-carved charioteer and horses, and the inverted lotuses on the wall behind the throne. The huge chariots of Jagannath pulled during Rath Yatra is the etymological origin of the English word Juggernaut. The Ratha-Yatra is also termed as the Shri Gundicha yatra.

 

The most significant ritual associated with the Ratha-Yatra is the chhera pahara." During the festival, the Gajapati King wears the outfit of a sweeper and sweeps all around the deities and chariots in the Chera Pahara (sweeping with water) ritual. The Gajapati King cleanses the road before the chariots with a gold-handled broom and sprinkles sandalwood water and powder with utmost devotion. As per the custom, although the Gajapati King has been considered the most exalted person in the Kalingan kingdom, he still renders the menial service to Jagannath. This ritual signified that under the lordship of Jagannath, there is no distinction between the powerful sovereign Gajapati King and the most humble devotee.

 

Chera pahara is held on two days, on the first day of the Ratha Yatra, when the deities are taken to garden house at Mausi Maa Temple and again on the last day of the festival, when the deities are ceremoniously brought back to the Shri Mandir.

 

As per another ritual, when the deities are taken out from the Shri Mandir to the Chariots in Pahandi vijay.

 

In the Ratha Yatra, the three deities are taken from the Jagannath Temple in the chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for nine days. Thereafter, the deities again ride the chariots back to Shri Mandir in bahuda yatra. On the way back, the three chariots halt at the Mausi Maa Temple and the deities are offered Poda Pitha, a kind of baked cake which are generally consumed by the Odisha people only.

 

The observance of the Rath Yatra of Jagannath dates back to the period of the Puranas. Vivid descriptions of this festival are found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana. Kapila Samhita also refers to Rath Yatra. In Moghul period also, King Ramsingh of Jaipur, Rajasthan has been described as organizing the Rath Yatra in the 18th Century. In Orissa, Kings of Mayurbhanj and Parlakhemundi were organizing the Rath Yatra, though the most grand festival in terms of scale and popularity takes place at Puri.

 

Moreover, Starza notes that the ruling Ganga dynasty instituted the Rath Yatra at the completion of the great temple around 1150 AD. This festival was one of those Hindu festivals that was reported to the Western world very early. Friar Odoric of Pordenone visited India in 1316-1318, some 20 years after Marco Polo had dictated the account of his travels while in a Genoese prison. In his own account of 1321, Odoric reported how the people put the "idols" on chariots, and the King and Queen and all the people drew them from the "church" with song and music.

 

CHANDAN YATRA

In Akshaya Tritiya every year the Chandan Yatra festival marks the commencement of the construction of the Chariots of the Rath Yatra.

 

SNANA PURNIMA

On the Purnima of the month of Jyestha the Gods are ceremonially bathed and decorated every year on the occasion of Snana Yatra.

 

ANAVASARA OR ANASARA

Literally means vacation. Every year, the main idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra & Sudarshan after the holy Snana Yatra on the jyestha purnima, go to a secret altar named Anavasara Ghar where they remain for the next dark fortnight (Krishna paksha). Hence devotees are not allowed to view them. Instead of this devotees go to nearby place Brahmagiri to see their beloved lord in the form of four handed form Alarnath a form of Vishnu. Then people get the first glimpse of lord on the day before Rath Yatra, which is called 'Navayouvana. It is said that the gods fall in fever after taking a huge bath and they are treated by the special servants named, Daitapatis for 15 days. During this period cooked food is not offered to the deities.

 

NAVA KALEBARA

One of the most grandiloquent events associated with the Lord Jagannath, Naba Kalabera takes place when one lunar month of Ashadha is followed by another lunar month of Aashadha. This can take place in 8, 12 or even 18 years. Literally meaning the ā€œNew Bodyā€ (Nava = New, Kalevar = Body), the festival is witnessed by as millions of people and the budget for this event exceeds $500,000. The event involves installation of new images in the temple and burial of the old ones in the temple premises at Koili Vaikuntha. The idols that are currently being worshipped in the temple premises were installed in the year 1996. Next ceremony will be held on 2015. More than 3 million devotees are expected to visit the temple during the Nabakalevara of 2015 making it one of the most visited festivals in the world.

 

NILADRI BIJE

Celebrated on Asadha Trayodashi. Niladri Bije is the concluding day of Ratha yatra. On this day deities return to the ratna bedi. Lord Jagannath offers Rasgulla to goddess Laxmi to enter in to the temple.

 

GUPTA GUNDICHA

Celebrated for 16 days from Ashwina Krushna dwitiya to Vijayadashami. As per tradition, the idol of Madhaba, along with the idol of Goddess Durga (known as Durgamadhaba), is taken on a tour of the temple premises. The tour within the temple is observed for the first eight days. For the next eight days, the idols are taken outside the temple on a palanquin to the nearby Narayani temple situated in the Dolamandapa lane. After their worship, they are brought back to the temple.

 

THE NAME PURUSHOTTAMA KSHETRA AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

Lord Jagannath is the Purushottama as per the scripture, Skanda Purana. In order to teach human beings how to lead a life full of virtue, he has taken the form of Saguna Brahman or Darubrahman. He is the best brother to his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. He is the best husband to goddess Shri. The most noteworthy aspect is still in the month of Margashirsha, on three consecutive days during amavasya he does Shraddha to his parents (Kashyapa-Aditi, Dasharatha-Kaushalya, Vasudeva-Devaki, Nanda-Yashoda), along with the king Indradyumna and queen Gundicha. As a master he enjoys every comfort daily and in various festivals. He grants all wishes to his subjects, and those who surrender before him he takes the utmost care of.

 

CULTURE AND TRADITION OF PURI

Puri is one of the fascinating littoral districts of Orissa. The Cultural heritage of Puri with its long recorded history has its beginnings in the third century B.C. The monuments, religious sanctity, and way of life of the people with their rich tradition is the cultural heart of Orissa. Indeed, Puri is considered the cultural capital of Orissa. The culture here flourished with its manifold activities.

 

The District has the happy conglomerate of different religions, sects and faith. In the course of history, Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina, Muslim, Christian, and Sikh are found here in the District.

 

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of Lord Krishna, appeared 500 years ago, in the mood of a devotee to taste the sublime emotions of ecstasy by chanting the holy name of Krishna. Stalwart scholars of Puri like Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya (a priest & great Sanskrit pandit) and others followed His teachings. Even kings and ministers of His period became His disciples. Especially King Prataparudra became His great admirer and ardent follower. Thus all cultures and religion became one in Puri after his teachings were given to all with no consideration of caste and creed.

 

MANAGEMENT

After independence, the State Government, with a view to getting better administrative system, passed " The Puri Shri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952. It contained provisions to prepare the Record of Rights and duties of Sevayats and such other persons connected with the system of worship and management of the temple. Subsequently Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 " was enacted to reorganize the management system of the affair of the temple and its properties.

 

SECURITY

The security at the 12th century Jagannath Temple is increased ahead of Ratha Yatra, the homecoming festival of the deities of Jagannath temple. In the wake of terror alert on 27 June 2012, the security forces were increased to ensure smooth functioning of the crowded Ratha Yatra and Suna Besha.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Port of Makassar, also known as Port of Soekarno-Hatta, is a seaport in Makassar, Indonesia. It has the highest passenger traffic among Indonesian ports and the largest cargo traffic in Sulawesi. It is considered a primary port (Pelabuhan Kelas Utama) by the Indonesian Government, along with the Port of Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Port of Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), and Port of Belawan (Medan).

 

An expansion to the port, dubbed New Port Makassar, is under construction with an expected additional capacity of 1.5 million TEUs in its first phase. The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has expressed a desire to designate the port as hub for the rest of Eastern Indonesia, in accordance to the current government's maritime axis program.

 

Makassar (Buginese-Makassarese: įØ€įØšįØˆ ᨆᨀᨔᨑ; historically spelled Macassar) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth largest urban centre after Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, and Medan. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named after one of its subdistricts, Ujung Pandang. The city is located on the southwest coast of the island of Sulawesi, facing the Makassar Strait.

 

Throughout its history, Makassar has been an important trading port, hosting the center of the Gowa Sultanate and a Portuguese naval base before its conquest by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century. It remained an important port in the Dutch East Indies, serving Eastern Indonesian regions with Makassarese fishermen going as far south as the Australian coast. For a brief period after Indonesian independence, Makassar became the capital of the State of East Indonesia, during which an uprising occurred.

 

The city's area is 199.3 square kilometres and it had a population of around 1.6 million in 2013. Its built-up (or metro) area has 1,976,168 inhabitants covering Makassar City and 15 districts. Its official metropolitan area, known as Mamminasata, with 17 additional districts, covers an area of 2,548 square kilometres and had a population of around 2.4 million according to 2010 Census. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Makassar is one of the four main central cities of Indonesia, alongside Medan, Jakarta, and Surabaya. According to Bank Indonesia, Makassar has the second-highest commercial property values in Indonesia, after Greater Jakarta.

 

HISTORY

The trade in spices figured prominently in the history of Sulawesi, which involved frequent struggles between rival native and foreign powers for control of the lucrative trade during the pre-colonial and colonial period, when spices from the region were in high demand in the West. Much of South Sulawesi's early history was written in old texts that can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

 

Makassar is mentioned in the Nagarakretagama, a Javanese eulogy composed in 14th century during the reign of Majapahit king Hayam Wuruk. In the text, Makassar is mentioned as an island under Majapahit dominance, alongside Butun, Salaya and Banggawi.

 

MAKASSARESE KINGDOM

The 9th King of Gowa Tumaparisi Kallonna (1512-1546) is described in the royal chronicle as the first Gowa ruler to ally with the nearby trade-oriented polity of Tallo, a partnership which endured throughout Makassar's apogee as an independent kingdom. The centre of the dual kingdom was at Sombaopu, near the then mouth of the Jeneberang River about 10 km south of the present city centre, where, where an international port and a fortress were gradually developed. First Malay traders (expelled from their Melaka metropolis by the Portuguese in 1511), then Portuguese from at least the 1540s, began to make this port their base for trading to the Spice Islands' (Maluku), further east.

 

The growth of Dutch maritime power over the spice trade after 1600 made Makassar more vital as an alternative port open to all traders, as well as a source of rice to trade with rice-deficient Maluku. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) sought a monopoly of Malukan nutmeg and cloves, and came close to succeeding at the expense of English, Portuguese and Muslims from the 1620s. The Makassar kings maintained a policy of free trade, insisting on the right of any visitor to do business in the city, and rejecting the attempts of the Dutch to establish a monopoly.

 

Makassar depended particularly on the Muslim Malay and Catholic Portuguese sailors communities as its two crucial economic assets. However the English East India Company also established a post there in 1613, the Danish Company arrived in 1618, and Chinese, Spanish and Indian traders were all important. When the Dutch conquered Portuguese Melaka in 1641, Makassar became the largest Portuguese base in Southeast Asia. The Portuguese population had been in the hundreds, but rose to several thousand, served by churches of the Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits as well as the regular clergy. By the 16th century, Makassar had become Sulawesi's major port and centre of the powerful Gowa and Tallo sultanates which between them had a series of 11 fortresses and strongholds and a fortified sea wall that extended along the coast. Portuguese rulers called the city MacƔƧar.

 

Makassar was very ably led in the first half of the 17th century, when it effectively resisted Dutch pressure to close down its trade to Maluku, and made allies rather than enemies of the neighbouring Bugis states. Karaeng Matoaya (c.1573-1636) was ruler of Tallo from 1593, as well as Chancellor or Chief Minister (Tuma'bicara-butta) of the partner kingdom of Gowa. He managed the succession to the Gowa throne in 1593 of the 7-year-old boy later known as Sultan Alaud-din, and guided him through the acceptance of Islam in 1603, numerous modernizations in military and civil governance, and cordial relations with the foreign traders. The conversion of the citizens to Islam was followed by the first official Friday Prayer in the city, traditionally dated to 9 November 1607, which is celebrated today as the city's official anniversary. John Jourdain called Makassar in his day "the kindest people in all the Indias to strangers". Matoaya's eldest son succeeded him on the throne of Tallo, but as Chancellor he had evidently groomed his brilliant second son, Karaeng Pattingalloang (1600-54), who exercised that position from 1639 until his death. Pattingalloang must have been partly educated by Portuguese, since as an adult he spoke Portuguese "as fluently as people from Lisbon itself", and avidly read all the books that came his way in Portuguese, Spanish or Latin. French Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes described his passion for mathematics and astronomy, on which he pestered the priest endlessly, while even one of his Dutch adversaries conceded he was "a man of great knowledge, science and understanding."

 

DUTCH COLONIAL PERIOD

After Pattingalloang's death in 1654, a new king of Gowa, Sultan Hasanuddin, rejected the alliance with Tallo by declaring he would be his own Chancellor. Conflicts within the kingdom quickly escalated, the Bugis rebelled under the leadership of Bone, and the Dutch VOC seized its long-awaited chance to conquer Makassar with the help of the Bugis (1667-9). Their first conquest in 1667 was the northern Makassar fort of Ujung Pandang, while in 1669 they conquered and destroyed Sombaopu in one of the greatest battles of 17th century Indonesia. The VOC moved the city centre northward, around the Ujung Pandang fort they rebuilt and renamed Fort Rotterdam. From this base they managed to destroy the strongholds of the Sultan of Gowa who was then forced to live on the outskirts of Makassar. Following the Java War (1825–30), Prince Diponegoro was exiled to Fort Rotterdam until his death in 1855.

 

After the arrival of the Dutch, there was an important Portuguese community, also call a bandel, that received the name of Borrobos. Around 1660 the leader of this community, which today would be equivalent to a neighborhood, was the Portuguese Francisco Vieira de Figueiredo.

 

The character of this old trading center changed as a walled city known as Vlaardingen grew. Gradually, in defiance of the Dutch, the Arabs, Malays and Buddhist returned to trade outside the fortress walls, and were joined later by the Chinese.

The town again became a collecting point for the produce of eastern Indonesia – the copra, rattan, Pearls, trepang and sandalwood and the famous oil made from bado nuts used in Europe as men's hair dressing – hence the anti-macassars (embroidered cloths protecting the head-rests of upholstered chairs).

 

Although the Dutch controlled the coast, it was not until the early 20th century that they gained power over the southern interior through a series of treaties with local rulers. Meanwhile, Dutch missionaries converted many of the Toraja people to Christianity. By 1938, the population of Makassar had reached around 84,000 – a town described by writer Joseph Conrad as "the prettiest and perhaps, cleanest looking of all the towns in the islands".

 

In World War II the Makassar area was defended by approximately 1000 men of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army commanded by Colonel M. Vooren. He decided that he could not defend the coast, and was planning to fight a guerrilla war inland. The Japanese landed near Makassar on 9 February 1942. The defenders retreated but were soon overtaken and captured.

 

AFTER INDEPENDENCE

In 1945 came the Indonesian declaration of Independence, and in 1946, Makassar became the capital of the State of East Indonesia, part of the United States of Indonesia. In 1950, it was the site of fighting between pro-Federalist forces under Captain Abdul Assiz and Republican forces under Colonel Sunkono during the Makassar uprising. By the 1950s, the population had increased to such a degree that many of the historic sites gave way to modern development, and today one needs to look very carefully to find the few remains of the city's once grand history.

 

CONNECTION WITH AUSTRALIA

Makassar is also a major fishing center in Sulawesi. One of its major industries is the trepang (sea-cucumber) industry. Trepang fishing brought the Makassan people into contact with Indigenous Australian peoples of northern Australia, long before European settlement (from 1788).

 

C. C. MacKnight in his 1976 work entitled Voyage to Marege: Macassan Trepangers in Northern Australia has shown that they began frequenting the north of Australia around 1700 in search of trepang (sea-slug, sea cucumber, Beche-de-mer), an edible Holothurian. They left their waters during the Northwest Monsoon in December or January for what is now Arnhem Land, Marriage or Marega and the Kimberley region or Kayu Djawa. They returned home with the south-east trade winds in April.

A fleet of between 24 and 26 Macassan perahus was seen in 1803 by French explorers under Nicolas Baudin on the Holothuria Banks in the Timor Sea. In February 1803, Matthew Flinders in the Investigator met six perahus with 20–25 men each on board and was told by the fleet's chief Pobasso, that there were 60 perahus then on the north Australian coast. They were fishing for trepang and appeared to have only a small compass as a navigation aid. In June 1818 Macassan trepang fishing was noted by Phillip Parker King in the vicinity of Port Essington in the Arafura Sea. In 1865 R.J. Sholl, then Government Resident for the British settlement at Camden Sound (near Augustus Island in the Kimberley region) observed seven 'Macassan' perahus with a total of around 300 men on board. He believed that they made kidnapping raids and ranged as far south as Roebuck Bay (later Broome) where 'quite a fleet' was seen around 1866. Sholl believed that they did not venture south into other areas such as Nickol Bay (where the European pearling industry commenced around 1865) due to the absence of trepang in those waters. The Macassan voyages appear to have ceased sometime in the late nineteenth century, and their place was taken by other sailors operating from elsewhere in the Indonesian Archipelago.

 

ECONOMY

The city is southern Sulawesi's primary port, with regular domestic and international shipping connections. It is nationally famous as an important port of call for the pinisi boats, sailing ships which are among the last in use for regular long-distance trade.

 

During the colonial era, the city was widely known as the namesake of Makassar oil, which it exported in great quantity. Makassar ebony is a warm black hue, streaked with tan or brown tones, and highly prized for use in making fine cabinetry and veneers.

 

Nowadays, as the largest city in Sulawesi Island and Eastern Indonesia, the city's economy depends highly on the service sector, which makes up approximately 70% of activity. Restaurant and hotel services are the largest contributor (29.14%), followed by transportation and communication (14.86%), trading (14.86), and finance (10.58%). Industrial activity is next most important after the service sector, with 21.34% of overall activity.

 

TRANSPORTATION

Makassar has a public transportation system called pete-pete. A pete-pete (known elsewhere in Indonesia as an angkot) is a minibus that has been modified to carry passengers. The route of Makassar's pete-petes is denoted by the letter on the windshield. Makassar is also known for its becak (pedicabs), which are smaller than the "becak" in the island of Java. In Makassar, people who drive pedicabs are called Daeng. In addition to becak and pete-pete, the city has a government-run bus system, and taxis.

 

A bus rapid transit (BRT), which is known as "Trans Mamminasata" was started in 2014. It has some routes through Makassar to cities around Makassar region such as Maros, Takallar, and Gowa. Run by Indonesian Transportation Department, each bus has 20 seats and space for 20 standing passengers.

 

A 35-kilometer monorail in the areas of Makassar, Maros Regency, Sungguminasa (Gowa Regency), and Takalar Regency (the Mamminasata region) was proposed in 2011, with operations commencing in 2014, at a predicted cost of Rp.4 trillion ($468 million). The memorandum of understanding was signed on 25 July 2011 by Makassar city, Maros Regency and Gowa Regency. In 2014, the project was officially abandoned, citing insufficient ridership and a lack of financial feasibility.

 

The city of Makassar, its outlying districts, and the South Sulawesi Province are served by Hasanuddin International Airport. The airport is located outside the Makassar city administration area, being situated in the nearby Maros Regency.

The city is served by Soekarno-Hatta Sea Port. In January 2012 it was announced that due to limited capacity of the current dock at Soekarno-Hatta sea port, it will be expanded to 150x30 square meters to avoid the need for at least two ships to queue every day.

 

ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE

The executive head of the city is the mayor, who is elected by direct vote for a period of five years. The mayor is assisted by a deputy-mayor, who is also an elected person. There is a legislative assembly for the city, members of which are also elected for a period of five years. Makassar City is divided into 15 administrative districts and 153 urban villages. Districts in Makassar city are Biringkanaya, Bontoala, Sangkarang Islands, Makassar, Mamajang, Manggala, Mariso, Panakkukang, Rappocini, Tallo, Tamalanrea, Tamalate, Ujung Pandang, Ujung Tanah and Wajo.

 

GEOGRAPHY

This official metropolitan area covers 2.689,89 km2 and had a population of 2.696.242 (2017). The metropolitan area of Makassar (Mamminasata) extends over 47 administrative districts (kecamatan), consisting of all 15 districts within the city, all 9 districts of Takalar Regency, 11 (out of 18) districts of Gowa Regency and 12 (out of 14) districts of Maros Regency.

 

Districts of Takalar Regency which included in the metro area are, Mangara Bombang, Mappakasunggu, Sanrobone, Polombangkeng Selatan, Pattallassang, Polombangkeng Utara, Galesong Selatan, Galesong and Galesong Utara. Districts of Gowa Regency which included in the metro area are, Somba Opu, Bontomarannu, Pallangga, Bajeng, Bajeng Barat, Barombong, Manuju, Pattallassang, Parangloe, Bontonompo and Bontonompo Selatan. Districts of Maros Regency which included in the metro area are, Maros Baru, Turikale, Marusu, Mandai, Moncongloe, Bontoa, Lau, Tanralili, Tompo Bulu, Bantimurung, Simbang and Cenrana.

 

CLIMATE

Makassar has a tropical monsoon climate. The average temperature for the year in Makassar is 27.5 °C, with little variation due to its near-equatorial latitude: the average high is around 32.5 °C and the average low around 22.5 °C all year long. In contrast to the virtually consistent temperature, rainfall shows wide variation between months in Makassar due to movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Makassar averages around 3,137 millimetres of rain on 187 days during the year, but during the month with least rainfall – August – only 15 millimetres on two days of rain can be expected. In contrast, during its very wet wet season, Makassar can expect over 530 millimetres per month between December and February. During the wettest month of January, 734 millimetres can be expected to fall on twenty-seven rainy days.

 

MAIN SIGHTS

Makassar is home to several prominent landmarks including:

- the 17th century Dutch fort Fort Rotterdam

- the Trans Studio Makassar—the third largest indoor theme park in the world

- the Karebosi Link—the first underground shopping center in Indonesia

- the floating mosque located at Losari Beach.

- the Nusantara

- the Bantimurung - Bulusaraung National Park well-known karst area, famous for the remarkable collection of butterflies in the local area, is nearby to Makassar (around 40 km to the north).

 

DEMOGRAPHICS

Makassar is a multi-ethnic city, populated mostly by Makassarese and Buginese. The remainder are Torajans, Mandarese, Butonese, Chinese and Javanese. The current population is approximately 1.5 million, with a Metropolitan total of 2.2 million.

 

EDUCATION

State University of Makassar

Hasanuddin University

Alauddin Islamic State University

Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar

Universitas Muslim Indonesia

 

By 2007 the city government began requiring all skirts of schoolgirls be below the knee.

 

TRADITIONAL FOOD

Makassar has several famous traditional foods. The most famous is Coto Makassar. It is a stew made from the mixture of nuts, spices, and selected offal which may include beef brain, tongue and intestine. Konro rib dish is also a popular traditional food in Makassar. Both Coto Makassar and Konro are usually eaten with Burasa or Ketupat, a glutinous rice cake. Another famous cuisine from Makassar is Ayam Goreng Sulawesi (Celebes fried chicken); the chicken is marinated with a traditional soy sauce recipe for up to 24 hours before being fried to a golden colour. The dish is usually served with chicken broth, rice and special sambal (chilli sauce).

 

In addition, Makassar is the home of Pisang Epe (pressed banana), as well as Pisang Ijo (green banana). Pisang Epe is a banana which is pressed, grilled, and covered with palm sugar sauce and sometimes eaten with Durian. Many street vendors sell Pisang Epe, especially around the area of Losari beach. Pisang Ijo is a banana covered with green colored flours, coconut milk, and syrup. Pisang Ijo is sometimes served iced, and often eaten during Ramadan.

 

WIKIPEDIA

January 5, 1989

It was reported that Kanata OPP charged three youths in connection with a spree of shootings in November in Katimavik. Bullets had been shot into homes and a passing bus. There were no injuries. Kanata Standard, January 5, 1989:5.

 

January 5, 1989

Mayor Adam, in his Mayor’s Notebook, announced that the operating budget would soon be available and it was expected that the tax increase for the year would be less than five percent. Kanata Standard, January 5, 1989:10.

 

January 11, 1989

It was reported that the giant Edmonton-based Triple Five Corporation had purchased 155 acres of land beside the Kanata South Business Park. There was speculation that this would fuel an extension of Terry Fox Drive further south. Kanata Standard, January 11, 1989:1.

 

January 12, 1989

An Eagleson Road Advisory Committee was struck by the Bridlewood Community Association to ensure its residents had a say in the controversial development along Eagleson Road. Kanata Standard, January 18, 1989:3.

 

January 14, 1989

Christopher Perrotta placed second in the novice skating competition at the Eastern Canadian Divisional Championships. Jennifer Boyce and her partner Michael Crooks placed third in their compulsory and free dance programs. Kanata Standard, February 8, 1989:28.

 

January 17, 1989

Kanata resident Bill Foster was able to get a regional sheriff to seize nearly $5,000 of City funds from a bank. Foster was suing the City after its bulldozer ripped up his fence and lawn. Foster obtained a default judgement, then presented it to the sheriff. Kanata Standard, January 25, 1989:3.

 

January 17, 1989

Kanata City Council approved a small commercial site located in the southwest quadrant of Town Centre lands. Alderman Read explained, in her Katimavik-Hazeldean Report, that the developer was building a small, tasteful structure on this 2-acre site. Kanata Standard, January 25, 1989:12.

 

January 18, 1989

Three major developers, Campeau, Triple Five, and Minto, all submitted bids to lease office space to Transport Canada. Transport Canada was considering setting up their head office in Kanata, which would make it the largest employer in the City next to Mitel. A Standard editorial pointed out, however, that many of the federal employees would live outside of Kanata. This could cause ā€œunbearable strainā€ on local road systems. Kanata Standard, January 18, 1989:1,2.

 

January 18, 1989

At a press conference, the president of a Bridlewood residents’ group, Judy Hunter, said that $100,000 was needed for legal fees to continue the challenge against Ontario Hydro. This was part of a longstanding battle to have power lines re-routed around Bridlewood. The residents’ group wanted Ontario Hydro to re-route its new twin 500 kilovolt lines which were running through the community and beside the Bridlewood elementary school. The lines were expected to be at full power by October. Kanata Standard, January 25, 1989:5.

 

January 22, 1989

Calmar Holdings informed Mayor Adam that they would finance an extension of Terry Fox Drive. In return, Calmar asked for rezoning for 27 acres of its subdivision so that it could enter it into the bid for the new Transport Canada headquarters. Mayor Adam was very pleased that the extension could finally become a reality. Kanata Standard, January 25, 1989:2.

 

January 24, 1989

Kanata’s Lumonics Inc. announced it had sold its software subsidiary to a U.S. firm for $2 million. Lumonics had about 175 local employees. It also announced the first profitable quarter since the beginning of 1987. Kanata Standard, February 1, 1989:25.

 

January 25, 1989

It was reported in the Standard that Beaverbrook resident Matthew Hall, 21, won the men’s senior title at the Eastern Canadian Figure Skating Championships. He hoped to be a contender in the 1994 Olympics. Kanata Standard, January 25, 1989:1.

 

January 31, 1989

Kanata City Council met in a special public meeting to pass the budget. The City had a $18.4 million operating budget, and called for a 4.8 percent increase in taxes for residents. Kanata Standard, February 1, 1989:1,3,8.

 

January 31, 1989

The March Rural Association held its Annual General Meeting. There was a presentation by the developers of the proposed Gateway Mall. Kanata Standard, March 1, 1989:15.

 

February 1, 1989

Debbie Lawes reported in the Standard that the National Capital Commission was negotiating to save Stony Swamp, a sensitive wetlands in the western end of Bridlewood, from extinction. A 1986 environmental report recommended that a buffer zone incorporating the 300 hectares of Stony Swamp be created to protect it, without which the entire ecosystem would be threatened. Kanata Standard, February 1, 1989:3.

 

February 1, 1989

Paul Dick was promoted to the position of Minister of Supply and Services. Dick served as MP for Lanark-Carleton (formerly Lanark-Renfrew-Carleton) since 1972. Kanata Standard, February 1, 1989:4.

 

February 1, 1989

Mark Henderson wrote a feature in the Standard outlining how Mayor Des Adam decided to refuse to speak with staff at the Kanata Kourier. Adam made the decision after his request to the Kourier to pull a column written by Fred Boyd was denied. Adam said that the column was ā€œnegative drivel.ā€ Kanata Standard, February 1, 1989:5.

 

February 8, 1989

Hal Hansen, Kanata Trustee for the Carleton Board of Education, implemented the motion that the Board ask the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture to remove it from the nomination process for public library boards. This move was linked to an ongoing dispute between the City and the CBE on the nomination process for the Library Board. Kanata Standard, February 8, 1989:1,5.

 

February 8, 1989

It was reported that Kanata City Council was negotiating with Campeau Corporation regarding revitalizing plans for the Town Centre lands. The first phase would include new municipal offices for City staff. Kanata Standard, February 15, 1989:3,5.

 

February 14, 1989

Kanata City Council denied the Kanata March Montessori School the rezoning it needed to move into a home in Beaverbrook. Susan Chapman, spokesperson for the school, argued that Council had not followed their normal procedures in this case. Kanata Standard, February 15, 1989:5.

 

February 15, 1989

Kanata City Council salaries were released. In 1988 a total of $142,029 was spent on aldermen and the mayor. The mayor’s base salary for 1989 was $50,000, an increase of approximately 27 percent. Aldermen were increased 37 percent, to about $18,000. Kanata Standard, February 15, 1989:3.

 

February 17, 1989

A fourth incident occurred where a man attempting to lure a young girl into a car had occurred in the McElroy Drive area of Glen Cairn. Kanata Standard, February 22, 1989:1,9.

 

February 21, 1989

Kanata City Council approved a zoning request by Dinerex Developments Inc. to join two properties for the purposes of constructing the Hazeldean Road Plaza. Construction was set to begin in May. Kanata Standard, February 22, 1989:33.

 

February 22, 1985

Richard Mostyn wrote a feature in the Standard outlining the issue of a new cooperative housing project in Glen Cairn. Bob Lambert, president of the housing co-op, attempted to get permission to rezone, but was met with resistance from some Council members and Mayor Adam. Adam did not believe there was a need for this type of housing in Kanata. One cooperative housing development was already in the area. Adam stated: ā€œWe have one already working and working well. Now we’re seeing another on the same street. It’s other area’s turn now.ā€ Alderman Eva James said that Kanata needs the project. At the February Glen Cairn Community Association’s meeting there was also substantial resistance against the co-op from about 80 residents. The main objection was that the row housing would be three stories high, when most in the area were one or two. Kanata Standard, February 22, 1989:5; Kanata Standard, March 1, 1989:14.

 

February 22, 1989

Debbie Lawes wrote a feature in the Standard discussing how Don Anderson was attempting to circumvent the restrictive policies of Kanata City Council with regard to group homes. Anderson was taking the issue to the Ontario Municipal Board, arguing that the City’s policies were against the Charter of Rights. Two years earlier, Anderson’s attempt to put a group home in Beaverbrook was also blocked by residents and Council. Kanata Standard, February 22, 1989:5.

 

February 28, 1989

Kanata City Council passed a motion to take the first steps towards creating a sixth ward for the city. The proposed ward would cover Morgan’s Grant, Marchwood Lakeside and Riddell Village. It also seemed likely that the position of regional Alderman (Alderman-at-Large) would be eliminated. Alderman James, regional Alderman at the time, argued that the position should continue, particularly if a Kanata received a new seat (from one to two) on Regional Council. The Ontario Municipal Board was still considering the increased representation on Regional Council for Kanata. Kanata Standard, March 1, 1989:5.

 

February 28, 1989

Kanata City Council deferred the decision on whether or not to use the 2,4-D in City parks until staff return with a full report. Though the issue of the use of this form weed control by the City was first introduced to Council back in 1983, the debate had recently heightened due to citizen-group pressure. Alderman Judy Hunter presented a report to Council based on her own research and recommended that the City use a herbicide-free turf management program. Hunter later stated in her Ward 5 Report: ā€œThe argument that we must choose between grass or weeds is not valid. While many have been conditioned into believing that only poisons can rid our parks and playgrounds of weeds, experts state that well-kept grass is itself effective in choking out weeds.ā€ Kanata Standard, March 8, 1989:11; Kanata Standard, March 15, 1989:19.

 

March 1, 1989

It was reported that construction began on the 90-metre radio tower for the Ontario Provincial Police at the corner of Eagleson Road and Campeau Drive. Though the communications tower was seen by some as a ā€œblight to the neighbourhood,ā€ there was little that could be done to prevent its construction. Kanata Standard, March 1, 1989:1.

 

March 1, 1989

Patrick Norbury reported in the Standard that an Amnesty International Chapter office would be set up in Kanata. About 30 residents fought for the local chapter. Kanata Standard, March 1, 1989:1.

 

March 1, 1989

Judy Hunter, in her Ward 5 Report, discussed her attempts at lobbying for a commuter rail link to Ottawa. What was needed, Hunter pointed out, was a complete proposal that would be ā€œattractive to the transportation committees of Kanata and the regionā€ from which provincial and federal involvement could be obtained. Kanata Standard, March 1, 1989:11.

 

March 1, 1989

The Kanata Theatre opened their presentation of A Delicate Balance. Amanda Gibbs, reviewing the play for the Standard, said that the group ā€œstaged an excellent productionā€ and that they were ā€œsuperbā€ and ā€œgenuinely reflected Albee’s piercing and intricate dialogue.ā€ Actors in the play included Gwen Knight, Jim Holmes, Dorothy Gardner, Barry Caiger, Lian Freedman, and Annmarie Copple. Kanata Standard, March 8, 1989:7,10.

 

March 2, 1989

The Annual Kanata Book Fair began at Stephen Leacock Public School. Students had collected 30,000 books for the Fair. Kanata Standard, March 1, 1989:13.

 

March 6, 1989

A weeklong pilot wood-heat safety program began. Residents of Kanata, West Carleton, and Almonte took part in the WoodHeat Information and Safety Education program, which aimed to reduce the number of wood-heat-related fires in Ontario. Kanata Standard, March 8, 1989:20-2.

 

March 7, 1989

Residents at a Kanata City Council meeting were able to delay for one week the possible rezoning of a property located near the intersection of Terry Fox Drive and Katimavik Road for a new hotel. Kanata Standard, March 8, 1989:4.

 

March 7, 1989

Kanata City Council authorized City staff to proceed with negotiations to finalize an agreement to construct the two new ice surfaces in Walter Baker Park. Kanata Standard, March 15, 1989:15.

 

March 8, 1989

Mark Henderson reported in a feature in the Standard that R.J. Nicol, the company which put together the deal for construction on the ā€œoften delayedā€ Kanata Parkland Coliseum, had been fired. A new deal was being struck where the City of Kanata would purchase the Coliseum from the new investors over a 10-year period at a cost of approximately $10 million. Kanata Standard, March 8, 1989:1,5.

 

March 8, 1989

It was reported that Campeau Corporation had sold its 1,200 acres of residential property in Kanata to Vancouver-based Genstar Development Company. The amount was rumored to be between $50 - 55 million. The land included Kanata Lakes as part of the Marchwood and Lakeside residential communities. This also made Genstar Kanata’s largest landowner. Campeau was a dominant force in Kanata for over twenty years. Campeau was also selling commercial holdings, including the Hazeldean Mall and its portion of the Kanata North Business Park. Kanata Standard, March 8, 1989:5; Kanata Standard, April 12, 1989:1,3.

 

March 9, 1989

Kanata swimmers Kelly Stevens, 13, and Cricho Brown, 15, headed to the Ontario Winter Games in North Bay. Kanata Standard, March 8, 1989:26.

 

March 13, 1989

A Carleton Board of Education meeting was held where the latest electro-magnetic field (EMF) readings from the controversial hydro towers were presented. The readings, which had been taken in and around the Bridlewood Community Elementary School, showed levels significantly higher in some locations and lower in others, than readings done in November. In some cases they had doubled. Kanata Standard, March 15, 1989:1-2.

 

March 14, 1989

Kanata City Council approved the controversial rezoning of land on Terry Fox Drive to permit a hotel. A petition with 40 signatures was presented to Council, however the concerned residents chose not to attend the meeting. Kanata Standard, March 22, 1989:3.

 

March 15, 1989

The City of Kanata was in court with R.J Nicol Construction. R.J. Nicol contended that the City acted improperly when it proposed a new deal to finish the Coliseum with a consortium of investors, giving Nicol no indication that they were being dropped. There was confusion surrounding the ability of Nicol to complete the job due to deals with lien claimants not being in place. On February 27 the lien claimants went to court to ask that a trustee be appointed to take over the project, claiming that their agreement with Nicol was not being honoured. Kanata Standard, March 15, 1989:1-2.

 

March 15, 1989

The National Capital Commission formally made an offer to purchase 25 hectares of residential land in Bridlewood in an effort to protect the Stony Swamp wetlands area. Some felt that a buffer zone was necessary to protect the sensitive wetlands. Kanata Standard, March 15, 1989:4.

 

March 15, 1989

It was reported in the Standard that the Kanata Kourier was planning to split into two papers to more effectively compete with the Kanata Standard. Beginning on March 24, they would publish a separate Home Guide. Kanata Standard, March 15, 1989:5.

 

March 21, 1989

Kanata City Council decided to purchase a ā€œKanataā€ sign, marking the City along the Queensway. It was to cost $65,000. Kanata Standard, March 29, 1989:3.

 

March 22, 1989

The Ontario Municipal Board decided to hold a hearing on the Kanata Parkland Coliseum issue. This meant a two-month delay on the project, which had been projected to open September 1 opening. On March 10, the OMB had received a 48-name petition from Kanata residents. Kanata Standard, March 22, 1989:1.

 

March 22, 1989

A Kanata youth, Jason Haring, 17, was shot and killed by a U.S. border guard. Haring was attempting to cross into Montana from British Columbia. When to told to stop, he pulled out what appeared to the guard to be a handgun. It turned out to be a toy gun. Haring was at large from a youth detention centre. Kanata Standard, March 29, 1989:1.

 

March 30, 1989

A Kanata woman, Christiane Uens, and her unborn infant died as a result of an automobile accident on Monkland Road. Kanata Standard, April 5, 1989:4.

 

April 4, 1989

Kanata City Council sent a letter to Premier Peterson asking him to push Ontario Hydro into reducing the current in its new power lines in Bridlewood. Kanata Standard, April 5, 1989:4.

 

April 4, 1989

Kanata City Council approved the addition of a sixth ward and the elimination of the regional alderman position. The new ward would give the developing communities of Morgan’s Grant, Marchwood-Lakeside, and Riddell Village their own representation. Kanata Standard, April 12, 1989:4.

 

April 5, 1989

Kanata City Council entered into negotiations to purchase the Orange Lodge, a 106-year-old stone house on Goulbourn Road. The building was being sold for only $17,000, due to taxes owed. Kanata Standard, April 5, 1989:1.

 

April 5, 1989

It was reported that Triple Five Corporation was taking Public Works to court. Triple Five was one of the original bidders on the proposed headquarters for Transport Canada. Supposedly, Triple Five was dropped from the bidding due to missing pages in its tender. There were also allegations that someone in Public Works had been bribed to tamper with the company’s tender. Kanata Standard, April 5, 1989:4.

 

April 11, 1989

Kanata City Council approved a new high school at the corner of Castlefrank and Katimavik roads, scheduled to open the following September. Kanata Standard, April 12, 1989:16.

 

April 12, 1989

Richard and Marion Blasius donated an antique study to the City of Kanata, valued at over $21,000. It was an eight-piece solid oak suite with a double pedestal desk, large bookcase with hand-carved pillars and faces, a round table and side table, a red velvet upholstered armchair, and three red velvet upholstered side chairs. Mayor Adam said that it would likely be placed in the new Mayor’s office in the new City Hall. Kanata Standard, April 19, 1989:6.

 

April 14, 1989

A serious accident involving a garbage truck and smaller vehicle occurred at the corner of Abbeyhill Drive and Eagleson Road. Three-year-old Meagan Tuck, a passenger in the car, was severely burned in the accident. Fire Captain John Tollman, after assessing the child’s injuries, began to drive her in the fire department’s emergency vehicle to the hospital. However, that vehicle was then involved in an accident at the corner of Eagleson and Hazeldean, after which a police cruiser rushed the child and an injured firefighter to the hospital. Kanata Standard, April 19, 1989:1,2,7.

 

April 18, 1989

A report prepared by McNeely Engineering recommended large increases in lot levies, for new homes and commercial development, to pay for an ambitious road construction project. In a feature on this issue in the Standard, Debbie Lawes pointed out that this could increase the cost of a new home in Kanata by $2,600. However, this would pay for $26 million in new roads over a nine-year period. Mayor Adam defended this increase and stated: ā€œOne of the joys of this plan is that the largest number of people will be paying for it.ā€ Kanata Standard, April 19, 1989:1,3,4.

 

April 18, 1989

Kanata City Council approved a contract with Ekos Research Associates to review the 1982 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This would help identify community needs for parks and recreation services. Kanata Standard, April 26, 1989:4.

 

April 19, 1989

It was reported that Jennifer Kalnitsky won the under-16 class of the Canadian Tennis Championships. Kanata Standard, April 19, 1989:22.

 

April 23, 1989

OPP officers shot Stittsville resident, John Stokes. Stokes was reportedly on a shooting rampage with a shotgun in front of the Stittsville gun club. Kanata Standard, April 26, 1989:6.

 

April 24, 1989

A rally was held in Ottawa to protest the firing of a Kanata ambulance attendant. Pat Proulx was fired on April 17 after he told the media that ambulance services in the Ottawa-Carleton area were inadequate. Proulx was also vice-president of the local ambulance attendants’ union. Kanata Standard, April 26, 1989:1,38; Kanata Standard, May 3, 1989:3.

 

April 26, 1989

It was reported in the Standard that the parents of Meagan Tuck, a child injured on April 14 in an accident involving a garbage truck, were suing the City of Kanata. Meagan was still in serious condition at the time. Kanata Standard, April 26, 1989:5.

 

April 26, 1989

Patrick Norbury reported in the Standard that the City of Kanata was attempting to purchase 12 kilometres of Ottawa River waterfront. Alderman Bill Berry said that the City intended to build a municipally owned marina in the future. Kanata Standard, April 26, 1989:7.

 

This is a photograph from the East of Ireland Marathon Series Marathon held at Stapelstown, Donadea, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland at 09:00 on Saturday 21st of September 2013. This is the first East of Ireland Marathon Series race outside of Dublin and also the first to have been run on rural roads and is race 5 of the East of Ireland Marathon Series 2013.

 

There was beautiful but warm weather in Stapelstown for the marathon which made conditions tougher than expected. The course brought runners on a loop from the village over towards Prosperous, Co. Kildare, and then back to the finish/refreshment area. The event was very well organised and whilst these races operate with a degree of self sufficiency for runners there was adequate marshalling, course marking, and refreshments available. Well done to all.

 

The East Of Ireland Marathon Series aims to make marathons affordable and convienient for the runners of Ireland. The serires organisers aim to promote marathon running and to make the process as stress free and enjoyable as possible. All courses are measured to full AAI standards and have a minimum of 10 Entrants. The marathons are self sufficent to a degree although there are limited supplies of water available on the day of the race. There will be no extra frills like chip timing and finish gantrys. However all finishing times are accurately and officially recorded. This is to keep the price down and keep the races as affordable as possible. The East of Ireland Marathon series is all inclusive and welcomes runners who are new to marathon running as well as experienced veterans.

 

This photograph is part of a Flickr set of photographs we took at this event. The Flickr set is available here [http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157635665725976/]. This set includes photographs from the start, in-race, and finish of the race.

 

Viewing this on a smartphone device?

If you are viewing this Flickr set on a smartphone and you want to see the larger version(s) of this photograph then: scroll down to the bottom of this description under the photograph and click the "View info about this photo..." link. You will be brought to a new page and you should click the link "View All Sizes".

 

Overall Race Summary

Participants: The East of Ireland marathon series stricly limits the number of participants. There were about 50 participants in the race today.

Weather: There was warm sunny weather for the race with competitors finding the humid conditions very tough as the race progress on around mid day. There was no real wind but a breeze which did help keep runners cool.

Course: The race started at St. Kevin's GAA and proceeded west into Stapelstown Village and reached a turnaround point which brought runners back to the starting point. This meant that runners then had to complete four complete loops of the 6.09 mile loop outlined below. This loop then proceeded directly southwards towards Prosperous but makes a sharp right turn before Properous village. This brings runners onto the Ballynafagh road and northwards back towards Stapelstown village. Runners then run down through the village (passing the finish and refreshment area) to complete the loop. The course is on traffic open country roads.

Location Map: This is the start finish area at Stapelstown National School goo.gl/maps/LbynY

 

Some Useful Links

 

A GARMIN GPS Trace of the 6.09 mile loop being used as part of the marathon: connect.garmin.com/activity/326724349

East of Ireland Marathons Facebook Group Page: www.facebook.com/groups/130592073780072/ (you will need a Facebook account to view this)

East of Ireland Marathons Web Homepage: www.eastofirelandmarathons.com/index.php

Professional Photographer Hannah Levy has galleries for several previous East of Ireland Marathons in 2013: www.hannahlevy.com/index/EOI_Marathons/EOI_Marathons.html

 

Google Streetview Imagery of St. Kevin's GAA Club where parking facilities were provided for the race: goo.gl/maps/FMsl5

Google Streetview Imagery of the Finish Area beside Stapelstown National School: goo.gl/maps/LbynY

 

Can I use these photographs directly from Flickr on my social media account?

 

Yes - of course you can. Flickr provides several ways to share this and other photographs in this Flickr set. You can share to: email, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, LiveJournal, and Wordpress and Blogger blog sites. Your mobile device will also offer you several different options for sharing this photo page on your social media outlets.

 

How can I get full resolution copies of these photographs?

 

All of the photographs posted here on this Flickr set are available free, at no cost, at full image resolution. We take these photographs as a hobby and as a contribution to the running community in Ireland. Our only "cost" is our request that if you are using these images without the watermark: (1) on social media sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter,LinkedIn, Google+, etc or (2) other websites, blogs, web multimedia, commercial/promotional material that you must provide a link back to our Flickr page to attribute us.

 

This also extends the use of these images for Facebook profile pictures. In these cases please make a separate wall or blog post with a link to our Flickr page. If you do not know how this should be done for Facebook or other social media please email us and we will be happy to help suggest how to link to us.

 

Please email petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com with the links to the photographs you would like to obtain a full resolution copy of. We also ask race organisers, media, etc to ask for permission before use of our images for flyers, posters, etc. We reserve the right to refuse a request.

 

In summary please remember when requesting photographs from us - all we ask is for you to provide a link back to our Flickr set or Flickr pages. You will find the link above clearly outlined in the description text which accompanies this photograph. Taking these photographs and preparing them for online posting does take a significant effort. We are not posting photographs to Flickr for commercial reasons. If you really like what we do please spread the link around your social media, send us an email, leave a comment beside the photographs, send us a Flickr email, etc.

 

If you would like to contribute something for your photograph(s)?

Many people offer payment for our photographs. As stated above we do not charge for these photographs. We take these photographs as our contribution to the running community in Ireland. If you feel that the photograph(s) you request are good enough that you would consider paying for their purchase from other photographic providers we would suggest that you can provide a donation to any of the great charities in Ireland who do work for Cancer Care or Cancer Research in Ireland.

 

I ran in the race - but my photograph doesn't appear here in your Flickr set! What gives?

 

As mentioned above we take these photographs as a hobby and as a voluntary contribution to the running community in Ireland. Very often we have actually ran in the same race and then switched to photographer mode after we finished the race. Consequently, we feel that we have no obligations to capture a photograph of every participant in the race. However, we do try our very best to capture as many participants as possible. But this is sometimes not possible for a variety of reasons:

 

     ►You were hidden behind another participant as you passed our camera

     ►Weather or lighting conditions meant that we had some photographs with blurry content which we did not upload to our Flickr set

     ►There were too many people - some races attract thousands of participants and as amateur photographs we cannot hope to capture photographs of everyone

     ►We simply missed you - sorry about that - we did our best!

  

You can email us petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com to enquire if we have a photograph of you which didn't make the final Flickr selection for the race. But we cannot promise that there will be photograph there. As alternatives we advise you to contact the race organisers to enquire if there were (1) other photographs taking photographs at the race event or if (2) there were professional commercial sports photographers taking photographs which might have some photographs of you available for purchase. You might find some links for further information above.

 

Don't like your photograph here?

That's OK! We understand!

 

If, for any reason, you are not happy or comfortable with your picture appearing here in this photoset on Flickr then please email us at petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com and we will remove it as soon as possible. We give careful consideration to each photograph before uploading.

 

I want to tell people about these great photographs!

Great! Thank you! The best link to spread the word around is probably www.flickr.com/peterm7/sets

  

. . . sadly Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple complex

__________________________________________

 

The Jagannath Temple of Puri (Odia: ą¬œą¬—ą¬Øą­ą¬Øą¬¾ą¬„ ą¬®ą¬Øą­ą¬¦ą¬æą¬°) is a famous, sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located on the eastern coast of India, at Puri in the state of Odisha.

 

The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of god Krishna and god Vishnu, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages that a Hindu is expected to make in one's lifetime.

 

Even though most Hindu deities that are worshiped are made out of stone or metal, the image of Jagannath is wooden. Every twelve or nineteen years these wooden figures are ceremoniously replaced by using sacred trees, that have to be carved as an exact replica. The reason behind this ceremonial tradition is the highly secret Navakalevara ('New Body' or 'New Embodiment') ceremony, an intricate set of rituals that accompany the renewal of the wooden statues.

 

The temple was built in the 12th century atop its ruins by the progenitor of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva. The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervour.

 

The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava traditions and saint Ramananda who was closely associated with the temple. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.

 

DEITIES

The central forms of Jagannath, Balabhadra and the goddess Subhadra constitute the trinity of deities sitting on the bejewelled platform or the Ratnabedi in the inner sanctum. The Sudarshan Chakra, deities of Madanmohan, Sridevi and Vishwadhatri are also placed on the Ratnavedi. The deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan Chakra are made from sacred Neem logs known as Daru Brahma. Depending on the season the deities are adorned in different garbs and jewels. Worship of the deities pre-date the temple structure and may have originated in an ancient tribal shrine.

 

ORIGINS OF THE TEMPLE

According to the recently discovered copper plates from the Ganga dynasty, the construction of the current Jagannath temple was initiated by the ruler of Kalinga, Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev. The Jaga mohan and the Vimana portions of the temple were built during his reign (1078 - 1148 CE). However, it was only in the year 1174 CE that the Oriya ruler Ananga Bhima Deva rebuilt the temple to give a shape in which it stands today.

 

Jagannath worship in the temple continued until 1558, when Odisha was attacked by the Afghan general Kalapahad. Subsequently, when Ramachandra Deb established an independent kingdom at Khurda in Orissa, the temple was consecrated and the deities reinstalled.

 

LEGENDS

Legendary account as found in the Skanda-Purana, Brahma Purana and other Puranas and later Oriya works state that Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Lord Neela Madhaba by a Savar king (tribal chief) named Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity, King Indradyumna sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity, who was worshipped secretly in a dense forest by Viswavasu. Vidyapati tried his best but could not locate the place. But at last he managed to marry Viswavasu's daughter Lalita. At repeated request of Vidyapti, Viswavasu took his son-in-law blind folded to a cave where Lord Neela Madhaba was worshipped.

 

Vidyapati was very intelligent. He dropped mustard seeds on the ground on the way. The seeds germinated after a few days, which enabled him to find out the cave later on. On hearing from him, King Indradyumna proceeded immediately to Odra desha Orissa on a pilgrimage to see and worship the Deity. But the deity had disappeared. The king was disappointed. The Deity was hidden in sand. The king was determined not to return without having a darshan of the deity and observed fast unto death at Mount Neela, Then a celestial voice cried 'thou shalt see him.' Afterwards the king performed a horse sacrifice and built a magnificent temple for Vishnu. Sri Narasimha Murti brought by Narada was installed in the temple. During sleep, the king had a vision of Lord Jagannath. Also an astral voice directed him to receive the fragrant tree on the seashore and make idols out of it. Accordingly, the king got the image of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan made out of the wood of the divine tree and installed them in the temple.

 

INDRADYUMNA“S PRAYER TO LORD BRAHMA

King Indradyumna put up for Jagannath the tallest monument of the world. It was 1,000 cubits high. He invited Lord Brahma, the cosmic creator, consecrate the temple and the images. Brahma came all the way from Heaven for this purpose. Seeing the temple he was immensely pleased with him. Brahma asked Indradyumna as to in what way can he (Brahma) fulfill the king's desire, since was very much pleased with him for his having put the most beautiful Temple for Lord Vishnu. With folded hands, Indradyumna said, "My Lord if you are really pleased with me, kindly bless me with one thing, and it is that I should be issueless and that I should be the last member of my family." In case anybody left alive after him, he would only take pride as the owner of the temple and would not work for the society.

 

THE EPISODE OF THE LORD“S GRACE DURING A WAR WITH KANCHI

At one time, a king of Kanchi in the down south remarked that the king of Orissa was a chandala (a man of very low caste or status) because, he performs the duties of a sweeper during the Car Festival. When this news reached the ears of the king of Orissa, he led an expedition to Kanchi. Before that, he implored the mercy of Lord Jagannath. The soldiers of Orissa marched towards Kanchi from Cuttack (earlier capital city of Orissa, located on the banks of Mahanadi, at a distance of 30 km from Bhubaneswar. It so happened that when the soldiers, headed by the king Purusottam Dev, reached a place near the Chilika lake, a lady, who was selling curd (yogurt) met him (the king) and presented a golden ring studded with precious gems and submitted. "My Lord, kindly listen to me. A little earlier, two soldiers riding over two horses (white and black in colour), approached me and said we are thirsty give us curds to drink.' I gave them curds. Instead of giving me money, they gave me this ring and said,'the king of Orissa will come here, after some time, on his way to Kanchi. You present it to him and he will pay you the money.' So my Lord, you take it and give me my dues.

 

It took no time for the king to know that the ring belongs to Lord Jagannath. He was convinced that Jagannath and Balabhadra were proceeding to the battle field ahead of him to help him there. To perpetuate the memory of this great incident, the king founded a village in the Chilika lake area. As the name of the lady was Manika, the name given to the village was Manika Patana. Even to this day, the curds of this village are famous.

 

LEGEND SURROUNDING THE TEMPLE ORIGIN

The traditional story concerning the origins of the Lord Jagannath temple is that here the original image of Jagannath (a deity form of Vishnu) at the end of Treta yuga manifested near a banyan tree, near seashore in the form of an Indranila nilamani or the Blue Jewel. It was so dazzling that it could grant instant moksha, so the god Dharma or Yama wanted to hide it in the earth, and was successful. In Dvapara Yuga King Indradyumna of Malwa wanted to find that mysterious image and to do so he performed harsh penances to obtain his goal. Vishnu then instructed him to go to the Puri seashore and find a floating log to make an image from its trunk.

 

The King found the log of wood. He did a yajna from which god Yajna Nrisimha appeared and instructed that Narayana should be made as fourfold expansion, i.e. Paramatma as Vasudeva, his Vyuha as Samkarshana, Yogamaya as Subhadra, and his Vibhava asSudarsana. Vishwakarma appeared in the form of artist and prepared images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra from the tree. When this log, radiant with light was seen floating in the sea, Narada told the king to make three idols out of it and place them in a pavilion. Indradyumna got Visvakarma, the architect of Gods, to build a magnificent temple to house the idols and Vishnu himself appeared in the guise of a carpenter to make the idols on condition that he was to be left undisturbed until he finished the work.

 

But just after two weeks, the Queen became very anxious. She took the carpenter to be dead as no sound came from the temple. Therefore, she requested the king to open the door. Thus, they went to see Vishnu at work at which the latter abandoned his work leaving the idols unfinished. The idol was devoid of any hands. But a divine voice told Indradyumana to install them in the temple. It has also been widely believed that in spite of the idol being without hands, it can watch over the world and be its lord. Thus the idiom.

 

INVASIONS AND DESECRATIONS OF THE TEMPLE

The temple annals, the Madala Panji records that the Jagannath temple at Puri has been invaded and plundered eighteen times. The invasion by Raktabahu has been considered the first invasion on the temple by the Madalapanji.

 

RANJIT SINGH“S WILL

Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, had donated massive amounts of gold to the Jagannath temple. In his last will, he also ordered that Koh-i-noor, the most precious and greatest diamond in the world, to be donated to this temple, but the diamond could never actually make its way to the temple because the British, by that time, had annexed the Punjab and all its royal possessions. Thus, claiming that the Koh-i-noor was theirs. It is currently a part of British crown jewels and is located in the Tower of London.

 

ENTRY AND DARSHAN

Temple has 4 entrances in all directions.Temple security is selective regarding who is allowed entry. Practicing Hindus of non-Indian descent are excluded from premises, as are Hindus of non-Indian origin. Visitors not allowed entry may view the precincts from the roof of the nearby Raghunandan Library and pay their respects to the image of God Jagannath known as Patitapavana at the main entrance to the temple. There is some evidence that this came into force following a series of invasions by foreigners into the temple and surrounding area. Buddhist, and Jain groups are allowed into the temple compound if they are able to prove their Indian ancestry. The temple has slowly started allowing Hindus of non-Indian origin into the area, after an incident in which 3 Balinese Hindus were denied entry, even though Bali is 90% Hindu.

 

The temple remains open from 5 am to 12 midnight. Unlike many other temples devotees can go behind the idols(go round the idols).All devotees are allowed to go right up to the deities during the Sahana Mela without paying any fees . The Sahana mela or the public darshan is usually following the abakasha puja between around 7 to 8 am in the morning. Special darshan or Parimanik darshan is when devotees on paying 50 Rupees are allowed right up to the deities. Parimanik darshan happens after the dhupa pujas at around 10 am, 1 pm and 8 pm . At all other times devotees can view the deities from some distance for free. The rathyatra occurs every year some time in the month of July. 2 or 6 weeks before Rathyatra (depending upon the year) there is a ritual of Lord undergoing "Bhukaar" (sick) hence the idols are not on "Darshan". Devotees to make a note of this before they plan to visit the lord.

 

CULTURAL INTEGRITY

Shrikshetra of Puri Jagannath, as is commonly known, can verily be said to be a truthful replica of Indian culture. To understand this culture, one has to have some idea of the history of this land, which again is different from that of other countries of the world.

 

Starting from Lord Jagannath himself, history has it that he was a tribal deity, adorned by the Sabar people, as a symbol of Narayan. Another legend claims him to be Nilamadhava, an image of Narayana made of blue stone and worshipped by the aboriginals. He was brought to Nilagiri (blue mountain) or Nilachala and installed there as Shri Jagannath in company with Balabhadra and Subhadra. The images made of wood are also claimed to have their distant linkage with the aboriginal system of worshipping wooden poles. To cap it all the Daitapatis, who have a fair share of responsibilities to perform rituals of the Temple, are claimed to be descendants of the aboriginals or hill tribes of Orissa. So we may safely claim that the beginning of the cultural history of Shrikshetra is found in the fusion of Hindu and Tribal Cultures. This has been accepted as a facet of our proud heritage. The three deities came to be claimed as the symbols of Samyak Darshan, Samyak Jnana and Samyak Charita usually regarded as Triratha (of the Jain cult), an assimilation of which leads to Moksha (salvation) or the ultimate bliss...

 

Jagannath is worshipped as Vishnu or Narayana or Krishna and Lord Balabhadra as Shesha. Simultaneously, the deities are regarded as the bhairava with Vimala (the devi or the consort of Shiva) installed in the campus of the temple. So ultimately we find a fusion of Saivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism of the Hindu religion with Jainism and up to an extent Buddhism in the culture of Jagannath and the cultural tradition so reverently held together in Shrikshetra.

 

ACHARYAS AND JAGANNATHA PURI

All of the renowned acharyas including Madhvacharya have been known to visit this kshetra. Adi Shankara established his Govardhana matha here. There is also evidence that Guru Nanak, Kabir, Tulsidas, Ramanujacharya, and Nimbarkacharya had visited this place. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Gaudiya Vaishnavism stayed here for 24 years, establishing that the love of god can be spread by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Srimad Vallabhacharya visited Jagannath Puri and performed a 7-day recitation of Srimad Bhagvat. His sitting place is still famous as "baithakji." It confirms his visit to Puri. A famous incident took place when Vallabhachrya visited. There was a discourse being held between the Brahmins and 4 questions were asked. Who is the highest of Gods, What is the highest of mantras, What is the highest scripture and What is the highest service. The discourse went on for many days with many schools of thought. Finally Shri Vallabh said to ask Lord Jagannath to confirm Shri Vallabh's answers. A pen and paper were left in the inner sanctum. After some time, the doors were opened and 4 answers were written. 1) The Son of Devaki (Krishna) is the God of Gods 2) His name is the highest of mantras 3) His song is the highest scripture (Bhagavat Geeta) 4) Service to Him is the Highest service. The king was shocked and declared Shri Vallabh the winner of the discourse. Some of the pandits who participated became jealous of Shri Vallabh and wanted to test Him. The next day was Ekadashi, a fasting day where one must fast from grains. The pandits gave Shri Vallabh rice Prasad of Shri Jagannathji (The temple is famous for this). If Shri Vallabh ate it, He would break His vow of fasting but if He did not take it, He would disrespect Lord Jagannath. Shri Vallabh accepted the prasad in his hand and spent the rest of the day and night explaining slokas of the greatness of Prasad and ate the rice the next morning.

 

CHAR DHAM

The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Rameswaram, Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka. Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism propagated by Sankaracharya, who created Hindu monastic institutions across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer. The four monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South. Though ideologically the temples are divided between the sects of Hinduism, namely Saivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair. There are four abodes in Himalayas called Chota Char Dham (Chota meaning small): Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - all of these lie at the foot hills of Himalayas The name Chota was added during the mid of 20th century to differentiate the original Char Dhams. The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circumambulation in Hindu temples.

 

STRUCTURE

The huge temple complex covers an area of over 37,000 m2, and is surrounded by a high fortified wall. This 6.1 m high wall is known as Meghanada Pacheri. Another wall known as kurma bedha surrounds the main temple. It contains at least 120 temples and shrines. With its sculptural richness and fluidity of the Oriya style of temple architecture, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India. The temple has four distinct sectional structures, namely -

 

- Deula, Vimana or Garba griha (Sanctum sanctorum) where the triad deities are lodged on the ratnavedi (Throne of Pearls). In Rekha Deula style;

- Mukhashala (Frontal porch);

- Nata mandir/Natamandapa, which is also known as the Jagamohan (Audience Hall/Dancing Hall), and

- Bhoga Mandapa (Offerings Hall).

 

The main temple is a curvilinear temple and crowning the top is the 'srichakra' (an eight spoked wheel) of Vishnu. Also known as the "Nilachakra", it is made out of Ashtadhatu and is considered sacrosanct. Among the existing temples in Orissa, the temple of Shri Jagannath is the highest. The temple tower was built on a raised platform of stone and, rising to 65 m above the inner sanctum where the deities reside, dominates the surrounding landscape. The pyramidal roofs of the surrounding temples and adjoining halls, or mandapas, rise in steps toward the tower like a ridge of mountain peaks.

 

NILA CHAKRA

The Nila Chakra (Blue Discus) is the discus mounted on the top shikhar of the Jagannath Temple. As per custom, everyday a different flag is waved on the Nila Chakra. The flag hoisted on the Nila Cakra is called the Patita Pavana (Purifier of the Fallen) and is equivalent to the image of the deities placed in the sanctum sanctorum .

 

The Nila Chakra is a disc with eight Navagunjaras carved on the outer circumference, with all facing towards the flagpost above. It is made of alloy of eight metals (Asta-dhatu) and is 3.5 Metres high with a circumference of about 11 metres. During the year 2010, the Nila Chakra was repaired and restored by the Archaeological Survey of India.

 

The Nila Chakra is distinct from the Sudarshana chakra which has been placed with the deities in the inner sanctorum.

 

Nila Chakra is the most revered iconic symbol in the Jagannath cult. The Nila Chakra is the only physical object whose markings are used as sacrament and considered sacred in Jagannath worship. It symbolizes protection by Shri Jagannath.

 

THE SINGHADWARA

The Singahdwara, which in Sanskrit means The Lion Gate, is one of the four gates to the temple and forms the Main entrance. The Singhadwara is so named because two huge statues of crouching lions exist on either side of the entrance. The gate faces east opening on to the Bada Danda or the Grand Road. The Baisi Pahacha or the flight of twenty two steps leads into the temple complex. An idol of Jagannath known as Patitapavana, which in Sanskrit, means the "Saviour of the downtrodden and the fallen" is painted on the right side of the entrance. In ancient times when untouchables were not allowed inside the temple, they could pray to Patita Pavana. The statues of the two guards to the temple Jaya and Vijaya stand on either side of the doorway. Just before the commencement of the Rath Yatra the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are taken out of the temple through this gate. On their return from the Gundicha Temple they have to ceremonially placate Goddess Mahalakshmi, whose statue is carved atop the door, for neglecting to take her with them on the Yatra. Only then the Goddess allows them permission to enter the temple. A magnificent sixteen-sided monolithic pillar known as the Arun stambha stands in front of the main gate. This pillar has an idol of Arun, the charioteer of the Sun God Surya, on its top. One significant thing about Arun stambha is that prior it was located in the Konark Sun temple, later, the Maratha guru Brahmachari Gosain brought this pillar from Konark. The Puri Jagannath Temple was also saved by Maratha emperor Shivaji from being plundered at his times from the Mughals.

 

OTHER ENTRANCES

Apart from the Singhadwara, which is the main entrance to the temple, there are three other entrances facing north, south and west. They are named after the sculptures of animals guarding them. The other entrances are the Hathidwara or the Elephant Gate, the Vyaghradwara or the Tiger Gate and the Ashwadwara or the Horse Gate.

 

MINOR TEMPLES

There are numerous smaller temples and shrines within the Temple complex where active worship is regularly conducted. The Vimala Temple (Bimala Temple) is considered one of the most important of the Shaktipeeths marks the spot where the goddess Sati's feet fell. It is located near Rohini Kund in the temple complex. Until food offered to Jagannath is offered to Goddess Vimala it is not considered Mahaprasad.

 

The temple of Mahalakshmi has an important role in rituals of the main temple. It is said that preparation of naivedya as offering for Jagannath is supervised by Mahalakshmi. The Kanchi Ganesh Temple is dedicated to Uchchhishta Ganapati. Tradition says the King of Kanchipuram (Kanchi) in ancient times gifted the idol, when Gajapati Purushottama Deva married Padmavati, the kanchi princess. There are other shrines namely Muktimandap, Surya, Saraswati, Bhuvaneshwari, Narasimha, Rama, Hanuman and Eshaneshwara.

 

THE MANDAPAS

There are many Mandapas or Pillared halls on raised platforms within the temple complex meant for religious congregations. The most prominent is the Mukti Mandapa the congregation hall of the holy seat of selected learned brahmins. Here important decisions regarding conduct of daily worship and festivals are taken. The Dola Mandapa is noteworthy for a beautifully carved stone Torana or arch which is used for constructing a swing for the annual Dol Yatra festival. During the festival the idol of Dologobinda is placed on the swing. The Snana Bedi is a rectangular stone platform where idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are placed for ceremonial bathing during the annual Snana Yatra

 

DAILY FOOD OFFERINGS

Daily offerings are made to the Lord six times a day. These include:

 

- The offering to the Lord in the morning that forms his breakfast and is called Gopala Vallabha Bhoga. Breakfast consists of seven items i.e. Khua, Lahuni, Sweetened coconut grating, Coconut water, and popcorn sweetened with sugar known as Khai, Curd and Ripe bananas.

- The Sakala Dhupa forms his next offering at about 10 AM. This generally consists of 13 items including the Enduri cake & Mantha puli.

- Bada Sankhudi Bhoga forms the next repast & the offering consists of Pakhala with curd and Kanji payas. The offerings are made in the Bhog Mandapa, about 200 feet from the Ratnabedi. This is called Chatra Bhog and was introduced by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century to help pilgrims share the temple food.

- The Madhyanha dhupa forms the next offering at the noon.

- The next offering to the Lord is made in the evening at around 8 PM it is Sandhya Dhupa.

- The last offering to the Lord is called the Bada Simhara Bhoga.

 

The Mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath are distributed amongst the devotees near the Ratnavedi inside the frame of Phokaria, which is being drawn by the Puja pandas using Muruj, except for the Gopal Ballav Bhog and Bhog Mandap Bhoga which are distributed in the Anabsar Pindi & Bhoga Mandap respectively.

 

ROSAGHARA

The temple's kitchen is considered as the largest kitchen in the world. Tradition maintains that all food cooked in the temple kitchens are supervised by the Goddess Mahalakshmi, the empress of Srimandir herself. It is said that if the food prepared has any fault in it, a shadow dog appears near the temple kitchen. The temple cooks, or Mahasuaras, take this as a sign of displeasure of Mahalakshmi with the food, which is, then, promptly buried and a new batch cooked. All food is cooked following rules as prescribed by Hindu religious texts, the food cooked is pure vegetarian without using onions and garlic. Cooking is done only in earthen pots with water drawn from two special wells near the kitchen called Ganga and Yamuna. There are a total of 56 varieties of naivedhyas offered to the deities, near Ratnabedi as well as in Bhoga Mandap on five particular Muhurta. The most awaited Prasad is Kotho Bhoga or Abadha, offered at mid-day at around 1 pm, depending upon temple rituals. The food after being offered to Jagannath is distributed in reasonable portions as Mahaprasad, which is considered to be divine by the devotees in the Ananda Bazar (an open market, located to the North-east of the Singhadwara inside the Temple complex).

 

FESTIVALS

There are elaborate daily worship services. There are many festivals each year attended by millions of people. The most important festival is the Rath Yatra or the Chariot festival in June. This spectacular festival includes a procession of three huge chariots bearing the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra through the Bada Danda meaning the Grand Avenue of Puri till their final destination the Gundicha Temple. Early European observers told tales of devotees being crushed under the wheels of these chariots, whether by accident or even as a form of meritorious suicide akin to suttee. These reports gave rise to the loan word juggernaut suggesting an immense, unstoppable, threatening entity or process operated by fanatics. Many festivals like Dol Yatra in spring and Jhulan Yatra in monsoon are celebrated by temple every year.Pavitrotsava and Damanaka utsava are celebrated as per panchanga or panjika.There are special ceremonies in the month of Kartika and Pausha.

 

The annual shodasha dinatmaka or 16 day puja beginning 8 days prior to Mahalaya of Ashwin month for goddess Vimala and ending on Vijayadashami, is of great importance, in which both the utsava murty of lord Madanmohan and Vimala take part.

 

- Pana Sankranti: Also known or Vishuva Sankranti and Mesha Sankranti: Special rituals are performed at the temple.

 

RATH YATRA AT PURI

The Jagannath triad are usually worshiped in the sanctum of the temple at Puri, but once during the month of Asadha (Rainy Season of Orissa, usually falling in month of June or July), they are brought out onto the Bada Danda (main street of Puri) and travel (3 km) to the Shri Gundicha Temple, in huge chariots (ratha), allowing the public to have darśana (Holy view). This festival is known as Rath Yatra, meaning the journey (yatra) of the chariots (ratha). The Rathas are huge wheeled wooden structures, which are built anew every year and are pulled by the devotees. The chariot for Jagannath is approximately 45 feet high and 35 feet square and takes about 2 months to construct. The artists and painters of Puri decorate the cars and paint flower petals and other designs on the wheels, the wood-carved charioteer and horses, and the inverted lotuses on the wall behind the throne. The huge chariots of Jagannath pulled during Rath Yatra is the etymological origin of the English word Juggernaut. The Ratha-Yatra is also termed as the Shri Gundicha yatra.

 

The most significant ritual associated with the Ratha-Yatra is the chhera pahara." During the festival, the Gajapati King wears the outfit of a sweeper and sweeps all around the deities and chariots in the Chera Pahara (sweeping with water) ritual. The Gajapati King cleanses the road before the chariots with a gold-handled broom and sprinkles sandalwood water and powder with utmost devotion. As per the custom, although the Gajapati King has been considered the most exalted person in the Kalingan kingdom, he still renders the menial service to Jagannath. This ritual signified that under the lordship of Jagannath, there is no distinction between the powerful sovereign Gajapati King and the most humble devotee.

 

Chera pahara is held on two days, on the first day of the Ratha Yatra, when the deities are taken to garden house at Mausi Maa Temple and again on the last day of the festival, when the deities are ceremoniously brought back to the Shri Mandir.

 

As per another ritual, when the deities are taken out from the Shri Mandir to the Chariots in Pahandi vijay.

 

In the Ratha Yatra, the three deities are taken from the Jagannath Temple in the chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for nine days. Thereafter, the deities again ride the chariots back to Shri Mandir in bahuda yatra. On the way back, the three chariots halt at the Mausi Maa Temple and the deities are offered Poda Pitha, a kind of baked cake which are generally consumed by the Odisha people only.

 

The observance of the Rath Yatra of Jagannath dates back to the period of the Puranas. Vivid descriptions of this festival are found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana. Kapila Samhita also refers to Rath Yatra. In Moghul period also, King Ramsingh of Jaipur, Rajasthan has been described as organizing the Rath Yatra in the 18th Century. In Orissa, Kings of Mayurbhanj and Parlakhemundi were organizing the Rath Yatra, though the most grand festival in terms of scale and popularity takes place at Puri.

 

Moreover, Starza notes that the ruling Ganga dynasty instituted the Rath Yatra at the completion of the great temple around 1150 AD. This festival was one of those Hindu festivals that was reported to the Western world very early. Friar Odoric of Pordenone visited India in 1316-1318, some 20 years after Marco Polo had dictated the account of his travels while in a Genoese prison. In his own account of 1321, Odoric reported how the people put the "idols" on chariots, and the King and Queen and all the people drew them from the "church" with song and music.

 

CHANDAN YATRA

In Akshaya Tritiya every year the Chandan Yatra festival marks the commencement of the construction of the Chariots of the Rath Yatra.

 

SNANA PURNIMA

On the Purnima of the month of Jyestha the Gods are ceremonially bathed and decorated every year on the occasion of Snana Yatra.

 

ANAVASARA OR ANASARA

Literally means vacation. Every year, the main idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra & Sudarshan after the holy Snana Yatra on the jyestha purnima, go to a secret altar named Anavasara Ghar where they remain for the next dark fortnight (Krishna paksha). Hence devotees are not allowed to view them. Instead of this devotees go to nearby place Brahmagiri to see their beloved lord in the form of four handed form Alarnath a form of Vishnu. Then people get the first glimpse of lord on the day before Rath Yatra, which is called 'Navayouvana. It is said that the gods fall in fever after taking a huge bath and they are treated by the special servants named, Daitapatis for 15 days. During this period cooked food is not offered to the deities.

 

NAVA KALEBARA

One of the most grandiloquent events associated with the Lord Jagannath, Naba Kalabera takes place when one lunar month of Ashadha is followed by another lunar month of Aashadha. This can take place in 8, 12 or even 18 years. Literally meaning the ā€œNew Bodyā€ (Nava = New, Kalevar = Body), the festival is witnessed by as millions of people and the budget for this event exceeds $500,000. The event involves installation of new images in the temple and burial of the old ones in the temple premises at Koili Vaikuntha. The idols that are currently being worshipped in the temple premises were installed in the year 1996. Next ceremony will be held on 2015. More than 3 million devotees are expected to visit the temple during the Nabakalevara of 2015 making it one of the most visited festivals in the world.

 

NILADRI BIJE

Celebrated on Asadha Trayodashi. Niladri Bije is the concluding day of Ratha yatra. On this day deities return to the ratna bedi. Lord Jagannath offers Rasgulla to goddess Laxmi to enter in to the temple.

 

GUPTA GUNDICHA

Celebrated for 16 days from Ashwina Krushna dwitiya to Vijayadashami. As per tradition, the idol of Madhaba, along with the idol of Goddess Durga (known as Durgamadhaba), is taken on a tour of the temple premises. The tour within the temple is observed for the first eight days. For the next eight days, the idols are taken outside the temple on a palanquin to the nearby Narayani temple situated in the Dolamandapa lane. After their worship, they are brought back to the temple.

 

THE NAME PURUSHOTTAMA KSHETRA AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

Lord Jagannath is the Purushottama as per the scripture, Skanda Purana. In order to teach human beings how to lead a life full of virtue, he has taken the form of Saguna Brahman or Darubrahman. He is the best brother to his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. He is the best husband to goddess Shri. The most noteworthy aspect is still in the month of Margashirsha, on three consecutive days during amavasya he does Shraddha to his parents (Kashyapa-Aditi, Dasharatha-Kaushalya, Vasudeva-Devaki, Nanda-Yashoda), along with the king Indradyumna and queen Gundicha. As a master he enjoys every comfort daily and in various festivals. He grants all wishes to his subjects, and those who surrender before him he takes the utmost care of.

 

CULTURE AND TRADITION OF PURI

Puri is one of the fascinating littoral districts of Orissa. The Cultural heritage of Puri with its long recorded history has its beginnings in the third century B.C. The monuments, religious sanctity, and way of life of the people with their rich tradition is the cultural heart of Orissa. Indeed, Puri is considered the cultural capital of Orissa. The culture here flourished with its manifold activities.

 

The District has the happy conglomerate of different religions, sects and faith. In the course of history, Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina, Muslim, Christian, and Sikh are found here in the District.

 

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of Lord Krishna, appeared 500 years ago, in the mood of a devotee to taste the sublime emotions of ecstasy by chanting the holy name of Krishna. Stalwart scholars of Puri like Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya (a priest & great Sanskrit pandit) and others followed His teachings. Even kings and ministers of His period became His disciples. Especially King Prataparudra became His great admirer and ardent follower. Thus all cultures and religion became one in Puri after his teachings were given to all with no consideration of caste and creed.

 

MANAGEMENT

After independence, the State Government, with a view to getting better administrative system, passed " The Puri Shri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952. It contained provisions to prepare the Record of Rights and duties of Sevayats and such other persons connected with the system of worship and management of the temple. Subsequently Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 " was enacted to reorganize the management system of the affair of the temple and its properties.

 

SECURITY

The security at the 12th century Jagannath Temple is increased ahead of Ratha Yatra, the homecoming festival of the deities of Jagannath temple. In the wake of terror alert on 27 June 2012, the security forces were increased to ensure smooth functioning of the crowded Ratha Yatra and Suna Besha.

 

WIKIPEDIA

expecting spring is really coming and all snows are melting....

Mckenzie River Trail, Willamette National Forest, Oregon USA

Museum Tower, at 560 feet tall and 42 stories costing $200 million dollars, is under construction with completion expected in late 2012. The rendering of Museum Tower in this photo shows what an incredible addition the tower will make on the Downtown Dallas cityscape. Museum Tower has been described as a "shaft of light".

 

Museum Tower, from this particular view, is visually located to the north of the Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral, JP Morgan Chase Tower, 2100 Ross Avenue Tower, and the Trammell Crow Center with One Arts Plaza to the east. The explosive growth of dozens of skyscrapers and highrises in Downtown Dallas' Uptown District are immediately to the north of Museum Tower and are not seen in this image.

 

As seen in the rendering, Museum Tower is literally surrounded by the 68-acre, 19 contiguous block world class Dallas Arts District with its numerous cultural facilities in the heart of Downtown Dallas. The Dallas Arts District is now perceived as the finest in the country, surpassing the Kennedy and Lincoln Centers in New York City: www.flickr.com/photos/52949402@N03/5128988435/in/set-7215...

 

The 5.2 acre Woodall Rodgers Urban Park is under construction and a rendering for The Park is seen in the foreground of the image. The Woodall Rodgers Urban park is creating a "Central Park" like setting amidst the skyscrapers of Downtown Dallas and will be the "front lawn" to Museum Tower.

 

The Woodall Rodgers Urban Park is costing $110 million dollars and completion is expected in 2012. The Park will seamlessly connect the traditional Downtown Dallas Financial District to the skyscrapers and highrises in its Uptown District just immediately to the north into one continuous whole.

 

Woodall Rodgers Freeway is becoming the new 21st century "Main Street" of Downtown Dallas with the intense development that has occurred fronting Woodall Rodgers Freeway from both the south (the traditional Dallas Financial District) and the north (Downtown Dallas' Uptown District) sides of the freeway.

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Here is a fantastic video of Downtown Dallas from 07-24-10 driving along I-35 on the west side of Downtown that shows the wonderful density that has developed in the Downtown core with its Uptown District from 2006 to 2010. Select 720p HD and full screen. If you pause at 13 seconds into the video, right in the middle of the image between Hunt Oil and One Arts Plaza Towers, will be where the under construction $200 million dollar Museum Tower in the traditional Downtown Financial District will make its presence known. The construction crane seen center left at a 13 second pause is for the 17 story $185 million dollar Perot Museum of Nature and Science that is also currently under construction on the north side of Woodall Rodgers, a couple blocks away from Museum Tower's location on the side side of Woodall. Woodall Rodgers is the new 21st century "Main Street" of Downtown Dallas. Museum Tower's almost 600 foot tall 42 story presence once completed in late 2012 is going to make a huge impact on the Downtown Dallas cityscape as it will stretch the Financial District so far north that it will completely meld into Uptown and vice versa:

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao4gZRTDMyM&NR=1

 

This is another fantastic video shot from a helicopter circling Downtown Dallas on 07-09-10. Select 720p HD and full screen. The video generally focuses on the traditional Downtown Dallas Financial District, but if you look on the left hand side middle screen while the video is playing you will again see the incredible dense development that has literally sprung up almost overnight in Downtown's Uptown District (between 2006 and 2010). From between 5 and 13 seconds at the beginning of the video you can see how impressive the Uptown skyscrapers are from just seeing the edge of Uptown that is directly facing the Financial District across Woodall Rodgers. Also from around 35 to 40 seconds into the video is when you can see the dense Uptown development from a bit broader perspective. Woodall Rodgers is the new 21st century "Main Street" of Downtown Dallas. Also, Museum Tower's almost 600 foot tall 42 story presence once completed in late 2012 is going to make a huge impact on the Downtown Dallas cityscape as it will stretch the Financial District so far north that it will completely meld into Uptown and vice versa:

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIks-YVYlj8

 

This is another great aerial video that literally offers a birdseye, multi-thousand foot view of Downtown Dallas shot on 10-24-10, in a jet flying over Downtown on its landing approach to DFW International Airport. Select 720p HD and full screen. For purposes of this discussion, freeze the video anywhere from 1 second to 10 seconds. The large mass of buildings in the very center of the video is Downtown Dallas, which includes all of the skyscrapers and highrises in Uptown as well as those in the more traditional Financial District which today forms the largest urban core in the nation outside of NYC, LA and Chicago with over 50,300,000 square feet of office space. The explosive growth of dense urban development in Uptown has vigorously extended Downtown Dallas northward. Downtown Dallas is now a long rectangle, anchored on its northern border by the CityPlace East (42 story) and Azure (31 story) skyscrapers with the mass of buildings stretching from the northern border southward through the traditional Financial District to just past I-30 to include the dense cluster of new developments in The Cedars District (the new City of Dallas Police Headquarters, the new Beat Condominium Tower, South Side on Lamar, and the just announced coup for Downtown Dallas of the NYLO Hotel South Side, etc.) . The W Hotel (31 stories) and The House Condominiums (29 stories) along with the Hyatt Regency Hotel (30 stories), Reunion Tower (50 stories) and the new half billion dollar Omni Convention Hotel (27 stories) clearly anchor the western side of Downtown running along Stemmons Freeway. One Arts Plaza (24 stories) and the dense Downtown Dallas Arts District along with the Sheraton Hotel's twin towers (42 stories and 31 stories) and the Comerica Bank Headquarters Tower (60 stories) run along Central Expressway anchoring the eastern side of Downtown, and which then extends just a little further eastward to include the massive Baylor Medical District complex (seen in the video as the large mass of white highrises farthest east of the Financial District). Like a beautiful necklace extending just immediately north of Uptown/Downtown in the video, one can see the long chain of highrise apartment and condominium towers in the Turtle Creek area of Dallas tracking the large swath of greenbelt just immediately north of the CityPlace East and Azure skyscrapers. As a pre-cursor for continued vibrant Downtown Dallas growth, a major keystone development that heralds future massive and dense urban development for Downtown can be seen in the video in the form of the instantly iconic new Calatrava Bridge spanning the Trinity River, which will bring billions in new development by extending Downtown Dallas' golden corridor, Woodall Rodgers Expressway, to the west side of the Trinity River. Woodall Rodgers has become the new 21st century "Main Street" for Downtown Dallas as it sets right in the middle of the bustling skyscrapers located on both the north and south sides of it. In the next ten to twenty years Turtle Creek, Uptown, Victory, Baylor, Deep Ellum, the Design District, the Financial District, The Cedars, and the newest urban frontier of West Dallas will seamlessly meld together to form a super dense core of the most dynamic and largest urban center in the nation outside of New York City and Los Angeles, and rivaling Chicago.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQPosFieMg8&feature=related

 

This cool video from 08-30-10 further reinforces the explosive growth of around 13,000,000 square feet in new Class A and Class AA office space that Downtown Dallas has seen in the last few years in its Uptown and Victory Districts from 2006 to 2010. Select 1080p HD and full screen. The video is shot from the same exact spot throughout but shifts its main focal point from the Financial District to Uptown at 14 seconds. From 0 to 13 seconds the focus of the video is the northern edge of the traditional Financial District with the bustling heavy traffic of Woodall Rodgers Freeway. During this segment one can imagine the imposing and impressive addition to the cityscape that the almost 600 foot tall 42 story Museum Tower will make as it will literally be positioned right behind Hunt Oil Tower, which is unmistakably dressed in its state-of-the-art LED lighting (blue at the time of the video). Still filmed from the exact same spot, from 14 seconds to the end, the focus of the video shifts slightly north looking across Woodall Rodgers Freeway to reveal just a small slice of the significant density of skyscrapers and highrises erected in Uptown mostly since around 2006. Woodall Rodgers is the new 21st century "Main Street" of Downtown Dallas. The construction crane that is clearly visible in this portion of the video is for the 17 story $185 million dollar Perot Museum of Nature and Science that is currently under construction:

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP47TYaB7nQ&feature=related

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Downtown Dallas is experiencing a renaissance from more than $14 billion in new development that is currently underway in and near the Downtown core. As a result, Downtown Dallas is on the verge of a renewed greatness because of the billions in investment it has made in its Downtown core in general but also in its newest premier district, the Downtown Dallas Arts District.

 

An article published in the October 2010 "D Magazine" discusses how the relocation of corporate headquarters and businesses into Downtown Dallas is at an all time high. The level of interest in doing so (from out of state, in state and in town corporations) has also reached the highest level ever:

 

www.dmagazine.com/Home/D_CEO/2010/October/The_Rejuvenatio...

 

Dallas will surpass Chicago as the 3rd largest metro in the nation by 2030 or sooner, published 03-15-10 in The Dallas Morning News:

 

www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/columnists/chall...

 

And another significant recognition and accolade from Forbes Magazine, published 09-02-09, naming Dallas as a "World Capital of the Future" that highlights Dallas' worldwide reach and influence and its growing significance on the world stage:

 

www.forbes.com/2009/09/02/world-capitals-cities-century-o...

full essay : www.modkraft.dk/sektion/modkultur/article/expect-anything...

 

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Ny antologi anlægger et mere nuanceret og udvidet perspektiv pÄ den situationistiske bevægelse ved at føje nye historier til om især den oversete skandinaviske sektion.

 

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Af Linda Petersen - 26. april 2011

 

ANMELDELSE: For nylig udkom Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen & Jakob Jakobsen (red.): Expect Anything, Fear Nothing. The Situationist Movement in Scandinavia and Elsewhere (2011), som redaktĆørerne angiver at vƦre en fortsƦttelse af Forvent alt, frygt intet: Seminar om den situationistiske bevƦgelse i Skandinavien, der blev afholdt i Folkets Hus den 15. – 16. marts 2007. [1]

 

Bogen har ifølge de to redaktører en dobbeltmission, idet der pÄ én gang er tale om historiekritik og (potentiel) samfundskritik.

 

Bolt & Jakobsen konstaterer sÄledes indledningsvis, at den situationistiske bevægelse har været genstand for stor opmærksomhed siden slutningen af 1980erne. Dette begyndte med den første store udstilling om bevægelsen, der blev præsenteret i Centre Pompidou i Paris i 1989, [2] og som pÄ sin vis gav situationisterne en plads inden for i det skuespilsamfund, som de ellers havde stÄet uden for for at kritisere.

 

Dog har fokus alene vƦret rettet mod den ene af de to grundlƦggere af Situationistisk Internationale (SI), nemlig Guy Debord (1931-1994), der som den eneste var et gennemgĆ„ende medlem fra SI’s grundlƦggelse i 1957 frem til bevƦgelsens oplĆøsning i 1972. FĆølgelig har historien om situationisterne overvejende vƦret begrƦnset til den fransk-belgiske sektion, som Debord stod i spidsen for, og som for sĆ„ vidt angĆ„r perioden efter SI’s interne brud i 1961 og 1962 har vƦret fremstillet som vƦrende ensidigt analytisk-teoretisk.

 

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Guy Debord, street art i Lyon. Foto: bibhop (kilde Flickr.com)

 

Bolt & Jakobsens udgangspunkt er derfor, at denne "rather tidy history of the group’s development which leaves out some of the more interesting inconsistencies and paradoxes that characterises the Situationist movement ... continue[s] to give it importance in any fight against the ruling powers." [3]

 

I kampen om at (tilbage)erobre billedet omhandler teksterne i Expect Anything, Fear Nothing sƄledes pƄ den ene side den fransk-belgiske sektions fortsatte kunstnerisk-aktivistiske aktiviteter og pƄ den anden side den tysk-skandinaviske sektion, der i bogen fremstilles som ikke alene at have vƦret kunstnerisk-aktivistisk, men ogsƄ analytisk-teoretisk. [4]

 

Samtidigt fastslƄr Bolt & Jakobsen, at det netop er disse modsƦtningsforhold inden for den situationistiske bevƦgelse, der har potentiale til at inspirere til samfundskritik i dag:

 

"What we find interesting about the Situationists is the contradictions and this the openness that the totality of the project is offering which has the potential to inspire people who still want to use words and images in the struggle against the prevailing forms of life." [5]

Den situationistiske bevƦgelse

 

Den situationistiske bevƦgelse var en kulturrevolutionƦr bevƦgelse, der tog sin begyndelse, da Debord og Asger Jorn (1914-1973) i 1957 grundlagde Situationistiske Internationale (SI).

 

De to var allerede begyndt at korrespondere sammen i 1954, mens Debord og Michelle Bernstein (f. 1932) [6] endnu var medlemmer af Lettrist International, der stod bag udgivelsen af Potlatch, og samme Är, som Jorn efter opløsningen af COBRA havde grundlagt International Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus. To Är senere, i 1956, mødtes de tre til The Congress for Free Artists i Italien, der var arrangeret af Jorns organisation; et møde, der Äret efter førte til en "fusion" mellem de organisationer, da Debord og Jorn sammen dannede SI.

 

SI havde til formÄl at gÄ til kunstnerisk og politisk kamp mod forbrugersamfundet og dets fremmedgørelse, der havde forvandlet samfundet til et skuespilsamfund, hvori folk var blevet reduceret til at være passive tilskuere. Organisationen udgav tidsskriftet Internationale Situationniste, og skuespilsamfundet skildrede Debord ogsÄ i den nu berømte pamflet La sociéte du spectacle (1967). [7]

 

Ud over Debord, Jorn og Bernstein var medlemmerne af SI bl.a. Jacqueline de Jong (f. 1939), Gruppe SPUR v/Hans-Peter Zimmer (1936-1992), Heimrad Prem (1934-1978), Helmut Sturm (1932-2008) m.fl., Attila KotÔnyi (1924-2004), Raoul Vaneigem (f. 1934), Ralph Rumney (1934-2002), Hardy Strid (f. 1921), Ansgar Elde (1933-2000), J.V. Martin (1930-1994), Peter Laugesen (f. 1942), Jørgen Nash (1920-2004) og Katja Lindell.

 

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Foto fra SI’s 4. konference, der blev bragt i Situationist International no. 5. I konferencen deltog bl.a. Debord, Jorn, Jong, Nash, Kotanyi, Zimmer og Prem.

 

Jorns bror Nash mødte første gang Debord i Danmark i 1957. De to mødtes igen i 1959, og mødet banede vejen for Nashs optagelse i SI som sekretær for den skandinaviske sektion.

 

Hollandske de Jong, et andet af SI’s medlemmer, havde mĆødt Jorn i 1959, men blev optaget i bevƦgelsen pĆ„ grund af hendes kunstneriske samarbejde med den tyske sektion, Gruppe SPUR, [8] der udgav tidsskriftet SPUR, og som selv var blevet optaget i organisationen samme Ć„r. SI havde ekskluderet de hollandske medlemmer, [9] og Debord bad i stedet de Jong om at vƦre den hollandske sektion.

 

PĆ„ SI’s 4. konference i 1960 rejste Gruppe SPUR et stadig ulĆøst spĆørgsmĆ„l i bevƦgelsen, nemlig hvilket form revolutionen skulle tage. PĆ„ vegne den tyske sektion lƦste Prem en erklƦring op, hvori man fastslog, at proletariatet aldrig kunne udgĆøre den drivende kraft i konfrontationen med den gamle verden, eftersom arbejderne ifĆølge deres analyse var blevet passive og tilfredse. Det var fĆølgelig Gruppe SPUR’s konklusion, at det var avantgardekunsten, der mĆ„tte stĆ„ for opgĆøret.

 

Debord havde dog i skarpe vendinger kritiseret denne position, og flere medlemmer, herunder ogsĆ„ Nash, mente, at Gruppe SPUR havde undervurderet de tyske arbejdere. Men i mangel af et fƦlles program fortsatte SI’s medlemmer ikke desto mindre med at udvikle tekster, kunstvƦrker og eksperimenter, der ikke ligefrem fremstod som et sammenhƦngende hele, og som i visse tilfƦlde endog kunne synes at stĆ„ i direkte modsƦtning til hinanden.

 

I 1961 besluttede Jorn sig dog for officielt at forlade SI, eftersom han ikke længere kunne forsvare sammenhængen mellem sin egen kunstneriske praksis og Debords radikale afvisning af kunstinstitutionen. Jorn havde imidlertid ydet økonomisk støtte til SI, og med henblik pÄ at kunne fortsætte hermed overtalte Debord ham til at forblive i organisationen som et hemmeligt medlem under pseudonymet George Keller.

 

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Asger Jorn (1963). Foto: Erik Mandelmann (kilde: Wikimedia Commons)

 

Det andet og stĆørre interne brud i SI fandt sted i 1962, efter at der i mellemtiden var kommet nye medlemmer til, heriblandt Katja Lindell, Hardy Strid, Ansgar Elde, J.V. Martin og Peter Laugesen.

 

ƅret forinden var Nash og Lindell flyttet ind i den svenske ĆødegĆ„rd Drakabygget. IdĆ©en med stedet var at skabe et frirum fra det tiltagende forbrugersamfund og et hjemsted for den nye avantgardebevƦgelse med dets kombination af leg og oprĆør. For at udbrede kendskabet hertil havde Nash sammen med Jorn, som i de fĆørste Ć„r var involveret i projektet, og som bidrog Ćøkonomisk hertil, grundlagt tidsskriftet Drakabygget. Jorn havde oprindelig foreslĆ„et at kalde stedet for Nordic Bauhaus, men pĆ„ dets brevpapir endte Nash med at anfĆøre "Bauhaus Situationniste – Drakabygget Ɩrkelljunga Sverige – Section Scandinave de l’internationale Situationniste".

 

Tidligere havde Nash og Lindell opholdt sig hos Gruppe SPUR i München, og da malerne nu stod anklaget for blasfemi i Tyskland, [10] tilbĆød de dem eksil i Drakabygget. Blandt stedets Ćøvrige beboere var ogsĆ„ de Jong samt Gordon Fazakerley (f. 1937), der dog ikke var optaget i organisationen, eftersom han havde vƦret forhindret i at deltage i SI’s konference i 1961.

 

PĆ„ den nƦvnte konference, der var blevet afholdt i Gƶteborg, havde Nash foreslĆ„et at gĆøre "Divided We Stand" til SI’s slogan, hvilket Debord havde pure afvist. Ikke kun Debord, men ogsĆ„ KotĆ”nyi og Veneigem kunne ikke lƦngere acceptere modsƦtningerne inden for bevƦgelsen, og under et stop pĆ„ vej tilbage til Paris havde de formuleret et mere klart defineret program for SI, der fik titlen The Hamburg Theses.

 

I forbindelse med et komitémøde i 1962 havde "Hamborg-fraktionen" pÄ forhÄnd besluttet sig for at ekskludere Gruppe SPUR, [11] og da Nash og de Jong alligevel havde insisteret pÄ at diskutere beslutningen, endte mødet med, at ogsÄ de blev ekskluderet.

 

Forinden var det dog efter forslag fra de Jong blevet besluttet at udgive en engelsk version af Internationale Situationniste. De Jong fortsatte med projektet, og i kritik af eksklusionerne valgte hun at hellige det fĆørste nummer af The Situationist Times, der udkom i 1962, til netop Gruppe SPUR.

 

Nash derimod nægtede at acceptere sin eksklusion fra den situationistiske bevægelse. I 1961 havde han mødt Jens Jørgen Thorsen (1932-2000), [12] der overtog Jorns rolle som medredaktør af Drakabygget, og sammen skrev de Manifesto of the 2nd Situationist International, som blev trykt henholdsvis i Drakabygget 2/3 (1962) og i The Situationist Times no. 2 (1962). Af manifestet fremgik, at det ud over Nash og Thorsen var underskrevet af bl.a. Strid, Elde, Ambrosius Fjord (navnet pÄ Thorsens hest), Fazakerley og de Jong, om end de to sidste blot havde modtaget et brev om, at deres navne var blevet tilføjet. [13]

 

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Manifesto of the 2nd Situationist International i Drakabygget 2/3

 

Som reaktion pĆ„ Drakabygget og The Situationist Times publicerede SI i Internationale Situationniste nr. 8 (1963) en rƦkke nye definitioner, "Nashism", "Nashiste", Nashistique" og "Nashisterie", som Martin havde forfattet. Martin havde efter eksklusionerne overtaget Nashs rolle som sekretƦr for skandinaviske sektion, og sammen med bl.a. Laugesen stod han bag planlƦgningen af SI’s udstilling Destruktion af RSG-6 i Odense i 1963. Da Laugesen senere pĆ„ Ć„ret blev ekskluderet pĆ„ grund af sin interesse for de amerikanske beatforfattere, var Martin det sidste skandinaviske medlem af SI. Det var tillige Martin, der organiserede SI’s udstilling Operation Playtime i 1967.

 

OgsƄ Drakabygget arrangerede flere udstillinger.

 

For at skaffe midler til at drive stedet havde Nash allerede fra begyndelsen af gjort sig selv til kunsthandler, og ikke alene solgte han værker af de bosiddende kunstnere; han solgte tilmed malerier, som efter sigende skulle have været udført af ham selv, men som ikke desto mindre var signeret "Jorn" med henblik pÄ at øge prisen. I tillæg hertil blev der arrangeret egentlige kunstudstillinger med værker af Gruppe SPUR, bl.a. i Jorns Galleri Birch i København.

 

Seven Rebels, der blev præsenteret i Odense i 1962, var dog den første udstilling efter publiceringen af det nye manifest. De syv kunstnere bag udstillingen var Nash, Thorsen, Strid, Elde, Zimmer, de Jong og Fazakerley. Udstillingen blev efterfølgende vist i Göteborg i 1962 og Silkeborg i 1963. Men i forbindelse med sidstnævnte ændrede Nash og Thorsen imidlertid kataloget, sÄledes at de Jong og Fazakerley i stedet kom til at fremstÄ som henholdsvis Roy Adzak og Manfred Laber. Hvor de Jong og Fazakerly følte, at de var blevet kuppet, førte ændringen til, at de to brød med Nash og Thorsen.

 

Det var tillige i 1962, at Drakabygget i Møntergade i København præsenterede udstillingen CO-RITUS, der var en konkret kritik af den vestlige opfattelse af kunstneren som det geniale individ. Udstillingen var sÄledes udelukkende udstyret med materiale, hvormed kunstnere udfordrede de normalt passive beskuere til sammen med dem at skabe kollektive værker. Endvidere var der ved siden af galleriet en 300 meter langt grÄ indhegning, og pÄ opfordring fra nogle af gadens beboere, dekorerede Nash, Thorsen, Strid og Dieter Kunzelmann denne med en række slogans. Da Nash og Thorsen blev arresteret herfor, tilbød de at male indhegningen færdig sammen med nogle af de mere anerkendte kunstnere, heriblandt Jorn. Men ikke blot blev tilbuddet afvist og Nash og Thorsen idømt en bøde; træt af igen at være blevet inddraget i deres provokationer fik det i 1963 nu ogsÄ Jorn til at bryde med Nash, bÄde i form af et personligt brev og i den offentlige debat, hvori Jorn deltog med et indlæg, der bar overskriftet "I Do Not Paint Fences".

 

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JĆørgen Nash, Hardy Strid, Jens JĆørgen Thorsen og Dieter Kunzelmann foran indhegningen i MĆøntergade i 1962. Pressefoto

 

I tiden efter fortsatte de Jong i samarbejde med bl.a. Nƶel Arnaud [14] og Fazakerley med at redigere The Situationist Times, hvoraf der udkom i alt seks numre frem til 1967.

 

OgsÄ Drakabygget v/Nash og Thorsen udførte i de følgende Är en række aktiviteter, der skulle provokere borgerskabet, heriblandt afsavningen af hovedet pÄ Den Lille Havfrue i 1965.

 

Og selv blev SI oplĆøst i 1972, da der kun var to medlemmer tilbage, Debord og Gianfranco Sanguinetti.

 

Imidlertid har de Jong afvist, at de aktiviteter, der foregik uden for SI efter bruddet i 1962, kan tilskrives den situationistiske bevægelse. Bl.a. i et interview med den amerikanske historiker Karen Kurczynski i forbindelse med Forvent alt, frygt intet-seminaret i København i 2007, som er gengivet i Expect Anything, Fear Nothing, har hun følgelig udtalt:

 

"I must say one thing about this "first" and "second" Situationist movement. This only exists in the ideas of the Scandinavians. There is no French writing about the Second SI, they are called Nashists. They are not a movement. Nor did SPUR ever consider themselves belonging to this Second Situationist International. I mean, there is not a "first". There is the Situationist movement, there is SPUR, there is Drakabygget, and there is The Situationist Times, but the Internationale situationniste is the only movement." [15]

En viderefĆørelse af situationistiske traditioner

 

Expect Anything, Fear Noting forsøger pÄ flere mÄder at videreføre traditioner fra den situationistiske bevægelse.

 

Dels synes samarbejdet mellem Bolt & Jakobsen i deres egenskab af henholdsvis historiker/teoretiker og kunstner/aktivist at vƦre en bestrƦbelse pƄ at vende tilbage til det, der oprindelig var udgangspunktet, da Debord og Jorn i sin tid grundlagde SI pƄ baggrund af deres respektive forankring i teori og praksis.

 

Og dels synes antologien at vƦre direkte inspireret af The Situationist Times. Karakteristisk var nemlig, at tidsskriftet rummede bidrag fra videnskabsfolk, arkitekter, digtere, musikere, surrealister, situationister og andre kunstnere, og i pendant hertil indeholder Expect Anything, Fear Nothing artikler, samtaler og et enkelt digt af henholdsvis kunsthistorikere, kunstnere og forfattere, herunder ogsƄ af tidligere medlemmer af den situationistiske bevƦgelse.

 

Endelig har man fortsat idéen om "potlatch", hvad der for bevægelsen dengang en ret unik tradition. Potlatch betyder "at forære væk" eller "gave", [16] og i alle bevægelsens tidsskrifter var sÄledes inkluderet en anti-copyright erklæring. Eksempelvis stod der i The Situationist Times anført:

 

"… all reproduction, deformation, derivation and transformation of The Situationist Times is permitted." [17]

 

OgsÄ Expect Anything, Fear Nothing rummer følgelig en anti-copyright erklæring:

 

"This book may be freely pirated and quoted. However, please inform the authors and publishers." [18]

 

Endvidere kan antologien frit downloades her:

 

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Omslaget til Expect Anything, Fear Nothing. Pressefoto

 

Den kritiske diskurs

 

Expect Anything, Fear Nothing indeholder som nævnt tekster, der enten tegner et billede af den tysk-skandinaviske sektion som værende bÄde kunstnerisk-aktivistisk og analytisk-teoretisk, eller som pÄviser, at den fransk-belgiske sektion udførte kunstnerisk-aktivistiske aktiviteter efter bruddet i 1962.

 

Jakobsen har med tilladelse fra Nashs enke, Lis Zwick, fƄet adgang til Nash/Jorn-arkivet, som Nash overgav til Det Kongelige Bibliotek i 1981, og som der ikke er fri offentlig adgang til. Med udgangspunkt heri har han med "The Artistic Revolution: On the Situationists, Gangsters and Falsifiers from Drakabygget" skrevet et lƦngere indlƦg om Drakabygget, herunder om kunstnerkollektivet i Sverige, om udstillingerne Seven Rebels og CO-RITUS samt om de to "partners-in-crime", Nash og Thorsen. I tillƦg hertil er der gengivet en samtale mellem de Jong og Jakobsen, der fandt sted under seminaret i 2007.

 

Drakabygget er ogsÄ emnet for Carl Nørresteds indlæg "The Drakabygget Films". Selv er Nørrested én af de fÄ, der har set de fleste af Drakabyggets film, og i sit bidrag skriver han ikke alene om dets egne produktioner, herunder om filmen So ein Ding muss ich auch haben fra 1961 af Albert Mertz, Gruppe SPUR og Nash samt om flere af Thorsens film, men ogsÄ om de fem filmfestivaler for eksperimentale film, som Drakabygget organiserede i 1964-65.

 

En af de mere teoretiske tekster er Karen Kurczynskis indlæg "Red Herrings: Eccentric Morphologies in the Situationist Times". Med reference til bl.a. Jorns teori om triolektik og Mikhail Bakhtins teori om det dialogiske diskuterer Kurczynski heri de mange roller, som typologien spillede i The Situationist Times. I forlængelse heraf er der ogsÄ her gengivet en samtale mellem de Jong og Kurczynski fra seminaret i København.

 

En anden af de mere teoretiske tekster er Fabian Tompsetts indlæg "Open Copenhagen". Tompsetts ærinde er gennem en kritik af Alan Sokal og Jean Bricmonts teorier at pÄvise, at Jorn rent faktisk var en seriøs teoretiker, der var mere tro mod videnskaben, og ifølge Tompsett var Jorns teori om trolektik direkte inspireret af Niels Bohrs idé om "Open World".

 

Anderledes handler Bolts indlƦg "To Act in Culture While Being against All Culture: The Situationists and the "Destruction of RSG-6" om SI’s udstilling i Odense i 1963. Britiske aktivister havde kort tid forinden afslĆøret en hemmelig bunker i byen Reading, "RSG-6", der var reserveret til lokalpolitikere og medlemmer af regeringen i tilfƦlde af atomkrig, og udstillingen skulle ses som en hyldest til aktivisterne, om end den ogsĆ„ rakte ogsĆ„ ud over deres fund. Udstillingen bestod af tre dele, henholdsvis et afsnit, der var indrettet som en bunker; et afsnit, hvori publikum havde mulighed for at skyde med rifler mod billeder af politiske ledere, paven og den danske udenrigsminister, samt et afsnit, der var indrettet mere eller mindre som en traditionel udstilling. [19] De danske situationister krƦvede imidlertid selv at fĆ„ udstillingen lukket, fordi galleriejeren tillod de besĆøgende at gĆ„ direkte ind i udstillingens tredje del.

 

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Installationshot fra SI’s udstilling "Destruktion af RSG-6" i 1963. Pressefoto

 

Expect Anything, Fear Nothing rummer derudover bidrag af Laugesen, Strid og Home samt et fƦllesbidrag af Bolt & Jakobsen, der omhandler rydningen af Ungdomshuset, tillige med en gengivelse af den afsluttende samtale mellem deltagerne, der fandt sted under seminaret i 2007.

Den kritiske metode

 

Strategien bag Expect Everything, Fear Nothing synes altsƄ at vƦre, at man har villet foretage en indirekte kritik af skuespilsamfundet ved at rƄde bod pƄ den fatale misforstƄelse, der er blevet skabt, fordi udviklingen i den situationistiske bevƦgelse har vƦret fremstillet som Ʃn stor fortƦlling.

 

Antologien bestÄr følgelig af en samling fragmenter, som sammen giver et noget mere nuanceret og udvidet perspektiv pÄ den situationistiske bevægelse.

 

Og der er mange interessante tekster heriblandt. Jakobsen og Nørrested bidrager sÄledes med et udmærket og i nogen grad sjældent indblik i aktiviteterne i og omkring Drakabygget, som fint suppleres af især samtalen mellem de Jong og Kurczynski. Det er dog især Bolts tekst, der tilbyder et dybere perspektiv, idet teksten ikke kun indeholder en detaljeret beskrivelse af udstillingen Destruktion af RGS-6, men ogsÄ sætter den ind i en historisk kontekst.

 

OgsƄ Kurczynski og Tompsetts indlƦg er begge meget interessante. De er dog langt mere akademiske og forudsƦtter til en vis grad kendskab til andre teorier og begreber.

 

Og de noget uhomogene tekster gør, at man godt kan være lidt i tvivl om, hvem antologien egentlig henvender sig til, ligesom det kan undre, at man har valgt bringe mange danske avisartikler pÄ bogens indstikssider, nÄr bogens tekster i øvrigt er pÄ engelsk.

 

Det kan være af strategiske Ärsager, at man har undladt at redegøre nærmere for Debords analyser og teorier, men for de, der kunne være interesserede i at læse herom, kan Bolts Avantgardens selvmord, der udkom i 2009, anbefales. Heri er der sÄ omvendt ingen reference til den tysk-skandinaviske sektion, uanset at bogen udkom, efter at seminaret i København var blevet afholdt. OgsÄ Avantgardens selvmord kan i øvrigt frit downloades her.

 

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Mikkel Bolt: Avantgardens selvmord (2009). Pressefoto

 

Det er samtidigt i Avantgardens selvmord, at man finder baggrunden for den kritiske metode.

 

Bolt fremhæver heri den tyske litteraturhistoriker Peter Bürger, der skrev Theorie der Avantgarde (1974), og som anses for at være den første egentlige avantgardeteoretiker.

 

I Theorie der Avantgarde foretog Bürger en korrektion af Theodor W. Adornos Ƅstetische Theorie, der blev udgivet posthum i 1970. Adorno havde fremstillet modernismen som noget radikalt nyt og dermed som indikation pĆ„ en ny epoke, men Bürger insisterede pĆ„, at modernismen ikke var ny i radikal forstand. I stedet indskrev han modernismen i en stĆørre fortƦlling, idet han hƦvdede, at modernismen blot var en fase i den borgerlige kunst, der med autonomien som ideal var begyndt som en kritik af det kapitalistiske samfund, men som med realiseringen af dens Ʀstetiske tilbagetrƦkning fra verden var endt som en bekrƦftelse af samme. IfĆølge Bürger var det dette paradoks, der havde muliggjort 1910erne og 1920ernes avantgarde, som netop var radikal ny ved ikke at have vƦret en udvikling af, men et brud pĆ„ traditionen.

 

Hvor Bürgers teori sÄledes var funderet pÄ en dialektik mellem modernismen og avantgarden, fastslog han, at sidstnævnte med midler som bl.a. fotomontagen og Marcel Duchamps readymades havde bestræbt sig pÄ at reintegrere kunsten i livsverden i kritik af kunstens autonomi. Men han konstaterede ogsÄ, at avantgarden havde fejlet, al den stund dens "værker" var blevet anerkendt som kunst. 1910erne og 1920ernes avantgarde betegnede Bürger derfor den historiske avantgarde.

 

I forlængelse heraf fastslog han, at 1960ernes avantgarde, som han gav betegnelsen neo-avantgarde, helt havde opløst dialektikken ved at have gentaget de samme pÄfund, efter at disse bÄde havde opnÄet status som kunst og ophævet den historiske udvikling af teknikker og stilarter. Bürger konkluderede derfor, at ingen retning inden for samtidskunsten kunne hævdes at være hverken kritisk eller historisk mere avanceret som kunst end nogen anden. Hans teori gjorde det derfor ogsÄ praktisk talt umuligt at skelne mellem begreberne "neo-avantgarde" og "postmodernisme".

 

Om end Bürgers teori i 1990erne var genstand for en del kritik, har den igennem de senere Är nærmest fÄet en renæssance.

 

OgsƄ Bolt skriver sƄledes:

 

"Selvom Bürgers afvisning af neoavantgarden blev formuleret pĆ„ baggrund af en teleologisk historieforestilling, der var problematisk … sĆ„ formĆ„ede han ikke desto mindre overbevisende at pege pĆ„ nogle af de forvandlinger, som avantgarden gennemgik i midten af det 20. Ć„rhundrede." [20]

 

Hvor Bolt følgelig lægger Bürgers teori til grund, fremhæver han i stedet Situationistisk Internationale som et af de fÄ eksempler, der bekræfter reglen:

 

"… hvis man fĆølger Bürgers definition af avantgarden som kombinationen af et angreb pĆ„ kunstinstitutionen med et utopisk projekt om en revolution af de samfundsmƦssige forhold, sĆ„ fremtrƦder Situationistisk Internationale som et af efterkrigstidens fĆ„ eksempler pĆ„ en avantgarde." [21]

 

Men at anvende Bürgers metode til at pÄvise en kritik inden for dele af neo-avantgarden er imidlertid ikke helt uproblematisk.

 

I Expect Anything, Fear Nothing er det sĆ„kaldte skuespilsamfund – bortset fra i Bolts egen tekst om Destruktion af RSG-6 – nƦrmest helt fravƦrende. I stedet fokuseres der heri pĆ„ de interne brud i SI, hvorudaf der hƦvdes at vƦre opstĆ„et den anden situationistiske bevƦgelse, der nok var analytisk-teoretisk, men som alligevel var forskellig fra den fĆørste ved at vƦre mere kunstnerisk-aktivistisk.

 

Bestræbelserne i Expect Anything, Fear Nothing adskiller derfor ikke væsentligt fra Hal Fosters bestræbelse i The Return of the Real. The Avant-Garde at the End of the Century (1996). I en indirekte kritik af neo-konservatismen forsøgte han heri at udskille dele af neo-avantgarden fra postmodernismen. Foster pÄpegede godt nok ikke undtagelser, der bekræfter reglen. Foster hævdede nemlig anderledes, at dele af neo-avantgarden ikke havde negeret den historiske avantgarde, men i stedet havde ført kritikken af kunstinstitutionen ud i livet pÄ et mere bevidst plan. I øvrigt skelnede Foster ogsÄ mellem to faser af (neo-)avantgarden.

 

Trods forskellene synes resultatet ikke desto mindre at være det samme. I begge tilfælde har man sÄledes erstattet Bürgers dialektik mellem to diskurser, modernismen og den historiske avantgarde, med en dialektik inden for den samme diskurs, nemlig avantgarden, uanset om der er tale om en dialektik mellem den første og den anden situationistiske bevægelse eller om en dialektik mellem den historiske avantgarde og neo-avantgarden.

 

Men dermed synes man ogsƄ at have erstattet en marxistisk dialektik med en hegeliansk dialektik, dvs. den samme dialektik, der lƄ til grund for den store fortƦlling. Konsekvensen er derfor, at man blot har udskiftet Ʃn stor fortƦlling med en anden.

 

Der forekommer derfor at være behov for en ny og mere tidssvarende avantgardeteori, og i Theorie der Avantgarde anførte Bürger da ogsÄ selv:

 

"Aesthetic theories may strenuously strive for metahistorical knowledge, but that the bear the clear stamp of the period of their origin can usually be seen afterwards, and with relative ease." [22]

 

I Expect Anything, Fear Nothing er de Jong endvidere blevet citeret for at have sagt:

 

"Misunderstandings and contradictions are ... the basis of all art and creation." [23]

 

Det samme princip mƄ naturligvis ogsƄ gƦlde for teorien.

Samfundskritik

 

Bolt & Jakobsen har som sagt pƄpeget, at den situationistiske bevƦgelse har potentiale til at inspirere til samfundskritik i dag.

 

Men da der ikke i Expect Everything, Fear Nothing er angivet nogen eksempler pƄ, hvordan man direkte eller indirekte har ladet sig inspirere heraf, vil jeg i stedet vove at komme nogle eksempler:

 

Oplagt er selvfĆølgelig at nƦvne Bolt & Jakobsens eget projekt Billed Politik fra 2010, der bestod af flere dele, og som havde et spƦnd, der gjorde det bĆ„de kunstnerisk-aktivistisk og analytisk-teoretisk. Projektet rummede sĆ„ledes en udstilling i Overgaden og et 2. akt i forbindelse med en forestilling pĆ„ Det Kgl. Teater, der vel var baseret pĆ„ idĆ©en om "To Act in Culture While Being Against All Culture". Endvidere havde man arrangeret et filmprogram i Cinemateket, der anderledes synes at have vƦret inspireret af Drakabyggets filmfestivaler. Om endelig blev der afholdt et seminar i Folkets Hus, der ogsĆ„ dengang mundede ud i en antologi, nemlig Mikkel Bolt, Jakob Jakobsen & Morten Visby (red.): Billed Politik – at se er at drƦbe (2010). [24]

 

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Installationsshot fra Jakob Jakobsens udstillingen "Billed Politik - brudstykker af samtidshistorien betragtet som tragedie" i Overgaden. Pressefoto

 

Et andet eksempel kunne være den amerikanske kunstner-aktivistgruppe The Yes Men, der anvender en form for détournement; en teknik, der blev udviklet af SI, og som gÄr ud pÄ at vende det kapitalistiske systems egne udtryk mod systemet selv. Typisk benytter The Yes Men sÄledes falske hjemmesider, falske pressemeddelelser og falske identiteter, der skal skabe situationer, der gør det muligt for dem at afsløre, hvordan multinationale selskaber og lobbyister fremstiller falske billeder af dem selv. The Yes Men kalder deres praksis for "Identity Corrections". [25]

 

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The Yes Men. Pressefoto fra filmen "The Yes Men Fix the World" (2009)

 

Endnu et eksempel kunne vƦre den danske kunstnergruppe Wooloo.org, der arbejder med sociale eksperimenter. Bl.a. stod Wooloo.org bag projektet New Life Copenhagen i forbindelse med COP15 i KĆøbenhavn. Eftersom mange ikke kunne finde eller ikke havde rĆ„d til at betale for et sted at overnatte, overtalte de mange kĆøbenhavnere til at Ć„bne deres hjem og give besĆøgende husly. Wooloo.org matchede vƦrt og gƦster og hjalp udenlandske delegerede og aktivister til mere end 3.000 gratis overnatninger. Med slogans som "dANMARK ER GƆSTFRIT" og "Participate or Die" synes projektet tillige at have vƦret en kritik af den danske asylpolitik, som kunstnergruppen tidligere har bekƦftiget sig med. New Life Copenhagen er siden overgĆ„et til at vƦre et projekt, der finder husly til besĆøgende kunstnere, og Wooloo.org har dermed skabt deres egen fortolkning af en forening af kunst og livsverden.

 

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Visuel grafik af Wooloo.org i forbindelse med projektet "New Life Copenhagen" i 2008.

 

OgsÄ i forbindelse med kunstnerfestivalen Tumult i 2010 udfordrede Wooloo.org beboerne i landsbyen Horbelev. I syv dage fik de beboerne til at afstÄ fra at se TV for i stedet sammen dem at bygge en 52 meter lang kollektiv skulptur af gamle materialer, der blev fundet i landsbyens lader og garager. Projektet minder følgelig om Drakabyggets udstilling CO-RITUS.

 

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Wooloo.org’s projekt New Life Horbelev (2010). Pressefoto

 

Og endelig kunne et eksempel være den dansk/franske kunstner Thierry Geoffroy/COLONEL, der er ophavsmand til flere nye udstillings- og kunstformater. Bl.a. med sine "Emergency Rooms", der har været organiseret i København, Venedig, Hanoi og New York, og som pÄ én gang er en kritik af maleriet med dets langsomme udførelsesproces og af selve kunstinstitutionen, undersøger COLONEL, hvorvidt kunstneren har mulighed for at spille en aktiv rolle i samfundet. FormÄlet med udstillingsformatet er sÄledes at træne kunstnere i at bruge deres visuelle ekspertise til hurtigt at reagere pÄ de falske billeder, der er i omløb i medierne. Dette foregÄr i praksis ved, at et kunstnerkollektiv i en udstillingsperiode dagligt skaber værker, hvormed de inden for i kunstinstitutionen umiddelbart kommenterer pÄ de aktuelle begivenheder, der foregÄr i verden udenfor.

 

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Installationshot fra COLONELs "Emergency Room" i MOMA i New York. Pressefoto

 

OgsÄ COLONELs øvrige formater er udviklet med henblik pÄ at opøve en kritisk sans, som han selv betegner "the awareness muscle". COLONEL har følgelig skabt sin helt egen fortolkning af détournement, idet han bl.a. inddrager løb, fitnesscentre og sÄgar kinddans i en kritisk praksis, hvormed han opfordrer sÄvel kunstnere som almindelige mennesker til at deltage fysisk.

 

COLONEL anvender endvidere TV-, video- og sociale medier, og senest har han i samarbejde med bl.a. Copyflex begivet sig ind pƄ musikmediet.

"DEMOCRACY" from the album DICTIONARY by COLONEL MUSIC

 

[1] OgsÄ seminaret var arrangeret af Bolt & Rasmussen i samarbejde med bl.a. Det Fri Universitet i København og Nordisk Netværk for Avantgarde-studier. Se programmet her.

 

[2] Titlen pĆ„ udstillingen i Centre Pompidou var Sur le passage de quelques personnes Ć  travers une assez courte unitĆ© de temps. A propos de l’Internationale Situationniste 1957-1972, og da udstillingen efterfĆølgende blev vist i London og i Boston, fik den den engelske titel On the passage of a few people through a brief moment in time. The Situationist International (1957-1972).

 

[3] Bolt & Jakobsen: "Introduction"; i: Expect Everything, Fear Nothing. The Situationist Movement in Scandinavia and Elsewhere (2011), s. 8.

 

[4] En af bogens bidragsydere, Stewart Home, foretager dog en lidt anden geografisk opdeling af bevƦgelsen. Home skriver sĆ„ledes: "… the idea of Eurocentrism needs a further refinement if we are to understand why the activities of the Anglo-French Situationists are far better known in Britain, France and North America that those of the Scandinavian Situationist. … Britain, France and Germany … tend to view themselves as constituting the hub or core of this imperialist construct. Thus not simply language barriers but prejudice too has inhibited widespread discussion of the Situationist Bauhaus. Another factor is that since the dissemination of histories has traditionally been in written form, those constructing them tend to be biased towards textual sources and against visual ones – and it might be argued that although the French Situationists produced the most polished texts of this bifurcated movement, their visual work was weaker that that of the Scandinavian situationists."; Stewart Home: "The Self-mythologisation of the Situationist International", ibid. s. 214.

 

[5] Bolt & Jakobsen: "Introduction"; ibid, s. 9.

 

[6] Michelle Bernstein var da gift med Debord. Senere giftede hun sig med Ralph Rumney, der havde tilhørt den britiske fraktion, og som i én af teksterne i Expect Everything, Fear Nothing er citeret for i 1989 at have sagt: "Michéle had, and has, an extraordinary powerful and perceptive mind which is shown by the fact that she is among the most important literary critics in France today. A lot of the theory, particularly the political theory, I thing originated with Michéle rather than Debord, he just took it over and put his name on it"; Rumney citeret fra Stewart Home, ibid., s. 213.

 

[7] En engelsk oversƦttelse af Guy Debords La sociƩte du spectacle (1967) kan downloades her. I 1973 lavede Debord ydermere en filmversion heraf i 9 dele. Links hertil kan findes i artiklen "Kampen om billedet", Modkraft.dk den 9. april 2010.

 

[8] Som repræsentant for SI havde Jorn i 1958 underskrevet Gruppe SPURs manifest, hvori man havde erklæret at have et tilhørsforhold til den europæiske avantgarde (futurisme, dadaisme og surrealisme).

 

[9] IfĆølge de Jong skyldtes eksklusionen af de hollandske medlemmer deres arbejde med at designe en kirke.

 

[10] Anklagen var blevet rejst i forbindelse med 6. nummer af tidsskriftet SPUR.

 

[11] Undskyldningen for at ekskludere Gruppe SPUR var, at de ikke som aftalt havde bidraget til tidsskriftet Internationale Situationniste.

 

[12] Nash og Thorsen mødte hinanden pÄ Wilhems Freddies udstilling i Galleri Køpcke, hvor Freddie præsenterede kopier af de værker, som politiet havde konfiskeret 24 Är tidligere. Thorsen var da journalist pÄ avisen Aktuelt.

 

[13] De Jong havde derfor ogsÄ sat manifestet i The Situationist Times med den mindst mulige font, sÄledes at ingen kunne læse det. Gruppe SPUR havde øvrigt ikke underskrevet manifestet og valgte i 1962 helt at distancere sig herfra.

 

[14] Nƶel Arnaud havde tidligere stƄet bag udgivelsen af tidsskriftet SurrƩalisme RƩvolutionnaire.

 

[15] De Jong i "A Maximum of Openness. Jacqueline de Jong in conversation with Karen Kurczynski", ibid., s. 189f.

 

[16] "Potlatch" er oprindelig navnet pƄ en indiansk ceremoni, og ordet kommer fra det indianske sprog chinook.

 

[17] De Jong citeret fra ibid., s. 195.

 

[18] Citeret fra kolofonen i Expect Anything, Fear Nothing.

 

[19] Debord skrev en katalogtekst til udstillingen, der kan lƦses her.

 

[20] Mikkel Bolt: Avantgardens selvmord (2009), s. 12.

 

[21] Ibid., s. 16.

 

[22] Peter Bürger: Theory of the Avant-Garde (1984, opr. ty. 1974), s. 15.

 

[23] De Jong citeret fra Karen Kurczynski: "Red Herrings: Eccentric Morphologies in the Situationist Times", ibid., s. 173.

 

[24] Se ogsƄ om Billed Politik i "Kampen om billedet", Modkraft.dk den 9. april 2010.

 

[25] Se ogsƄ om The Yes Men i "The Yes Men Fix the World", Modkraft.dk. den 12. marts 2010.

I had no idea what to expect at Yalding, either the town or church. Jools realised it was near to West Farleigh, so we went to investigate.

 

Across what looked like a canal and then the river via an old pack bridge, with the tower of the church on the far bank.

 

The town, or this part of it, stretched either side of the High Street, and once parked, we approach the church down an alleyway and I see the porch doors open; a good sign.

 

I explained what I was at the church for: are you going to be long, I was asked.

 

As quick as I can be.

 

What I found was a huge parish church, the back of which had been converted into a community space, with a fitted kitchen, wooden floor for use possible as a gym or space for yoga, and the east kept as a fine parish church, filled with monuments, memorials and fine fixtures and fittings. Three wardens were tidying up preparing for Candlemass the next day.

 

I go round taking shots, taking nearly and hour to do so, as there was so much detail.

 

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The little cupola on the west tower is topped by a weathervane dated 1734, and summons us to a large church, heavily restored in the 1860s, but worth travelling a long way to see. The nave roof has two interesting features - one is a form of celure or canopy of honour over the third bay from the west. It must have served some long-forgotten purpose. At the east end of the nave there is a real Canopy of Honour in its more usual position over the chancel arch. The south transept contains many interesting features - niches in the walls, bare stonework walls and a good arcaded tomb chest recessed into the south wall. There is a telling string course that suggests a thirteenth-century date, although the two windows in its east wall are Decorated in style. The most recent feature in the church - and by far the most important - is the engraved glass window in the chancel. It was engraved by Laurence Whistler in 1979 and commemorates Edmund Blunden, the First World War poet. It depicts a trench, barbed wire, a shell-burst and verses from Blunden's poems. This feature apart it is the nineteenth-century work that dominates Yalding - especially the awful encaustic tiles with arrow-like designs, the crude pulpit with symbols of the evangelists and the poor quality pews. The glass isn't much better, the Light of the World in the south chancel window being especially poor, but the south window of the south transept (1877) showing scenes from the Life of Christ redeems the state of the art.

 

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

 

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YALDING.

NORTH-WESTWARD from Hunton lies Yalding, antiently written Ealding, which signifies the antient meadow or low ground.

 

Most of this parish is in the hundred of Twyford, and the rest of it, viz. the borough of Rugmerhill, is in the antient demesne of Aylesford. That part of this parish, which holds of the manor of West Farleigh, is in the borough of West Farleigh, and the borsholder thereof ought to be chosen at the court leet there, and so much thereof as is held of the manor of Hunton, is in the borough of Hunton, and the borsholder thereof is chosen at the court leet there; and the inhabitants of neither of these boroughs owe service to the court holden for the hundred of Twyford, within which hundred they both are; but at that court a constable for that hundred may be chosen out of either of these boroughs.

 

THIS PARISH lying southward of the quarry hills, is within the district of the Weald. It is but narrow, but extends full four miles in length from north to south, the upper or northern part reaches up to the quarry hill adjoining to West Farleigh, near which is Yalding down, on which is a large kiln for the purpose of burning pit coal into coke, which is effected by laying the coal under earth, and when set on fire quenching the cinders; the method is used in making charcoal from wood, the former particularly is much used in the oasts for the drying of hops, so profitably encouraged in this neighbourhood. Below it, near the river Medway, its western boundary in this part, opposite to Nettlested, stands the seat of Sir John Gregory Shaw, bart. a retired, but not an ill chosen situation. It was for several generations the residence of the family of Kinward, which from the reign of king Henry VIII. was possessed of good estates in this parish and its neighbourhood, and bore for their arms, Azure, on a bend or, three roses gules, between three cross-croslets, fitchee argent. Robert Kenward, esq. of Yalding, resided here, and dying in 1720, was buried with the rest of his family in this church; he left a son John, and several daughters, of whom the third, Martha, married the late Sir Gregory Page, bart. and died S. P. John Kenward, esq. the son, died in 1749, leaving by Alicia his wife, youngest daughter of Francis Brooke, esq. of Rochester, one daughter and heir Alicia, who carried this seat and a considerable estate in this neighbourhood to Sir John Shaw, bart. late of Eltham, whose eldest son, Sir John Gregory Shaw, bart. is the present owner of it, and resides here. (fn. 1). In this part of the parish the land is kindly both for corn and hops, of which there are several plantations, and round the down there are some rich grass lands, but further southward where the parish extends to Brenchley, Horsemonden, and Mar den, it is rather a sorlorn country, the land lying very low, and the soil is exceeding wet and miry, and much of it very poor, and greatly subject to rushes, being a stiff unfertile clay; the hedge rows are broad and interspersed with quantities of large spreading oak trees.

 

The river Medway flows from Tunbridge along the west side of the upper part of this parish as mentioned before, there are across it here two bridges, Twyford and Brandt bridge, leading hither from Watringbury, Nettlested and East Peckham; a small stream, which comes from Marden, and is here called the Twist, flows through the lower part of this parish towards the west side of it, and joins the main river at Twyford bridge, which extends over both of them; another larger stream being a principal head of the Medway flowing from Style-bridge by Hunton clappers, separating these two parishes, joins the main river, about a quarter of a mile below Twyford bridge; on the conflux of these two larger streams the town of Yalding is situated, having a long narrow stone bridge of communication from one part of the town to the other, on the opposite bank of the Hunton stream. Leland who lived in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, calls it a a praty townelet, to which however at present it has no pretensions. The church and court-lodge stand at the north end of the town. A fair is held in it on WhitMonday, and on October 15, yearly. The high road over Teston bridge, and through West Farleigh, leads through the town, and thence southward along the hamlets of Denover and Collens-street to Marden; at a small distance from the former is the borough of Rugmarhill, esteemed to be within the antient demesne of Aylesford, belonging to Mrs. Milner.

 

Adjoining the town southward is Yalding lees, over which there is another high road, which leads from Twyford bridge, parallel with the other before-mentioned, along the hamlet of Lodingford, and thence through the lower part of this parish towards Brenchley, near the boundaries of which in this parish is an estate still called Oldlands, which appears in king Edward II's reign to have been part of the demesne lands of the manor of Yalding, for he then confirmed to the priory of Tunbridge a rent charge to be received out of the asserts of the old and new lands of the late Richard de Clare, in Dennemannesbrooke, which he had given to it on its foundation; lower down, close to the stream of the Twist, is the manor house of Bockingsold, the lands of which extend across the river into Brenchley and Horsemonden and other parishes.

 

A third high road over Brandt bridge passes along the western bounds of this parish, over Betsurn-green towards Lamberhurst and Sussex.

 

A new commission of sewers under the great seal, was not many years ago obtained to scour and cleanse that branch of the river Medway, or if I may so call it, the Yalding river from Goldwell in Great Chart, through Smarden, Hunton, and other intermediate parishes to its junction with the Rain river, at a place called Stickmouth, a little below the town of Yalding.

 

The commissioners for the navigation of the river Medway, about twenty years ago, made a navigable cut or canal, from a place in the river called Hampsted, where they judiciously constructed a lock to a place in the river near Twyford bridge, where they erected a tumbling bay for the water, when at a certain height, to pass over. The contrivance of this cut from one bend or angle of the river to the other, is of the greatest utility to the navigation, by not only shortening the passage, but by baying up a convenient depth of water, which they could not have had along the lees, and other adjoining low lands on each side of that part of the river, which is avoided by it, or at least not without a very great expence.

 

At the river here the barges are loaded with timber, great guns, bullets, &c. for Chatham and Sheerness docks, London, and other parts, and bring back coals, and other commodities for the supply of the neighbouring country.

 

In 1757 a large eel was caught in the river here, which measured five feet nine inches in length, and eighteen inches in girt, and weighed upwards of forty pounds.

 

THE MANOR OF YALDING, or Ealding, as it was usually written, was, after the conquest, part of the possessions of the eminent family of Clare, who became afterwards earls of Gloucester and Hertford, (fn. 2) the ancestor of whom, Richard Fitz Gilbert, came into England with William the Conqueror, and gave him great assistance in the memorable battle of Hastings, and in respect of his near alliance in blood to the king, he was advanced to great honor, and had large possessions bestowed upon him, both in Normandy and England; among the latter was this estate of Yalding, as appears from the survey of Domesday, taken in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, in which it is thus entered, under the title of Terra Richardi F. Gislebti:

 

Richard de Tonebridge holds Ealdinges, and Aldret held it of king Edward, and then and now it was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is sixteen carucates. There are two churches (viz. Yalding and Brenchley) and fifteen servants, and two mills of twenty-five shillings, and four fisheries of one thousand and seven hundred eels, all but twenty. There are five acres of pasture, and wood for the pannage of one hundred and fifty hogs.

 

In the time of king Edward the Consessor, and afterwards, it was worth thirty pounds, now twenty pounds, on account of the lands lying waste to that amount.

 

The above-mentioned Richard Fitz Gilbert, at the latter end of the Conqueror's reign, was usually called Richard de Tonebridge, from his possessions and residence there, and his descendants took the name of Clare, for the like reason of their possessing that honor. His descendant, Gilbert, son of Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, owned it in the reign of king Henry III. and in the 21st year of Edward I. he claimed before the justices itinerant, and was allowed all the privileges of a manor.

 

¶Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, his son, by Joane, of Acres, king Edward I.'s daughter, succeeded to it, and dying in the 7th year of king Edward II. without surviving issue, his three sisters became his coheirs, and on the partition of their inheritance, this manor, among others in this county, was allotted to Margaret, the second sister, then wife of Hugh de Audley, junior, who in the 12th year of Edward II. obtained for his manor of Ealding, a market to be held here weekly, and a fair to continue three days yearly, viz. the vigil, the day of the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, and the day subsequent to it. He died in the 21st year of it, holding this manor, which he held for his life, by the law of England, of the king in capite. He left an only daughter and heir Margaret, then the wife of Ralph Stafford, who in her right became possessed of the manor of Yalding, and was a man greatly esteemed by king Edward III. who among other marks of his favor, in his 24th year, advanced him to the title of earl of Stafford.

 

After which it continued in his descendants down to his great grandson, Humphry Stafford, who was created duke of Buckingham anno 23 Henry VI. whose grandson Henry, duke of Buckingham, having put himself in arms against king Richard, in favor of Henry, earl of Richmond, and being deserted by his army, had concealed himself in the house of one Ralph Banister, who had been his servant, who on the king's proclamation of a reward of 1000l. or 100l. per annum, for the discovering of the duke, betrayed him, and he was without either arraignment or judgment, beheaded at Salisbury.

 

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

 

The church, which is a large handsome building, consists of three isles and a large chancel, with a square tower at the west end. Against the south wall in it is a very antient altar tomb, which has been much desaced, on which is remaining, Ermine, a bend gules. There was formerly a brass plate on it. On a large stone in the middle isle, is a memorial for Robert Penhurst, descended from Sir Robert Penhurst, of Penhurst, in Suffex, who died in 1610. The arms, on a shield, a mullet. In the chancel there is a handsome monument for the family of Warde, who bore for their arms, Azure, a cross flory or, and one for the family of Kenward, in this parish. In the pavement of the church are several large broad stones, a kind of petrifaction of the testaceous kind, dug up in the moors or low lands in this parish.

 

Richard de Clare, earl of Hertford, gave the church of Aldinges, with the chapel of Brenchesley, and all their appurtenances, in pure and perpetual alms, to the priory of Tunbridge, lately founded by him.

 

Gilbert de Glanvill, bishop of Rochester, who came to that fee in the 31st year of king Henry II. confirmed this gift, and granted, that the prior and canons should possess the appropriation of this church in pure and perpetual alms; saving a perpetual vicarage in it, granted by his authority, with the assent and presentation of the prior and canons as follows:

 

That the vicar should have the altarage, and all obventions, and small tithes belonging to this church, and all houses, which were within the court, and the land belonging to the church, together with the tenants and homages, and the alder-bed, and the tithes of sheaves of Wenesmannesbroke, and the tithes of Longesbroke, of the new assart, and the moiety of meadow belonging to the church; all which were granted to him, to hold under the yearly pension of two shillings, duly to be paid to the prior and canons; and that the vicar should sustain all episcopal burthens and customs, as well for the prior and canons as for himself. And he granted to the prior and canons as part of the appropriation, the tithes of sheaves of this church, excepting the said tithes of Wenesmannesbroke, and of Longebroke; and that they should have the moiety of the meadow belonging to the church, with the fisheries, and the place in which the two greater barns stood, with the barns themselves, and the whole outer court in which the stable stood, with the garden which was towards the east, and the small piece of land which lay by the garden, and the rent of four-pence, which ought to be paid yearly to the court of Eyles forde; reserving to himself the power of altering the endowment of this vicarage, if at any time it should seem expedient; saving, nevertheless, all episcopal rights to the bishop of Rochester, &c. (fn. 16)

 

The church of Yalding, together with the advowson of the vicarage, remained with the priory of Tunbridge, till the suppression of it, in the 17th year of king Henry VIII. when being one of those smaller monasteries which cardinal Wolsey had obtained for the endowment of his colleges, it was surrendered into his hands, with all the possessions belonging to it.

 

After which the king granted his licence to him, in his 18th year, to appropriate and annex this church, among others of the cardinal's patronage, to the dean and canons of the college founded by him in the university of Oxford. But here it staid only four years, when this great prelate being cast in a prƦmunire in 1529, the estates of that college were forfeited to the king, and became part of the royal revenue.

 

¶Queen Elizabeth, in her 10th year, granted the rectory or parsonage of Yalding, and the advowson of the vicarage, for thirty years, to Mr. John Warde, at the yearly rent of thirty pounds, in whose possession they continued till king James I. in his 5th year, granted the see of them to Richard Lyddale and Edward Bostock, at the like yearly rent, (fn. 17) and they soon afterwards alienated them to Ambrose Warde, gent. of this parish, son of John above-mentioned, in whose descendants they continued down till they came into the possession of three brothers, Thomas, of Littlebrook, in Stone; George and Ambrose, among whose descendants they came afterwards to be divided, and again sub-divided in different shares, one third part to captain Thomas Amhurst, of Rochester; one third of a third part, and a third of a sixth part to Mr. Holmes, of Derby; Mr. Ambrose Ward, of Littlebrook, and the Rev. Mr. Richard Warde, late of Oxford, each alike, and the remaining sixth part by the Rev. Mr. John Warde, the present vicar of this parish, who some years ago rebuilt the vicarage-house in a very handsome manner.

 

This rectory now pays a yearly fee-farm rent of thirty pounds to the crown.

 

It is valued in the king's books, at 20l. 18s. 9d. and the yearly tenths at 2l. 1s. 10½d.

 

There are two separate manors, one belonging to the rectory or parsonage, and the other to the vicarage of this church.

 

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