[c=#949494]gabriela *; vocevemcomigoaondequerqueeuvoe.[/c] diz:

irmãã ;D

Gabi . diz:

gêêmeaa

Gabi . diz:

te enchi de pergunta, héin?

Gabi . diz:

HAHA

Gabi . diz:

brigadinha

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahauaohaaiaoai e eu adorei responder =}

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

meeu voce é muito linda *-* e aquela calça xadrez, o que é aquilo? :OOO

tô babando até agora/

Gabi . diz:

aiai, queria ter tempo pra desenhaar, só fds e agora FÉRIAS! UHULL

Gabi . diz:

Brigada!

Gabi . diz:

como é o nome do programa mesmo?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

uhuul mesmo o/\o mais voce nao tem muito tempo, é isso?

Gabi . diz:

photo ?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] deseja uma Conversa com Vídeo.

Responder (Alt+C) Recusar (Alt+Z)

Você perdeu uma Conversa com Vídeo de [c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c].

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ah eu uso photofiltre e photoshop cs2

Gabi . diz:

photofiltre vc baixou?

Gabi . diz:

ou já veio no seu comptador?

Gabi . diz:

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

aham. adobe tambem.

Gabi . diz:

eu não uso NADA.

Gabi . diz:

q pobreza.

Gabi . diz:

vc tem orkut?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahauaoehieoei meninaaaaaaaaa MANDA SUAS fotos pra mim! a coisa que eu mais amo no mundo: editar fotos <3

Gabi . diz:

sim, siim ...

Gabi . diz:

HAHA

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

tenho sim:

www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=3729965192779047357

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahauHAIAOEHI ;x

Gabi . diz:

ahh, eu nem tenho ;/

Gabi . diz:

não gosto muito não

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

aah serio? :\

Gabi . diz:

sério!

Gabi . diz:

qdo acabam suas aulas?

Gabi . diz:

gentzi, que SAIA é aquela? q vc fez pra sua irma

Gabi . diz:

de tule rosa

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

daqui cinco semanas.

Gabi . diz:

caaara, eu quero

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahauaoahUAOAHAIAOAI faciinho :9

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

nem eu :T deve ter em brechó, mais eu odeio³ brechó. eu amo comprar =D

Gabi . diz:

AMO³³³³³³³³³³³³³³³³³³³³ comprar.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

coom certeza photoshop ;]

Gabi . diz:

eu já vi todas as fts dela até 2004.;

Gabi . diz:

até 2005!

Gabi . diz:

só falta 2006

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

assim, eu amo costurar, eu faço saias vestidos e tal pra mim.. o duro é comprar cara, esse é o problema da minha vida! nao dá pra ficar comprando pano pra fazer as coisas que eu uso..

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

meu SONHO é ter estilo vintage&retro, assim ó:

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

www.fotolog.com/vintageandretro

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

vê se nao é de babar..

Gabi . diz:

é :/

Gabi . diz:

eu quero: um suspensorio, bottons, um colete azul marinho, peças de uma loja aí equivalentes a 188 reais, um coturno

Gabi . diz:

e por aí vaaaai

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

*----* a gente é irma meesmo.. a gente pensa igual cara *-* tá bom, vamos confirmar mais algumas coisas. que dia e mes voce nasceu, e que musica se ouuve, seus idolos? ;]

Gabi . diz:

no meu flickr tem as musikas q eu ouço. vc tá logada?

Gabi . diz:

25/07/94 - taubaté

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ah entao a gente nao é do mesmo signo..

Gabi . diz:

leão e vc?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

sagitario :x

Gabi . diz:

;x q diz vc faz?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

9

Gabi . diz:

vc já pintou o cabelo?

Gabi . diz:

mes?

Gabi . diz:

dezxembro?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

dezembro aham :]

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

eu nuunca

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

mais minha mae deixou eu fazer umas mexinhas rosa

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

nao fiz até agora :T

Gabi . diz:

eu já pintei a ponta de vermelho.

Gabi . diz:

ficou bom, mas eu tinha cabelo comprido e coreti

Gabi . diz:

quero pintar de novooo!

Gabi . diz:

há qto tempo vc toca violão?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahaoaheioia seu cabelo é taao fofo *-*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

mais ou menos um ano.

Gabi . diz:

huun .. pretende montar uma banda?

[...]

CARACA, EU PENSO IDENTICAMENTE IGUAL A VOCE

Gabi . diz:

fiquei assustada agora!

Gabi . diz:

meo deos

Gabi . diz:

mostro!

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

OH MY GOD, a gente FOI separada!

Gabi . diz:

mas tipo, eu queria saber mais sobre a lingua portuguesa .. pra escrever melhor!

Gabi . diz:

ano passado eu cantei beatles e elvis na frente da escola inteira.

Gabi . diz:

tá, eu não canto muito bem.

[...]

mais espera só eu crescer... eu quero fazer uma tatoo que nem da minha amiga, MUITO linda *-*

Gabi . diz:

vou fazer uma tattoo!

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

me mostra alguma musica sua!

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

aah eu quero muuitas tattos, eu aaaaaaaaamo³ tattos. mais nao gosto muito de piercing.

Gabi . diz:

eu ñ quero piercing, só tatttoo!

Gabi . diz:

*morri* q

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

eeu tbm *------* meu se um dia a gente se encontrar eu nao vou conseguir parar de falar

Gabi . diz:

TATTOO perfeeeeeeeita!

Gabi . diz:

eu tbm não .

Gabi . diz:

aiushiauhsiauhsiuasha

Gabi . diz:

um dia a gente vai fazer compras juntas!

Gabi . diz:

HAHA

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

faz ANOOOOS que eu guardo essa foto, e vou guardar até eu tiver 18!

Gabi . diz:

sério.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ooooooooba ;9

Gabi . diz:

sou apaixinada por: meias, chapéus e carros conversiveis

Gabi . diz:

o pior de tudo é q minhas amigas são totalmente diferentes de mim. elas não gostam dessas roupas, e não escutam as mesmas musicas q eu. não sonham *

Gabi . diz:

sou sozinha :/

Gabi . diz:

BUAA

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

eu tenho uma idolatraçao imensa pela marilyn monroe *-*

e sou viciada em livros, meias coloridas, fotografia, buttons, tecidos, guarda chuvas, fones de ouvido e cachecóis!

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

EU TAMBEM ;O

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ultimamente eu ando tao sem amigas pra me entender :\ a gente daria boas melhores amigas o/\o

Gabi . diz:

eu faço coleção de buttons, mas é dificil de acher :/

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

aah :\

Gabi . diz:

daria mesmo! afee :/

Gabi . diz:

eu me sinto igual a você.

Gabi . diz:

onde q vc mora mesmo?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

santa barbara d'oeste

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ai ai :\

Gabi . diz:

minha mãe sempre fala que queria morar em são paulo, eu nunca quis. agora q eu quero não dá mais :/

Gabi . diz:

minha mae tem duas tattoos

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

aaah que pena, sampa deve ser bem legal. tanto pra vida...

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

é disso que eu quero viver ;D

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

sério?

Gabi . diz:

eu também.

Gabi . diz:

sério.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

meus pais tem um ódio mortal por rock piercings e tattos.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

e namorados.

Gabi . diz:

meus pais são novos.

Gabi . diz:

minha mae engravidou com 15.

Gabi . diz:

gostam de rock e me deixam namorar [eu acho]

Gabi . diz:

HAHA

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

sério?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

UI que pais legais

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahaiaoeheioai

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

meu pai fala que vai grampear minha boca e só vai deixar eu namorar com 18

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

:BBB

Gabi . diz:

eu sempre escolho a roupa da minha mãe. é divertido

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

mais se ja namorou ou ficou, sério?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahauaoahaaioaiahaia *-*

Gabi . diz:

não

Gabi . diz:

HAHA

Gabi . diz:

e vc?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

tambem nao :D

Gabi . diz:

minhas amigas gostam de funk [eu tbm, mas SÓ pra dançar sabe?] e se vestem como pessoas normais.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

eu tambem, pra dançar sooomente.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

mais cara elas sao muito diferentes. nao sei em que mundo elas vivem. vao de jeans pra escola, nao tem estilo, nao se arrumar, nao usam maquiagem (é obrigatorio, lapis e blush todo dia!) :D

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

meniiiiiina tive uma idéia ;O voce tem 13, ta na sétima né? pensou se a gente cai na mesma faculdade, na mesma classe? =DDDDD

Gabi . diz:

genteeeeeee! q liiindo.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahaiaoaahiao tomara que a gente nao perca o contato até lá!

Gabi . diz:

eu vou de jeans pra escola, mas não todo dia. tipo, as vezes eu vou de shorts com polaina, uma calças meio malucas, coloridas. . HAHA

Gabi . diz:

to nem aí

Gabi . diz:

e vc?

Gabi . diz:

éé

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahauaoaheueoia eu aperto todos meus jeans pra ficar beeeeeeem skinny

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

e vou de blusa mais as vezes eu faço umas sobreposiçoes (amo!)

Gabi . diz:

[amo!] també,*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

tipo uma regata da escola com uma outra por baixo..

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

e tooodo dia, all star.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ai uns acessórios e pá *-*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ai eu queria polaina :~~ é caro?

Gabi . diz:

15 reais em média. eu só tenho uma :/

Gabi . diz:

tenho 4 all stars, quero mais 3!

Gabi . diz:

HAHA

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

aah :\

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ahauaoaheie

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

tenho só dois

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

vermelho e branco. mais eu queria um mooonte!

Gabi . diz:

meu preto tá acabdo sabe? daí eu quer mais um preto, um ROXO, e um vermelho ou branco de couro.

Gabi . diz:

isuhasihuaushaiu

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

*-*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

oolha esse cara, eu QUERO *--------*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

com desenhos atras *-*

Gabi . diz:

gentzii

Gabi . diz:

meu all star branco tem cadarço vermelho e é tooooodo quadriculado de azul .

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

*-*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

ajsaosjaosjoa :x

Gabi . diz:

seeeeeei

Gabi . diz:

eu tbm penso assim .

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

eu ja me imagino vestindo estrelas..

Gabi . diz:

a gente vai montar uma banda qdo estiver na faculdadde

Gabi . diz:

eu tambéém.

Gabi . diz:

oww, vamo fazer intercambio?

Gabi . diz:

HAHA

Gabi . diz:

NY é o PARAISO DAS ROUPAS.

Gabi . diz:

spo ropa legal

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

É MESMO *-*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

eu vou fazer quando eu tiver 16

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

sempre quis ir pro canadá mais voce me deu uma idéia de mudar de destino ;999

Gabi . diz:

vamos pra NY!

Gabi . diz:

iasuhaishiashasuh

Gabi . diz:

:B

Gabi . diz:

tem menino gato tb!

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

isso é o maaaaaaais³ importante

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

mais tipo..

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

te paqueram muuito na escola e tal?

Gabi . diz:

aham .. e vc?

Gabi . diz:

paoskaoskaposkpaosk

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

oô ahaiahaiaoahaiaoai da vergonha demais ;x

Gabi . diz:

vergonha?

Gabi . diz:

ahh, sei lá, eu nem tenho não

Gabi . diz:

só q o pessoal da minha cidade [roça] me olha estranho por causa das minhas roupas e tal.

Gabi . diz:

sabe o q eu amo? meia-calça com shorts por cima, q nem as VJ's da MTV usam.

Gabi . diz:

a roupa delas sempre é legal

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

demais demais demais eu tbm.

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

é, aqui é interior e estranham tbm, mais eu so timida demais..

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

nossa acabei de abrir o site da capricho

Gabi . diz:

qq tem?

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

olha só: moda e musica andam juntas, os melhores clipes que misturam fashion e musica!

*----*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

capricho.abril.com.br/atelie/conteudo_258635.shtml

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

aham.

Gabi . diz:

belê.

Gabi . diz:

vou passar minhas férias INTEIRAAAAAS: desenhando [IUPI] assitindo filme e arrumando meu flickr [em dois dias eu faço!]

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

*-------*

[c=#949494]gabriela *; querotedaramãomaisvocênemmeolha:~ [/c] diz:

eu tbm

Gabi . diz:

aeww!

Gabi . diz:

jáá seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeei manoo.

Gabi . diz:

tipo em julho e em janeirto eu vou pra um acampamento.. se der, vc pode ir!

Expecting

As expected, after hearing about the deaths of Kelsey and Stone, the US Army decided to retaliate: Maj Gen Persifor Smith ordered Lt George Stoneman to lead a military expedition to punish Chief Augustine for the deaths of Kelsey and Stone. Unable to locate the Augustine band, the US troops instead found the Pomo village of Badonnapoti in Upper Lake. As far as can be determind, the village Pomo had no relation to the Pomo of Kelseyville. Regardless, Stoneman decided to attack. Finding that his rifle range could not reach the village, he instructed Lt Nathaniel Lyon to move reinforcements up by whaling boats. On April 15, while Stoneman fired his cannons to distract the villagers from the South, Lyon stormed the island on one of his whaling boats from the North. It was a horrific slaughter. Most sources state about 5 Pomo fought back against the attack, using slings and arrows. Most fled into the tule surrounding the island, only to run into the second party on the second whaling boat from the South. Women and children were shot and stabbed, and one source records observing children picked up by bayonets and thrown into the water. One six-year old survived by hiding in the water and breathing through a tule reed. The exact death toll varies widely, but is generally accepted to be around 75 to 150. Losses in the US Army and settlers was 0. Stoneman then led his forces on a wide sweep through the Russian River valley, attacking several villages and killing perhaps an equal number in those communities.

Nataniel Lyon later became famed in the American Civil War as the first attacking Union hero, only to be killed soon after at Wilson's Creek. In the same conflict, George Stoneman gained a mixed legacy, failing in raids in 1863 and 1864, only to succeed at the very end of the war (as sung in the Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"). Kelsey and Stone were found and buried, the last time under historical markers in 1950 after repeated acts of vandalism. The other Kelseys continued their rein of terror, against the indigenous Natives and otherwise. Chief Augustine survived and years later was a primary source on the whole incident.

After the slaughter at Bloody Island the Pomo were divided into Rancherias. The communities that survived have lately prospered, opening up casinos throughout the Clear Lake Region. Bloody Island is still near Pomo land, and a sore point between them and the State of California concerned the recognition of the massacre location. Previous monuments (usually describing some sort of battle) have been repeatedly vandalized or destroyed.

Bloody Island is the hill located here. Reclamation projects have made what was once part of the lake farmland. An old monument from the 1940s reads:

BLOODY ISLAND

SCENE OF A BATTLE BETWEEN U.S. SOLDIERS

UNDER COMMAND OF CAPTAIN LYONS AND

INDIANS UNDER CHIEF AUGUSTINE,

APRIL 14TH, 1850.

DEDICATED AS AN HISTORICAL MONUMENT BY

THE NATIVE SONS OF THE GOLDEN WEST

MAY 20, 1942

Almost everything on the plaque is in fact incorrect. The splash of red suggests that someone has taken exception to the monument. Nevertheless it is the only marker at the actual spot of Bloody Island. Someone else apparently placed a Pomo basket near the marker.

Upper Lake, California.

33 weeks down, 7 to go

View large

Strobist info

NNK Carven 321M @ 1/1 bounced off the roof on camera front left.

SB-600 behind my wife to the right, angled down from 2m. Power 1/16 85mm

SUNPAK 36FD behind my wife to the left, straight angle from 1m. Power 1/16

All triggered with Cactus V4

Although the autumn season in Vancouver has its share of rainy days, the trees changing colour is phenomenal and easily makes up for the wet weather! Last week, I had the chance to work with this gorgeous yummy mommy Elena, lead organizer of Meetup.com’s Pregnant and Fabulous Group for Vancouver’s pregnant ladies. At 8 months into her term, Elena booked her maternity photo session with me at Vancouver’s gorgeous Queen Elizabeth Park.

www.sandycanvas.com/elena-is-expecting/

I got it into my head that I failed to finish my shots, so had long planned a return. So, with the weather expected to be grim on Monday, I switched from orchids to churches.

I think this is right, the dedication is after two Roman gladiators, and is one shared with Challock, although Blean has Cosmas spelt differently, just add some confusion.

Blean is on the main road north out of Canterbury, but set back, in what was the site of a Roman villa.

It was hooping it down when I arrived, so I scampered as fast as my fat little legs could carry me to the south side of the church and saw the fine "church open" sign, welcoming me.

Again, I could not find the light switches, so the building remained in semi-darkness.

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How wonderful to find an unlocked isolated church in an area where many are kept closed! This charming flint building stands on a well-used public footpath (the former Roman Salt Road) that runs across a dry valley outside Canterbury. Its tree-shaded churchyard contains venerable yews and the church itself, dedicated to Ss Cosmas and Damian (see also Challock) is welcoming indeed. The nave and chancel are thirteenth century - see the typical lancet windows - but the huge north aisle, doubling the church in size, dates from the 1860s. Its arcade, however, is a good copy of thirteenth century work with huge cylindrical piers and an easternmost arch that stops short of the floor as if to allow space for a Rood Screen. The interior is light and spacious with much emphasis on the rustic medieval roof timbers. The twin-lancet east window contains some good mid-Victorian glass by Henry Holiday. The altar rails are seventeenth century whilst tucked behind the main door is a huge early eighteenth century memorial. As part of their millennium celebrations the locals reordered the church to great effect, moving the clumsy organ to the back and replacing it by the pulpit. These works have improved the interior no end.

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

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BLEANE,

OR Cosmus Bleane, stiled in all judicial proceedings St. Cosmus and Damian in the Blean, is the next parish southward from Swaycliffe, which latter name it took from the two saints, to whom the church of it is dedicated, and from its having been situated within the district which was once the king's antient forest of Bleane.

IT IS situated in a wild country, enveloped with woods, having much rough and poor land in it, and the inhabitants are in general like the soil, equally poor and rough. The turnpike road from Canterbury to Whitstaple, runs along the western side of it. It reaches as far as the half-way house on that road; and from Denstroud common, the houses of which only are within it, as far as the brook next to St. Stephen's parish eastward, in breadth about three miles. The soil in general consists of an unsertile stiff clay, and a cold loam, both very wet and miry. There is no village in it, but there are about forty houses dispersed throughout the whole of it. There are three commons or small heaths in it; two, over which the Whitstaple road runs, called Hoad common, and Bleane common; on the eastern side of the former is Hoad-court, great part of which has been pulled down within these few years, and the remainder has been converted into a farm-house; the third, in the eastern part of it, is called Tyler-hill common. On the east side of Bleane common, on the knoll of the hill, is a good brick house, formerly of better note, though now only a farm-house, called Amery-court. It was antiently called Le Ambry, alias Le Amery-court, being a corruption for the almonry court, from its being given in alms to St. Sepulchere's nunnery. It was lately the property of the Rev. Mr. Boucherie, who died in 1789, and now of his widow. The northern part of this parish is all coppice wood, among which is a considerable part of the great tract called Clowes wood, belonging jointly to Sir Edward Dering and Sir Rowland Wynne, barts. It was antiently called Cluse, and was formerly a manor, and was, in Edward III.'s reign, in the possession of a family of its own name. It afterwards passed to the Ropers, of St. Dunstan's, and thence in like manner as that of Boteler's-court before-described, to the present possessors of it. On the west side of the parish is the manor of Goodmans, which formerly belonged to Sir John Rough, of Brenley, and afterwards to the Farewells, of Boughton, of whom it was purchased in 1741, by the Rev. Julius Deedes, whose grandson William Deedes, esq. of St. Stephen's sold it in 1796, to Mr. William Cantis, of Canterbury, the present owner of it.

There are within the bounds of this parish, four several districts of land, which are reputed to be within the liberty and ville of Christ-church, in Canterbury, and have been so time out of mind, and their christenings are entered as such in this parish register. The inheritance of them belongs to the dean and chapter of Canterbury.

THE MANOR OF BLEANE, called in Domesday, Blehem, was at the time of taking that survey, part of the possessions of Hamo de Crevequer, usually stiled in the records of that time, Hamo Vicecomes, which name he acquired from his having been appointed Vicecomes, or sheriff of this county, soon after his coming over hither with the Conqueror, and holding the office till his death, which was not till Henry I.'s reign. According it is thus entered in the above survey, under the general title of Terra Hamonis Vicecomitis:

In the lath of Borowart, in Witestaple hundred, Haimo himself holds Blehem. Norman held it of king Ed ward, and then, and now, it was taxed at one suling. The arable land is four carucates, and twelve villeins having three carucates. In demesne there is one carucate. There is a church, and two acres of meadow, and pannage for sixty hogs. There is one fishery. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth eight pounds, and afterwards, and now, it was and is worth six pounds.

Hamo de Crevequer, a descendant of Hamo abovementioned, possessed this manor in king Richard I.'s reign, from whence he is stiled in some antient deeds relating to it, Sir Hamo del Blen. (fn. 1) He died anno 47 king Henry III. Leaving Robert his grandson his heir, who held it by knight's service; but taking part with the discontented barons, this manor was most probably seized among the rest of his estates, which remained in the crown till it was granted to one of the family of Badlesmere, and Bartholomew de Badlesmere, usually stiled the rich lord Badlesmere of Ledes, possessed it in king Edward II.'s reign, in the 9th year of which, he obtained a special charter of freewarren in all his demesne lands within it. He afterwards associated himself with the rebellious barons, but being taken prisoner, he was converyed to Canterbury, and executed in the 16th year of that reign, at the gallows of Blean, within this manor, to make the ignominy of his death the more conspicuous. By the inquisition, which was not taken till anno 2 king Edward III. at which time the process and judgment against him was reversed, it was sound that he died possessed of the manor of Blean, among others, which were then restored to his son Giles de Badlesmere, who died s. p. in the 12th year of king Edward III. anno 1337, (fn. 2) so that his four sisters became his coheirs, and upon a partition of their inheritance, it sell to the share of Margerie, wife of William, lord Roos, of Hamlake. She survived her husband, and afterwards possessed this manor for her life, and in the 32d year of the above reign, granted her interest in it to Thomas de Wolton and Robert de Denton; which was confirmed by her only surviving son Thomas, lord Roos, of Hamlake, who the next year granted the inheritance of it to the same Thos. de Wolton, master of the hospital of St. Thomas the Martyr, of Eastbridge, in Canterbury, and his successors, in Support of the charities and alms made in it, at which time the hospital was possessed of much other land in this parish by the gift of several other persons. (fn. 3) After which this manor, with the other premises abovementioned, remained with the hospital, which escaped the suppression of such foundations in the reigns of king Henry VIII. and king Edward VI. and it remains with the other lands given to it at different times, now part of the possessions of the above-mentioned hospital.

A court leet and court baron is held for this manor of Bleane and Hothe-court, at which a borshoulders is chosen for the borough of Bleane.

If there ever was a court-lodge or manston to the manor of Blean, it has been demolished time out of mind; for that of Hoad-court hereafter described, has deyond memory been the only one belonging to both these manors, which indeed seem to have been long since united, if ever they were two, and now are but one and the same manor, and should be more properly stiled the manor of Bleane, alias Hothe-court.

HOTHE, or HOADE COURT, so called from its situation, close to the hothe, or common here, is a manor, lying in the south east part of this parish, which was once the estate of Sir John de la Lee, who in the year 1360, anno 35 king Edward III. gave it, to Thomas de Wolton and his successors, masters of the hospital of Eastbregge, towards certain acts of piety in it. (fn. 4) After which it remained in the possession of the hospital till the latter and of queen Elizabeth's reign, when Dr. Lause, prebendary of Canterbury, and the archbishop's commissary, then master of it, with the privity of archbishop Whitgift, (fn. 5) made a benesicial lease of this manor, at which it seems he then resided, with divers other lands, at the reserved rent of forty-eight pounds, for his own use and benefit, to his brother Fermyn Lause, for threre lives. He died in 1594, and by his will devised his interest in the above lease to John Boys, esq. and Robert Grove, of Eastry. In consequence of which, Fermyn Lause, above-mentioned, then of Aylsham, in Norfolk, conveyed the lease to them, the sole interest in which became vested in John Boys, esq. above-mentioned, afterwards knighted, and of St. Gregory's priory, in Canterbury, a man of much note in his profession of the law. He was steward to five archbishops, recorder of Canterbury, and then of Sandwich, judge of the chancery court of the five ports, and M. P. for Sandwich, and for Canterbury, and founder of Jesus or Boys's hospital, in Northgate, Canterbury. He was fifth and youngest son of William Boys, esq. of Nonington, by his wife Mary, sister and heir of Sir Edward Ringsley, and bore for his arms, Or, a griffin, segreant, sable, within a bordure, gules, being those borne by his ancestors. He resided at times here at Hoadcourt, which he died possessed of in 1612, without surviving issue, though he had been twice married, and was buried in the north isle of Canterbury cathedral, where his monument, with his effigies on it, still remains, having by his will devised his interest in the lease of this manor to his nephew Thomas Boys, of Canterbury, with remainder to John his son. (fn. 6)

Thomas Boys, esq. above mentioned, was afterwards of Hoad court, as was John Boys, his eldest son, who succeeded him here, by the limitation in Sir John Boys's will, and resided at Hoad-court, as did his descendants down to colonel John Boys, who died here in 1748, and was buried with his ancestors in this church, leaving by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Dalyson, esq. two daughters his coheirs, Elizabeth, married to the Rev. Charles Wake, and Anne to the Rev. Osmund Beauvoir, who respectively, in right of their wives, became jointly entitled to the lease of this manor, with the seat and lands belonging to it; but after some years intervening, on a partition made, it was wholly allotted to the former, who held it for three lives, from the master of the hospital of Eastbridge; since whose death in 1796, his interest in it is become vested in the Rev. John Honywood, his son-in-law, the present possessor of it.

The Rev. C. Wake above-mentioned, LL. D. was prebendary of Westminster, and rector of East Knoyle and Fonthill, in Wiltshire. He was first married to Eliz. Boys, by whom he had Charles, vicar of Shoreham, and Elizabeth, who married the Rev. J. Honywood above-mentioned. He married 2dly the daughter of Mr. Beckford, by whom he had several children. Dr. Beauvoir was formerly head master of the king's school, in Canterbury, and married Anne Boys, as above-mentioned, who died in 1762, and was buried in Bleane church, by whom he had three sons, Osmund, William, and Cholmondeley, who survived to maturity, but all died unmarried; and two daughters, Elizabeth, married to William Hammond, esq. of St. Albans, in this county, and Isabella, married to the Rev. Richard Blackett Dechair, vicar of Shebbertswell, and of Postling, in this county. Dr. Beauvoir married secondly Mary, only daughter and heir of Fane William Sharpe, esq. (Since re-married to Dr. Douglas) but by whom he had no issue; he died in 1789, and was buried in the nave of the cathedral at Bath. He bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three cinquefoils, gules, quartered with those of Compton, of Guernsey.

In the rentals of the manor of Blean, there is mention made of the payment of gate silver (a custom not often met with). It seems to be a payment made by the tenants of the manor, for the repair of the gates leading to and from the Blean, to prevent their cattle from straying and being lost.

WELL-COURT, now usually called Wild-court, is a manor, situated near the northern bounds of this parish, the house of it being partly in it and partly in that of St. Stephen's. It is stiled in antient records, Ebolestone, alias Well-court, and was once part of the possessions of the family of At-Lese, one of whom, Sir Richard At-Lese, died s. p. possessed of it in 1394. Upon which it descended to his two nieces, daughters and coheirs likewise of his brother Marcellus At-Lese, of whom Lucy the eldest, married first to John Norton, esq. and secondly to William Langley, esq. of Knolton, (fn. 7) had this manor as part of her inheritance, and accordingly entitled both her husbands in succession to it. She had issue by both of them, who after their deaths shared this manor between them. In which state it continued for many years, till Thomas Langley, son of John, alienated his part of it, in the IIth year of king Henry VIII. to his relation Sir John Norton, the possessor of the other moiety, who then became owner of the whole of it, of which he died possessed in the 34th year of that reign, and was Succeeded in it by his natural son Thomas Green, usually stiled Norton, alias Green, whose two grandsons Thomas and George Green, in the 7th year of James I. alienated it to John Best, in which name the fee of it continued till the latter end of the last century, though in king Charles II.'s reign, it had come by means of mortgage, or some other such assignment, into the possession of Lovelace, then of Wild, and afterwards of William Rooke, esq. of St. Laurence, afterwards knighted, when it was passed away to Thomas Fleet, yeoman, who then lived in it. He died in the possession of it in 1712, s. p. and by his will devised it to his cousin Thomas Fleet, son of John Fleet, of Bleane, since which, by the limitations in the above will, it is now come to Mr. Thomas Fleet, who is the present owner, and resides in it.

BOTELERS,alias Botelers court, is a manor, nearly in the centre of this parish, which, in the 20th year of king Edward III. was, with the manors of Chesfield and Cluse, now called Clowes, held by knight's service by the same owners. Soon after which, it became the property and residence of the family of Boteler, whence it gained the name of Botelers-court, and continued in it till it was at length sold to one of the Ropers, of St. Dunstans, near Canterbury; in whose posterity it continued down to Edward Roper, esq. of Eltham, who died possessed of it in 1723, s. p. since which it has passed in like manner as that of Chestfield, in Swaycliffe, heretofore described, down to Sir Edward Dering and Sir Rowland Wynne, barts. and they are at this time the joint proprietors of it.

There are no parochial charities.

THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Westbere.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Cosmus and Damianus, is but small and mean. It consists of only one isle and a chancel, having a low pointed turret at the west end, in which hangs one bell. In the chancel is a memorial for John Boys, esq. of Hoad-court, eldest son of John Boys, esq. of that place, obt. 1660; and a mural monument for John Boys, esq. of Hode, who married Jane, daughter of Sir Richard Head, bart. obt. 1710; arms, quarterly, Boys, Phalop, Alday, and Ringsley, impaling Head. Besides which, there are several other memorials of less account.

The church was antiently an appendage to the manor, and remained so till Hamo de Crevequer, called in the charter, Hamo de Blen, son of Etardus de Crevequer, the lord of it, gave this church, with all its appurtenances, to the master and brethren of the hospital of Eastbridge; and by another deed he granted to them, that is to the rector of this church, and the brethren of that hospital, the parsonage-house, with its appurtenances, late belonging to the rectory of it, and one acre of ground, and certain annual rent in this parish, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms; all which was confirmed by archbishop Langton, by which means the rectory and parsonage of it became appropriated, and confirmed to the hospital, and the master or keeper became parson of it; but archbishop Sudbury afterwards, in 1375, converted the rectory or parsonage so appropriated, into a perpetual vicarage, which he then founded and endowed; but on account of the inconveniences arising to the parishioners, especially those who were infirm, from the distance they were at from the priest who had the cure of souls, who usually lived at the hospital, which was a mile or more distant from them, whom they were obliged with much trouble to seek after there; by which means the duties of this church, as well as the parishioners, were either neglected or wholly omitted. Therefore, weighing these inconveniences, and being desirous to remedy them as far as was in his power, he decreed, that there should be in this church in future, a perpetual vicar, having within the parish of the same, the mansion which the master of the hospital had erected for the same; and that the vicar should have likewise the tithes and oblations under-mentioned, amounting, as was supposed, to 10l. and upwards, for the supporting of himself in food, and the under-mentioned burthens; and that the presentation of the vicar on each vacancy, should belong to the keeper of the hospital for ever. Moreover, that the vicar should have, in part of the said sum, for his endowment, all predial tithes at Natynden, due to the hospital of old time, which were worth five marcs or thereabout yearly, and also all predial tithes through this whole parish; excepting of the demesne lands and estates of the hospital within the parish, whilst in tillage; and excepting all manner of predial tithes, and others whatsoever, arising from the lands, and beasts feeding on them, and their young folded on them, lying on the south part of the course of water running in this parish, called Vischmannysbourne, between the church and the court of the hospital at le Hothe, of which tithes he should not claim any thing, in any shape whatever. Moreover, that the vicar should have, towards the making up the sum of the aforesaid 10l. all tithes of calves, lambs, geese, flax, wool, milk, milkmeats, cheese, hay, herbage, silva cedua, and all titheable things within the parish, except only as before excepted. The vicar, therefore, should have all oblations in the church, and parish without the court of the hospital at la Hoth; and as the vicar himself, as if rector of the place, would possess such emoluments within it, he should support the undermentioned burthens from them, that is, he should amend and repair the chancel of the church at his own cost, and should support the mansion already built for him, and should find wine and bread and lights in the church, necessary for the celebrations, at his own expence, and should undergo all other burthens to be imposed in future on the church, which were not then taxed to the payment of the tenths, and should acknowledge them duly, and pay them; that he should be obliged to make a continual residence within the parish, as the other vicars of churches were obliged by law to do; and that he should obey the keeper of the hospital in all lawful and honest matters, the archbishop reserving to himself and his successors, the power of correcting, augmenting, and diminishing this his decree, as often as it should be expeding to him and them so to do.

According to which endowment, the vicarage of this church still continues, the vicar, as if rector of the parish, receiving all the tithes, both great and small, within it, except as is therein excepted, and of the portion of lands in Nackington; and from the time before-mentioned, the keeper, or master, as he is now called, of Eastbridge hospital, has continued, and is, the present patron of it.

¶The vicarage is valued in the king's books at 10l. and the yearly tenths at one pound. In 1537 here were thirty families, and ninety-four communicants. In 1588 it was valued at 40l. communicants 129. In 1640 it was valued at 65l. the like number of communicants. It was lately certified to be of the clear yearly value of 73l. 14s. 6d. but it is now worth near double that sum. The portion of tithes, in the parish of Nackington, &c. consists of those arising from 116 acres of land, or thereabout, lying in various detached pieces, belonging to different owners, and is worth about 44l. annual value.

There are near two acres of glebe land belonging to it.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol8/pp524-536

Volunteer review Joshua Manning in Honduras La Ceiba PreMed Program at local hospital

1.-How was the local ABV Coordinator and the support provided in-country?

Our ABV coordinator, was a trooper. He dealt with our constant nonsense, our heartless mangling of his language, and our odd hours with no complaints. Without him our efforts would have collapsed into a haphazard mess. John Nurse, our contact at the clinic and hospital, was a stronger character. The nurses and doctors almost universally enjoy helping us gringos, and the ABV office keeps a presence with occasional emails. I always felt as if there was a safety net.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

At the program: Don’t expect the same standard of sterility and urgency which is commonplace in the States. As frustrating as it will likely become, the laid back central american nature encapsulated by the word ‘siesta’ permeates into even the emergency rooms. At the same time, their ‘sterile field’ is usually nothing more than the paper they took their gloves out of.

At the accommodation: I did not stay with the coordinator, and I was surprised to find that my host family was changing their daily lives to accommodate our program schedule, to an extent. Señora Argentina was wonderful, and the food at the house was great. Bear in mind that if you live with a different family, they need to be kept in the loop. Don’t stroll up at 9pm for dinner when they eat at 5:30 unless you told them beforehand, follow the local time for meals.

About the country: La Ceiba doesn’t reflect the reputation Honduras has garnered in recent years. Expect relative poverty, expect a language barrier if your Spanish is no bueno, but don’t expect to fear for your life. Don’t be too stupid, don’t wander the streets at midnight, don’t challenge people on the streets, and you’ll be A-OK.

3- What was most difficult to experience?

At the program: Pain is a constant presence in Honduran medicine. I understand that it exists everywhere, and sometimes medicine requires it. However, I feel for our patients here. It broke my heart nearly every morning to see an old woman cry in the clinic while simply having an ulcer on her foot cleaned. It’s necessary here, but was almost alien to me.

At the accommodation: Our showers are cold, and my water shut off at 10. It’s a petty complaint, don’t let it deter you. The trip is well worth it.

The country: Honduras is beautiful, often in a mind-bending sort of way. The most difficult, and fun, experience here was navigating the city while still coming to terms with Spanish.

4- Any tips for future volunteers…

Clothing: Definitely a must. There are options for washing clothes, but they will cost you money, so prepare for a small expense, something in the realm of $5-10. Pack for a week, wash your clothes on the weekends. Also, watching surgeries requires changing into a clean pair of scrubs, so always have one with you. At least 10 or a week.

Donations: Everything on the emailed list is important. They need medicine like ibuprofen, desperately need antibiotic creams and medicines, and treat medical tools and supplies like gold. For things like sterile gloves, BP cuffs, Pulse Oxes, and tape, I would suggest keeping it in case you need it and donating it at the end. Also, anything you leave out or set on a table and lose sight of will likely become a donation as well.

Weather: It’s so hot here. The only time I don’t feel like I am or might start sweating is when I’m in the shower. Don’t worry about it though, it builds character.

4.1-Other things volunteers should know:

a.- If you speak high school Spanish, and you’re comfortable looking like a bit of an idiot sometimes, just go for it. If you don’t speak any, be clear on wanting the translator, else you’ll be relying on your new volunteer friends a lot if they know spanish.

b.- Decide beforehand what you’ll be comfortable doing. The possibilities are nearly limitless. You won’t be performing an appendectomy, but you’ll be able to learn procedures here that would be more off-limits back home. Also, definitely have sterile gloves, along with normal gloves, if you can find them.

c.- Figure out spending money beforehand as well. The exchange rate is L22 lempiras to a dollar, taxi rides to the volunteer sites are L25 limps, you’ll be taking between two and four on a normal day, if the coordinator can he will give transportation (its not included) so be flexible, and weekend excursions could be as little as US$50 or as much as US$250, depending on what you want to do and spend.

d.- Be vocal. Learn the word for ‘can’ (poder) and ‘try’ (tratar), and use them. ‘I want to learn’ (Quiero aprender) is a great sentence to have and use. If you ask, they’ll usually let you, and if you don’t know how, they almost invariably will show you.

5- Personal Paragraph (ABV Program Testimonial), don’t leave blank:

A Broader View offers an extremely fascinating and largely unique opportunity with this type of trip. I figured out early on that as a pre-med student, my donations were invaluable, and my help was tolerated, though tolerated happily as near as I could tell. In the clinic, we took blood pressure, cleaned wounds, and removed stitches. At the hospital, we were able to watch some surgeries and live births. In the emergency room, we set casts, helped with suturing, and witnessed real life for a group of impoverished people. Sometimes, tragically, people didn’t make it. This trip was real, and most certainly not a vacation. On top of everything else, one of the most valuable things I gained was perspective.

6- How would you describe your accommodation, meals and security:

The accommodations were better than I honestly expected, despite the lack of AC. My fan was usually perfectly fine. I never really felt unsafe, and didn’t take any undue risks. The meals were mostly tremendous, with a couple of exceptions involving white bread, beans and rice. I was never hungry, frequently tired, and always hot. I’m also strongly considering coming back.

7- What was your favorite memory of this trip?

Program: Picking out a single memory is difficult. My first really good memory with the program helping with casts in my first couple of days. I got along well with the doctor, I could understand a lot of what he told me, we got a good picture with the girl, and she asked us to sign her cast. The medical interns here are used to crazy volunteers making a near-spectacle in the ER, and it’s cool so long as there isn’t an emergency at the time.

Country: I only had one weekend excursion, and it was amazing. Utila is a beautiful island similar to Roatan, but infinitely cheaper. I went with some new friends I met here, we visited bars and the beach, went shopping, and played cards incessantly. I wish I could’ve had more weekends like it, but I’m thankful for the one I had.

8.- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?

Communication (Phone/emails/Online chat): While I was setting up my trip here, I relied heavily on phone calls to the office with random questions. Their hours are somewhat short, and you may not always have someone pick up on the first ring, but they always get back. Email communication is more frequent and consistent. Read the emails thoroughly, there could always be important information in them. They also sent me a ‘Happy Birthday’ email, which was pretty nice.

Website Information: From what I recall, the website info is generally correct, but almost slightly misleading. A lot of things done here are free form. If you pay for classes, but would rather go to the hospital one afternoon, you certainly can. Just make sure your teacher finds out. If you don’t want to go to the clinic that morning, or you want to work a night shift in the ER, it can usually be worked out. Be ready and willing to change tracks quickly.

9 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Sure, we can be pen pals. Emails would probably be your best bet. I’m more than happy to answer questions.

10 – Can you tell us how did you find or know about A Broader View?

A group of my friends found the trip, we planned it together, and then they decided to go later. As a result, I’m here by myself, and I couldn’t be happier with the way things worked out. However you found this trip, don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone.

www.abroaderview.org

#volunteerabroad #honduras #laceiba #premed #abroaderview

There you stood on the edge of your feather, Expecting to fly.

While I laughed, I wondered whether I should wave goodbye, Knowing that you'd gone.

By the summer it was healing, We had said goodbye. All the years we'd spent with feeling

Ended with a cry. Babe, now you know I'd try

Expecting to Fly - Neil Young/Buffalo Springfield Lovely song...

Better in black :)

The snow line dipped south of the Poconos unexpectedly and we got between three and four inches.

It's early in the year for us.

We won't be posting for a few days, Happy Thanksgiving!

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, “The power comes from the inside,” defines the Nissan community.

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

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

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

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.

“Never 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,” recalled Hernandezpilier, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. “Amazing 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.”

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.

“[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,” said Hernandezpilier. “Their speed and precision brought shock and awe to our group.”

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.

“Nissan and the Army cherish commitment and uphold integrity,” said Dumont-Carrion, a native of Apopka, Fla. “We 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.”

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.

“The site almost brought a tear to my eye,” said Hernandezpilier. “It’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.”

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.

“Nissan is a brand that has literally made its way to every major road in the world,” said Dumont-Carrion. “The 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.”

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.

“It was a beautiful experience,” said Hernandezpilier. “We got exclusive access to Japan's master craftsmen who have inspired me to master my craft.”

“I 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. “The 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.”

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

I arrived at St Mary, a journey from Wortham, following a slow moving delivery driver, looking for some obscure house looking onto the common.

Across fields,, mostly flat but with barely without a straight bit of road.

THe church is on a slight rise above the road, and to my dismay there were two cars parked in the churchyard, thus spoiling my exterior shots.

Inside I saw two chaps of a certain age dismantling a stage under the chancel arch.

I take a couple of shots, then one of them somes to speak to me. I was expecting to be told to keep away, or better still, leave as it was clearly unsafe for me to be there. But no, I was warmly greeted and given my own personal tour by the two wardens with whom we shared two mutual friends, John and Simon, or at least they knew them too.

There had been a celo concert the night before, but I was welcome to clamber of the stage to get shots of the fixtures and fittings, including a fine table tomb, though am wondering how Simon got a shot from above, maybe he grew wings and flew?

Lots of good memorials, interesting glass and lots of hatchments.

Under the care of the CCT, St mary is open every day, and you should visit it.

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

It was May 2001, and I was cycling out across the gently rolling acres of north Suffolk. Redgrave is one of those large and relatively self-sufficient villages that you get more in the north and west of Suffolk than around Ipswich. However, this was not apparent to me, as I approached it from the direction of Wortham Common. I had cycled through the Long Green, a strange, otherworldly place. The Commons and Greens around here were still, until half a century ago, intensively grazed. Now, they have been let go back to nature, and are in many places covered in gorse and furze, with outcroppings of angular trees. Occasionally, as at Wortham, there are settlements which seem carved out of the common land. There’s nowhere else in Suffolk quite like it.

I left this behind, and a deep cutting of a lane led me up and out into open fields. The sun came out, and the tower of St Mary was ahead of me. It is a curious sight. Suffolk has a handful of towers rebuilt in the 18th century. Mostly, they are red brick, as at Layham, and rather less successfully Grundisburgh. However, Redgrave’s tower is white brick, and would be quite at home in the City of London, if a little more austere than most there.

Attached to it is a huge church. St Mary is big; it is a little-known church, but has more to offer than most. Simon Jenkins ignored it in England’s Thousand Best Churches; most probably, he didn’t know about it. It would fit quite comfortably into his three star category along with the likes of Westhall which he also missed. Incidentally, when I met him and pointed out his omission of Redgrave and Westhall, he looked at me as if I was some kind of sad lunatic. I suppose that he’s approached by someone with a similar complaint at least twice a day.

I stepped inside to a vast space. This church is full of light. The clerestory and aisle windows are huge, and although the east window is full of coloured glass, it too is vast, one of the widest I've seen. It would take hundreds and hundreds of people to fill this place, more than a thousand perhaps; but it was a gentle reminder to me that our medieval parish churches were not built for congregational Anglican worship.

St Mary has one of Suffolk's three best brasses, the 1609 memorial to Anne Butts. It has been reset in the sanctuary floor. She was related to the Bacons, that mighty Suffolk family, and her inscription reads:

The weaker sexes strongest precedent

Lies here belowe; seaven fayer years she spent

In wedlock sage; and since that merry age

Sixty one years she lived a widowe sage

Humble as great as full of Grace as elde,

A second Anna had she but beheld

Christ in His flesh who now she glorious sees

Below that first in time, not in degrees.

Mortlock thought it the finest post-Reformation brass in England.

To get to it, you will have to pass an awesome table tomb in the north aisle. On it lie, life-size, Sir Nicholas and Lady Anne Bacon. Lady Anne was the daughter of Anne Butts (and Sir Nicholas her son-in-law) so we may assume that they are responsible for the quality of her memorial. But the grandeur of theirs quite outshines her, and everybody else. It is by Nicholas Stone, famous for the Coke memorial at Bramfield; she died in 1616, he in 1624. There is an excellent modern window behind it.

The Bacons are responsible for most of the thirteen hatchments here - more than in any other church in Suffolk. Others are for the Holt and Wilson families (who later intermarried). The latest is dated 1929.

One of the Holts can also be found up in the sanctuary. He's life-size, as you might expect here. He was Lord Chief Justice of England in the first decade of the 18th century, and he sits in his judge's robes. He's flanked by two voluptuous figures who are Justice and Mercy, and the whole piece is by Thomas Green of Camberwell. I know this, because he signed it in very large letters. Perhaps he was particularly proud of it.

In this great palace of slightly absurd grandeur, mention should also be made of the vast wooden decalogue hanging in the north aisle. I've never seen Moses and Aaron look so important. It once stood at the east end of the chancel, has ridiculously large scrolls, and would certainly have concentrated the mind. All of this is overseen by that lovely glass in the huge east window. Mortlock tells us it is by a local firm, Farrow and son of Diss. I thought it splendid, quite in keeping with this mighty place. Also in keeping is the white stone pulpit, which is rather camp, although one assumes this was not the intended effect.

In 2004, three years after my first visit to Redgrave church, the parish walked away from it. The cost and effort of maintaining this vast barn full of priceless treasures had become too great a burden for the small congregation, so they locked the doors and decamped to the village hall, declaring that St Mary was now no longer their responsibility. As you may imagine, this caused a certain amount of consternation. While Redgrave church is a building of national significance, there is a certain protocol required if you want to declare a building redundant and have it conveyed into the stewardship of the Churches Conservation Trust. Not being able to pay the repair bills is not considered a good enough reason to declare redundancy. Even so, the parish persisted, which rather placed the Diocese in a quandary. While their first responsibility was to the parishioners, they clearly did not have the resources needed to look after St Mary, and yet the church commissioners would have looked with some doubt on any attempt to declare the building redundant.

It was, in modern political parlance, uncharted territory. Nevertheless, it was obvious that the ultimate destination must be to ensure the future security and upkeep of the building, and so after eighteen months or so of what one imagines must have been fairly tense meetings, the church was conveyed into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

And in the meantime, something else had happened. The shock of the incident had galvanised some local people, including a few of the former congregation, to get together and form a group to look after St Mary. With the support of the Churches Conservation Trust this has become one of the most successful support groups in the county, putting on exhibitions and concerts for which the church is eminently suitable. Before the end of the decade, the Daily Telegraph newspaper awarded Redgrave church the prize of English Village Church of the Year. On that occasion I was asked by BBC Radio Suffolk to do an interview about the church while standing in the nave, and as I looked around I thought it seemed a happy ending.

In fact, within a few months I was back at Redgrave church for a quite exciting reason. The Eastern Daily Press of 13th July 2010 takes up the story: It had remained hidden for centuries. But the entrance to a 500-year-old vault beneath a medieval Suffolk church has been discovered after a woman accidentally stamped her foot through one of the floor tiles. While rehearsing a scene from an upcoming performance of the musical Quasimodo at St Mary's Church, in Redgrave, near Diss, actor Kathy Mills dislodged a marble flagstone near the altar and her foot disappeared into a dark void below. Mrs Mills, who is in her 60s, suffered a swollen ankle, but the pain soon subsided when she was later told she had uncovered a tomb never seen in living memory with coffins inside suspected to contain the remains of the village's past aristocracy.

Just weeks before a geophysicist had used an advanced radar to map out where the long-forgotten vault was, but if it was not for Mrs Mills' freak accident they would never have been certain of where its boarded-up entrance was or what hid inside. The church is now hosting an open weekend to give the public a chance to glimpse through the hole and see exactly what they've been walking above all these years. St Mary's Church will be open to the public this Saturday and Sunday, between 10am and 4pm, where a video camera will beam images from inside the vault onto a projector screen.

“I was just doing a rehearsal for the production and I walked onto the flagstone, whether it was already loose I'm not sure, but my foot went down,” said Mrs Mills. “They lifted it up (the flagstone) and you could just see some mud and sand underneath. It's possible my foot went down eight inches. I wondered where I was going. It was quite a shock. I was thrilled when they told me I had discovered this vault they did not know was there. One or two people call me the Tomb Raider.”

Rumours had circulated for decades that under the ancient slabs of the 14th century church, now owned by The Churches Conservation Trust, laid a labyrinth of passages and tombs. Bob Hayward, chairman of the Redgrave Church Heritage Trust, said stories had passed through the generations of how people walked through the tunnels as recently as the 1920s, but records of their existence cannot be found. In a bid to establish fact from fiction, the group employed Malcolm Weale, of Geofizz Ltd, from East Harling, near Thetford, about two months ago to analyse what lied below. Using a ground penetrating radar, Mr Weale identified a large void, about 6ft deep, spreading under the altar and into the adjacent vestry. The Trust was prepared to leave its investigations at that until the day of Mrs Mills' fateful accident just over a week ago.

When the damaged flagstones were lifted and a light was lowered down, a tunnel was discovered with a set of steps descending into the ground visible in one direction and a cluster of about six coffins tucked inside a dark chamber in the other. It appears timbers holding up the floor tiles had rotted. Mr Hayward said: “It's exciting. You think you know these places but you don't until something like this happens.”

It is thought the coffins belong to descendents of the Holt family. Sir John Holt became lord of the manor in 1703 and a large memorial to his life sits above the newly uncovered vault. However it is believed to have been built in the late 1500s by the Bacon family, but their remains are located in another tomb beneath the church's font. Archaeologists will be descending into the vault at the end of the year to assess whether any of the other supporting timbers are rotten and to record what's inside, but the coffins will remain as they are found.

Now, this was something I had to see. The hole was about 20cm by 40cm. Bob Hayward very kindly opened it up the hole for me and allowed me to lower my camera into it - it wasn't safe to go down there, because of the high concentration of carbon monoxide.

How exciting! My photograph showed the high-vaulted tunnel of 18th Century brick, and in a room beyond there were five lead coffins, almost directly under the magnificent Holt memorial.

This was a fascinating experience, and all in all St Mary is a fascinating church, one of the best in East Anglia, despite what that Jenkins book says. It is not understated, it never attempts to be tasteful or refined. After the thrill of exploring the tunnel, I sat for a moment on the steps leading up to the organ at the west end, surveying the wonderful brick floors, the expanses of light beneath the arcades, the awesome seriousness of the chancel. If, at that moment, a group of 18th century ladies and gentlemen had stepped out of a Samuel Richardson novel and into this church, I should not have been the least bit surprised.

And curiously, Redgrave village is not the largest population centre in the parish. That honour goes to Botesdale, down on the main road, and part of the extended village of the Rickinghalls. Botesdale has its own church, but strictly speaking it is a chapel of ease to this one. The most famous residents of the parish these days are not Bacons, Holts or Wilsons, but the extremely rare great raft spiders which live in Lopham fen, to the north of the village. It is one of only two places they are found in the British Isles.

Simon Knott, September 2001, updated July 2015

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/redgrave.htm

內灣

Fuji RVP100

Contax T2

Wasn't expecting to get a cathedral in Southwark when we got off the tube at London Bridge.

Near the Borough Market is Southwark Cathedral.

It is the oldest Gothic church in London. Rebuilt in 1212 after fire damaged the Norman church.

In 1539 after the dissolution of the monastery it went from a Priory Church to a Parish Church.

Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge.

It is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark. It has been a place of Christian worship for over 1,000 years, but a cathedral only since 1905. The present building is mainly Gothic, from 1220 to 1420, although the nave is a nineteenth-century reconstruction in a thirteenth-century style.

Remarkably the main railway viaduct connecting London Bridge station to Blackfriars, Cannon Street and Charing Cross stations passes only 18 metres from the south-east corner of the cathedral, blocking the view from the south side. This was a compromise when the railway was extended along this viaduct in 1852; the alternative was to demolish the building completely to allow a more direct passage for the line. Borough Market is immediately to its south and the Hall of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass is on the riverside part of Montague Close on its north.

It is Grade I listed.

Cathedral Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie (southwark Cathedral), Bermondsey

SOUTHWARK

TQ3280SE CATHEDRAL STREET

636-1/17/188 (East side)

02/03/50 Cathedral Church of St Saviour and

St Mary Overie (Southwark Cathedral)

I

Medieval Augustinian priory of St Mary Overie; Anglican

cathedral since 1905. C12 church damaged by fire 1212 and

rebuilt from 1220. East front, choir and retrochoir 1214-1260.

Choir ceiling and tower pinnacles by George Gwilt Jnr.

1818-27; transepts altered 1830 by Robert Wallace. Nave

replaced in 1839-40 by Henry Rose and again in 1890-97 by Sir

Arthur Blomfield in C13 style.

MATERIALS: knapped flint with stone dressing; tower and

transepts of ashlar.

PLAN: cruciform with central crossing (north and south

transepts with central tower); 7-bay nave, 5-bay presbytery,

3-bay ambulatory at east end.

EXTERIOR: lower stage of tower C14 (attributed to Henry

Yvele); 2 upper stages of the tower, C14-C15, each with

2-light transomed windows on each face. Early C19 pinnacles by

Gwilt. 5-bay E arm with clerestory, E window and flying

buttresses to E arm, Gwilt rebuilding of C14 additions.

Remains of C12 church in north wall of N transept. Main

entrance is the south-west door.

The festival celebrates the finest in both gardening and food. Visitors can expect stunning show gardens and nursery displays alongside a bounty of food producers, shopping and top tips from garden experts and celebrity chefs.

Set against the picturesque Malvern Hills, show gardens are always a number one destination, with five designers being awarded with RHS Gold Medals in 2016.

The Floral Marquee is bursting with examples of the finest nurseries in the UK and abroad, with many old favourites and new varieties on sale.

The foodie hotspot, Festival Food and Drink Pavilion, is a lively market of food producers offering a variety of artisan produce. At the heart is a Kitchen Theatre where celebrity guests and local producers showcase their skills and produce.

Other festival favourites include the School Gardens, Get Going Get Growing pavilion and Family Day (Sunday).

RHS Malvern Spring Festival is a joint partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society and Three Counties Agricultural Society.

An entirely new vision brings RHS Malvern Spring Festival into full bloom for 2017, taking inspiration from the event’s Spa town heritage. The landmark four-day spectacle, taking place from Thursday 11 – Sunday 14 May at the Three Counties Showground, welcomes all new features and exhibits and a vibrant line up of the finest in gardening, food and lifestyle.

Jane Furze, Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, said: “We are so excited to share the glorious plans that are afoot for RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. It really is going to be a sensational year for our leading event with plenty for everyone. Whether you’re a newcomer to gardening, a veteran horticulturalist or simply looking for a family day out, RHS Malvern Spring Festival has it all. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stunning showcase of spring in May.”

The new vision for RHS Malvern Spring Festival takes inspiration from Malvern Spa’s Victorian heyday as a fashionable health resort – a place where day-trippers descended to take advantage of the clean air and to enjoy the health giving waters amongst the romantic beauty of the hills and into a town of pleasure gardens, assembly rooms and numerous eating-places.

Promising a bountiful day out for everyone, visitors can expect:

NEW FOR 2017

FLORAL MARQUEE

RHS Malvern Spring Festival boasts the UK’s longest Floral Marquee at over 195 metres – the equivalent length of four Olympic swimming pools. The Floral Marquee welcomes more than 65 leading UK and international nurseries, setting the horticultural standards with impressive displays of prized blooms and new varieties. Exhibitors in the Floral Marquee represent the very best in plants and advice available. Here visitors can browse and buy from the very best.

JOE SWIFT’S PLANT HUNTER PARLOUR

BBC Gardeners’ World presenter and acclaimed garden expert, Joe Swift brings to life a new centerpiece of the Floral Marquee – Joe’s Plant Hunter Parlour. This immersive experience like no other features daily talks from award winning nurseries and welcomes budding gardeners big and small to discover, learn and indulge their inner plant hunter.

LIVE WELL

Newly introduced for the very first time, this dedicated zone interprets and explores the theme of health and wellbeing in the 21st century.

JEKKA MCVICAR’S HEALTH & WELLBEING GARDEN

The centrepiece of the Live Well zone, British Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar designs and builds a specially commissioned permanent garden, bringing to life the role gardens continue to play in our health and sense of wellbeing. Jekka’s garden is a living working space for mind, body and senses.

The garden is both a tranquil seating space where visitors can spend time amongst the aromatic herb beds, and a place to learn and explore what living well meant in yesteryear and what it means today. Visitors are invited to join daily ‘herbal conversations’ with Jekka herself and explore the awe-inspiring world of alternative therapies. The garden is in support of Pathways, a day service for adults with learning disabilities and difficulties.

GROW

A horticultural experience by Jon Wheatley, RHS Gold Medal winning gardener and Chairman of RHS South West in Bloom, Grow takes inspiration from interactive Country gardens and wildflower borders, showcasing a variety of edible beds and bountiful Grow To Show competitions.

SPA GARDENS

A brand new category introduced for the very first time to RHS Malvern Spring Festival, offering a unique platform for emerging gardening talent. Glorious gardens from up and coming designers bring to life the new vision and reflect the thirst for knowledge, new horizons and innovative technology at the heart of Malvern’s Victorian heritage. Gold Medal winning Chelsea garden designer, Jo Thompson is mentoring the new talent as they embark on this exciting new challenge. The Spa Gardens category also features one garden from an international designer supported by the esteemed Moscow Flower Show. This is part of a newly introduced exchange programme, which in return offers one selected British Spa Garden designer the once in a lifetime chance to showcase at Moscow Flower Show in July.

INDOOR SHOPPING ARCADES

A premium quality shopping experience, it is here that visitors can pick up unique pieces in fashion, furniture, homewares, horticulture, gifts and more from independent designers, craftsmen, artisans and artists.

PLANT ARCADES

An exciting open-air shopping experience with over 35 nurseries, each showcasing a wonderful array of plants. Plant steals aplenty can be found here, especially during the famous sell-off on Sunday.

MAKING A WELCOME RETURN

FESTIVAL GREEN

The heart of RHS Malvern Spring Festival featuring a colourful array of pleasure gardens, a bandstand of live music, an impressive collection of classic cars, an array of global flavours from the International Street Food Market, and plenty of places to picnic. It is here visitors rediscover the Victorian love of amusement, surprise and delight, alongside enjoying unique show gardens unlike any other.

FESTIVAL THEATRE

Hosted by RHS Malvern Spring Festival favourite and award winning writer and broadcaster, James Alexander-Sinclair, the Festival Theatre plays host to a lively line up of leading experts and familiar faces. Visitors may take a seat and enjoy demonstrations, talks and exciting features as personalities share their knowledge and passion for all things gardening and food. Confirmed experts include Carol Klein, Joe Swift, Jekka McVicar and Jon Wheatley with plenty more to be announced soon.

SHOW GARDENS

The highest standard of garden design is showcased in the Show Gardens of RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. Leading designers create awe-inspiring gardens as they compete for prestigious RHS accolades including Gold medals and the coveted Best In Show. RHS Malvern Spring Festival is famed as the show that raises the bar for design and horticultural talent with numerous RHS Gold medals awarded in 2016. This year is tipped to be no exception.

FOOD & DRINK PAVILION

A foodie hotspot, the Food & Drink Pavilion is a magnificent celebration of British tastes with bountiful offerings from the country’s best-loved artisan producers. Expect the freshest field produce, big cheeses, bread of heaven, specialty gins, decadent bakes and more.

KITCHEN GARDEN THEATRE

This animated live kitchen, hosted by Mark Diacono, showcases a line up of delicious cookery demonstrations from culinary experts and the country’s top chefs. Mark shares advice from his home farm cookery school, Otter Farm and experience as head gardener at River Cottage.

YOUNG GARDENER

A hive of activity tailored to inspire the next generation of gardeners and horticulturalists with fun hands-on activities to help children learn and explore the wonderful world of plants and gardens.

FAMILY DAY

Budding gardeners great and small are invited to get green fingered with a dedicated Family Day on the Sunday of RHS Malvern Spring Festival. This exciting and educational day with plenty of hands on activities is the ideal opportunity to engage children in the fun of gardening and the great outdoors. Expect Kids Cookery demonstrations, make and take crafts, Kids Plant and Grow workshops with BBC Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins and more.

SCHOOL GARDENS

RHS Malvern Spring Festival is one of the only RHS Shows in the UK to have a collection of Show Gardens designed and built entirely by young people. This year sees over 12 schools and educational groups from across the three counties taking part, led by BBC Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 will take place from Thursday 11 May until Sunday 14 May. For more information, please call 01684 584900 or visit

British Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar will unveil the first ever specially commissioned permanent garden at RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. A magnificent centrepiece of the celebrated event’s all-new Live Well zone, Jekka’s garden will bring to life the contribution horticulture continues to make to our health and wellbeing in today’s bustling modern world. The Health & Wellbeing Garden will be launched when the show opens its gates on Thursday 11 May at the Three Counties Showground.#

RHS Ambassador for Health through Horticulture, Jekka McVicar said: “I am delighted to have been asked to create a lasting garden for RHS Malvern Spring Festival. I want the Health & Wellbeing Garden to be a usable and beautiful space that is embraced by people of all ages – a space for growth, education and reflection. With the Malvern Hills as a dramatic backdrop, RHS Malvern Spring Festival is such a beautiful place and because it’s at the start of the summer, it’s always a time of such optimism. It is a real privilege to bring this garden to life as part of such a dynamic and exciting show.”

Jekka’s Health & Wellbeing garden, as the focus for the new Live Well Zone, is inspired by the increasing need for reflection and escape from the stresses of modern life. It also seeks to preserve and share the vital knowledge of how horticulture and its associated therapies can help the mind, body and soul. The garden will be a living, working space with a tranquil seating area, where visitors can immerse themselves amongst the aromatic herb beds, and also educate themselves on the place that herbs and horticulture play in today’s society.

Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jane Furze said: “It is a real pleasure to be working with Jekka to build a garden not only for this year’s event, but also for the future. Jekka’s designs look spectacular and we cannot wait to see these brought to life and shared with our many visitors. The Health & Wellbeing Garden will no doubt be a real highlight of RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 and for many years to come.”

Throughout the 4-days of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jekka will host daily ‘herb conversations’ in the garden, unearthing hidden gems from the world of alternative therapies, food and gardening. Jekka will also provide insights into herbs as the foundation of modern medicine, seeking to preserve the knowledge that over time is danger of being lost.

The Health & Wellbeing Garden is in support of Pathways, a work-focused day service for adults with learning disabilities and difficulties. Pathways use gardening and the environment as an educational tool to introduce young adults to the working world. Clients of Pathways benefit from gaining vital skills for entering the working world, these include trust, communication, interaction with peers, taking direction and responsibility for themselves and others.

Leaving a legacy, Jekka’s garden will provide Pathways with a nurturing space to continue their works in encouraging clients to grow. Throughout the show times, Pathways will sell plants and refreshments from the garden. Funds raised from these sales go towards covering the costs of the residential trip taken twice each year for clients of Pathways, a vital retreat for clients that contributes to their sense of wellbeing. Outside of show days, Pathways and local schools will host sessions in the garden. The garden aims to inspire visitors of all ages and abilities with engaging elements tailored for all.

Jekka’s design will incorporate the unique and flexible WoodBlocX system, specially selected to provide permanent raised bed structures to house the garden’s vast selection of herbs and edibles. The centrepiece of the garden contains four large planted sections featuring smooth curves constructed from the unique WoodBlocX system. WoodBlocX use sustainable, long-lasting, organic and FSC accredited wooden bricks, which can be used to create any shape such as the naturally fluid curves seen in Jekka’s elegant design.

Considered an unmatched expert by the UK’s top chefs and horticulturalists, Jekka McVicar is an enterprising British herb grower, organic gardening expert, author and broadcaster. Jekka’s Herb Farm, in nearby South Gloucestershire, boasts the largest collection of culinary herbs in the UK with more than 500 different varieties.

Alongside her RHS Ambassadorship for Health through Horticulture, Jekka’s accolades include 62 RHS Gold Medals, Garden Media Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and the RHS Lawrence Medal for the best exhibit shown at any RHS show in 2009. Jekka is also a Vice President of the RHS, Vice President of the Herb Society, is a founder member of the RHS Herb advisory group, and a member of the RHS Three Counties Agricultural Society Joint Committee. Jekka has herself exhibited at RHS Malvern Spring Festival since 1993 and has been a vital contributor to the team at Three Counties for over a decade.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 will take place from Thursday 11 May until Sunday 14 May. Tickets are now on sale. For more information and to book tickets, please call

M6 Alsager 27/07/2022

Marc Lacomare Sets Pace in Round Three of ASP 4-Star Protest Vendee Pro

La Sauzaie (Saturday, April 23, 2011) – The Protest Vendee Pro raced through 5 heats of Round Three with 2010 Asp European champion Marc Lacomare (Hossegor,FRA) 19, leading the charge in clean 3-4ft (1m) peaks at the main event site of La Sauzaie early this morning. Competition was once again placed on hold during the low tide and after several late afternoon calls, event officials decided to wait for the increase in swell and more favourable winds which are expected to push in overnight.

Lacomare, who struggled through the first half of his 30-minute encounter, charged home on a peeling left which sat up perfectly to allow the young goofy-footer to lay down a huge forehand carve followed by two powerful snaps to haul in an 8.83 out of 10 and achieve a combined heat total of 15.66 out of 20, the highest of the Protest Vendee Pro.

“It is really hard to get the right wave and then when you find a good one for me it is difficult to surf these types of waves. I tried to be patient and not freak out and wait for the good one.”

Lacomare, after having seen two-time and defending Protest Vendee Pro champion Joan Duru (Ondres, FRA) 22, eliminated from competition in the previous heat, went on to control the situation overtaking early heat leader and inform surfer Chris Friend (AUS).

“From here it looks easy to surf but from the water it is very different but I made it so I am happy for sure. Unfortunately my friend Joan (Duru) went down in his heat but I hope that I continue in the event as far as I can.”

Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA) 27, a former winner here in Vendee (2007) and current Protest team rider, controlled from the outset his heat deciding to get off to a strong start knowing that tide and conditions were changing quickly.

“I knew it was the last heat of the morning because I saw the Head Judge talking to the Contest Director before my heat but there were still waves so we went out and there were waves for the first half of the heat but that was about it. I got my scores at the start so I felt comfortable the whole time.”

Boal placed first ahead of up-and-coming European junior, Tom Cloarec (Bretagne, FRA) 17, who held on to oust Nic von Rupp (DEU) in a closely fought battle for second place. Cloarec, who finished 4th overall in the 2010 Asp European Junior Series, has developed rapidly over the last six months displaying modern progressive surfing mixed with solid tactical strategies.

“This is my first Star event this year so it is very exciting for me and with cool, fun waves as well it is great. That second wave was very important to me and I did a carve and then I landed an air-reverse so I was happy to get another score and to make the heat.”

Cloarec had a disappointing start to his 2011 European Pro Junior campaign finishing out of the Top placings and has arrived in Vendee prepared to improve on his previous results.

“I was in the Reunion Island Pro Junior and I came 9th so I was a little bit disappointed with that result overall so I have come here very motivated for this event. The World Juniors have given me a lot of experience which has helped me as well as more confidence in my surfing and when I get into my heats.”

Vincent Duvignac (Mimizan, FRA) 23, relied on his solid forehand attack on the rippable rights to amass a two-wave heat total of 13.10 out of 20 to take out a low scoring opening heat of the day. Duvignac along with Hugo Savalli (REU) had the best of the set waves advancing through to Round Four and leaving Joan Duru without the possibility of making it a third Protest Vendee Pro title inrow.

“I got a 6.60 and a 5.90 to start the heat and I knew I had to get off to a good start with some solid scores because I was against three good goofy-footers including Joan who is the best surfer for me in the comp. I had some good scores but not crazy waves so I was more confident and just kept trying to build on my total which in the end I did with a 6.40.”

“I made the quarters in Scotland which is my best result so far in my career, continued Duvignac. “I think the training paid off for sure. I think this season is going to work for me and I have my goal to be in the Top 10 in Europe but now I want to try and be in the Top 5 maybe. It is a long season so I will try and do my best and see what happens at the end of the year.”

Adrien Toyon (REU) continued his excellent run of form laying down a combination of forehand hacks on two consecutive left peaks to seal the heat win and a two-wave combined total of 14.40, one of the best of the day.

“I got really busy at the ning and I was lucky with that because the waves came and then it went pretty flat for the rest of the heat so to catch two waves at the ning and put some pressure on the other guys was great.”

A call will be made at 07h00 and up first when competition resumes in Heat nº6 of Round Three will be Lincoln Taylor (AUS) up against an all European field including former Asp Dream Tour member (2009) Marlon Lipke (DEU) and future talents Borja Agote (EUK) and Adrien Valero (FRA).

The Protest Vendee Pro, stop nº2 on the Asp Europe Men’s Series, offers surfers valuable ranking points on both the Asp Europe Men’s Series and the Asp World rankings.

The Protest Vendee Pro is scheduled from April 21-25, 2011. For more information, and all upcoming results, photos, video highlights, press releases and LIVE web log-on to www.aspeurope.com

Remaining Protest Vendee Pro Round Three Match-ups

Heat 6: Lincoln Taylor (AUS), Borja Agote (EUK), Marlon Lipke (DEU), Adrien Valero (FRA)

Heat 7: Mickey Picon (FRA), Gregory Pastusiak (FRA), Eneko Acero (EUK), Jose Ferreira (PRT)

Heat 8: Dane Anderson (USA), Justin Mujica (PRT), Charles Martin (GLP), Joao Guedes (PRT)

Upcoming Protest Vendee Pro Round Four Match-ups

Heat 1: Vincent Duvignac (FRA), Brent Dorrington (AUS), Marc Lacomare (FRA), Frederico Morais (PRT)

Heat 2: Alain Riou (PYF), Hugo Savalli (REU), Adrien Toyon (REU), Chris Friend (AUS)

Heat 3: TBA

Heat 4: TBA

Protest Vendee Pro Round Three Results

Heat 1: Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 13.10, Hugo Savalli (REU) 10.50, Joan Duru (FRA) 9.50, Txaber Trojaola (EUK) 5.90

Heat 2: Marc Lacomare (FRA) 15.66, Chris Friend (AUS) 14.13, Gordan Fontaine (FRA) 10.00, Frederic Robin (REU) 0.00

Heat 3: Alain Riou (PYF) 13.63, Brent Dorrington (AUS) 13.50, Demitri Ouvre (FRA) 8.80, Jatyr Berasaluce (EUK) 7.63

Heat 4: Adrien Toyon (REU) 14.40, Frederico Morais (PRT) 10.74, Filipe Jervis (PRT) 8.30, Norman Landa (EUK) 5.70

Heat 5: Tim Boal (FRA) 13.66, Tom Cloarec (FRA) 12.17, Nic von Rupp (DEU) 10.80, Romain Laulhe (FRA) 7.07

Photo Aquashot/ASPEurope.com

Expect Change with the prices at all Kmart stores across Australia.

OR 22E is open, but restoration work is ongoing. There are reduced speeds and delays for travelers.

After a rainy weekend, which was most welcomed by plants and me, a sunny Monday morning is what is all expected. My plants in the patio were happy to celebrate by giving out some glow out of the leftover raindrops.

We stumbled upon All Saints en route to a different church, and as all those seen thus far on this day had been small and plain, not much was expected. But I saw the tower from along the main street, and looked impressive. and once parked we found it unlocked and welcoming.

Star of the show is the northern chapel, given over to the Culpepper family, with a fabulous tomb in the centre. On the walls, dozens of blank shields show what had been planned to be the family mausoleum for centuries, but things changed, the family moved away and the chapel has just three shields decorated.

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There was considerable damage caused to this church in an earthquake of 1382. The medieval accounts survive so we know that 48s 2d was spent on the rebuilding. Little can have changed to the structure since that time, except for the construction of a north chapel in 1638. This chapel has a charming pattern of flint flushwork triangles in a horizontal course below the battlements. It contains one of the most interesting seventeenth-century monuments in Kent - to commemorate Lady Elizabeth Culpepper (d. 1638), carved and signed by the Court Sculptor Edward Marshall. The detail is amazing and the cord that connects her ring and wrist is always pointed out to visitors. The rest of the church was restored early in the career of George Gilbert Scott Jr in 1876 (see also Frinsted) and retains its patina of age unimaginable in a restoration by Scott Sr. The pulpit is early seventeenth century and dates from a few years after the much crocketed font cover. There are three signed monuments by Rysbrack and a tall crownpost roof of good construction in the nave.

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

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HOLLINGBORNE.

THE next parish north-westward from Harrietsham is Hollingborne, called in Domesday, Hoilingeborde, and in later records, Holingburnan and Holingeburne. It probably took its name from the spring which rises in the vale underneath the hill, in this parish.

THE PARISH of Hollingborne is situated much the same as that of Harrietsham last described, close to the great ridge of chalk hills, at the foot of which is the village called Hollingborne-street, in which at the south end of it stands the church and vicarage, and near them a well-looking brick mansion, of the time of queen Elizabeth, which by its appearance must have had owners of good condition in former times, but what is remarkable the rector of Hollingborne claims some rooms in this house in right of his rectory at this time. The road through Newnhambottom from Ospringe and Canterbury passes through Hollingborne-street, and thence through Eyhorne, commonly called Iron-street, in this parish, where there are two good houses, one belonging to Robert Salmon, esq. who resides in it, and the other built not many years since by Mr. John Weeks, who died possessed of it in 1785. Hence the road leads on, and joins the Ashford high road through Bersted to Maidstone. The southern part of this parish consists mostly of a deep sand, the whole of it below the hill is well watered by some small streams, which running southward join the Lenham rivulet in its way to Maidstone. Nearer the street the soil becomes a chalk, which continues to the summit of the hill, at the edge of which stands Mr. Duppa's house, whence the remaining part of this parish northward, situated on high ground, and exposed to the cold bleak winds, is but a wild and dreary country, with thick hedgerows, and frequent coppices of wood, mostly of hazel and oak, and small unthriving trees of the latter dispersed among them; the soil a deep tillage land, wet and very poor, being a red cludgy earth, covered with quantities of flint stones. On Eyhorne green, or as it is commonly called Broad-street, in this parish, in October yearly, two constables are chosen, one for the upper, the other for the lower half hundred of Eyhorne, each of which district consists of the twelve adjoining parishes, the borsholders in which, and the several boroughs in them, except such as are chosen at the different court leets, are chosen here likewise.

This parish, with the manor of Elnothington in it, together with the rest of the hundred of Eyhorne, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the sixth pier of Rochester bridge.

ÆTHELSTAN ETHELING, son of Ethelred II. gave by his will in 1015, to Christ-church, in Canterbury, his lands at Hollingborne, with their appurtenances, excepting one plough-land, which he had given to Siserth. In the MSS. in Bennet college library, Cambridge, of the evidences of Christ-church, Canterbury, intitled Thorn, printed in Decim. Script. f. 2221, this gift is said to have been made in 980; a very improbable circumstance, the king, his elder brother, at that time being but fourteen years of age.

These lands he had bought of his father, and gave them, with his consent, to Christ-church, L. S. A. that is, free from all secular service, excepting the trinoda necessitas, in like manner as Adisham had been given to it.

The manor of Hollingborne remained part of the possessions of the church of Canterbury at the time of the conquest, when the revenues of it were enjoyed as one common estate by the archbishop and his convent; but archbishop Lanfranc, after the example of foreign churches, separating them, in the partition Hollingborne fell to the share of the monks, and was allotted for their subsistence, (or ad Cibum, as it was usually termed) and it is accordingly thus entered in the book of Domesday, under the general title of Terra Monachorum Archiepi, i. e. the land of the monks of the archbishop.

The archbishop himself holds Hoilingeborde. It was taxed at six sulings. The arable land is twenty-four carucates. In demesne there are two, and sixty-one villeins, with sixteen borderers, having twenty-three carucates. There is a church, twelve servants, and two mills, and eight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of forty hogs. In the whole, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth twenty pounds, and now it is worth thirty pounds. To this manor there adjoins half a suling, which never paid scot, this the bishop of Baieux rents of the archbishop.

At this time, the whole of the above premises seems to have been valued at thirty pounds.

King Henry II. granted to the monks of Christchurch a charter for their lands at Hollingborne upon the Hills. In the 10th year of king Edward II. the prior obtained a charter of free-warren for his manor of Hollingborne, among others; about which time it was, with its appurtenances, valued at 46l. 9s. 8d. King Henry VI. by his letters patent, in his 25th and 26th year, granted to the prior a market, to be held at this place weekly on a Wednesday, and a fair yearly on the feast of St. Anne. (fn. 1)

William Selling, who was elected prior in the next reign of king Edward IV. anno 1472, during the time of his holding that dignity, greatly improved the prior's apartments here. After which, it seems to have undergone no material alteration till the dissolution of the priory, which was surrendered into the hands of king Henry VIII. in the 31st year of his reign.

The manor of Hollingborne did not remain long in the hands of the crown; for the king settled it, by his dotation charter, in his 33d year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Canterbury, part of whose possessions it now remains.

There is a court-leet and court baron regularly held by the dean and chapter for this manor, which extends likewise into the adjoining parishes of Hucking, Bredhurst, and Harrietsham, the quit-rents of it called Beadle-rents, being about forty-two pounds per annum.

¶BUT THE DEMESNE LANDS of this manor have been from time to time leased out by the dean and chapter at a reserved rent of 10l. 9s. The year after the grant of it to them, they demised them by lease to I. Reynolde, as they did anno 19 Elizabeth to William Puresoy, in whose family they remained till the beginning of king James I.'s reign. After which the Fludds held them in lease, and continued so to do, till their interest in them was passed away to W. Alabaster, D. D. After which these premises were held in succession by Bargrave, Boys, Farewell, and Gookin, till the year 1684, when Sir Thomas Culpeper, had a lease of them, in whose family they continued till John Spencer Colepeper, of the Charterhouse, passed away his interest in them to the Hon. Robert Fairfax, who held them in 1758, and then alienated his lease to Francis Child, esq. banker in London, whose brother Robert Child, esq. of London, banker, dying in 1782, the trustees of his will, Robert Dent and John Keysel, esqrs. are now in the possession of his interest in the lease of these demesnes, under the dean and chapter, besides which the dean and chapter have several other lands and woods here leased out by them to different persons.

HOLLINGBORNE is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deaury of Sutton; and is exempt from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon.

The church, which is dedicated to All Saints, is a handsome building, consisting of three large isles, with a chancel at the end of the middle one, and a square tower at the west end. The chancel is much enriched with the monuments of the family of Culpeper, of Greenway-court, and for two of the lords Culpeper, one of them by Rysbrack; on the north side is one for Sir Martin Barnham and his two wives, in 1610, their three figures kneeling at a desk, and underneath their children. At the east end of the north isle there is a small neat chapel, raised up several steps to give room for a vault underneath, in which lie the remains of all this branch of the Culpeper family. The sides of the chapel are filled with black escutcheons, and square tablets of black marble alternately, only two of these among the numbers of them are filled up, and those with younger branches of the family settled elsewhere, a proof of the disappointment of the vain endeavours of the builder to transmit the memory of his descendants to posterity. On the middle of the pavement is a beautiful raised monument of white marble, and the figure of a lady, lying at full length, in the habit of the times, of exceeding good sculpture, in memory of Elizabeth, lady of Sir Thomas Culpeper, daughter of John Cheney, esq. of Sussex, obt. 1638. In the isle a monument for Nich. Chaloner, esq. obt. 1706. Against the north wall of the north isle for two of the family of Duppa, and at the lower end of the church, for the Plummers, Collins's and Dykes. In the middle isle a stone, on which have been the figures of a man and woman in brass, but two shields of arms remain, being quarterly, first and fourth, A chevron, engrailed on a chief, three sleurs de lis; second and third, Three fishes, wavy, sessways, in pale.

There is belonging to this church, a most superb altar-cloth, and a pulpit-cloth and cushion, of purple velvet, ornamented with different figures of fruits of pomegranets and grapes, wrought in gold, the needlework of the daughters of Sir John Colepeper, afterwards created lord Colepeper, who employed themselves for almost the space of twelve years in the working of them, during their father's absence abroad with king Charles II.

The communion plate is very handsome, and an swerable to the above-mentioned furniture, being mostly the gift of the family of Colepeper, and some of it of Baldwin Duppa, esq.

John Eweyn, by his will proved in 1527, gave a table of alabaster, to stand upon the altar of St. John the Baptist in this church; and money to the repair of St. John's chapel in it. John Aleff, parson of Hollingborne, as appears by his will in 1537, was buried in the way beside the porch-door, on the right hand, and that there was set in the wall, nigh his grave, a stone with a plate of sculpture, mentioning where and when he was buried. He had before been vicar of Little Chart, and of St. Laurence Wolton, as he was then of St. John's Sherburne, in Hampshire.

The church of Hollingborne, to which the chapels of Hucking and Bredhurst were antiently annexed, is a sinecure rectory, with a vicarage endowed. The rector of Hollingborne is at this time patron of the perpetual curacy of the chapel of Bredhurst. The archbishop is patron both of the rectory and of the vicarage of Hollingborne, the vicar of which is collated to this vicarage, with the chapel of Hucking annexed.

The vicarage was endowed before the year 1407, in which year Arthur Sentleger, the rector, granted to William Maunby, vicar of this church, a messuage, with its appurtenances in this parish, for the habitation of himself and his successors for ever. (fn. 5) In archbishop Chichele's register, at Lambeth, there is an unauthenticated writing of a composition, made about the year 1441, for it is without date, between William Lyeff, then rector here, and John Fsylde, vicar, upon the assignation of a proper portion for the endowment of this vicarage in future times.

The rectory of Hollingborne is valued in the king's books at 28l. 15s. 5d. and the tenths at 2l. 17s. 6 1/7d. The vicarage is valued in them at 7l. 6s. 8d. and the yearly tenths at 14s. 8d. The vicarage in 1640 was valued at eighty-six pounds, and the communicants were then 271. It is now of the yearly certified value of 70l. 16s. 8d.

The vicarage was augmented twenty pounds per annum, by lease between Ralph Staunton, rector, and Sir Thomas Culpeper, of this parish.

¶The name of Culpeper, or Colepeper, is so variously spelt in different deeds and records, that it is impossible to keep with any rule to either spelling; on all the monuments, and in the parish register, (excepting in two instances in the last) it is spelt Culpeper.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol5/pp460-478

Model:Stephanie

please do not leave notes on my images. Thanks!

Esperando que le rasquen la guatita (panza) /

She is expected that you will scratch her tummy.

D7018 at Gloucester Horton Road depot three decades after one would expect a green Hymek to be seen there. It was there in connection with a depot open day and if you look carefully D1010 "Western Campaigner" can be seen behind. 27th July 1991.

La Maree - Monaco

by literaryjourney ift.tt/1NFtBuV

Project TW (Travelling Wage) - Image 65/366

After yet another long day at work, I arrived back into the hotel room expecting Wage and his buddies to be on my case straight away about being back late and having to fork out bigtime for dinner and of course a massive stack of cookies for desert.

The room was strangely dark and silent when I opened the door and after the first few seconds passed I could hear feint snoring sounds coming from the bed.

Lying on the bedside table was a little hand-written note, which read "Three Sleeps To Go!".

Looks like the little guys are looking forward to flying back to Germany at the end of the week!

From the Uglydoll blog at blog.adventuresinuglyworld.com/

And on Twitter at - @uglyadventures

On Google+ at - plus.google.com/110890957394686361214/posts

Before March 2 2015, please come here to nominate the entire Chinatown as the historic site to be preserved, don't expect City of Vancouver to save Chinatown when the Council approved more condo to be built in Chinatown at rapid rate to destroy the Chinatown.

www.heritagebc.ca/blog?articleid=162

Chinese Historic Places Recognition Project

THE HERITAGE BATTLE FOR CHINATOWN

Historic Vancouver neighbourhood is being redeveloped, raising fears it will lose its character.

By JOHN MACKIE, VANCOUVER SUN November 15, 2014

The marketing line for the Keefer Block condo development in Chinatown is “Heritage Meets Modern.”

But just how much heritage will be left after a wave of modern developments washes over the historic district is a matter of debate.

A new proposal for the 700-block of Main Street would demolish the last three buildings from Hogan’s Alley, a once-notorious back lane that was the longtime home of Vancouver’s black community.

Another condo development at 231 Pender would replace a funky, Chinese-themed garage that is listed on Canada’s Register of Historic Places. Angelo Tosi’s family has owned their building at 624 Main since 1930. It may date back to 1895, and looks it — the fixtures and shelving are as old as the hills.

But Tosi is 82, and will probably sell when the price is right. He doesn’t expect his store to survive.

“It’ll be gobbled up by the monstrous buildings,” said Tosi. “And then they’ll take it all, and it’s finished. They won’t keep the heritage on the bottom, they’ll put down whatever they want.”

His fatalistic attitude reflects the changes in Chinatown, which is undergoing a development boom after zoning changes by the City of Vancouver.

The protected “historic” area of Chinatown is now Pender Street, while much of Main, Georgia and Keefer can now be redeveloped, with heights of up to 90 feet (nine storeys). A few sites can go even higher.

Two towers are going up at Keefer and Main — the nine-storey, 81-unit Keefer Block, and the 17-storey, 156-unit 188 Keefer. Up the street at 137 Keefer, a development permit application has just gone in for a new nine-storey “multi-family building.”

None of them has stirred up much controversy. But a recent public meeting about a 12-storey, 137-unit condo to be built on an empty lot at Keefer and Columbia got people riled up.

“There was a lot of angry people that night,” said Henry Yu, a UBC history professor who feels a “vision plan” the Chinatown community worked on with the city for several years is being ignored.

“The vision plan gets passed, (but it has) no teeth,” said Yu. “Actually (there is) no policy, it’s a wish list of ‘Oh, we’d like seniors housing, we’d like to do this, we’d like to do that.’

“Almost immediately, the two (highrise) buildings in the 600-, 700-block Main go up, and they’re just basically Yaletown condos. Not even Yaletown — Yaletown has more character.

“These are straight out of the glass tower (model), no (historic) character, obliterating everything in terms of tying it to the kind of streetscape of Chinatown. You’re going to split the historic two or three blocks of Chinatown with a Main Street corridor of these glass towers.”

Yu says Chinatown has historically been small buildings on 25-foot lots, which makes for a jumble of small stores that gives it a unique look and character. But the new developments are much wider, and just don’t look like Chinatown.

“The two 600-, 700-block buildings have a rain shield that’s an awning, a glass awning that runs the whole block,” said Yu. “That’s the design guideline for the city as a whole, but it was nothing to do with Chinatown, (which is) narrow frontages, changing awnings.

“We said that (to the city planners), we raised it and raised it, but the planners just shoved it down our throat.”

Kevin McNaney is Vancouver’s assistant director of planning. He said the city changed the zoning in parts of Chinatown to help revitalize the neighbourhood, which has been struggling.

“We have been taking a look across Chinatown,” said McNaney. “What we’re finding is that rents are dropping, and vacancies are rising. And that’s a big part of the strategy of adding more people to revitalize Chinatown.

“There are only 900 people currently living in Chinatown, many of them seniors. It’s just not the population base needed to support businesses, so a lot of the businesses are going under. Along Pender Street you see a lot of vacancies right now.

“So at the heart of this plan is to bring more people to revitalize Chinatown, and also use that development to support heritage projects, affordable housing projects and cultural projects.”

Henry Yu disagrees. “The idea that you need density in Chinatown itself, that you need your own captive customer base, is moronic,” he said.

“Where else in the city would you make that argument, that nobody can walk more than two blocks, that no one is going to come in here from somewhere else?

“They will. People go to the International Summer Market in Richmond in an empty gravel field. Ten thousand people at night come from everywhere in the Lower Mainland, because there’s something worth going to.

“The problem isn’t that you need a captive audience that has no other choice but to shop in Chinatown — that’s just stupid, there’s plenty of people in Strathcona. The problem is, is there something worth coming to (in Chinatown)? And that has to do with the character, what the mix is, what kind of commercial.”

Ironically, all the new construction comes just as Chinatown seems to be undergoing a bit of a renaissance. Several new businesses have popped up in old buildings, attracted by the area’s character and cheap rents.

The très-hip El Kartel fashion boutique recently moved into a 6,000 sq. ft space at 104 East Pender that used to house Cathay Importers. It’s on the main floor of the four-storey Chinese Benevolent Association Building, which was built in 1909.

Across the street at 147 East Pender is Livestock, a runner and apparel store that is so cool it doesn’t even have a sign. “We were in Gastown at the corner of Cordova and Abbott, (and) just felt a change was needed,” said store manager Chadley Abalos.

“We found the opportunity in Chinatown, so we decided to move here. We feel it’s one of the new spots that are booming. You see a lot of new businesses — restaurants, clothing stores, furniture. We see the potential in it growing.”

Russell Baker owns Bombast, a chic furniture store at 27 East Pender. But he is not new to the neighbourhood — Bombast has been there for 10 years.

“I think (Chinatown is) one of the most interesting parts of the city,” he said.

“It’s still got some variety, some texture, architecturally, socially, economically. A lot of what’s happened to the downtown peninsula (in recent years) constitutes erasure. This is one of the places that still sort of feels like … it feels more urban than some parts of downtown. I would say downtown is a vertical suburb.

“If you like cities, Chinatown feels like one. That’s why we’re here.”

Baker said he expected Chinatown to happen a lot sooner than it did. Retailers that do well there still tend to be destinations, rather than stores that rely on heavy street traffic. “The buzz is that Chinatown is happening, but it’s really strategic, what’s happening,” he said. “Fortune Sound Club, that’s a niche market that’s destination. That’s the kind of thing that works down here. We’re destination, Bao Bei (restaurant) is destination.”

The new businesses make for an interesting mix with the old ones. The 200 block East Georgia Street is hopping with hipster bars (the Pacific Hotel, Mamie Taylor’s) and art galleries (Access Gallery, 221A, Centre A). But it also retains classic Chinatown shops like the Fresh Egg Mart and Hang Loong Herbal Products.

The question is whether the small businesses will be displaced as the area gentrifies. Real estate values have soared — Soltera paid $6.5 million for the northwest corner of Keefer and Main in 2011, Beedie Holdings paid $16.2 million for two parcels of land at Columbia and Keefer in 2013.

That seems like a lot for a site that’s two blocks from the troubled Downtown Eastside, but Houtan Rafii of the Beedie Group said that’s what land costs in Vancouver.

“It is a significant, substantial amount of money, but compared to most every area in Vancouver, it’s not dissimilar, whether you’re in Gastown, downtown, Concord-Pacific, even on the boundaries of Strathcona or on Hastings close to Clark or Commercial,” said Rafii. “It’s not an obscene amount of money, it’s market.”

Rafii said the Beedie Group met with local groups for a year about its development, and was surprised at the reaction it got at the public meeting, which was held because Beedie is looking to rezone the site to add an additional three storeys.

Yu doesn’t have a problem with the Beedie proposal per se, but feels it’s on a key site in Chinatown, and should be developed accordingly.

“It’s not the building’s fault,” said Yu.

“People are going ‘What’s wrong with this glass tower, it’s working everywhere else, and Chinese people love buying this stuff if it’s UBC.’

“That’s not the point. There’s plenty of room around the city to build glass towers (that are) 40 storeys, 50 storeys, whatever. Why do they need to be in this spot?

“This one is right in the heart (of Chinatown). Across the street is the Sun Yat-sen (garden), the Chinese Cultural Centre. On the same street is the (Chinese workers) monument. Next door is the back alley of Pender.”

Yu said a recent study found there will be a need for 3,300 income-assisted senior housing beds in the Lower Mainland over the next 15 years. He said the Columbia and Keefer site would be perfect for a seniors project.

“There’s a particular kind of resonance to the idea this is a traditional place where a lot of Chinese seniors can retire to,” he said.

“There is a five-year waiting list for the Simon K.Y. Lee Success long-term care home, so there’s huge demand, huge need, this is a place where they want to go. (Building a seniors home) would actually would help revitalize (Chinatown), because seniors bring sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters into a community.

“That’s the Chinatown vision plan, that’s what’s in there, that’s what those discussions were about. And yet what we’ve got is 137 luxury condo units for hip youngsters. That’s the Beedie proposal, and that’s what the last two towers (on Main) were. It’s not just insulting, it’s the thwarting of the very promise (of the vision plan).”

Wu would like to see a moratorium on new developments in Chinatown “until design guidelines are actually built to create a zone that respects the (area’s special) character.”

Retired city planner Nathan Edelson agrees. Which is significant, because he worked on the Chinatown vision plan for over a decade.

“My suggestion is that there should be a moratorium on the rezonings, for sure, until they can get an assessment of what the current new development is,” said Edelson. “To what degree are they contributing to, or harming Chinatown, the historic character of Chinatown? And it’s not an obvious answer.”

Read more:

www.vancouversun.com/business/Battle+Chinatown/10384991/s...

I'm not sure if I like Rayne as much as I expected to. He's gorgeous, but he does look a lot like Jade & Seiran. And I guess I expected him to be the best Taeyang ever, so he had a lot to live up to! But I'm liking him more as I'm taking more photos of him.

His stock is great, and I think most of it will be useful. His necklaces & jacket are especially nice ^^ He was so hard to unpack though, because he was almost totally covered in plastic under his clothes, and I had to remove most of his clothes and limbs just to get it off!

Name: Daniel Liaou

Hometown: Port Lavaca, Texas

Major: Biology

Expected Graduation: Spring 2016

What sparked your interest in science?

When I was 5, I was going to be an astronaut when I grew up. We had books littered around the house about the universe, how black holes were formed, and what it was like living out in space. Since then, science fair projects and wacky home experiments have been the stuff of childhood.

Why did you choose UT Austin?

UT Austin is an amazing place to live and learn. On campus, you have world-class education and a diverse, active student community. Off campus, musicians from around the world at ACL and the rich culture that is the staple of Austin life. Where else?

How (or why) did you choose your major?

I chose to major in Biology. What better way to learn about the essentials of life?

Over the course of your time here, what have you gained/experienced that you perhaps didn't

expect?

A freedom to really involve myself in whatever caught my interest. Outside of classes, I become involved in research to make the next scientific breakthrough, volunteered at a hospice to really get first-hand experience with patients, and built houses with Habitat for Humanity. I also took a fancy to the social-political context of healthcare; next thing I knew, I was in the Bridging Disciplines Program for Social Inequality, Health and Policy, and planning an internship to Washington DC for the Archer Fellowship.

What has been your most rewarding or exciting experience as a CNS student?

By far, it has been being a part of the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) and conducting independent research through the Aptamer Stream. Research steps out of the square of right and wrong answers and forces you to find your own.

What advice do you have (or what myth/concern would you like to dispel) for students considering joining the College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin?

It’s perfectly okay to not know what you want to do with your life coming into college. That’s what you’re here for. Sure you’ve declared a major (or maybe not – more power to you), but take some time to look around and find what really makes you tick. Reach out to professors, chat with your friends, heck, even come talk to me. Don’t settle, you won’t regret it.

If you had to sum up your experience at UT in one sentence, what would it be?

Hook’em.

Expect many more of these...

caucasian couple expecting baby isolated studio on white background

Promise Fulfilled, Accomplishment Achieved at WSSU Commencement on May 14

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- For Jeanette Valentine, earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration will be fulfilling on many levels.

Valentine, 50, is one of the approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students who are expected to participate in WSSU’s Spring Commencement exercises on May 14 at 9:45 a.m. in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Stephen A. Smith, noted journalist, media personality and motivational speaker, will be the keynote speaker.

Commencement will mark a special satisfaction not just because Valentine, a travel audit officer in WSSU’s accounting department, will be graduating with her 24-year-old son William R. Valentine. It’s because of a long-time promise fulfilled. Valentine made the promise to her mother back in 1978. Her mother and father never graduated from high school. When Valentine’s mother, who was battling cancer, asked her to promise she would graduate college, Valentine did. Valentine’s mother died two weeks before she graduated high school. Valentine was devastated over losing her mother.

“I started school at WSSU that year, but it lasted only one semester. I didn’t have the drive. I was still too distressed and overcome by my mother’s death. I couldn’t focus on school,” Valentine said.

Instead, Valentine got married, had two children and eventually went to work at a few jobs before coming to work at WSSU in 2006. In 2007, she decided to return to school since her children were adults. At the same time, her son who graduated high school in 2004 was thinking about returning to college after quitting previously. By fall 2007, both with full-time jobs returned to school at WSSU. He was an exercise science major and she was in the School of Business and Economics.

“He was so career focused on his job and he was doing well. But I kept pushing him and telling him he had to get a degree. I was thrilled he came back to school and that we were in school at the same time. It was exciting,” said Valentine.

Eventually Valentine saw her son was distracted by work. They talked and it was he who asked they agree to push each other so they could graduate at the same time.

That time is now. Valentine is thrilled they are graduating together. She says it feels like she has kept the promise made to her mother times two.

“In addition to the accomplishment, it may be quite an emotional day,” Valentine said.

Valentine is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for collegiate schools of business as well as Alpha Sigma Lambda, a national honor society for Adult Learners in Continuing Higher Education. She plans to pursue her master’s degree at Liberty University.

Extraordinary Journey

It will be a festive ending to an extraordinary journey for Jerrica Scott, 24, of Winston-Salem. For Scott, commencement will symbolize the end of a passage marked by limitations, fear and uncertainty. It will be a celebration of a personal renaissance, driven by a theme that anything is possible with faith, passion and purpose.

“No matter how bad things may look, you can make a difference in your own life and the lives of others if you work really hard and know things can change. Soon things may look different, then not so bad, better, even good.”

Scott’s journey is verification of her belief. She entered WSSU to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree in elementary education six years ago as a single teen-aged mom. During that time as a full-time student, living on her own with her young daughter, she worked full-time, changed majors multiple times, quit school, got married, had another child, returned to school, made up a semester of credits lost when she quit and found her way back to the major that gave her the purpose.

“Just before I started my freshman year, I could hear people saying now that I had a baby as a teenager, my life was over or I wouldn’t get very far,” noted Scott. “Because I got pregnant in high school and had a baby in my first year of college, it didn’t mean I would be a failure. I did not want to be the stereotype of a young single mom who would work only at fast food restaurants or be on welfare the rest of her life.”

Although Scott was determined, she became distracted during her second year.

“I was failing classes miserably. I was living on my own and I was 18 years old. I felt lost and beaten, so I quit school,” Scott said who worked as a waitress. “Then one day, my manager told me the biggest thing he regretted was not finishing school. So if you don’t want to be waiting tables for the rest of your life, you need to go back to school. “

That was the turning point for Scott. She also thought about her mother, a cosmetologist, who always stressed the importance of education and often expressed interest in wanting her children to be greater than she. Scott soon quit her job and returned to school. Her best friend and others helped her find her way back to the major that aligned with where her talents and passions had always been -- elementary education.

“My best friend told me this is what I suppose to be doing. She told me we are going over there right now and you are going to get enrolled back into school. I just thank her,” said Scott.

Then she met a good man who cared about her and her daughter. It was like an unattainable dream. They soon married. Her second daughter was born in 2010. Now in school and completely focused on her education, Scott delivered the baby on a Friday and returned class on Monday.

Scott is currently working as a substitute teacher and searching for a fulltime permanent teaching job. She is also going to be the “first in my family to graduate college.”

Multiple Job Offers Early in Her Senior Year

Information technology major Kristen Dunlap, 21, of Charlotte, has accomplished a standout achievement, even before she completed her last year of college. In this challenging economy, she had two job offers from Fortune 500 companies one before her senior year, the other early in her senior year. She selected one position which she will begin this summer.

Dunlap attributes her success to internships, which she began participating in back in her freshman year. That first one was a summer research experience for undergraduate WSSU computer science students at WSSU, funded by NASA. She used, GIS visualization tools to visualize North Carolina weather patterns. The goal of the summer program was to expose students to researching skills and help to develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills.

For her second year, Dunlap interned at the NASA Langley, Va., facility where she worked as a liaison between the technology and client teams for the database tracking system used to manage NASA’s contractual projects.

For summer 2010, she was an intern at Altria Client Services in Richmond ,Va., where she worked on data archiving to consolidate previous and current information to migrate to a new system.

“You can never underestimate the value of internships. I started utilizing the WSSU Career Services office in my second year. My parents always told me to be aggressive at seeking job opportunities. I didn’t want to be a person to work hard for four years and have no job in the end,” Dunlap said.

She will start her new job at Altria Client Services as an IT assistant analyst.

The Entertainment Mogul

Erikka Rainey, 22, of Philadelphia wants to be a female Sean “P-Diddy” Combs. In fact, she has wanted to be an entertainment mogul from a very young age. As a child, she dabbled in music and even took classes, but by age 14, she knew wholeheartedly that she wanted to be on the business side of the music industry.

“When I first learned about P-Diddy, I knew that was where I wanted my future to be,” said Rainey. “I look up to P- Diddy because I’m working to be the first female to start a record label, then restaurants, clothing lines and television shows.”

When she sees a famous entertainer, she wonders what sort of things they did in their career to get famous. If not famous, she wonders what it would take to make them famous. While at WSSU she jumped at every opportunity to market and promote musical artists and events. She worked with Hidden Beach Recordings to promote events for a new CD. She passed out flyers and did social media and internet marketing for jazz artist Monette Sudler of Philadelphia this past summer.

“If there’s one thing I live by, it’s take advantage of all opportunities. Don’t close yourself off to anything. You never know what you will learn that can be the key to your future,” Rainey said.

An honor student, Rainey will be attending New York University’s (NYU) music business program in the fall. She plans to maintain at least one home in New York City after graduate school when her career kicks off.

The park covered a greater area than I had expected prior to my visit during the last week of March 2019.

As urban areas like Dundonald continue to grow, green spaces such as Moat Park and the Wildlife Garden become increasingly more important habitats for plants and animals which might otherwise lose their home as houses and offices replace fields, hedges and woodlands.

Dundonald refers to a 12th-century Norman fort, or Dún, Dún Dónaill, that stood in the town. One of the largest in Ireland, the man-made hill that the fort stood on is still in existence. Although the mound is commonly referred to as 'the moat' this is, in fact, a corruption of the word 'motte' and refers to the fact that this defensive structure was built in the style of a motte and bailey. St. Elizabeth's Church is located beside the moat, with the Cleland Mausoleum in the adjacent graveyard.

Situated in the heart of Dundonald, the Moat Park offers idyllic walks around the historic Motte as well as provides a valuable link to shops in the village. Close by stands the Church of St Elizabeth which dates from 1306, providing an interesting piece of history passed the Doric style mausoleums during your walk.

The short grassland which occurs throughout most of the park provides valuable foraging habitat for birds such as Blackbirds, Starlings and Rook, all of which visit to feed on the earthworms and insect larvae present in the soil. It is also an important habitat for fungi such as The Deceiver.

The many trees in the park provide a range of important habitats for insects, bats and birds. In the winter months the tiny Goldcrest, our smallest native bird at only 9 centimetres in length and weighing the same as a 20-pence coin, can be seen and heard foraging among the trees together with Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits and the very colourful Goldfinch.

During very cold winters the Waxwing – an unusual bird found in the forests of Northern Europe – is forced to migrate to milder climates to find sufficient food to survive. Many of the large Cotoneaster trees which occur throughout the park provide a bountiful supply of red berries for this bird during harsh winters.

Small streams flowing through the park carry water originating from the Craigantlet Hills to the north. They provide ideal habitat for the Common Blue Damselfly, which can be seen patrolling up and down the streams for prey during the summer months. Bramble (Blackberry) and Wild Raspberry can be found growing on the stream banks. Both provide a sugar-rich food source for many birds and insects in late summer.

First pullip. Expect lots of Alice pictures! She quickly became one if my favorite dolls, and one of my favorite dolls to photograph. I got her from PullipStyle.com with a dent box, as I didn't care for the box, only Alice and her accessories, and I was planning to take her out of packaging from the start so I saved a couple of dollars there(even though it took me 5 minutes to find such dent that I hardly think of it as one. Such a non-problem being taken into consideration by the retailer really shows the high quality of service from PullipStyle).

Over-all review of Alice: She's mine hands off! Kidding aside lovely, and looks a lot like the drawings of Alice in Through The Looking-Glass, with a bit of pimped up attributes here and there making her a one of a kind variation. The wig has a good scent to it, so it won't get a foul odor on the clothing and accessories. It has no bald spots and you can't see the seams of the wig unless you push the hair over. It is a nice thin(dimensions matter!), polyester I believe, hair, with quite minute frizzing. Almost none, but making the hair look more natural. Her curls are not stiff, and incredibly soft. The company(Groove) used a very very high quality spray, that can't be noticed practically at all when touching the hair, to help keep the curls in their designated design. The curls are easily fixed with only moist fingers. Great doll, but very delicate. I've never been more careful with a doll than Alice.

My nephew's partner agreed to model for a themed maternity session. She got some lovely portraits and I got to play with some ideas...a win/win.

My goal was to portray expecting mothers as feminine, earthy and naturally beautiful.

Natural light and one off camera flash in a small umbrella.

CC welcome.

Papplewick 1940's Event 2024.

This shot was taken in the Philippines on my way to El Nido. I was on the roof of a bus, quite a nice experience. The bus was moving when i took this picture which explains the blurryness a little. Turned out not that bad so i'm posting it.

PS: I posted a cropped B&W version a few months ago, but didn't really like it after a while so i'm posting the original verion.

[EDIT] I just realized most of the people who are viewing this picture are expecting the real politicians! HAAAAAaahaaaa...I'm so sick of all this politics. All their meetings and press briefings. Its all dirty. Back stabbing. No one is noble despite what most of the blind idiots that make up Maldives's population believe. All of them are dirty. Shout at me all you like. But they ALL have hidden agenda's, secret cravings, be it for power or what else.

__________________________________________________________________

Naufal [in the middle] is a firm supporter of President Maumon. He's the newest camera man and is quite a character. He had his greatest dream fulfilled when the president showed up for an interview a few days ago and he got to be on the team that shot the interview.

On his right is Zufaru . A technician.

On the left is Usa. Another tech.

Right before a press briefing by MDP yesterday, we were goofing around in the studio.

Zufaru was drumming, Usa was answering "reporter's" questions and Naufal was rising out of his seat proclaiming his manifesto...

and then the MDP personel shows up.

Fortunately we didn't get in trouble.

I LOVE our crew here. Each person is great and its brilliant how our humour matches. So we have an awful lot of fun despite being overworked.

Women's March NYC Uptown

Earth Designs Garden Design and Build were asked to created a landscape and propose garden design in Basildon, Essex*. Here are the details of the project

The Asiatic Garden in Basildon, Essex

BRIEF:

The client lived in a new build property with a garden that had never been landscaped. They both travelled a lot and so therefore it was critical that the garden was low maintenance. They had recently had a conservatory built, so there was a broad vista on to the garden. Having spent much time in the far east, they had a preference for eastern influences. They were expecting a baby so this was a factor to take into consideration

SOLUTION:

As the large house windows and conservatory gave such an unfettered view of the garden, this design sought to create an aesthetically pleasing solution to an odd-shaped space, providing plenty to see while allowing the client ample opportunity for dining and entertaining.

A series of decking patios, laid with attractive and durable Balau hardwood boards, were be linked by decked walkways to create seating areas in different parts of the garden, giving versatility to the space and enabling the client to make maximum use of the sunshine throughout the day and seasons. The board direction was alternated to add interest to the design, while a series of rectangular 'cut-outs' filled with decorative glass mulch add to the contemporary, 'designed' feel of the space.

A large decked patio in the top left corner of the garden serves as the main dining/entertaining area. An open pergola structure, constructed from Balau posts and beams to match the decking, give this area a semi-enclosed feel, with removable coloured perspex screens helping to create a sense of privacy without impeding the view to the rest of the garden.

Extra interest was created with the inclusion of a stunning stainless steel water feature, with an acrylic central panel across which the water flow echoing the perspex screens in the pergola structure. Placed just outside the front of the conservatory so that it is easily viewed from both inside and out, this feature created an arresting talking-point on any occasion.

Planting in the space is simple and low-maintenance. Tall and willowy bamboo masks the back fence and shed, with architectural phormium and flowing grasses giving a uniform, contemporary feel to the rest of the soft landscaping. The existing cordyline was re-located to the back left-hand corner.

The garden was completed with a lighting scheme selected to maximise the architectural elements of the design. Subtle lighting within each of the glass-filled decking cut-outs created a 'runway' effect to guide one through the space, while stainless steel spotlights on each of the four corner posts of the pergola provides ample lighting for dining and entertaining. The water feature is up-lit by two stainless steel spotlights, to throw a gently undulating light across the space. Finally, a series of low-voltage spots placed throughout the planting beds give the garden a gentle wash of light while serving to highlight individual specimen plants.

TESTIMONIAL:

Matt and Katrina listened to our requirements for an Asian style garden which was easy to maintain and looked particularly beautiful from our new conservatory. The gardeners were unobtrusive and polite and always listened to our concerns as the work progressed. This was particularly appreciated since we had just had a new baby when the work began!

We are delighted with our new garden and thanks to all at Earth Designs who were involved.

If you dig this and would like to find out more about this or any of other of our designs, please stop by our web-site and have a look at our work.

Earth Designs is a bespoke London Garden Design and build company specialising in classic, funky and urban contemporary garden design.

Our Landscape and Garden build teams cover London, Essex and parts of South East England, while garden designs are available nationwide.

Please visit www.earthdesigns.co.uk to see our full portfolio. If you would like a garden designer in London or have an idea of what you want and are looking for a landscaper London to come and visit your garden, please get in touch.

Follow our Bespoke Garden Design and Build and Blog to see what we get up to week by week, our free design clinic as well as tips and products we recommend for your garden projects www.earthdesigns.co.uk/blog/.

Earth Designs is located in East London, but has built gardens in Essex , gardens in Hertfordshire Hertfordshire and all over the South East. Earth Designs was formed by Katrina Wells in Spring 2003 and has since gone from strength to strength to develop a considerable portfolio of garden projects. Katrina, who is our Senior Garden Designer, has travelled all over the UK designing gardens. However we can design worldwide either through our postal garden design service or by consultation with our senior garden designer. Recent worldwide projects have included garden designs in Romania. Katrina’s husband. Matt, heads up the build side of the company, creating a unique service for all our clients.

If you a not a UK resident, but would like an Earth Designs garden, Earth Designs has a worldwide design service through our Garden Design Postal Design Vouchers. If you are looking for an unique birthday present or original anniversary present and would like to buy one of our Garden Design Gift Vouchers for yourself or as a present please our sister site www.gardenpresents.co.uk. We do also design outside of the UK, please contact us for details.

Really wasn't expecting to see this in Mereworth!, and this shot was the best I could do without trespassing and was taken from a Signposted Public Footpath, and this Newly arrived ex East Kent Buses! vehicle is now used by Hugh Lowes Farms to transport farm workers around Mereworth near Maidstone in Kent, and is one of up to 15! vehicles that have seen use here at Mereworth, and these are not the only ex Stagecoach Vehicles in Farms use in the Maidstone Area, and according to Recently Updated Google Maps Satellite Imagery several others can be found around Five Wents, Langley, Langley Heath, Chart Sutton, Sutton Valence and Coxheath.

And be sure to check by my other account: www.flickr.com/photos_user.gne?path=&nsid=77145939%40..., to see what else I saw this Year!!