View allAll Photos Tagged going_doing
A bunch more photos on my blog at: jessejamesphotography.ca/
Follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/JesseJamesPhoto
Did a model shoot yesterday at a few different locations. It was awesome, an abandoned train and underneath the highway.
As soon as we got there the cops showed up and threatened to fine us, then let us go do our thing ;)
No flashes on this one!
The Crystal Palace has a special place in my family. It's the first sit down restaurant we ever ate at in WDW, and we eat there on every trip no matter what. Except this trip. It goes does for refurbishment the day that we arrive. So sadly, we won't be able to sneak in on this trip, so to fulfill our breakfast buffet crave, we're having breakfast at Boma over at AKL. It won't be the same, but the food probably will. Thanks for lookin', and have a great day!
Needs to be viewed Large On White!!
Stranger 97/100 - Atiyah
“I’m just so eager for that next level in my life…”
Meet Atiyah.
What advice would you give to your younger self? “I would definitely tell myself that everything that you desire… just be patient. Be prayerful and be patient most of all. I feel like I’ve tried to speed up the process, and the process takes time. Anything that you want to be great… it takes time.”
How did you learn that? “Time… and I have a lot of wise people in my life that have mentored me, and I’m grateful for them.”
What is your biggest challenge right now? “It’s so weird because I just gave my younger self that advice about being patient, and I’m still working on that. I’m just so eager for that next level in my life, my career and right now I’m in preparation for it. I’m just setting myself up for it and… I’m anxious.”
So that begs the question: what are your goals? Where do you want to be in ten years? “In ten years, I hope to have my own business, make-up service, where I can, you know, just work behind the scenes… setting up to work, to go do make-up jobs. That’s what I’m doing now… I’m being sent out to do the make-up jobs. So, in ten years, I want to be doing the sending out.”
If you could put a billboard up in Charlotte, what would it say? “Limitless. I feel like there are limitless possibilities in life.”
What is the biggest misconception people have about you? “A lot of people don’t understand me because I’m very assertive. I guess my mean business face looks like I’m mad, but I just mean business that’s all.”
Technical Notes: I used a small LED panel to reduce the shadows on the right side of Atiyah’s face.
This picture is #97 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
This photo also appears in The Human Family Page
She said "i'll throw myself away,
They're just photos after all"
I can't make you hang around.
I can't wash you off my skin.
Outside the frame, is what we're leaving out
You won't remember anyway
I can go with the flow
I would say it doesn't matter anymore
I can go with the flow (I can go)
Do you believe it in your head?
It's so safe to play along
Little soldiers in a row
Falling in and out of love
Something sweet to throw away.
I want something good to die for
To make it beautiful to live.
I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate.
Do you believe it in your head?
I can go with the flow
I would say it doesn't matter anymore
I can go with the flow
Do you believe it in your head?
("Go with the flow" from the Queens of the Stone Age)
The best compliment I get at work, and what makes my best day is when someone says "Here's what I need at a high level- go do your thing and make it shine…" That's all they have to say. They trust my creativity to make my data analysis tell the story of performance and where improvements are needed etc. It's that perfect balance of using both sides of my brain that really spawns such a great feeling at work.
As always I draw out the shell of how the data will stack and flow, and then I turn on the tunes and rev up the creative engines!
Theme: Working Conditions
Year Twelve Of My 365 Project
August 15
Yesterday we went for a snooze at six, and failed to wake up until nearly 11, meaning too late to do anything really, so we went back to bed.
All would have been well if the car hadin’t got bored and made the alarm go off twice. No idea what was wrong, so in the end we had to leave the car unlocked.
All was well this morning when we got up at six. Got up, but had been laying awake for at least two hours. But all was well, just now we could get up and go do stuff again. And as before, do the really popular stuff when the park is either empty or asleep, which is why we were heading for the Canyon and two sets of falls before seven, and just as the sun was rising.
As was the mist.
Mere photographs could not do the scenes justice, the morning light on the mist as it rolled down from the mountain tops, all tinged in pink. We do stop a couple of times for shots, but mostly just enjoy being some of the few people up and around at the early hour, lucky enough to see it.
We arrive at Canyon Village, and fill up the car, as it was reminding us it had only 45 miles of fuel left, and Yellowstone wasn’t the best of places to run out of fuel. However, I can say I am one of the few people to have locked the keys to his hire car, in the hire car, on the top of a mountain. You really could not make this up.
So with the car refuelled, we drive to the lower falls, and first of all go to the overlook, and with the mist wrapped round the fir trees on the edge of the gorge missing in with the spray from the waterfall, and again with the golden light, it was magical.
There was a train: three eights of a mile long, but dropping 660 feet. I knew the shots would be worth it, so we start to totter down. And down, and down. Zig zagging down the side of the gorge, with the roar of the falls getting ever louder.
With every step down, we would have to climb back up, and at over 7,000 feet, it was going to be interesting.
Once down at the bottom, there was a viewing platform right over the falls, allowing you to look down from the edge of the cataract. It was magical, and with just three young guys from Boston with us, we had it all to ourselves.
Of course, then came the walk back up, stopping every turn or two, but recovery seemed to get quicker and easier, and in ten minutes or so, we were at the top.
We have breakfast of salad and nectarines, I kid you not, before the short drive to the upper falls, where there was a less steep and much shorter set of steps to the viewing platform, made all the more magical by the mist that had risen. I snap it, and the mist wreathed trees on the far bank, then walk up where there was a small conference on what to do next.
In our preparations, we had left two days without accommodation booked, to allow us some flexibility, however, those two days were on Friday and Saturday, and all rooms in and around Yellowstone might be booked.
We drive round to Cooke City, Montana, where we had both thought the main street looked fun and nice to stay at. Once there was asked at the tourist information if they could help in finding a room, but we were told we would have to visit each and every motel and bar, casino to ask if they had rooms.
Only one did, but it didn’t really meet our standards these days, so we went back to the tourist information to use their free wifi, and after consulting a map, chose a town in southern Montana, did a search for rooms and came up with a condo with suits, and free wifi which should mean being online a little. It was all booked, so worries over, and being midday, we go over to a place opposite for lunch, our first meal in 22 hours, and have burgers. It was either that or steak.
Not the best burgers of fries in the world, but good enough to these hungry bunnies, we ate outside, the only ones to do so, but soaking up the rays, now that the sun had broken through.
On our way back to the park we see a cabin selling ice cream, so call in, and were given a waffle cone each with five scoops of creamy goodness, and these were just the singles at 3 bucks fifty each! Jools could not finish hers, but I wasn’t going to let huckleberry ice cream go to waste. I eat all mine, all except for the drips down my t shirt.
On the way back to the cabin, we stop many times to take in the views, or to look for wildlife. A friendly chap showed me where some mountain goats could be seen about a mile away, but also gave me the heads up on an Osprey’s nest near to the road further on.
At an overlook of a shallow river, Jools and I spend a fine half hou chasing butterflies, American Painted Ladies and some kind of Fritillary. All wonderful, and some photographed.
A few miles on, we see the Osprey’s nest and stop, next to the guy who told me about it. We watch to juveniles stretching and flapping their wings, and I rattle off probably 50 shots.
We move on and finally come to a place where a herd of Bison where near to the road, so we stop and I snap many of the animals, some rolling around in a dust bath. Just fabulous.
Back in Mammoth, we visit the upper terraces of the falls near to the cabin, but it is a joyless experience because of the numbers of people, but then still got some shots. But we can return in the evening or early tomorrow,
We had burgers for lunch, again, so in the evebing, in the hope of improving our diet, we go to the resoty restauratn, in the hope of vegetables, in for not other reason. We hadin’t booked a table, so had to wait 40 minutes, so retired to the bar, and where I was recommonded a pint of Moose Drihhle, a dark beer I was told. Turned out to have great depth of falvour, and it was a shame when that came to an end, but no worry as our table was ready, so we celebrated by odering a bottle of wine. We ordered bluse, but red came, but what the heck.
I had fillet of bison, showing they just don’t look good, the taste it too, it was accompanied by some mashed taters, and boccolini. Or, broccoli that had been on a diet. All good, as was the wine, and we may return to sample the huckleberry margarita.
We walked back under a clear sky with the crescent waning moon high overhead. We were pooped, and it was cold, just above freezing, so we took to our beds.
part 4 of my "A Timeless Act" series
THIS. WAS. SO. FREAKIN'. COLD.
IT'S SO WINDY OUT.
AND THE SNOW IS SO COLD.
AHHH.
I have an incredible amount of homework to go do now. Ugh.
In the time before "The Depot" at Acton, some of the LT Collection was housed at the Science Museum's outstation atWroughton, Wilts. Occasionally they had an open day. This was one. Brilliant. If you ever get the chance to go, do!
.. this is the weekend
.. what do you mean you can't think of anything to do ?
.. lend me an ear
.. if my humans would let me go out, boy would I ever find something to do
.. do that thing you have been putting off.. because "I don't have time"
.. time is time
.. if you don't do it, you still had the same amount of time
.. go!
.. do it, human!
.. you have the permission of 'The Princess' !!
Happy weekend, my Friends !!
© All rights reserved
Another favorite shot of Baby Monster Dweezil and me -- both waken up from a nap, doing the stretch thing. I can't remember what all FX I applied to the original, but I like how it drastically increased the contrast, without destroying image details. Haven't played with all the PS filters in a while -- that was one of my 365 missions last year to go explore all the filters and figure new stuff out -- probably should go do that again, as everything I figured out didn't stick to the ol' noggin.
give it to me baby... and all the girls say im pretty fly for a white guy!
Pretty Fly (for a white guy) - The Offspring
when i saw dave's pick for today i was like YES!!!!
i was going to go do the sucker thing with one of the girl dancers in the music video, but that didnt go as planned. so that thing you see there that looks all funny, thats a sucker LOL
so halloween kinda sucked the mall had like ZERO candy, dont go there. we're going to plan our assault on some neighborhoods next year so that Sandy and Keira can have some halloween fun.
and sorry everyone, but im not pregnant and dont plan to be for at least 3-5 years and then that'd have to be AFTER i get married. everyone and their mom are having babies and they keep telling me im next, i'm like "no im not im super duper protected! unlike some people!" yeahhh.... i'm not sure if they were happy i said that. XD
anyways happy all saints day!
project 365: day 153
TRP: The Offspring
It was so nice out yesterday so I thought I would go do a light run out on the trail in my ops. I wore my shorts over my ops for the run but took it off later on down the trail. On the way back to my car, I put them back on to to cross the street to get to my car and as I was crossing the street I saw at a distance a car approaching me but by the time the car reached me, I was already across the street halfway to my car. As the approaching car got closer, the car slowed down where I crossed and was pretty sure they saw that I was wearing a ops. At that moment, I had a smirk on my face and felt slightly liberated knowing I was seen in public in my ops.
URR 9 sits out another sunset at USS' ET works while waiting for the green light to come on at the Caster meaning its time link up and go do some switching. In the Background is the BOP shop and the massive ore cranes.
In the distance you can see two Ohio mobile cranes that USS owns but whats interesting is the large metal structure that is above them that doesn't look like anything but to carry pipes across the tracks, which is what it is now, but back in the B&O days it was a very large signal bridge that crossed over the mainline that split the mill in half. Where the ore cars are is the old B&O mainline and at one time there was a bridge behind me that allowed the URR to run up and over the B&O to get to the other side of the mill. The bridge is still in, well kind off a lot of sections have been removed over time but a large portion still stands.
rhythm of love...,
heeeeeeyyyy guys!(:
sorry for all the piano shots. butttt i love 'em. (:
i have also decided to get off my lazy butt and do some of my tags. :D
soo, i just counted. and i need to do 17 or so. -__- but, im not magical like santa or anything sooo i shall do one at the moment. x)
1 i know i have said this sooo many times already, but i really mean it. you guys seriously are the best contacts in the wooorld. i couldnt ask for any better flickr friends:D
2 im eating mashed potatooooos at the moment:D
3 i loove potatos.
4 i think algebra can go die in a hole. :P
5 today is our 21st day of school.
6 i want to visit paris sooo badly.
7 CROSSIANT!
8 why is it that our parents are always conviently gone when you have to ask them something?!
9 i got first chairrrr in band:D
10 i gotta go do my homework. -__- peaceout.
if you join ill love you forever:D
^^^^
thank you guys sooo much for joining! i really, truly appreciate it. we have recently hit the 130 member mark. WOOTWOOT!:D THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!!
im not really happy with this. :\ i might delete it later.
Portfolio | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr
It would be super awesome if you guys could go and like my facebook page Here I will love you forever!
Explore # 194
Press "L" NOW! Its so much better :)...now go do it! :)
Had the opportunity to shoot one of my friends wedding a few weeks ago! Had such a great time witnessing one of my first catholic weddings, ever! I love it! Avi and Adam bought an awesome house west of the city, and man, it doesn't feel like your in the city! House is surrounded by trees, it was awesome!
Anyways, heres one of the pictures I took when Avi arrived! I know this is a typical wedding type shot, but I loved the way it turned out! :)
5D Mark II
35L
Canon 430 EX II Flash
© 2011 Raj Sandhu
“Don’t ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
(Howard Thurman - American Theologian, Clergyman and Activist, 1900-1981)
Since several seasons I take most of the pictures of our collections on the upper terrace which is on the top of our office in Varanasi (Benaras) in front of this amazing wall which keeps traces of each monsoon and which is magnified by a natural light.
Those fashion photographies are not as simple as they pretend to be, each is dwelling with a real social work.
Among the many people involved there, Anand who is modeling for our catalogue since the begining of the company is escaping for a while his tough condition of boatman on the Ganges and, using his dark colour skin complexion breaks a social taboo in India.
The fabric of this bed cover involves handloom weavers of Varanasi struggling with their workshops and the quilting (boutis) is supplying shelter and independance to a few ladies manufacturing them.
RED HALO is a collection of household linen based in Benaras (Varanasi - India) providing work to people who were living with difficulties and education to children.
(Copying those products is against this social work)
(Bed cover style "Goa" - 220 x 240 - Col. Gold - Collection RED HALO)
Visit and join the RED HALO page on Facebook, www.facebook.com/redhalo.in
Join the photographer at www.facebook.com/laurent.goldstein.photography
© All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.
Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.
Nov 15, 2011
I wonder if I'm the only one that does this.. When I get into a new hobby, or ANYTHING for that matter, I get COMPLETELY CONSUMED in it.. I mean I'm looking for magazines, books, tutorials, videos, people who are into the same thing that know more than me about the subject, ANYTHING!!!
But then during my journey, I find that I'm so into looking for knowledge on a subject that I rarely get to enjoy that thing itself..
For example, my photography..
For so many years, I was consumed with seeking how to do things the right way, that I rarely picked up my camera to shoot.. I don't know if it was the thrill of finding new knowledge that obstructed me or just fear of failing..
Sometimes knowledge can be restrictive to your creativity.. You're so into the "rules" and "theory" that you forget to actually enjoy yourself.
This project has already proven to be the best education I could ever hope for in my photographic journey, career, or whatever you wanna call it.. Sure I've gotten the opportunity to grow, showcase my talent, learn new things, make mistakes, etc.. But I've found the JOY again of what made me pick up a camera in the first place...
So I tell everyone, in the immortal words of Goodie Mob, "Get up, get out, and get something..." You can't explore the world just reading about it.. Whatever it is that you're into, just go do it... Stop reading about how to do it better, just go do it..
Strobist Info:
Yongnuo 560 - 1/16 power camera right, through 24" Cheetah Softbox aimed at books (key on books)
Canon 430 EX II - 1/ 4 power camera left through Cheetah 43" Octabox aimed at model (key on model)
Canon 550 EX - 1/128 power camera right behind model bare zoomed to 70mm (rim)
An eastbound CSX local has a signal to come out of the yard and onto the main to head out of town to go do its work.
Once a month, my wife and I each take a kiddo and go do something fun - some kind of treat. Then, we swap kiddos the next month, rinse-and-repeat.
This month we went to "Grinkers", a retro arcade dedicated to this guy's collection of 70s - 80s video games, pinball machines etc. Bit of a step back in time to see all the old games we grew up playing and getting to share with the latest generation of video game junkies.
A bat in purple-ish skies.
And down here on earth, the POETRY INVASION continues unabated.
WITHOUT TRUST
Without trust, might as well just
Forget it. Without trust, suspicion
And doubt will multiply to feed on
Your well-being until what could
Have been a good thing is over
Before it’s even begun. Without
Trust, it’s just mutual using, fine
Until you have to take responsibilty
For it. Without trust, togetherness
Is just an illustion, beautiful at first,
About as permanent as a raindrop.
We’re like freezers now, forever
Cold and closed. To understand
Why, look at our story from the
Very beginning, look at all that’s
Gone down, and ask yoursellf
How such a complete absence
Of trust could ever come to be.
SINK
Way too deep in the dirty, shitty,
Polluted waters of bad emotions,
And trying not to sink. Swim on,
Keep going – as sure as the waters
Are not supposed to be this way,
There must be something cleaner
Up ahead. Don’t drown because
Another was carelessness with
Their ocean. Swim on, these
Waters are just part of a much
Bigger sea that cleanses itself in
Time and will dissolve all this filth.
BIG EGGY
Eggs came flying from the hens
Like bullets. Hens on a steady
Amphetamine diet in the egg
Factory, meeting the demands
Of America’s breakfast each
And every morning. Till one
Day the hens used the eggs
As their weapons, rebelled,
Shot their way out of slavery.
Hens like Spartacus, a band
Of feathered refugees, on a
Quest to find freedom in the
Land of the free. I thought of
This after a really good omlett.
Maybe there realy are drugs in
The eggs. Or else this freedom
Thing is just contagious.
AN HONOR THING
I can get conflicted about returning
Somewhere I’ve previously been
Declared unwelcome. If you treat
Me like someone you’d rather not
Have around, until I hear differently
That’s how I’ll always see you. It’s
An honor thing. That might sound
Completely outdated in this day and
Age, but I’m talking about honor
Given, not just honor received. If
You’ve asked me for distance, then
The respectful response is to give
You that distance. If you’ve ever felt
Differently, you’ve never so much as
Lifted a finger to show it, so what is
The respectful, honorable thing for
Me to assume? Sorry if I’m sounding
Redundant, but sometimes you look
Upset at me for ignoring you.
NAKED
When a fully clothed man feels
Naked, that’s his problem. When
A naked man feels fully clothed,
That’s our problem. As much as
I try to undress a subject with
Words, without resorting to
Coarseness of speech, we keep
A veil over the unadorned truth
For the sake of public decency.
THE DOGS WHO ARE OUR FRIENDS
I don’t mean to feed the rats. I
Don’t want to feed the rats. But
Then there are the dogs who
Are our friends. The ones who
Belong to no one, no security,
No guarantee of the next meal.
Grateful for the scraps –different
Value system. You feed them and
They’ll guard you. Unlike people –
You feed them and they’ll rob you.
I am not my brother’s keeper and
I know even less about keeping a
Dog. They just stay close because
They want to, I guess.
SPINACH BELIEVER
Speechless – don’t even feel like
Talking. But it’s these moments
When speech eludes me that I’m
Probably closest to the truth, when
My particular state of affairs, state
Of being, state the union makes
Like Popeye, proclaiming, I am
What I am, and there you have it.
You can see clearly now, the rain
Is gone. Ok, Mr. Spinach Believer,
Kindly explain what’s up with this
Not being able to sleep? With this
Nagging feeling something isn’t
Exactly right? That I’m not quite
Where I’m supposed to be? Is
This a never-ending lesson in
Patience? The Buddha, I’m told,
Sat under a tree for years until
He’d transcended attachment
And found enlightenment. I don’t
Have the patience to follow his
Example. I think enlightenment
Hides behind these big questions
And little mysteries that never
Fail to leave me speechless.
SPIRITS IN MANU’A
People here so casually mention
Spirits in Manu’a, I have no doubt
They believe in them. I think it’s
Great there are spirits in Manu’a –
Spirits need a higher visual profile,
For sure, because people will only
Pay lip service to what they can’t
See. It’s high time the spirits kick
Some ass on the legion of stupid
Humans who would dare to mess
With them. I know most people
Here firmly believe Manu’a spirits
Exist. This fills me with fear, not
Because I think the spirits would
Harm me, but because so many
Here know that spirits are real
And still act the way they do.
PRECIOUS THING
Maybe someday when it doesn’t
Really matter, you’ll tell me what
Was going on in your head and I’ll
Tell you what was going on in mine
And we’ll both feel like idiots. We
Both felt the precious thing, and
Proceeded to create conditions
For it that the other couldn’t even
Cognate, never mind live up to.
Having no way to tell which way
Was up, it became more a matter
Of who was trashing it the worst.
I guess that’s the true nature of
The precious thing – it doesn’t
Really teach you that much about
Someone else, just about yourself.
YUM, COMFORTABLE SLUG
Fear reinforces conformity,
But, I’d wager to say, does
Not engender excellence.
For conformity stifles the
Aspirtion to rise above the
Anonymous mediocrity, to
Risk getting noticed out of
Line. Therefore, be a rebel
Or be a slug. Imagine if you
Breathe your last and the
Best thing you can say
About your life is, “It was
Comfortable”. Yep, very
Comfortable in a shell, in a
Mental cell, under the spell
Of mindless conformity.
Content to be just another
Comfortable slug, quietly
Waiting in line to provide
Some bird with breakfast.
SUMMER
We’re both living organisms
And nature made us a layaway
Plan. This is totally organic,
The most popular mechanics,
Encyclopedia Britannica
Defines it as life carrying on.
These cells weren’t meant for
Confinement, and the high
Court of nature recently ruled
In their favor. Time to think
Of future generations and
Whether they’ll remember us.
We leave behind poems and
A long story for others to tell
As summer approaches.
FULL MOON
I was born under the sign ruled by
The Moon. Its fullness has the
Strongest pull on the tides. We’re
Mostly liquid, but not enough for
The Moon to make us levitate.
How strange that would be – the
Bigger you are, the closer you’d
Get to the Moon. Even if we don’t
Float into the sky, the waters inside
Us feel the pull of the Moon. Our
Thoughts, feelings, emotions and
Perceptions all grow more intense.
It’s a time when joys can run high,
Sorrows deep. The stillness of the
Moon throws into contrast all the
Turbulence we carry. Things seem
Slightly distorted, but no, it’s just
The agonies and ecstasies of daily
Existence amplified by the Moon.
In a heightened state, transfixed
By the glow, I sometimes wonder
If floating into the sky might not be
Such a bad idea after all.
CRISES
Emotional crisis, health crisis, plumbing
Crisis – can you blame me if I think life
Has something personal against me?
Am I using too much air? Would the
Food I eat be better allocated to the
Starving in Africa? Do my words add
Irreparable damage to the general
Peace, harmony and understanding
Among mankind? Is even thinking I’m
That significant just another ego trip?
So many questions… Meanwhile, the
Crises need tending to. One by one
I’ll put a band aid on each and carry
On just like any other day.
ETIQUETTE
Look, sorry if you think this is
Strange, but on the planet I
Come from , this would be
Considered good manners.
This would be considered a
Gesture of affection and
Sincere respect. It would
Express appreciation for
All the things so special
About you, for the way you
Make things better just by
Being you. On the planet I
Come from expressions
Such as these are not
Considered in poor taste,
And are given and received
With grace. On the planet I
Come from it’s considered
Important to express such
Things if you feel them. But
On this planet everything
Is the opposite.
I.O.U.
There’s a difference of opinion
Over what my civic duty is. My
Controversial purse strings are
Being called to account. The
Public sticks its nose into my
Business records as if I owe
Them, as if the check is in the
Mail. They’re just jealous of
Success, real or perceived,
And think a high profile gives
Them an excuse for low blows.
NANNIES
Sometimes crimes don’t seem
Like crimes at all at the time,
More like a smart move – too
Bad the other dimwits missed
It – a chance to take advantage
While the tides have turned in
Your favor. So there you sit
Trying to explain what you did
To all the people you hurt, and
Your only defense is no one
Stopped you, as if all the laws
Of the courts and the heart are
Nothing more than nannies,
Derelict in their duty to keep
You from burining inquisitive
Fingers on the hot stove.
FILE
Judas on the computer, forwarding
The Pharisees useful tidbits they
Reward with pieces of silver and
Crumbs of approval. We keep a
File on you. Everything you’ve
Done, all you’ve ever shared with
Anyone, is documented, can be
Used as proof. When good times
Turn bad, good time friends turn
Witness. Think Heaven has issued
You a free pass? It doesn’t apply
Till you expire. Till then, you’re
Liable for an outstanding balance
Here on earth, and we’ll collect
By any means necessary. That’s
Why our meticulous file records
Everyone you ever sold out to get
Where you are. Just call it looking
After Number One, like Judas did.
FOREST
Subtleties of understanding are
One thing, but lacking an idea
In common, you can’t see the
Forest for the trees. The same
Thing looks different from a
Few feet away. The sublime
Just sounds crude unless you
Describe it with the right kind
Of English. It’s simple enough
We’re in a forest, but all the
Subtleties filter the light so
Differently, making the path
Appear a dead end. I left an
Offering of crumbs to mark
Some kind of trail, but now
My knapsack’s out and every
Direction looks no different
From the other. Have to find
My way through this forest
Of understanding on intuition
And faith, which is another
Way of saying I’m lost.
TOOLS IN HAND
Tools in hand, I threaten to carve
In stone a yes or no. Instead, it’s
Something ridiculous engraved
On this unsuspecting rock. I’d
Hate to immortalize anything
Really important on this eternal
Surface. Importance is so often
Nothing more than a response
To a moment. Subject the ages
To it? That would be like waking
Up one morning with a tattoo
You’re not so sure you even
Like anymore. So tools in hand,
Hoping to look important, what
Shall I carve in stone? Try sound
Profound – We need to laugh
At the ridiculous, or else it’s too
Easy to become frightened by it.
TIP THE SCALES
Weigh my flawed actions,
Speech and understanding
To see if they tip the scales
Of blind justice, knowing
Justice is never really blind,
Just suspending plain sight
To avoid judging solely by
How things appear. Blind
Judges use a third eye, feel
Vibes, an otherworldy sense
Of knowing , a logic of the
Subconscious. Still , among
Humans no objectivity is
Pure. At best, there is only
Balance or its absence, and
So the symbol of the scale
To weigh the right or wrong,
Inconsequence or severity
Of our every flawed action,
Speech and understanding.
PAIN
Pain wants to have a conversation,
Making its presence known. Pain
Has the uncanny knack of leading
You to believe it’s moved on, but
Just when you’re basking in the
Sun, a moving shadow distracts
You from your warm imaginings
And you just know. Pain wants to
Powwow, update its files, inquire
Discretely, do a routine service
Check while you’re still under
Warranty. Our relationship is
Purely professional, pain and me.
I don’t exactly relate, just grow
Accustomed to how it comes
And goes. I asked why, how long,
It looked at me thoughtfully and
Replied, sorry, that’s classified.
Not knowing just comes with the
Pain, and vice versa.
STAR AND DIRECTOR
Very few actors can handle being
Both star and director. This leads
To the shocking revelation that
The star isn’t really what’s best
About a movie, only what’s most
Visible. If it’s only the star that
Matters, then how come some
Of them turn out one lousy film
After another? Star, director,
And some mysterious X factor
All combine to make a movie
Memorable. We might both be
Stars in our own way, or even
Directors when someone needs
To take that role. Neither of us
Might require star billing, but I
know we’d both resist taking
Direction from each other. This
Has something to do with self-
Perception, artistic vision and
Who controls either or both.
How dare you presume you can
Direct me??? We two could only
Combine talents were we to cede
Direction to a source that’s bigger
Than the both of us.
LETTERS TO A LOVE
It meant something to try and
Make contact and keep in touch.
I wonder how many great love
Poems are really letters to a love
That never was. Whether you’re
A poet, a house painter, or a
Parking lot attendant, you’ve got
To have hope, do something
With what you know inside, try
To make contact and keep in
Touch, just so someone knows
They’re not the only one who
Feels the same things you do.
CONVENTION
Snub convention or take advantage
Of it, that is the question. I brought
With me the conventions of a
Different location, which renders
Me unconventional in this context
But a leopard can’t change stripes.
Boundaries, social responsibilities
And persona space all have their
Place, but I have two legs, I could
Walk through all that. You’ll notice
I won’t, because that would be
Ignoring the boundaries you set by
Implication. Your actions demarcate
Where the boundaries should be,
Until you indicate differently. That’s
The system, the convention, the
Way things are done among those
For whom doing things right means
More than simply victory or defeat.
True, I have two legs, I could walk
Through all that, but only if I knew
You wanted me to.
ONENESS AND LUST
Oneness, I wish I could bring you
A worthier gift than lust, than an
Admission of my weakness, than
A diagnosis of my disease. Little
Wonder you fail to find these
Attributes attractive. Or is it my
Own shame at the mortal truths
That reduce us to something so
Un-godlike we fear we displease
God who made us this way? You
Can read my intention at a glance,
And I don’t like feeling exposed
Any more than I like feeling alone.
IGLOO
In our polar bear skins, we blend in
With endless white, color of purity.
Since the cold comes so naturally
To you, I’m going to build an igloo
Where we can rendezvous. I don’t
Cherish the thought of killing seals
And walruses, but if we don’t eat
Them, something else will. Please
Let me draw the line at porpoises.
I’d even eat a porpoise for you, but
Only if we have to, and even then
With some regret. Alas, unfortunate
Porpoise, friend of man, it was you
Or me, buddy. That’s life in an igloo -
Not a McDonalds in sight but plenty
Of penguins.
ROPE
Judas, rope is not the answer.
Do you think running away
From what you’ve done will
Inspire compassion? Some
Would say it was all written
Before it happened, that you
Simply acted out your part as
Scripted. What is this, a last
Minute bid for sympathy?
To judge yourself unworthy
Of finding your soul again is
Not your judgment to make.
Who are you or I to shut the
Door to redemption for even
The worst, even ourselves?
It might seem futile atoning
For a crime impossible to
Forgive, but it would have
Mattered if you had at least
Tried. Judas, you’re not a
Bird, you don’t belong in the
Tree until you get your wings.
MENTALS
The mentals at the shopping center
Scare me by making me realize I’d
Like to slap them, report them to
Public Health, call the cops on them,
Complain to center management
(Or customer relations if they even
Bother).They make me realize I’m
Not such a nice guy after all, not so
Tolerant after all, not so forgiving
After all (but you already knew that).
You know you’re really nice, really
Tolerant and really forgiving when
In your heart you can pardon even
The mentals who ruin breakfast for
You with their thespian pleas for
Your extra change, not only those
More level-minded who really know
Better but steadfastly believe they
Can easily atone by simply making
The appropriately pious noises.
(inspired by the song “Royals”.)
TIDES
Our tides go in and out. So
Full at first, always ending
So empty. Nothing but a
Barren reef left sometimes,
But when the tide’s in, it has
A life of its own. Notoriously
Fickle, tides go where they
Will, but curiously, sooner
Or later they always seem to
Lead right back where they
Started. You can almost set
A clock by it. Ever feel like
The tides are trying to tell
Us something?
TWO HUNDRED GRAND
Hillary will give you a speech for
Two hundred grand. Once a price
Is known, it just makes you wonder
How far someone would go. Say the
Boy/Man Love Coalition had two
Hundred grand in the bank from
Bake sales - d’ya suppose she’d take
The gig? Or if a Saudi billionaire
Offered five if she’d read the local
Phone book for fifteen minutes,
Just as some kind of statement,
Would Hillary take it? For eight,
Would she pop out of a cake singing
“Emotions” to oilmen in Texas?
For nine, and an end to famine in
Africa, would Hillary strip down to
A flesh-colored one-piece live on
The web? And of course what they
All want to know – how many
Millions would it take for her to
Promise not to seek the Presidency?
Don’t take up a collection too soon,
Pal. What’s the matter? Afraid of a gal
Who knows her own worth and how
To budget her time?
CURVES
And so our story curves again.
I’m not afraid to comment, but
Taken out of context it might
Cause discomfort, which was
Never my intention in the first
Place. I was just hoping you’d
See the curve of my thoughts
And reconsider. Ideas come to
Me like freeway headlights, all
At once. I can only see them
Clearly for a second before they
Disappear. Sometimes one of
These passing thoughts makes
It all the way to the page. What’s
Inside me filters what’s around
Me and out comes these words.
Just so you’ll know if you have
Thoughts anything like mine.
HOOTENANNY MAN
Hootenanny man learned to use
Language to talk of things beyond
The barnyard. What makes the
World turn or the bar room fall
Silent. What makes schoolboys
Wish they could be president, or
Presidents wish they could spend
Summer at the fishing creek again.
Love growing from the ruins of war,
Our moment face to face with the
Eternal. Ever since we’ve had a
Language we’ve had poets using it
For more than the evening news,
Playing at being serious, seducing
With breathless invocations of the
Sanctified, reducing ageless wisdom
To blithe childishness, elevating a
Moment to eternal importance.
It’s not all contradictions, sings the
Hootenanny man, it’s as natural as
Having two eyes, two ears, two
Hands and two feet instead of one.
(Inspired by Bob Dylan)
LONG, LONG WAIT
Long, long wait for something
That never quite arrives. At the
End of the line, at least you can
Say you did your part. You try
And stay on a path with some
Kind of heart, hoping that if
You try to do right thing you’ll
Find the guidance you need
Whenever you come to a fork
In the road. When things go
Wrong, you try and take the
Knocks with grace, think about
What happened and why, and
How you can do better next
Time. Along the way, you’re
Going to lose a lot of Illusions,
But gain an insight or two that
Might help you make sense of
The long, long wait.
OVERBOARD
Overboard in matters of the heart,
Enthusiasms, passions, likes and
Dislikes, heartaches, suspicions,
Questions and more. Things seem
To resonate a bit deeper with me.
I have something to lose - you
Better take me seriously or take
A hike. But for the few I can trust,
I go overboard in my friendship
And wouldn’t think twice about
Giving whatever I can. I project
Balanced calm for appearances’
Sake, but shake the tree and I’m
Overboard before I can remember
My life vest.
PROFILE
How do you profile me in your
Mind? I’ve noticed how people
Do that – create you in their
Thoughts as whatever kind of
Character is convenient for the
Narrative they’re trying to sell.
Then one day you hear a person
Described who you don’t even
Recognize, and you realize its
Supposed to be you. Perhaps
You heard or saw something
That fit previously established
Prototypes, then constructed
A profile accordingly, but it’s
What you didn’t see or hear to
Factor in to your floor plan that
Brings me sadness.
HOPE AND DOUBT
Hope and doubt are battling it
Out. Emotionally speaking,
Self-protection can get violent.
Ideally, hope and doubt would
Just reach a balance, but mine
Want to get in each other’s
Faces and wreak havoc. Hope
Accuses doubt of having no
Faith in love. Doubt says hope
Is just an unrealistic fool. They
Both look bruised after clashing
Repeatedly. At the end of the
Day, for worse or better, I find
Myself favoring hope, only
Because doubt seems like a
Dead end. But I understand
Doubt’s resentment – just
Trying to look out for me and
Not being listened to.
DETECTIVE
Some people are scarier to think
About than to actually be around
Because they’re not like bank
Statements, easily reconciled
And confidently filed. Leave me
Alone with my thoughts for too
Long and my detective tendencies
Start me analyzing the profile,
Putting evidence together like a
Jigsaw puzzle. The emerging
Image isn’t always pretty which
Makes me question whether
Some pieces might be missing or
That’s it in all its contradictory
Glory. Bizarre as it may sound,
I really want you to be right, but
Can’t relax my guard untill my
Investigation of all the ways you
Could be wrong clears your name.
BUDDHISM 2014
The sins of this life, we pay for
In the next life, like karma is a
Credit card with a set limit to
How much forgiveness we can
Reasonably expect. Clear your
Balance of bad deeds in this
Lifetime and eventually you
Accumulate the bonus points
To transcend the karmic wheel
And buy into a timeshare in
Nirvana. But pass your limit
Too quickly and you’ll find
Your account overdrawn of
Grace, leaving you to a fate
Of paying back your debts to
Humanity while still human
(At least in appearance). All
This reveals why some can
Enjoy a spree of shockingly
Bad behavior and just smile
Like Mona Lisa, while others
Need only think a single bad
Thought and they’re promptly
Squashed like a bug under a
Bicycle. Splat: transcendence.
SILENCER
The national anthem asks, oh say,
Can you see? But some people
See more than they can say.
Like when I know I’ve been sold
Out – saying it aloud would only
Compound a painful absence of
Grace, so silence provides me my
Only solace. Wounds don’t need
Words or even sound to send a
Message, but if you see these
Soundless words, they’ll tell you
That what cuts even deeper than
Feeling sold out by you is the way
You can’t say you’re sorry. If you
Can’t say it, I can’t assume it.
ACCESS DENIED
Access denied because the
Password is some kind of
Family secret. What a fall
From lofty rank, like a big
Shot discovering he’s firing
Blanks. All thanks to the
Collective will of the herd,
Eager to hoof it for greener
Pastures and better friends,
While I fend for myself
Against coyotes. The herd
Heard rumors I know how
To download corrupt DNA
Into the deep end of your
Gene pool, making them
Panic for the sanctity of your
Bovine bloodline. Actually,
I was thinking one small
Small step at a time. What
Nerve of the herd not to
Investigate, just terminate
My access with no warning
Or farewell. If I’m outcast
So ingraciously, then may
It be coyotes instead who
Crack your sacred access
Code and bite you and your
Over-protective herd on
Your collective ass.
OVER-REACTION
Drop an atomic bomb on the mouse.
Oops, you took out the whole house –
Collateral damage. No, it’s not an
Over-reaction. We are the last bastion
Against the mice. It’s them or our
Civilization, like the Alamo defending
Us against Taco Bell.
IN MY OWN WEENIE WAY
It’s not exactly a new idea, some
Joker typing away trying to capture
A voice in his heard. They used to
Do it with pens. When the Marquis
De Sade got thrown in a French
Prison for writing blasphemy,
Pornography and politically
Insulting poetry and prose, they
Took away his pen just to be
Cruel but he continued to write
On the walls of his cell in his own
Blood and feces. This man had
Something to say. So do I, though
I’m just a weenie compared to the
Marquis. I don’t write to you in
Blood, but in my own weenie way,
Believe me, I’m bleeding.
SCRUTINY
Like a frog in biology class, I can
Feel scrutiny bearing down. You
Want to understand my mechanics
Like Japan always striving for a
Better radio. I better copyright
My consciousness, bottle up my
Lightning and sell in on special at
Rip Off Mart. You can buy Beatle
Wigs, Springsteen lunchboxes,
Rolling Stone dildos and Grateful
Dead bongs. Would you like to
Own my itch, or just brag you’ve
Got accurate data, made a factual
Analysis? Anal, yeah sis? I am of
No commercial or academic use.
I don’t even see why you like me
Unless your screws are tinny too.
MILESTONE
They left me to figure things
Out on my own, so I guess it’s
No surprise I soon deduced
What works for me. No one
Insisted I pursue a certain
Direction, so my process of
Self-becoming never involved
Pleasing anyone else. Left to
My own devices, of course I
Quickly intuited my vices of
Choice, but hopefully with a
Virtue or two as well here and
There. This self-reflection bit
Feels perilously close to self-
Promotion, but it’s another
Milestone so I’m supposed to
Tally up where I am and how
I got here. Ok, so where am I
And how did I get here? The
Answer is, I don’t really know,
Which I suppose is what I get
For watching the scenery
More than the signs.
UNCONVENTIONAL COUNSELING
(NOT TO MENTION UNSOLICITED)
When I say they live in the past,
I don’t mean it as an insult to
Their good intentions, but they
Were young in the ‘60s and ‘70s
And you’re young now. In their
Own way, they’re just trying to
Protect you, but some protection
If they force on you a partner
Who’ll beat you, cheat on you
And divorce you. Then what are
They going to do? Say it was your
Fault? Partner selection is a very
Personal thing, not just another
Community undertaking. You
Used to marry whole families
Together – that was all fine and
Good – but nowadays even
Families can’t guarantee if a
Particular pairing will soar like
High flying birds or crash like
A train off the tracks, and
Doesn’t staying together just
For the children’s sake sound
Like a benign form of torture?
Marry for serious love or don’t
Do it, I say, but everyone has to
Decide for themselves.
This photo caught me in a genuinely reflective moment in early June during a rather wonderful day of cross-dressing. I find I am still dealing with my cross-dressing and as the shutter closed I was suddenly in a moment of pure contentment because I was wearing full make-up, a wig, my entire body had been waxed and was smooth and hair free, I had plucked my eyebrows, I had false breasts, I was a wearing a bra and knickers, I was wearing a dress and high heel shoes, my nails were painted and I had attached clip on ear rings and dabbed on perfume. I suddenly found myself wondering about the whole thing, was I doing something wrong? Was I right to give into my desire to dress up as a woman? Why was I doing this? Many thoughts cascaded through my mind at this brief moment in time.
I describe myself as a transvestite and I like calling myself that. I find it gives me a thrill to realise I am a man that loves dressing up as a woman. In fact I think its an amazing thing to experience as a male. I enjoy all the effort and commitment required to try and look female. One of the big appeals is how far dare I push things to attempt to be feminine. As I'm not feminine it is a challenge for me and I'm drawn into it every time I cross-dress.
I'll be honest and admit I wish I was physically feminine and had smooth soft skin and a feminine face and physically smaller and slimmer, I would dearly love to be more feminine than masculine but I'm stuck with what I've got as I'm a man.
I enjoy living as a man the majority of the time but without warning the desire to be female can suddenly crash in and consume me and I could weep with the frustration of not being a woman. It's interesting as I feel I am definitely a transvestite, I like being an occasional cross-dressing male yet, I cannot deny at times the urge to be female is dominant and I desperately wish I was one. This overwhelming emotional desire can have me in its grip me for periods and I now know that eventually it diminishes and I get on with life as a man again. I feel there is an element of transsexualism within me as I do love being a woman when I dress up as one.
I am always aware though I am just dressing up and acting know matter how much effort I put into it, I'm still a man under the wig, make-up and dress. Funnily though, that very knowledge thrills and excites me, I genuinely like the idea I'm posing as a woman and it is all an illusion. Of course for me personally I have no real belief I succeed in my female illusion but I adore the experiences and gain a lot of reward from spending time in my female alter-ego. It works rather nicely on several levels for me, emotionally I love it, I enjoy the delight of having a shaved hair free body, I absolutely love wearing make-up...mascara, lipstick, eye-liner...ooh, such heaven! Having tucked genitals, false breasts and wearing lingerie and dresses and skirts is again such a delight and utterly wonderful and as for high heels, I just feel fabulous when I slip them on.
I know I look like a parody of a woman and not like a real woman but I do find an emotional comfort once I'm transformed to the best of my ability and I don't feel unsettled by my swapping gender in my head and acting more female. I've said it before but I would like to experience some time in the role of a woman. It may sound homosexual but I would like to be a female companion out for dinner or a wee drink with a man and I would play the part one hundred percent as a female. I'm not attracted to men at all but the desire to pass a woman and spend time as a female makes me feel such an experience would make my female illusion feel like it's working. It sounds harsh but the man would merely be a prop for my performance. I do see my Helene persona as more of a character acting performance as I ultimately know I live as a man. I've said many times I'm also frustrated actor at heart and the idea of playing a woman convincingly really holds great appeal and also the transsexual element within me feels at home with the scenario I outlined.
What I am attempting to to do, or more accurately become is an heterosexual woman. I know it's an act but I would love to play the role and see if I could carry it off convincingly. I would love to be referred to as 'she', 'her' and perceived as a lady...I would love it!
My biggest ambition is to one day master the ability of completely swapping gender and acting naturally as a woman. I can already do the man thing but I am intrigued to see if I can also be a woman when I become Helene. I lack the self belief just now and I am not that confident in my skills and abilities so much work is needed. I have been accused of being homosexual for expressing similar ambitions for my female persona in the past but I compare myself more to a straight male actor playing a gay man. In my case I'm a straight male playing a female character and I want to play the role realistically. I need to become the woman I am portraying to make the experience feel real to me.
There is of course a flip side to all of this as part of me says 'Really? Maybe you do have homosexual tendencies'. But really I don't quite feel that is correct for me. I just feel what I seek is when I'm a man then I'm a man but as I have an emotional need to feel I can be female now and again then it is natural that when I become a woman then I am a woman. Is it possible to be heterosexual in both genders when one of them, the female, is just an illusion because I'm really a man? I am excited by this as I believe one can be and the sheer daring and adventure of that is both thrilling and a personal challenge I'm attracted to exploring.
I do get frustrated by many in the transgender world being too simplistic and forcing things into black and white explanations, I think as transgender people things are very complex for us in many areas and this is not just about ones sexuality. For example the age old complaint of women can wear male clothing and nobody questions their choices but men cant wear women's clothes without being seen as odd does not quite hold water. When women wear male clothing they usually still look unmistakably like women, its rare they are perceived as being male. Also, they are not trying to look like men. However, when men dress in women's clothing we do take it a lot further as we wear make-up, wigs with female hair styles, add breasts and some of us shave our legs, chest and arms and tuck away our male genitals and wear female underwear...in short we are not just wearing female clothes in our case we are actually trying to look like women, it's quite a different approach to women wearing male clothing. There is a lot more going on in for cross-dressers than just clothes and make-up, we definitely take it emotionally and physically into different area, when we cross-dress many of us desire to look feminine and to look like women.
A friend recently asked me outright why I dressed up as a woman, it was curiosity not a hostile question. I found it was impossible to give him a simple answer as my own desire to seems to have several different motivations driving it. If I were simplistic about it I could say it's because I really enjoy it and I admit I really do! Yet within me are the things I described earlier in this musing and at its core I do have part of me that wishes I was indeed female yet the majority of my being likes my life as a man. I think it comes down to each of us who engage in transvestism has personal urges and desires and some are common but many are individual. I like dressing up and acting the part yet I know I would also like to be that women for real. Part of me believes I can be an heterosexual woman and when I am dressed as Helene I can talk reasonably comfortably about men and enjoy their attention. As I admitted I would be thrilled to actually play the role one hundred percent and be seen with a man and this leads onto what else would I do? Would I allow myself to be kissed? Would I have sex with a man? The reality I feel confident about it is I would not get intimate with a man as I'm married and loyal to my wife so it is unlikely anything I've outlined would ever happen. However, I like to question myself as I can delude myself and I ask if I were not in a relationship how far would I go? I do have a deep curiosity to see how much of a woman I can be and act as so maybe I would allow those kisses and enjoy flirting with a man. I will admit when I am dressed as a woman I am thrilled if a man desires me or finds me attractive as a woman. I cannot quite see that I really look female enough but it has happened and I was definitely thrilled by it.
I remember once, back in 2002, I hired a make-up artist to help me learn about applying make-up as I was keen to look good in make-up...ha! Some hope, I told you I was delusional. He told me once I was transformed into Helene that I was behaving like a man and very self conscious. I said something unconvincing in reply and he said look you've gone to all this effort so best become the female you are presenting as. He was right, I realised my own inhibitions and concerns were holding my female persona back, I needed to shake them off and move forward and embrace my female self. That meant I had to swap genders in my head and become a woman. That thought terrified me for my nearly a decade. It is only in the last few years I managed to attempt this and really this is thanks to a few years ago the tireless encouragement of Michele Bennet and in recent years the most wonderful support and encouragement ever from the lovely Pamela Lennon in Ireland that has revolutionised my mental attitude to cross-dressing and trying to fulfil my dreams. I owe those wonderful ladies a lot and I am still amazed they persisted with me. I confess I adore Pamela as she has enlightened me and been incredibly influential and has empowered me to true liberation as Helene. When others attacked me last year it was Pamela that supported me and never lost heart in encouraging my dream and rekindled my belief in Helene as I nearly gave up on my female self at one point.
Being a transvestite is an emotive experience and full of uncertainty and one can be a bit sensitive about things relating to it. It is a complex thing to live with and though it comes with incredible experiences, delights and joy it is for me always tinged with concerns, doubts and a high degree of guilt, fear and uncertainty, it's all part of the heady mix that goes with the knowledge and activity of being a transvestite.
I'm going do a series of photos with minifigs exploring the places I hike. First, they need a rig to get them there!
IMG_8749
Half an orb, this was is unfinished but I thought it looked quite Cool, Bob was doing the light effects on this one...
I can only reiterate that light painting is more fun when you go do it with somebody else !
Lina had cake and ice cream, she had a party. So Lissa decided as an extra special present, Lina would go do a photo shoot with some of her favourite models. It was the best day ever!! =)
Decided to dress everyone in red and was surprised to see how many red dresses I have!!
In Wetin You Go Do? 2015 Nigerian artist Otobong Nkanga integrates voice and sculpture to reflect on contemporary anxieties
Lyrics from Secrets by Onerepulic.
I really don't have much to say about today except
that it has been a long day, a very, very long day.
and I've been wanting to take a picture here for weeks and finally got around to doing it today.
SOOC except for the crop XD (I'm getting better at this!)
Secret Number Two: I have an obsession with A Great and Terrible Beauty, Harry Potter, and Wuthering Heights (Which I started for the fourth time today XD)
Several thousand are in comments.
And now I have to go do homework. =P
When flowing water...meets with obstacles on its path, a blockage in its journey, it pauses. It increases in volume and strength, filling up in front of the obstacle and eventually spilling past it...
Do not turn and run, for there is nowhere worthwhile for you to go. Do not attempt to push ahead into the danger... emulate the example of the water: Pause and build up your strength until the obstacle no longer represents a blockage.
~ Thomas Cleary, I Ching
Shot at Lusk Creek, Kananaskis Country (Alberta Rocky Mountains). Tons of giant dragonflies were whizzing about - a very beautiful spot for a summer picnic.
"And at the end of the day, there's always a disappointing football match."
But before then, there's a whole day to get through.
Neither of us had any ill effects from our jabs on Friday, sore arm notwithstanding. So it meant the day was all ours to do with what we wanted.
Saying that, Jools didn't feel well enough for churchcrawling, but hunter/gathering at Tesco was fine.
So, after coffee we drove to Whitfield and after filling the car with unleaded, we go to the store to buy stuff for the weekend, and the final things for Christmas, which means that we just have veg to get as everything else is either bought or ordered.
I buy a gift for the charity Christmas box, so that poor children will have something. I bought a Hey Dugee singing stick that the child will love and their parents will hate. Does this make me a bad or good person?
Maybe both.
Back home to pack the shopping away, have fruit for breakfast, followed by bacon butties and huge brews.
Although Tesco had most things, there was no fresh fruit other really than bananas, apples. And for the second week, bacon, especially smoked bacon was in very short supply.
But we dine well on our bacon butties, then, Jools confirmed she was not going out, so I could visit anywhere.
Within reason.
Well. Most churches in the area I wanted to visit or revisit I have done these past few weeks.
One I hadn't gone back to was Lydden. Its a small place, but its a short drive there, so could be a stopover on the way to somewhere else.
I go down Coldred Hill, then along to the church.
It was a glorious day, I mean no clouds, clean, sparking air, but cold and frosty.
The church was unlocked, cold by welcoming.
As expected, there wasn't much I hadn't recorded, and no glass to use the big lens on. So, I go round to recrod everything, then on to the next stop.
Bekesbourne.
I hadn't called the keyholder, but she only lives opposite the church, so not that much of a hassle to walk over the small bridge over the dry Nailbourne.
I reach the church, park outside and walk to the old palace.
I rang the bell. Dogs barked. A lot. But no one answered.
Another time, then.
Three miles along the Nailbourne is Littlebourne where the bournes changes its name to the Little Stour and flows all the time. There is a church there and I can't remember when I was there last.
I drive round the village, find the church on Church Street. Where else to keep your church?
Again, it was open, but having no real memory of this, it was good to go in again and take lots and lots of shots, mainly of the large number of Victorian windows.
Once done, I decide there were no other churches to be done that day, athough I go do Wingham and Ash again, there's plenty of other occasions to do those. But it was a ten minute drive from Preston, and I noticed during the week we were out of sausages, so decide to go in and see if they had any.
And good job I did, as they were down to a few bits and pieces, but had some venison and cranberry bangers, so I get five pounds. Also, they were selling of these very large chickens, perfect for the late Christmas dinner we're planning when Jen comes back on January 24th, so £15 gets that and it can go in the freezer.
By which time it was lunch. We have gingerbread, or mixed spice bread. Two large stars, so I pull of each point and dunk it in a coffee, so soft enough in the end.
And amazingly, football is back. In fact, below the Championship, it never stopped during the World Cup, the the Prem and Championship did, and Norwich were to play for the first time in a month, away at Swansea.
So I could watch the early game, Portugal v Morocco as well as follow Norwich.
Good news in both games, as Norwich scored in the first minute then hung on to claim all three points, and Morocco knocked out Portugal; Ronaldo, Pepe and all.
There were tears at the end. Bitter ones from Ron and tears of joy for the rest of us.
And then, France v England.
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The villages 13th century church, St Vincent of Saragossa, is thought to have been founded by the monks of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury and contains an ancient wall painting depicting Saint Christopher, patron saint of travellers. The church also has what is reckoned to be one of the finest collection of stained glass windows designed by Nathaniel Westlake in the country. Nathaniel Westlake was a leading designer of the Gothic Revival movement in England.
Work done in 1995 by experts from the V&A Museum established that he designed each of the windows over the long period of his work with the Company, thus giving an outstanding example of the development of his style.
The Church has a six-bell peal, the oldest bell dating back to 1597, the newest 1899.
www.littlebournebenefice.org.uk/littlebournechurchhistory...
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LOCATION: Situated at about 40 feet above O.D. on Head brickearth (over Upper Chalk). A little to the west of the river Little Stour. Littlebourne Court, originally belonging to St. Augustine’s Abbey, lies immediately to the north-west. Wickhambreaux and Ickham churches are not far away to the north and east.
DESCRIPTION: As with many North-East Kent churches, this church points south-east, and it is first documented in Domesday Book, with the eastern three-quarters of the nave of the present church presumably being, in part, of an early Norman date. The only visible evidence for the earliest structure, however, is outside the south-west corner of the nave. Here one can see reused Roman bricks, and the original steep slope of the very early 13th century south aisle (continuing the line of the nave roof). The nave must be earlier than this, so is at least 12th century in date. It is also worth noting the very rare dedication, to St Vincent.
The whole of the south arcade for the south aisle still survives in its very early 13th century form, with four pointed arches (that on the west is smaller). The arches have continuous flat
the piers themselves. All the dressings are in Caen stone.
Later in the 13th century a large new chancel was built, probably at about the time (c. 1245) when St Augustine’s Abbey were endowing the new vicarage there, after the appropriation. The chancel has four tall lancets on either side, and an eastern triplet which has internal shafting on the jambs, and deeply moulded rere-arches and hood-moulds. All the other lancets have plain rere-arches, and all the chancel windows sit internally on a filleted roll-moulding which steps up at the east end and runs under the triplet. There is a piscina on the south-east with a pointed arch (with hood) over it, and bar-stopped chamfers on the sides. On the north-west side of the chancel is a small doorway, which was restored in the 19th century. The chancel was fairly heavily restored on the outside in the 19th century (‘1865’ on one of the rain-water hoppers), but much of its original coursed whole flints are still visible, as well as some of the rows of putlog holes. The chancel also has a separate roof, with a west gable, but this was rebuilt completely in c. 1865.
At about the same time as the chancel was being rebuilt in the early to mid-15th century, a very plain tower was added at the west end (It is similar to the neighbouring tower at Ickham). This has a tall simple pointed arch (with flat chamfers and abaci) into the nave, and on the west is a simple pointed doorway with flat chamfers and a tall lancet above it. The tower is unbuttressed, and has four more wide restored lancets (one in each face) in the top (belfry) stage. Externally the tower has the remains of its original plastering over coursed flint with side-alternate Caenstone quoins. On top of the tower is a later medieval (14th/15th century) brooch spire (now covered in slates).
The tower was restored in 1899, and the bells were rehung in a new timber and cast iron frame. There are now six bells, dated 1597,1610, 1650 and three of 1899 (said to have been recast from two late medieval ones). Glynne tells us that there was an organ in a west gallery under the tower, but this was removed during the restoration. A shed (now 2 cloakrooms) was also added to the north side of the tower in c. 1899.
A small Lady Chapel may have been added to the north-east side of the nave in the later 13th century as shown by its two light trefoil-headed (with circular opening above) east window (it has an internal rere-arch). All other evidence for this above ground was removed by the early 14th and early 19th century re-buildings (see below). The Lady Chapel is first documented in the late 15th century, but most churches acquired a separate Lady Chapel in N.W. Kent in the 13th century.
In the early 14th century both the south and north aisles had their outer walls rebuilt. On the south this was a continuous heightening and rebuild for the full length of the nave (with the evidence for the earlier lean-to aisle surviving in the west wall, as shown above). There is however still a later 13th century lancet in the centre of the south wall, with a probable later 13th century south doorway next to it (though completely rebuilt externally in the 19th century). The other aisle windows are all, however, 2 - light early 14th century traceried windows, and the gables and separate pitched roof over the aisle is also perhaps 14th century (it is still hidden under a flat plaster ceiling). In the south aisle wall are some reused Reigate stone fragments, and the large later south buttress has Ragstone quoins and reused Reigate And Caenstone fragments (and heavy 19th century knapped flintwork). Some Purbeck marble is reused in the wall west of the south porch. This aisle also has a small square-topped piscina in its south-east corner, and a very small stoup just inside the door on the east.
Hasted tells us that ‘a few years ago the north isle fell down, when there were some curious paintings discovered by the breaking of the plaster from the walls. This aisle was immediately rebuilt’. It is however, clear from the present remains (and from the Petrie water-colour view), that the church was again rebuilt in the early 19th century, with the present flatish 4-bay crown/king post nave roof and lath and plaster ceiling. The two dormers on the south side of the nave roof are presumably of the same date as is the shallow-pitched shed-roof over the north aisle, and the wooden post and two semi-circular arches into the north aisle. On the north-west side of the nave one can see an infilled pointed arch (? of chalk) with abaci, suggesting that there was originally a 13th century 3-bay north aisle (and Lady Chapel). The scar for the south-west corner of this aisle which did not continue to the west end of the nave, is just visible, and the late 18th century collapse was clearly at the west end of this aisle, which was not rebuilt (the other aisle-wall window being reset in the nave wall). The north wall of the north aisle must have been rebuilt in the early 14th century with buttresses and new two-light traceried windows. There may have been a north door here.
Only the chancel was heavily restored in the later 19th century (1865) with a new south porch in 1896, replacing a brick one, according to Glynne. A porch is documented from at least 1505.
BUILDING MATERIALS: (Incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.):
The main local material is flint, and whole flints, in courses, are used for all the early work with dressings of Caenstone. Some Reigate stone is then used in the 13th century, with Kent Rag for the quoins in the early 14th century. There is also some reused Purbeck marble in the walls, and Bathstone is used for the late 19th century restorations. Hasted mentions ‘the remains of good painted glass’ in the chancel side lancets and ‘seven sacraments, etc. handsomely done, with rich borders’ in the eastern lancets, ‘but they have been some few years since removed’ (op. cit. below, p.155). Also he mentions armorial glass in the S.E. window of the south aisle, and other now-vanished glass is known from the church - see C.R. Councer (below).
EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH: None, but remains of medieval wall-painting on the north side of the nave, at the west end. Also a leger slab, with a small brass inscription in it, dated 1585, in front of the chancel arch. Also some early 19th century Benefaction boards on the west wall of the south aisle. Most of the furnishings in the church date from the restoration of 1864-4, or later.
CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Size & Shape: Large north-south rectangular area around church, with large extensions to north (20th century) and south (19th century).
Condition: Good
Building in churchyard or on boundary: Lych Gate of timber (1892) to the south. Very large c. early 14th century great barn of Littlebourne Court (172ft long) runs along west boundary of the churchyard.
Ecological potential: ? Yes. The burial under a ‘great palm’ (ie. Yew Tree) in the churchyard is mentioned in a will of 1542, and there are still some quite large Yews north of the church.
Late med. Status: Vicarage endowed in 1245 with a house, some tithes, etc. A chaplain had to be found to celebrate weekly in Garrington Chapel.
Patron: St. Augstine’s Abbey, Canterbury (and alienated to the Italian monastery of Monte Mirteto in Italy, 1224). In 1538 it went to the crown, and then on to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury in 1541.
Other documentary sources: Hasted IX (1800) , 155-8. There is much documentation in Thorne’s Chronicle and the ‘Black Book’ of St Augustine’s. Testamenta Cantiana (E. Kent, 1907), 196-8 mentions burial in the churchyard from 1473, the church porch (1501), various ‘lights’, the altar of Our Lady (1499+), reparation of the altars of St James and St Nicholas (1473), for paving between the chancel and the west door (1419).
SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS:
Inside present church: ? Good.
Outside present church: ? Good, though there is a large soil build-up around the church, and a brick-lined drainage gulley (up to 2ft deep) has been made all around the church.
RECENT DISTURBANCES/ALTERATIONS:
To structure: None, but chancel stalls brought from St Johns, Herne Bay in 1974, and organ in north aisle from Holy Cross, Canterbury in 1972.
To floors: Brick floor relaid at east end of S. aisle - Oct 1991.
Quinquennial inspection (date/architect): Feb. 1990 Maureen O’Connor.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
A Norman nave was given a lean-to south aisle and perhaps extended to the west in the very early 13th century, with a plain west tower being added soon after. The chancel was rebuilt (and greatly enlarged) in the mid 13th century, and there was probably also a Lady Chapel and nave north aisle by the later 13th century. The outer walls of the aisles were rebuilt in the early 14th century. A timber spire was also built. In the late 18th century the west end of the north aisle collapsed and this was rebuilt along with the nave roof, etc. again in the early 19th century. Chancel restored in 1865, and west tower in 1899 (with rehung bells). A new south porch was built in 1896.
The wider context: One of a group of churches belonging to St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury with major rebuildings in the 13th and early 14th centuries.
REFERENCES: S.R. Glynne, Notes of the Churches of Kent (1877), 167-8. (He visited in 1851). C.R. Councer, Lost Glass from Kent Churches ) (1980), 77-8.
Guide Book: None available in church, but see St Vincent’s Church, Littlebourne by Elizabeth Jeffries (1984) - very poor for architectural history.
Plans & drawings: Petrie early 19th cent. view from N.E., with continuous roof slope over nave and N. aisle.
DATES VISITED: 19th December 1996 REPORT BY: Tim Tatton-Brown
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/01/03/LIT.htm
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LITTLEBORNE
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Stodmarsh, taking its name from its situation close to the stream which bounds the eastern part of it, and at the same time to distinguish it from the other parishes of the name of Borne in the near neighbourhood of it.
There is but one borough in this parish, called the borough of Littleborne.
Littleborne extends to the skirt of the beautiful and healthy parts of East Kent, and verging farther from the large levels of marsh land which lie near the Stour, quits that gloomy aspect of ill health so prevalent near them, and here begins to assume one more cheerful, pleasant and healthy; and Twyne tells us, (fn. 1) that it was allotted by the abbot and convent of St. Augustine's, who possessed the manor, for the plantation of vines. The village is built on the high road leading from Canterbury to Sandwich and Deal, at the eastern boundary of the parish, adjoinining to the Little Stour, and consists of about forty houses. The church stands at a small distance from it, having the courtlodge close to it, with the parsonage at a small distance. This parish extends northward as far as the Stour, opposite to Westbere, in which part of it however, there is but a small quantity of marsh-land, near which is an estate called Higham, which antiently was owned by a family of that name. Above the hill, south-eastward from hence, there is a great deal of woodland, and among it a tract of heathy rough land, belonging to the archbishop, called Fishpool-downs, through which the road leads to Wickham. At the bottom of Fishpool hill is the valley called the Ponds, now entirely covered with wood, part of which is in this parish. The ponds were supplied from a spring called Arrianes well, probably for Adrian's well, and were of a considerable size and depth, made for the supply of the convent of St. Augustine, the owners of them, with fish for their refectory, the sides of them now equally thick with coppice wood, were antiently a vineyard. These woods continue from hence adjoining the high road towards the village in great quantities, much of which belongs to the archbishop, and are intermixed with a great deal of rough bushy ground. The lands in this parish are in general very poor and gravelly, but towards Wickham they are much more fertile both for corn and hops, of which there are several plantations. This parish extends across the river eastward towards the hill, and takes in great part of Lower Garwinton, and part of the house, and some little land of Upper Garwinton within it, which is entirely separated from the rest of it by the parish of Adisham intervening.
Polygonatum scalacæci, Solomon's seal; grows plentifully on Fishpool-hill in this parish.
A fair is held here on the 5th of July, for toys and pedlary.
In the year 690, Widred, king of Kent, gave to the monastery of St. Augustine, in pure and perpetual alms, five plough-lands called Litleborne, on condition of their remembring of him in their prayers and solemn masses. And in the year 1047, king Edward the Consessor gave another plough-land here, which consisted of the estates of Bourne, Dene, and Wiliyington, to archbishop Eadsin, free from all service, except. the trinoda necessitas, and he bestowed it on that monastery. After which the manor of Little borne continued in the possession of the abbey to the time of taking the survey of Domesday, in which it is thus entered under the general title of the land of the church of St. Augustine:
In Dunamesfort hundred, the abbot himself holds, Liteburne, which is taxed at seven sulings. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are three carucates, and thirty-five villeins, with fourteen cottagers having six and an half. There is a church, and thirtyeight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of four hogs. In the time of king Edward the Consessor it was worth twenty-five pounds, afterwards twenty pounds, now thirty-two pounds. Of this manor the bishop of Baieux has in his park, as much as is worth sixty shillings.
After this the abbot and convent's possessions here were increased by several gifts and purchases of different parcels of land. (fn. 2)
King Henry III. in his 54th year, granted to the abbot and convent free-warren in all their demesne lands of Littleborne, among others. In the 7th year of king Edward II.'s reign, anno 1313, in the iter of H. de Stanton and his sociates, justices itinerant, the abbot, upon a quo warranto, claimed and was allowed in this manor among others, free warren in all his demesne lands of it, and view of frank-pledge, and other liberties therein-mentioned, in like manner as has been already mentioned before, in the description of the manors of Sturry and Stodmarsh. (fn. 3) By a register of the monastery of about this time, it appears, that this manor had then in demesne the park of Trendesle. In the 10th year of king Edward III. Solomon de Ripple being custos, or bailiff of this manor, made many improvements here, and purchased more lands in it, all the buildings of it being in a manner wholly re-built and raised from the ground, with much cost, by him. In king Richard II.'s reign, the abbot's manor of Littleborne was valued at 23l. 8s. 6d. the admeasurement of the lands being 505 acres. After which this manor continued with the monastery till its dissolution, anno 30 Henry VIII. when it came into the king's hands, and remained in the crown till king Edward VI. in his 1st year, granted the manor and manor-house, with all lands and appurtenances, and a water-mill lately belonging to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, to the archbishop, among other premises, in exchange for the manor of Mayfield, &c. parcel of the possessions of whose see it still remains, the archbishop being the present owner of it. The manor, with the profits of courts, royalties, &c. the archbishop keeps in his own hands; but the demesnes have been from time to time demised on a beneficial lease. The family of Denne have been for more than a century lessees of it, who now reside in the court-lodge.
On the abolition of episcopacy, after the death of king Charles I. this manor was sold by the state to Sir John Roberts and John Cogan, the latter of whom, by his will in 1657, gave his moiety of it to the mayor and aldermen of Canterbury, for the benefit of six poor ministers widows (for whose use he had at the same time demised his dwelling-house in Canterbury, now called Cogan's hospital. But the manor of Littleborne, on the restoration in 1660, returned again to the see of Canterbury.
The manor of Wolton, alias Walton, lies in the southern part of this parish, adjoining to the precinct of Well, and was antiently possessed by a family who took their name from it, one of whom, John, son of John de Wolton, held it at the latter end of king Henry III.'s reign. But this family became extinct here before the reign of king Edward III. in the 20th year of which, Roger de Garwinton held it by knight's service, (fn. 4) in whose descendants it continued till it passed into the family of Petit, of Shalmsford, who held it of the abbot of St. Augustine's by the like service, in which name and family it continued till it was at length alienated to Sir Henry Palmer, of Bekesborne, whose descendant of the same name passed it away by sale to Sir Robert Hales, of Bekesborne, in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Philip Hales, bart. of Howlets, who in 1787 alienated this manor to Isaac Baugh, esq. of Well, the present owner of it.
Wingate, alias Lower Garwington, in a manor, which lies on the other or eastern side of the river, adjoining to Ickham, taking the former of those names from a family, who were owners of it in Henry III.'s reign, and held it by knight's service of the abbot and convent of St. Augustine. In which reign Simon de Wingate held it as above-mentioned, but before the 20th year of King Edward III. this name was extinct here, and Thomas de Garwinton then held this estate, lying in Wingate, held of the abbot by the like tenure. (fn. 5) In the descendants of Thomas de Garwington, who resided at their mansion and manor, since called Upper Garwinton, adjoining to it, seems to have continued some time, and from them, as well as to distinguish it from that, to have taken the name of Wingate, alias Lower Garwinton. After this family had quitted the possession of it, the Clyffords appear from different records to have become owners of it, and after them the Sandfords, and it appears by the escheat rolls, that Humphrey Sandford died possessed of it in the 14th year of king Henry VII. and that Thomas Sandford was his son and heir. After which it came into the hands of the crown, for king Henry VIII. in his 30th year, granted the manors of Wingate and Garwinton to Sir Christopher Hales, then master of the rolls. He left three daughters his coheirs, who became jointly, entitled to it, and on the division of their estates it was allotted to the youngest daughter Mary, who entitled her husband Alexander Colepeper, esq. to it, in which name it continued till the 22d of queen Elizabeth, when it was passed away by sale to Thomas Fane, esq. whose son Francis, earl of Westmoreland, sold it to William Prude, alias Proude, esq. who being a lieutenant-colonel in the army, was slain at the siege of Maestricht in 1632, having devised this estate in tail male to his eldest surviving son Serles Prude, who died in 1642, leaving only two daughters his coheirs, upon which it came to his next brother William, who left an only daughter Dorothy, and she, the entail being barred, carried it first in marriage to Nethersole, by whom she had no issue, and secondly to Christopher May, esq. of Rawmere, in Suffex, whose only daughter and heir Anne, entitled her husband William Broadnax, esq. of Godmersham, to the possession of it. His son Thomas Changed his name, first to May and then to Knight, and died possessed of this manor in 1781, leaving an only son Thomas Knight, esq. of Godmersham, who in the year 1785 exchanged it for other lands in Crundal with Thomas Barret, esq. of Lee, the present owner of it.
Upper Garwinton is a manor, which lies adjoining to that last-described, southward, at the boundary of this parish, next to Adisham, in which parish part of the mansion of it stands, being written in the survery of Domesday, Warwintone, one of the many instances in that book of the mistakes of the Norman scribes. It was, after the conquest, parcel of those possessions with which the Conqueror enriched his half-brother Odo, the great bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, and was exchanged by him for other lands with the abbot of St. Augustine's, accordingly it is thus entered in that record, under the general title of the land of the church of St. Augustine:
The abbot himself holds Warwintone, and the bishop of Baieux gave it to him in exchange of his park. It was taxed at half a suling and forty-two acres of land. The arable land is one carucate, and there is in demesne, with three cottagers, and sixteen acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth four pounds, and afterwards forty shillings, now four pounds. This manor Edric de Sbern Biga held, and now Radulf holds it of the abbot.
Whether this description extended to the last-described manor of Wingate, is uncertain, though most probably, as both were held of the abbot by knight's service, it was comprehended in it. However that may be, this manor of Garwintone, called as above, erroneously, in Domesday, Warwintone, was held of the abbot by a family who took their surname from it; one of whom, Richard de Garwynton, resided here at the latter end of king Henry II.'s reign, and had a chapel at his mansion here; and in 1194, the abbot granted to him and his heirs, to have the divine office celebrated for three days in a week in this chapel by the priest of Littleborne. (fn. 6) His descendant Thomas Garwinton was possessed of this manor and several other estates in this part of the county, in the 20th year of king Edward III. whose great-grandson William Garwynton dying S. P. Joane his kinswoman, married to Richard Haut, was anno II Henry IV. found to be his heir not only to this manor, but to much other lands in these parts, and their son Richard Haut having an only daughter and heir Margery, she carried this manor in marriage to William Isaac, esq. of Patrixborne, whose descendant Edward Isaac, at his death, gave this manor to his two daughter by his second wife, viz. Mary, married to Thomas Appleton, esq. of Suffolk, and Margaret, to John Jermye, second son of Sir John Jermye, of the same county, and they seem to have shared this manor between them. Thomas Appleton sold his share afterwards to Anthony Parker, who with Isaac Jermye, eldest son of John above-mentioned, joined in the sale of the entire see of it to Sir Henry Palmer, of Howlets, and he by his will in 1611, devised it to his nephew John Goodwyn, whose heirs some time afterwards passed it away by sale to George Curteis, esq. afterwards knighted, and of Otterden, and he alienated it to Sir Robert Hales, of Bekesborne, in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Philip Hales, bart. of Howlets, who in 1787, passed it away by sale to Isaac Baugh, esq. the present owner of it.
Charities.
John Dorrante, of Bekesborne, yeoman, in 1560, gave by will, to discharge the poor from the assessments of the church, the overplus to be paid to the most antient poor of the parish, the sum of 3s, 6d. on Palm Sunday and the Monday before Penticost; and 21s. 6d. on Christmas-day yearly, out of the house and lands called Church-house, now vested in Mr. Peter Inge.
Henry Sloyden, of Wickhambreaux, in 1568, gave by will to the poor of this parish and of Wickham, six acres and a half of land, called Church-close, to be divided between them yearly, now of the annual produce of 3l. 9s. 9d.
Sir Henry Palmer, by his will in 1611, gave 10s. to be paid yearly out of his manor of Welle, for the use of the poor.
James Franklyn, by will in 1616, gave to the parishes of Littleborne, Chistlet, and Hoathe, in Reculver, 5l. each, to be employed in a stock for the poor. This 5l. is now increased to 11l. this interest of which being 8s. 93frac34;d. is distributed among the poor in general.
Valentine Norton, gent. by his will, was a benefactor to the poor; but there are no particulars further known of it.
The poor constantly relieved are about fifty, casually thirtyfive.
This parish is within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Vincent, consists of three isles and a chancel, having at the west end a low pointed steeple, in which hang five bells. The church is kept very neat. It is a good sized building, and is handsomely ceiled. The chancel is lostly, and has four narrow lancet windows on each side, and three at the end; in the former are the remains of good painted glass, and in the latter some years ago were the seven sacraments, &c. very handsomely done, with rich borders, but they have been some few years since removed. In it is a memorial for George I'anns, curate, obt. 1699. In the middle isle are several memorials for the family of Denne, for many descents lessees of the court-lodge, and descended from those of Dennehill, in Kingston, In the south-east window of the south isle is a saint holding a shield of arms, in front, Gules, three cocks, argent, being the arms of Bunington, on the lest side a moon, on the right a sun, all very well done; and there were formerly in one of the windows, the arms of Higham, argent, a lion passant regardant, between six cross-croslets fitchee, sable, impaling Gallaway, ermine, three lozenges, gules. A few years ago the north isle fell down, when there were some curious paintings discovered, by the breaking of the plaister from the walls. This isle was immediately rebuilt. In the church-yard, at the north-west part of it, are several tombs and head stones of the family of Denne before- mentioned.
¶The church of Littleborne was antiently appendant to the manor, part of the possessions of the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, and continued so till the year 1224, when Robert de Bello being chosen abbot, and finding much difficulty in obtaining the pope's benediction, to facilitate it, gave this church to the monastery of St. Mary de Monte Mirteto, in Italy, to which the pope, in 1241, appropriated it. Immediately after which, this parsonage, so appropriated, was demised to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, in perpetual ferme, at the clear yearly sum of thirty marcs. (fn. 7) Four years after which, anno 1245, archbishop Stratford endowed the vicarage of it, the advowson of which was reserved to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, when he decreed, that the vicarage should be endowed with a mansion, the tithes of filva cæ dua, of hay, and in three acres of arable, one acre of meadow, and in the receipt of three marcs and an half in money from the religious yearly, and in the tithes of flax, hemp, ducks, calves, pigeons, bees, milk, milkmeats, mills, wool, pigs, and in all oblations and other small tithes belonging to the church; and that the vicar should serve the church in divine rites, and find one chaplain to celebrate weekly in the chapel of Garwyntone, and to find bread, wine, and tapers, for celebrating divine rites in the church. Which endowment was afterwards, in 1370, certified by inspeximus, by archbishop Wittlesey. In which state this church and advowson remained till the final dissolution of the abbey of St. Augustine, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when they came into the king's hands, and the king, in his 33d year, settled both, by his dotation-charter, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Canterbury, with whom they continue at this time. The parsonage has been from time to time let on a beneficial lease, Mr. Thomas Holness being the present lessee of it, but the advowson of the vicarage the dean and chapter retain in their own hands.
The vicarage of Littleborne is valued in the king's books at 7l. 19s. 10d. but the yearly tenths taken are sixteen shillings, the sum total being erroneonsly cast up in the king's books at eight pounds. The antient pension of 3l. 17s. 4d. from the abbey of St. Augustine's, is yearly received by the vicar out of the exchequer; the demesne lands of the court-lodge pay no greattithes, and the archbishop's woods in his own occupation pay none. In 1588 here were one hundred and fifty communicants; in 1640 the same, when it was valued at thirty-five pounds. It has been augmented by the dean and chapter with fifty pounds per annum.
The chapel of Lukedale, in the precinct of Well, was once esteemed as within the bounds of this parish, of which more may be seen herefter, under Ickham, to which parish Well is now annexed.
September 7, 2011
I can officially say that I've experienced (black and white) film development. AH. You have no idea how excited I am about this... THIS is why I'm taking a course on photography. THIS is the reason. I know I'm a dork for proclaiming this but I couldn't care any less.
First off, the photos on the roll of film are not good. They are boring and have stupid subjects and hold no meaning and are just dumb. I kind of intentionally didn't put thought into the photos because I was half expecting them to turn out terribly.
But they didn't. Every single one of them came out! There were like 4 times where the camera screwed up on me, so I had to either take a photo of nothing (not knowing what that nothing was) or had to open the back up in the bathroom with the slightest bit of light to make sure the film was still on track.
I got back home from church tonight and made a mini-lightbox out of my desk lamp and some paper. Obviously it looked a little strange but I couldn't wait. I'm in love.
Anyhoo, I'm extremely excited about the fact that it was a success. And so excited about the printing that I think I'm going to go do that tomorrow instead of waiting until later this weekend. :).
Now that my rant is finished....
THIS BRINGS ME TO A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.
I want your input, and it would mean a lot to me if you would tell me your thoughts on the situation. Especially if you are a close contact of mine.
Here's the situation... because I am in this photography course this semester, part of the courses requirements have to do with social posts via Flickr and Twitter. Now, Twitter I don't mind just sharing my regular name and using the hashtag for the class when I want to, and not using it when I don't want to. But that brings us to Flickr...
Some of you may have noticed that I uploaded 5? cell phone photos onto my account today. Those were for my class. And it is a requirement that it be done via a cell phone and not my lovely T3i (sad panda, right?!).
I'm torn because I don't want to start a new Flickr account. Yes, they are free - but I already have one that I'm on ALL the time, and the hassle of signing in and out and in and out is just... blah...
On the other hand.... I don't really want cell phone photos on my stream. The fact that they are so low quality and uncontrollable bothers me. And putting it next to my ACTUAL photos kind of makes me gag a little. I use this Flickr as a portfolio of some sorts, it holds my most prized photos (and some not so prized ones... but you all can't see the crappy 365 photos anymore). It also has served as something for people to see when they inquire about hiring me for doing a shoot...
So my questions...
Do you think I should start a new Flickr for class purposes only?
If I didn't, would you mind seeing cell-phone-quality photos being vaguely uploaded occasionally?
What are your thoughts?
Just let me know what I should do because I keep going back and fourth.
Also: Adding the professor as a friend or whatever so just they could see the neccesary photos isn't an option.
SOOC.
Polaroid Go
Polaroid Go Film
I don’t take many photos of Buddy. Sometimes he’ll just lay there and humor me and other times, he just keeps moving restlessly. He’s an old dog, exact age unknown. Found him abandoned in the bottoms one evening and we brought him home. That was over a year ago. But the night we put the tree up, he laid down underneath it. So I grabbed the glasses and put them on him and snapped a shot. Not often I pick up a Polaroid lately of any kind because I miss my SLR 680. But the GO does alright in a pinch. Giving me some ideas to try with it.
"And at the end of the day, there's always a disappointing football match."
But before then, there's a whole day to get through.
Neither of us had any ill effects from our jabs on Friday, sore arm notwithstanding. So it meant the day was all ours to do with what we wanted.
Saying that, Jools didn't feel well enough for churchcrawling, but hunter/gathering at Tesco was fine.
So, after coffee we drove to Whitfield and after filling the car with unleaded, we go to the store to buy stuff for the weekend, and the final things for Christmas, which means that we just have veg to get as everything else is either bought or ordered.
I buy a gift for the charity Christmas box, so that poor children will have something. I bought a Hey Dugee singing stick that the child will love and their parents will hate. Does this make me a bad or good person?
Maybe both.
Back home to pack the shopping away, have fruit for breakfast, followed by bacon butties and huge brews.
Although Tesco had most things, there was no fresh fruit other really than bananas, apples. And for the second week, bacon, especially smoked bacon was in very short supply.
But we dine well on our bacon butties, then, Jools confirmed she was not going out, so I could visit anywhere.
Within reason.
Well. Most churches in the area I wanted to visit or revisit I have done these past few weeks.
One I hadn't gone back to was Lydden. Its a small place, but its a short drive there, so could be a stopover on the way to somewhere else.
I go down Coldred Hill, then along to the church.
It was a glorious day, I mean no clouds, clean, sparking air, but cold and frosty.
The church was unlocked, cold by welcoming.
As expected, there wasn't much I hadn't recorded, and no glass to use the big lens on. So, I go round to recrod everything, then on to the next stop.
Bekesbourne.
I hadn't called the keyholder, but she only lives opposite the church, so not that much of a hassle to walk over the small bridge over the dry Nailbourne.
I reach the church, park outside and walk to the old palace.
I rang the bell. Dogs barked. A lot. But no one answered.
Another time, then.
Three miles along the Nailbourne is Littlebourne where the bournes changes its name to the Little Stour and flows all the time. There is a church there and I can't remember when I was there last.
I drive round the village, find the church on Church Street. Where else to keep your church?
Again, it was open, but having no real memory of this, it was good to go in again and take lots and lots of shots, mainly of the large number of Victorian windows.
Once done, I decide there were no other churches to be done that day, athough I go do Wingham and Ash again, there's plenty of other occasions to do those. But it was a ten minute drive from Preston, and I noticed during the week we were out of sausages, so decide to go in and see if they had any.
And good job I did, as they were down to a few bits and pieces, but had some venison and cranberry bangers, so I get five pounds. Also, they were selling of these very large chickens, perfect for the late Christmas dinner we're planning when Jen comes back on January 24th, so £15 gets that and it can go in the freezer.
By which time it was lunch. We have gingerbread, or mixed spice bread. Two large stars, so I pull of each point and dunk it in a coffee, so soft enough in the end.
And amazingly, football is back. In fact, below the Championship, it never stopped during the World Cup, the the Prem and Championship did, and Norwich were to play for the first time in a month, away at Swansea.
So I could watch the early game, Portugal v Morocco as well as follow Norwich.
Good news in both games, as Norwich scored in the first minute then hung on to claim all three points, and Morocco knocked out Portugal; Ronaldo, Pepe and all.
There were tears at the end. Bitter ones from Ron and tears of joy for the rest of us.
And then, France v England.
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The villages 13th century church, St Vincent of Saragossa, is thought to have been founded by the monks of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury and contains an ancient wall painting depicting Saint Christopher, patron saint of travellers. The church also has what is reckoned to be one of the finest collection of stained glass windows designed by Nathaniel Westlake in the country. Nathaniel Westlake was a leading designer of the Gothic Revival movement in England.
Work done in 1995 by experts from the V&A Museum established that he designed each of the windows over the long period of his work with the Company, thus giving an outstanding example of the development of his style.
The Church has a six-bell peal, the oldest bell dating back to 1597, the newest 1899.
www.littlebournebenefice.org.uk/littlebournechurchhistory...
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LOCATION: Situated at about 40 feet above O.D. on Head brickearth (over Upper Chalk). A little to the west of the river Little Stour. Littlebourne Court, originally belonging to St. Augustine’s Abbey, lies immediately to the north-west. Wickhambreaux and Ickham churches are not far away to the north and east.
DESCRIPTION: As with many North-East Kent churches, this church points south-east, and it is first documented in Domesday Book, with the eastern three-quarters of the nave of the present church presumably being, in part, of an early Norman date. The only visible evidence for the earliest structure, however, is outside the south-west corner of the nave. Here one can see reused Roman bricks, and the original steep slope of the very early 13th century south aisle (continuing the line of the nave roof). The nave must be earlier than this, so is at least 12th century in date. It is also worth noting the very rare dedication, to St Vincent.
The whole of the south arcade for the south aisle still survives in its very early 13th century form, with four pointed arches (that on the west is smaller). The arches have continuous flat
the piers themselves. All the dressings are in Caen stone.
Later in the 13th century a large new chancel was built, probably at about the time (c. 1245) when St Augustine’s Abbey were endowing the new vicarage there, after the appropriation. The chancel has four tall lancets on either side, and an eastern triplet which has internal shafting on the jambs, and deeply moulded rere-arches and hood-moulds. All the other lancets have plain rere-arches, and all the chancel windows sit internally on a filleted roll-moulding which steps up at the east end and runs under the triplet. There is a piscina on the south-east with a pointed arch (with hood) over it, and bar-stopped chamfers on the sides. On the north-west side of the chancel is a small doorway, which was restored in the 19th century. The chancel was fairly heavily restored on the outside in the 19th century (‘1865’ on one of the rain-water hoppers), but much of its original coursed whole flints are still visible, as well as some of the rows of putlog holes. The chancel also has a separate roof, with a west gable, but this was rebuilt completely in c. 1865.
At about the same time as the chancel was being rebuilt in the early to mid-15th century, a very plain tower was added at the west end (It is similar to the neighbouring tower at Ickham). This has a tall simple pointed arch (with flat chamfers and abaci) into the nave, and on the west is a simple pointed doorway with flat chamfers and a tall lancet above it. The tower is unbuttressed, and has four more wide restored lancets (one in each face) in the top (belfry) stage. Externally the tower has the remains of its original plastering over coursed flint with side-alternate Caenstone quoins. On top of the tower is a later medieval (14th/15th century) brooch spire (now covered in slates).
The tower was restored in 1899, and the bells were rehung in a new timber and cast iron frame. There are now six bells, dated 1597,1610, 1650 and three of 1899 (said to have been recast from two late medieval ones). Glynne tells us that there was an organ in a west gallery under the tower, but this was removed during the restoration. A shed (now 2 cloakrooms) was also added to the north side of the tower in c. 1899.
A small Lady Chapel may have been added to the north-east side of the nave in the later 13th century as shown by its two light trefoil-headed (with circular opening above) east window (it has an internal rere-arch). All other evidence for this above ground was removed by the early 14th and early 19th century re-buildings (see below). The Lady Chapel is first documented in the late 15th century, but most churches acquired a separate Lady Chapel in N.W. Kent in the 13th century.
In the early 14th century both the south and north aisles had their outer walls rebuilt. On the south this was a continuous heightening and rebuild for the full length of the nave (with the evidence for the earlier lean-to aisle surviving in the west wall, as shown above). There is however still a later 13th century lancet in the centre of the south wall, with a probable later 13th century south doorway next to it (though completely rebuilt externally in the 19th century). The other aisle windows are all, however, 2 - light early 14th century traceried windows, and the gables and separate pitched roof over the aisle is also perhaps 14th century (it is still hidden under a flat plaster ceiling). In the south aisle wall are some reused Reigate stone fragments, and the large later south buttress has Ragstone quoins and reused Reigate And Caenstone fragments (and heavy 19th century knapped flintwork). Some Purbeck marble is reused in the wall west of the south porch. This aisle also has a small square-topped piscina in its south-east corner, and a very small stoup just inside the door on the east.
Hasted tells us that ‘a few years ago the north isle fell down, when there were some curious paintings discovered by the breaking of the plaster from the walls. This aisle was immediately rebuilt’. It is however, clear from the present remains (and from the Petrie water-colour view), that the church was again rebuilt in the early 19th century, with the present flatish 4-bay crown/king post nave roof and lath and plaster ceiling. The two dormers on the south side of the nave roof are presumably of the same date as is the shallow-pitched shed-roof over the north aisle, and the wooden post and two semi-circular arches into the north aisle. On the north-west side of the nave one can see an infilled pointed arch (? of chalk) with abaci, suggesting that there was originally a 13th century 3-bay north aisle (and Lady Chapel). The scar for the south-west corner of this aisle which did not continue to the west end of the nave, is just visible, and the late 18th century collapse was clearly at the west end of this aisle, which was not rebuilt (the other aisle-wall window being reset in the nave wall). The north wall of the north aisle must have been rebuilt in the early 14th century with buttresses and new two-light traceried windows. There may have been a north door here.
Only the chancel was heavily restored in the later 19th century (1865) with a new south porch in 1896, replacing a brick one, according to Glynne. A porch is documented from at least 1505.
BUILDING MATERIALS: (Incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.):
The main local material is flint, and whole flints, in courses, are used for all the early work with dressings of Caenstone. Some Reigate stone is then used in the 13th century, with Kent Rag for the quoins in the early 14th century. There is also some reused Purbeck marble in the walls, and Bathstone is used for the late 19th century restorations. Hasted mentions ‘the remains of good painted glass’ in the chancel side lancets and ‘seven sacraments, etc. handsomely done, with rich borders’ in the eastern lancets, ‘but they have been some few years since removed’ (op. cit. below, p.155). Also he mentions armorial glass in the S.E. window of the south aisle, and other now-vanished glass is known from the church - see C.R. Councer (below).
EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH: None, but remains of medieval wall-painting on the north side of the nave, at the west end. Also a leger slab, with a small brass inscription in it, dated 1585, in front of the chancel arch. Also some early 19th century Benefaction boards on the west wall of the south aisle. Most of the furnishings in the church date from the restoration of 1864-4, or later.
CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Size & Shape: Large north-south rectangular area around church, with large extensions to north (20th century) and south (19th century).
Condition: Good
Building in churchyard or on boundary: Lych Gate of timber (1892) to the south. Very large c. early 14th century great barn of Littlebourne Court (172ft long) runs along west boundary of the churchyard.
Ecological potential: ? Yes. The burial under a ‘great palm’ (ie. Yew Tree) in the churchyard is mentioned in a will of 1542, and there are still some quite large Yews north of the church.
Late med. Status: Vicarage endowed in 1245 with a house, some tithes, etc. A chaplain had to be found to celebrate weekly in Garrington Chapel.
Patron: St. Augstine’s Abbey, Canterbury (and alienated to the Italian monastery of Monte Mirteto in Italy, 1224). In 1538 it went to the crown, and then on to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury in 1541.
Other documentary sources: Hasted IX (1800) , 155-8. There is much documentation in Thorne’s Chronicle and the ‘Black Book’ of St Augustine’s. Testamenta Cantiana (E. Kent, 1907), 196-8 mentions burial in the churchyard from 1473, the church porch (1501), various ‘lights’, the altar of Our Lady (1499+), reparation of the altars of St James and St Nicholas (1473), for paving between the chancel and the west door (1419).
SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS:
Inside present church: ? Good.
Outside present church: ? Good, though there is a large soil build-up around the church, and a brick-lined drainage gulley (up to 2ft deep) has been made all around the church.
RECENT DISTURBANCES/ALTERATIONS:
To structure: None, but chancel stalls brought from St Johns, Herne Bay in 1974, and organ in north aisle from Holy Cross, Canterbury in 1972.
To floors: Brick floor relaid at east end of S. aisle - Oct 1991.
Quinquennial inspection (date/architect): Feb. 1990 Maureen O’Connor.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
A Norman nave was given a lean-to south aisle and perhaps extended to the west in the very early 13th century, with a plain west tower being added soon after. The chancel was rebuilt (and greatly enlarged) in the mid 13th century, and there was probably also a Lady Chapel and nave north aisle by the later 13th century. The outer walls of the aisles were rebuilt in the early 14th century. A timber spire was also built. In the late 18th century the west end of the north aisle collapsed and this was rebuilt along with the nave roof, etc. again in the early 19th century. Chancel restored in 1865, and west tower in 1899 (with rehung bells). A new south porch was built in 1896.
The wider context: One of a group of churches belonging to St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury with major rebuildings in the 13th and early 14th centuries.
REFERENCES: S.R. Glynne, Notes of the Churches of Kent (1877), 167-8. (He visited in 1851). C.R. Councer, Lost Glass from Kent Churches ) (1980), 77-8.
Guide Book: None available in church, but see St Vincent’s Church, Littlebourne by Elizabeth Jeffries (1984) - very poor for architectural history.
Plans & drawings: Petrie early 19th cent. view from N.E., with continuous roof slope over nave and N. aisle.
DATES VISITED: 19th December 1996 REPORT BY: Tim Tatton-Brown
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/01/03/LIT.htm
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LITTLEBORNE
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Stodmarsh, taking its name from its situation close to the stream which bounds the eastern part of it, and at the same time to distinguish it from the other parishes of the name of Borne in the near neighbourhood of it.
There is but one borough in this parish, called the borough of Littleborne.
Littleborne extends to the skirt of the beautiful and healthy parts of East Kent, and verging farther from the large levels of marsh land which lie near the Stour, quits that gloomy aspect of ill health so prevalent near them, and here begins to assume one more cheerful, pleasant and healthy; and Twyne tells us, (fn. 1) that it was allotted by the abbot and convent of St. Augustine's, who possessed the manor, for the plantation of vines. The village is built on the high road leading from Canterbury to Sandwich and Deal, at the eastern boundary of the parish, adjoinining to the Little Stour, and consists of about forty houses. The church stands at a small distance from it, having the courtlodge close to it, with the parsonage at a small distance. This parish extends northward as far as the Stour, opposite to Westbere, in which part of it however, there is but a small quantity of marsh-land, near which is an estate called Higham, which antiently was owned by a family of that name. Above the hill, south-eastward from hence, there is a great deal of woodland, and among it a tract of heathy rough land, belonging to the archbishop, called Fishpool-downs, through which the road leads to Wickham. At the bottom of Fishpool hill is the valley called the Ponds, now entirely covered with wood, part of which is in this parish. The ponds were supplied from a spring called Arrianes well, probably for Adrian's well, and were of a considerable size and depth, made for the supply of the convent of St. Augustine, the owners of them, with fish for their refectory, the sides of them now equally thick with coppice wood, were antiently a vineyard. These woods continue from hence adjoining the high road towards the village in great quantities, much of which belongs to the archbishop, and are intermixed with a great deal of rough bushy ground. The lands in this parish are in general very poor and gravelly, but towards Wickham they are much more fertile both for corn and hops, of which there are several plantations. This parish extends across the river eastward towards the hill, and takes in great part of Lower Garwinton, and part of the house, and some little land of Upper Garwinton within it, which is entirely separated from the rest of it by the parish of Adisham intervening.
Polygonatum scalacæci, Solomon's seal; grows plentifully on Fishpool-hill in this parish.
A fair is held here on the 5th of July, for toys and pedlary.
In the year 690, Widred, king of Kent, gave to the monastery of St. Augustine, in pure and perpetual alms, five plough-lands called Litleborne, on condition of their remembring of him in their prayers and solemn masses. And in the year 1047, king Edward the Consessor gave another plough-land here, which consisted of the estates of Bourne, Dene, and Wiliyington, to archbishop Eadsin, free from all service, except. the trinoda necessitas, and he bestowed it on that monastery. After which the manor of Little borne continued in the possession of the abbey to the time of taking the survey of Domesday, in which it is thus entered under the general title of the land of the church of St. Augustine:
In Dunamesfort hundred, the abbot himself holds, Liteburne, which is taxed at seven sulings. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are three carucates, and thirty-five villeins, with fourteen cottagers having six and an half. There is a church, and thirtyeight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of four hogs. In the time of king Edward the Consessor it was worth twenty-five pounds, afterwards twenty pounds, now thirty-two pounds. Of this manor the bishop of Baieux has in his park, as much as is worth sixty shillings.
After this the abbot and convent's possessions here were increased by several gifts and purchases of different parcels of land. (fn. 2)
King Henry III. in his 54th year, granted to the abbot and convent free-warren in all their demesne lands of Littleborne, among others. In the 7th year of king Edward II.'s reign, anno 1313, in the iter of H. de Stanton and his sociates, justices itinerant, the abbot, upon a quo warranto, claimed and was allowed in this manor among others, free warren in all his demesne lands of it, and view of frank-pledge, and other liberties therein-mentioned, in like manner as has been already mentioned before, in the description of the manors of Sturry and Stodmarsh. (fn. 3) By a register of the monastery of about this time, it appears, that this manor had then in demesne the park of Trendesle. In the 10th year of king Edward III. Solomon de Ripple being custos, or bailiff of this manor, made many improvements here, and purchased more lands in it, all the buildings of it being in a manner wholly re-built and raised from the ground, with much cost, by him. In king Richard II.'s reign, the abbot's manor of Littleborne was valued at 23l. 8s. 6d. the admeasurement of the lands being 505 acres. After which this manor continued with the monastery till its dissolution, anno 30 Henry VIII. when it came into the king's hands, and remained in the crown till king Edward VI. in his 1st year, granted the manor and manor-house, with all lands and appurtenances, and a water-mill lately belonging to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, to the archbishop, among other premises, in exchange for the manor of Mayfield, &c. parcel of the possessions of whose see it still remains, the archbishop being the present owner of it. The manor, with the profits of courts, royalties, &c. the archbishop keeps in his own hands; but the demesnes have been from time to time demised on a beneficial lease. The family of Denne have been for more than a century lessees of it, who now reside in the court-lodge.
On the abolition of episcopacy, after the death of king Charles I. this manor was sold by the state to Sir John Roberts and John Cogan, the latter of whom, by his will in 1657, gave his moiety of it to the mayor and aldermen of Canterbury, for the benefit of six poor ministers widows (for whose use he had at the same time demised his dwelling-house in Canterbury, now called Cogan's hospital. But the manor of Littleborne, on the restoration in 1660, returned again to the see of Canterbury.
The manor of Wolton, alias Walton, lies in the southern part of this parish, adjoining to the precinct of Well, and was antiently possessed by a family who took their name from it, one of whom, John, son of John de Wolton, held it at the latter end of king Henry III.'s reign. But this family became extinct here before the reign of king Edward III. in the 20th year of which, Roger de Garwinton held it by knight's service, (fn. 4) in whose descendants it continued till it passed into the family of Petit, of Shalmsford, who held it of the abbot of St. Augustine's by the like service, in which name and family it continued till it was at length alienated to Sir Henry Palmer, of Bekesborne, whose descendant of the same name passed it away by sale to Sir Robert Hales, of Bekesborne, in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Philip Hales, bart. of Howlets, who in 1787 alienated this manor to Isaac Baugh, esq. of Well, the present owner of it.
Wingate, alias Lower Garwington, in a manor, which lies on the other or eastern side of the river, adjoining to Ickham, taking the former of those names from a family, who were owners of it in Henry III.'s reign, and held it by knight's service of the abbot and convent of St. Augustine. In which reign Simon de Wingate held it as above-mentioned, but before the 20th year of King Edward III. this name was extinct here, and Thomas de Garwinton then held this estate, lying in Wingate, held of the abbot by the like tenure. (fn. 5) In the descendants of Thomas de Garwington, who resided at their mansion and manor, since called Upper Garwinton, adjoining to it, seems to have continued some time, and from them, as well as to distinguish it from that, to have taken the name of Wingate, alias Lower Garwinton. After this family had quitted the possession of it, the Clyffords appear from different records to have become owners of it, and after them the Sandfords, and it appears by the escheat rolls, that Humphrey Sandford died possessed of it in the 14th year of king Henry VII. and that Thomas Sandford was his son and heir. After which it came into the hands of the crown, for king Henry VIII. in his 30th year, granted the manors of Wingate and Garwinton to Sir Christopher Hales, then master of the rolls. He left three daughters his coheirs, who became jointly, entitled to it, and on the division of their estates it was allotted to the youngest daughter Mary, who entitled her husband Alexander Colepeper, esq. to it, in which name it continued till the 22d of queen Elizabeth, when it was passed away by sale to Thomas Fane, esq. whose son Francis, earl of Westmoreland, sold it to William Prude, alias Proude, esq. who being a lieutenant-colonel in the army, was slain at the siege of Maestricht in 1632, having devised this estate in tail male to his eldest surviving son Serles Prude, who died in 1642, leaving only two daughters his coheirs, upon which it came to his next brother William, who left an only daughter Dorothy, and she, the entail being barred, carried it first in marriage to Nethersole, by whom she had no issue, and secondly to Christopher May, esq. of Rawmere, in Suffex, whose only daughter and heir Anne, entitled her husband William Broadnax, esq. of Godmersham, to the possession of it. His son Thomas Changed his name, first to May and then to Knight, and died possessed of this manor in 1781, leaving an only son Thomas Knight, esq. of Godmersham, who in the year 1785 exchanged it for other lands in Crundal with Thomas Barret, esq. of Lee, the present owner of it.
Upper Garwinton is a manor, which lies adjoining to that last-described, southward, at the boundary of this parish, next to Adisham, in which parish part of the mansion of it stands, being written in the survery of Domesday, Warwintone, one of the many instances in that book of the mistakes of the Norman scribes. It was, after the conquest, parcel of those possessions with which the Conqueror enriched his half-brother Odo, the great bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, and was exchanged by him for other lands with the abbot of St. Augustine's, accordingly it is thus entered in that record, under the general title of the land of the church of St. Augustine:
The abbot himself holds Warwintone, and the bishop of Baieux gave it to him in exchange of his park. It was taxed at half a suling and forty-two acres of land. The arable land is one carucate, and there is in demesne, with three cottagers, and sixteen acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth four pounds, and afterwards forty shillings, now four pounds. This manor Edric de Sbern Biga held, and now Radulf holds it of the abbot.
Whether this description extended to the last-described manor of Wingate, is uncertain, though most probably, as both were held of the abbot by knight's service, it was comprehended in it. However that may be, this manor of Garwintone, called as above, erroneously, in Domesday, Warwintone, was held of the abbot by a family who took their surname from it; one of whom, Richard de Garwynton, resided here at the latter end of king Henry II.'s reign, and had a chapel at his mansion here; and in 1194, the abbot granted to him and his heirs, to have the divine office celebrated for three days in a week in this chapel by the priest of Littleborne. (fn. 6) His descendant Thomas Garwinton was possessed of this manor and several other estates in this part of the county, in the 20th year of king Edward III. whose great-grandson William Garwynton dying S. P. Joane his kinswoman, married to Richard Haut, was anno II Henry IV. found to be his heir not only to this manor, but to much other lands in these parts, and their son Richard Haut having an only daughter and heir Margery, she carried this manor in marriage to William Isaac, esq. of Patrixborne, whose descendant Edward Isaac, at his death, gave this manor to his two daughter by his second wife, viz. Mary, married to Thomas Appleton, esq. of Suffolk, and Margaret, to John Jermye, second son of Sir John Jermye, of the same county, and they seem to have shared this manor between them. Thomas Appleton sold his share afterwards to Anthony Parker, who with Isaac Jermye, eldest son of John above-mentioned, joined in the sale of the entire see of it to Sir Henry Palmer, of Howlets, and he by his will in 1611, devised it to his nephew John Goodwyn, whose heirs some time afterwards passed it away by sale to George Curteis, esq. afterwards knighted, and of Otterden, and he alienated it to Sir Robert Hales, of Bekesborne, in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Philip Hales, bart. of Howlets, who in 1787, passed it away by sale to Isaac Baugh, esq. the present owner of it.
Charities.
John Dorrante, of Bekesborne, yeoman, in 1560, gave by will, to discharge the poor from the assessments of the church, the overplus to be paid to the most antient poor of the parish, the sum of 3s, 6d. on Palm Sunday and the Monday before Penticost; and 21s. 6d. on Christmas-day yearly, out of the house and lands called Church-house, now vested in Mr. Peter Inge.
Henry Sloyden, of Wickhambreaux, in 1568, gave by will to the poor of this parish and of Wickham, six acres and a half of land, called Church-close, to be divided between them yearly, now of the annual produce of 3l. 9s. 9d.
Sir Henry Palmer, by his will in 1611, gave 10s. to be paid yearly out of his manor of Welle, for the use of the poor.
James Franklyn, by will in 1616, gave to the parishes of Littleborne, Chistlet, and Hoathe, in Reculver, 5l. each, to be employed in a stock for the poor. This 5l. is now increased to 11l. this interest of which being 8s. 93frac34;d. is distributed among the poor in general.
Valentine Norton, gent. by his will, was a benefactor to the poor; but there are no particulars further known of it.
The poor constantly relieved are about fifty, casually thirtyfive.
This parish is within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Vincent, consists of three isles and a chancel, having at the west end a low pointed steeple, in which hang five bells. The church is kept very neat. It is a good sized building, and is handsomely ceiled. The chancel is lostly, and has four narrow lancet windows on each side, and three at the end; in the former are the remains of good painted glass, and in the latter some years ago were the seven sacraments, &c. very handsomely done, with rich borders, but they have been some few years since removed. In it is a memorial for George I'anns, curate, obt. 1699. In the middle isle are several memorials for the family of Denne, for many descents lessees of the court-lodge, and descended from those of Dennehill, in Kingston, In the south-east window of the south isle is a saint holding a shield of arms, in front, Gules, three cocks, argent, being the arms of Bunington, on the lest side a moon, on the right a sun, all very well done; and there were formerly in one of the windows, the arms of Higham, argent, a lion passant regardant, between six cross-croslets fitchee, sable, impaling Gallaway, ermine, three lozenges, gules. A few years ago the north isle fell down, when there were some curious paintings discovered, by the breaking of the plaister from the walls. This isle was immediately rebuilt. In the church-yard, at the north-west part of it, are several tombs and head stones of the family of Denne before- mentioned.
¶The church of Littleborne was antiently appendant to the manor, part of the possessions of the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, and continued so till the year 1224, when Robert de Bello being chosen abbot, and finding much difficulty in obtaining the pope's benediction, to facilitate it, gave this church to the monastery of St. Mary de Monte Mirteto, in Italy, to which the pope, in 1241, appropriated it. Immediately after which, this parsonage, so appropriated, was demised to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, in perpetual ferme, at the clear yearly sum of thirty marcs. (fn. 7) Four years after which, anno 1245, archbishop Stratford endowed the vicarage of it, the advowson of which was reserved to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, when he decreed, that the vicarage should be endowed with a mansion, the tithes of filva cæ dua, of hay, and in three acres of arable, one acre of meadow, and in the receipt of three marcs and an half in money from the religious yearly, and in the tithes of flax, hemp, ducks, calves, pigeons, bees, milk, milkmeats, mills, wool, pigs, and in all oblations and other small tithes belonging to the church; and that the vicar should serve the church in divine rites, and find one chaplain to celebrate weekly in the chapel of Garwyntone, and to find bread, wine, and tapers, for celebrating divine rites in the church. Which endowment was afterwards, in 1370, certified by inspeximus, by archbishop Wittlesey. In which state this church and advowson remained till the final dissolution of the abbey of St. Augustine, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when they came into the king's hands, and the king, in his 33d year, settled both, by his dotation-charter, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Canterbury, with whom they continue at this time. The parsonage has been from time to time let on a beneficial lease, Mr. Thomas Holness being the present lessee of it, but the advowson of the vicarage the dean and chapter retain in their own hands.
The vicarage of Littleborne is valued in the king's books at 7l. 19s. 10d. but the yearly tenths taken are sixteen shillings, the sum total being erroneonsly cast up in the king's books at eight pounds. The antient pension of 3l. 17s. 4d. from the abbey of St. Augustine's, is yearly received by the vicar out of the exchequer; the demesne lands of the court-lodge pay no greattithes, and the archbishop's woods in his own occupation pay none. In 1588 here were one hundred and fifty communicants; in 1640 the same, when it was valued at thirty-five pounds. It has been augmented by the dean and chapter with fifty pounds per annum.
The chapel of Lukedale, in the precinct of Well, was once esteemed as within the bounds of this parish, of which more may be seen herefter, under Ickham, to which parish Well is now annexed.
فوائده
يشبه حليب الأم أكثر مما يشبه حليب البقرة
يحتوي على كمية كبيرة من فيتامين سي ، الكالسيوم والحديد
حليب الناقة غني ببروتينات جهاز المناعة
لا يحتوي على البروتينين الاثنين المعروفين بحساسيتهما، ولذلك فهو ملائم لمن لا يتمكن جهازه الهضمي من هضم سكر الحليب
يحتوي هذا الحليب على مواد قاتلة للجراثيم ويلائم من يعانون من الجروح، من يعانون من أمراض التهاب الأمعاء.
كما يوصى به لمن يعانون من مرض الربو ومن مرض الربو الجلدي، ولمن يتلقون علاجا كيماويا لتخفيف حدة العوارض الجانبية مثل التقيؤ.
كما يوصى لمرضى السكري (سكري البالغين) وللمرضى الذين يعانون من أمراض تتعلق بجهاز المناعة مثل مرض اللوبوس حين يبدأ الجسم بمهاجمة نفسه
البروفيسور ريئوفين يغيل - جامعة بن غوريون
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Benefits
Like mother's milk than cow's milk-like
Contains a large amount of vitamin C, calcium and iron
Camels milk proteins the immune system goes
Does not contain Albrocinin Monday Bhsasihma known, and therefore it is appropriate for those who can not grasp the digestive system of the milk sugar
This milk contains substances lethal to the bacteria and suffer from fits of the wounds, of people who suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases.
Also recommended for those suffering from asthma is asthma, skin disease, and those receiving chemotherapy treatment to alleviate symptoms such as vomiting side.
Is also recommended for patients with diabetes (diabetes in adults) and for patients who suffer from diseases related to immune system diseases such as Allobos when the body starts attacking itself
Professor Reuven Egel - Ben-Gurion University
Shot on a 35mm underwater camera.
There's a lot ogf aquatic life around these reefs. However despite getting through a couple of films I really didn't get any decent shots. All too far away and blurred. Perhaps with a bit of photoshop work I might be able to make something of them.
Wired have used this shot on their Blog
Melissa at clothwork makes the most amazing things!! If you don't follow her already then go do it now!! You can also find her on Instagram as @clothwork. This bag is stunning, it has so many things to admire, beautiful prints, amazing textures (including velvet), hand quilting, internal pockets and a clip for keys.
[While I upload photos from 2020, I am also trying to keep up with some of my more current works by uploading a couple of photographs every day, in the afternoon or evening.]
In September and October 2021, we spent three weeks touring the Italian regions of Abruzzo, Umbria, Marches and Emilia-Romagna, which we hadn’t visited yet.
Personally, I had my sights firmly set on a series of early Romanesque churches of high architectural and artistic interest, so you will see quite a few of those, in spite of the typical Italian administration-related problems I encountered, and which were both stupid and quite unpleasant.
There will also be other sorts of old stones, landscapes, etc., and I hope you will enjoy looking at them and have a good time doing so. If it makes you want to go, do, by all means, Italy is a wonderful country.
Today and over the following days, I invite you to take a closer look at a very simple and unadorned, yet beautiful and quite unusual abbey church in the Abruzzo region: San Pietro ad Oratorium.
Like our previous church of Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta, this one is also located in a quiet valley, that of river Tirino.
Built mostly during the 700s and fully completed in the 1100s, this church was part of a Benedictine abbey. It is designed on a basilica-type plan with three naves and three semi-circular apse.
Two splendid examples of the very scarce but remarkable decoration of the nave. Note in particular the care and subtleness with which the ordinary stones used for the pillars have been adorned...
I'm going do a series of photos with minifigs exploring the places I hike. First, they need a rig to get them there!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you don't want me to highlight your presence in a photo I've taken, don't then go doing something so totally conspicuous that you end up becoming the subject of the picture. Such as blatantly covering your face with your running board while the bus you are driving is ploughing on regardless, with you now oblivious to anything else in front of you.
The image is not a particularly memorable one, and is one that probably never would have seen the light of the internet, had it not been for the actions of our camera-shy friend.
Manchester Community Transport YJ13 HLG, Manchester, turning into Shudehill near the interchange. The date was 17/04/2018, around 12.35 in the afternoon. MCT management might want to consider having a word with their employee as to why he was prepared to jeopardise the safety of his bus, his passengers and that of other drivers and pedestrians, just for the sake of his own personal sensitivities.
18.02.2010
For those of you that don't know, Fred is my cactus. He was a MSH related purchase and many of you will have been concerned that I'd killed him off afterwards. Well never fear, he is alive and well, though he does need repotting as he's learning over to one side too much. More like the leaning tower of Pisa than leaning to the dark side...
A year ago today I was playing with Lego.
When I rocked up to the depot (as you do) i came across this, the driver fiddled with the cab a bit, some other bloke was with him, then they just went off to the bus station, probably to go do Lincoln's runs.
This was transferred sometime in early 2017 from Newcastle.
We rescued Goldie on October 23rd 2014. For a long time Jan had serious doubts that he would calm down and behave. He was very quick with his claws and we both had many bloody scratches to show just how quick he was. But, gradually he mellowed out and bonded with me. He has grown into a very loving & wonderful cat. He sets next to me in my chair when I am watching television. If I am laying on the bed reading, he comes up and lays down next to me. Many times when I am on the computer he will come and want to sit in my lap. He loves to watch the cursor move. He now gets along with most (seven) of the other cats and they get along with him. Goldie and Pixie still haven’t quite figured out who is dominate. It seems to alternate back and forth from one day to the next. We sure love the little guy. Although, he isn’t quite so little anymore. I think somewhere around 16 pounds now.
I posted Goldie’s story with a shot of him when he was still roaming feral. I think it bears reading again.
This is Goldie's rescue story.
It was early in the summer when I first saw the young feral cat I would come to call Goldie. He was playing at the very end of our backyard. I was watching him from behind a sheer curtain that covers the window in our door to the backyard. I must have moved just a bit, as he saw me and went over the fence and was gone. I saw him several more times in the next week playing with a big gray feral cat we call Gray. As you can see we are very inventive when it comes to naming the feral cats we feed on our back deck. At sometime Goldie started coming up on the deck for food. But, if he saw one of us move in the downstairs bedroom, he was gone in a heart beat. I would always talk to him even though the door was closed, I knew he could hear me. Eventually, he would just retreat to the back of the deck and watch till we left, then move in on the food. One morning quite some time later he came and we hadn't put any food out yet. I talked to him and held to bowl of food up so he could see it. I always repeatedly called him Goldie as I wanted him to learn the name we had given him. So, I called him and very carefully opened the door just a crack and set the food out. I told him how good it was and to come and get it. He was hungry and the food won out. I set inside where he could see me and hear me. I just set there and talked to him. After several days of doing this I decided to try to pet his head while he was eating. At first he would shy away. But, soon he excepted me doing this. I always kept up a conversation with him. Just talking quiet and telling him what a good boy he was. My next thing was to be able to go outside with him. I put catnip out on the deck and would toss cat toys rubbed in catnip out to him. He loved to play with them. One day I just quietly slipped out the back door talking to him all the time. I had some catnip and put a little on a couple of of his cat toys. He came over and started to play with them. I also had a peacock feather with me and got him to run and jump after it. Then I just reached down and picked him up and set him on the deck railing. He didn't fight me. I was able to give him a good head rub. When he finally had enough he did slap me. Yes, it did draw blood. But, it was his way of saying it was time to let him go do his thing. Soon I was able to play fetch with him out in the backyard. I would throw a cat toy (mouse as we call all the toys) out into the yard and he would attack it. He got to where I could clap my hands and call him and if he heard me he would come running. We have a small insulated dog house that cats can use if the weather gets nasty or very cold. Goldie started to use it. I was very happy as I hoped it would keep him safe in our back yard. Outdoor cats are up against the odds that something bad will happen to them. There are so many things that can injure or even kill them. Dogs, other cats, cruel people, cars, the weather, and the list goes on and on. That is why we keep our cats indoors. Chui was our only cat that was ever let outside and then only if we were there with him all the time. Because of this I was worried that something might happen to Goldie. We started to let him come into the house for a little while each day when we put out food for him and 3-4 other feral cats. We penned our cats up and he would growl & hiss at them. I was hoping to get him to except them and figured when he did I would bring him in for the winter. I didn't want anything to happen to him. I waited a little to long. As I mentioned before we have an insulated dog house with rugs and nice soft blankets in it and it is right next to the heated water bowl and food. He had started using it. Last Thursday October 23rd I could see him inside the house, but, he didn't come out all day. So, that afternoon I took the top off. He was hurt really bad and had lost quite a bit of blood. He wasn't doing to well. He had a puncture and was bruised pretty bad on his side. Later we found another puncture on the left side. So, it might have been a big dog that grabbed him. He had to have been roaming when he got hurt. I think he instinctively knew, to come back to us for help. I am so glad that he came back to us after getting hurt. If he hadn't, I believe he would have passed. I think he felt safe in our yard. We brought him inside and called the vets at the PetStop. Since it was near their closing time we had to wait till 8am the next morning. After an extensive exam, blood work, IV, shaved his side, stitches and antibiotics coming to $337.00 we took him home. He was in bad shape! He wouldn't eat or drink. So, Jan would carefully hold him (he was in pain) and I would gently try to insert a large syringe into his mouth to give him a drink or some cat food that we had thinned down to go through the syringe. That would get pretty messy, but, at least he was getting some nourishment. We did a lot of praying. It was pretty hard to keep a positive outlook. Sometimes he seemed to be doing better, then a few hours later he looked like he wasn't going to make it. I kept praying he would try to eat something by his self. He wouldn't, it was so frustrating to watch him get thinner and thinner. Then Tuesday the 28th, he finally took a very small drink and nibbled a few tiny bites. I was so happy I had tears running down my face. The next night he ate more food on his own and drank more water. As the days went by he got much more alert and started eating and drinking pretty good amounts. I think our prayers have been answered and he will recover. We still need to get him neutered. I think he is about 10 months old. Not looking forward to that. Poor little guy. We will be keeping him inside with us. Really didn't need another cat, but, he can fill the space left by Cheyenne when she passed. The other night while we were spending some time with him, I called him and he came over to where I was sitting cross legged on the floor. He climbed up into my lap and nestled down. I petted him and he was purring. After while, he got up and went over to Jan and settled in her lap and snuggled his head under her arm. I think he was saying "thank you". We still have our cats that need to acclimate to him. Some have pretty much done that already. Pixie just growls. Cheetah, took one look growled and hasn't been in that room since. I know they will come around eventually. Just takes time and patience. Goldie still goes over to the window, sits and looks. You can tell he wants out. I told him, Goldie that is where bad things happen. Pixie and Sunshine used to want out at first, after we rescued them. After, awhile they seem to realize just how nice they have it indoors and other then watching other cats or birds through the window they loose the desire to be outside.
PS - November 9, 2017. Goldie is doing fine and has learned to "sit pretty" & to "shake paws" with me. He pretty much stays close to me. Laying next to me in my recliner if I am watching TV or laying in my lap. He also lays on my stomach or next to me when I am reading, while laying down on our bed. I am so lucky he came into our lives!
[While I upload older photos, I am also trying to keep up with some of my more current works by uploading a couple of photographs every day, in the afternoon or evening.]
In September and October 2021, we spent three weeks touring the Italian regions of Abruzzo, Umbria, Marches and Emilia-Romagna, which we hadn’t visited yet.
Personally, I had my sights firmly set on a series of early Romanesque churches of high architectural and artistic interest, so you will see quite a few of those, in spite of the typical Italian administration-related problems I encountered, and which were both stupid and quite unpleasant.
There will also be other sorts of old stones, landscapes, etc., and I hope you will enjoy looking at them and have a good time doing so. If it makes you want to go, do, by all means, Italy is a wonderful country.
The ruined Mediæval castle and fortified village of Castel Camponeschi dominate the plain of Prata d’Ansidonia. Built originally in the 1140s, it was inhabited until the late 1950s, whereupon it slowly fell into ruin. Between 2005 and 2008, major restoration works were undertaken with a view to attracting new inhabitants and revive this picturesque village.
However, for some reason (undoubtedly very complex, as always in Italy, especially where substantial public funding is involved...), the project was abandoned and the place remained deserted.
Nowadays, it is a great locale to do some “rurbex”. The place is duly enclosed and padlocked of course, but this being Italy, you only have to walk a short way to find an easy way in... ;o)
This decaying metal plate is the only reminder of the ambitious project that once meant to bring life back into the fortified village.
iPhone 4
Editing: Photogene
I am overloaded at the moment. Usually, December is pretty slow for us but we just got 2 back to back rush orders for this week so we're working double time. Worked 'til 10 last night and was up BEFORE the sun to go do some pickups before heading to the shop. OMG, I'm so tired!
Not feeling too creative these last few days...and it shows! lol
Hopefully, this weekend I can get some sleep and my mojo back :)
Aaron Nace is the star of his own show, but while many of us are questing for stardom all over the internet by filling out silly surveys, updating your status, and uploading home movies for the world to see, Aaron Nace is out taking amazing photographs, and that is why his star shine brighter in the cosmos of the web. He inspires us to go do it ourselves and make it interesting. Find out more at www.creativetempest.com
06.01.12
Well its no square crop, but I like it. Today was so foggy at some point you just couldn't see anymore. I've been busy all day. It's been awhile since I was restricted this much to go shoot. But I'm okay with that. I'm going to go do some reading for school. Hope things went well for everyone else.
First off, Press "L" NOW! Its so much better :)...now go do it! :)
I thought this turned out awesome! Love this shot. Lighting was perfect yesterday.
© 2011 Raj Sandhu
I haven't had much time lately for photography unfortunately. I have some pretty major life changes coming up in the next few months and that's taken up all my time. My wife and I have decided to move back home to Malaysia after about 19 years being away! It's been a huge decision to leave the UK but we're extremely excited now about the next chapter of our lives.
Moving countries sure is a stressful undertaking! Just looking at the house that we need to pack up is leaving me feeling pretty daunted. However, all the things we have to do here before we go does not compare to what we have to do when we get to Malaysia. I've not lived in Malaysia now since I left for school in New Zealand back in 1993. Needless to say, it's going to take a little getting used to ;)
One thing I'm really looking forward to is a change in photographic scenery. There's going to be a whole new set of challenges shooting in hot, sticky weather but there's also going to be a whole new set of countries to visit which is an extremely exciting proposition.
So, just to say yes, I'm still alive, here's one from the archives, taken a couple of months back in New York. I was really digging the reflections of Manhattan Bridge in the windows here. Btw, Dumbo has got to be the best name for a place ever!
Hope everyone's doing well!