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The base of the cross reads
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
[Revelation 2:7]
“This cross was erected to the glory of God and the memory of the men of Lewis who fell in the Great War of Europe.”
© PHH Sykes 2022
phhsykes@gmail.com
Further information
“The inhabitants of this island had an ancient custom to sacrifice to a sea god called Shony at hallow tide…..The inhabitants came round to the church of St Mulvay…every family furnished a Peck of Malt, and this was brewed into Ale: one of their number was picked out to wade into the sea up to their middle, and carrying a cup of ale in his hand, standing still in that posture, cried out with a loud voice saying, Shony I give you this cup of ale, hoping that you’ll be so kind as to send us plenty of sea ware (seaweed), for enriching the ground the ensuing year. And so threw the cup of ale into the sea. This was performed at nightime.”*
*Spelling corrected to aid reading
Shony – The God of the Sea, a Pagan Survival?
www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/ancient-sites/st-moluags-church/
ST MOLUAG'S CHURCH (TEAMPULL MHOLUAIDH)
...the focus of a pagan fertility festival each year on All Saints' Day (1 November). This was dedicated to the sea-god Shony...
...islanders went into the surrounding fields and spent the rest of the night "in dancing and singing, &c."
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/lewis/stmoluags/
Lewis, Eoropie, Teampull Mholuaidh, St Moluag's Church
Chapel (Medieval)
A freestanding building, or a room or recess serving as a place of Christian worship in a church or other building.
Church (Medieval), Bell (17th Century)
Lewis, Eoropie, Teampull Mholuaidh, St Moluag's Church
canmore.org.uk/site/4419/lewis-eoropie-teampull-mholuaidh...
I saw him standing at the information kiosk in the university Student Learning Centre building on a dark, rainy Tuesday. I was intrigued by his appearance and approached him to introduce myself and ask if I could photograph him for my Human Family project. His response was friendly interest and he agreed, even though it meant leaving the building to get sufficient light on the front steps. Meet Daisujke who is from Tokyo.
The front steps of the Student Learning Centre were filled with students seeking shelter from the rain, taking smoke breaks from study, and checking their cell phones. Taking the photos was rather straightforward once I “claimed” some space on the steps and the flow of students started diverting themselves behind me instead of between me and Daisujke. It was a busy place.
Daisujke was very polite and his English was quite good. He explained that he is 31 and just arrived in Toronto five days ago from a visit to Jamaica. I quickly gained the impression that Daisujke is a committed traveler who has seen many places. His passion is calligraphy which he practices wherever he goes. His Instagram account @hiratabi which means “Writing on the Road.” He plans to return to Tokyo briefly after seeing Canada and then heads for the Philippines where he has a job lined up at a language school that teaches Japanese. I assumed he is a teacher but he told me his job will not be teaching but managing the program at the school. After the Philippines he has his sights set on South America.
When I asked what he had been doing at the information booth inside, he said he was discussing his calligraphy. Since I had told him I would only delay him a few minutes, we exchanged contact information and I walked him back into the building where I thanked him for his time and wished him safe travels. He said he would look forward to receiving his photo.
When Daisujke had completed his business at the information booth, I approached the students at the booth who had witnessed my “recruiting” Daisujke for my project and asked for clarification of what his purpose had been with them. They smiled and said he was just leaving off information about his calligraphy services for any students who wanted to have him do a calligraphy for them. “Is it like a small business?” I asked. “No” they replied. “It seems to be a gesture of good will” and they showed me the square of paper he had left on their desk with a sample of his calligraphy and contact information on the reverse. Intrigued by this travelling calligrapher, I asked if I could borrow the paper to photograph outside in the light and then return to them. They happily agreed. I was left with the impression that Daisujke and I are doing something rather similar - using what skills we have to make a friendly connection with strangers as we go about our daily lives. He uses calligraphy, I use photography.
When I returned the paper to the desk, one of the students asked how my project was going. I explained how well it was going and she said she was asking because I had photographed two of her student friends on campus in the past and it seemed like a fantastic project. It is.
It was time to finish my coffee and venture out into the rain. The day had turned so dark that it was starting to look like night even though it was mid-day.
Thank you Daisujke for taking a few minutes to meet and tell me about your fascinating lifestyle on the road. You are a real citizen of the world and your good will makes you a perfect subject for the Human Family project.
This is my 40th submission to the Human Family group on Flickr.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Follow-up: I received the following nice email from Daisujke:
"Hi, Mr. Jeff. Thank you for your kind mail. And I am sorry, my reply was late. By the way, finally I came back to Japan.
I really glad to met you in Toronto.
My motivation of travel is having fun. I like to know and to see things that I do not know. And my motivations of calligraphy are having fun, communicate with local people and to show Japanese culture to foreign people.
Now I am trying to write familys name for Japanese people. It is also exciting for me.
I saw your page and felt very happy.
Thank you for your nice essay.
I hope your act makes a lot of people very happy !!
See you someday.
Dasuke Hirata from Japan
P.S.I send your name in Japanese for you.
Your name means YOU HAVE RICH SMILE !!"
Dad threw him up in the air while mom held on to the light stand to keep it from blowing away. (It was very windy) I stood on a park bench so I could be even with junior when he was at the top of his flight. It was a clear sky and the sun had just dropped below the horizon. It looks like he is catching some major air, but part of that is point of view/optically trickery.
This image has NOT been photoshopped.
Nikon D200 - 24-70 f/2.8
SB800 on a stand shooting through umbrella (fired with PW)
1/200, f/8, ISO 400
Shot about 5 minutes after sunset
"I often wonder what he is thinking
Has he ever heard a word I said?
Look at him there in the mirror dreaming!
What is happening in his head?"
-Go to the Mirror by The Who.
This is the beginning of a rant about The Who. I'm warning you, it's long.
Okay, so I absolutely LOVE The Who. As in, they could possibly be my favorite band, which is always a really tough thing for me to say. But they're at least close.
I know that a lot of people these days "really like" The Who, but I also know that a lot of those people haven't actually listened to a lot of their GOOD music. I mean, not to say that "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Reilly" (violin solo owns) and "My Generation" aren't good songs, but when compared to a lot of their other songs.... well, you're really missing out if you've never listened to the others! Admittedly, I used to think that The Who was "meh," even as recently as the Super Bowl, because I basically just listened to those popular songs. It wasn't until this spring that I REALLY paid attention to the band.
Literally, everyday I listen to The Who in my car. This is partially because I only have a cassette player, and my mom has an extensive cassette collection. She has a bunch of cassettes that are basically mixtapes with songs from one band on them, usually the songs that she likes best regardless of popularity. The cassette that I'm addicted to has the following songs:
Side one: I Can't Explain, The Kids Are Alright, I Can See For Miles, The Seeker, Pinball Wizard, Magic Bus, Substitute, Baba O'Reilly, Bargain, Song Is Over, Getting In Tune
Side two: Going Mobile, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again, Pure and Easy, Long Live Rock, Join Together, Squeeze Box, Slip Kid, The Real Me, Eminence Front
All of which are pretty awesome (Except Magic Bus. I'm sorry. That song just gets on my nerves. I mean, I know the meaning behind it and everything, but still. HOOAHH, it's the magic bus!)
And even more awesome.... Tommy. Yes, in case you were unaware, The Who wrote the first rock opera and basically revolutionized/invented the idea of the concept album. Tommy is an amazing album, and an amazing musical, and I swear if you've never listened to it or seen it... do both. The song I used for inspiration for this photo is from Tommy, actually :) Rent the movie, get the album, or just watch this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfZQLXs72Lo
I have lots more to say. Either I'll edit this later and add more, or I'll do it on some later picture.... but trust me, I feel strongly about this :) and if you ever want to talk for hours, start talking to me about The Who.
UPDATE:
Okay, resume rant. Anyway, The Who also wrote ANOTHER rock opera called Quadrophenia, about the mods and the rockers and it's also awesome, though I haven't been able to find a copy of the movie to watch the musical version (not even on Netflix!)
Also, the band started another concept album called Lifehouse, which would basically have been the most awesome thing ever. A lot of the songs that they released on other albums were actually supposed to be part of the Lifehouse project, and if you listen to them, you can get the basic jist of the story. It's awesome. Also, as part of the Lifehouse project, the band wanted to be able to program biofeedback information from audience members into a synthesizer to create their own individual "theme." Actually, the beginning of Baba O'Reilly is the result of Pete Townshend's biofeedback. I guess he eventually moved the project online and let people enter info that way... it's discontinued though. In summary, the whole project/story is awesome, have a look:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifehouse_(rock_opera)
Additionally, Keith Moon blew up hotel toilets. With dynamite and other explosives. If you need any more convincing about The Who's awesome-ness than that... well, I don't even know what to tell you.
STROBE:
Silver umbrella! The challenge was angling it so that it illuminated the mirror without reflecting.. it was at full power, with camera settings at ISO 200, f 7.0 1/30 sec.
Team Finland's Kasperi Kapanen laying a punishing hit on Team Slovakia's Patrik Maier behing the Slovak goal. The Finns ended up beating the Slovakians 3-8.
HELSINKI, FINLAND 2015-12-30 World Junior Championships 2016: Slovakia U20 - Finland U20 at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo: Riku Laukkanen/R1ku Exposures)
The reward for planting a tree is described by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as:
“There is none better amongst the believers who plant a tree from which a person, or an animal eats
thereof. It is regarded as having given a charitable gift for which there is great recompense”
(Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol 3: 513).
Now, the modern sciences have proved that plants are much more important for the safety of human population on the Earth. Plants are the oldest source of treatment and cure; hence they are
also very important medicinally. Leaves absorb pollutants such as Ozone, Carbon monoxide, Carbon
dioxide and Sulphur dioxide, and give off oxygen.
Celebration of ‘’Green Day’’ is in accordance with the importance of plants for our beautiful planet.
With all the great efforts from faculty and students of all departments of Hajvery University, we celebrated Green day on 7th of April 2015.This initiative was taken by administration of Hajvery University to increase awareness of people about the nature and beauty of our Green Earth.
Students were really enthusiastic and taking part in the plantation campaign. Preparations were started 2 weeks earlier and every class from different disciplines was allotted an area in the ground of Euro Campus, where they could show their creativity with plants. All our talented and skilled students from each batch came up with their new and unique innovations. Our competent students
with their challenging mind gave the ground a whole new look.
Every class accomplished their work according to their themes. Students utilized raw materials to decorate their areas like animal house equipped by rabbits and ducks, a pond full of beautiful stones and petals of roses, other ornaments like flower beds, colourful strings, neon bulbs artificial grass increased the glamorous beauty of their themes. It was just like heavenly beauty over there. Another class made a home garden with a beautiful collection of flowers and plants, and put a decorated
bicycle in it. One of the classes in honour of our university inscribed its name on the ground by using flowers and colorful stones. Another class inscribed the name of our department on the ground
with beautiful flowers. Another batch from fashion designing decorated their allotted area like a
theme park surrounded by full of beautiful flower beds with hand made sittings. Thus, there were
different themes depicting the cultural values of our society.
On final day Mr. Atif Mushtaq, Chairman Board of Governors visited and admired the efforts done
by all the classes. No doubt it was a quiet hard competition among all the classes but in the end
batch 11 of pharmacy department won the competition and got the first prize due their innovative
work. They used the rabbit cage and turned it into a hut with their creative work. Indeed it was a
great event.
The reports and documents made on a child in care during the 1960s.
Page 40.
07.11.66 Report of Child Care Officer.
There is now a new Houseparent in the flat. Miss Rosemary Foale is looking after Philip since the original Sister in Charge has retired. She has told me that his mother continues to visit regularly and to have Philip home for odd weekends.
Philip, apparently is rather a strange child, and it has taken him a long time to settle into the family. This is because the other children have been there much longer than he has and partly because age-group-wise, he tends to be the odd man out.
He is still inclined to be aggressive towards other children and this may be because he is teased by them. He is inclined to bully younger children, but is slowly ceasing to do this.
There is now a bed wetting problem that has increased since his arrival, it is not know if there is something that is upsetting him, or if it is a growing up stage he is going through.
MY ANSWER. The whole flat had recently been through a major upheaval; this affected the others far more than it had me. The Sister in Charge had looked after some of the family for most of their lives had now reached retirement; she was now severing almost all links with the family group. Now the lady who we had known as a helper and relief was taking over from Sister. My knowledge of Sister had only been for a year and a half. Having lived surrounded by other adults all my life that had come and gone. That Sister was leaving meant a bit of an unknown change, but not really a major event to me. For the others, this event was decisive and very upsetting.
The Houseparent who now took over has had some experience of children, but compared to Sister’s many years of actual practice, we now experienced the newer textbook style of childcare. This we found out was a completely different way of life for us. Our flat now has two groups of four, giving either younger ones or older ones. I did not fit in; at the age of almost ten, I was neither an older one nor a younger one, but I had to be placed in one of the groups for most activities. For chores and the like, I was grouped with the older ones; for bedtimes and activities then it was the younger group as I was still at junior school. The Houseparent now told me that if I wet the bed, I would be given the slipper.
If I was a strange child as the new Houseparent thought, it was something I could live with. I simply did not want to give up and fall into the dull lives that most of those around me accepted.
I was aggressive to younger children but this was down to my short temper; I would prefer to be left alone, but as our paths had to cross, so often problems did occur. The older ones were not involved with the young group as much as myself.
When the older boys in the flat teased me, I always got angry; they just did not understand how upsetting it was. If I was different from the others in the flat, this was due to the long summer holidays I was away from the Home. During this summer break, the Sister took less control of the flat and allowed the new Houseparent to make more of the decisions ready for running the flat full time.
41. November 1966. Half-Yearly Report by Houseparent.
Age 9yrs 10months
General condition: Good
Height: 4ft 7in.
Weight 5st 0lbs.
Philip is inclined to be jealous and vocally aggressive, particularly with younger members of the group.
His relationship with all, including the staff, is very loose at present. There is a need to keep control of his behaviour.
He is slightly impertinent, yet, given the opportunity, he can be helpful and enjoys showing the younger children how to do things.
MY ANSWER. With almost two years at the Home, there were limits to the amount of teasing and other problems I could take before I started to cause trouble. To be treated as one of the younger ones now I was coming up to ten, made me start to act like one of the younger group, rather than that of the older ones, whereas in reality, if allowed to follow my own resources, I could easily have been placed in the older group.
Living with adults all my life, possibly gave me a slightly different attitude than for most. I could be polite and respectful when I wanted to, but if treated as a young child then I could rebel. If I was given respect then I was quite capable of acting in a far more grown-up manner.
The Houseparent had given me the slipper for matters other than wetting the bed. The second time she gave me it, I had twelve hits with the slipper on my rear; it was given as two sessions of six hits. I would not have received the second six hits had I not pushed the boy who said I had stolen his sweets. In the end, the Houseparent found out that I was innocent of stealing the sweets. It was too late then; I had already been punished. This was one of the reasons I was not settled in the flat.
42. 07.12.66 Letter to NCH Harpenden from Luton & Dunstable Hospital.
If you will please arrange for this lad to come along to the Accident Services here at 10am on Thursday 15th December, we will be pleased to remove the gun pellet from his left knee. As he will be given a general anaesthetic, it is important that he has nothing to eat or drink after midnight the previous day.
It would be helpful if you could complete and return the enclosed slip; I am enclosing the Consent Form for signature.
MY ANSWER. Finally the decision was made to take the pellet out of my leg. There was one benefit, outdoor games could be missed for the rest of the term.
43. 29.12.66 Report of Child Care Officer.
On 29.12.66 I learnt from his mother that Philip would be going home the following day for a week’s holiday. I was sorry to have missed him.
The mother is still nursing both her parents, who are almost entirely bedridden. She has a very trying time and constantly wonders if there is a way of leaving someone else to care for her parents.
However, at the moment there appears to be no alternative and, of course, she does not know how long their situation will continue. Her mother is twenty years younger than her father, who is ninety. The mother is pleased with Philip’s progress. She enjoys having him for weekends and is looking forward to having him for his holidays.
10 Years Old
On 02.01.67 I visited Harpenden Branch and spoke to the Houseparent, who told me that there had been a considerable improvement in Philip recently.
He is much less aggressive towards the younger children and is also more popular with his peer group, joining in their games and activities. Philip has become more interested in school and seems to enjoy it now. He is also more affectionate.
On 05.01.67 I visited Philip at his home. He chatted happily about all he has been doing and the many presents he has received for his birthday and at Christmas.
He still talks very fast and has a rather excitable manner. He seemed to be enjoying his holiday very much.
On 26.01.67 I called at Harpenden branch and saw Philip on his return from school.
When I spoke to Philip, he seemed happy and had plenty of news, which he related in a rather excited and disjointed way.
Earlier I had visited his school and managed to have a word with both the Headmaster and the class teacher. It appears that he is showing some improvement in his schoolwork. The Headmaster has not needed to deal with Philip since the start of the school year in September, over any matters of bad behaviour.
The class teacher reported to me that there have been several occasions where she has found it has been necessary to punish him, but once reprimanded he settles down to work. He appears to be slowly settling down to school life and that when firmly controlled can show improvement in the lesson period.
At the end of our meeting I spoke to the Governor of Highfield, who confirms that with the previous reports of Philip’s behaviour at school, keeping him firmly in line was suggested at the end of the last school year. Philip appears now to understand what is required of him during the school period and is settling into the routine more easily.
The uncooperative attitude Philip had to visiting the lavatory before going to bed has seen vast improvement. There are now only minor instances of bedwetting during the past few months. After agreement with the mother, the new Houseparent has brought in a strict regime, and Philip realises that, he will be punished for any bedwetting.
MY ANSWER. I seemed to have made improvement. That year at school things were better; the teacher in our class dealt with anything I did wrong; I was seldom sent to the Headmaster. Her punishments were about the same as the Headmaster, as she would give the cane on your legs or hands, but they were easier to get over with once given. Now that I was not punished in front of the rest of the class made me less worried over the events. As I am almost ten, a few older privileges are starting to come my way.
The Christmas and New Year periods over the last two years had been new to me. Until recently Christmas activities had never been anything very special. Living with my mother, with her work over Christmas, our festivities were never anything major. It was possibly around the age of six, through events of the time, that I had realised that in reality there was no Father Christmas.
In London, any Christmas activity had really been for the adults to enjoy as their holiday. I was meant to keep quiet. At the Home Christmas was new and enjoyable, but I would have preferred the quiet life with just my mother. Parties, trips to the pantomime and other group activities, possibly did get me a little excitable. With my Birthday coming so soon after Christmas treats and presents, everything seemed to roll into one event.
If I seemed to be more affectionate it was possible that I had not been involved in many scrapes or battles with the others in the household. The need to be good up to Christmas might also have helped my chances of longer visits to London over the holiday period.
The new Houseparent must have talked to my mother about me wetting the bed. I don't know if it was the Houseparent or my mother that suggested that I should receive the slipper if I wet the bed.
My mother possibly told the Houseparent that at the age of seven I was hit with the plimsoll if I wet the bed, and that once I became eight she thought the cane would be a more suitable punishment.
With the knowledge that I would be punished if I wet the bed on my vistits to London, and as I had not wet the bed on my visits. They might have thought that the threat of punishment in the Home would bring an end to my bedwetting.
The reason for not having any wet beds on my visits to London, was down to my ability to visit the lavatory at any time during the night. The Houseparent giving me the slipper in the morning, only makes me wet the bed more due to the fear of the punishment.
44. 30.03.67 Report of Child Care Officer.
Visit to Philip at his Home. Philip appeared to be enjoying his holidays, but his mother seemed rather concerned that, as usual, he never concentrates on anything for very long. Although he tackles things with great enthusiasm, he soon loses interest in them.
The mother looks very tired and is finding her parents a great strain. She had a day off on Good Friday and very much enjoyed taking Philip to Worthing for the day. As I had little opportunity to talk to his mother, I will call again soon.
I noticed that Philip has a great difficulty in writing and as he is now ten this is rather worrying. He appears bright and alert, but he cannot concentrate, he does not seem to progress.
I wonder whether there is anything worrying Philip and also how much information his mother has given him about his father. Once, when I tried to broach the subject, the mother was very defensive and I wonder whether her anxiety is transmitted to Philip.
In the original recommendation which we received from his Headmistress, it was suggested that Philip might benefit from some male influence. Unfortunately, his mother’s brother does not take any interest in Philip and I believe his other uncles visit him very rarely.
On visiting Harpenden Branch the Houseparent mentioned to me that Philip never plays games at school and she hopes to go there soon to discuss this.
MY ANSWER. If I always seemed to rush at things, it was simply down to the belief that there was never enough time to follow through every idea that I had in my mind. If other matters came to mind, then I could leave off and come back to it later.
For schoolwork, there was always the thought that there was not enough time to finish the work. For most lessons, failure to finish meant you might be asked to stay on for a few extra minutes to finish. With the requirement to be back at the Home on time, this often meant final lessons of the day would be rushed to avoid being kept in even for a few extra minutes to finish the work.
I could have proved my ability to write neatly if given the chance; in the art lessons a few were given the chance to do calligraphy. This was a lesson I could have begged for; the few chosen were those who had the neatest books.
If my written work was poor, it was down to the use of a ballpoint pen; given the occasional opportunity with pen and ink alone, I was able to work well. If the teachers had told me to take my time over my written work and that if I did not finish it did not matter, then I would have been able to attain a much higher standard of work. However, put me in a classroom environment and add the other factors of friends causing a nuisance around me and even an ink pen would prove fruitless.
Group games were never interesting to me and football was my main hate. It was not that I disliked physical activities.
One of the best lessons at school was P.E. but only if the climbing apparatus was brought fully into use.
With P.E. we generally did not have to change except for putting on a P.E. shirt, our school shorts were fine.
For games we needed to fully change, with Sister sending me to school with waterproof pants, there was the possibility of some teasing whilst changing, some of my friends knew what I had on, and did not make fun of me, but others might have. I was never the only one from the Home to wear waterproofs, most took it a something quite normal for boys from the Home to be seen in. For me avoiding games was an easy solution.
.
45. 27.04.67 Letter to Rev. Gordon. E. Barritt. NCH London from Governor of Harpenden NCH.
We should be grateful if you could arrange for Philip to be tested by the Tutor in Charge during the next few months. As mentioned in recent reports he has great difficulty in writing, and doesn’t seem to be making progress. It would be helpful to know how intelligent he is.
46. 01.05.67 Note from NCH.
Please see letter from Governor of Harpenden NCH with the suggestion, that the Tutor in Charge should test Philip. Could this be arranged please?
47. 09.05.67 Letter to the Tutor in Charge from Governor of Harpenden NCH.
Thank you for your letter of 5th May. It will be quite convenient for you to come and see Philip and the Houseparent on Monday 28th May. I will inform his school and ask for a report from there.
Note: Unable to keep appointment – unwell – another date being arranged.
48. 23.05.67 Letter to Rev. Gordon. E. Barritt. NCH London from Governor of Harpenden NCH.
We were glad to have the report on the visit to Philip’s mother. The Houseparent has visited Philip’s school and seen his teacher. She stated that Philip was aggressive, but was reasonably easy to control in class.
She told the Houseparent that his work could be better if he could concentrate more, and she had noticed that he responded well to praise, and always improved and worked better afterwards.
The Tutor in Charge was due to see Philip yesterday, but had to postpone her visit on account of illness. She will no doubt be arranging another date with us shortly.
49. May 1967. Half Yearly Branch Report by Houseparent.
Age 10 years 4 months
General condition: Good
Height: 4ft 8in.
Weight: 5st 5lbs.
Sight: Eye Clinic. To have eye exercises.
Air gun pellet removed from Left Knee.
Philip has been more aggressive and belligerent and I learn from Susan’s teacher that he has been bullying her at school. His own class teacher has dealt with him over this matter. He is apparently much worse when I am not around.
He seems to put up a barrier and does not believe he has done anything wrong, even if it can be proved. His relationship with some of the members of the family is improving.
When he is helpful or kind, and is praised for this, he glows and is a different lad for a while. He is desperate for more adult attention and will go to great lengths to get it.
Interests: Cubs, Electricity, Lego bricks and (boxes for hiding sweets only).
MY ANSWER. An eye test revealed that there might be a slight problem with my sight, which in some way might have been one of the reasons for my clumsiness. Until this moment, any eye test I took part in had revealed that I had good sight in both eyes. The ability on my part to read the small print on the eye chart with one eye at a time, proved that I did not need glasses to correct any short sight. What however was never checked was my ability to read the same small letters with both eyes open at the same time. When I was given this test, it showed that I could find things a bit of a blur. At all distances, I appeared to be affected. The diagnosis was that I suffered from slight double vision.
More time off lessons attending the local eye clinic, and free time spent reading very small print, with a device placed in front of my vision seemed slowly to correct this problem. Although to get out of the dull chore of reading small print when I could be out at play, I told the adults that things were getting better, when in reality there was only slight improvement.
My fast pace was the reason for being labelled a bully. Whilst at the Annexe of the school, two of us could set our own pace for the return journey. When the Annexe was closed down and we had to rejoin the main school, such pleasures vanished. There were no chances now of gaining any extra minutes of freedom; there were many taking the same route to the Home. As I was still at the juniors, I now had the task of escorting one of the younger girls to and from school. Although only a year younger than me, it was thought that she needed to be escorted both to and from school. Known as a daydreamer, attention to her safety now was the main issue.
Until this point, older children from the flat who attended the senior school had this privilege. Allowance of extra time due to the school hours not totally coinciding had been made. Now at the same school, I was given the task, although any extra time for my benefit was not provided. I have to admit my walking pace was fast; my mother seemed to encourage this from an early age, through being busy.
Dawdling and daydreaming were not things I had ever indulged in. My idea was to get to school at the first possible moment. Playing and other activities before the bell rang for the start of the school day was perhaps the best moment of the school day. If friends had new possessions or had swaps to make, miss this early opportunity, and you could be jealous for evermore.
The slow pace of the girl started the day badly for me. Although I never really dragged her along the road, when crossing the road, I was a little more vocal and slightly physical.
My class teacher punished me after Susan’s teacher made the complaint that I was bullying her. I was given the cane at going home time. As there was no time after I had been given the cane to get over the punishment, I was still in tears when I walked with Susan back to the Home. Three hits on each hand had really made me cry. From that point on I was not accused of bullying Susan anymore. I don’t think it was her intention to get me caned.
If I was desperate for adult attention, it was down to being fed up with most children’s games and wanted something more adult to do or learn about. If I did get praise, then I was happy.
My interests were on building and making things. Group board games were more or less unknown to me, although often receiving such items as presents there was seldom anyone to play with. Even in the Home, board games were not that much fun down to the wide age range. If you played with younger ones the rules were too complicated, if you played with older ones and appeared to be winning, they would change the rules to benefit themselves. Constructing objects and learning how things worked could be one of my pastimes. Never having acquired more than the most basic Meccano set, if I built things, Lego seemed to be the most desirable item through either presents or swaps. With electricity I was not allowed to try out experiments with the mains voltages – batteries in various stages of capacity had to meet my needs. One of my toys was a Morse code set. If there had been any interest from the older boys, I would have loved the chance to learn the system, but to all the others it was too much like a lesson and they showed no interest.
There had been one extra event that had set me at odds with the Houseparent, it was when she had shaken me over my behaviour, resulting in the back of my head going through a glass window due to her force. Then the Governor of the Home caned me. These were the main reasons why I was not very happy at the Home.
I was in the Grünau zoo this sunday (July, 1st ) with my two sons (both 5 years old) and my nephew (10). My nephew was feeding this brown bear (ursus arctos) from a wall, the bear was about 4m below. He threw peanuts to him and the bear caught it with incredible skill.
After some time he stood up and reached maybe up to 3m, i. e. he was 1m below. I leaned over the wall and took a couple of shots. with my 120-300, which was nearly to long sometimes, even on the full format of the 5D.
BTW: the boys had a lot of fun and also the other visitors who were watching this little intermezo.
Canon 5D with Sigma 120-300/2.8 @120mm
1/500s f/5.6 ISO 400
Statue of Egerton Ryerson on Gould Street. In the grounds of Ryerson University which is named after him. Toronto, Canada. Fall afternoon, 2015. Pentax K3 II.
The following from Wikipedia gives the good, the bad, and the ugly about Egerton Ryerson en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egerton_Ryerson
Adolphus Egerton Ryerson (1803–1882) was a Canadian Methodist minister, educator, politician, and public education advocate in Upper Canada. He was a prominent opponent of the closed oligarchy that ran the province, and coined the term Family Compact for it. He was a prominent contributor to the design of the Canadian Indian residential school system. In the field of education, Ryerson succeeded in winning free elementary education for girls, but opposed the education of women as a class beyond the elementary level due to a belief that their role was to be wives and mothers. Ryerson University is named after him.
Early years
Ryerson was born on 24 March 1803 in Charlotteville Township, Upper Canada, to Joseph Ryerson (1761–1854), a United Empire Loyalist, a Lieutenant in the Prince of Wales' American Volunteers[1] from Passaic County, New Jersey, and Sarah Mehetable Ryerson (néé Stickney). He was one of six siblings.
Methodist
He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church at 17, and was forced to leave the home by his Anglican father. After leaving home, Ryerson worked as an usher in a London grammar school, before his father sent for him to return home. He did so and farmed for a small period of time before leaving again, this time to Hamilton to attend Gore District Grammar School. In Hamilton, he studied Latin and Greek with such fervour that he became ill with a fever that almost claimed his life. This enabled him to become a Methodist missionary or circuit rider. His first post was the York region surrounding Yonge Street. The circuit took four weeks to complete on foot or horseback, as it encompassed areas with roads in extremely poor condition. However, the experience gave Ryerson a first hand look at the life of the early pioneer.
In 1826, sermons from John Strachan, Anglican Archdeacon of York, Upper Canada, were published asserting that the Anglican church was, by law, the established church of Upper Canada. Methodists were singled out as American and therefore disloyal. Money was requested of the crown to allow the Anglican church to maintain ties to Great Britain. As Ryerson was the son of a Loyalist, this was an abomination. He emerged as Episcopal Methodism's most articulate defender in the public sphere by publishing articles (at first anonymously) and later books that argued against the views of Methodism's chief rival John Strachan and other members of the powerful Family Compact.
Ryerson was also elected (by one vote) to serve as the founding editor of Canadian Methodism's weekly denominational newspaper, the Christian Guardian, established in York, Upper Canada, in 1829 and which was also Canada's first religious newspaper. Ryerson used the paper to argue for the rights of Methodists in the province and, later, to help convince rank-and-file Methodists that a merger with British Wesleyans (effected in 1833) was in their best interest. Ryerson was castigated by the reformist press at that time for apparently abandoning the cause of reform and becoming, at least as far as they were concerned, a Tory. Ryerson resigned the editorship in 1835 only to assume it again at his brother John's urging from 1838 to 1840. In 1840 Ryerson allowed his name to stand for re-election one last time but was soundly defeated by a vote of 50 to 1 in favour of his co-religionist Jonathan Scott.
Educator
In April 1831, Ryerson wrote in The Christian Guardian newspaper,
"On the importance of education generally we may remark, it is as necessary as the light – it should be as common as water and as free as air. Education among the people is the best security of a good government and constitutional liberty; it yields a steady, unbending support to the former, and effectually protects the latter... The first object of a wise government should be the education of the people...Partial knowledge is better than total ignorance. If total ignorance be a bad and dangerous thing, every degree of knowledge lessens both the evil and the danger."
This quote is a fore-telling of Ryerson's contribution to education in Upper Canada.
Ryerson helped found the Upper Canada Academy in Cobourg in the 1830s. When it was incorporated in 1841 under the name Victoria College Ryerson assumed the presidency. Victoria College continues to exist as part of the University of Toronto. Ryerson also fought for many secularization reforms, to keep power and influence away from any one church, particularly the Church of England in Upper Canada which had pretensions to establishment. His advocacy of Methodism contributed to the eventual sale of the Clergy Reserves—large tracts of land that had been set aside for the "maintenance of the Protestant clergy" under the Constitutional Act of 1791. In honour of his achievements on behalf of the Methodist Church, Egerton Ryerson received a Doctor of Divinity degree from the Wesleyan University in Connecticut and served as President of the Church in Canada from 1874 to 1878.
Such secularization also led to the widening of the school system into public hands. Governor General Sir Charles Metcalfe asked him to become Chief Superintendent of Education for Upper Canada in 1844. It is in this role that Ryerson made his historical mark.
Ryerson's also played a part in the implementation of the Canadian residential school system. It was his study of Native education commissioned in 1847 by the Assistant Superintendent General of Indian Affairs that would become the model upon which residential schools were built.
The Normal School at St. James Square was founded in Toronto in 1847, and became the province's foremost teacher's academy. It also housed the Department of Education as well as the Museum of Natural History and Fine Arts, which became the Royal Ontario Museum. The school operated by the Ontario Society of Artists at the Normal School would become the Ontario College of Art & Design. An agricultural laboratory on the site led to the later founding of the Ontario Agricultural College and the University of Guelph. St. James Square went through various other educational uses before it eventually became part of Ryerson University.
He was also a writer, farmer, and sportsman. He retired in 1876 and died on 19 February 1882 having left an indelible mark on Canada's education system. He is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto.
Ryerson University (Toronto), Ryerson Press (McGraw-Hill Ryerson), and the Township of Ryerson in the Parry Sound District, Ontario, were named after him, as well as the small park, Ryerson Park, in the city of Owen Sound, at the northeast corner of 8th Street East and 5th Avenue East. There is also an intersection of two small streets in Toronto, Egerton Lane and Ryerson Avenue, between Spadina and Bathurst north of Queen Street West.
Legislation
Common School Bill of 1846
Ryerson's study of educational systems elsewhere in the Western world led to three school acts, which would revolutionize education in Canada. His major innovations included libraries in every school, an educational journal and professional development conventions for teachers, a central textbook press using Canadian authors, and securing land grants for universities.
The Common School Bill of 1846, was an act that had established the First General School Board, where it would consist of Seven Members, that would each have their own responsibilities. Ryerson set the groundwork for compulsory education, which is what it has become today, he ensured that curriculums were made and that teaching and learning materials were provided and delivered to Schools, in the result of the best possible education. Ryerson did not believe that caucasian and Aboriginal children should not be taught in the same schools due to their different civilization and their upbringings.
Superintendent of Schools for Upper Canada
Ryerson observed that previous educational legislation, most notably the Common School Act of 1843, was ineffective due to the limited powers of authority of the Superintendent of Schools. By comparing the office of the Superintendent to a corresponding office in New York State, namely the "State Superintendent", he noted that the 1843 Act allowed the Superintendent to draw up rules and responsibilities but no one was required to follow them. In his draft of the bill, he included several responsibilities of the Superintendent for Upper Canada: apportioning Legislature funds among the twenty district councils (in existence at that point in time), discouragement of unsuitable texts for classroom and school library usage (no common texts were the norm), provide direction for normal schools, prepare recommended plans for school houses and school libraries, dissemination of information, and annual reporting to the Governor General. This considerably expanded the role of Superintendent and placed significantly more responsibility upon the office.
Further, he established the first General Board of Education (the one established in 1823 was by order of the Lieutenant Governor not by legislation). The board consisted of the Superintendent and six other members nominated by the Governor General.
District superintendents
The bill provided provision for a new office, that of the District Superintendent. Ryerson recommended, although it did not become part of the legislation that followed from the 1846 bill, that as a savings measure the offices of Clerk of the District and District Superintendent be combined.
The District Superintendents became important civil servants, apportioning District School Funds in proportion of the number of students, teacher payment, visit all schools in their district; reporting on progress, advising teachers on school management, examining teachers' qualifications, revoking unqualified teachers, and preventing the use of unauthorized textbooks.
Common textbooks
Ryerson advocated for uniform school textbooks across Upper Canada. Again, benchmarking the New York system, he noted that an Act passed in 1843 provided authority to the State Superintendent of Schools and county superintendents to reject any book in a school library. That system utilized University Regents to create a list of acceptable texts from which the schools purchased books. Ryerson did not propose absolute authority on book selection, rather, recommended that the Board of Education "make out a list of School Text Books, in each branch of learning that they would recommend, and another list they would not permit leaving Trustees to select from these lists."
Free schools
With the intent of providing education for all children, Ryerson began lobbying for the idea of free schools in 1846. His convictions on the matter were strengthened after studying systems of education in New York State and Massachusetts where financial provision for education was a cardinal one. Proving his point that education was a necessity, he was able to show, for example, in Toronto alone, less than half of the 4,450 children in the city were regular school attendees.
In his Circular to the County Municipalities, in 1846, he argued the following:
"The basis of this only true system of universal Education is two fold":
1. that every inhabitant of a Country is bound to contribute to the support of its Public Institutions, according to the property which he acquires, or enjoys, under the Government of the Country.
2. That every child born, or brought up in the Country, has a right to that education which will fit him for the duties of a useful citizen of the Country, and is not to be deprived of it, on account of the inability, or poverty, of his parents, or guardians."
Among other noble intentions, he was determined to provide education to those less privileged, as a means of improving the opportunities of all; or as he so eloquently described it as the "only effectual remedy for the pernicious and pauperizing system which is at present. Many children are now kept from school on the alleged grounds of parental poverty." Ryerson was persuasive in his arguments such that principle for free education, in a permission form, was embodied into the School Law of 1850. Subsequent debate followed until 1871 when free school provision was included in the Comprehensive School Act of 1871.
Common School Bill of 1850
The Common School Act updated 1847 legislation creating school boards across Canada West. It required that municipalities meet the funding needs stated by their local school board and allows for schools to be paid for through provincial and municipal funds alone, allowing individual boards to eliminate school fees but not making this compulsory. The Act also allowed for the creation of separate schools leading to provincially funded Catholic schools and to racially segregated schools.
The School Act of 1871
The School Act made elementary education compulsory and free up to age 12. The Act also created two streams of secondary education: high schools, the lower stream, and collegiate institutes, the higher stream. Extra funding was provided for collegiate institutes “with a daily average attendance of sixty boys studying Latin and Greek under a minimum of four masters.”
Ryerson and girls' education
While celebrated for achievements in winning free elementary education, Ryerson's opposition to schooling for girls is less well-known. While Ryerson did not oppose female heads of household voting in school board elections, he did not support the education of women as a class beyond the elementary level due to a belief that their role was to be wives and mothers. He ended co-education instruction at the Upper Canada Academy and opposed the participation of girls at grammar schools in the province. He also insisted on the separation of boys and girls in common schools.
Ryerson and residential schools
Egerton Ryerson is recognized as a key architect in the design of the Canadian Indian residential school system. His expert advice was sought by the Department of Indian Affairs in 1847 and those recommendations for Aboriginal schools were appended to the first publication in 1898 of "Statistics Respecting Residential Schools" since the Indian Act (1876); "Agriculture being the chief interest, and probably the most suitable employment of the civilized Indians, I think the great object of industrial schools should be to fit the pupils for becoming working farmers and agricultural labourers, fortified of course by Christian principles, feelings and habits."
Ryerson's argument that "Indians should be schooled in separate, denominational, boarding, English-only and agriculturally-oriented (industrial) institutions" was the framework used in Canada's residential school system. Ryerson University's Aboriginal Education Council issued a statement regarding this involvement in 2010 calling for the university to acknowledge Ryerson's role in the conceptualization of residential schools and to create an environment welcoming to Aboriginal peoples as part of the truth and reconciliation process. Senator Murray Sinclair has declared that Ryerson University has shown leadership in its commitment to equity and diversity and is clearly dedicated to righting the wrongs of the past. Sinclair lauded the university for its response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
On June 25, 2018 there was an official installation of a plaque that contextualizes and acknowledges Egerton Ryerson's involvement in the history of residential schools beside the statue of his likeness on Ryerson University campus. The plaque contains the following text:
"This plaque serves as a reminder of Ryerson University's commitment to moving forward in the spirit of truth and reconciliation. Egerton Ryerson is widely known for his contributions to Ontario's public educational system. As Chief Superintendent of Education, Ryerson's recommendations were instrumental in the design and implementation of the Indian Residential School System. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission reported that children in the schools were subjected to unthinkable abuse and neglect, to medical experimentation, punishment for the practice of cultures or languages and death. The aim of the Residential School System was cultural genocide.”
Beneath this text are the following two quotes:
“Let us put our minds together to see what kind of lives we can create for our children” – Chief Sitting Bull
“For the child taken, for the parent left behind” – Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
On July 18, 2020, three people were arrested for splattering pink paint on the Egerton Ryerson statue - in addition to two others of John A. Macdonald and King Edward VII at the Ontario Legislature - as part of a demand to tear down the monuments. Black Lives Matter Toronto claimed responsibility for the actions stating that "The action comes after the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario have failed to take action against police violence against Black people." Jenna Reid, Danielle Smith and Daniel Gooch were each charged with three counts of mischief under $5000 and conspiracy to commit a summary offence.
Personal
Ryerson and his daughter Sophia had collected forms of art (buying a total of 236 paintings by more than one hundred artists) in Europe to add to The Educational Museum (which was to be affiliated with the Normal School) in Toronto, this museum would be open to teachers and the public. This resulted in the opening of cultural education and expanded urban centres. He did this to elevate cultural perspectives, Ryerson ensured that the paintings he came across. while travelling was touching in the sense that it would get the public to use their mind and spirit - throughout this trip with his daughter (Sophia) he kept in touch with John George Hodgins, his Deputy Superintendent in the Ontario Education Department.
Egerton Ryerson was instrumental in building our current education system in Canada. His most notable achievement was the creation of the Normal School in Toronto which was a college for in-class training of teachers. The normal school was also home to the department of education and a museum which introduced people to art and different scientific activities that normalized publicly funded art galleries, museums and other places in Canada.
Cultural education lead Ryerson to coin a theory in which he believed that family was the "link between individual and the society" – the family is where individuals learn who they are and what role they will play in civilization.
Ryerson had thought society in terms of a "union of individuals" people showed their basic premise to society. He strongly believed that a strong, well-intact government was important to society, because without individuals passions will cause chaos, so it was, therefore, important that interests were preserved for the greater good.
Ryerson was a believer that rising in social scale depends on the work you put into society and with the rise in this social scare; individuals would gain respect from others. Individuals needed to learn about this at a young age so they would have a stronger likelihood of being successful. He strongly suggested that the well-being of an individual and their scale in terms of society go hand-in-hand, he, therefore, did not develop any desire to have a strong footing in society for his benefit. Ryerson suggested that many societies problems are fixed by sharing historical experiences, from this Political Leaders would decide what their next decision would be. Due to the way Ryerson viewed how to solve for a societal problem he was viewed as a leader who strongly believed in symbolism and history.
The Common School Bill of 1846, was an act that had established the First General School Board, where it would consist of Seven Members, that would each have their own responsibilities. Ryerson set the groundwork for compulsory education, which is what it has become today, he ensured that curriculums were made and that teaching and learning materials were provided and delivered to Schools, in the result of the best possible education.
The common school act of 1871 was created in hopes to improve the education system Ontario had at the time. This act was supposed to ensure free and standardized education for all. Religious teachings were made illegal in order to let people from all kinds of different religious backgrounds have access to proper education. This act also made it mandatory for kids to be in school until the age of 14. Egerton Ryerson believed by creating this act he would be closer to defeating issues in Ontario such as poverty, deviance and people being uneducated.
Egerton Ryerson was also well known as an advocate for freedom of religion. He believed that freedom of religion and proper education were the keys to improving people and society as a whole.
Family
Ryerson was married twice and had several children. In 1828, he married Hannah Aikman. She died in 1832, soon after the birth of their second child. Their children were John and Lucilla Hannah. John died of dysentery in 1835 at age six, and Lucilla died of consumption in 1849 at age 17.
In 1833, Ryerson married Mary Armstrong in York (Toronto). Together they had two children, Sophia in 1837 and Charles Egerton in 1847:
Charles Egerton Ryerson (July 5, 1847 – June 4, 1909) - secretary-treasurer and assistant librarian of Toronto; his children with Emily Eliza Beatty (1850- ) were:
Egerton Ryerson (1876– ), a missionary priest in Japan
Edward Stanley Ryerson (1879–1963)
Stanley Bréhaut Ryerson (1911-1998), historian and Communist politician
Mary Ella Ryerson (1882– )
Isabel Louise Ryerson (1884– )
John Egerton Ryerson (1887–1916)
Sophie Ryerson Harris
Chris Ryerson, an engineer from Ottawa, is a descendant of Ryerson and a Ryerson University graduate.
Here is another source of information on Egerton Ryerson's life with a slightly different focus: www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?BioId=39939
yep, I hiked both lower and upper canyons in a dress and sandals (forgot to pack socks for my boots) but hey- at least I didn't end up with blisters and/or feet pain
A local kid rides a bicycle too big for him on the road from Siem Reap to Kbal Spean in Cambodia. I am in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on my first solo trip after a traumatic breakup in Oct. 2008, to check out some of the Angkor temples. Several of the Angkor temples are located quite a distance from Siem Reap, and Kbal Spean, another of the Angkor temples where I am headed is over 25km away. I was really enjoying my long ride through the Cambodia countryside. It was edifying to see the simple bare bones existence of much of the rural folk. Add to that the wafting smells of firewood burning and such like, it was nice to go back in town a bit. I could spot signs of other countries helping individual villages or communities to get their act together. After suffering several years of persecution, harassment and outright murder by the brain dead Khmer Rouge lunatics, Cambodia was a country just coming out of poverty. This sight of a little boy riding 'monkey pedal' ( or half monkey pedal as it is sometimes called) a bicycle too big for him reminded me of scenes way back during my childhood, or even of my home town Pune (Poona) in western India as it was when we moved there in 1971. (Siem Reap, Cambodia, Oct. 2008)
Jesse Taylor is today's new Stranger. I meet him as I was taking out my garbage. He was headfirst into the back of his van sorting out some wiring. I noticed the guitar and music gear and stopped for a chat.
Jesse appears to be living the dream... He has taken his love of mosaic and combined it with surfing and manages to keep it all together travelling and singing in his renovated tradies van. Currently he does his gigs, mainly around the Sunshine Coast but nest weekend will find him playing at Byron Bay in between hitting the waves.
Writing most of his own material, Jesse describes his style as Folk but will dabble in other genres such as Jazz and Reggie.
yesterday, on my lunch break, i took some shots around my neighborhood and i got permission to take this shot of the little guy!!! he was sooo warm in his little coat and such a happy little fella. no wait, he may have been warm but he was ready to take my fingers off!!!! but still i was glad to be able to practice my passion on him and i thank him and his VERY NICE human for allowing me to go to town, so to speak!
went to the doggie park in search of a few animal shots; was a little bored there, so I wandered off and look who I found all by himself. So I set up the tripod, mounted the D300 with the telephoto lens almost next to him in the water, and he never even looked once.
Handsome Yoshio wears "Tokyo Sleek Him'. Nothing like leather and fine wool to make one feel well-prepared for a night out.
I transfer him back into the pram at home where he finishes his nap. SL has a seat and watches me clean and we watch some DR OZ and Nate Berkus.
Igor sees ghosts hovering above him...
Resurrectionist is an early term for "grave robber." I really enjoyed this novel which juxtaposed 2 stories set in the same medical school...one in the 1860's, the other contemporary....perfect for Halloween...or any time...
The search for Malaysia's Hottest Hunks for year 2008/2009. Fashion Show by Camel Active, performances by the hunks, shirtless catwalks and more. Organised by NewIcon For Him & Newtide.
Toby the cat did not like me following him to his lair under the stacked outdoor chairs and is giving me a dirty look, just before he reaches out to give me 3 rapid smacks in succession, luckily with claws sheathed. He's full of cattitude!
Day 62 of 365 Days in Colour - Day 1 of October, Black = Toby is wearing a crooked black batman mask.
Taken with iPhone 4S.
Every few minutes, there's a rise in excitement. "There he is, in that window!" I look but there's really nothing visible from our low angle.
I ask which window. "Well they don't let him come up to the window, but I saw the top of a head. It's got to be him."
They cheer, they yell, they wave flags. The little girl with the megaphone bellows, "WE LOVE YOU MICHAEL." And with rousing authority, "YOU SHOULD NOT BE IN THERE."
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You: my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. To see Your power and Your glory, so [as] I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.Psalm 63:1-2
Seek Him Early
talk to Him and read his word
early in your lives, early in your weeks and early in your days