Police staff, former military personnel, prison staff and office workers make up the varied backgrounds of Greater Manchester Police’s new officers.

Yesterday GMP welcomed 96 new recruits to the Force. The officers were officially sworn in at a formal ceremony attended by the Chief Constable, senior officers and magistrate Joan Cooper.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “Our region is made up of people from a range of backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities which is why it’s wonderful to see our workforce now becoming a reflection of this.

“By having an organisation which mirrors our community we are able to strengthen the ties we already have with the public and instil a better understanding of the needs and demands across the region.”

The attestation ceremony was held at Stockport Town Hall on Tuesday 5 June. Family and friends watched the new officers make their oath to uphold their role with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their time in post.

New recruits have to complete a two year probation period which includes classroom based learning and a year of active patrol. During their training they will have the same of level of authority as regular officers, including the power of arrest.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins added: “Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of our philosophy which is why it is so important to hold these ceremonies within the community.

“Our new recruits will join their colleagues in dealing with challenging situations in order to ensure the safety and security of the public. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for choosing to become a part of our police family and wish them every success in their future careers.”

Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Beverley Hughes said: “I want to congratulate all of our recruits who have taken part in tonight’s attestation ceremony. It is a celebration of the hard work and dedication that each of our new police constables has put in to prepare themselves for their new roles. I would like to welcome them all into the police service.

“Policing is one of the most fundamental public services upon which our citizens depend, and they will play a vital role in keeping people safe.

“In Greater Manchester we pride ourselves on our diverse cultures and communities that this new generation of police officers will now be working closely with across the city region. I wish you all the very best in your future careers with GMP.”

The new recruits are replacing those who have either retired or left the organisation and therefore helping GMP to maintain current officer numbers.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Police staff, former military personnel, prison staff and office workers make up the varied backgrounds of Greater Manchester Police’s new officers.

Yesterday GMP welcomed 96 new recruits to the Force. The officers were officially sworn in at a formal ceremony attended by the Chief Constable, senior officers and magistrate Joan Cooper.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “Our region is made up of people from a range of backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities which is why it’s wonderful to see our workforce now becoming a reflection of this.

“By having an organisation which mirrors our community we are able to strengthen the ties we already have with the public and instil a better understanding of the needs and demands across the region.”

The attestation ceremony was held at Stockport Town Hall on Tuesday 5 June. Family and friends watched the new officers make their oath to uphold their role with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their time in post.

New recruits have to complete a two year probation period which includes classroom based learning and a year of active patrol. During their training they will have the same of level of authority as regular officers, including the power of arrest.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins added: “Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of our philosophy which is why it is so important to hold these ceremonies within the community.

“Our new recruits will join their colleagues in dealing with challenging situations in order to ensure the safety and security of the public. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for choosing to become a part of our police family and wish them every success in their future careers.”

Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Beverley Hughes said: “I want to congratulate all of our recruits who have taken part in tonight’s attestation ceremony. It is a celebration of the hard work and dedication that each of our new police constables has put in to prepare themselves for their new roles. I would like to welcome them all into the police service.

“Policing is one of the most fundamental public services upon which our citizens depend, and they will play a vital role in keeping people safe.

“In Greater Manchester we pride ourselves on our diverse cultures and communities that this new generation of police officers will now be working closely with across the city region. I wish you all the very best in your future careers with GMP.”

The new recruits are replacing those who have either retired or left the organisation and therefore helping GMP to maintain current officer numbers.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Police staff, former military personnel, prison staff and office workers make up the varied backgrounds of Greater Manchester Police’s new officers.

Yesterday GMP welcomed 96 new recruits to the Force. The officers were officially sworn in at a formal ceremony attended by the Chief Constable, senior officers and magistrate Joan Cooper.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “Our region is made up of people from a range of backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities which is why it’s wonderful to see our workforce now becoming a reflection of this.

“By having an organisation which mirrors our community we are able to strengthen the ties we already have with the public and instil a better understanding of the needs and demands across the region.”

The attestation ceremony was held at Stockport Town Hall on Tuesday 5 June. Family and friends watched the new officers make their oath to uphold their role with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their time in post.

New recruits have to complete a two year probation period which includes classroom based learning and a year of active patrol. During their training they will have the same of level of authority as regular officers, including the power of arrest.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins added: “Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of our philosophy which is why it is so important to hold these ceremonies within the community.

“Our new recruits will join their colleagues in dealing with challenging situations in order to ensure the safety and security of the public. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for choosing to become a part of our police family and wish them every success in their future careers.”

Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Beverley Hughes said: “I want to congratulate all of our recruits who have taken part in tonight’s attestation ceremony. It is a celebration of the hard work and dedication that each of our new police constables has put in to prepare themselves for their new roles. I would like to welcome them all into the police service.

“Policing is one of the most fundamental public services upon which our citizens depend, and they will play a vital role in keeping people safe.

“In Greater Manchester we pride ourselves on our diverse cultures and communities that this new generation of police officers will now be working closely with across the city region. I wish you all the very best in your future careers with GMP.”

The new recruits are replacing those who have either retired or left the organisation and therefore helping GMP to maintain current officer numbers.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:

If ever there were a good way to finish up a trip, this particular Sunday in October would be it. Before arriving in Hanoi, I honestly had exceptionally low expectations. A bit like Saigon, if you are to go online and try to look up a list of places to visit – basically a tourist’s stock photography checklist, as it may be – you don’t find much that’s appealing. Well…I didn’t, anyway, and as a result, I had pretty low expectations for Hanoi.

The charm and beauty of Hanoi, however, isn’t in any one particular place. It’s in the experience of the entire city. (I’d say the same for Saigon, but multiply that a few times for Hanoi.) On this day in the Old Quarter in particular, I kept finding myself thinking, “Oh, my God, I shouldn’t be this lucky as a photographer…” Today ended up being mostly about people, with a little food and historical locations mixed in.

As I mentioned in the last set of posting, today would start off a bit sad with Junebug leaving for China a day before I would. So, we were checked out of our room by 6:00 in the morning or so. The breakfast at the Art Trendy was wonderful. Buffet with a mix of made-to-order omelets mixed in. Strong work, Art Trendy, strong work…

When June left, I really had nothing to do since it was still six in the morning and I was temporarily homeless as I had to switch hotels. So…I sat around the lobby for about two hours (possibly slightly awkward for the poor girls working there, but oh, well; I had to sit somewhere).

Around 8:00, I finally dragged my old bones out of the hotel and walked the five to ten minutes down the street to the Aquarius, where I politely asked them to hold my non-camera bag until I come back around 1:00 in the afternoon to check in.

After that, I was finally off with my cameras to enjoy an early Sunday morning in the bustling Old Quarter. On the street where the hotel is situated are a number of restaurants where locals were jammed in to enjoy noodles, steamed buns, and the like. It was wonderful to be among that crowd (though someone tried to scold me ever so slightly for taking pictures of people eating).

Since this was right next to St. Joseph’s Cathedral – and it was Sunday morning – I found my way back into the church where we crashed the wedding the afternoon before and realized that I almost got locked into Sunday mass while walking around taking pictures. So…I stayed. I prayed. And my prayer was answered when I realized the side doors and even the back door were open. (Ok…I didn’t really think I was locked in a church, but it did feel like it a little bit.)

Upon exiting the church, a handful of frames under my belt, I walked along the lovely streets photographing shops and people. At Caphe, I piggybacked on someone else’s photo shoot – it looked like they were doing a promo for the place, or possibly just a personal shoot for five women, though I have a feeling it was the former. At any rate, I was quite pleased with that little set and am presenting quite a few of those here, even if they’re a little redundant.

My ultimate goal with this wandering was to find my way to the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I’m not taking about the hotel chain, of course, but rather the prison that U.S. prisoners of war sarcastically called the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. (This is the prison where Senator John McCain was interred while a POW, and there are one or two pictures to that effect here.)

This prison has a particularly interesting history (and morbid since…well…it’s a prison). It’s about a hundred years old and was founded by the French colonialists around the turn of the 20th century. During the first 50 years of its history, the French imprisoned Vietnamese insurgents and those who wanted independence. In the eyes of the French…renegades (hence the imprisonment). In the eyes of the Vietnamese – especially the current government – patriots and national heroes. If they were truly freedom fighters, then I would probably side with the current government on that one.

The French even had a guillotine installed here and overcrowding was a major problem. There were plenty of escape attempts, and more were successful than you may think, which is a little peculiar.

After the battle of Bien Dien Phu and the ejection of the French from the north (and before the U.S. got involved in the south), the prison changed hands and was under control of Ho Chi Minh. During the Vietnam War, it became one of the main prisons for U.S. POWs, as I alluded to above.

The propaganda claims that the Vietcong were absolutely humane and decent with U.S. prisoners, allowing them to observe their religious rites (Christmas celebrations, etc.), allowed prisoners to smoke and enjoy leisure (board games, basketball, etc.), and claimed they were well-fed.

This is certainly how it’s presented in the prison/museum currently. If you were to go online, though, and try to find a contrary report, you would find that this was all coerced and staged to make it appear as if things were on the up and up. (For anyone curious, per my Vietnamese friends, the general education in Vietnam today is how terrible the French and U.S. were for colonizing and torturing the country and keeping it from its independence.)

So, what’s the truth of what really happened? Who knows? Outside of firsthand accounts, it’s impossible to know for certain and even then, memory can be a tricky thing. I tend to like to say the truth is always somewhere between two opposing viewpoints, no matter what the topic may be.

From an impartial and purely photographic point of view, the prison, currently a museum/memorial, is an interesting place to spend an hour or two. Some of the exhibits seem a bit cheesy, but some are quite tasteful and well done. There’s also an informational video. You’ll have to see this with a bit of imagination (the prison, that is), as at least half of it has been leveled for high rise buildings. At least there’s some tangible piece of it left to visit, including the main gate (Maison Centrale).

After about two hours here at the Hanoi Hilton, I walked over towards the Opera House to get a few daytime shots but, really, to get lunch at El Gaucho. I was looking forward to a proper steak. The prices were astronomical (though justifiable based on what I ate), though I just opted for a steak salad. It was so good I contemplated going back for dinner, but had other plans.

With a happy stomach, I went back to finally check in at the Aquarius Hotel and got my workout huffing up six flights of stairs each time I went out. I relaxed here for a few hours until 4:00 when a dear friend of mine came to town to see me.

Ngan and I had an ice cream at Baskin Robbins right in front of St. Joe’s before heading over to the Temple of Literature. This is a temple dedicated to education and, bless my soul, it’s a place where university graduates come for graduation pictures.

On this particular day – a warm, sunny, late Sunday afternoon – it was packed with college students. And it was beautiful to see that many people happy, full of hopes and dreams, and dressed in either cap and gown or traditional Vietnamese clothes. In short…I had a field day shooting for an hour here.

Around 5:00, Ngan had to head back to school, and I went back to my hotel. I had one more meeting. Hoa, who traveled around Thailand & Cambodia with me in May, flew back to see me this evening. She picked me up at 6:00 on her scooter and rode me all around Hanoi by evening.

She started by taking me to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (which I consider a lot more photogenic in its setting than the Great Gangster’s Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square). This one, at least, was in a parklike setting. At evening, it’s well-lit and you can find people relaxing in the grass in front of it. During the day, you can visit and there are quite a few buildings behind the mausoleum that you can also see.

After a few minutes here, Hoa took me by West Lake – the largest lake in Hanoi, as I mentioned yesterday – and just drove me around for over an hour, it seemed. My impressions that Hanoi (even out of the Old Quarter) seemed to be a good place to live – though I’d be concerned about the air pollution – and people here seemed to be happy. Also…Vietnamese really love their coffee.

We finally returned to the Old Quarter for dinner at one of the famous restaurants she recommended and she treated me to a wonderful dinner. I can’t recall what we ate (the Vietnamese names of it, anyway), but it was nice.

After dinner, she drove me over towards the Opera House and then, finally, we stopped by Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the Quarter and walked around the lake. It was getting close to 10:00 by this time, and I wanted to get back to the hotel to get a few hours sleep before waking up for my early flight in the morning. Hoa came to the airport with me to see me off.

If ever there were a great way to finish a great trip, this was it. I absolutely loved Vietnam – honestly, a lot more than I imagined I would, even with every single person I know who’d ever come here saying what a fantastic country this is – and would gladly come back. This seems to be one of the kinds of countries that you would never get tired of or, if you did, it would sure take a long time. With that, I’ll bid goodbye to Vietnam for now with the hopes that I’ll someday return to this land of amazing food, landscapes, and people.

As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Monday 22 January 2018.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and the Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Joyce Bowerman attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 99 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony in Prestwich on Wednesday 4 April 2018.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Baroness Beverley Hughes, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Dorothy Gunther attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police has welcomed 89 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Bolton Town Hall last night, Tuesday 11 June 2019.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling, Deputy Major of Greater Manchester Bev Hughes and Magistrate Joan Cooper were in attendance at the event.

The Mayor of Bolton, Councillor Hilary Fairclough and her consort were guests of honour.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of took an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 101 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Wednesday evening.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle, Magistrates Mike Phillips and Zahid Maqbool, the Mayor of Tameside Councillor Philip Fitzpatrick and Assistant Head Teacher at Droylsden Academy Dr Lee Schofield attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “The role of every officer is to help and serve the public, they are at the heart of the community and holding this event at a school helps to reflect this. The officers have been through a rigorous selection process and training programme, and I am proud to officially welcome them to the Force and look forward to seeing their hard work continue throughout Greater Manchester.

“I would like to thank Droylsden Academy for allowing us to hold our ceremony here. The evening was also an opportunity for pupils to witness the officers taking their oath, and for us to hear their musical talent.”

All of the new recruits have previously been employees with GMP, either as Police Community Support Officers (PCSO), Special Constables, or police staff, and will build upon their existing skills and knowledge involved with policing.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 101 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Wednesday evening.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle, Magistrates Mike Phillips and Zahid Maqbool, the Mayor of Tameside Councillor Philip Fitzpatrick and Assistant Head Teacher at Droylsden Academy Dr Lee Schofield attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “The role of every officer is to help and serve the public, they are at the heart of the community and holding this event at a school helps to reflect this. The officers have been through a rigorous selection process and training programme, and I am proud to officially welcome them to the Force and look forward to seeing their hard work continue throughout Greater Manchester.

“I would like to thank Droylsden Academy for allowing us to hold our ceremony here. The evening was also an opportunity for pupils to witness the officers taking their oath, and for us to hear their musical talent.”

All of the new recruits have previously been employees with GMP, either as Police Community Support Officers (PCSO), Special Constables, or police staff, and will build upon their existing skills and knowledge involved with policing.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Company C, 8th Indiana Infantry

The Sedan Times-Star, Thursday, July 13, 1911, Pg. 1

Died: July 7, 1911

WILLIAM H. STUDY DEAD.

______

PASSED AWAY AT HIS HOME

HERE LAST FRIDAY.

______

HEART TROUBLE THE CAUSE

______

He Was a Former Probate Judge

of This County and One of Its

Foremost Citizens.

______

William H. Study, ex-probate judge and one of the best known citizens of Chautauqua county, died at his home here at about 2 o’clock Friday afternoon. His death came after twenty-four hours of acute heart trouble. The first symptoms were shown shortly after dinner Thursday when he complained of pain near his heart. His condition steadily became more alarming and he soon took his bed. Every effort was made by stimulants to maintain the heart action but it proved only a temporary expedient. Death came to him very easily and he passed away as one failing to sleep.

Judge Study was born July 20, 1841, at Williamsburg, Ind. He lacked only thirteen days of being 70 years of age.

When the second call for volunteers came at the outbreak of the Civil war Judge Study enlisted in Company C, 8th Indiana Infantry. He served four years and participated in many of the most important and decisive battles of that great contest. He held the offices of sergeant and first lieutenant in his company. At the close of the war he returned home to Indiana and on December 14, 1865, he was married to Louisa Cranor at Hagerstown, Ind. To them five children were born. Two of them Lurena and Kizzie, died in infancy. Three sons Bertsell C. Study of Denver, Clarence M. Study of Bon Ami, Louisiana, and Harry P. Study, are living and with the wife and mother mourn the death of their loved one. Two sisters, Mrs. William Oler of Williamsburg, Ind., and Mrs. Chas. H. Huff of Martinsville, Ind., and one brother, Isaac Study of Cedar Vale, also survive him.

Judge Study was appointed deputy sheriff of Wayne county, Indiana, in 1866 and served four years. In 1870 he was elected sheriff and filled the office for two terms. At the close of his last term he moved to Indianapolis, Ind., and engaged in the real estate business. In 1877 he moved to Fountain City, Ind., where he conducted a mercantile and grain business. In 1884 he came to Chautauqua county and located on a ranch in Harrison township four miles southeast of Cedar Vale. Later he moved to Cedar Vale and engaged in the milling business. In 1900 he was elected probate judge and in 1902 was reelected serving four years.

The funeral was held from the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a member , at 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon. The pastor, Rev. R. T. Harkness, conducted the services and paid beautiful tributes to Judge Study’s character. The pallbearers included three old friends from Cedar Vale, Postmaster Austin Brown, Commissioner H. L. Cox and W. M. Jones. The others were P. F. Eggan, F. B. Garrett and W. H. Dennis of Sedan. The G. A. R. attended in a body and conducted the burial services. The casket was covered with a large flag and with beautiful floral offerings from friends here and elsewhere.

Judge Study suffered a stroke of paralysis in June 1909, and from that time dates his physical breakdown. Until that time he was as fine a specimen of physical strength as one often sees. Even when stricken he was still happy and took the matter lightly. He had been at Cedar Vale and as the county was then in the midst of the first court house campaign he was attending a court house meeting in the old Lance office. His friends carried him on a cot to his home, a block away, and he kept time for their step although he could not speak plainly. After a week or two he was again able to get around but the effects of the paralysis were still noticeable and his decline from then was slow but sure. He wanted to die. He felt that he had lived his three-score-and-ten and that the future held only suffering and sorrow for him. Strong in the consciousness of an upright life he had no fears of death and he welcomed it as a friend setting one free from a life of pain.

Judge Study was one of the best probate judges this county ever had. With splendid mind and wide information he combined a fine discernment of justice with a courage that knew no fear. His love of justice was strong and he administered the duties of his office faithfully and impartially to a degree seldom known. He was strong in his likes and dislikes, but his dislikes were always tempered with a sense of justice. In the last few years he has given much time and thought to his religious welfare. As a husband and father Judge Study was loving, indulgent and faithful. As a citizen he exercised courageously an intelligent conception of the duties of citizenship. As a neighbor he was loved by all who knew him and his home here has always been the scene of frequent social gatherings. He will be missed by all and the sympathy extended to his wife and sons is deep and sincere.

From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:

If ever there were a good way to finish up a trip, this particular Sunday in October would be it. Before arriving in Hanoi, I honestly had exceptionally low expectations. A bit like Saigon, if you are to go online and try to look up a list of places to visit – basically a tourist’s stock photography checklist, as it may be – you don’t find much that’s appealing. Well…I didn’t, anyway, and as a result, I had pretty low expectations for Hanoi.

The charm and beauty of Hanoi, however, isn’t in any one particular place. It’s in the experience of the entire city. (I’d say the same for Saigon, but multiply that a few times for Hanoi.) On this day in the Old Quarter in particular, I kept finding myself thinking, “Oh, my God, I shouldn’t be this lucky as a photographer…” Today ended up being mostly about people, with a little food and historical locations mixed in.

As I mentioned in the last set of posting, today would start off a bit sad with Junebug leaving for China a day before I would. So, we were checked out of our room by 6:00 in the morning or so. The breakfast at the Art Trendy was wonderful. Buffet with a mix of made-to-order omelets mixed in. Strong work, Art Trendy, strong work…

When June left, I really had nothing to do since it was still six in the morning and I was temporarily homeless as I had to switch hotels. So…I sat around the lobby for about two hours (possibly slightly awkward for the poor girls working there, but oh, well; I had to sit somewhere).

Around 8:00, I finally dragged my old bones out of the hotel and walked the five to ten minutes down the street to the Aquarius, where I politely asked them to hold my non-camera bag until I come back around 1:00 in the afternoon to check in.

After that, I was finally off with my cameras to enjoy an early Sunday morning in the bustling Old Quarter. On the street where the hotel is situated are a number of restaurants where locals were jammed in to enjoy noodles, steamed buns, and the like. It was wonderful to be among that crowd (though someone tried to scold me ever so slightly for taking pictures of people eating).

Since this was right next to St. Joseph’s Cathedral – and it was Sunday morning – I found my way back into the church where we crashed the wedding the afternoon before and realized that I almost got locked into Sunday mass while walking around taking pictures. So…I stayed. I prayed. And my prayer was answered when I realized the side doors and even the back door were open. (Ok…I didn’t really think I was locked in a church, but it did feel like it a little bit.)

Upon exiting the church, a handful of frames under my belt, I walked along the lovely streets photographing shops and people. At Caphe, I piggybacked on someone else’s photo shoot – it looked like they were doing a promo for the place, or possibly just a personal shoot for five women, though I have a feeling it was the former. At any rate, I was quite pleased with that little set and am presenting quite a few of those here, even if they’re a little redundant.

My ultimate goal with this wandering was to find my way to the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I’m not taking about the hotel chain, of course, but rather the prison that U.S. prisoners of war sarcastically called the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. (This is the prison where Senator John McCain was interred while a POW, and there are one or two pictures to that effect here.)

This prison has a particularly interesting history (and morbid since…well…it’s a prison). It’s about a hundred years old and was founded by the French colonialists around the turn of the 20th century. During the first 50 years of its history, the French imprisoned Vietnamese insurgents and those who wanted independence. In the eyes of the French…renegades (hence the imprisonment). In the eyes of the Vietnamese – especially the current government – patriots and national heroes. If they were truly freedom fighters, then I would probably side with the current government on that one.

The French even had a guillotine installed here and overcrowding was a major problem. There were plenty of escape attempts, and more were successful than you may think, which is a little peculiar.

After the battle of Bien Dien Phu and the ejection of the French from the north (and before the U.S. got involved in the south), the prison changed hands and was under control of Ho Chi Minh. During the Vietnam War, it became one of the main prisons for U.S. POWs, as I alluded to above.

The propaganda claims that the Vietcong were absolutely humane and decent with U.S. prisoners, allowing them to observe their religious rites (Christmas celebrations, etc.), allowed prisoners to smoke and enjoy leisure (board games, basketball, etc.), and claimed they were well-fed.

This is certainly how it’s presented in the prison/museum currently. If you were to go online, though, and try to find a contrary report, you would find that this was all coerced and staged to make it appear as if things were on the up and up. (For anyone curious, per my Vietnamese friends, the general education in Vietnam today is how terrible the French and U.S. were for colonizing and torturing the country and keeping it from its independence.)

So, what’s the truth of what really happened? Who knows? Outside of firsthand accounts, it’s impossible to know for certain and even then, memory can be a tricky thing. I tend to like to say the truth is always somewhere between two opposing viewpoints, no matter what the topic may be.

From an impartial and purely photographic point of view, the prison, currently a museum/memorial, is an interesting place to spend an hour or two. Some of the exhibits seem a bit cheesy, but some are quite tasteful and well done. There’s also an informational video. You’ll have to see this with a bit of imagination (the prison, that is), as at least half of it has been leveled for high rise buildings. At least there’s some tangible piece of it left to visit, including the main gate (Maison Centrale).

After about two hours here at the Hanoi Hilton, I walked over towards the Opera House to get a few daytime shots but, really, to get lunch at El Gaucho. I was looking forward to a proper steak. The prices were astronomical (though justifiable based on what I ate), though I just opted for a steak salad. It was so good I contemplated going back for dinner, but had other plans.

With a happy stomach, I went back to finally check in at the Aquarius Hotel and got my workout huffing up six flights of stairs each time I went out. I relaxed here for a few hours until 4:00 when a dear friend of mine came to town to see me.

Ngan and I had an ice cream at Baskin Robbins right in front of St. Joe’s before heading over to the Temple of Literature. This is a temple dedicated to education and, bless my soul, it’s a place where university graduates come for graduation pictures.

On this particular day – a warm, sunny, late Sunday afternoon – it was packed with college students. And it was beautiful to see that many people happy, full of hopes and dreams, and dressed in either cap and gown or traditional Vietnamese clothes. In short…I had a field day shooting for an hour here.

Around 5:00, Ngan had to head back to school, and I went back to my hotel. I had one more meeting. Hoa, who traveled around Thailand & Cambodia with me in May, flew back to see me this evening. She picked me up at 6:00 on her scooter and rode me all around Hanoi by evening.

She started by taking me to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (which I consider a lot more photogenic in its setting than the Great Gangster’s Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square). This one, at least, was in a parklike setting. At evening, it’s well-lit and you can find people relaxing in the grass in front of it. During the day, you can visit and there are quite a few buildings behind the mausoleum that you can also see.

After a few minutes here, Hoa took me by West Lake – the largest lake in Hanoi, as I mentioned yesterday – and just drove me around for over an hour, it seemed. My impressions that Hanoi (even out of the Old Quarter) seemed to be a good place to live – though I’d be concerned about the air pollution – and people here seemed to be happy. Also…Vietnamese really love their coffee.

We finally returned to the Old Quarter for dinner at one of the famous restaurants she recommended and she treated me to a wonderful dinner. I can’t recall what we ate (the Vietnamese names of it, anyway), but it was nice.

After dinner, she drove me over towards the Opera House and then, finally, we stopped by Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the Quarter and walked around the lake. It was getting close to 10:00 by this time, and I wanted to get back to the hotel to get a few hours sleep before waking up for my early flight in the morning. Hoa came to the airport with me to see me off.

If ever there were a great way to finish a great trip, this was it. I absolutely loved Vietnam – honestly, a lot more than I imagined I would, even with every single person I know who’d ever come here saying what a fantastic country this is – and would gladly come back. This seems to be one of the kinds of countries that you would never get tired of or, if you did, it would sure take a long time. With that, I’ll bid goodbye to Vietnam for now with the hopes that I’ll someday return to this land of amazing food, landscapes, and people.

As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.

From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:

If ever there were a good way to finish up a trip, this particular Sunday in October would be it. Before arriving in Hanoi, I honestly had exceptionally low expectations. A bit like Saigon, if you are to go online and try to look up a list of places to visit – basically a tourist’s stock photography checklist, as it may be – you don’t find much that’s appealing. Well…I didn’t, anyway, and as a result, I had pretty low expectations for Hanoi.

The charm and beauty of Hanoi, however, isn’t in any one particular place. It’s in the experience of the entire city. (I’d say the same for Saigon, but multiply that a few times for Hanoi.) On this day in the Old Quarter in particular, I kept finding myself thinking, “Oh, my God, I shouldn’t be this lucky as a photographer…” Today ended up being mostly about people, with a little food and historical locations mixed in.

As I mentioned in the last set of posting, today would start off a bit sad with Junebug leaving for China a day before I would. So, we were checked out of our room by 6:00 in the morning or so. The breakfast at the Art Trendy was wonderful. Buffet with a mix of made-to-order omelets mixed in. Strong work, Art Trendy, strong work…

When June left, I really had nothing to do since it was still six in the morning and I was temporarily homeless as I had to switch hotels. So…I sat around the lobby for about two hours (possibly slightly awkward for the poor girls working there, but oh, well; I had to sit somewhere).

Around 8:00, I finally dragged my old bones out of the hotel and walked the five to ten minutes down the street to the Aquarius, where I politely asked them to hold my non-camera bag until I come back around 1:00 in the afternoon to check in.

After that, I was finally off with my cameras to enjoy an early Sunday morning in the bustling Old Quarter. On the street where the hotel is situated are a number of restaurants where locals were jammed in to enjoy noodles, steamed buns, and the like. It was wonderful to be among that crowd (though someone tried to scold me ever so slightly for taking pictures of people eating).

Since this was right next to St. Joseph’s Cathedral – and it was Sunday morning – I found my way back into the church where we crashed the wedding the afternoon before and realized that I almost got locked into Sunday mass while walking around taking pictures. So…I stayed. I prayed. And my prayer was answered when I realized the side doors and even the back door were open. (Ok…I didn’t really think I was locked in a church, but it did feel like it a little bit.)

Upon exiting the church, a handful of frames under my belt, I walked along the lovely streets photographing shops and people. At Caphe, I piggybacked on someone else’s photo shoot – it looked like they were doing a promo for the place, or possibly just a personal shoot for five women, though I have a feeling it was the former. At any rate, I was quite pleased with that little set and am presenting quite a few of those here, even if they’re a little redundant.

My ultimate goal with this wandering was to find my way to the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I’m not taking about the hotel chain, of course, but rather the prison that U.S. prisoners of war sarcastically called the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. (This is the prison where Senator John McCain was interred while a POW, and there are one or two pictures to that effect here.)

This prison has a particularly interesting history (and morbid since…well…it’s a prison). It’s about a hundred years old and was founded by the French colonialists around the turn of the 20th century. During the first 50 years of its history, the French imprisoned Vietnamese insurgents and those who wanted independence. In the eyes of the French…renegades (hence the imprisonment). In the eyes of the Vietnamese – especially the current government – patriots and national heroes. If they were truly freedom fighters, then I would probably side with the current government on that one.

The French even had a guillotine installed here and overcrowding was a major problem. There were plenty of escape attempts, and more were successful than you may think, which is a little peculiar.

After the battle of Bien Dien Phu and the ejection of the French from the north (and before the U.S. got involved in the south), the prison changed hands and was under control of Ho Chi Minh. During the Vietnam War, it became one of the main prisons for U.S. POWs, as I alluded to above.

The propaganda claims that the Vietcong were absolutely humane and decent with U.S. prisoners, allowing them to observe their religious rites (Christmas celebrations, etc.), allowed prisoners to smoke and enjoy leisure (board games, basketball, etc.), and claimed they were well-fed.

This is certainly how it’s presented in the prison/museum currently. If you were to go online, though, and try to find a contrary report, you would find that this was all coerced and staged to make it appear as if things were on the up and up. (For anyone curious, per my Vietnamese friends, the general education in Vietnam today is how terrible the French and U.S. were for colonizing and torturing the country and keeping it from its independence.)

So, what’s the truth of what really happened? Who knows? Outside of firsthand accounts, it’s impossible to know for certain and even then, memory can be a tricky thing. I tend to like to say the truth is always somewhere between two opposing viewpoints, no matter what the topic may be.

From an impartial and purely photographic point of view, the prison, currently a museum/memorial, is an interesting place to spend an hour or two. Some of the exhibits seem a bit cheesy, but some are quite tasteful and well done. There’s also an informational video. You’ll have to see this with a bit of imagination (the prison, that is), as at least half of it has been leveled for high rise buildings. At least there’s some tangible piece of it left to visit, including the main gate (Maison Centrale).

After about two hours here at the Hanoi Hilton, I walked over towards the Opera House to get a few daytime shots but, really, to get lunch at El Gaucho. I was looking forward to a proper steak. The prices were astronomical (though justifiable based on what I ate), though I just opted for a steak salad. It was so good I contemplated going back for dinner, but had other plans.

With a happy stomach, I went back to finally check in at the Aquarius Hotel and got my workout huffing up six flights of stairs each time I went out. I relaxed here for a few hours until 4:00 when a dear friend of mine came to town to see me.

Ngan and I had an ice cream at Baskin Robbins right in front of St. Joe’s before heading over to the Temple of Literature. This is a temple dedicated to education and, bless my soul, it’s a place where university graduates come for graduation pictures.

On this particular day – a warm, sunny, late Sunday afternoon – it was packed with college students. And it was beautiful to see that many people happy, full of hopes and dreams, and dressed in either cap and gown or traditional Vietnamese clothes. In short…I had a field day shooting for an hour here.

Around 5:00, Ngan had to head back to school, and I went back to my hotel. I had one more meeting. Hoa, who traveled around Thailand & Cambodia with me in May, flew back to see me this evening. She picked me up at 6:00 on her scooter and rode me all around Hanoi by evening.

She started by taking me to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (which I consider a lot more photogenic in its setting than the Great Gangster’s Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square). This one, at least, was in a parklike setting. At evening, it’s well-lit and you can find people relaxing in the grass in front of it. During the day, you can visit and there are quite a few buildings behind the mausoleum that you can also see.

After a few minutes here, Hoa took me by West Lake – the largest lake in Hanoi, as I mentioned yesterday – and just drove me around for over an hour, it seemed. My impressions that Hanoi (even out of the Old Quarter) seemed to be a good place to live – though I’d be concerned about the air pollution – and people here seemed to be happy. Also…Vietnamese really love their coffee.

We finally returned to the Old Quarter for dinner at one of the famous restaurants she recommended and she treated me to a wonderful dinner. I can’t recall what we ate (the Vietnamese names of it, anyway), but it was nice.

After dinner, she drove me over towards the Opera House and then, finally, we stopped by Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the Quarter and walked around the lake. It was getting close to 10:00 by this time, and I wanted to get back to the hotel to get a few hours sleep before waking up for my early flight in the morning. Hoa came to the airport with me to see me off.

If ever there were a great way to finish a great trip, this was it. I absolutely loved Vietnam – honestly, a lot more than I imagined I would, even with every single person I know who’d ever come here saying what a fantastic country this is – and would gladly come back. This seems to be one of the kinds of countries that you would never get tired of or, if you did, it would sure take a long time. With that, I’ll bid goodbye to Vietnam for now with the hopes that I’ll someday return to this land of amazing food, landscapes, and people.

As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.

"BOULTON, HENRY JOHN, lawyer, officeholder, judge, and politician; b. 1790 in Kensington, England, second son of D’Arcy Boulton* and Elizabeth Forster; m. in 1818 Eliza, daughter of Ephraim Jones* of Brockville, Upper Canada; d. 18 June 1870 at Toronto, Ont.

Henry John Boulton was born at Holland House in a fashionable suburb of London, the son of a London barrister and grandson of Sir John Strange, master of the rolls. His family immigrated in the 1790s to Rensselaer County in New York and about 1800 to Canada, seeking, as Boulton later said, “a wider field for our energies.” Boulton probably attended John Strachan’s school at Cornwall, as did his three brothers, before beginning legal studies in 1807 in York (Toronto) where his father was solicitor general. Boulton went to England in 1811 to continue his law studies at Lincoln’s Inn. He spent three years in a solicitor’s office in London, then two years at Oxford beginning in 1814. He subsequently studied under a special pleader and was called to the English bar from the Middle Temple; he was admitted to the bar of Upper Canada on 5 Nov. 1816.

With a solid foundation in English law and considerable intellectual ability and ambition, Boulton returned to Canada where, despite the quick temper he could display in court, he succeeded John Beverley Robinson as solicitor general in 1818 at age 28; Robinson succeeded Boulton’s father as attorney general. In 1829 Henry John Boulton became attorney general himself, again succeeding Robinson. Although the patronage of these legal offices was thus confined, Boulton, like his father and Robinson before him, filled the posts so ably and impartially that even Francis Collins*, an outspoken critic of the Family Compact who was editor of the Canadian Freeman, testified to his fairness.

Boulton was elected to represent Niagara in 1830, styling himself an independent rather than a ministerial candidate. In his election address, he assured the voters that “in the house he should fearlessly represent their interests as if he held no . . . office under the Crown.” Thus, from the beginning of his parliamentary career, Boulton was identified with an independent position or even a “liberal cast,” as the Niagara Reporter suggested in 1833. Yet the Canadian Freeman in 1830 called Niagara a “rotten borough” and referred to Boulton as a “ministerialist”; William Lyon Mackenzie described him and his brother George Strange Boulton “as bad as bad can be, perhaps the very worst members any country or nation can be afflicted with,” and headed his “Black List” in the Colonial Advocate with Boulton’s name.

As attorney general Boulton skirmished with the more radical Reformers who disliked his proposed bills in 1830 and 1832 for the incorporation of York. They also resented his legalistic arguments to Lieutenant Governor Sir John Colborne who in January 1833 refused the request of Reform sympathizer Father William John O’Grady* to have Colborne lift the suspension as pastor of York imposed on him by Bishop Alexander Macdonell*. Yet in the O’Grady case Boulton’s action prompted no swift reaction from Irish Roman Catholics such as he was later to provoke in Newfoundland. In York Boulton had the support of Macdonell who had formed a working alliance with the administration in the interest of his co-religionists.

Boulton also provoked Reformers by supporting the repeated expulsions of Mackenzie from the assembly in 1831 and 1832. With Solicitor General Christopher Hagerman* Boulton complained of the cordial reception given Mackenzie by Lord Goderich, the colonial secretary, when he presented grievances to the authorities in 1832. As a result of Mackenzie’s mission to London, Goderich sent a dispatch to Colborne in November 1832 advising the administration to drop its attacks on the reformer and to institute several financial and political reforms. The Legislative Council refused to accept the dispatch, and in violent debates in the assembly many Tories showed that they were as opposed as Reformers to imperial commands which clashed with their own interests. Boulton’s language was characteristically extravagant, and he was described at a public meeting in Brockville in January 1833 as “the first man in the Province who ever attempted to agitate the question of separation from the Mother Country.” Late in April 1833 Boulton and Hagerman were dismissed from their offices by the imperial government.

Boulton deeply resented his dismissal. He publicized the correspondence between himself and Colborne’s civil secretary, Major William Rowan*, “so as to not leave room for unfounded or injurious rumours as to the cause of our dismissal,” and he asked Rowan to state specifically the breach of public duty for which he was removed from office. Rowan replied that it was Boulton’s promotion of the repeated expulsions of Mackenzie from the assembly; the Colonial Office had raised constitutional objections which it had conveyed to Colborne and through him to Boulton. Boulton maintained that he had never been informed by Colborne of the Colonial Office’s objection. He journeyed to England to seek redress, and the imperial government acknowledged that his removal had been unwarranted. He was immediately offered the more lucrative post of chief justice of Newfoundland, and arrived in that colony in November 1833.

The Supreme Court had been established in the colony only seven years and Boulton’s predecessor, Chief Justice Richard Alexander Tucker, had been removed for what Governor Thomas John Cochrane* and others considered a recalcitrant attitude and “a mixing of political duties with his judicial ones.” It was a charge difficult for any chief justice in Newfoundland to avoid since he was also expected to act as president of the Council, which exercised both executive and legislative functions.

Boulton seemed to answer the wish of the Newfoundland administration for a man well versed in English criminal law, able to frame new laws and to remodel the courts and judicial procedures. He set to work with a will. After consultation with the law officers and assistant judges of the Supreme Court, he first changed the method of empanelling juries. Under his new regulations the sheriff was to summon 48 jurors, rather than the previous 18, from which 12 would be drawn by lot; this was the system then used in Britain. For special juries 40 names would be drawn by lot from the 75 qualified grand jurors to form a list from which the opposing lawyers would alternately strike off names, to a total of 12 for each side; the remaining 16 would comprise the special jury.

Among the eligible grand jurors were the Reform leaders, Patrick Morris*, John Kent*, Patrick Doyle, and Laurence O’Brien, and five other Roman Catholics; the remainder were leading Protestant merchants of St John’s. The Reformers attacked the new rules, which, they claimed, “allowed conservatives to strike off any person who was supposed to differ from him in interest or opinion” and they, alleged “that the Attorney-General [James Simms] availed himself of [this practice] in all the political trials since the alteration was effected.” Undoubtedly the law officers had felt some anxiety that the Reform leaders might not act with the strictest impartiality in cases involving their partisans. In August 1835 Daniel O’Connell presented a petition from the Reformers to the British House of Commons for the removal of Boulton as chief justice. Boulton journeyed to England and apparently satisfied the Colonial Office of the propriety of his actions, for Under-Secretary Sir George Grey defended him in the house.

Early in 1834 Boulton framed a law to incorporate a law society and to regulate the admission of barristers and attorneys to the bar. The Reform opposition claimed that the new rules disbarred aspiring lawyers who could not afford the fees charged by qualified attorneys with whom they had to apprentice themselves for five years.

The fact that in most of these disputes Boulton was the innovator and the Reformers defended tradition and ancient usages became apparent again in several cases in 1834 and 1835 involving the credit arrangements of the fisheries. For instance, seamen were accustomed to receiving their wages, not from the “planter” who had hired them for the voyage, but from the merchant who received the proceeds of the voyage. Boulton claimed that the seamen were deprived of all security for the payment of their wages under such arrangements, but the fishermen and Michael Anthony Fleming*, the Roman Catholic bishop, pointed out that the planter was simply a “steward” and usually without sufficient means to guarantee wages. The chief justice also annoyed fishermen by altering the writ of attachment so that a fisherman’s boat and tackle could be seized for debt, a harsh measure which took from the fisherman his means of engaging in the fishery on his own. The third custom he overturned, in a case involving Patrick Morris, was the practice of “current supply”; Boulton said that past creditors, and not the supplying merchant – in this case, Morris – had a superior and prior claim to the proceeds of a voyage. In normal commerce such practices would be unquestioned, but these changes in the prosecution of the fishery in Newfoundland brought charges from the Reformers that Boulton shook “the confidence which induced merchants to afford to planters the means of carrying on their fishing voyages.” In the tense political situation of the early 1830s political leaders could play on the fears of the fishermen and stigmatize Boulton as the author of injustice and bigotry.

At the opening of the Central Circuit Court in 1835 Robert John Parsons*, editor of the liberal Newfoundland Patriot, published a caricature of Boulton’s address to the grand jury, entitled “Stick a pin here: the beneficial effects of hanging illustrated.” Boulton then charged Parsons with contempt of court, fined him £50, and sentenced him to three months in jail, asserting that the article “strikes at the very independence of the seat of Justice. . . .” He would have been wiser perhaps to have ignored the article, for when O’Connell brought the case to the attention of the British government, British law authorities decided that although Boulton’s decision was strictly legal, the “practice for many years . . . of this country was against him”; the sentence against Parsons was remitted. A second petition against Boulton prepared by the Reform leaders was printed in the Patriot on 2 Feb. 1836. These efforts to vilify Boulton did not go unanswered. Some 900 residents of St John’s, including merchants, professional men, 17 captains, six carpenters, and 12 illiterates, sent a memorial to the colonial secretary on Boulton’s behalf.

During an assembly inquiry in 1837 into judicial administration, at which John Valentine Nugent* was both chairman and a witness against Boulton, direct attacks were made on the chief justice. Morris, who had a genuine concern for the Irish fishermen of Newfoundland and whose suspicion of Protestant ascendancy was shared by Bishop Fleming, repeated his longstanding charges that the chief justice “has exhibited . . . great partiality on the bench; his adjudications have been unjust, arbitrary, and illegal, biassed by strong party prejudices. . . . [He] has totally subverted the ancient laws and customs of Newfoundland.” When the house ordered that Morris’ lengthy speech be printed, Boulton instituted a libel suit for £2,000 damages against Morris, Kent, and Nugent. Boulton proposed the unusual move of stepping down from the bench and acting as his own counsel while the two assistant judges presided, but the case was never heard.

Acting on the report of its committee, the assembly sent Morris, Nugent, and Dr William Carson* to London at the end of 1837 to seek Boulton’s removal and to ask that in future the chief justice not be a member of the Council. Boulton also left for London to answer the charges. He was not without defenders. In his brief was a deposition from John Stark, registrar of the Northern Circuit Court of Newfoundland, who asserted that crime and litigation had decreased in late years, “a clear proof that the laws are now more certainly administered and better understood,” and that Boulton was “just, impartial, upright and independent in his decisions and decrees.” Expressions of support were also sent from Boulton’s assistant justices, the members of the grand jury, 928 residents of St John’s, the Chamber of Commerce, 39 merchants and lawyers, and the deputy sheriff of Harbour Grace, all attesting to his integrity, ability, and impartiality.

The assembly delegation to London was joined by Bishop Fleming, who wrote to one of Boulton’s most outspoken critics, Father Edward Troy*, of the “truly flattering reception of the delegates at the Colonial Office” and stated that it appeared certain that “Mr. Boulton is disposed of.” With O’Connell as one of their spokesmen, the Reform leaders were confident of success. A committee of the Privy Council, to which Boulton’s case was referred, criticized the vehemence of the Reformers’ memorial and found no evidence of “any corrupt motive or intentional deviation from his [Boulton’s ] duty as a Judge”; however, the committee noted much “indiscretion in the conduct of the Chief Justice” in participating in party controversies in Newfoundland, and recommended that he be removed from office. Lord Glenelg, the colonial secretary, had, in January 1838, already decided on Boulton’s dismissal, and the latter’s request for a new appointment was turned down by the Colonial Office.

Thus at age 50, with a family of eight children and bereft of office for a second time, Boulton returned to private practice in Toronto. His old constituency, Niagara, welcomed him back and returned him as an “independent” to the newly created assembly of the Province of Canada in 1841, and he was appointed a qc in 1842. In the new house it soon became apparent that Boulton did not support William Henry Draper*’s moderate Conservative ministry on many questions. Contemptuous as ever of public favour or disdain, Boulton made up his mind in favour of responsible government, and openly supported Robert Baldwin* by 1843. As chairman of a meeting called in Toronto on 6 Feb. 1844 to establish the Reform Association of Canada, Boulton stated that, “after considerable experience of Colonial Office Government . . . he was convinced, that to ensure the British connexion and Canadian prosperity, it was absolutely necessary that the people of Canada should have the entire management of their own local affairs.” This association with the Reformers brought the wrath of the Conservative press down upon him. The Montreal Gazette spoke of Boulton as “that lord of Misrule . . . an office-seeker and demagogue.” The editor of the newly established Montreal Pilot, Francis Hincks*, defended Boulton, pointing out that his stake in the country “is so large as to make him much more interested in promoting its prosperity, than he would be by securing for himself what, people who have never tasted them, imagine to be the sweets of office.”

Boulton’s support of the liberals resulted in his losing the Niagara seat in 1844, but in December 1846 he was appointed a member of the Executive Council. In 1847 he was given the safe Reform seat of Norfolk, and was described by the Conservative Toronto Patriot as being “brought forward on the ultra-radical ticket.” One of his chief contributions as a supporter of the administration of Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine was to move successfully the amendment to the 1849 Rebellion Losses Bill that excluded those convicted in 1837–38 from the financial benefits of the bill, a device which finally persuaded the reluctant rank and file Reformers from Canada West to accept the measure. Yet Boulton was never at home among the Reformers and by 1850 he was again an “independent” member, advocating, as did his nephew, William Henry Boulton*, the elective principle in the Legislative Council. He further asserted his individuality by proposing an amendment to the Reform government’s speech from the throne which was essentially a demand for representation in parliament according to population. Boulton did not seek re-election in 1851, but continued to practise law in Toronto until 1860 or 1861 when he retired. In 1855 he had been manager of the Canadian section of the Paris exhibition.

Throughout his lifetime, Boulton remained an individualist and was consequently abused as an office-seeker, bigot, unbending tory, and ultra-radical. He was a man of energy and ability with connections that assured him a place in politics, but his inability or unwillingness to conciliate opposition did not permit him to fit into any party. This temperament was manifest in his frequent outbursts of defiance, which could and often did turn political defeat into personal disaster. Yet Boulton was a colourful personality in the assembly, and his parliamentary career cannot be considered a failure. Although forcefully expressed, his opinions were conventional, supporting Sir John Colborne in the 1830s, responsible government in the 1840s, and, later, elective institutions and “rep. by pop.”

With regard to his years in Newfoundland, Boulton’s severest critics were historians D. W. Prowse* and Bishop Michael Howley*, both of whom relied largely on the hostile assembly investigation and memorial seeking Boulton’s removal. Prowse adds, without evidence, a charge of personal meanness. Yet Boulton’s concern for individuals in several cases he heard indicates that he was not always the stern, inflexible judge. Charges of religious bigotry are also difficult to sustain. His wife was a Roman Catholic who once on leaving church spoke out indignantly against Father Troy’s denunciation of her husband. Like his Protestant contemporaries, Boulton disliked Roman Catholic clerical involvement in politics, and he privately criticized Father Troy’s withholding the services of the church from Roman Catholics for political reasons. A modern historian has concluded, as Prowse did, that Boulton was “the scapegoat, not only of the popular party, [which was] enraged by his bias in the Council and by his inflexibility on the Bench, but of the Colonial Office which had assigned him to these incompatible offices.”

He was an enigma to his contemporaries. Newspapers confined themselves to the barest death notices. The Toronto Leader and Patriot simply reprinted the biography, probably written by Boulton himself, which appeared in Henry J. Morgan*’s Sketches of celebrated Canadians, but added that he “was respected by the whole community and was in every sense a good and worthy citizen,” a direct contradiction of J. C. Dent*’s comment in his book, The last forty years, that Boulton was neither respected nor popular."

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Monday 22 January 2018.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and the Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Joyce Bowerman attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Harrop Fold School last night, 14 June 2017 in the presence of Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and over 200 guests.

Magistrates Mike Phillips and Stephen Paine were in attendance to witness the swearing of the oath.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of them made an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Harrop Fold School last night, 14 June 2017 in the presence of Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and over 200 guests.

Magistrates Mike Phillips and Stephen Paine were in attendance to witness the swearing of the oath.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of them made an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police has welcomed 89 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Bolton Town Hall last night, Tuesday 11 June 2019.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling, Deputy Major of Greater Manchester Bev Hughes and Magistrate Joan Cooper were in attendance at the event.

The Mayor of Bolton, Councillor Hilary Fairclough and her consort were guests of honour.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of took an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Yesterday, Tuesday 22 January 2019, Greater Manchester Police welcomed 100 new recruits to the Force. The officers were officially sworn in at a formal ceremony attended by Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, senior officers and magistrate Stephen Paine.

The attestation ceremony was held at Stockport Town Hall.

The Mayor of Stockport, Councillor Walter Brett, was also on hand to welcome the new recruits.

Family and friends watched the new officers make their oath to uphold their role with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their time in post.

New recruits have to complete a two year probation period which includes classroom based learning and a year of active patrol. During their training they will have the same of level of authority as regular officers, including the power of arrest.

The new recruits are replacing those who have either retired or left the organisation and therefore helping GMP to maintain current officer numbers.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police welcomed 116 new recruits to the force on Monday 2 March 2020.

The officers were officially sworn in at a formal ceremony attended by Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey, senior officers and magistrate Joan Cooper.

The attestation ceremony, which gives officers their policing powers, was held at Stockport Town Hall.

The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Stockport, Councillor John Wright and Mrs Christine Wright, were also on hand to welcome the new recruits.

Family and friends watched the new officers make their oath to uphold their role with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their time in post.

New recruits have to complete a two year probation period which includes classroom based learning and a year of active patrol.

The new recruits are replacing those who have either retired or left the organisation and therefore helping GMP to maintain current officer numbers.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk.

Story and photo by Capt. Austin Liu

6-52 Air Defense Artillery Battalion

SUWON CITY — When a person is summoned to a police station, it is often under negative circumstances, such as breaking the law or involving in a traffic accident.

However, every Thursday afternoon, Soldiers from the 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery pay a visit to the Korean National Police Agency West Suwon Station for an entirely different reason.

The Soldiers are volunteer teachers conducting English training and their students are Suwon law enforcement officers.

“The intent behind the KNP English program is to reach out and build a sense of camaraderie with an outstanding group of local nationals who sacrifice so much on a daily basis to uphold justice for not only the local nationals, but also all law-abiding residents of different nationalities living here on the Peninsula,” said Sgt. Randi Choice, one of the primary volunteer instructors from D Battery, 6-52 Air Defense Artillery.

Instead of reading Miranda rights, the Korean police officers stand in front of the classroom discussing, in English, their favorite pastimes and TV dramas, with the help of the U.S. Soldiers.

Choice said, “Usually we only interact with the KNP when our Soldiers get in trouble or are in need of assistance, but this time, we are here for a very positive reason.”

This is not the first time Choice has had an opportunity to work with a host nation’s police agency.

When she was deployed to Iraq in 2006, Choice was attached to an Iraqi police unit for more than 15 months.

“I think my experience in Iraq really inspired me to volunteer for this class in Korea,” said Choice. “It keeps my mind open to different cultures.”

The class is focused on enhancing the student’s basic English conversational skills.

The police officers have found this very useful when interacting with foreign residents within their jurisdiction.

For this reason, the class is usually filled with police officers and detectives of various ranks.

“We divide the students into small groups and just have friendly conversations about our jobs, families, and everything else we like or dislike,” said Pfc. Diante Pullum, a communication specialist.

In Pullum’s group, there were two junior combat police officers who are serving out their mandatory conscription and a seasoned detective who has over 15 years of service on the force.

Judging from the shared laughter and enthusiasm, the class is not only educational, but also entertaining.

“We really appreciate the U.S. Soldiers for coming down here to teach English to the KNP,” said Charlie Yoon, a KNP student in the class, and the primary coordinator for the program.

According to Yoon, there is a common misconception that the Korean justice system is usually unfavorable toward U.S. Servicemembers and that foreigners are immediately found at fault under the system.

However, he called that a “myth,” and said, “The Korean legal system is impartial to all no matter what the nationality.”

“A lot of time it is the problem of the language barrier,” Yoon continued. “That is why this type of language training is so important.”

The Suwon Seobu KNP station has a permanent relationship with the 6-52nd. In addition to participating in the English classes, the KNP also provide invaluable convoy escort support for the Iron Horse Battalion.

“We actually have a lot in common with the U.S. Soldiers,” Yoon said. “In fact, the KNP agency deployed a number of police officers to Afghanistan, including a few from the Suwon district, as part of the coalition efforts to rebuild the civil infrastructure of the worn-torn nation.”

For more information on U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys and living and working in Korea visit: USAG-Humphreys' official web site or check out our online videos.

Terracotta, AD 40-70

These mass-produced architectural panels show popular spectacles in Rome's Circus Maximus.

A quadriga approaches the turning posts. A rider on horseback has already made the turn. He is a hortator, whose job it was to precede the chariot, signalling to its driver.

[British Museum]

Nero: the Man Behind the Myth

(May - Oct 2021)

Nero is known as one of Rome's most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty, debauchery and madness.

The last male descendant of the emperor Augustus, Nero succeeded to the throne in AD 54 aged just 16 and died a violent death at 30. His turbulent rule saw momentous events including the Great Fire of Rome, Boudicca's rebellion in Britain, the execution of his own mother and first wife, grand projects and extravagant excesses.

Drawing on the latest research, this major exhibition questions the traditional narrative of the ruthless tyrant and eccentric performer, revealing a different Nero, a populist leader at a time of great change in Roman society.

Through some 200 spectacular objects, from the imperial palace in Rome to the streets of Pompeii, follow the young emperor’s rise and fall and make up your own mind about Nero. Was he a young, inexperienced ruler trying his best in a divided society, or the merciless, matricidal megalomaniac history has painted him to be?

Nero was the 5th emperor of Rome and the last of Rome’s first dynasty, the Julio-Claudians, founded by Augustus (the adopted son of Julius Caesar). Nero is known as one of Rome’s most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty and debauchery. He ascended to power in AD 54 aged just 16 and died at 30. He ruled at a time of great social and political change, overseeing momentous events such as the Great Fire of Rome and Boudica’s rebellion in Britain. He allegedly killed his mother and two of his wives, only cared about his art and had very little interest in ruling the empire.

Most of what we know about Nero comes from the surviving works of three historians – Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio. All written decades after Nero’s death, their accounts have long shaped our understanding of this emperor’s rule. However, far from being impartial narrators presenting objective accounts of past events, these authors and their sources wrote with a very clear agenda in mind. Nero’s demise brought forward a period of chaos and civil war – one that ended only when a new dynasty seized power, the Flavians. Authors writing under the Flavians all had an interest in legitimising the new ruling family by portraying the last of the Julio-Claudians in the worst possible light, turning history into propaganda. These accounts became the ‘historical’ sources used by later historians, therefore perpetuating a fabricated image of Nero, which has survived all the way to the present.

Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus on 15 December AD 37.

He was the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger. Both Gnaeus and Agrippina were the grandchildren of Augustus, making Nero Augustus’ great, great grandson with a strong claim to power.

Nero was only two years old when his mother was exiled and three when his father died. His inheritance was taken from him and he was sent to live with his aunt. However, Nero’s fate changed again when Claudius became emperor, restoring the boy’s property and recalling his mother Agrippina from exile.

In AD 49 the emperor Claudius married Agrippina, and adopted Nero the following year. It is at this point that Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus changed his name to Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus. In Roman times it was normal to change your name when adopted, abandoning your family name in favour of your adoptive father’s. Nero was a common name among members of the Claudian family, especially in Claudius’ branch.

Nero and Agrippina offered Claudius a politically useful link back to Augustus, strengthening his position.

Claudius appeared to favour Nero over his natural son, Britannicus, marking Nero as the designated heir.

When Claudius died in AD 54, Nero became emperor just two months before turning 17.

As he was supported by both the army and the senate, his rise to power was smooth. His mother Agrippina exerted a significant influence, especially at the beginning of his rule.

The Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio all claim that Nero, fed up with Agrippina’s interference, decided to kill her.

Given the lack of eyewitnesses, there is no way of knowing if or how this happened. However, this did not stop historians from fabricating dramatic stories of Agrippina’s murder, asserting that Nero tried (and failed) to kill her with a boat engineered to sink, before sending his men to do the job.

Agrippina allegedly told them to stab her in the womb that bore Nero, her last words clearly borrowed from stage plays.

It is entirely possible, as claimed by Nero himself, that Agrippina chose (or was more likely forced) to take her own life after her plot against her son was discovered.

Early in his rule, Nero had to contend with a rebellion in the newly conquered province of Britain.

In AD 60–61, Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe led a revolt against the Romans, attacking and laying waste to important Roman settlements. The possible causes of the rebellion were numerous – the greed of the Romans exploiting the newly conquered territories, the recalling of loans made to local leaders, ongoing conflict in Wales and, above all, violence against the family of Prasutagus, Boudica’s husband and king of the Iceni.

Boudica and the rebels destroyed Colchester, London and St Albans before being heavily defeated by Roman troops. After the uprising, the governor of Britain Suetonius Paulinus introduced harsher laws against the Britons, until Nero replaced him with the more conciliatory governor Publius Petronius Turpilianus.

The marriage between Nero and Octavia, aged 15 and 13/14 at the time, was arranged by their parents in order to further legitimise Nero’s claim to the throne. Octavia was the daughter of the emperor Claudius from a previous marriage, so when Claudius married Agrippina and adopted her son Nero, Nero and Octavia became brother and sister. In order to arrange their marriage, Octavia had to be adopted into another family.

Their marriage was not a happy one. According to ancient writers, Nero had various affairs until his lover Poppaea Sabina convinced him to divorce his wife. Octavia was first exiled then executed in AD 62 on adultery charges. According to ancient writers, her banishment and death caused great unrest among the public, who sympathised with the dutiful Octavia.

No further motives were offered for Octavia’s death other than Nero’s passion for Poppaea, and we will probably never know what transpired at court. The fact that Octavia couldn’t produce an heir while Poppaea was pregnant with Nero’s daughter likely played an important role in deciding Octavia’s fate.

On 19 July AD 64, a fire started close to the Circus Maximus. The flames soon encompassed the entire city of Rome and the fire raged for nine days. Only four of the 14 districts of the capital were spared, while three were completely destroyed.

Rome had already been razed by flames – and would be again in its long history – but this event was so severe it came to be known as the Great Fire of Rome.

Later historians blamed Nero for the event, claiming that he set the capital ablaze in order to clear land for the construction of a vast new palace. According to Suetonius and Cassius Dio, Nero took in the view of the burning city from the imperial residence while playing the lyre and singing about the fall of Troy. This story, however, is fictional.

Tacitus, the only historian who was actually alive at the time of the Great Fire of Rome (although only 8 years old), wrote that Nero was not even in Rome when the fire started, but returned to the capital and led the relief efforts.

Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio all describe Nero as being blinded by passion for his wife Poppaea, yet they accuse him of killing her, allegedly by kicking her in an outburst of rage while she was pregnant.

Interestingly, pregnant women being kicked to death by enraged husbands is a recurring theme in ancient literature, used to explore the (self) destructive tendencies of autocrats. The Greek writer Herodotus tells the story of how the Persian king Cambyses kicked his pregnant wife in the stomach, causing her death. A similar episode is told of Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Nero is just one of many allegedly ‘mad’ tyrants for which this literary convention was used.

Poppaea probably died from complications connected with her pregnancy and not at Nero’s hands. She was given a lavish funeral and was deified.

Centred on greater Iran, the Parthian empire was a major political and cultural power and a long-standing enemy of Rome. The two powers had long been contending for control over the buffer state of Armenia and open conflict sparked again during Nero’s rule. The Parthian War started in AD 58 and, after initial victories and following set-backs, ended in AD 63 when a diplomatic solution was reached between Nero and the Parthian king Vologases I.

According to this settlement Tiridates, brother of the Parthian king, would rule over Armenia, but only after having travelled all the way to Rome to be crowned by Nero.

The journey lasted 9 months, Tiridates’ retinue included 3,000 Parthian horsemen and many Roman soldiers. The coronation ceremony took place in the summer of AD 66 and the day was celebrated with much pomp: all the people of Rome saw the new king of Armenia kneeling in front of Nero. This was the Golden Day of Nero’s rule

In AD 68, Vindex, the governor of Gaul (France), rebelled against Nero and declared his support for Galba, the governor of Spain. Vindex was defeated in battle by troops loyal to Nero, yet Galba started gaining more military support.

It was at this point that Nero lost the support of Rome’s people due to a grain shortage, caused by a rebellious commander who cut the crucial food supply from Egypt to the capital. Abandoned by the people and declared an enemy of the state by the senate, Nero tried to flee Rome and eventually committed suicide.

Following his death, Nero’s memory was condemned (a practice called damnatio memoriae) and the images of the emperor were destroyed, removed or reworked. However, Nero was still given an expensive funeral and for a long time people decorated his tomb with flowers, some even believing he was still alive.

After Nero’s death, civil war ensued. At the end of the so-called ‘Year of the Four Emperors’ (AD 69), Vespasian became emperor and started a new dynasty: the Flavians.

[Francesca Bologna, curator, for British Museum]

Taken in the British Museum

From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:

If ever there were a good way to finish up a trip, this particular Sunday in October would be it. Before arriving in Hanoi, I honestly had exceptionally low expectations. A bit like Saigon, if you are to go online and try to look up a list of places to visit – basically a tourist’s stock photography checklist, as it may be – you don’t find much that’s appealing. Well…I didn’t, anyway, and as a result, I had pretty low expectations for Hanoi.

The charm and beauty of Hanoi, however, isn’t in any one particular place. It’s in the experience of the entire city. (I’d say the same for Saigon, but multiply that a few times for Hanoi.) On this day in the Old Quarter in particular, I kept finding myself thinking, “Oh, my God, I shouldn’t be this lucky as a photographer…” Today ended up being mostly about people, with a little food and historical locations mixed in.

As I mentioned in the last set of posting, today would start off a bit sad with Junebug leaving for China a day before I would. So, we were checked out of our room by 6:00 in the morning or so. The breakfast at the Art Trendy was wonderful. Buffet with a mix of made-to-order omelets mixed in. Strong work, Art Trendy, strong work…

When June left, I really had nothing to do since it was still six in the morning and I was temporarily homeless as I had to switch hotels. So…I sat around the lobby for about two hours (possibly slightly awkward for the poor girls working there, but oh, well; I had to sit somewhere).

Around 8:00, I finally dragged my old bones out of the hotel and walked the five to ten minutes down the street to the Aquarius, where I politely asked them to hold my non-camera bag until I come back around 1:00 in the afternoon to check in.

After that, I was finally off with my cameras to enjoy an early Sunday morning in the bustling Old Quarter. On the street where the hotel is situated are a number of restaurants where locals were jammed in to enjoy noodles, steamed buns, and the like. It was wonderful to be among that crowd (though someone tried to scold me ever so slightly for taking pictures of people eating).

Since this was right next to St. Joseph’s Cathedral – and it was Sunday morning – I found my way back into the church where we crashed the wedding the afternoon before and realized that I almost got locked into Sunday mass while walking around taking pictures. So…I stayed. I prayed. And my prayer was answered when I realized the side doors and even the back door were open. (Ok…I didn’t really think I was locked in a church, but it did feel like it a little bit.)

Upon exiting the church, a handful of frames under my belt, I walked along the lovely streets photographing shops and people. At Caphe, I piggybacked on someone else’s photo shoot – it looked like they were doing a promo for the place, or possibly just a personal shoot for five women, though I have a feeling it was the former. At any rate, I was quite pleased with that little set and am presenting quite a few of those here, even if they’re a little redundant.

My ultimate goal with this wandering was to find my way to the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I’m not taking about the hotel chain, of course, but rather the prison that U.S. prisoners of war sarcastically called the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. (This is the prison where Senator John McCain was interred while a POW, and there are one or two pictures to that effect here.)

This prison has a particularly interesting history (and morbid since…well…it’s a prison). It’s about a hundred years old and was founded by the French colonialists around the turn of the 20th century. During the first 50 years of its history, the French imprisoned Vietnamese insurgents and those who wanted independence. In the eyes of the French…renegades (hence the imprisonment). In the eyes of the Vietnamese – especially the current government – patriots and national heroes. If they were truly freedom fighters, then I would probably side with the current government on that one.

The French even had a guillotine installed here and overcrowding was a major problem. There were plenty of escape attempts, and more were successful than you may think, which is a little peculiar.

After the battle of Bien Dien Phu and the ejection of the French from the north (and before the U.S. got involved in the south), the prison changed hands and was under control of Ho Chi Minh. During the Vietnam War, it became one of the main prisons for U.S. POWs, as I alluded to above.

The propaganda claims that the Vietcong were absolutely humane and decent with U.S. prisoners, allowing them to observe their religious rites (Christmas celebrations, etc.), allowed prisoners to smoke and enjoy leisure (board games, basketball, etc.), and claimed they were well-fed.

This is certainly how it’s presented in the prison/museum currently. If you were to go online, though, and try to find a contrary report, you would find that this was all coerced and staged to make it appear as if things were on the up and up. (For anyone curious, per my Vietnamese friends, the general education in Vietnam today is how terrible the French and U.S. were for colonizing and torturing the country and keeping it from its independence.)

So, what’s the truth of what really happened? Who knows? Outside of firsthand accounts, it’s impossible to know for certain and even then, memory can be a tricky thing. I tend to like to say the truth is always somewhere between two opposing viewpoints, no matter what the topic may be.

From an impartial and purely photographic point of view, the prison, currently a museum/memorial, is an interesting place to spend an hour or two. Some of the exhibits seem a bit cheesy, but some are quite tasteful and well done. There’s also an informational video. You’ll have to see this with a bit of imagination (the prison, that is), as at least half of it has been leveled for high rise buildings. At least there’s some tangible piece of it left to visit, including the main gate (Maison Centrale).

After about two hours here at the Hanoi Hilton, I walked over towards the Opera House to get a few daytime shots but, really, to get lunch at El Gaucho. I was looking forward to a proper steak. The prices were astronomical (though justifiable based on what I ate), though I just opted for a steak salad. It was so good I contemplated going back for dinner, but had other plans.

With a happy stomach, I went back to finally check in at the Aquarius Hotel and got my workout huffing up six flights of stairs each time I went out. I relaxed here for a few hours until 4:00 when a dear friend of mine came to town to see me.

Ngan and I had an ice cream at Baskin Robbins right in front of St. Joe’s before heading over to the Temple of Literature. This is a temple dedicated to education and, bless my soul, it’s a place where university graduates come for graduation pictures.

On this particular day – a warm, sunny, late Sunday afternoon – it was packed with college students. And it was beautiful to see that many people happy, full of hopes and dreams, and dressed in either cap and gown or traditional Vietnamese clothes. In short…I had a field day shooting for an hour here.

Around 5:00, Ngan had to head back to school, and I went back to my hotel. I had one more meeting. Hoa, who traveled around Thailand & Cambodia with me in May, flew back to see me this evening. She picked me up at 6:00 on her scooter and rode me all around Hanoi by evening.

She started by taking me to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (which I consider a lot more photogenic in its setting than the Great Gangster’s Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square). This one, at least, was in a parklike setting. At evening, it’s well-lit and you can find people relaxing in the grass in front of it. During the day, you can visit and there are quite a few buildings behind the mausoleum that you can also see.

After a few minutes here, Hoa took me by West Lake – the largest lake in Hanoi, as I mentioned yesterday – and just drove me around for over an hour, it seemed. My impressions that Hanoi (even out of the Old Quarter) seemed to be a good place to live – though I’d be concerned about the air pollution – and people here seemed to be happy. Also…Vietnamese really love their coffee.

We finally returned to the Old Quarter for dinner at one of the famous restaurants she recommended and she treated me to a wonderful dinner. I can’t recall what we ate (the Vietnamese names of it, anyway), but it was nice.

After dinner, she drove me over towards the Opera House and then, finally, we stopped by Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the Quarter and walked around the lake. It was getting close to 10:00 by this time, and I wanted to get back to the hotel to get a few hours sleep before waking up for my early flight in the morning. Hoa came to the airport with me to see me off.

If ever there were a great way to finish a great trip, this was it. I absolutely loved Vietnam – honestly, a lot more than I imagined I would, even with every single person I know who’d ever come here saying what a fantastic country this is – and would gladly come back. This seems to be one of the kinds of countries that you would never get tired of or, if you did, it would sure take a long time. With that, I’ll bid goodbye to Vietnam for now with the hopes that I’ll someday return to this land of amazing food, landscapes, and people.

As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.

From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:

If ever there were a good way to finish up a trip, this particular Sunday in October would be it. Before arriving in Hanoi, I honestly had exceptionally low expectations. A bit like Saigon, if you are to go online and try to look up a list of places to visit – basically a tourist’s stock photography checklist, as it may be – you don’t find much that’s appealing. Well…I didn’t, anyway, and as a result, I had pretty low expectations for Hanoi.

The charm and beauty of Hanoi, however, isn’t in any one particular place. It’s in the experience of the entire city. (I’d say the same for Saigon, but multiply that a few times for Hanoi.) On this day in the Old Quarter in particular, I kept finding myself thinking, “Oh, my God, I shouldn’t be this lucky as a photographer…” Today ended up being mostly about people, with a little food and historical locations mixed in.

As I mentioned in the last set of posting, today would start off a bit sad with Junebug leaving for China a day before I would. So, we were checked out of our room by 6:00 in the morning or so. The breakfast at the Art Trendy was wonderful. Buffet with a mix of made-to-order omelets mixed in. Strong work, Art Trendy, strong work…

When June left, I really had nothing to do since it was still six in the morning and I was temporarily homeless as I had to switch hotels. So…I sat around the lobby for about two hours (possibly slightly awkward for the poor girls working there, but oh, well; I had to sit somewhere).

Around 8:00, I finally dragged my old bones out of the hotel and walked the five to ten minutes down the street to the Aquarius, where I politely asked them to hold my non-camera bag until I come back around 1:00 in the afternoon to check in.

After that, I was finally off with my cameras to enjoy an early Sunday morning in the bustling Old Quarter. On the street where the hotel is situated are a number of restaurants where locals were jammed in to enjoy noodles, steamed buns, and the like. It was wonderful to be among that crowd (though someone tried to scold me ever so slightly for taking pictures of people eating).

Since this was right next to St. Joseph’s Cathedral – and it was Sunday morning – I found my way back into the church where we crashed the wedding the afternoon before and realized that I almost got locked into Sunday mass while walking around taking pictures. So…I stayed. I prayed. And my prayer was answered when I realized the side doors and even the back door were open. (Ok…I didn’t really think I was locked in a church, but it did feel like it a little bit.)

Upon exiting the church, a handful of frames under my belt, I walked along the lovely streets photographing shops and people. At Caphe, I piggybacked on someone else’s photo shoot – it looked like they were doing a promo for the place, or possibly just a personal shoot for five women, though I have a feeling it was the former. At any rate, I was quite pleased with that little set and am presenting quite a few of those here, even if they’re a little redundant.

My ultimate goal with this wandering was to find my way to the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I’m not taking about the hotel chain, of course, but rather the prison that U.S. prisoners of war sarcastically called the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. (This is the prison where Senator John McCain was interred while a POW, and there are one or two pictures to that effect here.)

This prison has a particularly interesting history (and morbid since…well…it’s a prison). It’s about a hundred years old and was founded by the French colonialists around the turn of the 20th century. During the first 50 years of its history, the French imprisoned Vietnamese insurgents and those who wanted independence. In the eyes of the French…renegades (hence the imprisonment). In the eyes of the Vietnamese – especially the current government – patriots and national heroes. If they were truly freedom fighters, then I would probably side with the current government on that one.

The French even had a guillotine installed here and overcrowding was a major problem. There were plenty of escape attempts, and more were successful than you may think, which is a little peculiar.

After the battle of Bien Dien Phu and the ejection of the French from the north (and before the U.S. got involved in the south), the prison changed hands and was under control of Ho Chi Minh. During the Vietnam War, it became one of the main prisons for U.S. POWs, as I alluded to above.

The propaganda claims that the Vietcong were absolutely humane and decent with U.S. prisoners, allowing them to observe their religious rites (Christmas celebrations, etc.), allowed prisoners to smoke and enjoy leisure (board games, basketball, etc.), and claimed they were well-fed.

This is certainly how it’s presented in the prison/museum currently. If you were to go online, though, and try to find a contrary report, you would find that this was all coerced and staged to make it appear as if things were on the up and up. (For anyone curious, per my Vietnamese friends, the general education in Vietnam today is how terrible the French and U.S. were for colonizing and torturing the country and keeping it from its independence.)

So, what’s the truth of what really happened? Who knows? Outside of firsthand accounts, it’s impossible to know for certain and even then, memory can be a tricky thing. I tend to like to say the truth is always somewhere between two opposing viewpoints, no matter what the topic may be.

From an impartial and purely photographic point of view, the prison, currently a museum/memorial, is an interesting place to spend an hour or two. Some of the exhibits seem a bit cheesy, but some are quite tasteful and well done. There’s also an informational video. You’ll have to see this with a bit of imagination (the prison, that is), as at least half of it has been leveled for high rise buildings. At least there’s some tangible piece of it left to visit, including the main gate (Maison Centrale).

After about two hours here at the Hanoi Hilton, I walked over towards the Opera House to get a few daytime shots but, really, to get lunch at El Gaucho. I was looking forward to a proper steak. The prices were astronomical (though justifiable based on what I ate), though I just opted for a steak salad. It was so good I contemplated going back for dinner, but had other plans.

With a happy stomach, I went back to finally check in at the Aquarius Hotel and got my workout huffing up six flights of stairs each time I went out. I relaxed here for a few hours until 4:00 when a dear friend of mine came to town to see me.

Ngan and I had an ice cream at Baskin Robbins right in front of St. Joe’s before heading over to the Temple of Literature. This is a temple dedicated to education and, bless my soul, it’s a place where university graduates come for graduation pictures.

On this particular day – a warm, sunny, late Sunday afternoon – it was packed with college students. And it was beautiful to see that many people happy, full of hopes and dreams, and dressed in either cap and gown or traditional Vietnamese clothes. In short…I had a field day shooting for an hour here.

Around 5:00, Ngan had to head back to school, and I went back to my hotel. I had one more meeting. Hoa, who traveled around Thailand & Cambodia with me in May, flew back to see me this evening. She picked me up at 6:00 on her scooter and rode me all around Hanoi by evening.

She started by taking me to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (which I consider a lot more photogenic in its setting than the Great Gangster’s Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square). This one, at least, was in a parklike setting. At evening, it’s well-lit and you can find people relaxing in the grass in front of it. During the day, you can visit and there are quite a few buildings behind the mausoleum that you can also see.

After a few minutes here, Hoa took me by West Lake – the largest lake in Hanoi, as I mentioned yesterday – and just drove me around for over an hour, it seemed. My impressions that Hanoi (even out of the Old Quarter) seemed to be a good place to live – though I’d be concerned about the air pollution – and people here seemed to be happy. Also…Vietnamese really love their coffee.

We finally returned to the Old Quarter for dinner at one of the famous restaurants she recommended and she treated me to a wonderful dinner. I can’t recall what we ate (the Vietnamese names of it, anyway), but it was nice.

After dinner, she drove me over towards the Opera House and then, finally, we stopped by Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the Quarter and walked around the lake. It was getting close to 10:00 by this time, and I wanted to get back to the hotel to get a few hours sleep before waking up for my early flight in the morning. Hoa came to the airport with me to see me off.

If ever there were a great way to finish a great trip, this was it. I absolutely loved Vietnam – honestly, a lot more than I imagined I would, even with every single person I know who’d ever come here saying what a fantastic country this is – and would gladly come back. This seems to be one of the kinds of countries that you would never get tired of or, if you did, it would sure take a long time. With that, I’ll bid goodbye to Vietnam for now with the hopes that I’ll someday return to this land of amazing food, landscapes, and people.

As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.

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blog

joegoauk-pointofview.blogspot.in/2012/01/murder-in-police...

Panjim Police Station pic

www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk35/5378528676/

Cipriano Fernandes in GT front page

Holding a certificate in his hand 'employee of the month'

Cipriano worked as Chef on Cruise ship (Tarvotti)

Bolero Jeep Driver Mr. Ryan Fernandes (GA-07-C-6700) also been

impleded as accused in the murder case update 11/2/11 GT

Around 59 police personnnel of Panjim Police Station face enquiry NT. 12/2/11

JMFC / Court issued bailable arrest warrant against Gerogina Nunes one of the witnesses in the Cipriano Fernandes murder case for being absent in the court on 14/2/11 for hearing inspite of summons issued to her.

Her name was called upto 3 times in the court yesterday after which the arrest warrent issued by the court (GT 15/2/11)

Gerogine goes 'soft' on Cops GT 16/2/11

Says Cipriani 'willingly' sat in the Police jeep without a struggle..

Earlier she revealed to press persons that cipriano was beaten up and phycally abused by the cops in the jeep.- this was not stated in her statement before court on 15th Feb. 2011

Cipriano made to sleep on the floor hungry and thirsty..TOI 17/2/10

SDM Shetye who conducted the enquiry into custodial death has concluded no guideline followed by the police and that CIRIANO WAS NOT SERVED DINNER AND WAS MADE TO SLEEP ON THE FLOOR WITHOUT MATTRESS OR BEDSHEET. Around 11.30am on 8th Ja. 2011, Ciriano who was snorring on the fllor, suddenly woke up and while trying to get up, collapsed in the officers' section room. He was immediately rushed to GMC in an 108 ambulance. As froth was oozing out of his mouth, he as sent for a CT scan.

18/2/11 GT

Georgina was absent again in the court yesterday, she is hospitaised for low pressured.

She is give another date to attend for recording her remaining statement on 21/2/11 2.30pm

24/2/11

Police forced me to change my statement saysGeorgina

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, FEB 23

Georgina Nunes, the girlfriend of Cipriano Fernandes who allegedly died in police custody, on Wednesday, told the Court that Panjim police tried to pressurise her to change her statement before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), who conducted inquiry into the unfortunate incident.

In her deposition before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Panjim, which is conducting trial into Cipriano’s death, Georgina claimed that Cipriano died as a result of police beating.

“After the SDM recorded my statement, police constable Sandip Shirvaikar came to my residence at Caranzalem and asked me to change my statement as I deposed against him for beating Cipriano in the police van and police station,” she told the Magistrate in her two-hour-long deposition.

“Cipriano’s death was unnatural. I feel the police have taken his life by hitting him on his head,” she added when the Magistrate asked her opinion on the death.

Georgina deposed after the JMFC issued bailable warrant against her for failing to respond to summons earlier.

Deposing further she told the JMFC that Cipriano was beaten inside the vehicle right from the time he was picked up from Porvorim till the Panjim police station.

She further stated that two constables, one of whom was Shirvaikar dragged the unconscious Cipriano holding his collar inside the police station and dumped him in a room adjacent to inspector Sandesh Chodankar’s cabin.

Earlier, Georgina had given this statement made before the JMFC today to the SDM and the State Police Complaints Authority.

oheraldo.in/news/Local%20News/Police-forced-me-to-change-...

NT Version 24/2/11

Georgina deposes before JMFC Panaji

Georgina deposes before JMFC PanajiPublished on: February 24, 2011 - 01:32

More in: Goa News

PANAJI: The girlfriend of Cypriano Fernandes, Ms Georgina Nunes, from Caranzalem deposing before the JMFC, Panaji, Ms Shabnam Shaikh, stated that Cypriano was manhandled, while in the Bolero jeep transporting him and her, along with police personnel to Panaji police station.

She said that when the vehicle reached the KTC bus stand in Panaji, a head-constable started pulling at the hair of Cypriano, who was crying out in pain. She also informed that Ryan, who was driving warned her not to turn around and look at what was happening behind her, as she was seated besides the driver (Ryan) in the front of the jeep and Cypriano was seated behind her along with the police.

She deposed that Cypriano could not take the beating any more and even tried to reach the brakes from the back of the vehicle so as to halt it; however, Ryan kept pushing his led back. She said that although Cypriano stopped making noise, she could hear commotion in the back of the vehicle.

She said upon reaching the Panaji town police station, Ryan along with other constables pulled Cypriano from the jeep and she notices that Cypriano’s mouth was closed and that he was unconscious. "Then they dragged him to the room next to the police inspector, Mr Sandesh Chodankar’s cabin." She said she did not know how Cypriano became unconscious.

She then deposed that that Cypriano was beaten by some 6 to 7 policemen, some of whom were in civilian clothes, and that the beating went on for about 10 minutes.

She said, "I could hear the sound of the assault but I could not see him as they had encircled him." She could also not ascertain if Cypriano was conscious during the beating.

She further deposed that on January 8, she was called to the police station at around 5 p.m. and told to be seated on her scooter as head constable, Sandeep Shirvoikar wanted to talk to her. She deposed that on questioning Shirvoikar, as to where Cypriano was, she was told that he was drunk and had suffered an attack of fits and was admitted in the GMC at Bambolim and that he was discharged. When she asked who released him, Shirvoikar said that Cypriano himself had signed the bond papers.

She said that on Januray 9, Shirvoikar called her many times; however, she did not take his calls. Later she called him and was informed that Cypriano had expired at around 4 a.m. in the hospital. She said she was stunned and shocked to hear of Cypriano’s death, she was later called to the police station to record her statement.

In her statement to the JMFC, she said that Cypriano had no health problems and even denied having knowledge about his going to the IPHB. She refused to endorse the view that Cypriano died of natural causes, but said that according to her "Cypriano died due to police assault on the head and added that there was record of his arrest by the police."

She also deposed saying that the head constable approached her after she gave her statement to the SDM, Tiswadi, Ms Shabaji Shetye, and pressurised her to change

her statement.

www.navhindtimes.in/goa-news/georgina-deposes-jmfc-panaji

25/2/11

Candeliight Rally seeking justice for Cipriano in city Tomorrow -NT

Peaceful Rally for Justice - GT

Keneth Silveira, one of the strong witness in the Cipriano murder case said they are orgnising a peaceful candelelight rally on Feb.26 at 4.30pm from Azad Maidan to CM's official Residence at altinho to fight for justice and the corrupt system...demanding immediate arrest of all police officials responsible for the death of Cipriano Fernandes. Also demand for arrest of all people responsible for destroying the evidence with polic cover up ..including the doctors who had initially given false medical report to cover up the case

26.2.11

Kenneth Silveira, the main witness in the custodial Case filed FIR with Panjim Police

www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukextra2/5479066627/sizes/l/

Kenneth Silveira (The Main Witness)

www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk36/5480138296/

A murder in the Panjim Police Station?

Justice for Cipriano Fernandes

video clip

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpQZ2b48NpU

Pic

www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukextra2/5485172184/sizes/l/

Justice for Cipriano Fernandes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpQZ2b48NpU

www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukextra2/5485172184/sizes/l/

March 15, 2011

8 cops asked to file reply by March 28.

State Police Complaints Authority has asked them to reply to the notices issued by it in the custodial death case.

Sandeep Sshirvoikar HC, Vishram Gaokar PC, Sandesh Chodankar PI, Sanjeev Salunke HC, Vijay Kumar Chodankar PSI, Radhesh Ramnathkar HC, Syam Amonkar HC and Ramesh Dessai HC. Notices were issued on 8th March

Dec. 2011

HC hands over Cipriano custodial death case to CBI

Friday, 16 December 2011 09:52

Goa Chronicle

In a first of its kind decision in Goa pertaining to a police custodial death, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court chaired by Justice A P Lavande and Justice U Bakhre has handed over the investigations of the Cipriano Fernandes death case to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI).

Last week the Chief Minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat cleared the case file to be handed over to CBI as the law department was of the opinion that since the allegations involved police officers and the investigations were being conducted by officers within the same police department; hence it needed an independent body to investigate the case to be impartial.

Human Rights activist Jowett D'Souza who had taken up case, expressed that he was happy that the court has appointed the CBI to investigate into the custodial death. It is a clear human right violation.

Cipriano Fernandes was allegedly killed in police custody. Now with CBI investigating the matter, people who have come out in support of Justice for Cipriano feel that it a move towards some justice.

Ida Saxton McKinley / Mrs. William McKinley (1847-1907), married William McKinley in 1871; First Lady of the United States, 1897-1901. Suffered from epilepsy.

Image from "The Parties and The Men, or, Political Issues of 1896 ... The Issues of the Day Impartially Reviewed" (1896).

Contrast digitally enhanced from faded original.

Justice has to be impartial, hence it is often shown blindfolded, as in this statue on the Tower of the Five Orders in Oxford's Bodleian Library.

Thus, St James says: "My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Sit here, please,’ while you say to the poor one, ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit at my feet,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?" (James 2:1-4).

Writing a Ange Kagame biography for someone is both a great gesture and a great gift. In case the biography writing project is for a family member or friend, and you do not think you don't think you have the necessary writing experience, remember that there are biography writing services out there to help you out. As a biography is an account of another person's life, in a way it is easier to write, because you being the outsider can write Kagame's Daughters impartially without having the emotional attachment.visit our www.hope-mag.com/news.php?option=lnews&ca=1&a=1157 site for more information on Ange Kagame Images

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Monday 22 January 2018.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and the Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Joyce Bowerman attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Monday 22 January 2018.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and the Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Joyce Bowerman attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 99 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony in Prestwich on Wednesday 4 April 2018.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Baroness Beverley Hughes, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Dorothy Gunther attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Harrop Fold School last night, 14 June 2017 in the presence of Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and over 200 guests.

Magistrates Mike Phillips and Stephen Paine were in attendance to witness the swearing of the oath.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of them made an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Harrop Fold School last night, 14 June 2017 in the presence of Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and over 200 guests.

Magistrates Mike Phillips and Stephen Paine were in attendance to witness the swearing of the oath.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of them made an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police has welcomed 89 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Bolton Town Hall last night, Tuesday 11 June 2019.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling, Deputy Major of Greater Manchester Bev Hughes and Magistrate Joan Cooper were in attendance at the event.

The Mayor of Bolton, Councillor Hilary Fairclough and her consort were guests of honour.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of took an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Yesterday, Tuesday 22 January 2019, Greater Manchester Police welcomed 100 new recruits to the Force. The officers were officially sworn in at a formal ceremony attended by Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, senior officers and magistrate Stephen Paine.

The attestation ceremony was held at Stockport Town Hall.

The Mayor of Stockport, Councillor Walter Brett, was also on hand to welcome the new recruits.

Family and friends watched the new officers make their oath to uphold their role with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their time in post.

New recruits have to complete a two year probation period which includes classroom based learning and a year of active patrol. During their training they will have the same of level of authority as regular officers, including the power of arrest.

The new recruits are replacing those who have either retired or left the organisation and therefore helping GMP to maintain current officer numbers.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police welcomed 116 new recruits to the force on Monday 2 March 2020.

The officers were officially sworn in at a formal ceremony attended by Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey, senior officers and magistrate Joan Cooper.

The attestation ceremony, which gives officers their policing powers, was held at Stockport Town Hall.

The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Stockport, Councillor John Wright and Mrs Christine Wright, were also on hand to welcome the new recruits.

Family and friends watched the new officers make their oath to uphold their role with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their time in post.

New recruits have to complete a two year probation period which includes classroom based learning and a year of active patrol.

The new recruits are replacing those who have either retired or left the organisation and therefore helping GMP to maintain current officer numbers.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 101 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Wednesday evening.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle, Magistrates Mike Phillips and Zahid Maqbool, the Mayor of Tameside Councillor Philip Fitzpatrick and Assistant Head Teacher at Droylsden Academy Dr Lee Schofield attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “The role of every officer is to help and serve the public, they are at the heart of the community and holding this event at a school helps to reflect this. The officers have been through a rigorous selection process and training programme, and I am proud to officially welcome them to the Force and look forward to seeing their hard work continue throughout Greater Manchester.

“I would like to thank Droylsden Academy for allowing us to hold our ceremony here. The evening was also an opportunity for pupils to witness the officers taking their oath, and for us to hear their musical talent.”

All of the new recruits have previously been employees with GMP, either as Police Community Support Officers (PCSO), Special Constables, or police staff, and will build upon their existing skills and knowledge involved with policing.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Police staff, former military personnel, prison staff and office workers make up the varied backgrounds of Greater Manchester Police’s new officers.

Yesterday GMP welcomed 96 new recruits to the Force. The officers were officially sworn in at a formal ceremony attended by the Chief Constable, senior officers and magistrate Joan Cooper.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “Our region is made up of people from a range of backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities which is why it’s wonderful to see our workforce now becoming a reflection of this.

“By having an organisation which mirrors our community we are able to strengthen the ties we already have with the public and instil a better understanding of the needs and demands across the region.”

The attestation ceremony was held at Stockport Town Hall on Tuesday 5 June. Family and friends watched the new officers make their oath to uphold their role with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their time in post.

New recruits have to complete a two year probation period which includes classroom based learning and a year of active patrol. During their training they will have the same of level of authority as regular officers, including the power of arrest.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins added: “Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of our philosophy which is why it is so important to hold these ceremonies within the community.

“Our new recruits will join their colleagues in dealing with challenging situations in order to ensure the safety and security of the public. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for choosing to become a part of our police family and wish them every success in their future careers.”

Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Beverley Hughes said: “I want to congratulate all of our recruits who have taken part in tonight’s attestation ceremony. It is a celebration of the hard work and dedication that each of our new police constables has put in to prepare themselves for their new roles. I would like to welcome them all into the police service.

“Policing is one of the most fundamental public services upon which our citizens depend, and they will play a vital role in keeping people safe.

“In Greater Manchester we pride ourselves on our diverse cultures and communities that this new generation of police officers will now be working closely with across the city region. I wish you all the very best in your future careers with GMP.”

The new recruits are replacing those who have either retired or left the organisation and therefore helping GMP to maintain current officer numbers.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Cuban prisoners of conscience : please sign this petition!

Cuba: Two years after crackdown, prisoners confined to tiny cells and beaten

www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=15999

Posted: 18 March 2005

Prison guards reportedly stamped on the neck of Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta, causing him to pass out during a beating last November while he was handcuffed.

Another man, Luis Enrique Ferrer Garcia, was reportedly stripped and beaten by guards during an assault at the Youth Prison of Santa Clara last October. He is serving a sentence of 28 years.

The 71 men, aged 26 to 63, were arrested for "offences" such as publishing critical articles or communicating with human rights groups.

Amnesty International believes they were imprisoned for peacefully expressing their beliefs and opinions and calls on the Cuban government to immediately and unconditionally release all of them.

Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Stephen Bowen said:

"Conditions for some of these prisoners are inhumane, confining them for months to tiny, filthy cells with no water or natural light. Some are not permitted to wear any clothes and are denied bedding.

"And yet all you have to do in Cuba to be imprisoned for months or even years is to disagree with the authorities.

"The Cuban government must release these prisoners immediately and unconditionally."

Normando Hernández González was held in a punishment cell for four months as a punitive measure after ending a 17-day hunger strike to protest against his transfer to Kilo 5 ½ Prison, where he was held with common criminals. During 2004, at least nine prisoners were reportedly held continuously in walled-in punishment cells.

Such cells are said to be very small (2 x 1 m) with no natural light and no furniture. The prisoners are not allowed out, to receive visitors or to exercise and sometimes are not permitted to wear any clothing nor given any bedding.

The conditions under which the nine Cuban prisoners are reported to have been held, amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Some prisoners of conscience and their relatives have also suffered the suspension of visits, correspondence and telephone communications for an undetermined period of time when prisoners' relatives have made statements in the local or international press or to human rights organizations regarding the treatment of their relative in detention.

During 2004 and early 2005 a total of 19 prisoners of conscience were released, 14 of whom were granted "conditional release" permitting them to carry out the rest of their sentences outside prison for health reasons, in the knowledge they could be detained again.

Amnesty International reiterates its calls on the Cuban government to:

Order the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience

Ensure that an independent and impartial inquiry is held into allegations of ill-treatment by prison guards and, that the officials implicated in these allegations are immediately suspended from duty and those responsible brought to justice

Suspend Law 88 and other similar legislation that facilitates the imprisonment of Cuban citizens by unlawfully restricting the exercise of their fundamental freedoms

Comply with international human rights standards for the treatment of prisoners

Ratify both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Amnesty International believes that the unilateral US embargo against Cuba contributes to the undermining of key civil and political rights in the country.

On these grounds, Amnesty International calls for its immediate lifting. The organisation also calls on the Cuban government to stop using the embargo as a pretext to violate the human rights of the Cuban people.

Background

Most of the dissidents arrested during the 2003 crackdown were charged with offences carrying higher penalties under Article 91 of the Penal Code or Law 88.

Article 91 provides sentences of 10 to 20 years or death for anyone who "in the interest of a foreign state, carries out an act which has the objective of harming the independence of the Cuban state or its territorial integrity".

Law 88, provides lengthy prison terms for those found guilty of supporting United States policy on Cuba aimed at "disrupting internal order, destabilizing the country and destroying the Socialist State and the independence of Cuba".

View the report Cuba: Prisoners of conscience; 71 longing for freedom

pleasew sign this petition to help free them:

www.ipetitions.com/petition/Cubamnesty/

The Washington Monument at Washington, DC is seen on April-9th-2022.

The Washington Monument is an obelisk within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States (1789–1797). Located almost due east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial,the monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is both the world's tallest predominantly stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk,[A] standing 554 feet 7+11⁄32 inches (169.046 m) tall according to the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (measured 2013–14) or 555 feet 5+1⁄8 inches (169.294 m) tall, according to the National Park Service (measured 1884).[B] It is the tallest monumental column in the world if all are measured above their pedestrian entrances.[A] Overtaking the Cologne Cathedral, it was the tallest structure in the world between 1884 and 1889, after which it was overtaken by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on

October 15, 1966.

George Washington (February 22, 1732[b] – December 14, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the 1st president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army, Washington led the Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War and served as the president of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which created the Constitution of the United States and the American federal government. Washington has been called the "Father of the Nation" for his manifold leadership in the formative days of the country.

Washington's first public office was serving as the official surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia from 1749 to 1750. Subsequently, he received his initial military training (as well as a command with the Virginia Regiment) during the French and Indian War. He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and was named a delegate to the Continental Congress. Here he was appointed Commanding General of the Continental Army. With this title, he commanded American forces (allied with France) in the defeat and surrender of the British at the Siege of Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War. He resigned his commission after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.

Washington played an indispensable role in adopting and ratifying the Constitution of the United States. He was then twice elected president by the Electoral College unanimously. As president, he implemented a strong, well-financed national government while remaining impartial in a fierce rivalry between cabinet members Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. During the French Revolution, he proclaimed a policy of neutrality while sanctioning the Jay Treaty. He set enduring precedents for the office of president, including the title "Mr. President", and swearing the Oath of Office on the Bible. His Farewell Address is widely regarded as a pre-eminent statement on republicanism.

Washington was a slave owner who had a complicated relationship with slavery. During his lifetime he controlled a cumulative total of over 577 slaves, who were forced to work on his farms and wherever he lived, including the President's House in Philadelphia. As president, he signed laws passed by Congress that both protected and curtailed slavery. His will said that one of his slaves, William Lee, should be freed upon his death and that the other 123 slaves must work for his wife and be freed on her death. She freed them during her lifetime to remove the incentive for hastening her death.

He endeavored to assimilate Native Americans into the Anglo-American culture. However, he waged military campaigns against hostile Native American nations during the Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. He was a member of the Anglican Church and the Freemasons, and he urged broad religious freedom in his roles as general and president. Upon his death, he was eulogized by Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".

Washington has been memorialized by monuments, a federal holiday, various media depictions, geographical locations, including the national capital, the State of Washington, stamps, and currency, and many scholars and ordinary Americans alike rank him among the greatest U.S. presidents. In 1976 Washington was posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States, the highest rank in the United States Army.

Powerful Portadown profit from poor performanceby Roger Corbett

A powerful Portadown side gained revenge for their defeat by Bangor in the Junior Cup last season by taking advantage of the home team’s poor performance and deservedly finishing ahead by 24-43.

With a number of changes to the side that did so well against Dromore last week, a young Bangor side got this second round Junior Cup fixture underway. The playing conditions were good, with the breeze blowing across the pitch and not benefiting either side. From the outset, Portadown played the game at a fast pace, and pushed Bangor back into their own half for long periods. Both sides, however, made many unforced errors and as a result promising attacks were halted.

After 10 minutes of play, it was Bangor who got the scoreboard started, when Portadown conceded a penalty for being offside and Mark Thompson converted the kicking opportunity. Portadown then resumed their attacks and it looked like they would score next. However, from a lineout on the Portadown twenty two, the ball was taken by Freddie Black before the rest of the pack formed around him and started to drive for the line. The rolling maul moved slowly forwards and sideways until one final push saw captain Jamie Clegg carried over to score to the right of the Portadown posts. The conversion by Neil Cuthbertson was successful and Bangor were now 10-0 ahead.

Even an impartial observer might have commented that this score was against the run of play, but to Bangor’s credit they took their chances well. Unfortunately, just 5 minutes later Bangor were reduced to 14 men after Black was yellow carded. From the resulting penalty, Portadown kicked for touch, and secured the ball from the lineout. They patiently worked the ball through their forwards until a gap opened up in the Bangor defence, allowing an easy run through to score under the Bangor posts. With the conversion, the score was now 10-7.

With only a few minutes of the first half remaining, Portadown continued to push forward and from a good cross field kick, they took advantage of the reduced Bangor cover and scored in the left hand corner. The tricky kick into the wind was successful, and Portadown were now in front by 10-14. To add to Bangor’s woes, scrum half Danny Diamond had to retire injured with what looks like a broken collar bone, and front row forward Phil Whyte limped off with a bad calf injury – we wish both a full and speedy recovery. Undeterred, Bangor tried to fight back and came very close in the final minute when more good forward play got the ball over the Portadown line, but it wasn’t able to be grounded.

As the teams turned around, Bangor would probably have been the happier with the scoreline, especially given the amount of possession Portadown had enjoyed in the first half. However, over the course of the following 20 odd minutes, and largely as a result of their own mistakes, their task became much harder. It started with another poor Bangor lineout which Portadown won and simply broke through to score in the right hand corner. The kick was good, extending the lead to 10-21. Then Bangor lost the ball in contact in the centre of the pitch, allowing the Portadown backline to quickly move the ball wide to their winger who rounded the Bangor defence to score under the posts.

Finally, from their scrum, Portadown took advantage of some missed tackles to open up a gap and score again under the Bangor posts. The score was now 10-35, and Bangor had a mountain to climb.

If the game looked lost at this point, nobody had obviously told Jamie Clegg. From Mark Thompson’s restart, Clegg ran in pursuit and managed to snatch the ball from the Portadown receiving player. He then had just enough time to pass outside to Neil Cuthbertson who managed to negotiate 3 Portadown defenders to score, and reduce the deficit to 17-35, with 26 minutes gone.

Shortly afterwards, the Portadown hooker was yellow carded. However, instead of capitalising on this advantage, Bangor then conceded another penalty, this time in front of their posts. The Portadown kicker gratefully took the 3 points, making the score 17-38.

It was around this point that it was starting to look like Portadown were paying the price for their furious onslaught in the first half. Bangor sensed the weakness and started to play their best rugby of the game so far. Patient build-ups by the forwards, accompanied by strong runs from the backs, produced the opportunity for full back Davy Charles to dive under his tacklers to score beside the posts. Cuthbertson’s quick kick was good, and the score was now 24-38.

As the final play approached, and the end result no longer in question, yet another lineout mix-up gave Portadown possession again. With the Bangor defence largely flat footed, Portadown cut through and, despite a desperate covering tackle by Charles, touched down for the final score of the game. Although the kick was missed, Portadown’s victory was by an emphatic 24-43 margin.

This young Bangor side can learn much from their older, wiser opponents. While fitness and commitment is not in question, consistency of technique in basic set pieces, and retention of the ball when in contact would need to improve, or at least return to levels seen in earlier games. While the disappointment of an early exit from the Junior Cup cannot be denied, the focus will now be wholly on returning to success in the league, the next fixture being a home meeting with Cooke.

Bangor side: P Whyte (P Dornan), A Jackson, J Harrison, R Meeke, F Black, M Coey, J Clegg (c), C Stewart, D Diamond (P Nicol), M Thompson, M Widdowson, M Aspley, M Weir, N Cuthbertson, D Charles

Subs: P Nicol, P Dornan

Bangor scores: J Clegg (1T), N Cuthbertson (1T), D Charles (1T), M Thompson (1P, 3C)

Black Saturday +day24

update latest news

The trees in this shot are 20-30m tall. Note the leaves on all the tree are burnt. This means the flames are as tall as the trees. The house is about the same distance from the trees.

Doing the dishes

Rang Dad today (permanent phone on) to check on both how he's going and reports I read on the news today on basics being denied to residents at Kinglake and Kinglake West.

He was doing the dishes in no particular hurry. I mentioned the locals are calling the BS, contacting the media to get things done. He confirmed they closed down the food and removed the water tankers. I can't understand why? The topics we talked about included how all the native birds are back. Parrots, Wrens who escaped the fire and now moving back in. How he's assembled one of the collapsible tanks for water after moving them by hand and put them on bricks not the pallets organised.

Dad also mentioned taking the tanks back but I advised him they are there as long as required and I'll organise returning them when they are finished. The tank-man is coming out to take a look at Frank (The Tank).

Water

Water is still critical as there has been no rain, the bore works but water may become contaminated over time. Going to the trouble sourcing multiple sterile water containers, then organising and delivering water storage capacity has proved to be 100% spot on the correct priority. The inability for local authorities to supply basics on a continual basis at +day24 is poor, but not unexpected.

Police deliver legal documents

Dad also mentioned the Police letter dropped a printed page outlining how house-owners would be prosecuted for moving any rubble on the property by order of the Coroner. Never mind the asbestos. He's got food, water, power and vehicles. I mentioned that a Stat-Dec could come in handy if he wanted assistance to pull down some trees (widow-makers) near the house. This is the level we have sunk to. Using legal documents to request help if needed to get around road-blocks and restrictions. Dad also mentioned he is pretty lucent and not too effected by the event. He knows of others that are not.

So at the moment he's not doing to badly. Compared to most he's doing well.

Some observations

From comments I've left on ABC article Lessons can be learnt from tsunami response

Nice observations Andrew,

I've been closely watching the fires unfolding since Black Saturday. My Dad survived in Kinglake West with house intact and no loss of cars but lots of shed & property damage. By all accounts he is probably in the best of situations. As of +day23, Black Saturday he has shelter, power, water and vehicles to travel. This is not the norm. Most residents are without all or some of the above. Living with compromised services. So I'll give you my take of what information I've observed, collected and read:

Inability of command to ensure basics & logistics

- it's absolutely critical that basics Water, food and shelter be arranged. As of today both water and food are in short supply and only because local Kinglake residents and media (in this case The Age newspaper reporter Selma Milovanovic is on the ground) ~ www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3320803820/

- Water is critical. Why hasn't each resident been delivered say a 1000L sterile water tank and have it refilled on demand? ~ www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157614178152108/

- why was the reliable water supplies removed?

Inability of command to be flexible with legalistic demands

- from day 1 control into & out of Kinglake area has restricted by police. At first this was essential because the area was not safe. However as the safety issue was resolved bans still remained denying residents access past control lines to go back in. This is of course flouted. How else do you ensure essential water and portable power to be provided in the first 72Hrs? Do you wait for the official response?

- Now certain Kinglake areas have been hit with very harsh legal demands. Stating any removal of rubbish is punishable by severe penalties because a coroner (Judge) in Melbourne wants all potential deaths thoroughly investigated. In an office in Melbourne this appears sound. On the ground it's an inflexible PIA and needs to be resolved.

Inability of command to recognise health issues

- Anecdotal evidence I'm hearing suggests residents in the area severely traumatised are beginning to show signs of PTSD and other symptoms but the best response we have is very vague in details of how this will be attacked www.premier.vic.gov.au/minister-for-community-services/me...

- Legal orders placed on resident cleanups are being enforced despite the fact both Asbestos and other toxic chemicals are present on properties

- Up till this afternoon basics of water & food distribution was stopped www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/02/2505337.htm as authority passed from jurisdiction in this case state DHS to local shires www.theage.com.au/national/fire-victims-relief-crisis-200...

Inability of command to listen and act on residents requests, transparently

- the poor communication lines and consultation of local residents is becoming a problem. The only access that seems to work is a lengthy story to the media, the media (The Age in particular) writes up a story and Ministers have to respond.

- there appears to be a one-way conversation. Why? Listening to the requests as they come up. Where is the liason b/w residents on the ground and decision makers? The only advocates for residents are either on-the-ground agitators, news reporters or third parties who have access to knowledge and reporting ability.

I know the article you mentioned has been on the medium to long term perspective but all I can see at the moment is pretty p*ss-poor execution. What I'd like to see is:

a) Representatives of Red Cross, media liason, government rep at each local area to source the trouble at a local level and sort it out. Bend the rules to enable survivors get what they need without unnecessary legal or political interference.

b) Get a high level political order out that 1) basics of food, water, shelter be monitored at all times for 3-6 months and any changes or reductions in service be justified to residents and the public.

c) Get high level political order out telling both Police & Coroner to work some level of compromise on both travel bans and clean ups as a priority. The living take priority over the dead.

d) Allow clear access of both commercial and state (ABC) media to the area to report what they see without interference. This allows impartial oversite.

The biggest problem I have is, authorities with resources are not delivering on what residents want and need in a timely manner. There is no liason. Authority is being wielded by certain inflexible legal bodies. There is no recognition the law in this situation is not as applicable in a disaster zone. Execution is being hampered by the in-ability of authority to adapt.

While people who are responsible for these functions are paid, tucked up in bed and fed, the perception (and as has been shown this week, reality) are being derelict in their duty to pull out all the stops and get these (simple problems) resolved. Until then, the medium to long term objectives are nice to pontificate over, but of little use.

next >>>

Mighty. Morphin. Power. Rangers.

The OG as introduced by Saban into the English speaking work, and international phenomenon, this adaptation of the Super Sentai Zyuranger became a household name back in 1993, and has been in the hearts of fans since. Me? Well, I enjoyed the show for what it is.. a fun way to kill half an hour, but as always, it was about the toys for me. In recent years, the MMPR franchise has been revisited, first with Bandai of America creating the Legacy product line and milking the MMPR brand, then with the 2017 motion picture that didn't quite make the money Saban wanted it to (I have a theory about this and how it didn't matter, but that's for another discussion). The biggest news would be how Hasbro, now the holders of the Power Ranger toy license, would revisit MMPR and other past Power Rangers characters through something they called the Lightning Collection, a series of collectors grade figures. Personally, I was impartial to this - while others were excited to add these to their collection, I never really got into it when Bandai did it with their Legacy figures and as such, I wouldn't really be pursuing these releases, with the exception of buying one or two to do a bit of comparison and contrast, as well as satisfy my own curiosity regarding a conspiracy theory.

In case it wasn't obvious by now, I tend to buy female figures because not only do they generally look better, but it's harder to hidd things on their comparatively smaller bodies. I bought exactly one figure from the Bandai Legacy line - Ninja Storm Blue (or in my case, Hurricane Blue) and while I never really reviewed it, it can summarize it as follows - it was alright. Nothing earth shattering, and definitely not worth the $25 CAD MSRP to me. Well, in Wave 2 of the Hasbro Lightning series, we see the release of the first female Ranger of the line, Kimberly Hart, the original Pink Ranger and Mistress of the Pterodactyl Zord. For the record, Kat was always my MMPR Pink of choice... I always found Kimberly kind of boring.

Finding her was a bit of a pain, though not as bad as others have had it.. definitely much easier than finding Springer, that's for sure. Just a few phone calls and a 10 minute drive from home.

Normally I'd wait to open this up, as I have been stocking up on some other goodies lately, but questions needed answering dammit, so Kimberly here jumped the queue and was opened next.. about an hour after purchase, in fact. So, without further ado, here is my overview and thoughts on the Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger.

Each Lightning figure comes with the figure itself, an unmorphed (helmetless) head sculpt, a combination of posing and weapon holding hands, the trademark weapons of the character, and some sort of energy effect. In the case of Kimberly, she comes with her bow and arrow, her Blade Blaster side arm, as well as an energy arrow. MSRP is about $20 USD, or roughly what a Marvel Legends figure costs in your area.

As the picture shows, Kimberly is roughly the same size as Captain Marvel who is my benchmark female Marvel Legends figure. These figures are of course a smidgen bigger than your typical female S.H. Figuarts figure (i.e. Black Widow), but smaller than the Bandai Legacy female body. While Kimberly isn't as busty as the Blue Ranger, she's certainly less NFL Quarterback in terms of build. Now we got that out of the way, let us focus the comparison on the two players that really matter - Kimberly, and Captain Marvel. Now, the cynic in me pretty much assumed that Hasbro wouldn't reinvent the wheel when it didn't have to, both for better and worse. After all, they developed a body for their Legends line, and it would make sense to reuse it for this line, considering that the price point is the same. So, was I right?

Let's start things off with a discussion of aesthetics, articulation, and build quality. Now, no action figure, even the almighty Figuarts release, ever actually replicated the proportions of the suit actors perfectly, so it's not a surprise that things haven't changed here, though I'd like them to resemble human proportions a little better. For whatever reason, her chest area uses plastics that are harder than the rest of her body, and are a tint or two darker than the other pinks on her body. It doesn't show up on my photos, which are powered by flash, but in the crappy room lights I have here, it's clear as day. But in general, unless you're blind, it's pretty clear that this is the MMPR Pink Ranger.

I mentioned before that Kimberly has a different height and body shape than your standard Figuarts and Bandai Legacy body. Having said that, however, I think you should be able to see that Kimberly and Captain Marvel share the same general overall silhouette - in fact, if you look really close, you can see the retooling of common parts (upper arms and thighs, for example). I submit to you that the female Lightning body is at its core, an upcycled Legends body, which somehow manages to improve things, and make them worse at the same time. The Lightning female takes the Legends articulation (pivoting and rotating ankles, double jointed knees, thigh swivel, rotating hips, mid torso ball joint, rotating/pivoting shoulders, rotating/pivoting elbows, wrist rotate/pivot (depending on hand) and ball jointed head with a pivoting neck) and adds to it with boots that rotate and shoulders that allow for chest collapse, improving range of motion and posing options. The knee joints are new, most likely needing a redesign due to the the new lower foot/boot combo used. Design of the lower body basically prevents limits the motion of the lower legs to.. I'm going say about 110 degrees or so. No high kicking for this girl...

So, overall, I've talked about some nice improvements to the status quo - what am I babbling about with regards to better AND worse then?

Well, you see, this is why I looped in build quality into this first point of discussion. Now whatever material Captain Marvel is made of, it's pretty durable and tough, being hard without being brittle. Kimberly, on the other hand, is predominately made up of what they make Transformers of these days, which feels to me like the plastics used in the 3D printing system. This material is softer than the stuff the good Captain is made from. Not an issue on its own, because if this were the end of the story the most I could talk about is how you can't really get any good detailing in the plastics and that it feels like of rough.

You notice how Kimberly seems to be bow legged? Well, unlike the lovely DC Icons Wonder Woman I just looked at, THESE joints are made of that same soft plastic that basically was warped due to the restraints of the packaging. Not sure if this is a material issue, or perhaps they didn't wait long enough for the plastic to settle, but the end result is Kimberly is destined to walk like a freakin' cowboy for the rest of her days. Her elbows are made of the same soft plastic, but due to the way she was packaged I guess there was no warping.

Another gripe I have is that the ratcheting joints used for shoulders of the Legends figures remain, which normally isn't a problem as you're able to easily apply the necessary force to move it. Now, with her collapsing shoulders, the whole joint has a tendency to move, rather than just the part you want to rotate, making raising and lowering the arms a potential exercise in annoyance.

So there you go.. better.. AND worse.. all at the same time.

Paint apps are pretty standard affair for anything that Hasbro does on their own (Transformers are shared with Takara as a unified product, so there are higher standards there to be met), namely that paint isn't applied on places that it isn't deemed necessary, and the quality of the apps themselves range from alright to oversprayed with not the greatest masking work. The larger paint apps generally made it through in one piece, though clearly not so much the minute details. Sculpting detailing on the suit, helmet, and weapons are alright. Nothing overly bad about it, and generally the work is quite competent, and includes some more detailing on the helmet that I didn't expect to see, as well as the gloves. I do enjoy the pink energy effect, though I'd enjoy it more if the figure could hold the bloody thing better. The bow fits alright and I'll be honest, I didn't bother with the Blade Blaster, but it seems to me the hand pictured holding the arrow is actually moulded to hold this weapon specifically.

We're not QUITE done yet, as I've saved best for last. Let's talk about that unhelmeted sculpt. It looks like the artist who made that Paul Rudd sculpt I can't stand decided to give Kimberly Hart a try with equally disastrous results. I think they got the hairline right, and possibly her earrings. Other than that... YIKES. Definitely keeping the helmeted on this figure.

So in conclusion, my overall feeling is a resounding "meh". It's pretty much what I expected, and not exactly the new standard to beat, but it is a step in the right direction. Knowing Hasbro, I don't exactly see them making changes that I complained about here, so I really have no need to revisit this line, but perhaps there is hope that the Legends line can be provided with improvements seen here, most notable being the ability to collapse the shoulders towards the chest. But that's me, and as admitted before, Domestic figures really aren't my thing. For everyone else out there, you really need to be aware of the issues with the knee joints - it's been almost 10 hours since I've opened mine and it's not her legs have straightened out, and the legs can be bent so easily it's not funny.

A decent looking figure with some good strengths balanced by some awful design choices.

Stucco and paint, House of Meleager, AD 62-79

This beautifully coloured, three-dimensional panel decorated the reception room of a Pompeaian house. It recreates an elaborate Roman theatre stage, the edge of which is visible in the foreground. The human figures (actors or the mythical figures they represent) are arranged among the intricate architecture of a royal palace. The popularity of theatre performances made such decorations particularly fashionable in wealthy households.

[British Museum]

Nero: the Man Behind the Myth

(May - Oct 2021)

Nero is known as one of Rome's most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty, debauchery and madness.

The last male descendant of the emperor Augustus, Nero succeeded to the throne in AD 54 aged just 16 and died a violent death at 30. His turbulent rule saw momentous events including the Great Fire of Rome, Boudicca's rebellion in Britain, the execution of his own mother and first wife, grand projects and extravagant excesses.

Drawing on the latest research, this major exhibition questions the traditional narrative of the ruthless tyrant and eccentric performer, revealing a different Nero, a populist leader at a time of great change in Roman society.

Through some 200 spectacular objects, from the imperial palace in Rome to the streets of Pompeii, follow the young emperor’s rise and fall and make up your own mind about Nero. Was he a young, inexperienced ruler trying his best in a divided society, or the merciless, matricidal megalomaniac history has painted him to be?

Nero was the 5th emperor of Rome and the last of Rome’s first dynasty, the Julio-Claudians, founded by Augustus (the adopted son of Julius Caesar). Nero is known as one of Rome’s most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty and debauchery. He ascended to power in AD 54 aged just 16 and died at 30. He ruled at a time of great social and political change, overseeing momentous events such as the Great Fire of Rome and Boudica’s rebellion in Britain. He allegedly killed his mother and two of his wives, only cared about his art and had very little interest in ruling the empire.

Most of what we know about Nero comes from the surviving works of three historians – Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio. All written decades after Nero’s death, their accounts have long shaped our understanding of this emperor’s rule. However, far from being impartial narrators presenting objective accounts of past events, these authors and their sources wrote with a very clear agenda in mind. Nero’s demise brought forward a period of chaos and civil war – one that ended only when a new dynasty seized power, the Flavians. Authors writing under the Flavians all had an interest in legitimising the new ruling family by portraying the last of the Julio-Claudians in the worst possible light, turning history into propaganda. These accounts became the ‘historical’ sources used by later historians, therefore perpetuating a fabricated image of Nero, which has survived all the way to the present.

Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus on 15 December AD 37.

He was the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger. Both Gnaeus and Agrippina were the grandchildren of Augustus, making Nero Augustus’ great, great grandson with a strong claim to power.

Nero was only two years old when his mother was exiled and three when his father died. His inheritance was taken from him and he was sent to live with his aunt. However, Nero’s fate changed again when Claudius became emperor, restoring the boy’s property and recalling his mother Agrippina from exile.

In AD 49 the emperor Claudius married Agrippina, and adopted Nero the following year. It is at this point that Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus changed his name to Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus. In Roman times it was normal to change your name when adopted, abandoning your family name in favour of your adoptive father’s. Nero was a common name among members of the Claudian family, especially in Claudius’ branch.

Nero and Agrippina offered Claudius a politically useful link back to Augustus, strengthening his position.

Claudius appeared to favour Nero over his natural son, Britannicus, marking Nero as the designated heir.

When Claudius died in AD 54, Nero became emperor just two months before turning 17.

As he was supported by both the army and the senate, his rise to power was smooth. His mother Agrippina exerted a significant influence, especially at the beginning of his rule.

The Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio all claim that Nero, fed up with Agrippina’s interference, decided to kill her.

Given the lack of eyewitnesses, there is no way of knowing if or how this happened. However, this did not stop historians from fabricating dramatic stories of Agrippina’s murder, asserting that Nero tried (and failed) to kill her with a boat engineered to sink, before sending his men to do the job.

Agrippina allegedly told them to stab her in the womb that bore Nero, her last words clearly borrowed from stage plays.

It is entirely possible, as claimed by Nero himself, that Agrippina chose (or was more likely forced) to take her own life after her plot against her son was discovered.

Early in his rule, Nero had to contend with a rebellion in the newly conquered province of Britain.

In AD 60–61, Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe led a revolt against the Romans, attacking and laying waste to important Roman settlements. The possible causes of the rebellion were numerous – the greed of the Romans exploiting the newly conquered territories, the recalling of loans made to local leaders, ongoing conflict in Wales and, above all, violence against the family of Prasutagus, Boudica’s husband and king of the Iceni.

Boudica and the rebels destroyed Colchester, London and St Albans before being heavily defeated by Roman troops. After the uprising, the governor of Britain Suetonius Paulinus introduced harsher laws against the Britons, until Nero replaced him with the more conciliatory governor Publius Petronius Turpilianus.

The marriage between Nero and Octavia, aged 15 and 13/14 at the time, was arranged by their parents in order to further legitimise Nero’s claim to the throne. Octavia was the daughter of the emperor Claudius from a previous marriage, so when Claudius married Agrippina and adopted her son Nero, Nero and Octavia became brother and sister. In order to arrange their marriage, Octavia had to be adopted into another family.

Their marriage was not a happy one. According to ancient writers, Nero had various affairs until his lover Poppaea Sabina convinced him to divorce his wife. Octavia was first exiled then executed in AD 62 on adultery charges. According to ancient writers, her banishment and death caused great unrest among the public, who sympathised with the dutiful Octavia.

No further motives were offered for Octavia’s death other than Nero’s passion for Poppaea, and we will probably never know what transpired at court. The fact that Octavia couldn’t produce an heir while Poppaea was pregnant with Nero’s daughter likely played an important role in deciding Octavia’s fate.

On 19 July AD 64, a fire started close to the Circus Maximus. The flames soon encompassed the entire city of Rome and the fire raged for nine days. Only four of the 14 districts of the capital were spared, while three were completely destroyed.

Rome had already been razed by flames – and would be again in its long history – but this event was so severe it came to be known as the Great Fire of Rome.

Later historians blamed Nero for the event, claiming that he set the capital ablaze in order to clear land for the construction of a vast new palace. According to Suetonius and Cassius Dio, Nero took in the view of the burning city from the imperial residence while playing the lyre and singing about the fall of Troy. This story, however, is fictional.

Tacitus, the only historian who was actually alive at the time of the Great Fire of Rome (although only 8 years old), wrote that Nero was not even in Rome when the fire started, but returned to the capital and led the relief efforts.

Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio all describe Nero as being blinded by passion for his wife Poppaea, yet they accuse him of killing her, allegedly by kicking her in an outburst of rage while she was pregnant.

Interestingly, pregnant women being kicked to death by enraged husbands is a recurring theme in ancient literature, used to explore the (self) destructive tendencies of autocrats. The Greek writer Herodotus tells the story of how the Persian king Cambyses kicked his pregnant wife in the stomach, causing her death. A similar episode is told of Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Nero is just one of many allegedly ‘mad’ tyrants for which this literary convention was used.

Poppaea probably died from complications connected with her pregnancy and not at Nero’s hands. She was given a lavish funeral and was deified.

Centred on greater Iran, the Parthian empire was a major political and cultural power and a long-standing enemy of Rome. The two powers had long been contending for control over the buffer state of Armenia and open conflict sparked again during Nero’s rule. The Parthian War started in AD 58 and, after initial victories and following set-backs, ended in AD 63 when a diplomatic solution was reached between Nero and the Parthian king Vologases I.

According to this settlement Tiridates, brother of the Parthian king, would rule over Armenia, but only after having travelled all the way to Rome to be crowned by Nero.

The journey lasted 9 months, Tiridates’ retinue included 3,000 Parthian horsemen and many Roman soldiers. The coronation ceremony took place in the summer of AD 66 and the day was celebrated with much pomp: all the people of Rome saw the new king of Armenia kneeling in front of Nero. This was the Golden Day of Nero’s rule

In AD 68, Vindex, the governor of Gaul (France), rebelled against Nero and declared his support for Galba, the governor of Spain. Vindex was defeated in battle by troops loyal to Nero, yet Galba started gaining more military support.

It was at this point that Nero lost the support of Rome’s people due to a grain shortage, caused by a rebellious commander who cut the crucial food supply from Egypt to the capital. Abandoned by the people and declared an enemy of the state by the senate, Nero tried to flee Rome and eventually committed suicide.

Following his death, Nero’s memory was condemned (a practice called damnatio memoriae) and the images of the emperor were destroyed, removed or reworked. However, Nero was still given an expensive funeral and for a long time people decorated his tomb with flowers, some even believing he was still alive.

After Nero’s death, civil war ensued. At the end of the so-called ‘Year of the Four Emperors’ (AD 69), Vespasian became emperor and started a new dynasty: the Flavians.

[Francesca Bologna, curator, for British Museum]

Taken in the British Museum

From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:

If ever there were a good way to finish up a trip, this particular Sunday in October would be it. Before arriving in Hanoi, I honestly had exceptionally low expectations. A bit like Saigon, if you are to go online and try to look up a list of places to visit – basically a tourist’s stock photography checklist, as it may be – you don’t find much that’s appealing. Well…I didn’t, anyway, and as a result, I had pretty low expectations for Hanoi.

The charm and beauty of Hanoi, however, isn’t in any one particular place. It’s in the experience of the entire city. (I’d say the same for Saigon, but multiply that a few times for Hanoi.) On this day in the Old Quarter in particular, I kept finding myself thinking, “Oh, my God, I shouldn’t be this lucky as a photographer…” Today ended up being mostly about people, with a little food and historical locations mixed in.

As I mentioned in the last set of posting, today would start off a bit sad with Junebug leaving for China a day before I would. So, we were checked out of our room by 6:00 in the morning or so. The breakfast at the Art Trendy was wonderful. Buffet with a mix of made-to-order omelets mixed in. Strong work, Art Trendy, strong work…

When June left, I really had nothing to do since it was still six in the morning and I was temporarily homeless as I had to switch hotels. So…I sat around the lobby for about two hours (possibly slightly awkward for the poor girls working there, but oh, well; I had to sit somewhere).

Around 8:00, I finally dragged my old bones out of the hotel and walked the five to ten minutes down the street to the Aquarius, where I politely asked them to hold my non-camera bag until I come back around 1:00 in the afternoon to check in.

After that, I was finally off with my cameras to enjoy an early Sunday morning in the bustling Old Quarter. On the street where the hotel is situated are a number of restaurants where locals were jammed in to enjoy noodles, steamed buns, and the like. It was wonderful to be among that crowd (though someone tried to scold me ever so slightly for taking pictures of people eating).

Since this was right next to St. Joseph’s Cathedral – and it was Sunday morning – I found my way back into the church where we crashed the wedding the afternoon before and realized that I almost got locked into Sunday mass while walking around taking pictures. So…I stayed. I prayed. And my prayer was answered when I realized the side doors and even the back door were open. (Ok…I didn’t really think I was locked in a church, but it did feel like it a little bit.)

Upon exiting the church, a handful of frames under my belt, I walked along the lovely streets photographing shops and people. At Caphe, I piggybacked on someone else’s photo shoot – it looked like they were doing a promo for the place, or possibly just a personal shoot for five women, though I have a feeling it was the former. At any rate, I was quite pleased with that little set and am presenting quite a few of those here, even if they’re a little redundant.

My ultimate goal with this wandering was to find my way to the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I’m not taking about the hotel chain, of course, but rather the prison that U.S. prisoners of war sarcastically called the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. (This is the prison where Senator John McCain was interred while a POW, and there are one or two pictures to that effect here.)

This prison has a particularly interesting history (and morbid since…well…it’s a prison). It’s about a hundred years old and was founded by the French colonialists around the turn of the 20th century. During the first 50 years of its history, the French imprisoned Vietnamese insurgents and those who wanted independence. In the eyes of the French…renegades (hence the imprisonment). In the eyes of the Vietnamese – especially the current government – patriots and national heroes. If they were truly freedom fighters, then I would probably side with the current government on that one.

The French even had a guillotine installed here and overcrowding was a major problem. There were plenty of escape attempts, and more were successful than you may think, which is a little peculiar.

After the battle of Bien Dien Phu and the ejection of the French from the north (and before the U.S. got involved in the south), the prison changed hands and was under control of Ho Chi Minh. During the Vietnam War, it became one of the main prisons for U.S. POWs, as I alluded to above.

The propaganda claims that the Vietcong were absolutely humane and decent with U.S. prisoners, allowing them to observe their religious rites (Christmas celebrations, etc.), allowed prisoners to smoke and enjoy leisure (board games, basketball, etc.), and claimed they were well-fed.

This is certainly how it’s presented in the prison/museum currently. If you were to go online, though, and try to find a contrary report, you would find that this was all coerced and staged to make it appear as if things were on the up and up. (For anyone curious, per my Vietnamese friends, the general education in Vietnam today is how terrible the French and U.S. were for colonizing and torturing the country and keeping it from its independence.)

So, what’s the truth of what really happened? Who knows? Outside of firsthand accounts, it’s impossible to know for certain and even then, memory can be a tricky thing. I tend to like to say the truth is always somewhere between two opposing viewpoints, no matter what the topic may be.

From an impartial and purely photographic point of view, the prison, currently a museum/memorial, is an interesting place to spend an hour or two. Some of the exhibits seem a bit cheesy, but some are quite tasteful and well done. There’s also an informational video. You’ll have to see this with a bit of imagination (the prison, that is), as at least half of it has been leveled for high rise buildings. At least there’s some tangible piece of it left to visit, including the main gate (Maison Centrale).

After about two hours here at the Hanoi Hilton, I walked over towards the Opera House to get a few daytime shots but, really, to get lunch at El Gaucho. I was looking forward to a proper steak. The prices were astronomical (though justifiable based on what I ate), though I just opted for a steak salad. It was so good I contemplated going back for dinner, but had other plans.

With a happy stomach, I went back to finally check in at the Aquarius Hotel and got my workout huffing up six flights of stairs each time I went out. I relaxed here for a few hours until 4:00 when a dear friend of mine came to town to see me.

Ngan and I had an ice cream at Baskin Robbins right in front of St. Joe’s before heading over to the Temple of Literature. This is a temple dedicated to education and, bless my soul, it’s a place where university graduates come for graduation pictures.

On this particular day – a warm, sunny, late Sunday afternoon – it was packed with college students. And it was beautiful to see that many people happy, full of hopes and dreams, and dressed in either cap and gown or traditional Vietnamese clothes. In short…I had a field day shooting for an hour here.

Around 5:00, Ngan had to head back to school, and I went back to my hotel. I had one more meeting. Hoa, who traveled around Thailand & Cambodia with me in May, flew back to see me this evening. She picked me up at 6:00 on her scooter and rode me all around Hanoi by evening.

She started by taking me to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (which I consider a lot more photogenic in its setting than the Great Gangster’s Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square). This one, at least, was in a parklike setting. At evening, it’s well-lit and you can find people relaxing in the grass in front of it. During the day, you can visit and there are quite a few buildings behind the mausoleum that you can also see.

After a few minutes here, Hoa took me by West Lake – the largest lake in Hanoi, as I mentioned yesterday – and just drove me around for over an hour, it seemed. My impressions that Hanoi (even out of the Old Quarter) seemed to be a good place to live – though I’d be concerned about the air pollution – and people here seemed to be happy. Also…Vietnamese really love their coffee.

We finally returned to the Old Quarter for dinner at one of the famous restaurants she recommended and she treated me to a wonderful dinner. I can’t recall what we ate (the Vietnamese names of it, anyway), but it was nice.

After dinner, she drove me over towards the Opera House and then, finally, we stopped by Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the Quarter and walked around the lake. It was getting close to 10:00 by this time, and I wanted to get back to the hotel to get a few hours sleep before waking up for my early flight in the morning. Hoa came to the airport with me to see me off.

If ever there were a great way to finish a great trip, this was it. I absolutely loved Vietnam – honestly, a lot more than I imagined I would, even with every single person I know who’d ever come here saying what a fantastic country this is – and would gladly come back. This seems to be one of the kinds of countries that you would never get tired of or, if you did, it would sure take a long time. With that, I’ll bid goodbye to Vietnam for now with the hopes that I’ll someday return to this land of amazing food, landscapes, and people.

As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.

Restored Bust

AD 59-98 with later restorations by Salva Ruano

Famouse for centuries, this is still the most-illustrated portrait of Nero. However, only a small part of the face with the forehead and eyes is ancient, and even this was re-carved into the likeness of a different emperor after Nero's death. The rest of the sculpture is a restoration from the 1660s, based on hostile accounts by ancient writers. It skilfully translates these texts into a compelling but misleading image of Nero as a voluptuous and cruel tyrant. Portraits from Nero's lifetime looked very different.

[British Museum]

Nero: the Man Behind the Myth

(May - Oct 2021)

Nero is known as one of Rome's most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty, debauchery and madness.

The last male descendant of the emperor Augustus, Nero succeeded to the throne in AD 54 aged just 16 and died a violent death at 30. His turbulent rule saw momentous events including the Great Fire of Rome, Boudicca's rebellion in Britain, the execution of his own mother and first wife, grand projects and extravagant excesses.

Drawing on the latest research, this major exhibition questions the traditional narrative of the ruthless tyrant and eccentric performer, revealing a different Nero, a populist leader at a time of great change in Roman society.

Through some 200 spectacular objects, from the imperial palace in Rome to the streets of Pompeii, follow the young emperor’s rise and fall and make up your own mind about Nero. Was he a young, inexperienced ruler trying his best in a divided society, or the merciless, matricidal megalomaniac history has painted him to be?

Nero was the 5th emperor of Rome and the last of Rome’s first dynasty, the Julio-Claudians, founded by Augustus (the adopted son of Julius Caesar). Nero is known as one of Rome’s most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty and debauchery. He ascended to power in AD 54 aged just 16 and died at 30. He ruled at a time of great social and political change, overseeing momentous events such as the Great Fire of Rome and Boudica’s rebellion in Britain. He allegedly killed his mother and two of his wives, only cared about his art and had very little interest in ruling the empire.

Most of what we know about Nero comes from the surviving works of three historians – Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio. All written decades after Nero’s death, their accounts have long shaped our understanding of this emperor’s rule. However, far from being impartial narrators presenting objective accounts of past events, these authors and their sources wrote with a very clear agenda in mind. Nero’s demise brought forward a period of chaos and civil war – one that ended only when a new dynasty seized power, the Flavians. Authors writing under the Flavians all had an interest in legitimising the new ruling family by portraying the last of the Julio-Claudians in the worst possible light, turning history into propaganda. These accounts became the ‘historical’ sources used by later historians, therefore perpetuating a fabricated image of Nero, which has survived all the way to the present.

Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus on 15 December AD 37.

He was the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger. Both Gnaeus and Agrippina were the grandchildren of Augustus, making Nero Augustus’ great, great grandson with a strong claim to power.

Nero was only two years old when his mother was exiled and three when his father died. His inheritance was taken from him and he was sent to live with his aunt. However, Nero’s fate changed again when Claudius became emperor, restoring the boy’s property and recalling his mother Agrippina from exile.

In AD 49 the emperor Claudius married Agrippina, and adopted Nero the following year. It is at this point that Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus changed his name to Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus. In Roman times it was normal to change your name when adopted, abandoning your family name in favour of your adoptive father’s. Nero was a common name among members of the Claudian family, especially in Claudius’ branch.

Nero and Agrippina offered Claudius a politically useful link back to Augustus, strengthening his position.

Claudius appeared to favour Nero over his natural son, Britannicus, marking Nero as the designated heir.

When Claudius died in AD 54, Nero became emperor just two months before turning 17.

As he was supported by both the army and the senate, his rise to power was smooth. His mother Agrippina exerted a significant influence, especially at the beginning of his rule.

The Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio all claim that Nero, fed up with Agrippina’s interference, decided to kill her.

Given the lack of eyewitnesses, there is no way of knowing if or how this happened. However, this did not stop historians from fabricating dramatic stories of Agrippina’s murder, asserting that Nero tried (and failed) to kill her with a boat engineered to sink, before sending his men to do the job.

Agrippina allegedly told them to stab her in the womb that bore Nero, her last words clearly borrowed from stage plays.

It is entirely possible, as claimed by Nero himself, that Agrippina chose (or was more likely forced) to take her own life after her plot against her son was discovered.

Early in his rule, Nero had to contend with a rebellion in the newly conquered province of Britain.

In AD 60–61, Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe led a revolt against the Romans, attacking and laying waste to important Roman settlements. The possible causes of the rebellion were numerous – the greed of the Romans exploiting the newly conquered territories, the recalling of loans made to local leaders, ongoing conflict in Wales and, above all, violence against the family of Prasutagus, Boudica’s husband and king of the Iceni.

Boudica and the rebels destroyed Colchester, London and St Albans before being heavily defeated by Roman troops. After the uprising, the governor of Britain Suetonius Paulinus introduced harsher laws against the Britons, until Nero replaced him with the more conciliatory governor Publius Petronius Turpilianus.

The marriage between Nero and Octavia, aged 15 and 13/14 at the time, was arranged by their parents in order to further legitimise Nero’s claim to the throne. Octavia was the daughter of the emperor Claudius from a previous marriage, so when Claudius married Agrippina and adopted her son Nero, Nero and Octavia became brother and sister. In order to arrange their marriage, Octavia had to be adopted into another family.

Their marriage was not a happy one. According to ancient writers, Nero had various affairs until his lover Poppaea Sabina convinced him to divorce his wife. Octavia was first exiled then executed in AD 62 on adultery charges. According to ancient writers, her banishment and death caused great unrest among the public, who sympathised with the dutiful Octavia.

No further motives were offered for Octavia’s death other than Nero’s passion for Poppaea, and we will probably never know what transpired at court. The fact that Octavia couldn’t produce an heir while Poppaea was pregnant with Nero’s daughter likely played an important role in deciding Octavia’s fate.

On 19 July AD 64, a fire started close to the Circus Maximus. The flames soon encompassed the entire city of Rome and the fire raged for nine days. Only four of the 14 districts of the capital were spared, while three were completely destroyed.

Rome had already been razed by flames – and would be again in its long history – but this event was so severe it came to be known as the Great Fire of Rome.

Later historians blamed Nero for the event, claiming that he set the capital ablaze in order to clear land for the construction of a vast new palace. According to Suetonius and Cassius Dio, Nero took in the view of the burning city from the imperial residence while playing the lyre and singing about the fall of Troy. This story, however, is fictional.

Tacitus, the only historian who was actually alive at the time of the Great Fire of Rome (although only 8 years old), wrote that Nero was not even in Rome when the fire started, but returned to the capital and led the relief efforts.

Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio all describe Nero as being blinded by passion for his wife Poppaea, yet they accuse him of killing her, allegedly by kicking her in an outburst of rage while she was pregnant.

Interestingly, pregnant women being kicked to death by enraged husbands is a recurring theme in ancient literature, used to explore the (self) destructive tendencies of autocrats. The Greek writer Herodotus tells the story of how the Persian king Cambyses kicked his pregnant wife in the stomach, causing her death. A similar episode is told of Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Nero is just one of many allegedly ‘mad’ tyrants for which this literary convention was used.

Poppaea probably died from complications connected with her pregnancy and not at Nero’s hands. She was given a lavish funeral and was deified.

Centred on greater Iran, the Parthian empire was a major political and cultural power and a long-standing enemy of Rome. The two powers had long been contending for control over the buffer state of Armenia and open conflict sparked again during Nero’s rule. The Parthian War started in AD 58 and, after initial victories and following set-backs, ended in AD 63 when a diplomatic solution was reached between Nero and the Parthian king Vologases I.

According to this settlement Tiridates, brother of the Parthian king, would rule over Armenia, but only after having travelled all the way to Rome to be crowned by Nero.

The journey lasted 9 months, Tiridates’ retinue included 3,000 Parthian horsemen and many Roman soldiers. The coronation ceremony took place in the summer of AD 66 and the day was celebrated with much pomp: all the people of Rome saw the new king of Armenia kneeling in front of Nero. This was the Golden Day of Nero’s rule

In AD 68, Vindex, the governor of Gaul (France), rebelled against Nero and declared his support for Galba, the governor of Spain. Vindex was defeated in battle by troops loyal to Nero, yet Galba started gaining more military support.

It was at this point that Nero lost the support of Rome’s people due to a grain shortage, caused by a rebellious commander who cut the crucial food supply from Egypt to the capital. Abandoned by the people and declared an enemy of the state by the senate, Nero tried to flee Rome and eventually committed suicide.

Following his death, Nero’s memory was condemned (a practice called damnatio memoriae) and the images of the emperor were destroyed, removed or reworked. However, Nero was still given an expensive funeral and for a long time people decorated his tomb with flowers, some even believing he was still alive.

After Nero’s death, civil war ensued. At the end of the so-called ‘Year of the Four Emperors’ (AD 69), Vespasian became emperor and started a new dynasty: the Flavians.

[Francesca Bologna, curator, for British Museum]

Taken in the British Museum

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 113 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Bolton Town Hall last night, Tuesday 24 October 2017.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Police and Magistrate Peter Rogerson were in attendance at the legally binding event.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of them made an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 100 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Monday 22 January 2018.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling and the Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Joyce Bowerman attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police has welcomed 89 new police officers to the ranks.

The new recruits were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Bolton Town Hall last night, Tuesday 11 June 2019.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling, Deputy Major of Greater Manchester Bev Hughes and Magistrate Joan Cooper were in attendance at the event.

The Mayor of Bolton, Councillor Hilary Fairclough and her consort were guests of honour.

Family and friends of the new officers watched on proudly as each of took an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 101 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Wednesday evening.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle, Magistrates Mike Phillips and Zahid Maqbool, the Mayor of Tameside Councillor Philip Fitzpatrick and Assistant Head Teacher at Droylsden Academy Dr Lee Schofield attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “The role of every officer is to help and serve the public, they are at the heart of the community and holding this event at a school helps to reflect this. The officers have been through a rigorous selection process and training programme, and I am proud to officially welcome them to the Force and look forward to seeing their hard work continue throughout Greater Manchester.

“I would like to thank Droylsden Academy for allowing us to hold our ceremony here. The evening was also an opportunity for pupils to witness the officers taking their oath, and for us to hear their musical talent.”

All of the new recruits have previously been employees with GMP, either as Police Community Support Officers (PCSO), Special Constables, or police staff, and will build upon their existing skills and knowledge involved with policing.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has welcomed 101 new police officers to the ranks.

The new officers were sworn in at an attestation ceremony at Droylsden Academy on Wednesday evening.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle, Magistrates Mike Phillips and Zahid Maqbool, the Mayor of Tameside Councillor Philip Fitzpatrick and Assistant Head Teacher at Droylsden Academy Dr Lee Schofield attended the legally binding event.

Friends and family were also invited to watch as each of the officers took the oath to uphold the officer of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. More than 200 friends and family members attended the event.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “The role of every officer is to help and serve the public, they are at the heart of the community and holding this event at a school helps to reflect this. The officers have been through a rigorous selection process and training programme, and I am proud to officially welcome them to the Force and look forward to seeing their hard work continue throughout Greater Manchester.

“I would like to thank Droylsden Academy for allowing us to hold our ceremony here. The evening was also an opportunity for pupils to witness the officers taking their oath, and for us to hear their musical talent.”

All of the new recruits have previously been employees with GMP, either as Police Community Support Officers (PCSO), Special Constables, or police staff, and will build upon their existing skills and knowledge involved with policing.

To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website. www.gmp.police.uk

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.