My first proper LEGO Train related event, really happy with it and how many people I seemed to make happy! Thanks to everyone who organised and exhibited at the event.

 

Hope to get more involved in future!

 

- Wylie Q

My first jab at Miniland! :D

This is the first image which I have recorded a speed edit on! Go check it out at youtu.be/Cr1yh5FhK9E if you're interested in my process :D Subscribe for more speed edits in future!

 

Model: Mia D Love

When it's so hot that people won't vacation at the grand hotel anymore you know the economics of global warming will be hard to ignore.

 

This started out as a nice picture of the Wentworth by the Sea hotel but the sky was rather washed out. As anyone who has ever seen my images knows "washed out" is not my style. So I got carried away with the sky which got wilder and wilder and took on a life of its own. Eventually I liked the sky better than the hotel image, but was stuck with the hotel taking up 3/4 of the picture. This is the best I could do under the circumstances. I've been working on variations on the sky alone and that will appear in future Flickr posts.

   

River Wear, river that rises near Wearhead in the county of Durham, England, and enters the North Sea at Sunderland. With headwaters in the Pennines, it flows through Weardale and once entered the sea in the vicinity of Hartlepool, but it was subsequently diverted northward. Durham city is built along the Wear, and its castle and cathedral stand 100 feet (30 metres) above the river on an incised meander (loop). From Bishop Auckland the river flows across coalfields, but coal mining had ceased by the end of the 20th century.

 

Stanhope is a market town and civil parish in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. It lies on the River Wear between Eastgate and Frosterley, in the north-east of Weardale. The main A689 road over the Pennines is crossed by the B6278 between Barnard Castle and Shotley Bridge. In 2001 Stanhope had a population of 1,633, in 2019 an estimate of 1,627, and a figure of 1,602 in the 2011 census for the ONS built-up-area which includes Crawleyside. In 2011 the parish population was 4,581.[4]

 

Stanhope parish is the largest parish area in England, at 85 square miles (221 km2) It has some land in common with the neighbouring Wolsingham civil parish. On 31 December 1894 "Stanhope Urban" parish was formed from part of Stanhope parish, but on 1 April 1937 it was merged back. In 1894 Stanhope became an urban district which contained Stanhope Urban parish, on 1 April 1937 the urban district was abolished and merged with Weardale Rural District. On 1 April 1946, 2,396 acres (969.6 ha) were transferred to the parish from Wolsingham. Stanhope Town Hall was completed in 1849.

 

Stanhope is surrounded by moorland in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – the second largest of a current 40 such areas in England and Wales.

 

Features of interest include:

A petrified tree stump standing in the churchyard was found with two others, one of which features in the Great North Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Durham Dales Centre incorporates a tea room, tourist information and craft shops.

Stanhope Bridge, a scheduled monument, was built in the 15th century and widened in 1792.

The ford has a stepping-stone bridge for pedestrians.

The 18th-century Stanhope Castle in the town centre stands on the possible site of a medieval castle. It was built in 1798 by Cuthbert Rippon, MP for Gateshead.

The town has one of only two heated open-air swimming pools in the North East.

Stanhope was at the centre of the Weardale campaign (1327), when Sir James Douglas of Scotland invaded England and faced Edward III and Roger Mortimer, Earl of March. A series of skirmishes took place on the valley floor and in Stanhope Park.

 

The parish church dedicated to St Thomas is mostly from the 12th–13th centuries, with restoration in 1663 and 1867. The earliest known Rector was Richardus in 1200. Joseph Butler, later Bishop of Bristol, was Rector in 1725.

 

Stanhope Castle may be on the site of a motte and bailey castle according to some evidence from the 1790s. Furthermore, Bishop Anthony Bek granted land "to the west side of Stanhope castle". The present castle was built for Cuthbert Rippon (1744-1801) in 1798 with additions in 1823 by his son, also Cuthbert (1797–1867) and Member of Parliament for Gateshead. Ignatius Bonomi (1787–1870) was the architect. In 1941 the castle was adapted by the Home Office as a school for boys and remained so until 1980, when it was converted into apartments. Part of the gardens lie to the north of the castle across the main road, including the park wall and gazebo.

 

Stanhope Agricultural Show is held on the second weekend of September each year. It has been held annually since 1834, except in world-war years, the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak and times of bad weather.

 

Stanhope is the current terminus of the Weardale Railway, a heritage line operating mainly at weekends from Bishop Auckland, with stations at Frosterley, Wolsingham and Witton-le-Wear. Stanhope Station stood in for the fictional Partlington Station in an episode of the criminal drama series Vera.

 

Notable residents

Joseph Butler (1692–1752), theologian and cleric

William Greenwell (1820–1918), archaeologist and Anglican cleric, catalogued Late Bronze Age finds at Heathery Burn Cave near Stanhope in 1859–1872.

William Percival Crozier (1879–1944), scholar and journalist, edited the Manchester Guardian in 1932–1944.

Muriel Young (1923–2001), television continuity announcer, presenter and producer, died in Stanhope.

 

County Durham, officially simply Durham is a ceremonial county in North East England. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to the north, the North Sea to the east, North Yorkshire to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The largest settlement is Darlington, and the county town is the city of Durham.

 

The county has an area of 2,721 km2 (1,051 sq mi) and a population of 866,846. The latter is concentrated in the east; the south-east is part of the Teesside built-up area, which extends into North Yorkshire. After Darlington (92,363), the largest settlements are Hartlepool (88,855), Stockton-on-Tees (82,729), and Durham (48,069). For local government purposes the county comprises three unitary authority areas—County Durham, Darlington, and Hartlepool—and part of a fourth, Stockton-on-Tees. The county historically included the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne, and excluded the part of County Durham south of the River Tees.

 

The west of the county contains part of the North Pennines uplands, a national landscape. The hills are the source of the rivers Tees and Wear, which flow east and form the valleys of Teesdale and Weardale respectively. The east of the county is flatter, and contains by rolling hills through which the two rivers meander; the Tees forms the boundary with North Yorkshire in its lower reaches, and the Wear exits the county near Chester-le-Street in the north-east. The county's coast is a site of special scientific interest characterised by tall limestone and dolomite cliffs.

 

What is now County Durham was on the border of Roman Britain, and contains survivals of this era at sites such as Binchester Roman Fort. In the Anglo-Saxon period the region was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria. In 995 the city of Durham was founded by monks seeking a place safe from Viking raids to house the relics of St Cuthbert. Durham Cathedral was rebuilt after the Norman Conquest, and together with Durham Castle is now a World Heritage Site. By the late Middle Ages the county was governed semi-independently by the bishops of Durham and was also a buffer zone between England and Scotland. County Durham became heavily industrialised in the nineteenth century, when many collieries opened on the Durham coalfield. The Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, opened in 1825. Most collieries closed during the last quarter of the twentieth century, but the county's coal mining heritage is remembered in the annual Durham Miners' Gala.

 

Remains of Prehistoric Durham include a number of Neolithic earthworks.

 

The Crawley Edge Cairns and Heathery Burn Cave are Bronze Age sites. Maiden Castle, Durham is an Iron Age site.

 

Brigantia, the land of the Brigantes, is said to have included what is now County Durham.

 

There are archaeological remains of Roman Durham. Dere Street and Cade's Road run through what is now County Durham. There were Roman forts at Concangis (Chester-le-Street), Lavatrae (Bowes), Longovicium (Lanchester), Piercebridge (Morbium), Vindomora (Ebchester) and Vinovium (Binchester). (The Roman fort at Arbeia (South Shields) is within the former boundaries of County Durham.) A Romanised farmstead has been excavated at Old Durham.

 

Remains of the Anglo-Saxon period include a number of sculpted stones and sundials, the Legs Cross, the Rey Cross and St Cuthbert's coffin.

 

Around AD 547, an Angle named Ida founded the kingdom of Bernicia after spotting the defensive potential of a large rock at Bamburgh, upon which many a fortification was thenceforth built. Ida was able to forge, hold and consolidate the kingdom; although the native British tried to take back their land, the Angles triumphed and the kingdom endured.

 

In AD 604, Ida's grandson Æthelfrith forcibly merged Bernicia (ruled from Bamburgh) and Deira (ruled from York, which was known as Eforwic at the time) to create the Kingdom of Northumbria. In time, the realm was expanded, primarily through warfare and conquest; at its height, the kingdom stretched from the River Humber (from which the kingdom drew its name) to the Forth. Eventually, factional fighting and the rejuvenated strength of neighbouring kingdoms, most notably Mercia, led to Northumbria's decline. The arrival of the Vikings hastened this decline, and the Scandinavian raiders eventually claimed the Deiran part of the kingdom in AD 867 (which became Jórvík). The land that would become County Durham now sat on the border with the Great Heathen Army, a border which today still (albeit with some adjustments over the years) forms the boundaries between Yorkshire and County Durham.

 

Despite their success south of the river Tees, the Vikings never fully conquered the Bernician part of Northumbria, despite the many raids they had carried out on the kingdom. However, Viking control over the Danelaw, the central belt of Anglo-Saxon territory, resulted in Northumbria becoming isolated from the rest of Anglo-Saxon Britain. Scots invasions in the north pushed the kingdom's northern boundary back to the River Tweed, and the kingdom found itself reduced to a dependent earldom, its boundaries very close to those of modern-day Northumberland and County Durham. The kingdom was annexed into England in AD 954.

 

In AD 995, St Cuthbert's community, who had been transporting Cuthbert's remains around, partly in an attempt to avoid them falling into the hands of Viking raiders, settled at Dunholm (Durham) on a site that was defensively favourable due to the horseshoe-like path of the River Wear. St Cuthbert's remains were placed in a shrine in the White Church, which was originally a wooden structure but was eventually fortified into a stone building.

 

Once the City of Durham had been founded, the Bishops of Durham gradually acquired the lands that would become County Durham. Bishop Aldhun began this process by procuring land in the Tees and Wear valleys, including Norton, Stockton, Escomb and Aucklandshire in 1018. In 1031, King Canute gave Staindrop to the Bishops. This territory continued to expand, and was eventually given the status of a liberty. Under the control of the Bishops of Durham, the land had various names: the "Liberty of Durham", "Liberty of St Cuthbert's Land" "the lands of St Cuthbert between Tyne and Tees" or "the Liberty of Haliwerfolc" (holy Wear folk).

 

The bishops' special jurisdiction rested on claims that King Ecgfrith of Northumbria had granted a substantial territory to St Cuthbert on his election to the see of Lindisfarne in 684. In about 883 a cathedral housing the saint's remains was established at Chester-le-Street and Guthfrith, King of York granted the community of St Cuthbert the area between the Tyne and the Wear, before the community reached its final destination in 995, in Durham.

 

Following the Norman invasion, the administrative machinery of government extended only slowly into northern England. Northumberland's first recorded Sheriff was Gilebert from 1076 until 1080 and a 12th-century record records Durham regarded as within the shire. However the bishops disputed the authority of the sheriff of Northumberland and his officials, despite the second sheriff for example being the reputed slayer of Malcolm Canmore, King of Scots. The crown regarded Durham as falling within Northumberland until the late thirteenth century.

 

Following the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror appointed Copsig as Earl of Northumbria, thereby bringing what would become County Durham under Copsig's control. Copsig was, just a few weeks later, killed in Newburn. Having already being previously offended by the appointment of a non-Northumbrian as Bishop of Durham in 1042, the people of the region became increasingly rebellious. In response, in January 1069, William despatched a large Norman army, under the command of Robert de Comines, to Durham City. The army, believed to consist of 700 cavalry (about one-third of the number of Norman knights who had participated in the Battle of Hastings), entered the city, whereupon they were attacked, and defeated, by a Northumbrian assault force. The Northumbrians wiped out the entire Norman army, including Comines, all except for one survivor, who was allowed to take the news of this defeat back.

 

Following the Norman slaughter at the hands of the Northumbrians, resistance to Norman rule spread throughout Northern England, including a similar uprising in York. William The Conqueror subsequently (and successfully) attempted to halt the northern rebellions by unleashing the notorious Harrying of the North (1069–1070). Because William's main focus during the harrying was on Yorkshire, County Durham was largely spared the Harrying.

 

Anglo-Norman Durham refers to the Anglo-Norman period, during which Durham Cathedral was built.

 

Matters regarding the bishopric of Durham came to a head in 1293 when the bishop and his steward failed to attend proceedings of quo warranto held by the justices of Northumberland. The bishop's case went before parliament, where he stated that Durham lay outside the bounds of any English shire and that "from time immemorial it had been widely known that the sheriff of Northumberland was not sheriff of Durham nor entered within that liberty as sheriff. . . nor made there proclamations or attachments". The arguments appear to have prevailed, as by the fourteenth century Durham was accepted as a liberty which received royal mandates direct. In effect it was a private shire, with the bishop appointing his own sheriff. The area eventually became known as the "County Palatine of Durham".

 

Sadberge was a liberty, sometimes referred to as a county, within Northumberland. In 1189 it was purchased for the see but continued with a separate sheriff, coroner and court of pleas. In the 14th century Sadberge was included in Stockton ward and was itself divided into two wards. The division into the four wards of Chester-le-Street, Darlington, Easington and Stockton existed in the 13th century, each ward having its own coroner and a three-weekly court corresponding to the hundred court. The diocese was divided into the archdeaconries of Durham and Northumberland. The former is mentioned in 1072, and in 1291 included the deaneries of Chester-le-Street, Auckland, Lanchester and Darlington.

 

The term palatinus is applied to the bishop in 1293, and from the 13th century onwards the bishops frequently claimed the same rights in their lands as the king enjoyed in his kingdom.

 

The historic boundaries of County Durham included a main body covering the catchment of the Pennines in the west, the River Tees in the south, the North Sea in the east and the Rivers Tyne and Derwent in the north. The county palatinate also had a number of liberties: the Bedlingtonshire, Islandshire and Norhamshire exclaves within Northumberland, and the Craikshire exclave within the North Riding of Yorkshire. In 1831 the county covered an area of 679,530 acres (2,750.0 km2) and had a population of 253,910. These exclaves were included as part of the county for parliamentary electoral purposes until 1832, and for judicial and local-government purposes until the coming into force of the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844, which merged most remaining exclaves with their surrounding county. The boundaries of the county proper remained in use for administrative and ceremonial purposes until the Local Government Act 1972.

 

Boldon Book (1183 or 1184) is a polyptichum for the Bishopric of Durham.

 

Until the 15th century, the most important administrative officer in the Palatinate was the steward. Other officers included the sheriff, the coroners, the Chamberlain and the chancellor. The palatine exchequer originated in the 12th century. The palatine assembly represented the whole county, and dealt chiefly with fiscal questions. The bishop's council, consisting of the clergy, the sheriff and the barons, regulated judicial affairs, and later produced the Chancery and the courts of Admiralty and Marshalsea.

 

The prior of Durham ranked first among the bishop's barons. He had his own court, and almost exclusive jurisdiction over his men. A UNESCO site describes the role of the Prince-Bishops in Durham, the "buffer state between England and Scotland":

 

From 1075, the Bishop of Durham became a Prince-Bishop, with the right to raise an army, mint his own coins, and levy taxes. As long as he remained loyal to the king of England, he could govern as a virtually autonomous ruler, reaping the revenue from his territory, but also remaining mindful of his role of protecting England’s northern frontier.

 

A report states that the Bishops also had the authority to appoint judges and barons and to offer pardons.

 

There were ten palatinate barons in the 12th century, most importantly the Hyltons of Hylton Castle, the Bulmers of Brancepeth, the Conyers of Sockburne, the Hansards of Evenwood, and the Lumleys of Lumley Castle. The Nevilles owned large estates in the county. John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby rebuilt Raby Castle, their principal seat, in 1377.

 

Edward I's quo warranto proceedings of 1293 showed twelve lords enjoying more or less extensive franchises under the bishop. The repeated efforts of the Crown to check the powers of the palatinate bishops culminated in 1536 in the Act of Resumption, which deprived the bishop of the power to pardon offences against the law or to appoint judicial officers. Moreover, indictments and legal processes were in future to run in the name of the king, and offences to be described as against the peace of the king, rather than that of the bishop. In 1596 restrictions were imposed on the powers of the chancery, and in 1646 the palatinate was formally abolished. It was revived, however, after the Restoration, and continued with much the same power until 5 July 1836, when the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 provided that the palatine jurisdiction should in future be vested in the Crown.

 

During the 15th-century Wars of the Roses, Henry VI passed through Durham. On the outbreak of the Great Rebellion in 1642 Durham inclined to support the cause of Parliament, and in 1640 the high sheriff of the palatinate guaranteed to supply the Scottish army with provisions during their stay in the county. In 1642 the Earl of Newcastle formed the western counties into an association for the King's service, but in 1644 the palatinate was again overrun by a Scottish army, and after the Battle of Marston Moor (2 July 1644) fell entirely into the hands of Parliament.

 

In 1614, a Bill was introduced in Parliament for securing representation to the county and city of Durham and the borough of Barnard Castle. The bishop strongly opposed the proposal as an infringement of his palatinate rights, and the county was first summoned to return members to Parliament in 1654. After the Restoration of 1660 the county and city returned two members each. In the wake of the Reform Act of 1832 the county returned two members for two divisions, and the boroughs of Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland acquired representation. The bishops lost their secular powers in 1836. The boroughs of Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool returned one member each from 1868 until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.

 

The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 reformed the municipal boroughs of Durham, Stockton on Tees and Sunderland. In 1875, Jarrow was incorporated as a municipal borough, as was West Hartlepool in 1887. At a county level, the Local Government Act 1888 reorganised local government throughout England and Wales. Most of the county came under control of the newly formed Durham County Council in an area known as an administrative county. Not included were the county boroughs of Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland. However, for purposes other than local government, the administrative county of Durham and the county boroughs continued to form a single county to which the Crown appointed a Lord Lieutenant of Durham.

 

Over its existence, the administrative county lost territory, both to the existing county boroughs, and because two municipal boroughs became county boroughs: West Hartlepool in 1902 and Darlington in 1915. The county boundary with the North Riding of Yorkshire was adjusted in 1967: that part of the town of Barnard Castle historically in Yorkshire was added to County Durham, while the administrative county ceded the portion of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in Durham to the North Riding. In 1968, following the recommendation of the Local Government Commission, Billingham was transferred to the County Borough of Teesside, in the North Riding. In 1971, the population of the county—including all associated county boroughs (an area of 2,570 km2 (990 sq mi))—was 1,409,633, with a population outside the county boroughs of 814,396.

 

In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 abolished the administrative county and the county boroughs, reconstituting County Durham as a non-metropolitan county. The reconstituted County Durham lost territory to the north-east (around Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland) to Tyne and Wear and to the south-east (around Hartlepool) to Cleveland. At the same time it gained the former area of Startforth Rural District from the North Riding of Yorkshire. The area of the Lord Lieutenancy of Durham was also adjusted by the Act to coincide with the non-metropolitan county (which occupied 3,019 km2 (1,166 sq mi) in 1981).

 

In 1996, as part of 1990s UK local government reform by Lieutenancies Act 1997, Cleveland was abolished. Its districts were reconstituted as unitary authorities. Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees (north Tees) were returned to the county for the purposes of Lord Lieutenancy. Darlington also became a third unitary authority of the county. The Royal Mail abandoned the use of postal counties altogether, permitted but not mandatory being at a writer wishes.

 

As part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England initiated by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the seven district councils within the County Council area were abolished. The County Council assumed their functions and became the fourth unitary authority. Changes came into effect on 1 April 2009.

 

On 15 April 2014, North East Combined Authority was established under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 with powers over economic development and regeneration. In November 2018, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Borough Council, and Northumberland County Council left the authority. These later formed the North of Tyne Combined Authority.

 

In May 2021, four parish councils of the villages of Elwick, Hart, Dalton Piercy and Greatham all issued individual votes of no confidence in Hartlepool Borough Council, and expressed their desire to join the County Durham district.

 

In October 2021, County Durham was shortlisted for the UK City of Culture 2025. In May 2022, it lost to Bradford.

 

Eighteenth century Durham saw the appearance of dissent in the county and the Durham Ox. The county did not assist the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. The Statue of Neptune in the City of Durham was erected in 1729.

 

A number of disasters happened in Nineteenth century Durham. The Felling mine disasters happened in 1812, 1813, 1821 and 1847. The Philadelphia train accident happened in 1815. In 1854, there was a great fire in Gateshead. One of the West Stanley Pit disasters happened in 1882. The Victoria Hall disaster happened in 1883.

 

One of the West Stanley Pit disasters happened in 1909. The Darlington rail crash happened in 1928. The Battle of Stockton happened in 1933. The Browney rail crash happened in 1946.

 

The First Treaty of Durham was made at Durham in 1136. The Second Treaty of Durham was made at Durham in 1139.

 

The county regiment was the Durham Light Infantry, which replaced, in particular, the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and the Militia and Volunteers of County Durham.

 

RAF Greatham, RAF Middleton St George and RAF Usworth were located in County Durham.

 

David I, the King of Scotland, invaded the county in 1136, and ravaged much of the county 1138. In 17 October 1346, the Battle of Neville's Cross was fought at Neville's Cross, near the city of Durham. On 16 December 1914, during the First World War, there was a raid on Hartlepool by the Imperial German Navy.

 

Chroniclers connected with Durham include the Bede, Symeon of Durham, Geoffrey of Coldingham and Robert de Graystanes.

 

County Durham has long been associated with coal mining, from medieval times up to the late 20th century. The Durham Coalfield covered a large area of the county, from Bishop Auckland, to Consett, to the River Tyne and below the North Sea, thereby providing a significant expanse of territory from which this rich mineral resource could be extracted.

 

King Stephen possessed a mine in Durham, which he granted to Bishop Pudsey, and in the same century colliers are mentioned at Coundon, Bishopwearmouth and Sedgefield. Cockfield Fell was one of the earliest Landsale collieries in Durham. Edward III issued an order allowing coal dug at Newcastle to be taken across the Tyne, and Richard II granted to the inhabitants of Durham licence to export the produce of the mines, without paying dues to the corporation of Newcastle. The majority was transported from the Port of Sunderland complex, which was constructed in the 1850s.

 

Among other early industries, lead-mining was carried on in the western part of the county, and mustard was extensively cultivated. Gateshead had a considerable tanning trade and shipbuilding was undertaken at Jarrow, and at Sunderland, which became the largest shipbuilding town in the world – constructing a third of Britain's tonnage.[citation needed]

 

The county's modern-era economic history was facilitated significantly by the growth of the mining industry during the nineteenth century. At the industry's height, in the early 20th century, over 170,000 coal miners were employed, and they mined 58,700,000 tons of coal in 1913 alone. As a result, a large number of colliery villages were built throughout the county as the industrial revolution gathered pace.

 

The railway industry was also a major employer during the industrial revolution, with railways being built throughout the county, such as The Tanfield Railway, The Clarence Railway and The Stockton and Darlington Railway. The growth of this industry occurred alongside the coal industry, as the railways provided a fast, efficient means to move coal from the mines to the ports and provided the fuel for the locomotives. The great railway pioneers Timothy Hackworth, Edward Pease, George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson were all actively involved with developing the railways in tandem with County Durham's coal mining industry. Shildon and Darlington became thriving 'railway towns' and experienced significant growths in population and prosperity; before the railways, just over 100 people lived in Shildon but, by the 1890s, the town was home to around 8,000 people, with Shildon Shops employing almost 3000 people at its height.

 

However, by the 1930s, the coal mining industry began to diminish and, by the mid-twentieth century, the pits were closing at an increasing rate. In 1951, the Durham County Development Plan highlighted a number of colliery villages, such as Blackhouse, as 'Category D' settlements, in which future development would be prohibited, property would be acquired and demolished, and the population moved to new housing, such as that being built in Newton Aycliffe. Likewise, the railway industry also began to decline, and was significantly brought to a fraction of its former self by the Beeching cuts in the 1960s. Darlington Works closed in 1966 and Shildon Shops followed suit in 1984. The county's last deep mines, at Easington, Vane Tempest, Wearmouth and Westoe, closed in 1993.

 

Postal Rates from 1801 were charged depending on the distance from London. Durham was allocated the code 263 the approximate mileage from London. From about 1811, a datestamp appeared on letters showing the date the letter was posted. In 1844 a new system was introduced and Durham was allocated the code 267. This system was replaced in 1840 when the first postage stamps were introduced.

 

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911): "To the Anglo-Saxon period are to be referred portions of the churches of Monk Wearmouth (Sunderland), Jarrow, Escomb near Bishop Auckland, and numerous sculptured crosses, two of which are in situ at Aycliffe. . . . The Decorated and Perpendicular periods are very scantily represented, on account, as is supposed, of the incessant wars between England and Scotland in the 14th and 15th centuries. The principal monastic remains, besides those surrounding Durham cathedral, are those of its subordinate house or "cell," Finchale Priory, beautifully situated by the Wear. The most interesting castles are those of Durham, Raby, Brancepeth and Barnard. There are ruins of castelets or peel-towers at Dalden, Ludworth and Langley Dale. The hospitals of Sherburn, Greatham and Kepyer, founded by early bishops of Durham, retain but few ancient features."

 

The best remains of the Norman period include Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle, and several parish churches, such as St Laurence Church in Pittington. The Early English period has left the eastern portion of the cathedral, the churches of Darlington, Hartlepool, and St Andrew, Auckland, Sedgefield, and portions of a few other churches.

 

'Durham Castle and Cathedral' is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Elsewhere in the County there is Auckland Castle.

This build is part of a larger display I’m developing for exhibition next year, where I’ll be revisiting and expanding on the concept of Neo Fabuland—a reinterpretation of the classic Fabuland aesthetic, much like how Neo-Classic Space draws inspiration from the original Classic Space theme. If you’re curious, you can read more about the goals of the project here.

 

I currently have several builds in progress for this display, and this is the first one to be completed.

 

While not directly based on any specific Fabuland set, this watermill draws loose inspiration from 3679 Flour Mill and Shop. It features a weathered stone-and-timber structure beside a millpond, complete with a working waterwheel, lily pads, reeds, and rounded rocks. The water cascades over the rocks to form a small waterfall. I’m especially pleased with the textures throughout—the flowing water, the stonework, and the building itself—as well as a custom spreading tree technique I developed for this scene (and will likely reuse in future Neo Fabuland builds).

 

This build also showcases my approach to Neo Fabuland windows, using brick-built frames with vinyl-cut sticker panes to echo the distinctive charm of original Fabuland designs.

The ruins of Tailbaila Fort as visible from Sudhagad fort. Tailbaila is a 'Magmatic Dyke' which is a very steep vertical wall of rocks created by intruding magma in to a fissure. The wall is divided into two dykes which is known as left wall(L1 & L2) and right wall(R1 & R2) of the Tailbaila and at the middle where a small Shivalaya exists. Tailbaila was a fort with steps which the British destroyed with mines & guns just to prevent any mutiny in future against the British Rule. Today Tailbaila stands as one of the most prominent places in the Sahyadris famous for its four rock-climbing routes. A monsoon shot.

Shot for this week's pretty pink theme (nursery rhyme). Damn hard theme. Phew.

Yes, I'll upload on Tuesdays again in future :D Okay, it's Monday. And I so do not like how this turned out. Anyway *lol* Happy Pretty Pink Tuesday.

 

Well, here's the rhyme:

 

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,

Touch the ground.

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,

Turn around.

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,

Show your shoe.

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,

That will do.

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,

Run upstairs.

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,

Say your prayers.

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,

Blow out the light.

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,

Say good night.

 

My website I Facebook Fanpage

 

(-: Please no huge glittering group awards and invitations :-)

All my pictures are copyright protected. Please do not use without my written permission

I would like to invite participation in this project. If you wish to take part, anonymously if you prefer, please send your `confession' to the following address:

 

Dr John Perivolaris

Grouse Lodge

Dippen

Isle of Arran

KA27 8RW

Scotland

United Kingdom

 

You are free to interpret the term `confession' as freely as you wish. Your `confession' may be textual, photographic, artistic, or object-based, or even a combination thereof.

 

Participation implies that you are willing to have your `confession' included, credited or anonymously, in future online/physical publication and/or exhibition.

via Instagram instagr.am/p/CZTmlyUrXtv/

I'm sorry for the wait for this MOC, and if the final MOC is disappointing. It's not the least of my problems right now.

 

This MOC has been in the works for well over a month. As Ayen was considered one of the best of the original Vihagu, which had generally mixed reception, I had intended to make a truly spectacular version of this MOC - one that looked great, and looked markedly different than the other Vihagu (as the basic design I have for Ayen is meant to be somewhat esoteric.)

However. This past month has been quite busy - busier than usual for me - and over the course of it I lost interest in finishing this MOC. I tried sometimes to work on it but nothing productive came of it. I also ended up becoming disinterested about MOCing in general. New ideas for MOCs don't interest me like they used to, motivation to actually MOC has been harder and harder, and I don't think I've given someone a good constructive critique in weeks.

So this might be the last you see of me for a while. I've more or less gone into the dark ages. I know the term dark ages implies that I'll pick up the hobby at some point in the future, and I have hope that I will continue the progress that I've made so far in future, but for now... it's just not coming to me.

 

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Ufford, Suffolk

 

Upper Ufford is a pleasant place, and known well enough in Suffolk. Pretty much an extension northwards of Woodbridge and Melton, it is a prosperous community, convenient without being suburban. Ufford Park Hotel is an enjoyable venue in to attend professional courses and conferences, and the former St Audrey's mental hospital grounds across the road are now picturesque with luxury flats and houses. And I am told that the Ufford Park golf course is good, too, for those who like that kind of thing.

 

But as I say, that Ufford is really just an extension of Melton. In fact, there is another Ufford. It is in the valley below, more than a mile away along narrow lanes and set in deep countryside beside the Deben, sits Lower Ufford. To reach it, you follow ways so rarely used that grass grows up the middle. You pass old Melton church, redundant since the 19th century, but still in use for occasional exhibitions and performances, and once home to the seven sacrament font that is now in the plain 19th century building up in the main village. Eventually, the lane widens, and you come into the single street of a pretty, tiny hamlet, the church tower hidden from you by old cottages and houses. In one direction, the lane to Bromeswell takes you past Lower Ufford's delicious little pub, the White Lion. A stalwart survivor among fast disappearing English country pubs, the beer still comes out of barrels and the bar is like a kitchen. I cannot think that a visit to Ufford should be undertaken without at least a pint there. And, at the other end of the street, set back in a close between cottages, sits the Assumption, its 14th century tower facing the street, a classic Suffolk moment.

 

The dedication was once that of hundreds of East Anglian churches, transformed to 'St Mary' by the Reformation and centuries of disuse before the 19th century revival, but revived both here and at Haughley near Stowmarket. In late medieval times, it coincided with the height of the harvest, and in those days East Anglia was Our Lady's Dowry, intensely Catholic, intimately Marian.

 

The Assumption was almost certainly not the original dedication of this church. There was a church here for centuries before the late middle ages, and although there are no traces of any pre-Conquest building, the apse of an early-Norman church has been discovered under the floor of the north side of the chancel. The current chancel has a late Norman doorway, although it has been substantially rebuilt since, and in any case the great glories of Ufford are all 15th century. Perhaps the most dramatic is the porch, one of Suffolk's best, covered in flushwork and intriguing carvings.

 

Ufford's graveyard is beautiful; wild and ancient. I wandered around for a while, spotting the curious blue crucifix to the east of the church, and reading old gravestones. One, to an early 19th century gardener at Ufford Hall, has his gardening equipment carved at the top. The church is secretive, hidden on all sides by venerable trees, difficult to photograph but lovely anyway. I stopped to look at it from the unfamiliar north-east; the Victorian schoolroom, now a vestry, juts out like a small cottage. I walked back around to the south side, where the gorgeous porch is like a small palace against the body of the church. I knew the church would be open, because it is every day. And then, through the porch, and down into the north aisle, into the cool, dim, creamy light.

 

On the afternoon of Wednesday, 21st August 1644, Ufford had a famous visitor, a man who entered the church in exactly the same way, a man who recorded the events of that day in his journal. There were several differences between his visit and the one that I was making, one of them crucial; he found the church locked. He was the Commissioner to the Earl of Manchester for the Imposition in the Eastern Association of the Parliamentary Ordinance for the Demolishing of Monuments of Idolatry, and his name was William Dowsing.

 

Dowsing was a kind of 17th century political commissar, travelling the eastern counties and enforcing government legislation. He was checking that local officials had carried out what they were meant to do, and that they believed in what they were doing. In effect, he was getting them to work and think in the new ways that the central government required. It wasn't really a witch hunt, although God knows such things did exist in abundance at that time. It was more as if an arm of the state extended and worked its fingers into even the tiniest and most remote parishes. Anyone working in the public sector in Britain in the early years of the 21st century will have come across people like Dowsing.

 

As a part of his job, Dowsing was an iconoclast, charged with ensuring that idolatrous images were excised from the churches of the region. He is a man blamed for a lot. In fact, virtually all the Catholic imagery in English churches had been destroyed by the Anglican reformers almost a hundred years before Dowsing came along. All that survived was that which was difficult to destroy - angels in the roofs, gable crosses, and the like - and that which was inconvenient to replace - primarily, stained glass. Otherwise, in the late 1540s the statues had been burnt, the bench ends smashed, the wallpaintings whitewashed, the roods hauled down and the fonts plastered over. I have lost count of the times I have been told by churchwardens, or read in church guides, that the hatchet job on the bench ends or the font in their church was the work of 'William Dowsing' or 'Oliver Cromwell'. In fact, this destruction was from a century earlier than William Dowsing. Sometimes, I have even been told this at churches which Dowsing demonstrably did not visit.

 

Dowsing's main targets included stained glass, which the pragmatic Anglican reformers had left alone because of the expense of replacing it, and crosses and angels, and chancel steps. We can deduce from Dowsing's journal which medieval imagery had survived for him to see, and that which had already been hidden - not, I hasten to add, because people wanted to 'save' Catholic images, but rather because this was an expedient way of getting rid of them. So, for example, Dowsing visited three churches during his progress through Suffolk which today have seven sacrament fonts, but Dowsing does not mention a single one of them in his journal; they had all been plastered over long ago.

 

In fact, Dowsing was not worried so much about medieval survivals. What concerned him more was overturning the reforms put in place by the ritualist Archbishop Laud in the 1630s. Laud had tried to restore the sacramental nature of the Church, primarily by putting the altar back in the chancel and building it up on raised steps. Laud had since been beheaded thanks to puritan popular opinion, but the evidence of his wickedness still filled the parish churches of England. The single order that Dowsing gave during his progress more than any other was that chancel steps should be levelled.

 

The 21st of August was a hot day, and Dowsing had much work to do. He had already visited the two Trimley churches, as well as Brightwell and Levington, that morning, and he had plans to reach Baylham on the other side of Ipswich before nightfall. Much to his frustration, he was delayed at Ufford for two hours by a dispute between the church wardens over whether or not to allow him access.

 

The thing was, he had been here before. Eight months earlier, as part of a routine visit, he had destroyed some Catholic images that were in stained glass, and prayer clauses in brass inscriptions, but had trusted the churchwardens to deal with a multitude of other sins, images that were beyond his reach without a ladder, or which would be too time-consuming. This was common practice - after all, the churchwardens of Suffolk were generally equally as puritan as Dowsing. It was assumed that people in such a position were supporters of the New Puritan project, especially in East Anglia. Dowsing rarely revisited churches. But, for some reason, he felt he had to come back here to make sure that his orders had been carried out.

 

Why was this? In retrospect, we can see that Ufford was one of less than half a dozen churches where the churchwardens were uncooperative. Elsewhere, at hundreds of other churches, the wardens welcomed Dowsing with open arms. And Dowsing only visited churches in the first place if it was thought there might be a problem, parishes with notorious 'scandalous ministers' - which is to say, theological liberals. Richard Lovekin, the Rector of Ufford, had been turned out of his living the previous year, although he survived to return when the Church of England was restored in 1660. But that was in the future. Something about his January visit told Dowsing that he needed to come back to Ufford.

 

Standing in the nave of the Assumption today, you can still see something that Dowsing saw, something which he must have seen in January, but which he doesn't mention until his second visit, in the entry in his journal for August 21st, which appears to be written in a passion. This is Ufford's most famous treasure, the great 15th century font cover.

 

It rises, six metres high, magnificent and stately, into the clerestory, enormous in its scale and presence. In all England, only the font cover at Southwold is taller. The cover is telescopic, and crocketting and arcading dances around it like waterfalls and forests. There are tiny niches, filled today with 19th century statues. At the top is a gilt pelican, plucking its breast.

 

Dowsing describes the font cover as glorious... like a pope's triple crown... but this is just anti-Catholic innuendo. The word glorious in the 17th century meant about the same as the word 'pretentious' means to us now - Dowsing was scoffing. But there was no reason for him to be offended by it. The Anglicans had destroyed all the statues in the niches a century before, and all that remained was the pelican at the top, pecking its breast to feed its chicks. Dowsing would have known that this was a Catholic image of the Sacrifice of the Mass, and would have disapproved. But he did not order the font cover to be destroyed. After all, the rest of the cover was harmless enough, apart from being a waste of good firewood, and the awkwardness of the Ufford churchwardens seems to have put him off following through. He never went back.

 

Certainly, there can have been no theological reason for the churchwardens to protect their font cover. I like to think that they looked after it simply because they knew it to be beautiful, and that they also knew it had been constructed by ordinary workmen of their parish two hundred years before, under the direction of some European master designer. They protected it because of local pride, and amen to that. The contemporary font beneath is of a type more familiar in Norfolk than Suffolk, with quatrefoils alternating with shields, and heads beneath the bowl.

 

While the font cover is extraordinary, and of national importance, it is one of just several medieval survivals in the nave of the Assumption. All around it are 15th century benches, with superbly characterful and imaginative images on their ends. The best is the bench with St Margaret and St Catherine on it. This was recently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum as part of the Gothic exhibition. Other bench end figures include a long haired, haloed woman seated on a throne, which may well be a representation of the Mother of God Enthroned, and another which may be the Coronation of the Queen of Heaven. There is also a praying woman in a butterfly headdress, once one of a pair, and a man wearing what appears to be a bowler hat, although I expect it is a helmet of some kind. His beard is magnificent. There are also a number of finely carved animals.

 

High up in the chancel arch is an unusual survival, the crocketted rood beam that once supported the crucifix, flanked by the grieving Mary and John, with perhaps a tympanum behind depicting the last judgement. These are now all gone, of course, as is the rood loft that once stood in front of the beam and allowed access to it. But below, the dado of the screen survives, with twelve panels. Figures survive on the south side. They have not worn well. They are six female Saints: St Agnes, St Cecilia, St Agatha, St Faith, St Bridget and, uniquely in England, St Florence. Curiously, the head of this last has been, in recent years, surrounded by stars, in imitation of the later Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Presumably this was done in a fit of Anglo-catholic enthusiasm about a century ago.

 

The arrangement is similar to the south side of the screen at Westhall, and it may even be that the artist was the same. While there is no liturgical reason for having the female Saints on one side and, presumably, male Saints on the other, a similar arrangement exists on several Norfolk screens in the Dereham area.

 

Much of the character of the church today comes from it embracing, in the early years of the 20th century, Anglo-catholicism in full flood. As at Great Ryburgh in Norfolk, patronage ensured that this work was carried out to the very highest specification under the eye of the young Ninian Comper. Comper is an enthusiast's enthusiast, but I think he is at his best on a small scale like here and Ryburgh. His is the extraordinary war memorial window in the south aisle chapel, dedicated to St Leonard. It depicts Christ carrying his cross on the via dolorosa, but he is aided by a soldier in WWI uniform and, behind him, a sailor. The use of blues is very striking, as is the grain on the wood of the cross which, incidentally, can also be seen to the same effect on Comper's reredos at Ryburgh.

 

Comper's other major window here is on the north side of the nave. This is a depiction of the Annunciation, although it is the figures above which are most extraordinary. They are two of the Ancient Greek sibyls, Erythrea and Cumana, who are associated with the foretelling of Christ. At the top is a stunning Holy Trinity in the East Anglian style. There are angels at the bottom, and all in all this window shows Comper at the height of his powers.

 

Stepping into the chancel, there is older glass - or, at least, what at first sight appears to be. Certainly, there are some curious roundels which are probably continental 17th century work, ironically from about the same time that Dowsing was here. They were probably acquired by collectors in the 19th century, and installed here by Victorians. The image of a woman seated among goats is curious, as though she might represent the season of spring or be an allegory of fertility, but she is usually identified as St Agnes. It is a pity this roundel has been spoiled by dripping cement or plaster. Another roundel depicts St Sebastian shot with arrows, and a third St Anthony praying to a cross in the desert. However, the images in 'medieval' glass in the east window are entirely modern, though done so well you might not know. A clue, of course, is that the main figures, St Mary Salome with the infants St James and St John on the left, and St Anne with the infant Virgin on the right, are wholly un-East Anglian in style. In fact, they are 19th century copies by Clayton & Bell of images at All Souls College, Oxford, installed here in the 1970s. I also think that the images of heads below may be modern, but the angel below St Anne is 15th century, and obviously East Anglian, as is St Stephen to the north.

 

High above, the ancient roofs with their sacred monograms are the ones that Dowsing saw, the ones that the 15th century builders gilt and painted to be beautiful to the glory of God - and, of course, to the glory of their patrons. Rich patronage survived the Reformation, and at the west end of the south aisle is the massive memorial to Sir Henry Wood, who died in 1671, eleven years after the end of the Commonwealth. It is monumental, the wreathed ox heads a severely classical motif. Wood, Mortlock tells us, was Treasurer to the Household of Queen Henrietta Maria.

 

There is so much to see in this wonderful church that, even visiting time and time again, there is always something new to see, or something old to see in a new way. It is, above all, a beautiful space, and although it no longer maintains its high Anglo-catholic worship tradition, it is is still kept in high liturgical style. It is at once a beautiful art object and a hallowed space, an organic touchstone, precious and powerful.

We spent our Xmas vacation in Hawaii Oahu for two weeks. One week we stayed in Waikiki and one week we stayed in Koolina because Raymond told me this is the best place to see sunset. Raymond absolutely right, we all fell in love with this place, especially the two natural lagoons.

 

Raymond, thank you for the hospitality you gave me, and I hope that I may be able to return your kindness in future.

 

Happy Year 2014!

Letter reads:

 

J. H. TODD & SON,

IMPORTERS

GENERAL MERCHANDISE.

P. O. Drawer 21.

 

Victoria, B.C., Nov 12th 1888

 

Mr. Eddy McKenzie / Clover Valley

 

We were sorry not to have seen both yourself & brother before you left Richm???? - as we had intended making you a small present in consideration of you being not only a very good worker - but a good BOY and we here with enclose our cheque for $10 as a present hoping that if we have further ??????? they may be as agreeable in future as the past.

 

We are yours truly

 

J.H. Todd & Son

 

P.S. - We shall hope to have both you & Harry again next season. Please advice soonest by return mail & oblige J.H.T. & S

 

JACOB HUNTER TODD, businessman and politician; b. 17 March 1827 near Brampton, Upper Canada, son of John Todd and Isabella Hunter; m. first 25 Jan. 1854, in Brampton, Anne Fox (d. 1866), and they had two sons and two daughters, of whom a son and a daughter survived childhood; m. there secondly 24 March 1873 Rosanna Wigley, and they had five sons, of whom three died young, and two daughters; d. 10 Aug. 1899 in Victoria, B.C.

 

According to descendants of Jacob Hunter Todd, his father, an Irish farmer who spent more time fox hunting than farming, immigrated to the United States in 1816 and was joined by his wife two years later. He worked in New York City at several trades before moving in 1820 to a farm in Trafalgar Township, Upper Canada, preferring, in the words of the Canada Christian Advocate, “life under British rule.” Little is known of the first three decades of Jacob’s life; he received some basic education and then worked on the family farm. Later he and a brother sold sewing-machines from house to house, travelling by horse and buckboard. It was a modest enterprise with modest returns.

 

Todd and his wife Anne moved to Victoria, Vancouver Island, in 1862, the year the town was incorporated. Jacob went first, arriving in May after a five-week journey by train across the United States and by steamer from San Francisco to Esquimalt, Vancouver Island. It is possible that he returned to Upper Canada later that year to accompany his wife and children to the west; their two-year-old daughter apparently died on the ship from San Francisco.

 

With characteristic energy, Todd adopted advances in the fishing industry. He owned scores of small fishing boats, which he leased to fishermen in return for a percentage of the catch. Tugs were purchased to tow the boats from the canneries or villages to the fishing grounds. Steam vessels were constructed to take the catch to more distant canneries. Markets were developed in Great Britain and Europe, and his “Horseshoe” brand won prizes at London’s Crystal Palace exhibition and at other world fairs. Through the efforts of the Todds as well as others in the industry, canned salmon became a popular food, particularly in Great Britain, where it was known as “the working man’s feast.”

 

During the 1880s and 1890s Todd invested in real estate much of the profits yielded by his business; he owned commercial and residential land in most of the cities of the province, especially in Vancouver, and he had substantial holdings of farm land in the Fraser valley. After his death in 1899 it was reported in the press that his estate was the largest ever probated in British Columbia. LINK to his complete biography - www.biographi.ca/en/bio/todd_jacob_hunter_12E.html

Today is your birthday

 

Gosh…it’s not easy to arrange the words to become nice wording when I need it.

 

Today, you are older than yesterday

Maybe there are more wrinkles in your face

More grey hair in your head

But you know, that only shown how you through this life

 

You can’t recall the time which already past

All what you have done, you can take it as a lesson

To make and to decide something wisher in future

To show to the people, that you also growing by the time…

 

Happy birthday dear…

I do really happy to have you in my life

I wish you all the best

And God bless you as always….

 

Sony A7RII +Techart Techart Pro M/E Autofocus Adapter* + Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH.

 

Handheld. Edited in Lightroom CC + VSCO.

 

From Hong Kong.

 

* Somehow the Techart Pro Adaptor will register as DT 40mm F2.8 SAM in the Sony A7RII...not sure if that will be fixed in future firmware release.

 

Press "L" to view large scale.

More Detailed Pictures on Imgur: imgur.com/a/FT5L6l6

 

A DC MOC from Ben?!?! Whattt!!! ... This isn't Marvel!

 

Yeah man DC is rad, and so was the Aquaman movie! After buying the set based off of the movie, I just had to make a vig with those figs. Really happy with this one. Would love to play with 'underwater stuff' again in future!

 

Also I would've posted detailed pictures on MOCpages or Brickshelf, but both site aren't working (I can upload to MOCpages but the images become dead links, and Brickshelf I can't login or even create an account) ... Anyone know what's up there?

Explored #141

 

Happy Sunday Everyone!

 

Hope more great luck in future.. '-) xoxo

Love Always...

 

Edit: I'm just shocked I got Explored last month and 2days ago! OMG I still can't believe that..

1. Hope and fear are inseparable, 2. Imagine, 3. You'll cry in spite of yourself ~People

4. flickr.com/photos/32804774@N06/3260374296/

This was really amazing! It's a Blythe head on a Monster High body! She was so lovely!! I hope someone does more of these in future. :D

Iron Dome (Hebrew: כִּפַּת בַּרְזֶל, romanized: Kippat Barzel) is a mobile all-weather air defense system[8] developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.[7] The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to 70 kilometres (43 mi) away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area.[9][10] From 2011 to 2021, the United States contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system,[11] with another US$1 billion approved by the US Congress in 2022.[12][needs update]

 

Iron Dome

IDF Iron Dome 2021.jpg

Iron Dome launches interceptor, 2021

Type

C-RAM and short range air defence system[1]

Place of origin

Israel

Service history

In service

2011–present

Used by

Israel Defense Forces

Wars

Gaza–Israel conflict (2011, 2012, 2021)

Operation Pillar of Defense

Operation Protective Edge

Sinai insurgency

2021 Israel–Palestine crisis

Operation Breaking Dawn

Production history

Designer

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems

Israel Aerospace Industries

Designed

2005

Manufacturer

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems

Israel Aerospace Industries

Unit cost

$50 million per battery[2]

$100,000–150,000 per interception[3]

Produced

2011–present

No. built

10 batteries deployed[4] (planned deployment is 15)[5][6]

Specifications

Mass

90 kg (200 lb)[7]

Length

3 m (9.8 ft)[7]

Diameter

160 mm (6.3 in)[7]

Detonation

mechanism

Proximity fuze[8]

Maximum speed

Mach 2.2

Launch

platform

Three/four launchers, each carrying 20 interceptors.

1:31

Short video about Iron Dome from the Israeli News Company

 

The EL/M-2084 active electronically scanned array scaled down derivative radar of the Iron Dome

 

US Ambassador Dan Shapiro visits the Battle Management & Control (BMC) unit of the Iron Dome

Iron Dome was declared operational and initially deployed on 27 March 2011 near Beersheba.[13] On 7 April 2011, the system successfully intercepted a rocket launched from Gaza for the first time.[14] On 10 March 2012, The Jerusalem Post reported that the system shot down 90% of rockets launched from Gaza that would have landed in populated areas.[10] In late 2012 Israel said that it hoped to increase the range of Iron Dome's interceptions, from a maximum of 70 kilometres (43 mi) to 250 kilometres (160 mi) and make it more versatile so that it could intercept rockets coming from two directions simultaneously.[15]

 

In November 2012, official statements indicated that it had intercepted over 400 rockets.[16][17] By late October 2014, the Iron Dome systems had intercepted over 1,200 rockets.[18]

 

In addition to their land-based deployment, it was reported in 2017 that Iron Dome batteries would in future be deployed at sea on Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, to protect off-shore gas platforms in conjunction with Israel's Barak 8 missile system.[19]

 

Background

Name

Specifications

Funding

Plans for co-production with the United States

Development

Deployment

Deployment at sea

Foreign sales

Effectiveness

Criticism

See also

References

External links

Last edited 3 days ago by AnomieBOT

RELATED ARTICLES

Israeli Air Defense Command

List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel in 2011

March 2012 Gaza–Israel clashes

Israel Defense Forces military operation in the Gaza Strip

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I know the new all singing and dancing flickr is with us; but should you want to see it large then click

here

   

Cwm Idwal shot earlier in the year. I forget what grad i used for this shot, i suspect it was a 1.2 lee soft grad on a 70-200 lens.

  

Also, my pro account runs out today, i doubt whether i will renew it; whilst i enjoy the community of flickr i dont like what flickr has become as a corporate body. In future i will be paying for a smugmug account. I will still load on here but the archives will probably be lost.

“SATURN APOLLO 501 IN HIGH BAY 1, WITH WORK PLATFORMS RETRACTED. VAB HIGH BAY 1.

5-24-67”

 

Note access arm No. 8 “Service Module (inflight)” directly behind the CSM. Access arm No. 9 “Command Module (preflight)” is to the far right. Speaking of the CSM, note also the lack of RCS thrusters on the SM. Kind of clue as to vehicle identification.

 

And, unless something else surfaces, maybe on the verso of a “S-67-XXXXX” version of this photo - if such exists - the following lame, I’m sure contemporary pablum is apparently what’s meant to pass as the official description/caption:

 

“This photograph depicts the Saturn V vehicle (SA-501) for the Apollo 4 mission in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). After the completion of the assembly operation, the work platform was retracted and the vehicle was readied to rollout from the VAB to the launch pad. The Apollo 4 mission was the first launch of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Objectives of the unmanned Apollo 4 test flight were to obtain flight information on launch vehicle and spacecraft structural integrity and compatibility, flight loads, stage separation, and subsystems operation including testing of restart of the S-IVB stage, and to evaluate the Apollo command module heat shield. The Apollo 4 was launched on November 9, 1967 from KSC.”

 

Surprisingly, the above, with a bullshit, probably arbitrarily assigned “NASA ID” of 6754387 is actually available at:

 

images.nasa.gov/details-6754387

 

Unfortunately, as with many others, the description has been propagated everywhere. While I’ve read MUCH worse, it’s merely a copy/paste from some Apollo 4 document, which doesn’t address the context of the photograph…that is, what’s actually going on…the REASON the photograph was taken.

 

With that, the recognition/correct identification of the content of this photograph, along with the date, hence its pertinence to the problematic history of the SA-501 vehicle, has been…take your pick: lost, overlooked, unrecognized, omitted…something unacceptable.

For starters, the NASA photo ninjas, especially at the time of the photo’s processing, i.e., 1967, should’ve recognized that the CSM atop the vehicle was NOT the flight CSM (CSM-017). It ALSO should’ve been easily/readily identified as M-11, the Flight Verification Vehicle (FVV), it having been photographed a bazillion times during 1966 as part of SA-500F photo documentation.

As if that weren’t enough, within the multiple regurgitations of the trials & tribulations of making Apollo 4 happen, there’s not a mention of M-11, other than within the following, which although incomplete, with its own errors, at least references it…ONCE:

 

“The third stage (S-IVB) was the first major component of Apollo 4 to be delivered at KSC. It arrived from Sacramento aboard the Guppy aircraft on 14 August 1966 and went immediately into a low bay of the assembly building for inspection and checkout. The following week the spacer and instrument unit arrived. On 12 September, as Peter Conrad and Richard Gordon prepared to blast off in Gemini 11, the barge Poseidon sailed into the Banana River with the first stage. Boeing gave it a lengthy checkout in the transfer aisle of the high bay before erecting the booster on 27 October. During the following week, technicians stacked the remaining launch vehicle stages, using the spool for the absent S-II. There were a few problems - the checkout of the swing arms took an extra two days and a cooling unit for the instrument unit sprang a leak - but the launch team, still counting on the mid-November delivery date for the S-II, hoped to roll the complete vehicle out to pad A by 13 January 1967.

 

By late November the Apollo Program Office had moved the S-II's arrival back to January, and the launch back to April. Since spacecraft 017 would not arrive for another three weeks, KSC erected the facilities verification model of Apollo on 28 November.

 

[The first linked black & white photograph by Cliff Steenhoff below, depicts such.]

 

This allowed North American to check out some of its spacecraft support equipment. The first week in December the memory core in a digital events evaluator failed after intermittent troubles; cracked solder joints were blamed. A hurried repair put the computer back on line.

 

The command-service module arrived at KSC on Christmas Eve and was mated to the launch vehicle on 12 January 1967. That tardy prima donna, the S-II stage, finally appeared on 21 January. Tank inspection, insulation, and engine work were in progress by the 23rd. Test crews found damaged connectors on three recirculation pumps and set about investigating the extent of the rework that would be necessary. While inspecting the liquid hydrogen tank on the second stage, the North American team found 22 cracked gussets. These triangular metal braces, used to support the horizontal ribs of the stage framework, had to be replaced. Plans to move the second stage into a low bay checkout cell on the 29th were temporarily set aside because of a late shipment of the aft interstage (the cylindrical aluminum structure that formed the structural interface between the first and second stages). The interstage arrived on 31 January, and by the end of the next day the stage was in a low bay cell with work platforms around it.

 

Despite the delay with the S-II stage, KSC officials expected to meet the new launch date in May. The fire on 27 January placed all schedules in question. Although Apollo 4 was an unmanned mission, NASA officials wanted to give command-module 017 a close examination. On 14 February, a week before the S-II could be inserted into a fully assembled vehicle, the spacecraft was removed from the stack and taken to the operations and checkout building. When inspection disclosed a number of wiring errors, KSC's Operations Office cancelled the restacking of the spacecraft. By 1 March electrical engineers had discovered so many wiring discrepancies that the test team stopped their repair work, pending a thorough investigation of all spacecraft wiring. Within two weeks the North American and NASA quality control teams recorded 1,407 discrepancies. While North American repaired about half of these on the spot, modifications, repair work, and validations continued into June. During the break technicians performed pressure tests on service module systems at pad 16. It would be mid-June, with the wiring modifications for the command module finally completed, before North American could remate the spacecraft and take it back to the assembly building.

 

As the extent of the wiring problems was not immediately recognized, the launch vehicle team forged ahead to recoup the time lost on the S-II stage. In mid-February Boeing's airframe handling and ordnance group removed the instrument unit and spacer from the 501 stack and on the 23rd erected the S-II. The operation involved incredibly close tolerances. To qualify crane handlers, Stanley Smith, Bendix senior engineer of the crane and hoist group, stated, "We give them a technical examination and then check their reflexes and response to commands in training sessions." During a mating, an operator and an electrician boarded the crane and another man helped guide movements from the floor by communicating with the operator via a walkie-talkie. Smith set a high goal for his team: "We strive to train our men to the point where they could conceivably lower the crane hook on top of an egg without breaking the shell."

 

After a stage was properly aligned on the Saturn stack, a crew of one engineer, two quality control inspectors, one chief mechanic, and eight assistants took eight hours to complete the mating. Three 30-centimeter pins on the second stage fitted into brackets located 120 degrees apart on the periphery of the first stage. Then the mechanics inserted 216 one-centimeter, high-strength fasteners into matching holes around the perimeter where the two stages joined. The team torqued the fasteners in a staggered sequence to secure the bolts evenly and ensure a uniform distribution of stress. The mating of the second and third stages was conducted in much the same manner. The 501 was now set up except for the missing CSM.

 

[This is where something about the FVV (M-11) being reincorporated into the stack should’ve been referenced.]

 

The lengthy delays with the flight hardware aided the Site Activation Board in its efforts to get LC-39 ready for its first launch. The board's first flow [see chapter 15-1] included firing room 1, mobile launcher 1, high bay 1, and the other facilities required for the support of Apollo 4 - 1,280 activities altogether. During the first quarter of 1967, PERT charts showed less than 1% of these activities behind schedule. The decision in mid-April to modify the LOX system on launcher 1 and pad A put five weeks of negative slack into the site activation schedule. The modifications were made necessary by excessive pressure in the LOX system. KSC engineers added an automatic bleed system, relief valve supports, and a block valve that prevented purging through the drain line. As continued vehicle problems further delayed the rollout, the five weeks of negative slack disappeared.

 

On 24 May the S-II stage was in trouble again. NASA announced it would be dismantled for inspection, consequent on the discovery of hairline cracks in the propellant tank weld seams on another S-II at the factory in California.

 

[The photograph is dated 5-24-67. If correct, then the image was taken as part of documenting preparations for destacking M-11 & the S-IVB in order to remove the S-II stage.]

 

Additionally, thanks to the remarkable “CAPCOM ESPACE” website:

 

“For Apollo 4, the M11 was placed on launcher 501 on November 28, 1966 and removed at the end of 1966 following delays in stage S2. It will be put back in place on April 6, 1967 and removed on May 26.”]

 

Above, along with much more good stuff, at:

 

www.capcomespace.net/dossiers/espace_US/apollo/vaisseaux/...

 

So, somewhere out there, there’s some documentation from which the above was gleaned. I probably don’t have it & certainly didn’t find it online.]

 

The additional checks were not expected to delay the flight of 501 "more than a week or so." By mid-June the inspection, which included extensive x-ray and dye penetrant tests, was completed and the stage returned to the stack. On 20 June, the command-service module was mechanically mated to the Saturn V, and 501 was - at last - a fully assembled space vehicle. A revised schedule on 21 July set rollout for mid-August. On 26 August 1967, the big rocket emerged from the high bay slightly more than a year after its first components had arrived at KSC, and a good six months after its originally scheduled launch date. It had been a year of delay and frustration, and the end was not yet.”

 

The above, other than the inserted (bracketed) astute comments, observations & additional useful links, at/from:

 

www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4204/ch19-3.html

 

Inexcusable, incompetent, confounding at least, considering the importance/significance of this vehicle. But then again, for an organization that seems to have “officially/formally” misidentified the Command Module on display at Expo ’67 – to this day – the oversight, ignorance & tacit mis/non-identification of a lowly FVV is both literally & figuratively a no-brainer. The buffoonery continues. At least this shit is so far back in the rearview mirror that no one remembers, those that did are probably dead, and no one now cares, or will in the future. No harm, no foul, all good. 👍

my love for Rammstein is coming back~

 

______________

 

Baptiste for Tough and Handsome. I'm SO relieved it's finally done!!! I really pushed myself and worked extremely hard on this, if I didn't have a good ref this would be so much worse, or wouldn't be up here at all. I have learnt a lot, I will definitely edit more guys in future n__n

 

I also made a little process gif, for the first time. So excuse the crapiness. Watch here

the original is in the gif obviouslyyy

 

all the refs I used

jeans from google, I basically had to redraw them.

chain brushes here

 

I've got 3 other pictures to make in one week, because I'm leaving again on the 6th.. Let's see how that turns out for me ^_^

 

PS another version which a got after toying with some effects. i found it quite cool~~

... this is my 1000th Upload on Flickr ... It's been a fascinating journey of capturing frames. Special thanks to all who have been with me in this short endeavour in photography ...

 

hope you'll be with me in future and inspire with your encouraging comments ..!

Abstract work represent, how I saw internet several years ago.

THE PAST

Much safer, with free communication, and safe work. Safe good friendships. Viewing people's work, commenting it... e.mailing friends safely.

New opportunities.. And more.

The image, I post as the first comment, is how I see internet nowadays...The solution is inside in real life.

Part of my "Internet Era" Series.

Thank you, for being there viewing and commenting, during my internet way.

See some of you in INTERsafe, in future..

Copyrights (c) Nira Dabush.

 

Venom wishes to take his revenge on Peter Parker, and begins a quest to hunt down those Peter loves, starting with Mary Jane Watson! Venom's already arrived at her house, but Spidey's swooping in now to stop his evil plans!

 

__________________

 

So here is the new Spider-man Diorama I talked about. Hopefully you enjoy it. Now this scene was partially inspired by a scene from the Spiderman N64 game released in... I believe 2000? Anyway the scene in the game you're chasing Venom around New York and fight him in a back alley, he then jumps down into the sewers where Mary Jane is being held captive. I was originally going to build sewers and a drain pipe leading down kinda thing, but I know in future I'll be doing a Batman vs Killer Croc Diorama, so I wanted to save that kinda thing for that diorama. So instead I'll just say this is inspired by that scene, and not based off it.

 

I'm planning more Marvel MOC's too btw, working on an Avengers Diorama now, you you can expect that in the near-ish future :)

This is a product shot with extreme micro technique. Kenco extension tube having used.

 

The color are all natural. It is my intension to use the old watch for this shot.

 

You might wonder why I put this title!!

 

This watch is actually over 28 years now. it was given by my late father when I returned from Swansea; Wales; UK.

 

I have use this all the time except few occasion I use other branded watch for the VIP function.

 

In the old Chinese Saying:

 

The $ value is not as valuable then the thoughts!!

 

Especially, now My Dad's is already gone, whenever I see the watch, I think about him. & I missed him. Although when I was 12, he beaten me up until I wounded, & Again in 1990 after I my successful initialization of "Creating The New Excellence Philips Corporate Culture", then Philips disbanded my division in Telecom & Data System. When I return to S.E.A.. The 2nd Brother's in the family have set things up for both parents to dis-owned me.

 

I experience worst family wealth; money; politics & struggle in my life. The reason for me to walk away is because I just don't want to get involve.( It is the same in my careers with those multi-natinational corp as well.) In 1990 Nov, I attended Comdex & I wrote back to both the 38 points of the family trouble & my visions of what have become for the family in future. Then my mom's burn the letter upon receiving.

 

Before, both passed away, they looks back & think back for what have happening & the expel of me from the family, they are very much regret, especially their near death experience whereby the Yamas' (Emperors' of Hells) told them what is truth. However, it is too late.

 

Well, whatever happening, I still pray for them to rebirth in the higher plane. As the Buddha said Birth is suffering, all beings are suffering except become the perfect one; the excel one; the enlighten one -- that is become the Buddha oneself.

 

At the month of "Ching Ming" - Month of remembrance; let's pray & transfer merits to all our 3 births parents' ( That is Past Present & Future!!)

 

Satu; Satu; Satu...

  

Peace; Peace; Peace.....................

   

Warsaw Spire, second tallest building in Warsaw /220m/ in future. /better in fullscreen of course/

Rochester is a town and historic city in the unitary authority of Medway in Kent, England. It is situated at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway about 30 miles (50 km) from London.

 

Rochester was for many years a favourite of Charles Dickens, who owned nearby Gads Hill Place, Higham,[1] basing many of his novels on the area. The Diocese of Rochester, the second oldest in England, is based at Rochester Cathedral and was responsible for the founding of a school, now The King's School in 604 AD,[2] which is recognised as being the second oldest continuously running school in the world. Rochester Castle, built by Bishop Gundulf of Rochester, has one of the best preserved keepsin either England or France, and during the First Barons' War (1215–1217) in King John's reign, baronial forces captured the castle from Archbishop Stephen Langton and held it against the king, who then besieged it.[3]

 

Neighbouring Chatham, Gillingham, Strood and a number of outlying villages, together with Rochester, nowadays make up the MedwayUnitary Authority area. It was, until 1998,[4]under the control of Kent County Council and is still part of the ceremonial county of Kent, under the latest Lieutenancies Act.[5]

 

Toponymy[edit]

The Romano-British name for Rochester was Durobrivae, later Durobrivis c. 730 and Dorobrevis in 844. The two commonly cited origins of this name are that it either came from "stronghold by the bridge(s)",[6] or is the latinisation of the British word Dourbruf meaning "swiftstream".[7]Durobrivis was pronounced 'Robrivis. Bede copied down this name, c. 730, mistaking its meaning as Hrofi's fortified camp (OE Hrofes cæster). From this we get c. 730 Hrofæscæstre, 811 Hrofescester, 1086 Rovescester, 1610 Rochester.[6] The Latinised adjective 'Roffensis' refers to Rochester.[7]

Neolithic remains have been found in the vicinity of Rochester; over time it has been variously occupied by Celts, Romans, Jutes and/or Saxons. During the Celtic period it was one of the two administrative centres of the Cantiaci tribe. During the Roman conquest of Britain a decisive battle was fought at the Medway somewhere near Rochester. The first bridge was subsequently constructed early in the Roman period. During the later Roman period the settlement was walled in stone. King Ethelbert of Kent(560–616) established a legal system which has been preserved in the 12th century Textus Roffensis. In AD 604 the bishopric and cathedral were founded. During this period, from the recall of the legions until the Norman conquest, Rochester was sacked at least twice and besieged on another occasion.

The medieval period saw the building of the current cathedral (1080–1130, 1227 and 1343), the building of two castles and the establishment of a significant town. Rochester Castle saw action in the sieges of 1215 and 1264. Its basic street plan was set out, constrained by the river, Watling Street, Rochester Priory and the castle.

Rochester has produced two martyrs: St John Fisher, executed by Henry VIII for refusing to sanction the divorce of Catherine of Aragon; and Bishop Nicholas Ridley, executed by Queen Mary for being an English Reformation protestant.

The city was raided by the Dutch as part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The Dutch, commanded by Admiral de Ruijter, broke through the chain at Upnor[8] and sailed to Rochester Bridge capturing part of the English fleet and burning it.[9]

  

The ancient City of Rochester merged with the Borough of Chatham and part of the Strood Rural District in 1974 to form the Borough of Medway. It was later renamed Rochester-upon-Medway, and its City status transferred to the entire borough. In 1998 another merger with the rest of the Medway Towns created the Medway Unitary Authority. The outgoing council neglected to appoint ceremonial "Charter Trustees" to continue to represent the historic Rochester area, causing Rochester to lose its City status – an error not even noticed by council officers for four years, until 2002.[10][11]

Military History

Rochester has for centuries been of great strategic importance through its position near the confluence of the Thames and the Medway. Rochester Castle was built to guard the river crossing, and the Royal Dockyard's establishment at Chatham witnessed the beginning of the Royal Navy's long period of supremacy. The town, as part of Medway, is surrounded by two circles of fortresses; the inner line built during the Napoleonic warsconsists of Fort Clarence, Fort Pitt, Fort Amherst and Fort Gillingham. The outer line of Palmerston Forts was built during the 1860s in light of the report by the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdomand consists of Fort Borstal, Fort Bridgewood, Fort Luton, and the Twydall Redoubts, with two additional forts on islands in the Medway, namely Fort Hoo and Fort Darnet.

During the First World War the Short Brothers' aircraft manufacturing company developed the first plane to launch a torpedo, the Short Admiralty Type 184, at its seaplane factory on the River Medway not far from Rochester Castle. In the intervening period between the 20th century World Wars the company established a world-wide reputation as a constructor of flying boats with aircraft such as the Singapore, Empire 'C'-Class and Sunderland. During the Second World War, Shorts also designed and manufactured the first four-engined bomber, the Stirling.

The UK's decline in naval power and shipbuilding competitiveness led to the government decommissioning the RN Shipyard at Chatham in 1984, which led to the subsequent demise of much local maritime industry. Rochester and its neighbouring communities were hit hard by this and have experienced a painful adjustment to a post-industrial economy, with much social deprivation and unemployment resulting. On the closure of Chatham Dockyard the area experienced an unprecedented surge in unemployment to 24%; this had dropped to 2.4% of the local population by 2014.[12]

Former City of Rochester[edit]

Rochester was recognised as a City from 1211 to 1998. The City of Rochester's ancient status was unique, as it had no formal council or Charter Trustees nor a Mayor, instead having the office of Admiral of the River Medway, whose incumbent acted as de facto civic leader.[13] On 1 April 1974, the City Council was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972, and the territory was merged with the District of Medway, Borough of Chatham and most of Strood Rural District to form a new a local government district called the Borough of Medway, within the county of Kent. Medway Borough Council applied to inherit Rochester's city status, but this was refused; instead letters patent were granted constituting the area of the former Rochester local government district to be the City of Rochester, to "perpetuate the ancient name" and to recall "the long history and proud heritage of the said City".[14] The Home Officesaid that the city status may be extended to the entire borough if it had "Rochester" in its name, so in 1979, Medway Borough Council renamed the borough to Borough of Rochester-upon-Medway, and in 1982, Rochester's city status was transferred to the entire borough by letters patent, with the district being called the City of Rochester-upon-Medway.[13]

On 1 April 1998, the existing local government districts of Rochester-upon-Medway and Gillingham were abolished and became the new unitary authority of Medway. The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions informed the city council that since it was the local government district that officially held City status under the 1982 Letters Patent, the council would need to appoint charter trustees to preserve its city status, but the outgoing Labour-run council decided not to appoint charter trustees, so the city status was lost when Rochester-upon-Medway was abolished as a local government district.[15][16][17] The other local government districts with City status that were abolished around this time, Bath and Hereford, decided to appoint Charter Trustees to maintain the existence of their own cities and the mayoralties. The incoming Medway Council apparently only became aware of this when, in 2002, it was advised that Rochester was not on the Lord Chancellor's Office's list of cities.[18][19]

In 2010, Medway Council started to refer to the "City of Medway" in promotional material, but it was rebuked and instructed not to do so in future by the Advertising Standards Authority.[20]

Governance[edit]

Civic history and traditions[edit]

Rochester and its neighbours, Chatham and Gillingham, form a single large urban area known as the Medway Towns with a population of about 250,000. Since Norman times Rochester had always governed land on the other side of the Medway in Strood, which was known as Strood Intra; before 1835 it was about 100 yards (91 m) wide and stretched to Gun Lane. In the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act the boundaries were extended to include more of Strood and Frindsbury, and part of Chatham known as Chatham Intra. In 1974, Rochester City Council was abolished and superseded by Medway Borough Council, which also included the parishes of Cuxton, Halling and Cliffe, and the Hoo Peninsula. In 1979 the borough became Rochester-upon-Medway. The Admiral of the River Medway was ex-officio Mayor of Rochester and this dignity transferred to the Mayor of Medway when that unitary authority was created, along with the Admiralty Court for the River which constitutes a committee of the Council.[21]

  

Like many of the mediaeval towns of England, Rochester had civic Freemen whose historic duties and rights were abolished by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. However, the Guild of Free Fishers and Dredgers continues to the present day and retains rights, duties and responsibilities on the Medway, between Sheerness and Hawkwood Stone.[22] This ancient corporate body convenes at the Admiralty Court whose Jury of Freemen is responsible for the conservancy of the River as enshrined in current legislation. The City Freedom can be obtained by residents after serving a period of "servitude", i.e. apprenticeship (traditionally seven years), before admission as a Freeman. The annual ceremonial Beating of the Boundsby the River Medway takes place after the Admiralty Court, usually on the first Saturday of July.

Rochester first obtained City status in 1211, but this was lost due to an administrative oversight when Rochester was absorbed by the Medway Unitary Authority.[10] Subsequently, the Medway Unitary Authority has applied for City status for Medway as a whole, rather than merely for Rochester. Medway applied unsuccessfully for City status in 2000 and 2002 and again in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year of 2012.[23] Any future bid to regain formal City status has been recommended to be made under the aegis of Rochester-upon-Medway.

Ecclesiastical parishes[edit]

  

There were three medieval parishes: St Nicholas', St Margaret's and St Clement's. St Clement's was in Horsewash Lane until the last vicar died in 1538 when it was joined with St Nicholas' parish; the church last remaining foundations were finally removed when the railway was being constructed in the 1850s. St Nicholas' Church was built in 1421 beside the cathedral to serve as a parish church for the citizens of Rochester. The ancient cathedral included the Benedictine monastic priory of St Andrew with greater status than the local parishes.[24] Rochester's pre-1537 diocese, under the jurisdiction of the Church of Rome, covered a vast area extending into East Anglia and included all of Essex.[25]

As a result of the restructuring of the Church during the Reformation the cathedral was reconsecrated as the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary without parochial responsibilities, being a diocesan church.[26] In the 19th century the parish of St Peter's was created to serve the burgeoning city with the new church being consecrated in 1859. Following demographic shifts, St Peter's and St Margaret's were recombined as a joint benefice in 1953 with the parish of St Nicholas with St Clement being absorbed in 1971.[27] The combined parish is now the "Parish of St Peter with St Margaret", centred at the new (1973) Parish Centre in The Delce (St Peter's) with St Margaret's remaining as a chapel-of-ease. Old St Peter's was demolished in 1974, while St Nicholas' Church has been converted into the diocesan offices but remains consecrated. Continued expansion south has led to the creation of an additional more recent parish of St Justus (1956) covering The Tideway estate and surrounding area.[28]

A church dedicated to St Mary the Virgin at Eastgate, which was of Anglo-Saxon foundation, is understood to have constituted a parish until the Middle Ages, but few records survive.[29]

Geography

Rochester lies within the area, known to geologists, as the London Basin. The low-lying Hoo peninsula to the north of the town consists of London Clay, and the alluvium brought down by the two rivers—the Thames and the Medway—whose confluence is in this area. The land rises from the river, and being on the dip slope of the North Downs, this consists of chalksurmounted by the Blackheath Beds of sand and gravel.

As a human settlement, Rochester became established as the lowest river crossing of the River Medway, well before the arrival of the Romans.

It is a focal point between two routes, being part of the main route connecting London with the Continent and the north-south routes following the course of the Medway connecting Maidstone and the Weald of Kent with the Thames and the North Sea. The Thames Marshes were an important source of salt. Rochester's roads follow north Kent's valleys and ridges of steep-sided chalk bournes. There are four ways out of town to the south: up Star Hill, via The Delce,[30] along the Maidstone Road or through Borstal. The town is inextricably linked with the neighbouring Medway Towns but separate from Maidstone by a protective ridge known as the Downs, a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

At its most limited geographical size, Rochester is defined as the market town within the city walls, now associated with the historic medieval city. However, Rochester historically also included the ancient wards of Strood Intra on the river's west bank, and Chatham Intra as well as the three old parishes on the Medway's east bank.

The diocese of Rochester is another geographical entity which can be referred to as Rochester.

Climate[edit]

Rochester has an oceanic climate similar to much of southern England, being accorded Köppen Climate Classification-subtype of "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate).[31]

On 10 August 2003, neighbouring Gravesend recorded one of the highest temperatures since meteorogical records began in the United Kingdom, with a reading of 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit),[32]only beaten by Brogdale, near Faversham, 22 miles (35 km) to the ESE.[33] The weather station at Brogdale is run by a volunteer, only reporting its data once a month, whereas Gravesend, which has an official Met Office site at the PLA pilot station,[34] reports data hourly.

Being near the mouth of the Thames Estuary with the North Sea, Rochester is relatively close to continental Europe and enjoys a somewhat less temperate climate than other parts of Kent and most of East Anglia. It is therefore less cloudy, drier and less prone to Atlanticdepressions with their associated wind and rain than western regions of Britain, as well as being hotter in summer and colder in winter. Rochester city centre's micro-climate is more accurately reflected by these officially recorded figures than by readings taken at Rochester Airport.[35]

North and North West Kent continue to record higher temperatures in summer, sometimes being the hottest area of the country, eg. on the warmest day of 2011, when temperatures reached 33.1 degrees.[36]Additionally, it holds at least two records for the year 2010, of 30.9 degrees[37] and 31.7 degrees C.[38] Another record was set during England's Indian summer of 2011 with 29.9 degrees C., the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK for October.

North and North West Kent continue to record higher temperatures in summer, sometimes being the hottest area of the country, eg. on the warmest day of 2011, when temperatures reached 33.1 degrees.[36]Additionally, it holds at least two records for the year 2010, of 30.9 degrees[37] and 31.7 degrees C.[38] Another record was set during England's Indian summer of 2011 with 29.9 degrees C., the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK for October.

 

Building

Rochester comprises numerous important historic buildings, the most prominent of which are the Guildhall, the Corn Exchange, Restoration House, Eastgate House, as well as Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral. Many of the town centre's old buildings date from as early as the 14th century up to the 18th century. The chapel of St Bartholomew's Hospital dates from the ancient priory hospital's foundation in 1078.

Economy

  

Thomas Aveling started a small business in 1850 producing and repairing agricultural plant equipment. In 1861 this became the firm of Aveling and Porter, which was to become the largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery and steam rollers in the country.[39] Aveling was elected Admiral of the River Medway (i.e. Mayor of Rochester) for 1869-70.

Culture[edit]

Sweeps Festival[edit]

Since 1980 the city has seen the revival of the historic Rochester Jack-in-the-Green May Day dancing chimney sweeps tradition, which had died out in the early 1900s. Though not unique to Rochester (similar sweeps' gatherings were held across southern England, notably in Bristol, Deptford, Whitstable and Hastings), its revival was directly inspired by Dickens' description of the celebration in Sketches by Boz.

The festival has since grown from a small gathering of local Morris dancesides to one of the largest in the world.[40] The festival begins with the "Awakening of Jack-in-the-Green" ceremony,[41] and continues in Rochester High Street over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

There are numerous other festivals in Rochester apart from the Sweeps Festival. The association with Dickens is the theme for Rochester's two Dickens Festivals held annually in June and December.[42] The Medway Fuse Festival[43] usually arranges performances in Rochester and the latest festival to take shape is the Rochester Literature Festival, the brainchild of three local writers.[44]

Library[edit]

A new public library was built alongside the Adult Education Centre, Eastgate. This enabled the registry office to move from Maidstone Road, Chatham into the Corn Exchange on Rochester High Street (where the library was formerly housed). As mentioned in a report presented to Medway Council's Community Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28 March 2006, the new library opened in late summer (2006).[45]

Theatre[edit]

There is a small amateur theatre called Medway Little Theatre on St Margaret's Banks next to Rochester High Street near the railway station.[46] The theatre was formed out of a creative alliance with the Medway Theatre Club, managed by Marion Martin, at St Luke's Methodist Church on City Way, Rochester[47] between 1985 and 1988, since when drama and theatre studies have become well established in Rochester owing to the dedication of the Medway Theatre Club.[48]

Media[edit]

Local newspapers for Rochester include the Medway Messenger, published by the KM Group, and free newspapers such as Medway Extra(KM Group) and Yourmedway (KOS Media).

The local commercial radio station for Rochester is KMFM Medway, owned by the KM Group. Medway is also served by community radio station Radio Sunlight. The area also receives broadcasts from county-wide stations BBC Radio Kent, Heart and Gold, as well as from various Essex and Greater London radio stations.[49]

Sport[edit]

Football is played with many teams competing in Saturday and Sunday leagues.[50] The local football club is Rochester United F.C. Rochester F.C. was its old football club but has been defunct for many decades. Rugby is also played; Medway R.F.C. play their matches at Priestfields and Old Williamsonians is associated with Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School.[51]

Cricket is played in the town, with teams entered in the Kent Cricket League. Holcombe Hockey Club is one of the largest in the country,[52]and is based at Holcombe Park. The men's and women's 1st XI are part of the England Hockey League.[53] Speedway was staged on a track adjacent to City Way that opened in 1932. Proposals for a revival in the early 1970s did not materialise and the Rochester Bombers became the Romford Bombers.[54]

Sailing and rowing are also popular on the River Medway with respective clubs being based in Rochester.[55][56]

Film[edit]

The 1959 James Bond Goldfinger describes Bond driving along the A2through the Medway Towns from Strood to Chatham. Of interest is the mention of "inevitable traffic jams" on the Strood side of Rochester Bridge, the novel being written some years prior to the construction of the M2 motorway Medway bypass.

Rochester is the setting of the controversial 1965 Peter Watkins television film The War Game, which depicts the town's destruction by a nuclear missile.[57] The opening sequence was shot in Chatham Town Hall, but the credits particularly thank the people of Dover, Gravesend and Tonbridge.

The 2011 adventure film Ironclad (dir. Jonathan English) is based upon the 1215 siege of Rochester Castle. There are however a few areaswhere the plot differs from accepted historical narrative.

Notable people[edit]

  

Charles Dickens

The historic city was for many years the favourite of Charles Dickens, who lived within the diocese at nearby Gads Hill Place, Higham, many of his novels being based on the area. Descriptions of the town appear in Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations and (lightly fictionalised as "Cloisterham") in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Elements of two houses in Rochester, Satis House and Restoration House, are used for Miss Havisham's house in Great Expectations, Satis House.[58]

Sybil Thorndike

The actress Dame Sybil Thorndike and her brother Russell were brought up in Minor Canon Row adjacent to the cathedral; the daughter of a canon of Rochester Cathedral, she was educated at Rochester Grammar School for Girls. A local doctors' practice,[59] local dental practice[60] and a hall at Rochester Grammar School are all named after her.[61]

Peter Buck

Sir Peter Buck was Admiral of the Medway in the 17th century; knightedin 1603 he and Bishop Barlow hosted King James, the Stuart royal familyand the King of Denmark in 1606. A civil servant to The Royal Dockyardand Lord High Admiral, Buck lived at Eastgate House, Rochester.

Denis Redman

Major-General Denis Redman, a World War II veteran, was born and raised in Rochester and later became a founder member of REME, head of his Corps and a Major-General in the British Army.

Kelly Brook

The model and actress Kelly Brook went to Delce Junior School in Rochester and later the Thomas Aveling School (formerly Warren Wood Girls School).

The singer and songwriter Tara McDonald now lives in Rochester.

The Prisoners, a rock band from 1980 to 1986, were formed in Rochester. They are part of what is known as the "Medway scene".

Kelly Tolhurst MP is the current parliamentary representative for the constituency.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester,_Kent

  

Rather than using a water bottle to make the drop I thought I'd use the tap this time. It made focusing a little bit easier but brought with it other problems such as poor light, difficulty placing the background, shadows...

 

I'll stick to a bottle in future.

With only a photo of a service bus working as we see Arriva Buses Wales Wrightbus VDL SB200 Pulsar CX07 COJ 2620 was seen pictured on A5 near Beach Road on Maesgairchen bound with a route A55 to Colwyn Bay as the bus was new to Arriva in future bus livery. On 25/09/19 the bus manufacturer Wrightbus has went into administration with the loss of 1,300 jobs at their factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. 25/09/19

 

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As part of our extremely enjoyable visit to Dubai, UAE in September 2014

 

JiuZhaiGou Valley in Tibet Autonomous Region TAR PRC .See larger image at www.flickr.com/photos/wittysam/8104583584/ A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE and a scenic area in TIBET. TAR. 2nd most beautiful place on the Habitable Earth after Himalayas for me.

  

Another Wonder of World explored at JZH UNESCO TOUR 2012 4 days -

A concise practical guide to visit the places mentioned in my second published book "111 Miraculous WONDERS OF WORLD you must see when you alive" Download it to your mobile or better print it and use the info while exploring the places.

 

Jiuzhaigou Valley (simplified Chinese: ???; traditional Chinese: ???; pinyin: Jiuzhàigou; literally "Valley of Nine Villages"; Tibetan: ???????????????, Wylie: gzi-rtsa sde-dgu, ZYPY: Sirza Degu)

 

GO TO TRAVEL TIPS MARKED WITH SIGNS AND HEADERS LIKE THIS

 

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Travel Tip 1, 2....9...

 

BELOW IN DISCRIPTIONS TO SKIP TO MAIN PLACES TO SEE RATHER THAN ALL IMPORTANT TIPS.

 

***I suggest read all tips before you start your journey at least you are not referring to loads if information like I did. Have a excellent trip !!!

 

As per me JUIZHAIGOU valley ( 88 kms from JZH Airport )in particular & nearby HUANGLONG ( 53 kms from JZH Airport )is MOST BEAUTIFUL and MOST SCENIC PLACE IN CHINA and even around the WORLD the very reason it makes to the 111 WOW book i am writing. This UNESCO World Heritage Site of natural order is worth a visit more than even New 7 Wonders of World and Nature from my viewpoint and experience of travelling to 70+ Countries till date in year 2012. This travel advise is based on my 6 th Year of World Travel & 16th year of total travel experience & i can say it loud and clear that out of all my travels to China's major destinations and provinces around major cities which I travelled in

PRC People Republic of China Hongkong and Tibet Autonomous Region like

 

PEKING-BEJING

PUDONG-SHANGHAI Province-level Municipality

HANGZOU City ZHEJHING Province

JIUZHAIGOU

JIUZHAIGOU Valley

JIUZHAIGOU COUNTY

Formerly called Nanping County

HUANGLONG

Huanglong Valley

Tibetan Plateau

Min Mountains

Tibetan Plateau East, or Qinghai-Tibetan (Qingzang) Plateau

Tibet Autonomous Region(TAR), Tibet or Xizang level autonomous region 1965 administrative region & 1951 Province Level PRC

Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture capital Barkam town (Ch. Ma'erkang)

Qinghai

SICHUAN Province

Guangzhou Guangzhou or Canton or Kwangchow ( capital )

Guangdong province

CHONGQING

CHEGDU

Hong Kong

and my 15 th visit to China in last 6 years

 

It is a nature reserve and national park located in northern Sichuan province of southwestern China. Jiuzhaigou Valley is part of the Min Mountains on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and stretches over 72,000 hectares. It is known for its many multi-level waterfalls, colorful lakes, and snow-capped peaks. Its elevation ranges from 2,000 to 4,500 metres (6,600 to 14,800 ft).

 

Jiuzhaigou Valley was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997. It belongs to the category V (Protected Landscape) in the IUCN system of protected area categorization.

 

Jiuzhaigou Valley ( or in short Jouzhai) Scenic and Historic Interest Area

 

Can travel to this another UNESCO site together depending on time if you have one extra day availability -

Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area ( Near to JZH airport )

****you may not be able to cover all or any part of this area if you have less than 20-24 hours effectively from time you land in JZH airport to time you leave JZH airport. But you can take a 1 or 2 hour drive on the other side of route when you reach JZH airport area after travelling from historic site to JZH airport while heading back to your destination provided you taking last flight of the day which approximately leaves at 19.20 hrs.

 

*****I had no time to explore this area this time as It takes one full day or 10 hrs to cover 2/3 rd of Y shaped area of JZH valley. and another day to cover rest of Y shaped valley.And another day to cover Huanglong area. So I cud cover only this shape "/ " rather than complete scenic area in "Y" shape which is major scenic area. And tour from hotel is 2 N / 3 Days if boarding from CKG at say 2000 Yuan

 

**** This trip of just 2 days in my 6 days off from work actually 4 days and effectively 32 hours from time I start from CKG hotel and back to Hotel had cost me near 4500 YUAN but as per details below it may cost around 3500 Yuan minimum in total excluding food gifts books but including taxi ( 300 Yuan one way from JZH to JZH valley near entrence of historical area) and air tickets ( 1024 Yuan one way ) and hotel stay ( between 200-300 Yuan if pre-booked or 400 Yuan if walk in guest on budget rate hotel ) but even lesser if you have airline discounts and ID90 Z fare tickets. But no matter how much you pay you travel or not it's allready a Wonder of World and supreme natire at its best is there presently as i have eye witnessed it but not sure with very high infux of toyrists its gonna be same in future. Included in my book 111 WOW

 

Details :

Taxi Hotel to CKG airport and back: Taxi + Tips

70+15=85 multiply by 2 = 170 Yuan

 

Airfare If taking urgent flight Check in without pre-booking:

1024 multiply 2 = 2048 Yuan

 

Taxi to hotel near JZH valley historic area enterence from JZH airport ( 1- 1.5 hours by car): two way

300 Multiply by 2 = 600

 

Hotel Stay including break fast 200 to 400 to more depending on hotel type for no of nights planned

 

Food Drinks Travel equipment extra

 

*** the valley inbetween MAIN JZH historical site and JZH airport is also very scenic try to travel back 3 hours before flight departure time and when its not dark to take nice pictures of townships and cultural resorts on way to airport *** you can see many views of Honglong Scenic area which is near to airport but on other direction of Jiuzhiagou scenic area and even bird eye view from aircraft when your take off from JZH.

 

My first 2 Day trip from CKG to JZH and 12 th to China in last 6 years Details-

 

Travel by Sichuan airlines CKG ( CHONGQUING JIANGBEI INTERNATINAL AIRPORT ) to JZH ( JIUZHAI HUANGLONG AIRPORT ) and back to CKG,

 

1st day -

Flights I took CZ8181 ( last flight for day from CKG to JZH) by CHINA AIRLINES )

 

2nd day

Flights I took

JZH to CKG flight nos C3U8515 departing at 7:20 pm Arrival at 8:35 pm by SICHUAN AIRLINES

 

About JIUZHAIGOU-

 

Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve Jiuzhaigou (??? Jiuzhàigou) is a nature reserve in the north of Sichuan province in south western China. It is officially known as Jiuzhai Valley in English. It is known for its many multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes scenic valleys and also as the habitat of giant pandas though due to excessive tourism potential of area you may not find then easily or not at all . You can see pandas in Chengdu breeding Center and in Chingqing Zoo though. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

 

Jiuzhai Valley (Jiuzhaigou) is a major feature of the Sichuan Scenic Area, located 350 km north of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. Jiuzhaigou is at the northeastern end of this scenic area in the Min Shan mountains. It is part of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.

 

***** ( very important point ) The main scenic area stretches 80 km (50 mi) long in the form of a letter Y comprising of three main valleys - Shuzheng, Rize and Zechawa covering 720 km² (278 mi²) and offering stunning views of lakes, waterfalls, and mountains. The name means "Valley of Nine Villages", derived from the 9 ancient Tibetan villages that call it home. Its highest point is 4,700 m (15,420 ft) above sea level, with *****the main sightseeing areas between 1,980 m and 3,100 m (6,500-10,170 ft).

 

*****So plan your walk and views of popular and most beautiful lakes considering this altitude range in mind and the list of notable lakes I wrote below.

 

History-

 

The remote region was inhabited by various Tibetan and Qiang peoples for centuries

 

Landscape, geology and hydrology-

 

Jiuzhaigou's best-known feature is its dozens of blue, green and turquoise-colored lakes. Originating in glacial activity, they were dammed by rockfalls and other natural phenomena, then solidified by processes of carbonate deposition (travertine). Jiuzhaigou's water has a high concentration of calcium carbonate, making it so clear that the bottom is often visible even at high depths. The lakes vary in color and aspect according to their depths, residues, and surroundings.

 

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Travel Tip 1 -

 

*****YOU NEED A iPhone application named LONELY PLANET OFFLINE TRANSLATOR CHINESE ENGLISH and a car iPhone charger to charge your gadget in car or buy a battery pack to extend your iPhone battery life

 

I

***** { very important point } To make the most out of your one day in the valley, buy the ticket at 7AM and take the bus up the right of Y shaped valley as shows on the map in back of ticket to Primeval Forest (*** should be your first point to start your travel early morning as per my experience even in sept month . Try to be at counter no later than 6.30am and take tickets by 6.45 and take first bus starting at 7 am as it will get very crowded by say even 7.30 am or anytime later in the day .

 

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Travel Tip 2-

 

***** Carry a wind cheater or umbrella and water bottle and juices in a small back pack as you gonna walk a lot whole day as distance from one end of Y shaped valley to entrance is like 30 kms and overall valley is spread across 80 Kms but my tips will help you see the best of best in this valley in say one day with your trip starting at 7 am and ending in by 3 pm for 8 hours combination of walk and bus hopping. Only advisable if u heading back to airport the same day ( this is for shortest one day visit to Jiuzhiagou) (**to see entire valley and all it's scenic points you may need 3 days or more to stay here and even one more day to cover Huanglong scenic area )

***You can even buy water and umbrella and Rain cheater at highest point of forest..

 

***In my first trip to area i had just one day so i finished all i could till 3 pm and then I took bus back to entrance to start for airport at 3.30 pm sharp. Saw areas on way in quick mode and saw some areas of Huanglong near to airport before taking last flight to CKG.

 

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Travel Tip 3 -

 

After reaching Primeval Forest which is last point on the bus route You took early morning

 

****Walk the trail around the forest then walk the forest path down to Swan Lake.

 

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Travel Tip 4 -

 

***** I took first bus to the top of Y shaped valley on right side where there is Primeval Forest and then headed to SWAN lake by foot yourself to place called” Pearl Shoal” creating a noisy bubbling cascade which from a distance looks like a shawl of pearls draped across the hillside. The falls have a drop height of 21 m (69 ft) and are 162 m (532 ft) wide providing a spectacular display.

 

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Travel Tip 5-

 

****I did all in one day. I took bus to highest point of the Y shaped map if this scenic area where lakes like Panda lake exist. Go to 3000 meters up till the point bus takes higest. Then trek down to lakes i mentioned below in this practical guide.i wish i had mire days to stay but since my holiday was just four days i could cover only major portion if it. But will be travelling again in my next leave. Tickets are only valid for one day.

 

*With a bus pass you can take a bus to all of the sites within the park. Your pass gives you access to an efficient hop-on hop-off bus transport system. Every few minutes a bus will come to a site to pick up passengers.

 

*Don’t miss the last bus or you must walk out!

 

*****{ very important point} An effective way to use the system is to take the bus to the head of Rize valley and walk back towards the entrance and Administration building. Walking is a great option in the park, as wooden-plank trails wind through the lakes and forests. It is best to combine walking with taking the bus as the park is quite large and you won't be able to cover enough ground on foot.

 

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Travel Tip 6 -

 

Jiuzhaigou has some 114 Lakes and waterfalls.

 

***** [ very very important points for shortest obr day travel to the area ]

 

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Travel Tip 7****** -

 

*****Here are a selection of scenic locations to visit:

 

See and Do

 

An effective way to use the system is to take the bus to the head of Rize valley and walk back towards the entrance and Administration building. Walking is a great option in the park, as wooden-plank trails wind through the lakes and forests. It is best to combine walking with taking the bus as the park is quite large and you won't be able to cover enough ground on foot.

 

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Travel Tip 7 -

 

Long Lake -

 

Is at the head of the Zechawa valley. At an altitude of 3,060 m (10,039 ft) this is the biggest and deepest lake in Jiuzhaigou. The lake has a surface area of approximately 30 sq km’s (12 mi) and an average depth of 44 m (144 ft). On clear days its dark wooded hillsides and blue waters are viewed against the backdrop of the 5,000 m (16,404 ft) snow capped Min Shan mountains. This lake has no major inflow and receives its water from underground sources. The local Tibetans have their own name for this lake, which translates, to “The Lake that never dries out.” Take the bus to the Long Lake and Jade Colored Pool because it is too far to walk to.

 

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Travel Tip 8 -

 

Five Colour Pool -

 

Also known as the Jade pool, is a small lake of 5,600 sq m (60,000 sq ft) at an altitude of 2,995 m (9,826 ft) and with an average depth of 6.6 m (21.5 ft). It is fed by underground streams from Long lake. Although small this lake must be rated as having one of the most varied and intense colour ranges of Jiuzhaigou and should not be missed. The lake systems in the lower parts of Zechawa valley are seasonal and are often dry in summer. Walkways are provided from Long Lake to a bus pickup point just passed the lower seasonal lake.

 

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Travel Tip 9 -

 

Grass Lake-

 

Grass Lake at 2,910 m (9,547 ft) is the highest lake in the Rize Valley. The valley here is narrow and steep. The lake was formed as a result of an ancient mudflow about 10,000 years ago and travertine sedimentation. The lake is shallow with large evergreen grassy beds.

 

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Travel Tip 10 -

 

SWAN LAKE-

 

At an elevation of 2,905 m (9,530 ft) Swan Lake is surrounded by high rocky cliffs that drop vertically into the lake. The lake takes is name from large numbers of migratory swans that visit it each year.

 

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Travel Tip 11 -

 

Arrow Bamboo Lake -

 

Is the first of the deep lakes. Set at an altitude of 2,680 m (8,793 ft) and 6 m (20 ft) deep it has a surface area of 170,000 sq m (1,830,000 sq ft). An unusual characteristic of this lake is that it never freezes even when the

 

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Travel Tip 12 -

 

Panda Lake -

 

100 m (328 ft) lower is completely covered in snow and ice. The lake is surrounded by Bamboo groves and together with the Panda Lake.

Panda Lake has an average depth of 14 m (46 ft) and as its name implies is in the heart of panda country. This 90,000 sq m (969,000 sq ft) lake at 2,590 m (8,500 ft) altitude is surrounded by bamboo forests and a mix of deciduous and coniferous woodland. This vivid green lake becomes a feast of colour in the autumn. The lake is home to many small and curious Songpan Naked Carp that gather in large numbers when a leaf or pebble falls into the lake. The fish are protected and must not be fed by visitors.

Water exits Panda Lake via the spectacular Panda Falls. These narrow falls have a drop height of 120 m (393 ft) and cascade down to the

 

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Travel Tip 13 -

 

“Five Flower Lake”-

The most beautiful one-

 

Over a series of travertine terraces. A well-maintained wooden walkway allows visitors to descend beside the falls providing a unique way of seeing the spectacle.

Five Flower Lake at 2,472 m (8,110 ft) and just 5 m (54 ft) deep is referred to as the soul of Jiuzhaigou. Its shallow cyan coloured waters provide the visitor with an outstanding display of is bottom sediments containing trees, bushes, and leaves in great array. Its waters drain via the peacock riverbed, claimed locally to be the shortest and most beautiful river in the world, to one of Jiuzhaigou’s most appealing waterfalls. The “Pearl Shoal Falls”

 

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Travel Tip 14 -

 

Pearl Shoal and Pearl Shoal Falls -

 

Are best viewed by taking the walkway. This takes visitors across the “Golden Bell Lake” and “Pearl Shoal” down the left side of the falls then across the base of the Falls to “Mirror Lake”. The shallow waters rush over the 160-m (525 ft) wide travertine shelf called” Pearl Shoal” creating a noisy bubbling cascade which from a distance looks like a shawl of pearls draped across the hillside. The falls have a drop height of 21 m (69 ft) and are 162 m (532 ft) wide providing a spectacular display.

 

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Travel Tip 15 -

 

Mirror Lake -

 

Is so named because of its ability to reflect the images of the surrounding mountains and forests. The lake at an altitude of 2,410 m (7,907 ft) is in a sheltered section of the valley running east west which produces its glassy reflective surface.The Lake was featured in the Zhang Yimou movie Hero. The outflow of “Mirror Lake” is through the “Rize Gully” a travertine ramp of small ponds and natural bonsai trees and bushes that lead directly to one of the great sights of Jiuzhaigou . The Nuorilang waterfall.

 

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Travel Tip 16 -

 

Nuorilang Falls-

 

The Nuorilang Falls are situated, at an altitude of 2,365 m (7,760 ft), at the junction of the Zechawa, Rize and Shuzheng valleys. Best viewed from the Shuzheng valley road the 250-m (820 ft) wide veil of water flows out of the thick shrubs and bushes of Rize Gully to drop 24 m (79 ft) into a small ravine below the road.

 

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Travel Tip 17 -

 

Rhinoceros Lake -

 

At 2,315 m (7,696 ft) and with a surface area of some 200,000 sq m (2,153,000 sq ft) is the largest lake in the Shuzheng valley, and also the deepest with an average depth of 12 m (39 ft). The lake derives its name from a legend that tells of a monk from Tibet riding a rhinoceros. When the monk came to this lake he was so entranced with the local scenery that he accidentally rode his rhinoceros directly into the lake.

 

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Travel Tip 18 -

 

Shuzheng Village-

 

Bedecked with prayer flags, is one of the nine Tibetan villages that give Jiuzhaigou its name. Situated above the Shuzheng Lakes it is easily accessed from the roadway. Here you can visit a traditional Tibetan home and drink “Yak Butter tea“. The steep main street is lined with shops selling trinkets, Tibetan artifacts and souvenirs.

Shuzheng Lakes and waterfalls are at 2,215 m (7,268 ft) the lowest series of lakes in Jiuzhaigou; Spread across the valley this series of small lakes and waterfalls cascade down the lower valley and drain directly into Baishui Jiang.

 

The last three features are the

 

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Travel Tip 19 -

 

Sleeping Dragon Lake-

,

 

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Travel Tip 20 -

 

Reed Lake -and

 

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Travel Tip 21 -

 

Bonsai beach-

 

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Travel Tip 19 -

 

Sleeping Dragon Lake -

 

Contains a large travertine shelf that extends across the floor of the lake. Locals say it looks like a sleeping dragon and that the head and tail seem to move as the wind ripples the lake surface.

 

***Jiuzhaigou is all about seeing! The colours of its lakes, trees and mountains are breathtaking and defy adequate description. The altitude changes within the valley to create continual variations of flora, which give each lake and waterfall a unique quality.

 

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Travel Tip 22 -

 

Although Jiuzhaigou is a great place to visit at any time of the year Spring and autumn are best. Winter provides many magnificent sights with frozen lakes and waterfalls, but the day temperatures are very low and accessibility by road is neither easy nor guarantee-able. Summers can be slightly crowded with beautiful sunshine in the early parts and it often rains in July and August. The fresh air and lack of humidity make it a great break from the city. Autumn is, in many opinions, the pick of the seasons. In late September through October to early November the colour contrasts of red and gold leaves set against the greys of the Bamboo forest and the dark greens of the conifers provide the perfect backdrop to the blue, cyan and vivid greens lakes

 

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Travel Tip 23 -

 

The buses are frequent and sometimes crowded during the peak season, running from early morning until the park closes

When entering the park you will be herded effectively and politely into one of the many queues waiting for transport. Once in the system you are a free agent with respect to where you go and what you see.

 

*****In 2007, over 2.5 million people visited Jiuzhaigou. The site averages 7,000 visits per day

 

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

EXTRA INFO-

 

**Flora and fauna

 

Jiuzhaigou's landscape is made up of high-altitude karsts shaped by glacial, hydrological and tectonic activity. It lies on major fault lines on the diverging belt between the Tibetan Plateau and the Yangtze Plate, and earthquakes have also shaped the landscape. The rock strata is mostly made up of carbonate rocks such dolomite and tufa, as well as some sandstone and shales.

The valley includes the catchment area of three gullies (which due to their large size are often called valleys themselves), and is one of the sources of the Jialing River, part of the Yangtze River system. The area covering 720 km² (278 mi²) of the Minshan mountains provides the catchment for the water system of Jiuzhaigou.

 

The park is the natural habitat for two of China’s most treasured endangered species – the Giant Panda and the Sichuan Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey (???). However, due to the park's size and the number of tourists, the chances of seeing them are slim. About 20 pandas reportedly live within the boundaries of the park. There is probably higher chance of seeing them in Zaru Valley, the valley dedicated to eco-tourism as of July 2009. In the main valleys you are more likely to see other creatures including birds (140 species have been recorded here), insects and fish.

 

Nearly 300 km² (115 mi²) of the core scenic area is covered by virgin mixed forests. The flora changes greatly with altitude. In the lower regions of the valley, grasses and reeds abound. These are quickly replaced by bamboo forests which in turn give way to deciduous trees and conifers at the upper end of the valley

  

Beyond them the rocky slopes and snow-capped peaks of the Min Shan range dominate the view.

 

Climate-

 

The scenic area of the park is situated at a height of between 2,000 and 3,000 m (6,562-9,843 ft). In summer the winds blow predominantly from the south and in the winter from the north. The following table shows the average monthly temperature and rainfall.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Average Temp (°C) 1.7° 4.4° 9.3° 14° 17.2° 19.7° 22° 21.8° 17.5° 13.2° 7.7° 3°

Average Precipitation (mm) 15 24 36 43 87 96 104 82 76 54 26 18

Umbrellas and wet weather clothing as well as sun protection and hats are highly recommended as the weather at these altitudes can be fickle.

[edit]Get in

 

The main departure points for a visit to Jiuzhaigou are Chengdu - the capital city of Sichuan, famous for its Panda Breeding Centre - Chongqing and Xi'an. Although Jiuzhaigou is only around 350km from Mianyang, and 460km from Chengdu (as the crow flies), the journey takes between 8 and 11 hours due to the winding mountain roads through some spectacular scenery along the valleys of the Fu or Min rivers. Many tour companies break the journey into two components with overnight stops either at Mianyang or Maoxian.

Important note: following the Sichuan earthquake of 12 May 2008, the road to Juizhaigou via Wenchuan and Maoxian is not recommended. The road between Chengdu and Wenchuan is excellent but Mao Xian - Chuan Zhu Si is undergoing landslide prevention and road widening works. As of September 2009, the bus from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou can take up to 17 hours (!) although this is the exception rather than the norm. The regular time is 7-11 hours now that some of this work has been completed. During National Week 2009 the Chinese government was not allowing foreigners to travel to jiuzhaigou by road in any form. These restrictions were lifted again as of 10 October 2009.

If the area has experienced heavy rain, the mountain road to Jiuzhaigou may be closed. This can mean that there may be a delay as traffic backs up to wait for the road to reopen. In extreme cases, the road may not reopen at all, meaning that the bus and its passengers will have to spend the night in the non-descript Dujiangyan City, trying again in the morning. This was the case on one occasion in June 2011. If you are travelling during these conditions, you may have to be very flexible with your itinerary.

Flights between Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou Huanglong airport (IATA: JZH) are available on Air China, Sichuan Airlines, South China Airways and China Eastern. As of October 2009 direct flights are also available from Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou on Sichuan Airlines. Jiuhuang airport is about a 1.5-hour drive from the park entrance. This can be done by taxi or mini-bus.

Most visitors access Juizhaigou by road.

From Mianyang an early morning start gets you to Jiuzhaigou township in time for dinner and the Tibetan cultural show (¥120-320). The route initially follows the deep valley of the Fu river then over Longmen shan (Dragon gate mountain) to Qingchuan and Wenxian before reaching Jiuzhaigou County Town nestled in the valley of the Baishui river. The mountain and river views make even the journey a worth while tourist experience.

Public Bus services are available from the Xinnanmen and Chadianzi bus stations in Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou with 2 or 3 departures from each station daily depending on demand. Ticket price is approximately ¥110-145.

There are daily buses to the park from Songpan, and Huanglongsi National Park.

Taxi: If there are a few people, it may make sense to charter a taxi to/from where you're going. Fares of ¥600-700 to Langmusi have been reported. It is also reportedly possible to take a taxi to/from Chengdu for around ¥1200, which is probably cheaper than flying for 3 people and much more comfortable than a bus.

 

During peak season is ¥220 which includes an insurance fee of ¥3. Disabled visitors, Seniors between 60 and 70 years of age, students and soldiers get a discount price of ¥170. Children no taller than 1.3 m in height, government servants, and seniors over 70 get in free.

A one day bus ticket costs ¥90. Bus tickets are not mandatory. Many people choose to buy one as it is over 30 km from the entrance to the top of the park. There is a sign inside the park saying that if you then decide you want to buy a bus ticket inside you have to pay ¥140.

if you want to save the money of the tickets, you can walk till the main tourist center(about 10 km - a nice walk) and from there just go with the buses.

the Conductors don't check for tickets from there.

Previously there were two day tickets that are no longer on sale during the peak season. These are on sale in the off peak season.

Off peak ticket prices: Entry – ¥80 N.B. In the dry season (February) many of the wooden trails in the park are closed and marked as fire hazards. It is possible to walk on the roads in the park although there are some signs saying this also isn't formally allowed. The only other option is to bus around the park.

Student / OAP Entry – ¥70

One Day Bus ticket: ¥80

Winter 2nd day entry ticket: ¥20 (must be purchased at the same time as the first day's ticket)

 

Get around-

 

There are plenty of taxis in Jiuzhaigou. There are also mini-buses (they really are minivans) to the most popular tourist destinations in the Jiuzhaigou region. Car Rentals are also available and range from ¥500-900per day.

Perhaps the easiest way to get around without a tour guide is using one of the "self service travel websites" that are really popular with young Chinese tourists who are not looking to travel with a tour group. Unfortunately for people who cannot search the web using Chinese characters (pin yin does not work very well) these sites are near impossible to find. On these sites you can buy tickets to local cultural events, arrange for pick up service, rent cars, arrange for tour guides, and finding Tibetan local host families for a cultural experience. However, they are extremely hard to find with names that are usually just strings of letters and numbers like cq966.com. The mentioned website is actually ran by locals attached to Chang Qing (??)hotel - one of the two hotels (other is the Sheraton) with the most credibility among tour guides within Jiuzhaigou proper. You can email these websites in English or contact them through MSN and they will be able to respond. Most local hotels are also good sources for advice on how to get around Jiuzhaigou but only a few speak languages other than Tibetan and Chinese

[edit]Inside the park

For environmental protection reasons, no personal transport, not even bicycles, are permitted within the park.

 

Around the local area

Public buses run from the centre of the town to Chengdu, Huanglong, Chadianzi, Jiangyou and Songpan. For up-to-date bus schedules and travel options from Jiuzhaigou the best place to check is the Jiuzhaigou official website

From Chengdu the public bus costs between ¥110-145 and takes around 10-13 hours.

 

Buy-

 

Shuzheng Village

There are lots of Tibetian trinkets that could entice the younger ladies. There is a shop next to the entrance which sells a good collection of postcards and reading materials about the park itself.

 

Eat-

 

Being a UNESCO World Heritage Park in China does not mean it is fully decked out for non-Chinese visitors. There is a centrally located, sort of a HQ area with a restaurant serving buffet lunch. Typically Chinese stir-fry dishes. At the entrance, there is a Chinese fast food outlet serving fried chicken, and vendors selling ramen and other types of instant noodles.

A one-day stock of muesli bars and a flask of tea or coffee would help, especially if you plan to take in all the heavenly sights on foot, through the wooden planked pathways. In autumn and spring, the temperature is suitable for resting along the wooden plank path while having a nice warm drink while you wait for the lighting to be just right for your next photo shoot.

note - the food and drink in the Reserve is very expensive (dish of rice about ¥30, noodles ¥15, Small bottle of water ¥5) so it's a good idea to obtain supplies in the shops outside before you enter.

 

Drink-

 

There are many areas to drink. You will find one of the best local Tibetan tradition is to drink Tibetan butter tea. There is a surprising amount of bars available on bian bian jie (???) which is one of the most famous cobblestone roads in China.

6868 bar, (Just past the Sheraton off main road in the small town there). Any cab driver should know this place. Typical chinese-style club, with a dance floor, private rooms, and lots of tables with drinking games. If you want to drink with the locals, worth checking this place out...remarkably good light system and sound system for the rural area.

 

Sleep-

 

Tibetan butter tea. There is a surprising amount of bars available on bian

Five Flower Lake

Despite whatever they tell you, lodging in the park is illegal.

 

Lodging-

There are no hotels or commercial accommodation within the park. It used to be possible to stay at the home of a local villager for a small fee. The authorities however do not approve of the practice and as such it is not recommended.

There are now a number of 5 star, 4 star and 3 star hotels and cheap hostels just outside the park.

The price for a 5 star hotel such as the Jiuzhaigou Xilaideng International is from ¥600-1,000. Also there is a Sheraton that can be had for about ¥500-800/night through travel agents.

For 4 star hotels like Chang Qing binguan (????), the Geshang hotel, the Chinese Travel hotel, and the Golden Harbour Hotel room prices are from ¥400-900.

A 3 star hotel such as the Xing Long binguan(????), Qianhe Hotel etc. is from ¥300-800.

A lot of the hotels have different level "rooms" within the hotel which are priced accordingly. Thus you see a great deal of price ranges within the same hotel.

Prices vary according to the season and booking in advance is essential. Provided you speak and read mandarin bookings and purchase of tickets can be done online at [www.jiuzhaigouvalley.com].

There is one authentic homestay [2] (others are "Tibetan themed" often outside owned) run by a local family a 15 mins drive from the park entrance. They do not have a website but they can be contacted at [3]. There are also two hostels in the immediate area.

There are a number of cheap hostels to the West of the park entrance. You should be able to get dorm rooms for around ¥35 and double bedrooms for ¥100.

One that is the sister hostel of Sim's in Chengdu comes recommended (wifi, hot water, nice staff):

Uncle Jiang's family house, Peng Feng Village, Jiuzhaigou Park Entrance. They have free pick-up and offer packed lunches (sandwiches) for ¥20.

Using the local travel websites will allow you to purchase price for cheaper, kind of how the aggregate websites will allow you to get a room for cheaper. However, they are pretty hard to find unless you search with Chinese characters.

There is lodging located in the villages along the street outside the park entrance. For budget travelers the best option is the Jiutong Bingguan (????) located next to the bus station. Touts crowd around arriving buses and can lead you to alternative budget options.

 

Tibetan butter tea. There is a surprising amount of bars available on bian

Five Flower Lake

Despite whatever they tell you, lodging in the park is illegal.

 

Camping-

 

As of July 2009 hiking and camping have been made available within the Zaru Valley [4] of the national park. Zaru Valley has an amazing 40% of all the plant species in the whole of China and if you are to see any of the wildlife of the national park, this represents the best chance. The main hike is a 3-day hike, following the pilgrimage of the local Bebbo Tibetan Buddhists around the 4,500 m+ (14,764 ft+) Zhayizha Ga Mountain.

 

Stay safe-

 

The highest tourist destinations reach heights above 3,100 m (10,170 ft) and altitude sickness is a possibility.

In the winter months the park is extremely cold and it is necessary to dress warmly. Having said that, in the winter sunshine you could possibly strip down to a t-shirt in the bright winter sun shine - in the shade you'll need to layer up again however!

Chinese tourists dread standing in line and there is a lot of pushing and shoving getting on and off buses. Make sure you don't get pushed in front of an oncoming bus. Crowded trails can also be dangerous and if you walk on the edge of a path it is likely a shoulder or elbow with push you off. To really enjoy your time in the park you should walk on the trails on the opposite side of the lakes from the roads. These trails have considerable less tourists and you can really experience the serenity of the national park there.

English is not widely spoken in Juizhaigou.

 

Get out-

 

Everyday there are buses going to Songpan at 7:20AM and take two hours, Chengdu (10 hours) and Huanglong National Park. Bus times vary from time to time. It is best to keep an eye on the Jiuzhaigou website [5] for up-to-date times.

 

This is a guide article. It has a variety of good, quality information about the park including attractions, activities, lodging, campgrounds, restaurants, and arrival/departure info.

 

Plunge forward give your info and contributions in comments to make it a star!

 

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence by Wikipedia Wikitravel SunDeepKullu .com Phototube .co

  

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(photo unedited: Crystal star on burgundy

-- A small boy at a garage sale found a treasure, unopened, in the box.

Now I pass it on to you. May your day be full of beautiful light!)

 

Espanol abajo..

 

The Gift of King Harmen: a fable about happiness Draft 9 Feb 14, 2008, all rights reserved.

 

Once upon a time in a land encircled by snowcapped mountains, the great King Harmen wanted all the people in his kingdom to be happy. For many days he sat quietly in his royal purple robes and thought, “How can I help my people? What can I give them for them to be happy?” Finally he decided to call the wisest counselors of the land to help him, sending word to the edges of the kingdom. After many days the counselors began to arrive.

 

The moon was full and casting moonshadows when Counselor Pensa rode in quietly, gently from the North. The tiny crystals on her deep green gown sparkled like frost in the moonlight. The mane of her lean white mare, and her own long white hair flowed around her expressionless face in silent smoky circles. The sun was at its highest when Counselor Dramo thundered in from the South the following afternoon. He looked very much in charge in his sunny yellow cloak over short dark hair, smiling atop his golden stallion, with almost no shadow at all.

 

Early the next morning, Counselor Nansi calmly arrived from the East, walking in long, slow, steady strides through the mist. His pale blue robes fluttered behind him and brushed gently against his walking stick and the dark skin of his friendly face and weathered hands. Finally, that evening Counselor Delta's carriage was seen at a distance arriving from the West, so the other counselors and the king came out to the courtyard to meet her. Stepping from the carriage, she cast a long shadow across the smooth paving stones. She stood with her hands on her hips taking it all in, looking around at those gathered. The last rays of the setting sun flashed off the buttons on the sides of her boots, glinted off the buckle of her red tunic, and shone off her jet black hair. The king spoke to them all.

 

“Welcome, dear travelers. I am very pleased you have all arrived safely,” began the king, “I wish for my people to be happy. I have asked you here because I hope you, wise counselors, will help me to learn what I can give to them so that they will be happy.” So the counselors from the four directions all went in with the king to his inner rooms, and the five of them, this Council, discussed the matter long into the night. By the orange light of the fire, they drank tea and ate oranges, and considered all types of things that might make the people happy. They talked about giving the people gold, or games, or jewels. They talked of giving them food, or livestock, or musical instruments. They talked of magic and machines, the moon and the stars, but they were not decided what would make the people happy. Finally they slept.

 

Next morning the Council awoke to a crowd of people outside in the courtyard who had heard that the wisest of the land were inside. They wished to get help with their problems, so the king and the counselors agreed to hear them. A circle of nine cushions was set up in the shade of a large maple tree; five seats for the Council and four for those who wished to speak to them. So when the Council was seated, the people came up four at a time to speak. By the end of the day, sixteen people had spoken to the Council, and they became known as the Speakers. This is who they were and what they said:

 

In the first group a young man named Hutri, a keeper of pigs (who held in his lap a small piglet who kept trying to eat the maple leaves), complained, “People look down on us because our business is hard, dirty work. Is this right?” Then next from a blacksmith family there was a sturdy young boy named Peglo with a chain for a belt. He spoke in a strained voice, “My family and the family across the lake are always fighting and feuding. What in the world should I do?” Cona, a young girl in a big floppy hat that protected her from the sun as she tended her orchard, said, “Why do the people on the other side of the village get to live closer to the water, and I have to carry it twice as far?” For a young lady named Deba the problem was, “My older sister always wants to win, and get the best of everything. How can I keep from being angry and blowing up at her all the time?”

 

These questions were not easy to answer, so King Harmen asked the people to take a mid-morning rest and had cookies and milk brought out to them as the Council talked among themselves and thought about what the people had said. After some time, Counselor Pensa, who was a great thinker with a powerful mind, spoke for the Council. “It seems to me, “ she began in a very even voice, brushing her white hair (and a bit of a cookie crumb) away from her pale face, “that all of these problems can be worked out quite well if we work on how we think.”

 

“Hutri: Each of you has given me a lesson about how we need to look at things to be happier. You are doing useful work, and others who look down on you would do well to develop Humility, and not to act as if they are better in some way. We all have to do humble work sometimes, just like each leaf on this tree has a job to do. If we do our part as if it is noble and great, then we are noble, and it will matter less to us what others say.

 

Peglo: For those who have a history of fighting we need to develop Patience for the point of view of others. This can stop the chain of hurtfulness, and in time it can bring the season of fighting to an end, as the waves calm down to still water. Help everyone see that each person is a brother, a sister, each life is precious.

 

Cona: Those who always want more than they have will never be happy until they develop Contentment and realize how much they have already. You have what you need if you don't feed your greed.

 

And finally, Deba: There is happiness in daily pleasures and in our own successes, but also joy in celebrating the victory of others. If we can feel both types of Delight, we will have twice the happiness.” Counselor Pensa finished by saying, “This is what we have learned by studying the world around us and within us,” and she closed her eyes and was silent once again.

 

The king invited those who had been heard to stay on and rest in comfort, and he called the next group of four to come sit with the Council. A sad-looking woman named Kaipo spoke first, wringing her hands, and nervously adjusting her scarf. “I want to find a way to set up a hospital, but I have failed several times, how can I go on? I just don't know...” she could not finish, and her crying sent diamonds into the dust until she hid her face with her hands. Next to her, a tall man with fancy clothes and golden chains around his neck had been fidgeting with the coins in his pocket. Now he impatiently spoke up, “I am Hodi, and I have been robbed at the market.” It seemed he had borrowed money and thought he was overcharged. Two small children waited to speak, holding hands as they sat together trying to be brave: a little girl with freckles and curls the color of cornsilk called Genca, and a small boy with red hair and a comic book in his pocket, called Spibu. When the king asked why they had come, they spoke for each other. Genca shared, “Spibu's afraid to go to school because his classmates call him names.” Spibu thought for a minute then spoke for her, saying, “Genca is sad because the other children won't share their toys with her.” Happy to help each other explain, they both felt a little better. “Thank you for coming,” encouraged the king.

 

Again, the Council asked the people to rest, this time having a noontime snack of cheese and fruit brought out to them as they talked about what the people had said. Finally, when all had eaten, Counselor Dramo, who quite enjoyed the attention himself, and who knew the effect the sunshine had on his golden cloak, stood up tall in the bright light of day, and began his lively presentation. “The four who spoke to us just now have told of problems that can be changed for the better, but it will take all of us working together to do it. After talking in Council, we have decided that the key is to work on how we act. Think of the effect of each of your thoughts and each of your actions.

 

Kaipo: You are showing great Kindness to others by starting this hospital, but you need to also be kind to yourself. Do your best, but don't over do it. Care for others, keep trying, and you will inspire others to help you to make a little progress every day toward your goal.

 

Hodi: You are known in the market, and although someone there may have done wrong by you, there are some debts you owe as well. This will work for you: develop your Honesty, pay your debts back on time, and your good name will help you in the future.

 

Genca and Spibu: It was thoughtful and generous of you to support each other, and your comments were well spoken. Genca: it would be wonderful if all were generous and would share what they have when it could help someone else. Spibu: it is true that our words are very powerful and can help or harm. Your classmates would be wise to think more and speak less. So we as a Council ask all the older children and adults to try their best to set good examples for the children and each other by developing Generosity and Thoughtful Speech.”

 

Counselor Dramo finished, “We can lead by example if we listen more and speak less. If we share when we have enough.” And with that he made a deep bow, then sat down again. Kaipo acted less nervous, and Hodi acted less proud as they helped Genca and Spibu over to the others who had already spoken.

 

The king called up the next four to sit with the Council. The first of these was one of the elders called Resco who was brought a special chair, because he was bent over resting on a cane. He quietly pulled out a small scroll he had brought with him and read what he had prepared. “I have lived a long time and know a few things about my bookbinding business, but my family thinks I'm too old to listen to. They ignore me and tell me to go away. I want to help! What can I do?” As he put away the scroll, a girl with a very red face got ready to speak. She looked to be a potter by the mud on her elbows, and she looked like she had been crying. “I'm called Fola, and I want to know what you're going to do about the man that knocked over a pot in my shop and broke it. He said it was an accident, and I tried to fix it, but it leaks and this makes me sad. This time when he came in I tried to throw a knife at him and it cut me! Just look at it!” and she held out a bandaged hand. When she had calmed down a little, a woman called Graca spoke. She was wearing a neat white apron and helping the small child she held in her lap to blow his nose. “My mother has just come to live with me, and I don't know how I will take care of her in our house as I have my own children to tend to.” Finally, the last person to speak, a young woman known as Riche began her story. “I always wanted to go to school but had to be there to help my family. They depend on me. I'd like to check school off my list, but I'm too old to go to a regular school now. Could I start a school for people like me?”

 

This time as the Council asked the people who had spoken to rest, they had tea and biscuits with honey and butter brought to all those who had spoken and the four who were left to speak. The Council considered what the people had said. Finally, when they were all full of warm tea and biscuits, Counselor Nansi took his turn smiling, his blue robe gathering at his feet. He slowly reached up to a tree branch and pointed with a long, dark finger, saying, “Do you see that spider web? It is a reminder that we are all connected. We depend on each other, and we could be happier if we relate to each other better by developing Respect, Forgiveness, Gratitude and Responsibility.

 

Resco: you remind us that we should Respect and serve our elders and give honor to those who came before us because of their knowledge and wisdom. Very few of us would get far without our teachers and others who have taught us.

 

Fola: None of us is perfect, so we will make mistakes and will require Forgiveness. This is the best we can do in a human world. Holding a grudge is the blade that will cut you if you try to hold onto it. Forgive and you will feel better.

 

Graca: You are already giving great service to your children, but what your mother asks of you is but a small part of what she gave to you. Perhaps your children can watch the care you give her and develop their own Gratitude for all you do, by your example of thanking the one who helped you when you were small.

 

Riche: You have been the dependable one. Now take Responsibility to be the change you want to see for yourself and others. Go ahead and start that school, and stick with it through thick or thin, good times and bad..” With that, Counselor Nansi finished speaking and gently folded his big hands back in his lap.

 

The king called the final group of four. The first was a young man unknown to the local people. He was dressed in a strange style with baggy pants and white shoes. “My name is Prindi. I have lost my compass and lost my way. I have made mistakes. I want to make a new start here. May I stay?” A woman known as Asta had always wanted to start a bakery. With stars in her eyes, she said, “I have heard of a new way of baking in another village, but I don't know how to begin or if I can do it. Should I reach for something so difficult?” An old man known as Serzo said, “All you people give me heartburn. Complain, complain. Where I live by myself in the deep woods this is never a problem. Think I'll go back there now,” but he really went to get another biscuit and pet a dog running loose. It was clear he was more lonely than grouchy. Finally, a young man named Cofi with wild golden hair and beard, like the mane of a lion, was the only one left to speak. When he did not begin the king encouraged, “Go ahead. We have heard all the others. What would you like to say?” Cofi began timidly, “I feel I am supposed to do something important, but I don't know what it is, and I am so afraid to mess it up. Can you help me, too?” “We will do our best,” said the king.

 

After hearing all these problems, the Council talked together once more. The king brought out a final bit of food for the people who had been there all day. As the sun was dipping behind the rim of mountains, Counselor Delta moved in her seat a bit, shifting back and forth. Once in position she smiled then quickly began, “Life is always changing and in these changes we search for meaning. It helps us on our path to have Principles to guide us, Aspiration to something greater than our present abilities, a desire for Service to others, and the Courage to meet the challenge of finding our place in the world.

 

Prindi: Find your path, then walk your path. You decide the Principles you want to live by and then they will guide you. You are welcome here.

 

Asta: Strive to be alive, to improve, to evolve. Reach for the new better way, look for those with the knowledge and learn from them. Reach also for the old ways if they are good. That is Aspiration.

 

Serzo: I see you over there. The advice I give you is to love unconditionally, like that dog at your feet. You love the trees and the dog, love also all other beings, and put it into practice with your Service. You have learned a lot living out in the woods. Find a way to volunteer your time today, to use that knowledge to help in some way. Your heart is bigger than you think.

 

Cofi: Our greatest barrier to greatness is ourselves. Do not expect yourself to be perfect. Be willing to make some mistakes along the way. Find your Courage to be brave and take great responsibility for those things that are important to you. At the end of our lives, most of our regrets are not for things we have done but things we have left undone. So think big, be brave, now begin!”

 

So Delta finished. And she got up and shook the hands of each of the Speakers in the group, even Serzo, giving each a pat on the shoulder as well.

 

The king brought out musicians to entertain the people for the rest of the evening, and invited them all to stay the night. While the people enjoyed the music, the Council retired to the king's rooms to consider again the reason they had come. What could the king give to all his people to help them be happy?

 

The light of the day faded from the evening sky, and the Council knew that the sixteen Speakers were the key to improving the lives of all the people. These were the real problems that kept them from happiness. The moon rose over the mountainous landscape on the edge of the horizon and bathed the kingdom in a colorless glow. In this light, the Council saw that no material gift could help all the people be happy. As the first stars were rising the five made a discovery that all of us have the same kinds of problems as we go through our lives. By the time the stars left the sky the Council had listed the sixteen guidelines, one for each of the problems of the Speakers, to help all the people to train themselves to deal with their problems and be happier.

 

Before the light of dawn, King Harmen and his counselors had a brief sleep. As their minds worked on saying goodbye to the people the next morning, they dreamed of many things. Counselor Pensa dreamed of the first four people who came and thought of the power the mind has to determine how we feel inside. Counselor Dramo dreamed of the second four and considered cause and effect and how our actions impact on ourselves and others. Counselor Nansi dreamed of the third group and put together that how we relate to others connects us to our community. Counselor Delta dreamed of the last four Speakers and realized we need to find meaning in life to steady us in a changing world.

 

The Council felt more sure than ever that even though there was no magic gift or material thing that the king could give his people to make them all happy, he did now have something to give. It was a bit of wisdom each person could judge for themselves: a suggestion for how to live in this world to increase happiness for themselves and others, guidelines for training how we think and act, how we relate to others, and how we find meaning in life.

 

It was morning, and everyone gathered in the circular courtyard. King Harmen stood patiently in the center with the counselors in a small, colorful circle around him. The sixteen Speakers waited together in four small groups in a larger ring around the counselors, and all the rest of the people nearly filled the circle outside of them. The horses waited on the outside edge, the white horse eager to be back North, the golden horse straining to the South. The carriage had been made ready to pullout to the West, and Counselor Nansi's walking stick was at his side. All was ready to return the counselors to the edges of the kingdom.

 

The king spoke, “Thank you, all of you for coming here. First I would like to speak to the counselors. You have been good listeners, and shared your wisdom with us, and we thank you,” and he gave each a package of food for their journey, including some of the best spices grown in the central village. The four bowed in thanks to the king. Counselors Pensa and Dramo walked to where their horses waited on opposite edges of the gathering, Counselor Nansi took up his walking stick and walked to the East edge of the circle, Counselor Delta moved to her carriage. All waited to hear what else the king had to say.

 

King Harmen continued, “Next, I would like to see the sixteen Speakers,” and the four groups moved in a little closer to the king. “You have told us about real problems and given us a way to help all the people. One guideline was written for each of the concerns you brought to us. As a special gift to you, I give you a name to add to your own, and a seal to stamp your letters, a symbol of your own you can use so all will remember the important ideas you have brought to all the people.” He picked up a box with sixteen small wooden blocks. “These will be your names and seals.” The people came up as he called their new names.

 

Giving a block of green sealing wax and their unique seal to each person as he called,

“The symbol for Hutri Humility -- a leaf.

Peglo Patience -- the globe, the earth.

Cona Contentment -- an apple.

Deba Delight -- a balloon.”

 

Next he took out the blocks of yellow wax, passing it to the Speakers with the seals.

“The symbol for Kaipo Kindness -- a diamond.

Hodi Honesty -- a coin.

Genca Generosity – a cornucopia/horn of plenty,

Spibu ThoughtfulSpeech -- a speech bubble.”

 

Blue wax was given with these seals:

“The symbol for Resco Respect -- a scroll.

Fola Forgiveness -- a teardrop.

Graca Gratitude -- a house.

Riche Responsibility - a checkmark.”

 

Finally, King Harmen brought out the red wax, saying,

“The symbol for Prindi Principles -- a compass.

Asta Aspiration -- a star.

Serzo Service -- a heart, and

Cofi Courage – a lion.”

 

The king continued, ”Thank you, Speakers, one and all. From what we have learned from you we have listed 16 guidelines we believe will help all of us to train ourselves to be happier. Each one is simply the name of a quality we can develop.” And here the king raised his voice a bit so all the people could hear.

 

“And now I speak to all of you. Here is my gift. The best I have to offer. The sixteen guidelines for a happy life are: Humility, Patience, Contentment, Delight, Kindness, Honesty, Generosity, Thoughtful Speech, Respect, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Responsibility, Principles, Aspiration, Service, and Courage. This list I pass to all of you. May you hear it. May the counselors take it to the edges of the kingdom. May you all learn to be happy. I invite you to stay and celebrate with us as long as you can before you head home. Then may you all have safe travels.”

 

With that, the counselors, who had the greatest distance to travel, took off for the places from where they had come. The people celebrated together with food and music well into the afternoon. As the king bid each farewell, he asked them to remember and practice these guidelines for the benefit of themselves and everyone. Perhaps it took a while to do this because training takes time, perhaps it did not happen even in just this way, but if it did, they may have lived happily ever after.

 

May we do the same.

  

editor's note: 15may08 prico=>prindi.

[here's a link to the poster shown below in the comments, showing the 16 cartoon characters:}

www.flickr.com/photos/25434820@N00/1013056506/in/set-7215...

 

Editor's note 15 Dec 2009: colors for this story will soon be evolving.

 

Espanol

 

no es listo aqui todavia, viene otra vez, por favor.

quieres ayudarme traducirlo?

Tambien puedes tratar aqui:

www.16guidelines.org/wiki/index.php/For_Children

www.justincarey.co.uk

I was really excited to create this image because of the love I have for the sea and how badly I want to create more sea themed images. It's not always easy to do in landlocked Colorado but when I can create it, I am all over it.

 

I also wrote a 'creating of' blog post for this image to go along with it. I asked recently on my different social media platforms for feedback on different things people were interested in me discussing. If there is any thing else you would like me to include still in future 'creating of' posts, please always feel free to drop a comment on any of the platforms! (-:

  

'Creaing Of': Message in a Bottle Blog Post

 

Erin Graboski ©

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Ask.Fm | Instagram: @eringraboskiart

Looking back at the height

==========================

Location: Naltar 3, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

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

 

We are descending from the high rising Naltar 3rd lake. Reaching this lake and looking at it is an adventure. My steadiness on the stupid idea of climbing a rock in the wilderness made it the adventure of a lifetime.

 

The hike to the lake is short but high. Coming down the hill was way easy and fun and fast lol. The air was very fresh indeed. When I climbed the rock (imagined in another post), it was wilderness at another level. The atmosphere was so unbelievably fresh, I could smell nature, raw, very :D

 

These red shrubs are for real. I do not apply software filters on my pictures. Just slightly improve them on lightroom. In future I will be using Nisi filters for long exposure in sun light.

  

#EarthPix #TheWanderCo #earth_Shotz #FolkScenery #hubs_united #Stellar_Shots #travelPhotography #travelBlogger #outdoors #Adventure #Landscape #Camping #Hiking #Trekking #LandscapePhotography #visualsofEarth #TFLers #likeforlikes #instatravel #ourPlanetDaily #bestVacations #PhotoOfTheDay #WanderLust #WildernessCulture #awesome_earthpix #discoverEarth #earthfocus #ShotzDelight #MoodyGrams #PassionPassport

I took myself a photo of this WSN/SITA/Suez truck ejecting a load at Pioneer Waste Management in Taren Point, being the average 5t of bulk waste taken away from Kogarah. Worth noting is that this is a Heil Europe machine, obvious telltale being the control console - funny thing is that the lifter was operated by a valve lever instead of buttons like you’d expect! Had a lot of problems with the packer on this, lots of manual operation was required mainly during the second half of the cycle, kept seizing up in auto. Something I’ve gotta mention is how awesome this truck sounded at every point, even just the sharp kick of revs when dis/engaging the tailgate locks... especially epic doing the Pacific Square dock in Maroubra but. This truck did do Randwick for a short time when I transferred across, and it was mad fun to use, might’ve had some hardware issues and bent lifter teeth, but it worked quick and went tough. Absolutely devo I never managed to take a video and probably won’t in future.

From: www.infuture.ca

 

Project Description:

Rob King’s Trillium Icosaflorum explores the symbolic presence of Ontario Place’s Cinesphere. Inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s Biosphere design at Montreal’s Expo 67, the Cinesphere is often mistaken for a geodesic dome (in fact, it is a triodectic dome, a related but different structure). King’s outdoor sculpture examines the techno-utopianism and mathematical purity the geodesic dome has come to signify, using interlocking angular forms to build a sculpture inspired by the Cinesphere’s unique form and geometrical playfulness. A compelling monumental form marked by elegant symmetry,Trillium Icosaflorum questions the origins of commonly-accepted ideas about beauty, exactitude, innovation and futurism.

 

Biography:

Rob King is an Toronto based New Media artist and creative technologist. He is the founder of XZZ Creative Technologies (xzz.ca), and his work has been shown worldwide in such diverse sites as Sao Paulo, MOMA New York, Belfast, Budapest, Weimar and Montreal. Rob has been producing art and technology since 2004. His work has ranged from acrylic laser sharks to bluetooth enabled diaper sensors. In 2011 Rob's work Tentacles (a collaboration with Geoffrey Shea and Michael Longford) was shown as part of the Talk To Me show curated by Paola Antonelli at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 2009-10 Rob was selected as the as the COMEDIA artist in residence at the Sonic Arts Research Center at Queen's University in Belfast. In this position he developed a series of live performance visuals for improvised network music performance. In 2008 he created the Apiograph project, a visualization of the pollination activities of a nest of bumble bees installed in the *new* gallery in Toronto. Rob is the founder of Addi.tv Art+Code / XZZ, a company that develops provides creative coding services for commercial clients as well as artists and arts organizations. Some of his clients have included Lego, Nike, Scotiabank, Nissan, and We Day.

WE USED TO GO TO THE BURLINGTON LIBRARY OFTEN , BUT DUE TO THE MOVE , IT HAS BEEN A WHILE. THEY HAVE RENOVATED GARDENS AND A LOT OF THE INTERIOR . I WILL SHARE MY SHOTS OF THE CHANGES IN FUTURE POSTS.

Cultural performance of the Pokot people.

 

The Pokot people are categorized under the larger Kalenjin tribes grouping of Kenyan Nilotic speakers because they have oral traditions of a similar origin. They speak the Pokot language. The Pokot people live in the Baringo and Western Pokot districts of Kenya and also in the Eastern Karamoja region of Uganda. The Pokots are dived into two main sub-groups depending of their location and way of life. The two groups are the Hill Pokot who practice both farming and pastoralism, and live in the rainy highlands in the west and in the central south. The second group is made up of the Plains Pokot who living in dry and infertile plains, herd cows, goats and sheep.

As a result of their nomadic lifestyle, adopted by most of the Pokot, they have interacted with different peoples in their history and therefore incorporated social customs of neighbors into their life. The Turkana and the Karamojong of Uganda, who they neighbor, appear to have had the most influence on the Pokot. Those who are cultivators mainly grow corn/maize. Nevertheless, whether a pastoralist or a farmer, wealth among the Pokot is measured by the number of cattle one has. The other major uses of cows are in bride price and barter trade. As long as a Pokot man has enough wealth in terms of cows to offer, marrying more than one wife is allowed.

Dairy products like milk are an important part of the diet of the Pokot. Porridge made from wild fruits boiled with a mixture of milk and blood, a repast rich in nutrients and iron is the staple of the Pokot diet. Using a special arrow, it's shot into the neck of a cow to drain blood without permanently causing harm to the animal.

The Tororot being the utmost god according to the Pokot, prayers and sacrifices are made to him during ethnic festivals and dances that are organized by their elders. Also, the Pokot have diviners who are in charge for maintaining the spiritual balance within their society. Being superstitious and believing in sorcery and sometimes calling on various forms of shielding lucky charms to ward off the ill will of any sorcerers is a part of their tradition. They also worship other deities like the sun, moon and believe in the spirit of death.

Governing within the Pokot community, is through a number of age-sets and association with any particular set is be determined by the age during which a Pokot goes through their initiation into that set group or society. It is typically between the ages of fifteen and twenty for the men while, it is around twelve, for the women. Matrimonial binds for the youngsters are allowed, once the initiation has been accomplished. As well, they begin taking part in the local economic functions. The bonds formed within the initiation groups, are close and are functional in future political ties as they progress through the positions in the tribal organization. At old age, they get a certain degree of status and the esteem that goes with it. Presiding over important tribal decisions, festivals and religious celebrations are the duties among others that elders are in charge of.

The Pokot are quite proud of their culture are bound to hold on to it in the future. Generally, Pokot women wear colorful necklaces and beaded headgears, brass jewelry and big loop type earrings whereas men wear just a few wrap garments and cowhide capes and shirts. They use beaded skirts to distinguish those females who have been initiated from those who haven't. Pokot warriors wear red clay on their hair, special headgears of feathers. Dances are an important aspect of their culture especially during social-cultural events.

 

i uploaded darkroom text i made for workshop on my site. it's for beginner and for film continuance in future. please download or print out it freely. its also including minimum darkroom goods for starting. but just it's my way. you better find your best film with best develop time and liquid temperature or developer, matching your photography. フィルム存続のため少しでも役立てればと、おれがワークショップ用に作ったテキストをサイトに載せました。これからフィルム現像を始めようというかたどうぞご参考に。現像に必要な最低限の用具なども記してます。フィルムや現像時間等はおれが通常やってるものなんで、皆さん自分にあったフィルム、現像時間、水温あるいは現像液を見つけてください。

junkunishimura.com/info.html

Panzerbricks display at HBME 2015. Unfortunately there was place to put only two thirds of the collection.

 

We also made a fast improvised diorama with the Panzerbricks train and some vehicles of another builder: "Tanki Sherman". He is a new builder but his creations were very nice, and we will probably do more collaborations in future events.

 

One of my favorite MOCs so far in my collection of 1 : 15 scale cars. The mighty URAL 375D. Lego fans will recognize the color as probably the most accurate, but at the same time the most crazy color choice - olive green. Took me about one year to collect all the pieces and make this happen.

Oh yea - it is fully motorized. Each axle is powered by L-motor. Steering my M-motor (I hate Servo motor for steering). But the most interesting part - each axle uses torsial anti-slip differential. And both rear axles are actually connected - so both rear L-motors power both rear axles. Uhh... I just love the solution and I'll probably try to use it in future MOCs too.

So - hope you like this. And as always - best of creativity to whatever you are doing! 😃 Stay safe!

Another from the muddy boots and loaf of bread session, down at Crosby.

 

This was intended to be the last in the series of muddy boots shots, but having taken stick over the level on the last shot, I just want to check the penultimate shot, I know its another that could be read as wonky:)... we'll see how that one goes.

 

That night I took around 150 frames, I've been pleased with the number and variation of shots that I have got out of what must have been an hour or so down at my local beach, the sky was spectacular, and conditions just right for some fun racing around getting my boots stuck in mud, but most importantly catching colours and fab reflections from the sky, along with the shots I have shown, there are many variations on a theme, I keep processing shots, only to have my excitement dashed, finding I've already done one too similar, I may share more of these in future but for now, I hope you have felt that all the shots have been worthy of some attention, thank you so much for your time.

 

So this one, again not a great shot, but for the sake of showing another aspect to the beach, I am down at the sharp end of the pipeline that features in several shots, looking back up towards the promenade and the alien looking structure that is Crosby baths.

    

Comments, faves and constructive crit., always very welcome, graphics not preferred

 

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Stock Shot

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Info on future stock shots: The plan is to have no watermarks in future shots, which are classed as stock. But if I didn't have any issues with adding any shots taken on the 10th to my feed, then this shot.

 

Along with a few others would not have a watermark.

Although many sniping advancements were pioneered in WWI, some in the British Army felt that sniping was only a phenomenon of trench warfare and would not be a useful tactic in future conflicts. Therefore, little was done at the battalion level to maintain and encourage sniping techniques.

 

However, during Germany's 1940 blitzkrieg into France, lone French and British snipers were able to significantly delay the German advance. For instance, during the pursuit to Dunkirk, British snipers held up the German infantry for a considerable amount of time.

 

These sniping successes prompted the British to increase training of specialized sniper units. Along with marksmanship, British snipers were trained to blend in with the environment, often by using special camouflage clothing, such as the Denison smock or a ghillie suit. The British Army only offered sniper training to officers and non-commissioned officers. As a result, the training only produced a small number of snipers in combat units, which really reduced their overall effectiveness.

 

This sniper is armed with a scoped Lee-Enfield rifle and a No. 36M grenade.

 

God bless!

-The Historian

The 1989–90 Whitbread Round the World Race was run from Southampton to Southampton in 1989–90. It was run with several classes of yacht.

 

Steinlager 2 skippered by Peter Blake won the race easily. For the first time since 1981–82 (when the race comprised just four legs), the victor won every leg (albeit closely chased by both Grant Dalton's Fisher & Paykel NZ and Pierre Fehlmann's Merit entries). The vast difference in speed and capability of the many different boats involved in the 1989 to 1990 race lead to the creation of a committee to examine the commission of a Whitbread class boat for use in future races. Many of the Maxi yachts in this year's race were nearly twice the size (LOA) of the smallest, and carried well over twice the sail area. The net result of this was that many of the smaller boats finished the longer legs more than ten days after the leg winner. In the overall results, the last finisher was some 52 days behind Blake's Steinlager 2 128-day aggregate time. In addition, the cost of the big yachts was becoming too expensive to fund - even for the well sponsored teams like Steinlager, Rothmans and Merit. Eventually, the new class would be called the Whitbread 60.

 

The race featured the first all-woman crew on Tracy Edwards' Maiden. Although in a much smaller boat than many of their male counterparts the women fared well—claiming two leg victories in Division D.[1] Edwards was named yachtsman of the year and appointed MBE. Recently a documentary has been made about the team's participation in the race.

 

Central Auckland Statistical Area, Auckland, New Zealand