With the increasing popularity of windsurfing, there has actually even been an excellent increase in the variety of providers that design and also manufacture windsurfing equipment as well as equipments. This has not only caused a rise in the variety of equipment and devices yet likewise maintained the rates at a practical level. A leading producer of wetsuits as well as fashionable oceanfront wear, O'Neill gives an assortment of wetsuits for men and women. O'Neill has created wetsuits with firewall program insulation that have thermal insulation jersey.

 

29 Nov 2012

 

North America and Mainland Europe hold the key to tourism growth next year, according to Tourism Ireland, as it launched its marketing plans for 2013 today. The plans will see visitor numbers to the island of Ireland increase by +5% to 7.6 million in 2013, contributing €3.7 billion (+6%) to the economies, north and south.

 

2012 looks set to be one of the strongest years ever for visitors from North America to Ireland (since the previous high of 2007, when we welcomed over one million visitors). And, with the number of airline seats from the United States to Ireland set to grow by +20% for the summer of 2013, Tourism Ireland believes this is a market of considerable potential. A new three-year plan – “Make Ireland Jump Out” – will be rolled out in the US in 2013. It aims to increase the number of American visitors by +20% between 2013 and 2015 and to win a greater share of all travel by Americans to Europe.

 

Mainland Europe is also an increasingly important market for Irish tourism, now delivering even more holidaymakers and revenue than Great Britain. For 2013, Tourism Ireland aims to welcome almost 2.5 million European visitors (an increase of +4.4%). The organisation’s resources will be prioritised in the two key markets of Germany and France – followed by Italy, the Nordics, Spain and the Netherlands. And a new strategy for Great Britain, our largest tourism market – “GB Path to Growth” – will be implemented, to grow the number of British holidaymakers by +20% i.e. an additional 200,000 holiday visitors per year by 2016.

 

Details of Tourism Ireland’s brand new website Ireland.com were also unveiled at today’s event. The new site, which will go live in time for January 2013, will appear in 11 different language versions for over 30 individual markets around the world. It has been completely redeveloped to provide a transformed web experience for potential holidaymakers around the world. It has been specially designed to capitalise on the huge importance of the internet in planning and booking holidays today and to harness the phenomenal growth in social media. A new domain name for the site, Ireland.com, with its ease of recognition and memorability, will ensure greater ‘stand-out’ for the destination around the world and deliver savings in promotions and search engine optimisation (SEO) activity.

 

Australia and emerging tourism markets also look set to experience a record year in 2012 – thanks in part to improved access, with more air routes than ever before via the Middle East providing good connectivity from Australia, China and India. For 2013, Tourism Ireland will continue its successful strategy of working with airlines, the travel trade and industry partners, as well as influential media in those markets – highlighting ease of access, the visa waiver scheme and the many compelling reasons to visit Ireland. A combined UK and Ireland visa has the potential to deliver additional growth from these markets.

 

The major focus of Tourism Ireland’s promotions next year will be The Gathering Ireland 2013, the biggest and most ambitious tourism-led event ever held in Ireland. Tourism Ireland will promote The Gathering throughout the year to the 70 million people across the world who feel linked by family, friends or otherwise with Ireland.

 

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said: “Tourism is central to Government plans for economic recovery. Shortly after the election we brought in a range of measures to support the sector, including a special tourism VAT rate of 9%. Next year, Ireland will host the biggest single tourism event ever held in Ireland, The Gathering Ireland 2013. Everybody in Government, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland is leaving no stone unturned to reach our ambitious target of 325,000 extra visitors next year. With the support of the wider community at home and abroad, I am confident we can deliver growth of over 5% in overseas visits next year, with the knock-on benefits in terms of revenue and jobs in every part of the country.”

 

2012 performance

Latest estimates indicate that, by year end, 7.27 million people will have visited the island in 2012, generating revenue of approximately €3.51 billion. Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “2012 has been something of a mixed year, with Dublin and other cites, as well as the tourism ‘honeypots’ doing quite well, but with rural and outlying areas finding the going harder. Visitor numbers from North America and long-haul markets like Australia look set to reach or even exceed the records levels of 2007. The performance of Mainland European markets has also been quite strong. However, visitor numbers from Great Britain, our largest tourism market, have been disappointing, with a flat economy and weak consumer confidence having a significant impact on travel by Britons throughout the year.”

 

Global Connections for Tourism Growth: 2013 and beyond

Tourism Ireland’s targets for 2013 will see the island of Ireland welcoming 7.6 million visitors, representing growth in visitor numbers of + 5% over 2012. Commenting on the year ahead, Niall Gibbons said: “2013 is about setting us back on a path of sustained growth in the continuing difficult climate. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the pace of economic recovery in our key source markets, we believe that our marketing activity around the globe in 2013 can deliver a +5% increase in visitor numbers, with North American and Mainland Europe representing significant potential. The Gathering Ireland presents an unprecedented opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on Ireland around the world. And we will continue to work closely with our tourism partners, both at home and overseas, to achieve our common objectives and help drive economic regeneration.”

I've updated a few paragraphs here and there to reflect my current running total of uploads (520-530 and counting!), total combined views (15,000 since January 2010!), and of course, the gradual increasing number of pictures of myself. Can you believe at the beginning of this year I was afraid of showing my face on here? I can't believe how courageous I've become! I appreciate all the encouragement I've received so far.

 

In any case, I've updated where it's needed it, reflecting my current frame of mind and status of my photos on here, and of course, heartfelt thanks to all my friends, contacts, and admirers. I may not have hundreds, or thousands (And frankly, I'd rather have a few that care and interact, rather than many that just favorite and don't say anything.) but I'm happy for those who have added me, or have acknowledged my feedback on their pictures.

 

I've said it before, and I'll gladly say it as many times as I need to -- Flickr saved my life. Prior to last year, I didn't even exist on here, except solely in boy-mode, and then just photos of places and events I've been to. I found out about the TG community on here by accident, and got involved. In a way, it served to re-awaken something in me I kept hidden for so many years, out of shame and fear.

 

I'd like to once again thank the handful of people I've talked to for helping me get closer to the closet door. Someday very soon, if not already, I will make my way out of it, and forge a new path for myself. Thanks, once again!

 

As another way of saying "Thanks," I've drafted up something I'm still in the midst of hammering out. I'm still revising here and there, but I've adapted it into the "About Me" section of my blog site.

 

Piercings: None currently. (Planning to get ears pierced, one hole in each lobe, that’s about it. Maybe eventually my navel.)

Tattoos: None. (Never felt the need, plus they’d look all weird if I gained or lost any serious amount of weight. Besides, I’d have to decide on something I’d want to have for more or less the rest of my life, or spend $$ to get rid of it.)

Padding: Breasts only currently. (Stockings packed with birdseed route, hoping to get some decent breast forms eventually.)

Fingernails: Yes, I’ve grown my own out, and got away with it for the most part in boy-mode. Trimmed only when needed. I’ve been lax in keeping clear coat polish on them as of late, and they’ve frayed a bit.

Eyebrows: Still working on them, may need to actually have someone work with them. Mind you, I’m still a “part time” girl, so I don’t want to make it too obvious.

Body Hair: I shave or use depillatory lotion on a regular basis. Fortunately what I do have is very light. (Some on the chest, none on the back, lower legs, upper arms.) I kind of lucked out in that genetic area.

Makeup: I'm proud to say that I do my own. I've learned on my own, by seeing how others do it here and elsewhere, and thanks to encouragement from Bree Scott, I picked up my own copy of Kevyn Aucoin's "Making Faces" ^_^;

 

Personal Photo Policies:

* I don’t want to see pictures of anyone else’s “junk”, especially what doesn’t belong on a real girl. If I need to look at one, I’ll look at my own, thank you. ^_-;

* My photos of myself do not include any digital enhancements, save for the occasional fogging out of background (Such as a series of photos in my room, which, I admit, is an ongoing disaster area. ^_^;) – However, I do not enhance myself, save for any makeup. ^_^;

* I generally won’t do any headless shots. I took a leap of faith, and I’m confident enough to show myself off, save for the occasional early photo, or any that concentrates on a particular feature of my body or clothes that I like. My first few public photos were before I worked up the nerve to show my face online. So far, I haven’t had any harassment.

* About 95% of my photos on Flickr are public. I keep some of the more risque photos (Me in nothing but lingerie, or some more risque requests for friends, or some of my more experimental “fantasy” photos) filtered and flagged appropriately. I’d like to keep this Flickr account for a long, long while.

* Comments are appreciated, especially if you’re adding me, or favoriting my pictures. Feedback is important to me.

* I have a certain set of factors that determines where I add someone back. Not everyone who adds me gets added back. (Hint: See above.)

* I don’t care if guys add me. I’m cool with that, I’m trying to get used to a couple of people out there who have been flirting with me. As I stated in my profile, I like women. Technically, that means I’m straight when I’m in boy-mode, and when I’m Julie Anne, I’m a trans-lesbian. ^_^; I don’t want to go to bed with you. That’s not why I’m online here and on Flickr. ^_^;

* Deletions to my photos are very rare. If I didn’t want people to see it, I wouldn’t post it up.

* No guarantees on how long I will keep this photostream up. I’m sure, in time, when I find out what I want, I’ll figure out what I want to do. I do know that for those of us who go all the way into going full-time, eventually, in order to successfully pass, you have to become “invisible” – That may mean going into “deep stealth”, more or less cutting off ties with your past. For now, I’m a “part time” girl, and I may be for quite some time.

* Insults, rudeness, and general hate are ABSOLUTELY not tolerated. I have had to block at least one person over the past few months. Fortunately, I’ve been flying under the radar, so I really haven’t had to wield the ban-hammer too often.

* Criticism welcome, as long as it’s creative, and polite. Posts of a “You urgently needs a therapy” or similar nature, with the intent to humiliate me or shame me, because I’m not slim, or I don’t pass convincingly, will most likely earn you a permanent block.

* Any comments clearly hateful or insulting will be treated as a hate crime, and will be reported as such. You don’t want to go there with me.

* It’s a personal thing with me, but 95% of the time, I will use proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar. I like writing, I was better in English than just about anything else (except computers) in school and college. ^_^; There are times, however, when I’ll indulge the “omg” and “lol” side of me. ^_^;

* I have nothing but admiration for most of those who have been here longer than me. Sometimes I may be inspired to do my own spin on something I’ve seen. Inspiration strikes when I least expect it.

* I’m still trying to build up my confidence in commenting or adding other people. I’d rather have a handful of close friends I talk to on a somewhat regular basis, than thousands of contacts who just come here for the “pretty” (heh heh) pictures, or just to see what I do next.

* … That doesn’t mean I won’t keep pushing the boundaries. This is a lifelong journey, and I’m going to have as much fun as I can along the way.

On the history of women's studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

1897

Conservative journalist A.F. Seligmann founded the art school for women and girls and taught there as a single teacher 16 students in the "Curs for head and act". 1898 expands the school: Tina Blau, a former teacher of the Munich artists association conducts 1.1.1898 a "Curs for landscape and still-life", which she held until 1915. Richard Kauffungen was nominated for sculpture, Ludwig Michalek led the "Curs for head and act" as well as an Radierkurs (etching course), Adolf Böhm the course for decorative and applied arts, Fabiani teaches ornamentation and style of teaching as well as "Modern home furnishings", Georg Klimt taught metalwork, Friedrich King wood cutting art and Hans Tichy from 1900 the drawing and painting from the living model. In all these teachers are moderate modern artists from the area of the Secession. The theoretical lectures are held in the company founded by Emil Zuckerkandl and Julius Tandler 1900 "Association of Austrian university lecturers Athenaeum", which had the task to be "an educational institution for members of the female sex". The first school year was completed with 64 students, the school is rapidly expanding, so that it forms 200-300 students annually within a few years. The steady growth is due to the restrictive attitude of the public schools of art (especially the academy) towards women, but also from the indiscriminate admission of which have been blamed all the private schools also on the part of women harshly, and just by women.

1904

The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is one of the many requests for opening the Academy for students once again putting the old arguments against that women are rarely equipped with creative spirit in the field of great art and the other a "proliferation of dilettantism and a pushing back of male members" is to be feared. Just the idea of a joint education had "abhorred" the College. The Academy therefore advocates for the financial support of the art school for women and girls, and rejects the application for opening the academy for women unanimously. The main argument for the impossibility of the joint Aktzeichnens (nude drawing) and the need for a second Aktsaales (nude hall) is increasingly mentioned, which cannot be realized because lack of space and lack of money. Henni Lehmann (Artistic studies of women, Darmstadt 1913) countered the same argument in Germany: "The common nude studies of women and men can not be described as impossible as it is done in many places, without having shown any grievances". The objection of the Quorum of the Berlin University professors that no teacher could be forced to teach women at all in such delicate subjects is countered that the problem was easily solved by entrusting a lady the Aktunterricht (nude drawing) in ladies. Suitable artists were plentiful present. That the life drawing for a long time (until 1937) remained problematic, shows the application of the renowned sculptor Teresa F. Ries of 1931, in which she was offering the Academy her services for the purpose of the management of a yet to be affiliated department, where young girls separated from the young men could work under the direction of a woman. The application was not even put to a vote.

1912

The rector of the Munich Academy also does not believe in the inclusion of students (female ones): "... it is impossible, even with regard to the space conditions, apart from that that the aspirations of the artists who devote themselves to the arts especially are usually others than that of women..."

1913

No significant change in attitude can be found between the opinions of the Academies from 1904 and those of 1913.

1919

In the report from the College's meeting of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna to the State Office of Internal Affairs and Teaching is communicated that against the requested admission there were no fundamental objections, but that the Academy is so limited in spatial relationship, that after the experiences of the last entrance exams not even the majority of gifted young artists, capable of studying, could be included, and therefore, in case of the admission of women to the study initially had to be made ​​a considerable expansion. The State Office counters that a further delay in the admission of women to the academic study could not be justified and that approval is to allow at least temporarily in a narrow frame.

1920

The State Office for the Interior and Education officially approved the admission of women to study at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (since 1919 women were admitted to all faculties of the University of Vienna, with the exception of the Catholic and Protestant Theological Faculty).

A committee consisting of the professors Bacher, Delug, Schmutzer, and Jettmar Muellner claims that the Academy has never pronounced in principle against women's studies but have always only expressed reservations because of the cramped space and financial situation. As a complete novelty proves that no more concerns are raised with regard to coeducation. Men and women should compete in the entrance examination. In the winter semester 1920/21 will be included 14 women, of course, representing only a small minority in relation to the 250 male students.

1926/1927

In the new study regulations are for the first time mentioned Schüler (M) and Schülerinnen (F).

March 1927

Report of the Academy of Fine and Applied Arts about the experiences regarding the access of women to universities: ..."in past years it was thought for the education of women and girls by the Academy of Women for Liberal and Applied Art, which is also equipped with academic classes and by the State subsidized, sufficiently having taken precautions: during a period of almost seven years of study, it was probably possible to get a clear picture about the access applications of women, and about the degree course ... Of course, the number of female candidates in the painting is strongest, weaker in sculpture, and very low in the architecture. As much already now can be said, that in no way in terms of education in the new admissions the women are left behind the male candidates. During the study period, the female students are not in diligence and seriousness of studying behind their male colleagues. Particularly gratifying can be emphasized that because of the co-education of both sexes in common rooms in the individual schools a win-win situation for everybody was. In the master schools the College was repeatedly able also honouring women with academic prices. Subsuming, it should be emphasized that our experiences with the study of women in the Academy of Fine Arts were quite favorable."

The number of students (Studentinnen) increased from 5 % in the winter semester 1920/1921 till 1939/1940 to about 25 %. After the annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany, the number of students (Studentinnen) decreased. The proportion of female students rose after 1940 naturally, reached during the war years up to 70 % and amounted 1945/1946 to 65%. From 1946/1947 the number of students (Studentinnen) fell sharply again, so 1952/1953 only 20% of the students at the Academy were women. 1963/1964 there were, however, already 41% (278).

2002

Students (Studentinnen): 570 of 936 students

University professors (Universitätsprofessorinnen): 9 out of 29

Ao Univ. (extraordinary female professors) 2 of 12

Univ.Ass. (female university assistant) 18 of 41

Contract teachers (Vertragslehrerinnen): 3 of 7

Lecturer (Lehrbeautragte): 32 of 46

 

Almut Krapf

www.akbild.ac.at/Portal/akademie/uber-uns/Organisation/ar...

Some background:

The Bentley 4½ Litre was a British car based on a rolling chassis built by Bentley Motors. Walter Owen Bentley replaced the Bentley 3 Litre with a more powerful car by increasing its engine displacement to 4.4 L (270 cu in).

Bentley buyers used their cars for personal transport and arranged for their new chassis to be fitted with various body styles, mostly saloons or tourers. However, the publicity brought by their competition programme was invaluable for marketing Bentley's cars.

 

At the time, noted car manufacturers such as Bugatti and Lorraine-Dietrich focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a popular automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.

A total of 720 4½ Litre cars were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55 cars with a supercharged engine popularly known as the Blower Bentley. A 4½ Litre Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928. Though the supercharged 4½ Litre Bentley's competitive performance was not outstanding, it set several speed records, most famously the Bentley Blower No.1 Monoposto in 1932 at Brooklands with a recorded speed of 222.03 km/h (138 mph).

 

Although the Bentley 4½ Litre was heavy, weighing 1,625 kg (3,583 lb), and spacious, with a length of 4,380 mm (172 in) and a wheelbase of 3,302 mm (130.0 in), it remained well-balanced and steered nimbly. The manual transmission, however, required skill, as its four gears were unsynchronised.

 

The robustness of the 4½ Litre's lattice chassis, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine. The engine was "resolutely modern" for the time. The displacement was 4,398 cc (268.4 cu in): 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke. Two SU carburetters and dual ignition with Bosch magnetos were fitted. The engine produced 110 hp (82 kW) for the touring model and 130 hp (97 kW) for the racing model. The engine speed was limited to 4,000 rpm.

A single overhead camshaft actuated four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder. The camshaft was driven by bevel gears on a vertical shaft at the front of the engine, as on the 3 Litre engine.

 

The Bentley's tanks - radiator, oil and petrol - had quick release filler caps that opened with one stroke of a lever. This saved time during pit stops. The 4½ was equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann body. The hood structure was very light but with high wind resistance (24 Hours Le Mans rules between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps for which the hood had to be closed). The steering wheel measured about 45 cm (18 in) in diameter and was wrapped with solid braided rope for improved grip. Brakes were conventional, consisting of 17-inch (430 mm) drum brakes finned for improved cooling and operated by rod. Semi-elliptic leaf springs were used at front and rear.

  

Building the kit and its display box:

I normally do not build large scale kits, except for some anime character figures, and I especially stay away from car models because I find it very hard to come close to the impression of the real thing. But this one was a personal thing, and I got motivated enough to tackle this challenge that caused some sweat and shivers. Another reason for the tension was the fact that it was intended as a present - and I normally do not build models for others, be it as a gift or on a contract work basis.

 

The background is that a colleage of mine will retire soon, an illustrator and a big oldtimer enthusiast at the same time. I was not able to hunt down a model of the vintage car he actually owns, but I remembered that he frequently takes part with his club at a local car exhibition, called the "Classic Days" at a location called Schloss Dyck. There he had had the opportunity some time ago to take a ride in a Bentley 4.5 litre "Blower", and I saw the fascinationn in his eyes when he recounted the events. We also talked about car models, and I mentioned the 1:24 Heller kit of the car. So, as a "farewell" gift, I decided to tackle this souvenir project, since the Bentley drive obviously meant a lot to him, and it's a quite personal gift, for a highly respected, artistic person.

 

Since this was to be a gift for a non-modeler, I also had to make sure that the car model could later be safely stored, transported and displayed, so some kind of base or display bon on top was a must - and I think I found a nice solution, even with integrated lighting!

 

As already mentioned, the model is the 1:24 Heller kit from 1978, in this case the more recent Revell re-boxing. While the kit remained unchanged (even the Heller brand is still part of the molds!), the benefit of this version is a very nice and thin decal sheet which covers some of the more delicate detail areas like gauges on the dashboard or the protective wire mesh for the headlights.

 

I had huge respect for the kit - I have actually built less than 10 car models in my 40+ years of kit building. So the work started with detail picture research, esp. of the engine and from the cockpit, and I organized appropriate paints (see below).

Work started slowly with the wheels, then the engine followed, the steerable front suspension, the chassis, the cabin section and finally the engine cowling and the mudguards with the finished wheels. Since I lack experience with cars I stuck close to the instructions and really took my time, because the whole thing went together only step by step, with painting and esp. drying intermissions. Much less quickly than my normal tempo with more familiar topics.

 

The kit remained basically OOB, and I must say that I am impressed how well it went together. The car kits I remember were less cooperative - but the Heller Bentley was actually a pleasant, yet challenging, build. Some issues I had were the chrome parts, which had to be attached with superglue, and their attachment points to the sprues (the same green plastic is used for the chrome parts, too - a different materiallike silver or light grey would have made life easier!) could only hardly be hidden with paint.

 

The plastic itself turned out to be relatively soft, too - while it made cleaning easy, this caused in the end some directional issues which had to be "professionally hidden": Once the cabin had been mounted to the frame and work on the cowling started, I recognized that the frame in front of the cabin was not straight anymore - I guess due to the engine block which sits deep between the front beams. While this was not really recognizable, the engine covers would not fit anymore, leaving small but unpleasant gaps.

The engine is OOB not über-detailed, and I actually only wanted to open the left half of the cocling for the diorama. However, with this flaw I eventually decided to open both sides, what resulted in having the cowling covers sawn into two parts each and arranging them in open positions. Quite fiddly, and I also replaced the OOB leather straps that normally hold the cowling covers closed with textured adhesive tape, for a more voluminous look. The engine also received some additional cables and hoses - nothing fancy, though, but better than the quite bleak OOB offering.

 

Some minor details were added in the cabin: a floor mat (made from paper, it looks like being made from cocos fibre) covers the area in front of the seats and the steering wheel was wrapped with cord - a detail that many Bentleys with race history shared, for a better grip for the driver.

 

Overall, the car model was painted with pure Humbrol 239 (British Racing Green) enamel paint, except for the passenger section. Here I found Revell's instructions to be a bit contradictive, because I do not believe in a fully painted car, esp. on this specific Le Mans race car. I even found a picture of the real car as an exhibition piece, and it rather shows a faux leather or vinyl cladding of the passenger compartment - in a similar dark green tone, but rather matt, with only a little shine, and with a lighter color due to the rougher surface. So I rather tried to emulate this look, which would also make the model IMHO look more interesting.

As a fopundation I used a mix of Humbrol 239 and 75 (Bronze Green), on top of which I later dry-brushed Revell 363 (Dark Green). The effect and the gloss level looked better than expected - I feared a rather worn/used look - and I eventually did not apply and clear varnish to this area. In fact, no varnish was applied to the whole model because the finish looked quite convincing!

 

The frame and the engine were slightly weathered with a black ink wash, and once the model was assembled I added some oil stains to the engine and the lower hull, and applied dust and dirt through mineral artist pigments to the wheels with their soft vinyl tires and the whole lower car body. I wanted the car to look basically clean and in good shape, just like a museum piece, but having been driven enthusiastically along some dusty country roads (see below). And this worked out quite well!

  

Since I wanted a safe store for the model I tried to find a suitable display box and found an almost perfect solution in SYNAS from Ikea. The sturdy SYNAS box (it's actually sold as a toy/Children's lamp!?) had very good dimensions for what I had in mind. Unfortunately it is only available in white, but for its price I would not argue. As a bonus it even comes with integrated LED lighting in the floor, as a rim of lights along the side walls. I tried to exploit this through a display base that would leave a 1cm gap all around, so that light could be reflected upwards and from the clear side walls and the lid onto the model.

 

The base was created with old school methods: a piece of MDF wood, on top of which I added a piece of cobblestone street and grass embankment, trying to capture the rural atmosphere around Schloss Dyck. Due to the large scale of the model I sculpted a light side slope under the pavement (a Tamiya print with a light 3D effect), created with plaster and fine carpenter putty. The embankment was sculpted with plaster, too.

The cobblestone cardboard was simply glued to the surface, trimmed down, and then a fairing of the base's sides was added, thin balsa wood.

Next came the grass - again classic methods. First, the surface was soaked with a mix of water, white glue and brown dispersion paint, and fine sand rinsed over the surfaces. Once dry, another mix of water, white glue and more paint was applied, into which foamed plastic turf of different colors and sizes was dusted. After anothetr drying period this area was sprayed with contact glue and grass fibres were applied - unfortunately a little more than expected. However, the result still looks good.

 

At the border to the street, the area was covered with mineral pigments, simulating mud and dust, and on the right side I tried to add a puddle, made from Humbrol Clearfix and glue. For some more ambiance I scratched a typical German "local sight" roadsign from cardboard and wood, and I also added a pair of "Classic Days" posters to the mast. Once in place I finally added some higher grass bushels (brush fibres) and sticks (dried moss), sealing everything in place with acralic varnish from the rattle can.

 

In order to motivate the Bentley's open cowling, I tried to set an engine failure into scene: with the car abandoned during the Classic Days' demo races along the local country roads, parked at the side of the street, and with a puddle of engine below and a small trail of oil behind the car (created with Tamiya "Smoke", perfect stuff for this task!). A hay bale, actually accessory stuff for toy tractors and in fact a square piece of wood, covered with straw chips, subtly hint at this occasion.

 

Finally, for safe transport, the model was attached to the base with thin wire, the base glued to the light box' floor with double-sided adhesive tape and finally enclosed.

  

Quite a lot of work, the car model alone took four patient weeks to fully materialize, and the base in the SYNAS box took another two weeks, even though work proceeded partly in parallel. However, I am positively surprised how well this build turned out - the Heller kit was better/easier to assemble than expected, and many problems along the way could be solved with patience and creative solutions.

 

Image Courtesy: Tim J Keegan (www.flickr.com/photos/suburbanbloke/382020681), Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic | Flickr

Manufactured by VEB Rheinmetall Büromachinenwerk-Sömmerda,Thüringen, East Germany

Model: c.1955, VEB Welta-Kamera-Werk designed, Rheinmetall made

all Weltax produced between 1939-1959

Folder film camera, film 120 roll, dual format 6x6 and 6x4.5cm w/ a mask

Engraving on the upper front of the camera: Weltax

Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 75mm f/3.5, four element, filter: slip-on, serial no. 3994878

Aperture: f/3.5-f/22 setting: lever and scale behind the lens-shutter barrel

Focusing: manual front focusing

Focus range: 1-15m +inf

Shutter: Tempor leaf shutter,speeds: 1-1/250 +B

setting: ring and scale on the lens-shutter barrel

Shutter release: on the left of the top plate

Cocking lever: on the shutter

Cable release socket: none

Viewfinder: simple optical finder, w/ format adjustment setting by a sliding button on the finder, and w/ parallax adjustment setting near / infinity by a sliding button on the right side of the finder, when the button marks inf. the back part of the finder is slightly lower position, when on N, finder rises upwards slightly, press the finder for turning inf. position

Winding knob: on the right of the top plate

Flash PC socket: on the lens-shutter barrel

Cold-shoe: none

Self-timer: by a small knob, on the lens-shutter barrel

Bellows opening: by a knob on the bottom plate, closing: press the struts downwards

Film loading: a special mechanism on the spools

Back cover: hinged, w/ two orange windows for 6x6 and 6x4.5, w/ buil-in lid,

Back cover opens with the left side part of the camera by a latch under the hand-grip

Engravings on the back cover: Rheinmetall and logo, MADE IN GERMANY,

and a number: 37/286/0000

Engraving on the bottom plate: Rheinmetall and logo

Tripod socket: old 3/8'', on the bottom plate

Lugs for hand-grip

Body: metal, Weight: 599g

serial no. 81138 (inside the camera)

+original leather ever-ready case

 

Originally Welta was a German camera maker based in Freital. It made a number of medium-priced folders before World War II, and its camera production was quite comparable to Balda and Certo. It also introduced two folding TLRs, the 6×6 Perfekta and the 6×9 Superfekta.

After the war Welta continued production with a range evolved from the prewar models in East Germany as a state company, VEB Welta-Kamera-Werk. It became a part of the large VEB Kamera- und Kinowerk Dresden in 1959, a state owned conglomerate of East-German cameramakers that was to become VEB Pentacon in 1964.

The original Weltax had the advance button on the bottom, while most post-war items have it on top. Weltax was available with many various lens and shutter combinations.

Due to the high demand for cameras and to increase production, part of the manufacturing was shifted to VEB Rheinmetall.

The Tempor was an East Germany made shutter. It seems to be a copy of Prontor S range and it was a sturdy and reliable shutter.

Here is Rheinmetall Weltax identical with original Welta Weltax.

Rheinmetall is better known for cannons than for cameras but after WWII they made or perhaps rather assembled cameras like the Exa and Exakta and this Weltax.

more info: The Camera Site and Lippisches Kamera Museum

  

Some background:

The Bentley 4½ Litre was a British car based on a rolling chassis built by Bentley Motors. Walter Owen Bentley replaced the Bentley 3 Litre with a more powerful car by increasing its engine displacement to 4.4 L (270 cu in).

Bentley buyers used their cars for personal transport and arranged for their new chassis to be fitted with various body styles, mostly saloons or tourers. However, the publicity brought by their competition programme was invaluable for marketing Bentley's cars.

 

At the time, noted car manufacturers such as Bugatti and Lorraine-Dietrich focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a popular automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.

A total of 720 4½ Litre cars were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55 cars with a supercharged engine popularly known as the Blower Bentley. A 4½ Litre Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928. Though the supercharged 4½ Litre Bentley's competitive performance was not outstanding, it set several speed records, most famously the Bentley Blower No.1 Monoposto in 1932 at Brooklands with a recorded speed of 222.03 km/h (138 mph).

 

Although the Bentley 4½ Litre was heavy, weighing 1,625 kg (3,583 lb), and spacious, with a length of 4,380 mm (172 in) and a wheelbase of 3,302 mm (130.0 in), it remained well-balanced and steered nimbly. The manual transmission, however, required skill, as its four gears were unsynchronised.

 

The robustness of the 4½ Litre's lattice chassis, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine. The engine was "resolutely modern" for the time. The displacement was 4,398 cc (268.4 cu in): 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke. Two SU carburetters and dual ignition with Bosch magnetos were fitted. The engine produced 110 hp (82 kW) for the touring model and 130 hp (97 kW) for the racing model. The engine speed was limited to 4,000 rpm.

A single overhead camshaft actuated four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder. The camshaft was driven by bevel gears on a vertical shaft at the front of the engine, as on the 3 Litre engine.

 

The Bentley's tanks - radiator, oil and petrol - had quick release filler caps that opened with one stroke of a lever. This saved time during pit stops. The 4½ was equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann body. The hood structure was very light but with high wind resistance (24 Hours Le Mans rules between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps for which the hood had to be closed). The steering wheel measured about 45 cm (18 in) in diameter and was wrapped with solid braided rope for improved grip. Brakes were conventional, consisting of 17-inch (430 mm) drum brakes finned for improved cooling and operated by rod. Semi-elliptic leaf springs were used at front and rear.

  

Building the kit and its display box:

I normally do not build large scale kits, except for some anime character figures, and I especially stay away from car models because I find it very hard to come close to the impression of the real thing. But this one was a personal thing, and I got motivated enough to tackle this challenge that caused some sweat and shivers. Another reason for the tension was the fact that it was intended as a present - and I normally do not build models for others, be it as a gift or on a contract work basis.

 

The background is that a colleage of mine will retire soon, an illustrator and a big oldtimer enthusiast at the same time. I was not able to hunt down a model of the vintage car he actually owns, but I remembered that he frequently takes part with his club at a local car exhibition, called the "Classic Days" at a location called Schloss Dyck. There he had had the opportunity some time ago to take a ride in a Bentley 4.5 litre "Blower", and I saw the fascinationn in his eyes when he recounted the events. We also talked about car models, and I mentioned the 1:24 Heller kit of the car. So, as a "farewell" gift, I decided to tackle this souvenir project, since the Bentley drive obviously meant a lot to him, and it's a quite personal gift, for a highly respected, artistic person.

 

Since this was to be a gift for a non-modeler, I also had to make sure that the car model could later be safely stored, transported and displayed, so some kind of base or display bon on top was a must - and I think I found a nice solution, even with integrated lighting!

 

As already mentioned, the model is the 1:24 Heller kit from 1978, in this case the more recent Revell re-boxing. While the kit remained unchanged (even the Heller brand is still part of the molds!), the benefit of this version is a very nice and thin decal sheet which covers some of the more delicate detail areas like gauges on the dashboard or the protective wire mesh for the headlights.

 

I had huge respect for the kit - I have actually built less than 10 car models in my 40+ years of kit building. So the work started with detail picture research, esp. of the engine and from the cockpit, and I organized appropriate paints (see below).

Work started slowly with the wheels, then the engine followed, the steerable front suspension, the chassis, the cabin section and finally the engine cowling and the mudguards with the finished wheels. Since I lack experience with cars I stuck close to the instructions and really took my time, because the whole thing went together only step by step, with painting and esp. drying intermissions. Much less quickly than my normal tempo with more familiar topics.

 

The kit remained basically OOB, and I must say that I am impressed how well it went together. The car kits I remember were less cooperative - but the Heller Bentley was actually a pleasant, yet challenging, build. Some issues I had were the chrome parts, which had to be attached with superglue, and their attachment points to the sprues (the same green plastic is used for the chrome parts, too - a different materiallike silver or light grey would have made life easier!) could only hardly be hidden with paint.

 

The plastic itself turned out to be relatively soft, too - while it made cleaning easy, this caused in the end some directional issues which had to be "professionally hidden": Once the cabin had been mounted to the frame and work on the cowling started, I recognized that the frame in front of the cabin was not straight anymore - I guess due to the engine block which sits deep between the front beams. While this was not really recognizable, the engine covers would not fit anymore, leaving small but unpleasant gaps.

The engine is OOB not über-detailed, and I actually only wanted to open the left half of the cocling for the diorama. However, with this flaw I eventually decided to open both sides, what resulted in having the cowling covers sawn into two parts each and arranging them in open positions. Quite fiddly, and I also replaced the OOB leather straps that normally hold the cowling covers closed with textured adhesive tape, for a more voluminous look. The engine also received some additional cables and hoses - nothing fancy, though, but better than the quite bleak OOB offering.

 

Some minor details were added in the cabin: a floor mat (made from paper, it looks like being made from cocos fibre) covers the area in front of the seats and the steering wheel was wrapped with cord - a detail that many Bentleys with race history shared, for a better grip for the driver.

 

Overall, the car model was painted with pure Humbrol 239 (British Racing Green) enamel paint, except for the passenger section. Here I found Revell's instructions to be a bit contradictive, because I do not believe in a fully painted car, esp. on this specific Le Mans race car. I even found a picture of the real car as an exhibition piece, and it rather shows a faux leather or vinyl cladding of the passenger compartment - in a similar dark green tone, but rather matt, with only a little shine, and with a lighter color due to the rougher surface. So I rather tried to emulate this look, which would also make the model IMHO look more interesting.

As a fopundation I used a mix of Humbrol 239 and 75 (Bronze Green), on top of which I later dry-brushed Revell 363 (Dark Green). The effect and the gloss level looked better than expected - I feared a rather worn/used look - and I eventually did not apply and clear varnish to this area. In fact, no varnish was applied to the whole model because the finish looked quite convincing!

 

The frame and the engine were slightly weathered with a black ink wash, and once the model was assembled I added some oil stains to the engine and the lower hull, and applied dust and dirt through mineral artist pigments to the wheels with their soft vinyl tires and the whole lower car body. I wanted the car to look basically clean and in good shape, just like a museum piece, but having been driven enthusiastically along some dusty country roads (see below). And this worked out quite well!

  

Since I wanted a safe store for the model I tried to find a suitable display box and found an almost perfect solution in SYNAS from Ikea. The sturdy SYNAS box (it's actually sold as a toy/Children's lamp!?) had very good dimensions for what I had in mind. Unfortunately it is only available in white, but for its price I would not argue. As a bonus it even comes with integrated LED lighting in the floor, as a rim of lights along the side walls. I tried to exploit this through a display base that would leave a 1cm gap all around, so that light could be reflected upwards and from the clear side walls and the lid onto the model.

 

The base was created with old school methods: a piece of MDF wood, on top of which I added a piece of cobblestone street and grass embankment, trying to capture the rural atmosphere around Schloss Dyck. Due to the large scale of the model I sculpted a light side slope under the pavement (a Tamiya print with a light 3D effect), created with plaster and fine carpenter putty. The embankment was sculpted with plaster, too.

The cobblestone cardboard was simply glued to the surface, trimmed down, and then a fairing of the base's sides was added, thin balsa wood.

Next came the grass - again classic methods. First, the surface was soaked with a mix of water, white glue and brown dispersion paint, and fine sand rinsed over the surfaces. Once dry, another mix of water, white glue and more paint was applied, into which foamed plastic turf of different colors and sizes was dusted. After anothetr drying period this area was sprayed with contact glue and grass fibres were applied - unfortunately a little more than expected. However, the result still looks good.

 

At the border to the street, the area was covered with mineral pigments, simulating mud and dust, and on the right side I tried to add a puddle, made from Humbrol Clearfix and glue. For some more ambiance I scratched a typical German "local sight" roadsign from cardboard and wood, and I also added a pair of "Classic Days" posters to the mast. Once in place I finally added some higher grass bushels (brush fibres) and sticks (dried moss), sealing everything in place with acralic varnish from the rattle can.

 

In order to motivate the Bentley's open cowling, I tried to set an engine failure into scene: with the car abandoned during the Classic Days' demo races along the local country roads, parked at the side of the street, and with a puddle of engine below and a small trail of oil behind the car (created with Tamiya "Smoke", perfect stuff for this task!). A hay bale, actually accessory stuff for toy tractors and in fact a square piece of wood, covered with straw chips, subtly hint at this occasion.

 

Finally, for safe transport, the model was attached to the base with thin wire, the base glued to the light box' floor with double-sided adhesive tape and finally enclosed.

  

Quite a lot of work, the car model alone took four patient weeks to fully materialize, and the base in the SYNAS box took another two weeks, even though work proceeded partly in parallel. However, I am positively surprised how well this build turned out - the Heller kit was better/easier to assemble than expected, and many problems along the way could be solved with patience and creative solutions.

 

Some background:

The Bentley 4½ Litre was a British car based on a rolling chassis built by Bentley Motors. Walter Owen Bentley replaced the Bentley 3 Litre with a more powerful car by increasing its engine displacement to 4.4 L (270 cu in).

Bentley buyers used their cars for personal transport and arranged for their new chassis to be fitted with various body styles, mostly saloons or tourers. However, the publicity brought by their competition programme was invaluable for marketing Bentley's cars.

 

At the time, noted car manufacturers such as Bugatti and Lorraine-Dietrich focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a popular automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.

A total of 720 4½ Litre cars were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55 cars with a supercharged engine popularly known as the Blower Bentley. A 4½ Litre Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928. Though the supercharged 4½ Litre Bentley's competitive performance was not outstanding, it set several speed records, most famously the Bentley Blower No.1 Monoposto in 1932 at Brooklands with a recorded speed of 222.03 km/h (138 mph).

 

Although the Bentley 4½ Litre was heavy, weighing 1,625 kg (3,583 lb), and spacious, with a length of 4,380 mm (172 in) and a wheelbase of 3,302 mm (130.0 in), it remained well-balanced and steered nimbly. The manual transmission, however, required skill, as its four gears were unsynchronised.

 

The robustness of the 4½ Litre's lattice chassis, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine. The engine was "resolutely modern" for the time. The displacement was 4,398 cc (268.4 cu in): 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke. Two SU carburetters and dual ignition with Bosch magnetos were fitted. The engine produced 110 hp (82 kW) for the touring model and 130 hp (97 kW) for the racing model. The engine speed was limited to 4,000 rpm.

A single overhead camshaft actuated four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder. The camshaft was driven by bevel gears on a vertical shaft at the front of the engine, as on the 3 Litre engine.

 

The Bentley's tanks - radiator, oil and petrol - had quick release filler caps that opened with one stroke of a lever. This saved time during pit stops. The 4½ was equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann body. The hood structure was very light but with high wind resistance (24 Hours Le Mans rules between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps for which the hood had to be closed). The steering wheel measured about 45 cm (18 in) in diameter and was wrapped with solid braided rope for improved grip. Brakes were conventional, consisting of 17-inch (430 mm) drum brakes finned for improved cooling and operated by rod. Semi-elliptic leaf springs were used at front and rear.

  

Building the kit and its display box:

I normally do not build large scale kits, except for some anime character figures, and I especially stay away from car models because I find it very hard to come close to the impression of the real thing. But this one was a personal thing, and I got motivated enough to tackle this challenge that caused some sweat and shivers. Another reason for the tension was the fact that it was intended as a present - and I normally do not build models for others, be it as a gift or on a contract work basis.

 

The background is that a colleage of mine will retire soon, an illustrator and a big oldtimer enthusiast at the same time. I was not able to hunt down a model of the vintage car he actually owns, but I remembered that he frequently takes part with his club at a local car exhibition, called the "Classic Days" at a location called Schloss Dyck. There he had had the opportunity some time ago to take a ride in a Bentley 4.5 litre "Blower", and I saw the fascinationn in his eyes when he recounted the events. We also talked about car models, and I mentioned the 1:24 Heller kit of the car. So, as a "farewell" gift, I decided to tackle this souvenir project, since the Bentley drive obviously meant a lot to him, and it's a quite personal gift, for a highly respected, artistic person.

 

Since this was to be a gift for a non-modeler, I also had to make sure that the car model could later be safely stored, transported and displayed, so some kind of base or display bon on top was a must - and I think I found a nice solution, even with integrated lighting!

 

As already mentioned, the model is the 1:24 Heller kit from 1978, in this case the more recent Revell re-boxing. While the kit remained unchanged (even the Heller brand is still part of the molds!), the benefit of this version is a very nice and thin decal sheet which covers some of the more delicate detail areas like gauges on the dashboard or the protective wire mesh for the headlights.

 

I had huge respect for the kit - I have actually built less than 10 car models in my 40+ years of kit building. So the work started with detail picture research, esp. of the engine and from the cockpit, and I organized appropriate paints (see below).

Work started slowly with the wheels, then the engine followed, the steerable front suspension, the chassis, the cabin section and finally the engine cowling and the mudguards with the finished wheels. Since I lack experience with cars I stuck close to the instructions and really took my time, because the whole thing went together only step by step, with painting and esp. drying intermissions. Much less quickly than my normal tempo with more familiar topics.

 

The kit remained basically OOB, and I must say that I am impressed how well it went together. The car kits I remember were less cooperative - but the Heller Bentley was actually a pleasant, yet challenging, build. Some issues I had were the chrome parts, which had to be attached with superglue, and their attachment points to the sprues (the same green plastic is used for the chrome parts, too - a different materiallike silver or light grey would have made life easier!) could only hardly be hidden with paint.

 

The plastic itself turned out to be relatively soft, too - while it made cleaning easy, this caused in the end some directional issues which had to be "professionally hidden": Once the cabin had been mounted to the frame and work on the cowling started, I recognized that the frame in front of the cabin was not straight anymore - I guess due to the engine block which sits deep between the front beams. While this was not really recognizable, the engine covers would not fit anymore, leaving small but unpleasant gaps.

The engine is OOB not über-detailed, and I actually only wanted to open the left half of the cocling for the diorama. However, with this flaw I eventually decided to open both sides, what resulted in having the cowling covers sawn into two parts each and arranging them in open positions. Quite fiddly, and I also replaced the OOB leather straps that normally hold the cowling covers closed with textured adhesive tape, for a more voluminous look. The engine also received some additional cables and hoses - nothing fancy, though, but better than the quite bleak OOB offering.

 

Some minor details were added in the cabin: a floor mat (made from paper, it looks like being made from cocos fibre) covers the area in front of the seats and the steering wheel was wrapped with cord - a detail that many Bentleys with race history shared, for a better grip for the driver.

 

Overall, the car model was painted with pure Humbrol 239 (British Racing Green) enamel paint, except for the passenger section. Here I found Revell's instructions to be a bit contradictive, because I do not believe in a fully painted car, esp. on this specific Le Mans race car. I even found a picture of the real car as an exhibition piece, and it rather shows a faux leather or vinyl cladding of the passenger compartment - in a similar dark green tone, but rather matt, with only a little shine, and with a lighter color due to the rougher surface. So I rather tried to emulate this look, which would also make the model IMHO look more interesting.

As a fopundation I used a mix of Humbrol 239 and 75 (Bronze Green), on top of which I later dry-brushed Revell 363 (Dark Green). The effect and the gloss level looked better than expected - I feared a rather worn/used look - and I eventually did not apply and clear varnish to this area. In fact, no varnish was applied to the whole model because the finish looked quite convincing!

 

The frame and the engine were slightly weathered with a black ink wash, and once the model was assembled I added some oil stains to the engine and the lower hull, and applied dust and dirt through mineral artist pigments to the wheels with their soft vinyl tires and the whole lower car body. I wanted the car to look basically clean and in good shape, just like a museum piece, but having been driven enthusiastically along some dusty country roads (see below). And this worked out quite well!

  

Since I wanted a safe store for the model I tried to find a suitable display box and found an almost perfect solution in SYNAS from Ikea. The sturdy SYNAS box (it's actually sold as a toy/Children's lamp!?) had very good dimensions for what I had in mind. Unfortunately it is only available in white, but for its price I would not argue. As a bonus it even comes with integrated LED lighting in the floor, as a rim of lights along the side walls. I tried to exploit this through a display base that would leave a 1cm gap all around, so that light could be reflected upwards and from the clear side walls and the lid onto the model.

 

The base was created with old school methods: a piece of MDF wood, on top of which I added a piece of cobblestone street and grass embankment, trying to capture the rural atmosphere around Schloss Dyck. Due to the large scale of the model I sculpted a light side slope under the pavement (a Tamiya print with a light 3D effect), created with plaster and fine carpenter putty. The embankment was sculpted with plaster, too.

The cobblestone cardboard was simply glued to the surface, trimmed down, and then a fairing of the base's sides was added, thin balsa wood.

Next came the grass - again classic methods. First, the surface was soaked with a mix of water, white glue and brown dispersion paint, and fine sand rinsed over the surfaces. Once dry, another mix of water, white glue and more paint was applied, into which foamed plastic turf of different colors and sizes was dusted. After anothetr drying period this area was sprayed with contact glue and grass fibres were applied - unfortunately a little more than expected. However, the result still looks good.

 

At the border to the street, the area was covered with mineral pigments, simulating mud and dust, and on the right side I tried to add a puddle, made from Humbrol Clearfix and glue. For some more ambiance I scratched a typical German "local sight" roadsign from cardboard and wood, and I also added a pair of "Classic Days" posters to the mast. Once in place I finally added some higher grass bushels (brush fibres) and sticks (dried moss), sealing everything in place with acralic varnish from the rattle can.

 

In order to motivate the Bentley's open cowling, I tried to set an engine failure into scene: with the car abandoned during the Classic Days' demo races along the local country roads, parked at the side of the street, and with a puddle of engine below and a small trail of oil behind the car (created with Tamiya "Smoke", perfect stuff for this task!). A hay bale, actually accessory stuff for toy tractors and in fact a square piece of wood, covered with straw chips, subtly hint at this occasion.

 

Finally, for safe transport, the model was attached to the base with thin wire, the base glued to the light box' floor with double-sided adhesive tape and finally enclosed.

  

Quite a lot of work, the car model alone took four patient weeks to fully materialize, and the base in the SYNAS box took another two weeks, even though work proceeded partly in parallel. However, I am positively surprised how well this build turned out - the Heller kit was better/easier to assemble than expected, and many problems along the way could be solved with patience and creative solutions.

 

Some background:

The Bentley 4½ Litre was a British car based on a rolling chassis built by Bentley Motors. Walter Owen Bentley replaced the Bentley 3 Litre with a more powerful car by increasing its engine displacement to 4.4 L (270 cu in).

Bentley buyers used their cars for personal transport and arranged for their new chassis to be fitted with various body styles, mostly saloons or tourers. However, the publicity brought by their competition programme was invaluable for marketing Bentley's cars.

 

At the time, noted car manufacturers such as Bugatti and Lorraine-Dietrich focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a popular automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.

A total of 720 4½ Litre cars were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55 cars with a supercharged engine popularly known as the Blower Bentley. A 4½ Litre Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928. Though the supercharged 4½ Litre Bentley's competitive performance was not outstanding, it set several speed records, most famously the Bentley Blower No.1 Monoposto in 1932 at Brooklands with a recorded speed of 222.03 km/h (138 mph).

 

Although the Bentley 4½ Litre was heavy, weighing 1,625 kg (3,583 lb), and spacious, with a length of 4,380 mm (172 in) and a wheelbase of 3,302 mm (130.0 in), it remained well-balanced and steered nimbly. The manual transmission, however, required skill, as its four gears were unsynchronised.

 

The robustness of the 4½ Litre's lattice chassis, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine. The engine was "resolutely modern" for the time. The displacement was 4,398 cc (268.4 cu in): 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke. Two SU carburetters and dual ignition with Bosch magnetos were fitted. The engine produced 110 hp (82 kW) for the touring model and 130 hp (97 kW) for the racing model. The engine speed was limited to 4,000 rpm.

A single overhead camshaft actuated four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder. The camshaft was driven by bevel gears on a vertical shaft at the front of the engine, as on the 3 Litre engine.

 

The Bentley's tanks - radiator, oil and petrol - had quick release filler caps that opened with one stroke of a lever. This saved time during pit stops. The 4½ was equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann body. The hood structure was very light but with high wind resistance (24 Hours Le Mans rules between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps for which the hood had to be closed). The steering wheel measured about 45 cm (18 in) in diameter and was wrapped with solid braided rope for improved grip. Brakes were conventional, consisting of 17-inch (430 mm) drum brakes finned for improved cooling and operated by rod. Semi-elliptic leaf springs were used at front and rear.

  

Building the kit and its display box:

I normally do not build large scale kits, except for some anime character figures, and I especially stay away from car models because I find it very hard to come close to the impression of the real thing. But this one was a personal thing, and I got motivated enough to tackle this challenge that caused some sweat and shivers. Another reason for the tension was the fact that it was intended as a present - and I normally do not build models for others, be it as a gift or on a contract work basis.

 

The background is that a colleage of mine will retire soon, an illustrator and a big oldtimer enthusiast at the same time. I was not able to hunt down a model of the vintage car he actually owns, but I remembered that he frequently takes part with his club at a local car exhibition, called the "Classic Days" at a location called Schloss Dyck. There he had had the opportunity some time ago to take a ride in a Bentley 4.5 litre "Blower", and I saw the fascinationn in his eyes when he recounted the events. We also talked about car models, and I mentioned the 1:24 Heller kit of the car. So, as a "farewell" gift, I decided to tackle this souvenir project, since the Bentley drive obviously meant a lot to him, and it's a quite personal gift, for a highly respected, artistic person.

 

Since this was to be a gift for a non-modeler, I also had to make sure that the car model could later be safely stored, transported and displayed, so some kind of base or display bon on top was a must - and I think I found a nice solution, even with integrated lighting!

 

As already mentioned, the model is the 1:24 Heller kit from 1978, in this case the more recent Revell re-boxing. While the kit remained unchanged (even the Heller brand is still part of the molds!), the benefit of this version is a very nice and thin decal sheet which covers some of the more delicate detail areas like gauges on the dashboard or the protective wire mesh for the headlights.

 

I had huge respect for the kit - I have actually built less than 10 car models in my 40+ years of kit building. So the work started with detail picture research, esp. of the engine and from the cockpit, and I organized appropriate paints (see below).

Work started slowly with the wheels, then the engine followed, the steerable front suspension, the chassis, the cabin section and finally the engine cowling and the mudguards with the finished wheels. Since I lack experience with cars I stuck close to the instructions and really took my time, because the whole thing went together only step by step, with painting and esp. drying intermissions. Much less quickly than my normal tempo with more familiar topics.

 

The kit remained basically OOB, and I must say that I am impressed how well it went together. The car kits I remember were less cooperative - but the Heller Bentley was actually a pleasant, yet challenging, build. Some issues I had were the chrome parts, which had to be attached with superglue, and their attachment points to the sprues (the same green plastic is used for the chrome parts, too - a different materiallike silver or light grey would have made life easier!) could only hardly be hidden with paint.

 

The plastic itself turned out to be relatively soft, too - while it made cleaning easy, this caused in the end some directional issues which had to be "professionally hidden": Once the cabin had been mounted to the frame and work on the cowling started, I recognized that the frame in front of the cabin was not straight anymore - I guess due to the engine block which sits deep between the front beams. While this was not really recognizable, the engine covers would not fit anymore, leaving small but unpleasant gaps.

The engine is OOB not über-detailed, and I actually only wanted to open the left half of the cocling for the diorama. However, with this flaw I eventually decided to open both sides, what resulted in having the cowling covers sawn into two parts each and arranging them in open positions. Quite fiddly, and I also replaced the OOB leather straps that normally hold the cowling covers closed with textured adhesive tape, for a more voluminous look. The engine also received some additional cables and hoses - nothing fancy, though, but better than the quite bleak OOB offering.

 

Some minor details were added in the cabin: a floor mat (made from paper, it looks like being made from cocos fibre) covers the area in front of the seats and the steering wheel was wrapped with cord - a detail that many Bentleys with race history shared, for a better grip for the driver.

 

Overall, the car model was painted with pure Humbrol 239 (British Racing Green) enamel paint, except for the passenger section. Here I found Revell's instructions to be a bit contradictive, because I do not believe in a fully painted car, esp. on this specific Le Mans race car. I even found a picture of the real car as an exhibition piece, and it rather shows a faux leather or vinyl cladding of the passenger compartment - in a similar dark green tone, but rather matt, with only a little shine, and with a lighter color due to the rougher surface. So I rather tried to emulate this look, which would also make the model IMHO look more interesting.

As a fopundation I used a mix of Humbrol 239 and 75 (Bronze Green), on top of which I later dry-brushed Revell 363 (Dark Green). The effect and the gloss level looked better than expected - I feared a rather worn/used look - and I eventually did not apply and clear varnish to this area. In fact, no varnish was applied to the whole model because the finish looked quite convincing!

 

The frame and the engine were slightly weathered with a black ink wash, and once the model was assembled I added some oil stains to the engine and the lower hull, and applied dust and dirt through mineral artist pigments to the wheels with their soft vinyl tires and the whole lower car body. I wanted the car to look basically clean and in good shape, just like a museum piece, but having been driven enthusiastically along some dusty country roads (see below). And this worked out quite well!

  

Since I wanted a safe store for the model I tried to find a suitable display box and found an almost perfect solution in SYNAS from Ikea. The sturdy SYNAS box (it's actually sold as a toy/Children's lamp!?) had very good dimensions for what I had in mind. Unfortunately it is only available in white, but for its price I would not argue. As a bonus it even comes with integrated LED lighting in the floor, as a rim of lights along the side walls. I tried to exploit this through a display base that would leave a 1cm gap all around, so that light could be reflected upwards and from the clear side walls and the lid onto the model.

 

The base was created with old school methods: a piece of MDF wood, on top of which I added a piece of cobblestone street and grass embankment, trying to capture the rural atmosphere around Schloss Dyck. Due to the large scale of the model I sculpted a light side slope under the pavement (a Tamiya print with a light 3D effect), created with plaster and fine carpenter putty. The embankment was sculpted with plaster, too.

The cobblestone cardboard was simply glued to the surface, trimmed down, and then a fairing of the base's sides was added, thin balsa wood.

Next came the grass - again classic methods. First, the surface was soaked with a mix of water, white glue and brown dispersion paint, and fine sand rinsed over the surfaces. Once dry, another mix of water, white glue and more paint was applied, into which foamed plastic turf of different colors and sizes was dusted. After anothetr drying period this area was sprayed with contact glue and grass fibres were applied - unfortunately a little more than expected. However, the result still looks good.

 

At the border to the street, the area was covered with mineral pigments, simulating mud and dust, and on the right side I tried to add a puddle, made from Humbrol Clearfix and glue. For some more ambiance I scratched a typical German "local sight" roadsign from cardboard and wood, and I also added a pair of "Classic Days" posters to the mast. Once in place I finally added some higher grass bushels (brush fibres) and sticks (dried moss), sealing everything in place with acralic varnish from the rattle can.

 

In order to motivate the Bentley's open cowling, I tried to set an engine failure into scene: with the car abandoned during the Classic Days' demo races along the local country roads, parked at the side of the street, and with a puddle of engine below and a small trail of oil behind the car (created with Tamiya "Smoke", perfect stuff for this task!). A hay bale, actually accessory stuff for toy tractors and in fact a square piece of wood, covered with straw chips, subtly hint at this occasion.

 

Finally, for safe transport, the model was attached to the base with thin wire, the base glued to the light box' floor with double-sided adhesive tape and finally enclosed.

  

Quite a lot of work, the car model alone took four patient weeks to fully materialize, and the base in the SYNAS box took another two weeks, even though work proceeded partly in parallel. However, I am positively surprised how well this build turned out - the Heller kit was better/easier to assemble than expected, and many problems along the way could be solved with patience and creative solutions.

 

Some background:

The Bentley 4½ Litre was a British car based on a rolling chassis built by Bentley Motors. Walter Owen Bentley replaced the Bentley 3 Litre with a more powerful car by increasing its engine displacement to 4.4 L (270 cu in).

Bentley buyers used their cars for personal transport and arranged for their new chassis to be fitted with various body styles, mostly saloons or tourers. However, the publicity brought by their competition programme was invaluable for marketing Bentley's cars.

 

At the time, noted car manufacturers such as Bugatti and Lorraine-Dietrich focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a popular automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.

A total of 720 4½ Litre cars were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55 cars with a supercharged engine popularly known as the Blower Bentley. A 4½ Litre Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928. Though the supercharged 4½ Litre Bentley's competitive performance was not outstanding, it set several speed records, most famously the Bentley Blower No.1 Monoposto in 1932 at Brooklands with a recorded speed of 222.03 km/h (138 mph).

 

Although the Bentley 4½ Litre was heavy, weighing 1,625 kg (3,583 lb), and spacious, with a length of 4,380 mm (172 in) and a wheelbase of 3,302 mm (130.0 in), it remained well-balanced and steered nimbly. The manual transmission, however, required skill, as its four gears were unsynchronised.

 

The robustness of the 4½ Litre's lattice chassis, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine. The engine was "resolutely modern" for the time. The displacement was 4,398 cc (268.4 cu in): 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke. Two SU carburetters and dual ignition with Bosch magnetos were fitted. The engine produced 110 hp (82 kW) for the touring model and 130 hp (97 kW) for the racing model. The engine speed was limited to 4,000 rpm.

A single overhead camshaft actuated four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder. The camshaft was driven by bevel gears on a vertical shaft at the front of the engine, as on the 3 Litre engine.

 

The Bentley's tanks - radiator, oil and petrol - had quick release filler caps that opened with one stroke of a lever. This saved time during pit stops. The 4½ was equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann body. The hood structure was very light but with high wind resistance (24 Hours Le Mans rules between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps for which the hood had to be closed). The steering wheel measured about 45 cm (18 in) in diameter and was wrapped with solid braided rope for improved grip. Brakes were conventional, consisting of 17-inch (430 mm) drum brakes finned for improved cooling and operated by rod. Semi-elliptic leaf springs were used at front and rear.

  

Building the kit and its display box:

I normally do not build large scale kits, except for some anime character figures, and I especially stay away from car models because I find it very hard to come close to the impression of the real thing. But this one was a personal thing, and I got motivated enough to tackle this challenge that caused some sweat and shivers. Another reason for the tension was the fact that it was intended as a present - and I normally do not build models for others, be it as a gift or on a contract work basis.

 

The background is that a colleage of mine will retire soon, an illustrator and a big oldtimer enthusiast at the same time. I was not able to hunt down a model of the vintage car he actually owns, but I remembered that he frequently takes part with his club at a local car exhibition, called the "Classic Days" at a location called Schloss Dyck. There he had had the opportunity some time ago to take a ride in a Bentley 4.5 litre "Blower", and I saw the fascinationn in his eyes when he recounted the events. We also talked about car models, and I mentioned the 1:24 Heller kit of the car. So, as a "farewell" gift, I decided to tackle this souvenir project, since the Bentley drive obviously meant a lot to him, and it's a quite personal gift, for a highly respected, artistic person.

 

Since this was to be a gift for a non-modeler, I also had to make sure that the car model could later be safely stored, transported and displayed, so some kind of base or display bon on top was a must - and I think I found a nice solution, even with integrated lighting!

 

As already mentioned, the model is the 1:24 Heller kit from 1978, in this case the more recent Revell re-boxing. While the kit remained unchanged (even the Heller brand is still part of the molds!), the benefit of this version is a very nice and thin decal sheet which covers some of the more delicate detail areas like gauges on the dashboard or the protective wire mesh for the headlights.

 

I had huge respect for the kit - I have actually built less than 10 car models in my 40+ years of kit building. So the work started with detail picture research, esp. of the engine and from the cockpit, and I organized appropriate paints (see below).

Work started slowly with the wheels, then the engine followed, the steerable front suspension, the chassis, the cabin section and finally the engine cowling and the mudguards with the finished wheels. Since I lack experience with cars I stuck close to the instructions and really took my time, because the whole thing went together only step by step, with painting and esp. drying intermissions. Much less quickly than my normal tempo with more familiar topics.

 

The kit remained basically OOB, and I must say that I am impressed how well it went together. The car kits I remember were less cooperative - but the Heller Bentley was actually a pleasant, yet challenging, build. Some issues I had were the chrome parts, which had to be attached with superglue, and their attachment points to the sprues (the same green plastic is used for the chrome parts, too - a different materiallike silver or light grey would have made life easier!) could only hardly be hidden with paint.

 

The plastic itself turned out to be relatively soft, too - while it made cleaning easy, this caused in the end some directional issues which had to be "professionally hidden": Once the cabin had been mounted to the frame and work on the cowling started, I recognized that the frame in front of the cabin was not straight anymore - I guess due to the engine block which sits deep between the front beams. While this was not really recognizable, the engine covers would not fit anymore, leaving small but unpleasant gaps.

The engine is OOB not über-detailed, and I actually only wanted to open the left half of the cocling for the diorama. However, with this flaw I eventually decided to open both sides, what resulted in having the cowling covers sawn into two parts each and arranging them in open positions. Quite fiddly, and I also replaced the OOB leather straps that normally hold the cowling covers closed with textured adhesive tape, for a more voluminous look. The engine also received some additional cables and hoses - nothing fancy, though, but better than the quite bleak OOB offering.

 

Some minor details were added in the cabin: a floor mat (made from paper, it looks like being made from cocos fibre) covers the area in front of the seats and the steering wheel was wrapped with cord - a detail that many Bentleys with race history shared, for a better grip for the driver.

 

Overall, the car model was painted with pure Humbrol 239 (British Racing Green) enamel paint, except for the passenger section. Here I found Revell's instructions to be a bit contradictive, because I do not believe in a fully painted car, esp. on this specific Le Mans race car. I even found a picture of the real car as an exhibition piece, and it rather shows a faux leather or vinyl cladding of the passenger compartment - in a similar dark green tone, but rather matt, with only a little shine, and with a lighter color due to the rougher surface. So I rather tried to emulate this look, which would also make the model IMHO look more interesting.

As a fopundation I used a mix of Humbrol 239 and 75 (Bronze Green), on top of which I later dry-brushed Revell 363 (Dark Green). The effect and the gloss level looked better than expected - I feared a rather worn/used look - and I eventually did not apply and clear varnish to this area. In fact, no varnish was applied to the whole model because the finish looked quite convincing!

 

The frame and the engine were slightly weathered with a black ink wash, and once the model was assembled I added some oil stains to the engine and the lower hull, and applied dust and dirt through mineral artist pigments to the wheels with their soft vinyl tires and the whole lower car body. I wanted the car to look basically clean and in good shape, just like a museum piece, but having been driven enthusiastically along some dusty country roads (see below). And this worked out quite well!

  

Since I wanted a safe store for the model I tried to find a suitable display box and found an almost perfect solution in SYNAS from Ikea. The sturdy SYNAS box (it's actually sold as a toy/Children's lamp!?) had very good dimensions for what I had in mind. Unfortunately it is only available in white, but for its price I would not argue. As a bonus it even comes with integrated LED lighting in the floor, as a rim of lights along the side walls. I tried to exploit this through a display base that would leave a 1cm gap all around, so that light could be reflected upwards and from the clear side walls and the lid onto the model.

 

The base was created with old school methods: a piece of MDF wood, on top of which I added a piece of cobblestone street and grass embankment, trying to capture the rural atmosphere around Schloss Dyck. Due to the large scale of the model I sculpted a light side slope under the pavement (a Tamiya print with a light 3D effect), created with plaster and fine carpenter putty. The embankment was sculpted with plaster, too.

The cobblestone cardboard was simply glued to the surface, trimmed down, and then a fairing of the base's sides was added, thin balsa wood.

Next came the grass - again classic methods. First, the surface was soaked with a mix of water, white glue and brown dispersion paint, and fine sand rinsed over the surfaces. Once dry, another mix of water, white glue and more paint was applied, into which foamed plastic turf of different colors and sizes was dusted. After anothetr drying period this area was sprayed with contact glue and grass fibres were applied - unfortunately a little more than expected. However, the result still looks good.

 

At the border to the street, the area was covered with mineral pigments, simulating mud and dust, and on the right side I tried to add a puddle, made from Humbrol Clearfix and glue. For some more ambiance I scratched a typical German "local sight" roadsign from cardboard and wood, and I also added a pair of "Classic Days" posters to the mast. Once in place I finally added some higher grass bushels (brush fibres) and sticks (dried moss), sealing everything in place with acralic varnish from the rattle can.

 

In order to motivate the Bentley's open cowling, I tried to set an engine failure into scene: with the car abandoned during the Classic Days' demo races along the local country roads, parked at the side of the street, and with a puddle of engine below and a small trail of oil behind the car (created with Tamiya "Smoke", perfect stuff for this task!). A hay bale, actually accessory stuff for toy tractors and in fact a square piece of wood, covered with straw chips, subtly hint at this occasion.

 

Finally, for safe transport, the model was attached to the base with thin wire, the base glued to the light box' floor with double-sided adhesive tape and finally enclosed.

  

Quite a lot of work, the car model alone took four patient weeks to fully materialize, and the base in the SYNAS box took another two weeks, even though work proceeded partly in parallel. However, I am positively surprised how well this build turned out - the Heller kit was better/easier to assemble than expected, and many problems along the way could be solved with patience and creative solutions.

 

Nha Trang (/ˌnɑːˈtʃæŋ/; Vietnamese: [ɲaː˧ ʈaːŋ˧] is a coastal city and capital of Khánh Hòa Province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the north by Ninh Hoà district, on the south by Cam Ranh town and on the west by Diên Khánh District. The city has about 392,000 inhabitants, a number that is projected to increase to 560,000 by 2015 and 630,000 inhabitants by 2025. An area of 12.87 square kilometres of the western communes of Diên An and Diên Toàn is planned to be merged into Nha Trang which will make its new area 265.47 square kilometres based on the approval of the Prime Minister of Vietnam in September 2012.

 

Nha Trang is well known for its beaches and scuba diving and has developed into a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers, as well as more affluent travelers on the south-east Asia circuit; it is already very popular with Vietnamese tourists, with Nha Trang Bay widely considered as among the world's most beautiful bays. Tourists are welcomed to participate in the Sea Festival, held biennially. Nha Trang was the site of the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant on July 14, 2008 and Miss Earth 2010 was held on December 4, 2010. It was also the site for the April 14, 2015 season 8 finale of Face Off. Nha Trang was approved to host the 2016 Asian Beach Games.

 

Historically, the city was known as Kauthara under the Champa. The city is still home to the famous Po Nagar Tower built by the Champa. Being a coastal city, Nha Trang is a centre for marine science based at the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute. The Hon Mun marine protected area is one of four first marine protected areas in the world admitted by the IUCN.

 

ETYMOLOGY

According to some researchers, the name Nha Trang derives from a Vietnamese spelling of the Cham language name of the site Ya Trang (literally "Reed River"), the name of the Cai River as referred to by the Cham people. From the name of this river, the name was adopted to call what is now Nha Trang, which was officially made Vietnam's territory in 1698. Ya Drang is a common Cham and Montagnard place name, same as Ia Drang Valley.

 

As far as the recorded naming of Nha Trang is concerned, in Toàn tập Thiên Nam Tứ Chí Lộ Đồ Thư, a geographical book written by a Vietnamese scholar with the family of Đỗ Bá in the second half of the 18th century, the name Nha Trang Môn ("Nha Trang gate") was mentioned.[2] In another map dating to the 17th century, known as Giáp Ngọ Niên Bình Nam Đồ by a noble called Đoan Quận công Bùi Thế Đạt, the name Nha Trang Hải môn (Nha Trang Sea Gate) was also cited. In Vietnamese recorded historic bibliographies, these books are perhaps the earliest ones that mentioned this place name.

 

In a work by Lê Quý Đôn called Phủ biên tạp lục (1776), many Nha Trang-related names were mentioned, such as đầm Nha Trang, dinh Nha Trang, nguồn Nha Trang, and đèo Nha Trang. Some would say that the Nha Trang is actually a part of the Dead Sea in the early 1700s but the idea was then removed in 1738.

 

HISTORY

Kauthara, also translated as ancient clam, is a constituent state of the empire-leading kingdom and its ruling area is located in the area from today's Fu An province to Cam Ranh. Yanpunagara, the capital of Yangpu, occupies the faith of a man and is deeply influenced by religions such as Brahmanism and Buddhism. However, in addition to that, the gods who formerly occupied ruled the indigenous faith in the motherland, such as Çri Maladakuthara (釋利摩落陀古笪羅) in the ancient Gur'an region in the south, are one of those who can preserve the old God Most of the old gods who dominated the motherland were replaced by brahmanist gods such as the goddess Yan Pu Nagara (楊浦那竭羅) and the Bhagavati (妻婆伽婆底), Replaced, located in Nha Trang near today. Bhagavati is mixed with Yan Pu Nagara, a goddess in the local faith, which is quite revered by the people and has dedicated ancestral temples to enshrine it.

 

From 1653 to the 19th century, Nha Trang was a deserted area rich in wildlife (animals like tigers) and was a part of Hà Bạc, Vĩnh Xương County, Diên Khánh Province. After just two decades in the early 20th century, Nha Trang underwent a rapid change. On August 30, 1924, the Governor-General of French Indochina decreed Nha Trang as a townlet (urban centre). Nha Trang Townlet was established from the ancient villages of Xương Huân, Phương Câu, Vạn Thạnh, Phương Sài, and Phước Hải.

 

During French Indochina, Nha Trang was seen as de facto capital of Khánh Hòa Province. The colonial administration offices (like Envoy Office, Commanding Office, Trade Office, Post Office) were situated in Nha Trang. Local royal offices like Province Chief, Provincial Judge, Military Commander are in Diên Khánh city (a walled military city 10 km south-west of Nha Trang).

 

On 7 May 1937, the Governor-General of French Indochina by another decree upgraded Nha Trang Townlet to town. At this time, Nha Trang Town had five wards based on the ancient villages merged to make the town: Xương Huân, Phương Câu, Vạn Thạnh, Phương Sài, and Phước Hải.

 

On 27 January 1958, the president of the Republic of Vietnam, Ngô Đình Diệm by Decree 18-BNV abrogated the town status of Nha Trang and divided Nha Trang into two rural communes: Nha Trang Đông (Eastern Nha Trang) and Nha Trang Tây (Western Nha Trang), under the administration of Vĩnh Xương County.

 

During the late 1960s, the U.S. Army's First Field Force, Vietnam (1FFV)was headquartered in Nha Trang. 1FFV was a corps-level major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV).

 

On 22 October 1970, the government of the Republic of Vietnam by Decree 132-SL/NV reestablished Nha Trang Town on the ground of Nha Trang Đông and Nha Trang Tây and other rural communes. Following that establishment, the government by Decree 357-ĐUHC/NC/NĐ dated 5 June 1971 divided Nha Trang into 11 urban zones.

 

On 2 April 1975, communist (Viet Cong/PRG/VPA) forces captured the city. On 4 April 1975, Khánh Hòa Military Commission (Ủy ban Quân quản Khánh Hòa) divided Nha Trang into three administrative districts: District 1, District 2 and Vĩnh Xương District. In September 1975, the districts were merged to become one entity, the town of Nha Trang.

 

On 30 March 1977, the Council of the Government (now the cabinet) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam by Decision 391-CP/QĐ upgraded Nha Trang to city status, a county-level city under the administration of Phú Khánh Province (a province created by merger of now Phú Yên Province and Khánh Hòa Province). Seven communes of former Vĩnh Xương County, namely Vĩnh Thái, Vĩnh Ngọc, Vĩnh Hiệp, Vĩnh Lương, Vĩnh Trung, Vĩnh Thạnh, Vĩnh Phương was split from Khánh Xương County to become Nha Trang City territory.

 

On 27 March 1978, the provincial government by Decision 54-BT founded Phước Đồng Commune under Nha Trang City.

 

On 1 July 1989, Khanh Hoa was split from Phu Khanh Province to become Khánh Hòa Province as it was before, Nha Trang was made the capital of Khánh Hòa Province. On April 22, 1999, the prime minister by Decision 106/1999 recognized Nha Trang City the second class municipal city. On April 22, 2009, the prime minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng recognized Nha Trang City at the first class municipal city.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Nha Trang city has a metropolitan area of 251 km² and population of about 500,000. It borders Ninh Hòa town in the north, Cam Ranh city in the south, Diên Khánh town in the west and the East Sea to the east. The city is on the beautiful Nha Trang Bay, which was chosen by Travel + Leisure in two succeeding years as one of 29 most beautiful bays in the world. Nha Trang is surrounded on all three sides by mountains and a large island and four smaller ones on the fourth side (in the ocean directly in front of the city's main area), blocking major storms from potentially damaging the city.

 

CLIMATE

Nha Trang has a tropical savanna climate with a lengthy dry season from January to August and a shorter wet season from September to December, when 1,029 millimetres of the city's total annual rainfall of 1,361 millimetres is received from the north-east monsoon. During the wet season extremely heavy rainfall from typhoons is not uncommon, though the city is shielded from the worst winds.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

Nha Trang is subdivided into 27 wards and communes, of which 20 are urban wards: Vĩnh Hải, Vĩnh Phước, Vĩnh Thọ, Xương Huân, Vạn Thắng, Vạn Thạnh, Phương Sài, Phương Sơn, Ngọc Hiệp, Phước Hòa, Phước Tân, Phước Tiến, Phước Hải, Lộc Thọ, Tân Lập, Vĩnh Nguyên, Vĩnh Trường, Phước Long (founded in November 1998), Vĩnh Hòa (founded in April 2002); and 8 suburban communes: Vĩnh Phương, Vĩnh Trung, Vĩnh Thạnh, Vĩnh Thái, Vĩnh Hiệp, Vĩnh Ngọc, Vĩnh Lương, and Phước Đồng. Since 1998, due to the high pace of urbanization, many urban planned zones have been built: Hòn Rớ, Bắc Việt, Thánh Gia, Đường Đệ, and Nam Hòn Khô.

 

EDUCATION

Nha Trang is home to the multidisciplinary Nha Trang University (formerly Nha Trang Fishery University); the Naval and Aviation Academy; a teacher's training college; Khanh Hoa University, as well as the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute a unique institute of oceanography in Vietnam and the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang, one of the many famous Pasteur Institutes.

 

NHA TRANG PASTEUR INSTITUTE

The French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin, discoverer of the Yersinia pestis bacterium lived in Nha Trang for 50 years and was affectionately known as Ông Năm. He established the Indochinese Pasteur Institute (now known as the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang), devoted to researching the bubonic plague. Yersin died in Nha Trang on 1 March 1943. A street in the city is named after him, and a shrine has been built over his tomb. There is a Yersin Museum dedicated to his achievements.

 

ECONOMY

Nha Trang's economy relies largely on tourism. In the suburban areas around the city, the shipbuilding industry has developed and contributed significantly to the local economy. Fishery and services are also important to the city. Khánh Hòa Province in general and Nha Trang is particular are among the largest contributors to Vietnam's annual budget revenues. Lobster farming on the sea is an important industry for the people living in suburb areas.

 

To the south of the city, by Cam Ranh Bay, several industrial parks are under construction and have been partly available for investors. Once the construction of the deep-water port on Vân Phong Bay has been completed, this area will become the third important economic zone in the province (besides Nha Trang and Cam Ranh).

 

TOURISM

Nha Trang is one of the most important tourist hubs of Vietnam, thanks to its beaches with fine and clean sand and the clear ocean water with mild temperatures all year round. There are several resorts — such as Vinpearl, Diamond Bay and Ana Mandara — and amusement and water parks, in the city and on islands off the coast. The possibly most beautiful street of Nha Trang is Tran Phu Street along the seaside, sometimes referred to as the Pacific Coast Highway of Vietnam.

 

Lying off Nha Trang is the Hon Tre Island (Bamboo Island), with a major resort operated by the Vinpearl Group. The Vinpearl Cable Car, a gondola lift system, links the mainland to the five-star resort and theme park on Hon Tre Island.

 

Nha Trang is a stopover for annual yacht races starting in Hong Kong. In recent years, the city has welcomed many five-star sea cruises. In addition to sailboat racing, Nha Trang provides a rich variety of tourist activities for visitors. Island hopping, scuba diving, water sports and other sporting activities can be enjoyed. The Nha Trang Tourist Information Center (a non-governmental organisation), located near the Cho Dam Market has been set up to provide information for visitors.

 

The local cuisine is most famous for fresh seafood and barbecued pork rolled in rice paper. The area's bird's nest soup is deemed one of the best in Vietnam. Bird's nests are collected in the wild, on bird farms on the islands off the coast and even in some houses in the inner city. The farmed bird in question belongs to the swiftlet group, popularly referred to as yến hàng (Aerodramus fuciphagus and A. germani).

 

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Scuba diving and kite boarding are available, as are catamaran sailboats. Winds are steady.

 

Alexandre Yersin Museum

Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang

Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, the largest of its kind in Indochina where thousands of oceanic life samples, exhibits are on display. It is home to the largest oceanic library in Vietnam.

Chánh Tọa Church (or Mountain Church)

Long Son Pagoda, and its statue of Gautama Buddha.

Tong Lam Lo Son Pagoda, and its statue of Amitabha Buddha.

Magical Mystery Tour Nha Trang

Boat tour on Cai River, visiting islands off the coast and Ba Hồ Waterfall

Palace of Emperor Bảo Đại

Thap Ba Hot Spring (Lady Tower hot spring)

Nha Phu Lagoon

Hoa Lan Stream (Orchid Flower stream)

Monkey Island

Sạn Beach

Nha Trang Booze Cruise (all-you-can-drink party boat)

Hòn Tằm Island (Silkworm island)

Hòn Mun Island (Ebony island)

Hòn Con Sẻ Tre Island (Bamboo Sparrow island)

Hòn Ông Island

Đảo Yến Island (Swiftlet island)

Hòn Tre Island (Bamboo island)

Suối Đổ Stream

Suối Tiên Stream (Fairy stream)

Hòn Bà Mountain

Cai River Minigolf & Restaurant & Marina

Yangbay Waterfall

Tháp Bà Pô Nagar Nha Trang (a Champa Tower)

Chùa Long Sơn (Long Son Pagoda, literally "The Dragon Mountain Pagoda" — or White Buddha Pagoda)

Trí Nguyên Aquarium (an aquarium where hundreds of rare oceanic species are fed)

Vinpearl Cable Car

 

CULTURE

CUISINE

Two local culinary specialities that attract people are bánh canh chả cá (bánh canh with fish paddies) and bún cá sứa (rice vermicelli with jelly fish).

 

NIGHTLIFE

The nightlife is known as superior to other coastal towns such as Mui Ne and Vũng Tàu It is usually busiest around the Vietnamese New Year and can be worth visiting most of the year, with the possible exception of the rainy period (especially November).

 

Many tourists enjoy the Nha Trang River Cai boat ride (locally known as Song Cai, as "song" means "river" in the Vietnamese language).

 

TRANSPORTATION

When Cam Ranh Bay used to be an important naval base, Nha Trang Airport was the main airport of the city. This airport was used by the United States Air Force and Republic of Vietnam Air Force during the Vietnam War. When part of Cam Ranh Bay was made an economic development zone by the Vietnamese government, Cam Ranh International Airport (also a military airport built by the United States during Vietnam War) was made the new civilian airport of the city. This airport is located by Cam Ranh Bay, 28 km (17 mi) south of the city and was (as of 2007) the fourth busiest airport in passenger traffic in Vietnam serving more than 683,000 passengers in 2008. As of 2016, the airport has domestic connections to Hanoi, Hồ Chí Minh City, Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng, Vinh.

 

The city is next to the National Route 1A, the backbone north-south road of the country. The Reunification Railway crosses the city and stops at Nha Trang Railway Station. The construction work of Vân Phong Port, north of the city, a deep-water project capable of handling ships up to 100,000 tonnes, and with a capacity of 100 million tonnes of cargo per annum, is under progress by a consortium of Japanese corporations. The estimated investment capital for this port-city complex project is expected to reach US$15 billion.

 

SISTER CITIES

Thái Nguyên, Vietnam

Malaysia Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

 

WIKIPEDIA

Rainfall: Precipitation is projected to increase in summer over the northern, central-eastern and southern parts of the Indus basin, while over the central-western part of the basin it is projected to decrease. In the regions of highest rainfall along the mountain range, the increase is projected to be between 10–25%. Winter precipitation is also projected to decrease in the central-western part of the basin, as is summer precipitation. Whereas in the northern and southern parts of the basin, it is projected to increase between 5–10%. In terms of extreme rainfall events, a study by Rajbhandari et al. (2014)105 suggests an overall increase in the number of rainy days over the northern part, and a decrease over the southern part of the basin. However, it also projects a decrease in the number of rainy days accompanied by an increase in rainfall intensity in the border area between the upper and lower basins, where the rainfall amount is highest. Temperature: In summer, a major part of the basin is projected to warm by 2–3°C and up to 5°C under RCP 4.5 – and even more under RCP 8.5 in some pockets in the northern part of the basin. The southern part of the basin is projected to warm by a lesser amount, ranging from 1–2°C. Winter is projected to warm by 2–4°C across the basin in both scenarios, with very few areas either exceeding 4°C or lower than 2°C.

 

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With a huge red lei around his neck and a wide grin that could have stretched across Oahu, Larry Fitzgerald held up the gleaming, silver MVP trophy. It sparkled in the sunshine as much as his game.

 

The only problem: It wasn't the Lombardi Trophy.

 

Fitzgerald caught five passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns, 44-year-old John Carney kicked two fourth-quarter field goals, and the NFC rallied to a 30-21 victory over the AFC. The Arizona Cardinals' All-Pro receiver, coming off a record-breaking postseason and a spectacular Super Bowl in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, earned MVP honors.

 

But he said the victory over the AFC, which featured three members of the Steelers' defense, didn't ease the pain from the Super Bowl.

 

"No, not one bit," he said.

 

Fitzgerald also took home keys to a new Cadillac.

 

"I'm just glad we won, that's the most important thing," he said.

 

On a sweltering day, with 60 percent humidity, Kurt Warner started for the NFC and played just one series before making way for Brees. Warner was just 1-of-2 for 8 yards.

 

"I would've liked to have won last week and not this week, if I could switch them out," he said.

 

Fitzgerald caught a 46-yard scoring pass from Drew Brees before the half and a 2-yard TD pass from Eli Manning for the go-ahead score with 4:07 to play.

 

The NFC defense took care of the rest.

 

Manning, making his Pro Bowl debut, was 8-of-14 for 111 yards. While big brother Peyton had better stats, 12-of-17 for 151 yards and a TD, Eli got the win.

 

"He didn't play the whole second half, so it's not about beating my brother, it's just about having fun," Eli Manning said.

 

The Manning brothers were the first quarterback brothers in Pro Bowl history. And Carney, who was a perfect 3-for-3, became the oldest player in the game's history. He booted a 48-yarder with 2:06 remaining to make it 27-21 and sealed the win with a 26-yarder with 32 seconds to go.

 

Sunday's all-star game ended a successful 30-year run at Aloha Stadium, with a sellout every year. The Pro Bowl will be played in Miami next year, a week before the Super Bowl. The NFL, which has been looking to increase the profile of the game, hopes to bring the game back to Hawaii.

 

The players, who spent most of the week by the beach and sipping umbrella-adorned mai tais, were pretty unanimous in wanting the game to return.

 

For Warner, the question now is whether this was his final game in the NFL or, as a free agent, will he opt to continue playing at age 38?

 

"I don't know right now," Warner said. "Again, when I have a feeling one way or the other, I'll let everyone else know. I don't have a time frame. This is the first time right now that I am done having to think about football for a while, and I'm going to enjoy that part of it, enjoy my wife, enjoy my kids and then we'll make a decision as soon as we can."

 

The AFC was looking to hula dance into halftime with a comfortable 14-3 cushion after Kerry Collins connected with Owen Daniels on a 9-yard scoring pass with 28 seconds left in the half.

 

However, that was more than enough the time for the NFC, with all its weapons.

 

The NFC took over at its 45 with 19 seconds left after a nice kickoff return by Clifton Smith. They ran two plays before Larry Fitzgerald hauled in Brees' 46-yard bomb with fellow All-Pro Cortland Finnegan on his back as time expired to pull the NFC to 14-10.

 

It made for two huge end-of-the-half plays in consecutive weeks for Fitzgerald. But this time, rather than trying -- and failing -- to chase down James Harrison on his 100-yard interception returned for a TD, Fitzgerald was the one celebrating.

 

Fitzgerald also beat Finnegan on his second score.

 

"These guys are such elite players, it doesn't take much time to get in the groove with these players," Fitzgerald said. "These guys were great."

 

The usual high-scoring affair surprisingly also featured plenty of defense. Despite rules such as no blitzing linebackers and safeties, the quarterbacks were feeling the heat, at times buried by the defensive line. None of the passes had any room for error on throws against the speedy defensive backs.

 

The AFC had a chance to take the lead late, but Julius Peppers got in the way. Down by six, the AFC started its drive on its 20 with 4:03 remaining and got to midfield. Peppers then swatted a pass by Jay Cutler with his left hand and came up with the interception that led to Carney's 48-yard field goal.

 

There were three straight drives ending with a turnover in a span of about 2 minutes in the third quarter alone, including two by Collins.

 

The second led to the NFC's first lead of the game, 17-14, late in the third quarter. Jared Allen stripped Collins from behind and scooped up the bouncing ball at the AFC 10. All-Pro Adrian Peterson, last year's Pro Bowl MVP, finished it off with a 10-yard run.

 

Pinned on its 4, the AFC came out firing behind the league MVP. Peyton Manning completed passes of 20, 18, 22, 4, and 6 yards to five players before hitting Tony Gonzalez for the score on a high-arcing, 19-yard pass.

 

Gonzalez easily outmaneuvered Seattle linebacker Julian Peterson before hauling in the pass and tiptoeing into the end zone. Gonzalez, also an All-Pro, finished with six catches for 98 yards.

 

On the ensuing series, Robert Mathis stripped Brees and gave possession back to the AFC.

 

Manning then completed a 22-yarder to Colts teammate Reggie Wayne before the NFC finally started playing some defense.

 

After the AFC reached the NFC's 31, Peppers squashed Manning -- and gave him a hand to get back up. It is, after all, the Pro Bowl.

Business Leaders Minimum Wage Discussion at Linemark. by Jay Baker at Upper Marlboro, MD.

Nothing increases the hotness of a girl besides knowing how to drive manual.

 

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Nha Trang (/ˌnɑːˈtʃæŋ/; Vietnamese: [ɲaː˧ ʈaːŋ˧] is a coastal city and capital of Khánh Hòa Province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the north by Ninh Hoà district, on the south by Cam Ranh town and on the west by Diên Khánh District. The city has about 392,000 inhabitants, a number that is projected to increase to 560,000 by 2015 and 630,000 inhabitants by 2025. An area of 12.87 square kilometres of the western communes of Diên An and Diên Toàn is planned to be merged into Nha Trang which will make its new area 265.47 square kilometres based on the approval of the Prime Minister of Vietnam in September 2012.

 

Nha Trang is well known for its beaches and scuba diving and has developed into a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers, as well as more affluent travelers on the south-east Asia circuit; it is already very popular with Vietnamese tourists, with Nha Trang Bay widely considered as among the world's most beautiful bays. Tourists are welcomed to participate in the Sea Festival, held biennially. Nha Trang was the site of the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant on July 14, 2008 and Miss Earth 2010 was held on December 4, 2010. It was also the site for the April 14, 2015 season 8 finale of Face Off. Nha Trang was approved to host the 2016 Asian Beach Games.

 

Historically, the city was known as Kauthara under the Champa. The city is still home to the famous Po Nagar Tower built by the Champa. Being a coastal city, Nha Trang is a centre for marine science based at the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute. The Hon Mun marine protected area is one of four first marine protected areas in the world admitted by the IUCN.

 

ETYMOLOGY

According to some researchers, the name Nha Trang derives from a Vietnamese spelling of the Cham language name of the site Ya Trang (literally "Reed River"), the name of the Cai River as referred to by the Cham people. From the name of this river, the name was adopted to call what is now Nha Trang, which was officially made Vietnam's territory in 1698. Ya Drang is a common Cham and Montagnard place name, same as Ia Drang Valley.

 

As far as the recorded naming of Nha Trang is concerned, in Toàn tập Thiên Nam Tứ Chí Lộ Đồ Thư, a geographical book written by a Vietnamese scholar with the family of Đỗ Bá in the second half of the 18th century, the name Nha Trang Môn ("Nha Trang gate") was mentioned.[2] In another map dating to the 17th century, known as Giáp Ngọ Niên Bình Nam Đồ by a noble called Đoan Quận công Bùi Thế Đạt, the name Nha Trang Hải môn (Nha Trang Sea Gate) was also cited. In Vietnamese recorded historic bibliographies, these books are perhaps the earliest ones that mentioned this place name.

 

In a work by Lê Quý Đôn called Phủ biên tạp lục (1776), many Nha Trang-related names were mentioned, such as đầm Nha Trang, dinh Nha Trang, nguồn Nha Trang, and đèo Nha Trang. Some would say that the Nha Trang is actually a part of the Dead Sea in the early 1700s but the idea was then removed in 1738.

 

HISTORY

Kauthara, also translated as ancient clam, is a constituent state of the empire-leading kingdom and its ruling area is located in the area from today's Fu An province to Cam Ranh. Yanpunagara, the capital of Yangpu, occupies the faith of a man and is deeply influenced by religions such as Brahmanism and Buddhism. However, in addition to that, the gods who formerly occupied ruled the indigenous faith in the motherland, such as Çri Maladakuthara (釋利摩落陀古笪羅) in the ancient Gur'an region in the south, are one of those who can preserve the old God Most of the old gods who dominated the motherland were replaced by brahmanist gods such as the goddess Yan Pu Nagara (楊浦那竭羅) and the Bhagavati (妻婆伽婆底), Replaced, located in Nha Trang near today. Bhagavati is mixed with Yan Pu Nagara, a goddess in the local faith, which is quite revered by the people and has dedicated ancestral temples to enshrine it.

 

From 1653 to the 19th century, Nha Trang was a deserted area rich in wildlife (animals like tigers) and was a part of Hà Bạc, Vĩnh Xương County, Diên Khánh Province. After just two decades in the early 20th century, Nha Trang underwent a rapid change. On August 30, 1924, the Governor-General of French Indochina decreed Nha Trang as a townlet (urban centre). Nha Trang Townlet was established from the ancient villages of Xương Huân, Phương Câu, Vạn Thạnh, Phương Sài, and Phước Hải.

 

During French Indochina, Nha Trang was seen as de facto capital of Khánh Hòa Province. The colonial administration offices (like Envoy Office, Commanding Office, Trade Office, Post Office) were situated in Nha Trang. Local royal offices like Province Chief, Provincial Judge, Military Commander are in Diên Khánh city (a walled military city 10 km south-west of Nha Trang).

 

On 7 May 1937, the Governor-General of French Indochina by another decree upgraded Nha Trang Townlet to town. At this time, Nha Trang Town had five wards based on the ancient villages merged to make the town: Xương Huân, Phương Câu, Vạn Thạnh, Phương Sài, and Phước Hải.

 

On 27 January 1958, the president of the Republic of Vietnam, Ngô Đình Diệm by Decree 18-BNV abrogated the town status of Nha Trang and divided Nha Trang into two rural communes: Nha Trang Đông (Eastern Nha Trang) and Nha Trang Tây (Western Nha Trang), under the administration of Vĩnh Xương County.

 

During the late 1960s, the U.S. Army's First Field Force, Vietnam (1FFV)was headquartered in Nha Trang. 1FFV was a corps-level major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV).

 

On 22 October 1970, the government of the Republic of Vietnam by Decree 132-SL/NV reestablished Nha Trang Town on the ground of Nha Trang Đông and Nha Trang Tây and other rural communes. Following that establishment, the government by Decree 357-ĐUHC/NC/NĐ dated 5 June 1971 divided Nha Trang into 11 urban zones.

 

On 2 April 1975, communist (Viet Cong/PRG/VPA) forces captured the city. On 4 April 1975, Khánh Hòa Military Commission (Ủy ban Quân quản Khánh Hòa) divided Nha Trang into three administrative districts: District 1, District 2 and Vĩnh Xương District. In September 1975, the districts were merged to become one entity, the town of Nha Trang.

 

On 30 March 1977, the Council of the Government (now the cabinet) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam by Decision 391-CP/QĐ upgraded Nha Trang to city status, a county-level city under the administration of Phú Khánh Province (a province created by merger of now Phú Yên Province and Khánh Hòa Province). Seven communes of former Vĩnh Xương County, namely Vĩnh Thái, Vĩnh Ngọc, Vĩnh Hiệp, Vĩnh Lương, Vĩnh Trung, Vĩnh Thạnh, Vĩnh Phương was split from Khánh Xương County to become Nha Trang City territory.

 

On 27 March 1978, the provincial government by Decision 54-BT founded Phước Đồng Commune under Nha Trang City.

 

On 1 July 1989, Khanh Hoa was split from Phu Khanh Province to become Khánh Hòa Province as it was before, Nha Trang was made the capital of Khánh Hòa Province. On April 22, 1999, the prime minister by Decision 106/1999 recognized Nha Trang City the second class municipal city. On April 22, 2009, the prime minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng recognized Nha Trang City at the first class municipal city.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Nha Trang city has a metropolitan area of 251 km² and population of about 500,000. It borders Ninh Hòa town in the north, Cam Ranh city in the south, Diên Khánh town in the west and the East Sea to the east. The city is on the beautiful Nha Trang Bay, which was chosen by Travel + Leisure in two succeeding years as one of 29 most beautiful bays in the world. Nha Trang is surrounded on all three sides by mountains and a large island and four smaller ones on the fourth side (in the ocean directly in front of the city's main area), blocking major storms from potentially damaging the city.

 

CLIMATE

Nha Trang has a tropical savanna climate with a lengthy dry season from January to August and a shorter wet season from September to December, when 1,029 millimetres of the city's total annual rainfall of 1,361 millimetres is received from the north-east monsoon. During the wet season extremely heavy rainfall from typhoons is not uncommon, though the city is shielded from the worst winds.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

Nha Trang is subdivided into 27 wards and communes, of which 20 are urban wards: Vĩnh Hải, Vĩnh Phước, Vĩnh Thọ, Xương Huân, Vạn Thắng, Vạn Thạnh, Phương Sài, Phương Sơn, Ngọc Hiệp, Phước Hòa, Phước Tân, Phước Tiến, Phước Hải, Lộc Thọ, Tân Lập, Vĩnh Nguyên, Vĩnh Trường, Phước Long (founded in November 1998), Vĩnh Hòa (founded in April 2002); and 8 suburban communes: Vĩnh Phương, Vĩnh Trung, Vĩnh Thạnh, Vĩnh Thái, Vĩnh Hiệp, Vĩnh Ngọc, Vĩnh Lương, and Phước Đồng. Since 1998, due to the high pace of urbanization, many urban planned zones have been built: Hòn Rớ, Bắc Việt, Thánh Gia, Đường Đệ, and Nam Hòn Khô.

 

EDUCATION

Nha Trang is home to the multidisciplinary Nha Trang University (formerly Nha Trang Fishery University); the Naval and Aviation Academy; a teacher's training college; Khanh Hoa University, as well as the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute a unique institute of oceanography in Vietnam and the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang, one of the many famous Pasteur Institutes.

 

NHA TRANG PASTEUR INSTITUTE

The French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin, discoverer of the Yersinia pestis bacterium lived in Nha Trang for 50 years and was affectionately known as Ông Năm. He established the Indochinese Pasteur Institute (now known as the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang), devoted to researching the bubonic plague. Yersin died in Nha Trang on 1 March 1943. A street in the city is named after him, and a shrine has been built over his tomb. There is a Yersin Museum dedicated to his achievements.

 

ECONOMY

Nha Trang's economy relies largely on tourism. In the suburban areas around the city, the shipbuilding industry has developed and contributed significantly to the local economy. Fishery and services are also important to the city. Khánh Hòa Province in general and Nha Trang is particular are among the largest contributors to Vietnam's annual budget revenues. Lobster farming on the sea is an important industry for the people living in suburb areas.

 

To the south of the city, by Cam Ranh Bay, several industrial parks are under construction and have been partly available for investors. Once the construction of the deep-water port on Vân Phong Bay has been completed, this area will become the third important economic zone in the province (besides Nha Trang and Cam Ranh).

 

TOURISM

Nha Trang is one of the most important tourist hubs of Vietnam, thanks to its beaches with fine and clean sand and the clear ocean water with mild temperatures all year round. There are several resorts — such as Vinpearl, Diamond Bay and Ana Mandara — and amusement and water parks, in the city and on islands off the coast. The possibly most beautiful street of Nha Trang is Tran Phu Street along the seaside, sometimes referred to as the Pacific Coast Highway of Vietnam.

 

Lying off Nha Trang is the Hon Tre Island (Bamboo Island), with a major resort operated by the Vinpearl Group. The Vinpearl Cable Car, a gondola lift system, links the mainland to the five-star resort and theme park on Hon Tre Island.

 

Nha Trang is a stopover for annual yacht races starting in Hong Kong. In recent years, the city has welcomed many five-star sea cruises. In addition to sailboat racing, Nha Trang provides a rich variety of tourist activities for visitors. Island hopping, scuba diving, water sports and other sporting activities can be enjoyed. The Nha Trang Tourist Information Center (a non-governmental organisation), located near the Cho Dam Market has been set up to provide information for visitors.

 

The local cuisine is most famous for fresh seafood and barbecued pork rolled in rice paper. The area's bird's nest soup is deemed one of the best in Vietnam. Bird's nests are collected in the wild, on bird farms on the islands off the coast and even in some houses in the inner city. The farmed bird in question belongs to the swiftlet group, popularly referred to as yến hàng (Aerodramus fuciphagus and A. germani).

 

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Scuba diving and kite boarding are available, as are catamaran sailboats. Winds are steady.

 

Alexandre Yersin Museum

Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang

Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, the largest of its kind in Indochina where thousands of oceanic life samples, exhibits are on display. It is home to the largest oceanic library in Vietnam.

Chánh Tọa Church (or Mountain Church)

Long Son Pagoda, and its statue of Gautama Buddha.

Tong Lam Lo Son Pagoda, and its statue of Amitabha Buddha.

Magical Mystery Tour Nha Trang

Boat tour on Cai River, visiting islands off the coast and Ba Hồ Waterfall

Palace of Emperor Bảo Đại

Thap Ba Hot Spring (Lady Tower hot spring)

Nha Phu Lagoon

Hoa Lan Stream (Orchid Flower stream)

Monkey Island

Sạn Beach

Nha Trang Booze Cruise (all-you-can-drink party boat)

Hòn Tằm Island (Silkworm island)

Hòn Mun Island (Ebony island)

Hòn Con Sẻ Tre Island (Bamboo Sparrow island)

Hòn Ông Island

Đảo Yến Island (Swiftlet island)

Hòn Tre Island (Bamboo island)

Suối Đổ Stream

Suối Tiên Stream (Fairy stream)

Hòn Bà Mountain

Cai River Minigolf & Restaurant & Marina

Yangbay Waterfall

Tháp Bà Pô Nagar Nha Trang (a Champa Tower)

Chùa Long Sơn (Long Son Pagoda, literally "The Dragon Mountain Pagoda" — or White Buddha Pagoda)

Trí Nguyên Aquarium (an aquarium where hundreds of rare oceanic species are fed)

Vinpearl Cable Car

 

CULTURE

CUISINE

Two local culinary specialities that attract people are bánh canh chả cá (bánh canh with fish paddies) and bún cá sứa (rice vermicelli with jelly fish).

 

NIGHTLIFE

The nightlife is known as superior to other coastal towns such as Mui Ne and Vũng Tàu It is usually busiest around the Vietnamese New Year and can be worth visiting most of the year, with the possible exception of the rainy period (especially November).

 

Many tourists enjoy the Nha Trang River Cai boat ride (locally known as Song Cai, as "song" means "river" in the Vietnamese language).

 

TRANSPORTATION

When Cam Ranh Bay used to be an important naval base, Nha Trang Airport was the main airport of the city. This airport was used by the United States Air Force and Republic of Vietnam Air Force during the Vietnam War. When part of Cam Ranh Bay was made an economic development zone by the Vietnamese government, Cam Ranh International Airport (also a military airport built by the United States during Vietnam War) was made the new civilian airport of the city. This airport is located by Cam Ranh Bay, 28 km (17 mi) south of the city and was (as of 2007) the fourth busiest airport in passenger traffic in Vietnam serving more than 683,000 passengers in 2008. As of 2016, the airport has domestic connections to Hanoi, Hồ Chí Minh City, Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng, Vinh.

 

The city is next to the National Route 1A, the backbone north-south road of the country. The Reunification Railway crosses the city and stops at Nha Trang Railway Station. The construction work of Vân Phong Port, north of the city, a deep-water project capable of handling ships up to 100,000 tonnes, and with a capacity of 100 million tonnes of cargo per annum, is under progress by a consortium of Japanese corporations. The estimated investment capital for this port-city complex project is expected to reach US$15 billion.

 

SISTER CITIES

Thái Nguyên, Vietnam

Malaysia Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

 

WIKIPEDIA

Singapore (Listeni/ˈsɪŋɡəpɔːr/), officially the Republic of Singapore, and often referred to as the Lion City, the Garden City, and the Red Dot, is a global city and sovereign state in Southeast Asia and the world's only island city-state. It lies one degree (137 km) north of the equator, at the southernmost tip of continental Asia and peninsular Malaysia, with Indonesia's Riau Islands to the south. Singapore's territory consists of the diamond-shaped main island and 62 islets. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased its total size by 23% (130 km2), and its greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora, parks and gardens.

 

The islands were settled from the second century AD by a series of local empires. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles founded modern Singapore as a trading post of the East India Company; after the company collapsed, the islands were ceded to Britain and became part of its Straits Settlements in 1826. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan. It gained independence from Britain in 1963, by uniting with other former British territories to form Malaysia, but was expelled two years later over ideological differences. After early years of turbulence, and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy, based on external trade and its human capital.

 

Singapore is a global commerce, finance and transport hub. Its standings include: "easiest place to do business" (World Bank) for ten consecutive years, most "technology-ready" nation (WEF), top International-meetings city (UIA), city with "best investment potential" (BERI), 2nd-most competitive country (WEF), 3rd-largest foreign exchange centre, 3rd-largest financial centre, 3rd-largest oil refining and trading centre and one of the top two busiest container ports since the 1990s. Singapore's best known global brands include Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport, both amongst the most-awarded in their industry; SIA is also rated by Fortune surveys as Asia's "most admired company". For the past decade, it has been the only Asian country with the top AAA sovereign rating from all major credit rating agencies, including S&P, Moody's and Fitch.

 

Singapore ranks high on its national social policies, leading Asia and 11th globally, on the Human Development Index (UN), notably on key measures of education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety, housing. Although income inequality is high, 90% of citizens own their homes, and the country has one of the highest per capita incomes, with low taxes. The cosmopolitan nation is home to 5.5 million residents, 38% of whom are permanent residents and other foreign nationals. Singaporeans are mostly bilingual in a mother-tongue language and English as their common language. Its cultural diversity is reflected in its extensive ethnic "hawker" cuisine and major festivals - Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western - which are all national holidays. In 2015, Lonely Planet and The New York Times listed Singapore as their top and 6th best world destination to visit respectively.

 

The nation's core principles are meritocracy, multiculturalism and secularism. It is noted for its effective, pragmatic and incorrupt governance and civil service, which together with its rapid development policies, is widely cited as the "Singapore model". Gallup polls shows 84% of its residents expressed confidence in the national government, and 85% in its judicial systems - one of the highest ratings recorded. Singapore has significant influence on global affairs relative to its size, leading some analysts to classify it as a middle power. It is ranked as Asia's most influential city and 4th in the world by Forbes.

 

Singapore is a unitary, multiparty, parliamentary republic, with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959. One of the five founding members of the ASEAN, Singapore is also the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, and a member of the East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth of Nations.

 

ETYMOLOGY

The English name of Singapore is derived from the Malay word, Singapura, which was in turn derived from Sanskrit (Singa is "lion", Pura "city"; Sanskrit: सिंहपुर, IAST: Siṃhápura), hence the customary reference to the nation as the Lion City, and its inclusion in many of the nation's symbols (e.g., its coat of arms, Merlion emblem). However, it is unlikely that lions ever lived on the island; Sang Nila Utama, who founded and named the island Singapura, most likely saw a Malayan tiger. It is also known as Pulau Ujong, as far back as the 3rd century, literally 'island at the end' (of the Malay Peninsula) in Malay.

 

Since the 1970s, Singapore has also been widely known as the Garden City, owing to its extensive greening policy covering the whole island, a priority of its first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, dubbed the nation's "Chief Gardener". The nation's conservation and greening efforts contributed to Singapore Botanic Gardens being the only tropical garden to be inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The nickname, Red Dot, is a reference to its size on the map, contrasting with its achievements. In 2015, Singapore's Golden Jubilee year, the celebratory "SG50" branding is depicted inside a red dot.

 

HISTORY

Temasek ('Sea Town' in the Malay language), an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, is the earliest written record relating to the area now called Singapore. In the 13th century, the Kingdom of Singapura was established on the island and it became a trading port city. However, there were two major foreign invasions before it was destroyed by the Majapahit in 1398. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burned down the settlement, which by then was nominally part of the Johor Sultanate and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries, while the wider maritime region and much trade was under Dutch control.

 

BRITISH COLONISATION 1819-1942

In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor, on behalf of the British East India Company, to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824, the entire island, as well as the Temenggong, became a British possession after a further treaty with the Sultan. In 1826, Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements, under the jurisdiction of British India, becoming the regional capital in 1836.

 

Prior to Raffles' arrival, there were only about a thousand people living on the island, mostly indigenous Malays along with a handful of Chinese. By 1860, the population had swelled to more than 80,000 and more than half were Chinese. Many immigrants came to work at rubber plantations and, after the 1870s, the island became a global centre for rubber exports.

 

After the First World War, the British built the large Singapore Naval Base. Lieutenant General Sir William George Shedden Dobbie was appointed General Officer Commanding of the Malaya Command on 8 November 1935, holding the post until 1939;

 

WORLD WAR II AND JAPANESE OCCUPATION 1942-45

in May 1938, the General Officer Commanding of the Malaya Command warned how Singapore could be conquered by the Japanese via an attack from northern Malaya, but his warnings went unheeded. The Imperial Japanese Army invaded British Malaya, culminating in the Battle of Singapore. When the British surrendered on 15 February 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the defeat "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". Between 5,000 and 25,000 ethnic Chinese people were killed in the subsequent Sook Ching massacre.

 

From November 1944 to May 1945, the Allies conducted an intensive bombing of Singapore.

 

RETURN OF BRITISH 1945-59

After the surrender of Japan was announced in the Jewel Voice Broadcast by the Japanese Emperor on 15 August 1945 there was a breakdown of order and looting and revenge-killing were widespread. The formal Japanese Occupation of Singapore was only ended by Operation Tiderace and the formal surrender on 12 September 1945 at Singapore City Hall when Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia Command, accepted the capitulation of Japanese forces in Southeast Asia from General Itagaki Seishiro.

 

A British Military Administration was then formed to govern the island. On 1 April 1946, the Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony with a civil administration headed by a Governor. Much of the infrastructure had been destroyed during the war, including the harbour, electricity, telephone and water supply systems. There was also a shortage of food leading to malnutrition, disease, and rampant crime and violence. High food prices, unemployment, and workers' discontent culminated into a series of strikes in 1947 causing massive stoppages in public transport and other services. In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative Councils were established and the election of six members of the Legislative Council was scheduled for the following year. By late 1947, the economy began to recover, facilitated by a growing demand for tin and rubber around the world, but it would take several more years before the economy returned to pre-war levels.

 

The failure of Britain to defend Singapore had destroyed its credibility as an infallible ruler in the eyes of Singaporeans. The decades after the war saw a political awakening amongst the local populace and the rise of anti-colonial and nationalist sentiments, epitomized by the slogan Merdeka, or "independence" in the Malay language.

 

During the 1950s, Chinese Communists with strong ties to the trade unions and Chinese schools carried out armed uprising against the government, leading to the Malayan Emergency and later, the Communist Insurgency War. The 1954 National Service Riots, Chinese middle schools riots, and Hock Lee bus riots in Singapore were all linked to these events.

 

David Marshall, pro-independence leader of the Labour Front, won Singapore's first general election in 1955. He led a delegation to London, but Britain rejected his demand for complete self-rule. He resigned and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock, whose policies convinced Britain to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all matters except defence and foreign affairs.

 

SELF-GOVERNMENT 1959-1963

During the May 1959 elections, the People's Action Party won a landslide victory. Singapore became an internally self-governing state within the Commonwealth, with Lee Kuan Yew as its first Prime Minister. Governor Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode served as the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Head of State), and was succeeded by Yusof bin Ishak, who became the first President of Singapore in 1965.

 

MERGER WITH MALAYSIA 1963-65

As a result of the 1962 Merger Referendum, on 31 August 1963 Singapore joined with the Federation of Malaya, the Crown Colony of Sarawak and the Crown Colony of North Borneo to form the new federation of Malaysia under the terms of the Malaysia Agreement. Singaporean leaders chose to join Malaysia primarily due to concerns over its limited land size, scarcity of water, markets and natural resources. Some Singaporean and Malaysian politicians were also concerned that the communists might form the government on the island, a possibility perceived as an external threat to the Federation of Malaya.However, shortly after the merger, the Singapore state government and the Malaysian central government disagreed on many political and economic issues, and communal strife culminated in the 1964 race riots in Singapore. After many heated ideological conflicts between the two governments, on 9 August 1965, the Malaysian Parliament voted 126 to 0 to expel Singapore from Malaysia with Singaporean delegates not present.

 

INDEPENDENCE 1965 TO PRESENT

Singapore gained independence as the Republic of Singapore (remaining within the Commonwealth of Nations) on 9 August 1965. Race riots broke out once more in 1969. In 1967, the country co-founded ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and in 1970 it joined the Non-Aligned Movement. Lee Kuan Yew became Prime Minister, leading its Third World economy to First World affluence in a single generation. His emphasis on rapid economic growth, support for business entrepreneurship, limitations on internal democracy, and close relationships with China set the new nation's policies for the next half-century.

 

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister, while the latter continued serving in the Cabinet as Senior Minister until 2004, and then Minister Mentor until May 2011. During Goh's tenure, the country faced the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak and terrorist threats posed by Jemaah Islamiyah.

 

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the country's third Prime Minister. Goh Chok Tong remained in Cabinet as the Senior Minister until May 2011, when he was named Emeritus Senior Minister despite his retirement. He steered the nation through the 2008 global financial crisis, resolved the disputed 79-year old Malayan railways land, and introduced integrated resorts. Despite the economy's exceptional growth, PAP suffered its worst election results in 2011, winning 60% of votes, amidst hot-button issues of high influx of foreign workers and cost of living. Lee initiated a major re-structuring of the economy to raise productivity, improved universal healthcare and grants, especially for the pioneer generation of citizens, amongst many new inclusive measures.

 

On 23 March 2015, its founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who had 'personified Singapore to the world' for nearly half a century died. In a week of national mourning, 1.7 million residents and guests paid tribute to him at his lying-in-state at Parliament House and at community sites around the island.

 

Singapore celebrated its Golden jubilee in 2015 – its 50th year of independence, with a year-long series of events branded SG50. The PAP maintained its dominance in Parliament at the September general elections, receiving 69.9% of the popular vote, its second-highest polling result behind the 2001 tally of 75.3%.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island, Pulau Ujong. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia: the Johor–Singapore Causeway in the north and the Tuas Second Link in the west. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 163.63 m. April and May are the hottest months, with the wetter monsoon season from November to January.

 

From July to October, there is often haze caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia, usually from the island of Sumatra. Although Singapore does not observe daylight saving time (DST), it follows the GMT+8 time zone, one hour ahead of the typical zone for its geographical location.

 

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The country's constitution establishes a representative democracy as the political system. Executive power rests with the Cabinet of Singapore, led by the Prime Minister and, to a much lesser extent, the President. The President is elected through a popular vote, and has veto powers over a specific set of executive decisions, such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges, but otherwise occupies a largely ceremonial post.

 

The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the government. Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Elected MPs are voted into the Parliament on a "first-past-the-post" (plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group representation constituencies. The People's Action Party has won control of Parliament with large majorities in every election since self-governance was secured in 1959.

 

Although the elections are clean, there is no independent electoral authority and the government has strong influence on the media. Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free" in its Freedom in the World report, and The Economist ranks Singapore as a "flawed democracy", the second best rank of four, in its "Democracy Index". Despite this, in the 2011 Parliamentary elections, the opposition, led by the Workers' Party, increased its representation to seven elected MPs. In the 2015 elections, PAP scored a landslide victory, winning 83 of 89 seats contested, with 70% of popular votes. Gallup polls reported 84% of residents in Singapore expressed confidence in the government, and 85% in its judicial systems and courts – one of the highest ratings in the world.

 

Singapore's governance model eschews populist politics, focusing on the nation's long-term interest, and is known to be clean, effective and pragmatic. As a small nation highly dependent on external trade, it is vulnerable to geo-politics and global economics. It places great emphasis on security and stability of the region in its foreign policies, and applies global best practices to ensure the nation's attractiveness as an investment destination and business hub.

 

The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law, but with substantial local differences. Trial by jury was abolished in 1970 so that judicial decisions would rest entirely in the hands of appointed judges. Singapore has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning, which may be imposed for such offences as rape, rioting, vandalism, and certain immigration offences.There is a mandatory death penalty for murder, as well as for certain aggravated drug-trafficking and firearms offences.

 

Amnesty International has said that some legal provisions of the Singapore system conflict with the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that Singapore has "... possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population". The government has disputed Amnesty's claims. In a 2008 survey of international business executives, Singapore received the top ranking with regard to judicial system quality in Asia. Singapore has been consistently rated among the least corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International.

 

In 2011, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore among the top countries surveyed with regard to "order and security", "absence of corruption", and "effective criminal justice". However, the country received a much lower ranking for "freedom of speech" and "freedom of assembly". All public gatherings of five or more people require police permits, and protests may legally be held only at the Speakers' Corner.

 

EDUCATION

Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with the Ministry of Education. English is the language of instruction in all public schools, and all subjects are taught and examined in English except for the "mother tongue" language paper. While the term "mother tongue" in general refers to the first language internationally, in Singapore's education system, it is used to refer to the second language, as English is the first language. Students who have been abroad for a while, or who struggle with their "Mother Tongue" language, are allowed to take a simpler syllabus or drop the subject.

 

Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and science. Secondary school lasts from four to five years, and is divided between Special, Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams in each school, depending on a student's ability level. The basic coursework breakdown is the same as in the primary level, although classes are much more specialised. Pre-university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools, mostly called Junior Colleges.

 

Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum and are known as autonomous schools. These exist from the secondary education level and up.

 

National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken after each stage. After the first six years of education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), which determines their placement at secondary school. At the end of the secondary stage, GCE "O"-Level exams are taken; at the end of the following pre-university stage, the GCE "A"-Level exams are taken. Of all non-student Singaporeans aged 15 and above, 18% have no education qualifications at all while 45% have the PSLE as their highest qualification; 15% have the GCE 'O' Level as their highest qualification and 14% have a degree.

 

Singaporean students consistently rank at or near the top of international education assessments:

- In 2015, Singapore topped the OECD's global school performance rankings, based on 15-year-old students' average scores in mathematics and science across 76 countries.

- Singaporean students were ranked first in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, and have been ranked in the top three every year since 1995.

- Singapore fared best in the 2015 International Baccalaureate exams, taken in 107 countries, with more than half of the world's 81 perfect scorers and 98% passing rate.

 

The country's two main public universities - the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University - are ranked among the top 13 in the world.

 

HEALTH

Singapore has a generally efficient healthcare system, even though their health expenditures are relatively low for developed countries. The World Health Organisation ranks Singapore's healthcare system as 6th overall in the world in its World Health Report. In general, Singapore has had the lowest infant mortality rate in the world for the past two decades.

 

Life expectancy in Singapore is 80 for males and 85 for females, placing the country 4th in the world for life expectancy. Almost the whole population has access to improved water and sanitation facilities. There are fewer than 10 annual deaths from HIV per 100,000 people. There is a high level of immunisation. Adult obesity is below 10%

 

The government's healthcare system is based upon the "3M" framework. This has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those not able to otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings scheme covering about 85% of the population, and Medishield, a government-funded health insurance program. Public hospitals in Singapore have autonomy in their management decisions, and compete for patients. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income. In 2008, 32% of healthcare was funded by the government. It accounts for approximately 3.5% of Singapore's GDP.

 

RELIGION

Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. The next-most practised religion is Christianity, followed by Islam, Taoism, and Hinduism. 17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The proportion of Christians, Taoists, and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, whilst the proportion of Buddhists decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population. An analysis by the Pew Research Center found Singapore to be the world's most religiously diverse nation.

 

There are monasteries and Dharma centres from all three major traditions of Buddhism in Singapore: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Most Buddhists in Singapore are Chinese and are of the Mahayana tradition, with missionaries having come into the country from Taiwan and China for several decades. However, Thailand's Theravada Buddhism has seen growing popularity among the populace (not only the Chinese) during the past decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organisation, is practised by many people in Singapore, but mostly by those of Chinese descent. Tibetan Buddhism has also made slow inroads into the country in recent years.

 

CULTURE

Singapore has one of the lowest rates of drug use in the world. Culturally, the use of illicit drugs is viewed as highly undesirable by Singaporeans, unlike many European societies. Singaporeans' disapproval towards drug use has resulted in laws that impose the mandatory death sentence for certain serious drug trafficking offences. Singapore also has a low rate of alcohol consumption per capita and low levels of violent crime, and one of the lowest intentional homicide rate globally. The average alcohol consumption rate is only 2 litres annually per adult, one of the lowest in the world.

 

Foreigners make up 42% of the population, and have a strong influence on Singaporean culture. The Economist Intelligence Unit, in its 2013 "Where-to-be-born Index", ranks Singapore as having the best quality of life in Asia and sixth overall in the world.

 

LANGUAGES; RELIGIONS AND CULTURES

Singapore is a very diverse and young country. It has many languages, religions, and cultures for a country its size.

 

When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most of the newly minted Singaporean citizens were uneducated labourers from Malaysia, China and India. Many of them were transient labourers who were seeking to make some money in Singapore and they had no intention of staying permanently. A sizeable minority of middle-class, local-born people, known as the Peranakans, also existed. With the exception of the Peranakans (descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants) who pledged their loyalties to Singapore, most of the labourers' loyalties lay with their respective homelands of Malaysia, China and India. After independence, the process of crafting a Singaporean identity and culture began.

 

Former Prime Ministers of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, have stated that Singapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling it a society-in-transition, pointing out the fact that Singaporeans do not all speak the same language, share the same religion, or have the same customs. Even though English is the first language of the nation, according to the government's 2010 census 20% of Singaporeans, or one in five, are illiterate in English. This is a marked improvement from 1990 where 40% of Singaporeans were illiterate in English.

 

Languages, religions and cultures among Singaporeans are not delineated according to skin colour or ancestry, unlike many other countries. Among Chinese Singaporeans, one in five is Christian, another one in five is atheist, and the rest are mostly Buddhists or Taoists. One-third speak English as their home language, while half speak Mandarin Chinese. The rest speak other Chinese varieties at home. Most Malays in Singapore speak Malay as their home language with some speaking English. Singaporean Indians are much more religious. Only 1% of them are atheists. Six in ten are Hindu, two in ten Muslim, and the rest mostly Christian. Four in ten speak English as their home language, three in ten Tamil, one in ten Malay, and the rest other Indian languages as their home language.

 

Each Singaporean's behaviours and attitudes would therefore be influenced by, among many other things, his or her home language and his religion. Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean toward Western culture, while those who speak Chinese as their native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism. Malay speaking Singaporeans tend to lean toward the Malay culture, which itself is closely linked to the Islamic culture.

 

ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS

At the national level in Singapore, meritocracy, where one is judged based on one's ability, is heavily emphasised.

 

Racial and religious harmony is regarded by Singaporeans as a crucial part of Singapore's success, and played a part in building a Singaporean identity. Singapore has a reputation as a nanny state. The national flower of Singapore is the hybrid orchid, Vanda 'Miss Joaquim', named in memory of a Singapore-born Armenian woman, who crossbred the flower in her garden at Tanjong Pagar in 1893. Many national symbols such as the Coat of arms of Singapore and the Lion head symbol of Singapore make use of the lion, as Singapore is known as the Lion City. Other monikers by which Singapore is widely known is the Garden City and the Red Dot. Public holidays in Singapore cover major Chinese, Western, Malay and Indian festivals.

 

Singaporean employees work an average of around 45 hours weekly, relatively long compared to many other nations. Three in four Singaporean employees surveyed stated that they take pride in doing their work well, and that doing so helps their self-confidence.

 

CUISINE

Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country's national pastime. The focus on food has led countries like Australia to attract Singaporean tourists with food-based itineraries. The diversity of food is touted as a reason to visit the country, and the variety of food representing different ethnicities is seen by the government as a symbol of its multiculturalism. The "national fruit" of Singapore is the durian.

 

In popular culture, food items belong to a particular ethnicity, with Chinese, Malay, and Indian food clearly defined. However, the diversity of cuisine has been increased further by the "hybridisation" of different styles (e.g., the Peranakan cuisine, a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisine).

 

WIKIPEDIA

Italien / Piemont - Lago di Mergozzo und Lago Maggiore

 

seen from Montorfano

 

gesehen vom Montorfano

 

Lake Maggiore (UK: /mæˈdʒɔːreɪ, ˌmædʒiˈɔːreɪ/, US: /mɑːˈdʒɔːreɪ, məˈdʒɔːri/; Italian: Lago Maggiore Italian pronunciation: [ˈlaːɡo madˈdʒoːre]; Western Lombard: Lagh Maggior; Piedmontese: Lagh Magior; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (pronounced [verˈbaːno]; Latin: Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake and its shoreline are divided between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino. Located halfway between Lake Orta and Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore extends for about 64 kilometres (40 miles) between Locarno and Arona.

 

The climate is mild in both summer and winter, producing Mediterranean vegetation, with many gardens growing rare and exotic plants. Well-known gardens include those of the Borromean and Brissago Islands, that of the Villa Taranto in Verbania, and the Alpinia Botanical Garden above Stresa.

 

Lake Maggiore is drained by the river Ticino, a main tributary of the Po. Its basin also collects the waters of several large lakes, notably Lake Lugano (through the Tresa), Lake Orta (through the Toce) and Lake Varese (through the Bardello).

 

Geography

 

Lake Maggiore is 64.37 km (40 mi) long, and 3 to 5 km (2 to 3 mi) wide, except at the bay opening westward between Pallanza and Stresa, where it is 10 km (6 mi) wide. It is the longest Italian lake, although Lake Garda has a greater area. Its mean height above the sea level is 193 metres; a deep lake, its bottom is almost everywhere below sea-level: at its deepest, 179 metres below. Its form is very sinuous so that there are few points from which any considerable part of its surface can be seen at a single glance. If this lessens the effect of the apparent size, it increases the variety of its scenery. While the upper end is completely alpine in character, the middle region lies between hills of gentler form, and the lower end advances to the verge of the plain of Lombardy. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great southern prealpine lakes, the others being Lake Como and Lake Garda.

 

The lake basin has tectonic-glacial origins and its volume is 37 cubic kilometres (9 cu mi). The lake has a surface area of about 213 square kilometres (82 sq mi), a maximum length of 54 km (34 mi) (on a straight line) and, at its widest, is 12 km (7 mi). Its main tributaries are the Ticino, the Maggia (forming a very large delta), the Toce (by which it receives the outflow of Lake Orta) and the Tresa (which is the sole emissary of Lake Lugano). The rivers Verzasca, Giona, and Cannobino also flow into the lake. Its outlet is the Ticino which, in turn, joins the river Po just south-east of Pavia.

 

The lake's jagged banks are surrounded by the Pennine and Lepontine Alps, and Lugano Prealps. Prominent peaks around the lake are the Gridone, Monte Tamaro, Monte Nudo and the Mottarone. The highest mountain overlooking Lake Maggiore is Monte Rosa (4,634 m; 15,203 ft), located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of it. The western bank is in Piedmont (provinces of Novara and Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) and the eastern in Lombardy (province of Varese), whereas the most northerly section extends 13 kilometres (8 mi) into the canton of Ticino, where it constitutes its lowest point above sea level as well as that of Switzerland. The culminating point of the lake's drainage basin is the Grenzgipfel summit of Monte Rosa at 4,618 metres (15,151 ft) above sea level.

 

Climate

 

Lake Maggiore weather is humid subtropical (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification). During winter, the lake helps to maintain a higher temperature in the surrounding region (since water releases heat energy more slowly than air). The temperatures are cooled down in summer by the breezes that blow on the water's surface, changing its colour. The area enjoys nearly 2300 hours of sunshine a year and an average annual temperature of 15.5 °C (60 °F). The water of the lake has a comfortable temperature of 20 to 22 °C (68 to 72 °F) in July and August. In winter snowfall is erratic and primarily affects the higher elevations. Rainfall is heaviest in May and lowest during the winter months.

 

Flora and fauna

 

The flora is strongly influenced by the lake basin, which has allowed the proliferation of typically Mediterranean plants, and also of plants native to the Atlantic areas favoured by the composition of the soil and the abundance of siliceous rocks. Lemons, olive trees and bay olive trees grow there. The spontaneous vegetation is composed of yew, holly and chestnut trees on the surrounding hills.

 

The lake is a habitat to two species of whitefish, Coregonus and, less widespread, Coregonus lavaretus. Both live in deep water and come ashore only during the spawning in early December. There are also perch, pike, chub, burbot, torpedo, eels and Alburnus arborella. The lake is home to several species of nesting waterfowl, it also represents an important corridor, a place of rest and feeding for migrations. For example: common merganser, royal swan, grebes, gulls, cormorants, ducks.

 

A number of exotic species have established themselves in the lake, including pikeperch, which has been recorded since 1977; wels catfish, which was first noticed in the early 1990s; and ruffe, introduced in the mid-1990s. Wels catfish in excess of 50 kg in weight have been fished from the lake.

 

Islands

 

Borromean Islands (three islands and two islets located between Verbania to the north and Stresa to the south)

 

Isola Bella

Isola Madre

Isola dei Pescatori (or Isola Superiore)

Isolino di San Giovanni (in front of Verbania)

Scoglio della Malghera (between Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori)

 

Brissago Islands (close to Brissago)

 

San Pancrazio (or Grande Isola)

Isolino (or Isola Piccola or Isola di Sant’Apollinare)

 

Castelli di Cannero (three small islands just off the shore from Cannero Riviera)

 

Isolino Partegora (in the gulf of Angera)

 

Sacro Monte di Ghiffa

 

The Sacred Mountain of Ghiffa is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Ghiffa, (Piedmont, northern Italy), overlooking Lake Maggiore. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

 

Events

 

The Spirit of Woodstock Festival is an annual open air festival at the end of July/beginning of August. It is organized in Armeno by the Mirapuri community.

 

History

 

The first archaeological findings around the lake belong to nomadic people living in the area in prehistoric types. The first settlements discovered date from the Copper Age. Along the shores of the lake, between the 9th and 4th centuries BC. J.-C., develops the Golasecca culture, Celts civilization of the iron age. The latter was in turn conquered by the Romans, who called the lake Verbanus Lacus or Lacus Maximus. In Roman times a maritime line was created that linked the lake, thanks to Ticino, to Pavia, from where the ships would then continue along the Po to the Adriatic Sea.

 

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the lake was under different domains. Most of the current settlements originated in the Middle Ages when the lake was under the Della Torre, Visconti, the Borromeo and Habsburg families.

 

Clashes also took place on the waters of the lake between military fleets, such as in 1263, when the Della Torre ships fought against those of the Visconti near Arona or, between 1523 and 1524, when the Borromeo clashed against Francesco II Sforza and in 1636 between French and Spanish always in the waters between Arona and Angera.

 

From the fourteenth century until the end of the eighteenth century, navigation on the lake and on the Ticino was also used to transport the heavy blocks of marble obtained from the quarries located around the lake towards the main Lombard construction sites: the cathedral of Milan and the Certosa di Pavia.

 

Methane was first discovered and isolated by Alessandro Volta as he analysed marsh gas from Lake Maggiore, between 1776 and 1778.

 

From the middle of the 19th century, the lake began to experience strong tourist development, particularly after Queen Victoria's stay in Baveno in 1879.

 

In 1936, a Bugatti Type 22 Brescia Roadster, built 1925, was sunk in the lake by employees of Zürich architect Marco Schmucklerski, when Swiss customs officials investigated whether he had paid taxes on the car. The Bugatti was attached to an iron chain making it possible to recover it once the investigation was over, yet that never happened. When the chain corroded, the car sunk to the lake bed, where it was rediscovered on 18 August 1967 by local diver Ugo Pillon and became a favourite target for divers thereafter. When one of the divers, Damiano Tamagni, was killed in a hold-up on 1 February 2008, his friends from the Ascona divers' club decided to lift and sell the car wreck to raise funds for a yet-to-be-created foundation named after the victim. The remains of the Bugatti were recovered on 12 July 2009. The sale took place at the Retro Mobile classic car exhibition in Paris on 23 January 2010. It was sold for €260,500.

 

In May 2021, a cable car collapsed near the lake, killing 14 people.

 

In May 2023 a boat capsized in a storm while travelling between Arona and Sesto Calende, killing 4 people. Among the dead were 2 Italian intelligence agents as well as a former agent of Mossad.

 

The Hotel Meina incident at Lake Maggiore

 

This incident is part of the Lake Maggiore massacres during WWII.

 

Meina is a municipality located 77 kilometres (48 miles) northwest of Milan, on the southern shores of Lake Maggiore. The Hotel Meina was located north of the town of Meina and was owned by Alberto and Eugenia Behar, Sephardic Jews who had moved to Italy from Constantinople. In September 1943, an armistice was declared between Italy and the Allies. At that time, the Hotel Meina housed a number of Jewish guests, most of them escapees of the Nazi occupation of Greece. The area around Lake Maggiore was not under Allied control but was occupied by the German Waffen-SS, specifically the infamous Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Captain Hans Krüger, who directed operations in Meina and the surrounding villages, was in charge of locating the Jews in that area and was responsible for the Lake Maggiore massacres in which approximately 54 Jews were murdered.

 

On the night of 22 September 1943, most of the Jewish residents of the Hotel Meina were executed and their bodies were thrown into Lake Maggiore. The Fernandez-Diaz family, a family of Greek Sephardic Jews from Thessaloniki, barricaded themselves in one of the fourth-floor hotel rooms. It took an extra day for the Germans to reach and execute them. The family included three young children whose lives were not spared despite pleas from older family members. Among those killed were Dino Fernandez-Diaz (76 years old), Pierre Fernandez-Diaz (46), Liliane (Scialom) Fernandez-Diaz (36), Jean Fernandez-Diaz (17), Robert Fernandez-Diaz (13), Blanchette Fernandez-Diaz (12), Marco Mosseri (55), Ester Botton (52), Giacomo Renato Mosseri (22), Odette Uziel (19), Raoul Torres (48), Valerie Nahoum Torres (49), and Daniele Modiano (51). In total, sixteen Jewish residents of the hotel were executed. Its owners, the Behar family, survived due to the efforts of the Turkish consulate.

 

The Italian police report on the Meina massacre was lost but resurfaced in 1994, along with hundreds of other files of war crimes committed post-armistice by Germans who still occupied or were retreating from Italian soil. These files had been hidden in a wooden cabinet, the so-called "cabinet of shame", discovered in a storeroom of the military prosecutor's headquarters.

 

Germany does not extradite its citizens convicted of war crimes in other countries. Those responsible for the Meina massacre were tried at home in Germany in 1968, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. However, in 1970, the German Supreme Court declared the statute of limitations for those particular war crimes to have expired, and the prisoners were released.

 

References in literature and popular culture

 

Lake Maggiore is featured in American writer Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms. The protagonist (Frederic Henry) and his lover (Catherine Barkley) are forced to cross the transnational border within the lake in a row boat to escape Italian carabinieri.

 

It also appeared as the location of a fictional racetrack in the racing game Gran Turismo Sport and Gran Turismo 7.

 

Die Flippers, a German Schlager group wrote a song called "Lago Maggiore" that appears on their 1990 album Sieben Tage Sonnenschein.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Lago di Mergozzo (En. Lake Mergozzo) is a small sub-alpine lake in northern Italy just to the west of Lago Maggiore and north of Lago d'Orta, at the mouth of the Val d’Ossola in the province of Verbano Cusio Ossola, Piedmont.

 

In ancient times, it was the extreme point of the short northwestern arm of Lago Maggiore, formed by glaciation. However repeated flooding of Maggiore's tributary the Toce deposited sediment which gradually formed a stretch of land which cut off Mergozzo from the larger expanse of water, and from the Toce itself. Today, the settlement of Fondotoce (a frazione of Verbania) stands on this alluvial plain. The small town Mergozzo, which lies at the other end of the lake, gives it its name. The greater part of the lake falls within the commune of Mergozzo, the rest within Verbania.

 

Monte Orfano (790 m) rises from the southwest shore of the lake; the limestone rocks of which it is composed are heavily quarried. On the opposite side of the lake the mountains form the beginning of the Corni di Nibbio chain which divides the Val d'Ossola from the Valgrande and its National Park.

 

The lake is fed by the waters of a number of clean mountain streams, the two most important being the Rio Bracchio and the Rio Rescina. Its sole outlet is the 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) canal which links it to Lago Maggiore near Fondotoce. The difference in levels between the two lakes is slight, and when Maggiore is in flood, the flow of water in the canal goes into reverse. This opens up the possibility of pollutants entering Lago Mergozzo. Nevertheless, today the lake, where the use of motorboats has long been forbidden, is one of the least polluted in Italy; it has become a tourist destination particularly popular with people from Germany and the Netherlands.

 

Fish

 

Species found in the lake include, pikeperch, common whitefish, brown trout, Arctic char, bleak, chub, Danube roach (Rutilus pigus), common carp, rudd, tench, triotto (Rutilus aula), savetta, or Italian nase (Chondrostoma soetta), twait shad, northern pike, perch, black bass, pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), eel and burbot.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Lago Maggiore (italienisch, der Grössere See), italienisch auch Lago Verbano (von lateinisch Lacus Verbanus), lombardisch Lagh Maggior, in der Schweiz noch deutsch Langensee, ist ein in den italienischen Regionen Piemont und Lombardei sowie im Schweizer Kanton Tessin gelegener, von dem gleichnamigen Hauptzu- und -abfluss Tessin durchflossener oberitalienischer See.

 

Beschreibung

 

Der Lago Maggiore ist schmal, gekurvt sowie verästelt und wird von Nord nach Süd durchflossen. Er nimmt 212,5 km² Fläche ein, wovon 19,9 % – im Norden – zur Schweiz und 80,1 % zu Italien gehören. Er reicht von der südlichen Alpenkette bis an den westlichen Rand der Poebene. Wie die anderen oberitalienischen Seen entstand er beim Abschmelzen eiszeitlicher Gletscher. Vor allem sein Nordteil ist von hohen Bergen umgeben.

 

Der See ist 64,37 km lang und bis zu 10 km breit. Er ist nach dem Gardasee der flächenmässig zweitgrösste See Italiens. Der Seespiegel liegt im Mittel bei 193 m ü. M. und bildet damit den tiefsten Punkt der Schweiz. Die grösste Tiefe beträgt 372 m. Der Seegrund reicht damit bis zu 179 m unter den Meeresspiegel.

 

Das Einzugsgebiet beträgt 6386 km² (3326 km² in der Schweiz und 3060 km² in Italien).

 

Von der Fischerei im Lago Maggiore leben mehrere Berufsfischer. Der Gesamtertrag liegt bei 150 Tonnen pro Jahr.

 

Seit 1826 gibt es auf dem See eine Passagierschifffahrt. 1852 wurde sie vom Österreichischen Lloyd übernommen und neu organisiert. Heute betreibt der italienische Staatsbetrieb Gestione governativa navigazione laghi mit Sitz in Mailand mit der Navigazione del Lago Maggiore (NLM) eine Flotte von 25 Schiffen, darunter der noch betriebsfähige Raddampfer Piemonte. Die lokale Schifffahrt auf Schweizer Territorium wird seit 2018 von der Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano wahrgenommen.

 

Der Hauptzu- und -abfluss ist der Tessin (italienisch: Ticino). Er mündet bei Magadino in den See ein. Das Mündungsgebiet, die Bolle di Magadino, (wörtlich: Blase …) ist ein artenreiches Naturschutzgebiet.

 

Weiter westlich mündet die Maggia. Sie bringt ständig Geschiebe mit sich, so dass das Maggia-Delta heute weit in den See hinausreicht. Östlich des Deltas liegt Locarno, das vor allem durch sein Filmfestival und die Wallfahrtskirche Madonna del Sasso bekannt ist, auf der Westseite Ascona mit seiner Seepromenade und dem Monte Verità. Im Hinterland teilt sich das Tal bei Ponte Brolla ins Centovalli zur linken und das Maggiatal zur rechten Seite. Im Norden mündet die Verzasca in den See, vor allem bekannt durch eine Brücke, die Ponte dei Salti, und die 220 m hohe Staumauer.

 

Der hydrologisch bedeutendste Zufluss des Sees ist allerdings der Toce, da dieser durchschnittlich etwas mehr Wasser als der Tessin in den See einbringt. Allerdings sind die natürlichen Wassermengen dieser Flüsse aufgrund zahlreicher Wasserableitungen zur Stromgewinnung seit Jahrzehnten von Menschenhand reguliert.

 

Grösste Stadt am See ist Verbania mit ihren Teilorten Intra und Pallanza. Sehenswert sind die Botanischen Gärten der Villa Taranto (0,16 km²), ein Geschenk ihres Gründers, Kapitän Neil Mac Eacharn, an Italien. Tausende aus aller Welt importierte Pflanzen, sowie seltene, in Europa zum Teil auch einzigartige botanische Sammlungen lassen sich hier studieren. Südlich von Verbania weitet sich der See zum Golf von Verbania, wo der Toce in den See einmündet.

 

Am Golf liegt Stresa, das mit seinen Belle-Epoque-Villen und -Hotelpalästen heute noch den Charme eines mondänen Nobelkurortes ausstrahlt. In Stresa befindet sich die Villa Pallavicino mit ihrem Park und einem Zoologischen Garten. Jahrhundertealte Bäume und viele freilebende Tierarten sind dort zu sehen. In der Stadt fanden einige historisch bedeutsame Konferenzen statt (1. und 2. Konferenz von Stresa 1935 beziehungsweise 1958, Bilderberg-Konferenz 2004).

 

Weiter südlich liegt die Stadt Arona. Zwei Kilometer nördlich von Arona wurde 1624 eine 23 m hohe Kupfer-Kolossalstatue (35 m mit Sockel) von Karl Borromäus errichtet, die bis zum Bau der Freiheitsstatue in New York die höchste innen begehbare Statue war.

 

Südlich des Sees liegt bei Sesto Calende ein unter Naturschutz stehendes Auengebiet.

 

Auf der Ostseite liegen der Ort Angera mit der mittelalterlichen Burg Rocca di Angera, das in den steil aufragenden Felsen hineingebaute Kloster Santa Caterina del Sasso sowie die Stadt Luino mit ihrem bekannten Wochenmarkt.

 

Sacro Monte di Ghiffa

 

Der Pilgerweg mit einer Gruppe der Kapellen Sacro Monte di Ghiffa ist eine Wallfahrtsstätte in der Nähe des Orts Ghiffa im Piemont. Sie ist seit 2003 als Teil der Sacri Monti in die Liste des Weltkulturerbes der UNESCO eingetragen.

 

Inseln

 

Bei Brissago liegen die zwei Isole di Brissago mit ihrem botanischen Garten: Isola di San Pancrazio (Isola Grande) und Isola di Sant’Apollinare (Isolino). Nördlich von Cannero Riviera liegen auf zwei Inselchen die Castelli di Cannero.

 

Stresa vorgelagert sind drei der fünf Borromäischen Inseln: Isola Bella und Isola dei Pescatori (auch bekannt als Isola Superiore), sowie zwischen den beiden das Inselchen Scoglio della Malghera. Die restlichen beiden, Isolino di San Giovanni und Isola Madre, sind dem gegenüberliegenden Verbania vorgelagert.

 

Vor Angera liegt die kleine Insel Isolino Partegora.

 

Tier- und Pflanzenwelt

 

Vegetation

 

Die Flora des Lago Maggiore wird häufig mit dem Begriff „Insubrische Flora“ umschrieben. Das Gebiet gehört zu den regenreichsten in Italien und der Schweiz. Der höchste Wert von fast 3000 mm pro Jahr wird im Valle Cannobina (Provinz VCO) erreicht, in der Provinz Varese sind es bei Vararo 2000 mm. Die Alpenkette nördlich des Sees und die oft hohen und steilen Berge des Gebietes schützen ihn vor den kalten Winden aus dem Norden, weshalb das Klima mild ist. Sehr ausgeprägt sind die mikroklimatischen Unterschiede zwischen den steilen Südhängen in der Nähe des Sees, und den höher gelegenen, nach Norden ausgerichteten Orten. Dies führt zu einer sehr vielfältigen und interessanten Flora. Die Kombination aus hohen Niederschlägen und mildem Klima begünstigt ein sehr üppiges Wachstum, wie es kaum an einem anderen Ort in Europa anzutreffen ist und ermöglicht es besondere Pflanzen wie Kamelien zu kultivieren, die diese speziellen Bedingungen benötigen. Ein großer Teil des Gebiets ist mit Wald bedeckt, der nach dem Abholzen oder den häufigen Waldbränden schnell nachwächst.

 

Sehr wichtig für die Flora ist auch, ob der Boden kalkhaltig oder sauer ist. Auf der piemontesischen und der Tessiner Seite des Lago Maggiore ist das Gestein fast überall sauer, ausser in einigen sehr kleinen kalkigen Einschlüssen. Dasselbe gilt für die lombardische Seite des Sees nördlich von Luino und auf den Moränenhügeln im äußersten Südosten in Richtung Sesto Calende. Hier, in Höhenlagen bis etwa 800–1000 m, dominieren überall die oft fast reinen Kastanienwälder. Zwischen 1000 m und etwa 1700 m wachsen hauptsächlich saure Buchenwälder. Darüber lichten sich die Wälder und man findet den Bergahorn (Acer pseudoplatanus) und die Birke (Betula pendula). Hier und auf der montanen Höhenstufe an waldfreien Orten (z. B. aufgrund Rodung oder Waldbrand) finden sich ausgedehnte Flächen mit Pfeifengras (Molinia arundinacea), Adlerfarn (Pteridium aquilinum) und Besenginster (Cytisus scoparius), welcher die Hänge oft weithin mit seinen intensiven, gelben Blüten ziert.

 

Die niedrig gelegenen Gebiete wie das Ossolatal, die Magadinoebene, das Tal der Tresa, das Valcuvia und das untere Varesotto sind oft stark anthropisiert und sehr dicht besiedelt. Die Landwirtschaft beschränkt sich hauptsächlich auf diese Gebiete, wobei sie allerdings wegen den mageren Böden nicht sehr intensiv ist und hauptsächlich aus Mähwiesen und Maisfeldern besteht. Eine Ausnahme ist die Magadinoebene, wo aus politischen Gründen eine intensivere Landwirtschaft gefördert wird um die Selbstversorgung der Schweiz zu gewährleisten. Dank der starken Förderung hat sich hier trotz nicht optimalen Bedingungen (nasses Klima, schlechte Böden) auch ein intensiver Weinbau erhalten, der auf der italienischen Seite des Sees fast vollständig zum Erliegen gekommen ist. Wo in diesen Gebieten noch Wald vorhanden ist, besteht er hauptsächlich aus Stieleiche (Quercus robur), Esche (Fraxinus excelsior) und Robinie (Robinia pseudoacacia) sowie vereinzelt aus Kastanie (Castanea sativa) und Ulme (Ulmus minor).

 

Eine andere Flora findet sich im zentralen östlichen Teil des Sees in der Provinz Varese, wo das Substrat kalkhaltig ist. Auch hier wachsen vor allem Kastanienwälder, aber östlich des Campo dei Fiori werden die Hainbuchenwälder (Orno-Ostrietum, Carpinion orientalis) mit Manna-Esche (Fraxinus ornus) und Hopfenbuche (Ostrya carpinifolia) häufiger, die in den südöstlichen italienischen Alpen sehr verbreitet sind. Diese sind zusammen mit den Kastanienwäldern charakteristisch für die submediterrane Übergangsflora zwischen der gemässigten, mitteleuropäischen und derjenigen des Mittelmeerraums. Besonders artenreich sind in diesem Gebiet die Trockenwiesen, die an den wenigen Stellen, die weder bebaut noch bewaldet sind, auf dolomitischen und kalkhaltigen Felsen mit wenig tiefgründigem Boden vorkommen. Die interessantesten Trockenwiesen befinden sich auf dem Monte Sangiano in der Nähe des gleichnamigen Dorfes. Einige Pflanzenarten wachsen um den Lago Maggiore herum nur dort, wie das Apenninen-Sonnenröschen (Helianthemum apenninum), Inula spiraeifolia und einige typische Steppenpflanzen wie sie auch in Zentralasien vorkommen, darunter das Federgras (Stipa eriocaulis) und der Steifhalm (Kengia serotina). Weitere Trockenwiesen gibt es auf den Pizzoni di Laveno, in der Nähe von Vararo, am Campo dei Fiori und oberhalb von Rasa, nördlich von Varese.

 

Die interessantesten Lebensräume der Gegend sind wahrscheinlich die Feuchtgebiete, in denen einige vom Aussterben bedrohten Arten ihrer letzten Vorkommen in Italien haben. Die Feuchtgebiete sind wohl wegen der außergewöhnlichen Niederschlagsmenge und der zahlreichen Seen und Flüsse so gut vertreten. Zu den bedrohten Arten, die auf der italienischen roten Liste stehen, gehört die Wasserkastanie (Trapa natans), die im Naturschutzgebiet Fondotoce und in den kleineren Seen von Varese und Comabbio vorkommt. Weitere Arten auf der Roten Liste sind Hottonia palustris, die am See bei Brebbia vorkommt, und das Echte Pfeilkraut (Sagittaria sagittifolia), das um die kleineren Seen von Varese und Comabbio gefunden wurde, aber wahrscheinlich ausgestorben ist. Auch die Seekanne (Nymphoides peltata), die im Lago di Comabbio vorkommt, hat in Italien hier einer ihrer letzten Vorkommen. Bemerkenswert sind auch die Relikt-Torfmoore von Valganna und Cavagnano, wo sehr seltene Pflanzen wie der Mittlerer Sonnentau (Drosera intermedia) und die Blumenbinse (Scheuchzeria palustris) wachsen, die in der Roten Liste der Lombardei aufgeführt sind.

 

Unberührte und außergewöhnlich warme Orte befinden sich nur noch an schwer zugänglichen Orten an steilen Felsen über dem See. Überraschenderweise ist hier bereits eine rein mediterrane Art zu finden, die Salbeiblättrige Zistrose (Cistus salviifolia; Locarnese, Mont'Orfano, Santa Caterina usw.). In den wärmeren, stärker anthropogen geprägten Gebieten in der Nähe der Dörfer tritt das Phänomen der Laurophyllisierung auf, bei dem sich dichte Wälder aus exotischen immergrünen Gehölzen wie der Hanfpalme (Trachycarpus fortunei) und dem Lorbeer (Laurus nobilis) bilden.

 

Tierwelt

 

Da verschiedene Fischarten des Lago Maggiores im deutschen Sprachraum nicht vorkommen, werden zum Teil die italienischen Bezeichnungen angegeben. Im See lebt eine Felchen-Fischart, die lokal Lavarello genannt wird und ein beliebter Speisefisch ist. Sie lebt in tiefen Gewässern und kommt nur während der Laichzeit Anfang Dezember an Land. Der See beherbergt auch Agon, Barsch, Hecht, den Cavedano, einen in Italien, im angrenzenden Dalmatien und Südfrankreich endemischen Fisch (Squalius squalus), Quappe, Wels, Aal und die Alborella (Alburnus arborella), ebenfalls ein in Italien und Dalmatien endemischer Fisch sowie Forellen.

 

Am See gibt es etliche nistende Wasservögel, zum Beispiel: Gänsesäger, Schwan, Haubentaucher, Möwe, Kormoran und Ente. Außerdem ist er ein wichtiger Korridor, Rastplatz und Futterplatz für den Vogelzug.

 

Schifffahrt

 

Die Linienschifffahrt auf dem See begann bereits 1826 mit der im Vorjahr gegründeten Impresa Lombardo-Sardo-Ticinese mit dem Dampfschiff Verbano. Im Jahr 1853 nahm eine zweite Gesellschaft, der Lloyd Austriaco, den Dienst mit dem Dampfschiff Taxis auf. Die Impresa Lombardo-Sardo-Ticinese ging 1853 in Konkurs und verkaufte die Dampfschiffe an die Regierung des Königreichs Sardinien. Während des Zweiten Unabhängigkeitskrieges (1859) wurden die Dampfer bewaffnet und es kam sogar zu Gefechten (die österreichische Radetzky wurde von der aufständischen Bevölkerung schwer beschädigt) und fanden schließlich in neutralen Schweizer Gewässern Schutz. Der bankrotte Österreichische Lloyd verkaufte seine drei Schiffe an die Schweizer Regierung, die sie an die sardische Regierung übergab.

 

1867 gingen die Schiffe in den Besitz der neu gegründeten Mailänder Gesellschaft Innocente Mangili über, die von 1876 bis 1909, zur Zeit der Belle Époque, acht große Salonraddampfer und bis 1914 fünf Schraubendampfer in Dienst stellte. Im Jahr 1896 stationierte die Regia Guardia di Finanza eine Flottille kleiner Torpedoboote in Cannobio; im selben Jahr sank eines davon, die Locusta, bei einem Sturm mit der gesamten Besatzung.

 

Während des Ersten Weltkriegs ging die Mangili-Gesellschaft in Konkurs und die Schiffe wurden von der Regierung verwaltet, mit katastrophalen Ergebnissen; 1923 gingen sie schließlich an die Società Subalpina Imprese Ferroviarie über, die eine drastische Erneuerung der Flotte durchführte: Bis auf sechs wurden alle größeren Dampfer verschrottet (drei Rad- und drei Schraubendampfer), zwei weitere wurden auf Dieselmotoren umgerüstet, und zehn neue Motorschiffe wurden gebaut. 1929 nahm die Autofähre San Cristoforo, die durch den Umbau eines Lastkahns entstanden war, den Autoverkehr auf, und vier Jahre später wurde eine zweite San Cristoforo, die erste echte Fähre auf den italienischen Seen, in Betrieb genommen. 1938 eröffneten die Tessiner Regionalbahnen den Betrieb auf der Schweizer Seite.

 

Während des Zweiten Weltkriegs versenkten zwischen dem 25. und 26. September 1944 die alliierte Luftangriffe die Dampfer Genua, Mailand und Turin. In den ersten beiden Fällen gab es 34 bzw. 26 Todesopfer. Bei anderen Angriffen wurden die Motorschiffe Monfalcone und Magnolia beschädigt. Am 16. April 1948 ging die Verwaltung der Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Langensees (italienisch NLM) an ein Regierungskommissariat über, das mehrere neue Schiffe bauen liess. Das erste Tragflächenboot wurde 1953 in Dienst gestellt; 1956 kaufte die italienische Gesellschaft die Schweizer Flotte.

 

Die italienische NLM kündigte 2016 aus finanziellen Gründen die Betriebseinstellung im Schweizer Becken auf Ende Jahr an, nachdem im Nachzug der Finanzkrise 2008 vier Jahre später ihre Subventionen aus Rom um 45 % gekürzt worden sind. Nach Interventionen aus der Schweiz wurde dieser Termin um ein Jahr verschoben, um eine Lösung zu finden. Zudem erneuerte die Schweiz Ende Dezember 2016 die letztmals 1992 erteilte Konzession der NLM für die Passagierschifffahrt auch im Tessiner Teil des Langensees auf weitere zehn Jahre hinaus.

 

Für die Schiffskurse im Schweizer Becken des Langensees wurde ein internationales Konsortium gegründet, an der sowohl die italienische staatliche Betreibergesellschaft Gestione Governativa Navigazione Laghi (GGNL), der die NLM unterstellt ist, als auch die schweizerische Luganersee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft beteiligt sind. Die italienische NLM stellt für das Schweizer Langensee-Becken 5 ihrer 30 Schiffe zur Verfügung.

 

Ereignisse

 

Hochwasser

 

Beim Hochwasser von 2000 überflutete der See weite Gebiete der anliegenden Gemeinden.

 

Seilbahnunglück

 

Beim Seilbahnunfall am Monte Mottarone stürzte am 23. Mai 2021 oberhalb des Sees eine Gondel mit nicht funktionierender Notbremseinrichtung ab, 14 Menschen starben.

 

Feuer

 

Waldbrände oberhalb des Sees sind keine Seltenheit. Für denjenigen, der am 30. Januar 2022 ausbrach, siehe den Artikel Waldbrand am Lago Maggiore.

 

Globale Erwärmung

 

Seit März 2022 hat es (Stand 23. Juni 2022) in vielen norditalienischen Regionen nicht mehr geregnet. Wegen des milden Winters 2021/22 ist kaum Schmelzwasser in die norditalienischen Täler und Ebenen geflossen. Alle norditalienischen Seen sind betroffen, am stärksten der Lago Maggiore und der Comer See. Für die Bewässerung in der Landwirtschaft und die Energieerzeugung in einem nahegelegenen Wasserkraftwerk stehen nur 20 % der üblichen Wassermenge zur Verfügung. Laut Landwirtschaftsverband CIA (Confederazione italiana agricoltori) bedroht die Wasserknappheit rund die Hälfte der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion Norditaliens. Der Schaden für die Bauern betrage mindestens 2 Milliarden Euro. Der Präsident der Region Piemont hat Mitte Juni 2022 angeordnet, dass in 170 Städten und Gemeinden das Wasser nur noch für lebenswichtige Zwecke wie Trinken und Lebensmittelzubereitung verwendet werden darf.

 

Auch der Winter 2022/23 war ausgesprochen trocken, so dass der Pegel über mehrere Monate unter dem Durchschnitt lag. Durch intensive Regenfälle wurde im Mai und Juni 2023 ein überdurchschnittlicher Pegel verzeichnet. Im Juli und August lag der Pegel wieder unter dem Durchschnitt, bevor er Ende August 2023 wegen Dauerregen in die Höhe schoss und mit Stand vom 3. September 2023 nach wie vor über dem Durchschnitt liegt.

 

Schiffsunglück der Goduria

 

Am 28. Mai 2023, kurz nach 19 Uhr MESZ kenterte "in der Nähe von Lisanza" (Lisanza ist Fraktion der Gemeinde Sesto Calende, am südlichsten Teil des Sees, linksufrig, höchstens geschätzt 5 km weg vom Abfluss), 150 m vom Ufer entfernt, während eines plötzlich auftretenden Unwetters das überladene Boot Goduria (ital. Vergnügen, Zulassung für 15 Personen, 1982 gebaut) mit 25 Personen. 14 erreichten schwimmend das Ufer, 7 wurden von einigen vorbeifahrenden Booten aufgenommen, 4 starben. Laut Informationen in der Presse waren fast alle Gäste Geheimdienstmitarbeiter aus Italien und von Israels Mossad.

 

Film

 

Der Musikfilm Lieder klingen am Lago Maggiore (1962) spielt teilweise am Lago Maggiore.

 

Der US-Kriegsfilm In einem anderen Land (A Farewell to Arms) unter der Regie von Charles Vidor wurde teilweise in Stresa am Lago Maggiore gedreht.

 

Namensgeber

 

1994 wurde der Asteroid (3883) Verbano nach dem See benannt.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Lago di Mergozzo ist ein kleiner Alpenrandsee in den Tessiner Alpen unweit des Lago Maggiore in der italienischen Region Piemont.

 

Entstehung und Geographie

 

Der See misst etwa 2,6 Kilometer von Nordwest nach Südost und rund 1 Kilometer von Südwest nach Nordost. Er liegt auf dem Gebiet des NATURA 2000 Schutzgebietes Lago di Mergozzo e Mont’Orfano.

 

Der See liegt in einem am Ende des Ossolatals liegenden Seitenarm des Tales. Er ist vom Ossolatal durch den monolithartigen aus Granit bestehenden Montorfano, auch Mont’Orfano, (794 m s.l.m.) getrennt. Die Entstehung des Sees ist eng mit dem Fluss Toce verbunden. Er bildete ursprünglich eine buchtartige Ausbeulung des Lago Maggiore und wurde durch die vom Toce in seinem Mündungsbereich angeschwemmten Sedimente vor fünf- bis sechshundert Jahren vom Lago Maggiore abgetrennt. Dem Montorfano gegenüber liegt der zwischen dem Monte Faiè (1352 m s.l.m.) und Monte Castello, deren Ausläufer den Mergozzosee auf seiner Nordseite eingrenzen.

 

Da es nur auf der nördlichen Seeseite eine Straße gibt, die Via Pallanza, ist diese stark frequentiert. Der östliche Teil ist vollständig mit Schilf bewachsen und hier verläuft die Bahnstrecke Domodossola–Mailand, die aber größtenteils durch einen Tunnel führt. Von dieser Seite führt außerdem ein kleiner rund 3 Kilometer langer Kanal bei Fondotoce in den Lago Maggiore. Das Gebiet zwischen den beiden Seen ist Schwemmland. Einziger Ort am See ist am nordwestlichen Ende die gleichnamige Gemeinde Mergozzo, die durch Schwemmland wiederum vom Fluss Toce getrennt ist. Die nächste größere Ortschaft ist Gravellona Toce, bekannter sind Verbania (8 km) und Stresa (12 km).

 

Administrativ liegt der Großteil des Sees im Gemeindegebiet von Mergozzo, ein kleinerer Teil im Südosten liegt im Gemeindegebiet von Verbania.

 

Fauna

 

Im Lago di Mergozzo sind folgende Fischarten anzutreffen: Forelle, Seesaibling, Felche, Ukelei (Alburnus alburnus, in der Unterart alborella, (italienisch Alborella)), Döbel, Frauennerfling, Karpfen, Rotfeder, Schleie, Näsling (Chondrostoma, in der Unterart soetta, (ital. Savetta)), Finte, Hecht, Flussbarsch, Forellenbarsch, Gemeiner Sonnenbarsch, Aal und Quappe.

 

Über den mit Lago Maggiore verbundenen Kanal wandern Fische auch aus dem Lago Maggiore ein. Die Migration tritt insbesondere dann auf, wenn Hochwasser aus dem Lago Maggiore in den Lago di Mergozzo drückt.

 

Wirtschaft

 

Der Lago di Mergozzo ist einer der saubersten italienischen Seen. Um die hohe Qualität des Seewassers zu schützen wurde 1995 ein Verbot für Motorboote erlassen. Der See galt lange Zeit als Geheimtipp für Ruhe suchende Touristen. Durch verschiedene Aktivitäten seitens der Gemeinde Mergozzo hat sich der Tourismus mittlerweile recht stark entwickelt und erreichte in den 2000er Jahren etwa 20.000 Nächtigungen. Für Touristen gibt es drei Campingplätze rund um den See sowie diverse Hotels in Mergozzo mit insgesamt etwa 150 Betten.

 

(Wikipedia)

Bentley ranks among the most famous of all names in automobile history. Founded by W.O. Bentley, his cars were successful in winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans no fewer than five times. W.O. Bentley believed in increasing the size of his engines gradually over the years, from the 3 Litre to the 4 1/2 Litre and the 6 1/2 Litre, culminating in the uprated Speed Six which won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930, and ultimately the 8 Litre for road use only. When in 1928 after Le Mans the 4 1/2 Litre team cars could not manage better than fifth place (with Birkin at Ards and Boulogne), it was clear that a faster car was needed. It was at this point that W.O. and Bentley Boy Tim Birkin diverged. Birkin was not looking for glory for himself, but being patriotic he wanted to see his countrymen win in British cars. It was his belief that the best way to achieve this was to supercharge the 4 1/2 Litre. Because of the shaky finances of the Bentley Company Birkin was able to set the project up as a private venture. The reason for this was that whilst W.O. Bentley was the managing director, the purse strings were held by chairman Woolf Barnato who by 1926 effectively owned Bentley Motors. Birkin set up his works at Welwyn Garden City, employing some 30 people, and started to build the Blower Bentley in 1929, commissioning development and manufacture of the supercharger to Amherst Villiers, a talented engineer who had had considerable success with Raymond May's Brescia Bugatti. W.O. did not believe in supercharging but tolerated the project as long as Bentley Motors did not have to share any cost. Birkin managed to find additional funding from the Hon. Dorothy Paget, Lord Queenborough's daughter. A total of 50 Blower Bentley had to be made for homolgation reasons. Performance of the Blower Bentley in team car form was outstanding; with top speeds over 130 mph, the Blower was highly competitive, not least at Le Mans when it helped Bentley Motors chase and ultimately wear out the supercharged SSK cars of rival Mercedes-Benz. However W.O. Bentley was right, the Blower proved to lack endurance and ultimately failed its goals. Nevertheless, the Blower Bentley remains the supercar of its day and is fascinating both due to its performance and handling, and its striking presence and aesthetic beauty.

This particular car, Blower GK150 SM3918 coachwork Le Mans by Vanden Plas, is one of only three Blower cars built to Le Mans specification. Tim Birkin was personally involved in the building of GK150 which was brought close to Birkin Blower team car specification. Particular features were Le Mans type chassis, extended bonnet as recommended by Birkin, Triplex glass aero shields, Birkin stone guards, high compression engine, pressure feed petrol system, reserve scuttle oil tank, Le Mans type double springing and double shock absorbers, split-pinning all round, racing brake adjuster inside cockpit, 42 gallon external Le Mans fuel tank to rear and team car instrument panel supplied by Birkin. GK150 is known to have lapped Brooklands at 121.4 mph. To get Birkin to build a car so close to Birkin team car specification without the intention of racing - this was achieved by original owner Billy Fiske who had all credentials of fame possible : 1928 and 1932 U.S. bobsleigh Winter Olympics team leader, Cresta Run champion, first American to join the British Royal Air Force, and well-established in high society - this was the kind of prestigious Blower owner that Birkin could be proud of. Sadly, Billy Fiske was killed in action on August 17th, 1941 aboard his 601 Squadron Hurricane during the Battle of Britain. Owned by Roy Stanwell from 1952 until 2005, GK150 today forms part of a private European collection. GK150 is highly original with minor incorrect details accrued over the years recently put right by leading expert Graham Moss.

History

A predecessor of the Liebfrauenkirche from the 5th century dated back to a late Antique hall from the time of Emperor Valentinian I (364-375). Within the walls of this Roman building, the Franks, who had come to Koblenz at that time, established a Christian church. Using the foundations, this church underwent several renovations and extensions.

Around 1180, at the time of the pastor Saulinus, began the construction of a transept-less late Romanesque pillar basilica with galleries, which was completed around the year 1205. Until the late Middle Ages, this construction is being enlarged and modernized several times. At the beginning of the 13th century - here it is called the Rhenish transitional style - the hitherto towerless building in the west received a double tower facade. In this time also the increase of the clerestory, the vaulting of the long house and the increase of the choir falls.

Beginning of the 15th century, the main apse was laid down and from 1404 to 1430 according to plans by Johannes von Spey at the Romanesque choir of today's Late Gothic long choir added. Between 1463 and 1466, the gallery floor between the two towers was raised by one floor and the Romanesque rose window in the facade replaced by a very large late Gothic tracery window. In the years 1486/1487 the Romanesque vault was removed in the nave and replaced by a rich ribbed vault with decorated keystones. At the same time, the exchange of the clerestory windows took place through today's late Gothic windows with trefoil tracery.

In the Palatine War of Succession Koblenz was bombed in 1688 by the troops of Louis XIV of France. The gothic tower helmets burned down during the heavy damages in the city. These were replaced in 1694 by the kurtrierischen (Trier Electorate) Hofbaumeister Johann Christoph Sebastiani by today's characteristic Welsian domes. The lower part of the large façade window was walled up in 1702 in order to set up the large niche figure of Our Lady above the portal. The portal itself was replaced in 1765 by today's pointed-arched gate. After plans of Nikolaus Lauxem in 1776 behind the choir a Baroque sacristy was built.

In French times and after all the monasteries were secularized in Koblenz, the Liebfrauenkirche was called ruinous in 1803. Abandonment and demolition of the church in need of renovation could be averted, however, by renewing the roof in 1808. However, the roofs of the nave and choir were now the same height, the roof ridge of the choir had disappeared. From 1852, the Cologne cathedral master Vincenz Statz restored the church in neo-Romanesque style. For example, the raised floors of the 18th century were lowered, a new stone west gallery was installed and wall breakthroughs were carried out in the antechoir. The Baroque decor of the church disappeared for the most part because it was replaced by "stylish" pieces in the style of neo-Romanesque, which in turn were largely eliminated after the Second World War.

During the heaviest air raid on Koblenz on November 6, 1944, the Liebfrauenkirche was considerably damaged, so tower helmets and roofs burned down. The vaults and walls, however, remained intact. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, the Liebfrauenkirche received emergency roofs, so that the church remained dry. As it was impossible to close off the large windows, an emergency church was set up in the nave for a few years with the help of a false ceiling, which was lovingly named Little St. Mary by the parishioners. The reconstruction began in 1950. When in 1955 the Welsh domes and the roofs, now again with the increase of the choir roof and the ridge turret, were built, the old town of Koblenz had optically regained an important center.

In the exterior renovation from 1971 to 1974, the choir and the nave again received a color version based on a Medieval model. Withe the towers they were not able to make the same decision. The sanctuary was redesigned from 1976 to 1980. The new main altar made of Savonnières limestone was created by sculptors Elmar Hillebrand and Theo Heiermann who were good friends. The backs of the panels of the Retabel altarpiece were painted by Clemens Hillebrand as a fasting image with the Arma Christi (Weapons of Christ), Christ's instruments of sorrow. In 1992, the church received new figurative choir windows, created by Hans Gottfried von Stockhausen, which replaced a simpler glazing from the period of reconstruction. The well-fitted windows have the theme women in salvation history. The interior, in which the Romanesque part was Romanesque and the Gothic part gothic framed in the 1950s, was given a uniform color scheme in the years 1999/2000, based on color findings from the 15th century. From 2005 to November 2007, the choir was restored, on the outside of which the Gothic decoration and the masonry had shown major damage. Parts of the building sculpture had to be replaced. From March to September in 2007, the organ of the church was overhauled and rebuilt. Since 1999, the Catholic parishes of Our Lady and Sacred Heart have formed a parish community and have a common pastor. In 2005, the parish of St. Kastor was added to this community.

 

Geschichte

Ein Vorgängerbau der Liebfrauenkirche aus dem 5. Jahrhundert ging auf eine spätantike Halle aus der Zeit des Kaisers Valentinian I. (364-375) zurück. In den Mauern dieses römischen Gebäudes richteten die damals nach Koblenz gekommenen Franken ein christliches Gotteshaus ein. Unter Verwendung der Fundamente erfuhr diese Kirche mehrere Um- und Ausbauten.

Um 1180, zur Zeit des Pfarrers Saulinus, begann der Bau einer querhauslosen spätromanischen Pfeilerbasilika mit Emporen, der um das Jahr 1205 vollendet war. Bis ins Spätmittelalter wird dieser Bau mehrfach vergrößert und modernisiert. Anfang des 13. Jahrhunderts – man spricht hier vom rheinischen Übergangsstil – erhielt der bis dahin turmlose Bau im Westen eine Doppelturmfassade. In diese Zeit fällt auch die Erhöhung des Obergadens, die Einwölbung des Langhauses und die Aufstockung des Chors.

Anfang des 15. Jahrhunderts wurde die Hauptapsis niedergelegt und von 1404 bis 1430 nach Plänen von Johannes von Spey an dem romanischen Chor der heutige spätgotische Langchor angebaut. Zwischen 1463 und 1466 wurde das Emporengeschoss zwischen den beiden Türmen um ein Stockwerk erhöht und das romanische Rosenfenster in der Fassade durch ein sehr großes spätgotisches Maßwerkfenster ersetzt. In den Jahren 1486/1487 entfernte man das romanische Gewölbe im Langhaus und ersetzte es durch ein reiches Sternrippengewölbe mit geschmückten Schlusssteinen. Gleichzeitig erfolgte der Tausch der Obergadenfenster durch die heutigen spätgotischen Fenster mit Fischblasenmaßwerk.

Im Pfälzischen Erbfolgekrieg wurde Koblenz 1688 durch die Truppen Ludwigs XIV. von Frankreich bombardiert. Bei den schweren Beschädigungen in der Stadt brannten auch die gotischen Turmhelme ab. Diese wurden 1694 vom kurtrierischen Hofbaumeister Johann Christoph Sebastiani durch die heutigen charakteristischen welschen Hauben ersetzt. Der untere Teil des großen Fassadenfensters wurde 1702 vermauert, um die große Nischenfigur der Muttergottes über dem Portal aufstellen zu können. Das Portal selbst wurde 1765 durch das heutige Spitzbogentor ersetzt. Nach Plänen von Nikolaus Lauxem baute man 1776 hinter dem Chor eine barocke Sakristei an.

In französischer Zeit und nachdem sämtliche Stifte in Koblenz säkularisiert wurden, bezeichnete man die Liebfrauenkirche 1803 als ruinös. Aufgabe und Abriss der renovierungsbedürftigen Kirche konnte aber abgewandt werden, indem man 1808 das Dach erneuerte. Allerdings waren die Dächer von Schiff und Chor nun gleich hoch, der Dachreiter des Chors war verschwunden. Ab 1852 restaurierte der Kölner Domwerkmeister Vincenz Statz die Kirche im Stil der Neoromanik. So wurden beispielsweise die erhöhten Böden des 18. Jahrhunderts tiefergelegt, eine neue steinerne Westempore installiert und Mauerdurchbrüche im Vorchor durchgeführt. Die barocke Ausstattung der Kirche verschwand zum größten Teil, da man sie durch "stilgerechte" Stücke im Stil der Neoromanik ersetzte, die ihrerseits nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg größtenteils beseitigt wurden.

Beim schwersten Luftangriff auf Koblenz vom 6. November 1944 wurde die Liebfrauenkirche erheblich beschädigt, so brannten Turmhelme und Dächer ab. Die Gewölbe und Mauern blieben allerdings intakt. Kurz nach Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs erhielt die Liebfrauenkirche Notdächer, so dass sie trocken blieb. Da man die großen Fenster nicht verschließen konnte, wurde im Kirchenschiff für einige Jahre mit Hilfe einer Zwischendecke eine Notkirche eingerichtet, die von den Pfarrkindern liebevoll Klein St. Marien genannt wurde. Der Wiederaufbau begann ab 1950. Als 1955 die welschen Hauben und die Dächer, nun wieder mit der Erhöhung des Chordaches und dem Dachreiter, errichtet waren, hatte die Koblenzer Altstadt auch optisch wieder einen wichtigen Mittelpunkt zurückgewonnen.

Bei der Außenrenovierung von 1971 bis 1974 erhielten Chor und Schiff wieder eine Farbfassung nach mittelalterlichem Vorbild. Bei den Türmen konnte man sich dazu nicht durchringen. Der Altarraum wurde von 1976 bis 1980 neu gestaltet. Den neuen Hauptaltar aus Savonnières Kalkstein schufen die befreundeten Bildhauer Elmar Hillebrand und Theo Heiermann. Die Rückseiten der Tafeln des Retabelaltarbildes wurden von Clemens Hillebrand als Fastenbild mit den Arma Christi, den Leidenswerkzeugen Christi bemalt. Im Jahr 1992 erhielt die Kirche neue figürliche Chorfenster, die Hans Gottfried von Stockhausen schuf und die eine einfachere Verglasung aus der Zeit des Wiederaufbaus ersetzten. Die gut in den Raum eingepassten Fenster haben das Thema Frauen in der Heilsgeschichte. Das Innere, in dem man in den 1950er Jahren den romanischen Teil romanisch und den gotischen gotisch gefasst hatte, erhielt in den Jahren 1999/2000 eine einheitliche Farbfassung nach Farbbefunden des 15. Jahrhunderts. Von 2005 bis November 2007 wurde der Chor restauriert, auf dessen Außenseite der gotische Zierrat und das Mauerwerk größere Schäden gezeigt hatten. Teile der Bauplastik mussten ausgetauscht werden. Von März bis September 2007 wurde die Orgel der Kirche überholt und umgebaut.

Seit 1999 bilden die katholischen Pfarrgemeinden Liebfrauen und Herz-Jesu eine Pfarreiengemeinschaft und haben einen gemeinsamen Pfarrer. Im Jahr 2005 kam noch die Pfarrei St. Kastor zu dieser Gemeinschaft hinzu.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebfrauenkirche_(Koblenz)

The outstanding feature of this solid Victorian church, built by John Oldrid Scott in 1871, is the series of windows by the firm of Morris and Co. The east window of the north aisle represents some early saints including Alban and Aidan, while that in the west end shows six angels. Nearby is an early representation of Kentish saints, whose popularity was increasing in the middle of the nineteenth century, including Augustine, Ethelbert and Bertha. The east window is by the same firm, but dates from after the death of Burne-Jones and is not so finely executed. The oak reredos was added by Charles Oldrid Scott in 1925, who also worked on the altar rails and low chancel screen. In the churchyard there is a good monument made of Coade artificial stone in 1807.

 

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

 

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SPELDHURST

IS the last parish remaining undescribed in this lath. It lies the next adjoining parish south eastward from Penshurst, and was sometimes written, in antient records, Speleberste, but in the Tex t u Rossensis, Speldburst.

 

THE PARISH of Speldhurst is about three miles across each way; the north-west part, in which the church stands, and Hallborough, is within the hundred of Somerden, as is the hamlet of Groombridge, three miles from the church, at the southern boundary of it, where a branch of the river Medway separates this county from Sussex, throughout all which the soil remains a stiff clay; the remaining part of this parish is in the hundred of Warchlingstone, which stretches across a narrow district, by Mitchell's and Tophill farms, and towards the parish of Ashurst, which it includes, thus entirely separates that part of the hundred of Somerden in which the hamlet of Groombridge lies, and surrounds three sides of it, from the other in which the church stands. The soil in the eastern part of this parish changes to an uninterrupted scene of losty hills, with deep vallies intersecting, the soils are a stiff loam and a barren sand, which covers a continued bed of rock stone, several of which appear above it, of large size and dimensions, greatly abounding with iron ore, which renders the springs of it more or less chalybeate; at the south east boundary of the parish is the noted resort of Tunbridge-wells, (of which a further account will be given hereafter) situated thirty-five miles from London, and five from Tunbridge town; here the high road branches off to the right, by Rust-hall, and the hamlets of Bishopsdown and Rust-hall common, on by Groombridge, across the branch of the Medway into Sussex.

 

The large and populous hamlet or village of TUNBRIDGE-WELLS is situated at the south-east boundary of this parish; part of it only is in Speldhurst, another part in the parish of Tunbridge, and the remainder in that of Fant, in the county of Suffex. It consists of four smaller districts, named from the hills on which they stand, Mount Ephraim, Mount Pleasant, and Mount Sion; the other is called The Wells, from their being within it, which altogether form a considerable town; but the last is the centre of business and pleasure, for there, besides the Wells themselves, are the market, public parades, assembly rooms, taverns, shops, &c. Near the Wells is the chapel, which stands remarkably in the three parishes above mentioned—the pulpit in Speldhurst, the altar in Tunbridge, and the vestry in Fant, and the stream, which parted the two counties of Kent and Suffex, formerly ran underneath it, but is now turned to a further distance from it. The right of patronage is claimed by the rector of Speldhurst, though he has never yet possessed the chapel or presented to it; the value of it is about two hundred pounds per annum, which sum is raised by voluntary subscription; divine service is performed in it every day in summer, and three times a week in winter. Adjoining to it is a charity school, for upwards of fifty poor boys and girls, which is supported by a contribution, collected at the chapel doors, two or three times a year.

 

The trade of Tunbridge-wells is similar to that of Spa, in Germany, and consists chiefly in a variety of toys, made of wood, commonly called Tunbridge ware, which employs a great number of hands. The wood principally used for this purpose is beech and sycamore, with yew and holly inlaid, and beautifully polished. To the market of this place is brought, in great plenty, from the South downs, in Sussex, the little bird, called the wheatear, which, from its delicacy, is usually called the English ortolan. It is not bigger in size than a lark; it is almost a lump of fat, and of a very delicious taste; it is in season only in the midst of summer, when the heat of the weather, and the fatness of it, prevents its being sent to London, which otherwise would, in all likelihood, monopolize every one of them. On the other or Suffex side of the Medway, above a mile from the Wells, are the rocks, which consist of a great number of rude eminences, adjoining to each other, several of which are seventy feet in height; in several places there are cliffs and chasms which lead quite through the midst of them, by narrow gloomy passages, which strike the beholder with astonishment.

 

THESE MEDICINAL WATERS, commonly called TUNBRIDGE-WELLS, lie so near to the county of Suffex that part of them are within it, for which reason they were for some time called Fant-wells, as being within that parish. (fn. 1) Their efficacy is reported to have been accidentally found out by Dudley lord North, in the beginning of the reign of king James I. Whilst he resided at Eridge-house for his health, lord Abergavenny's seat, in this neighbourhood, and that he was entirely cured of the lingering consumptive disorder he laboured under by the use of them.

 

The springs, which were then discovered, seem to have been seven in number, two of the principal of which were some time afterwards, by lord Abergavenny's care, inclosed, and were afterwards much resorted to by many of the middling and lower sort, whose ill health had real occasion for the use of them. In which state they continued till queen Henrietta Maria, wife of king Charles I. having been sent hither by her physicians, in the year 1630, for the reestablishment of her health, soon brought these waters into fashion, and occasioned a great resort to them from that time. In compliment to her doctor, Lewis Rowzee, in his treatise on them, calls these springs the Queen's-wells; but this name lasted but a small time, and they were soon afterwards universally known by that of Tunbridge-wells, which names they acquired from the company usually residing at Tunbridge town, when they came into these parts for the benefit of drinking the waters.

 

¶The town of Tunbridge being five miles distant from the wells, occasioned some few houses to be built in the hamlets of Southborough and Rusthall, for the accommodation of the company resorting hither, and this place now becoming fashionable, was visited by numbers for the sake of pleasure and dissipation, as well as for the cure of their infirmities; and soon after the Restoration every kind of building, for public amusements, was erected at the two hamlets above mentioned, lodgings and other buildings were built at and near the wells, the springs themselves were secured, and other conveniencies added to them. In 1664, the queen came here by the advice of her physicians, in hopes of reinstating her health, which was greatly impaired by a dangerous fever, and her success, in being perfectly cured by these waters, greatly raised the reputation of them, and the company increasing yearly, it induced the inhabitants to make every accommodation for them adjoining to the Wells, so that both Rusthall and Southborough became ruinous and deserted by all but their native inhabitants. The duke of York, with his duchess, and the two princesses their daughters, visited Tunbridge-wells in the year 1670, which brought much more company than usual to them, and raised their reputation still higher; and the annual increase continuing, it induced the lord of the manor to think of improving this humour of visiting the wells to his own profit as well as the better accommodation of the company. To effect which, he entered into an agreement with his tenants, and hired of them the herbage of the waste of the manor for the term of fifty years, at the yearly rent of ten shillings to each tenant, and then erected shops and houses on and near the walks and springs, in every convenient spot for that purpose; by which means Tunbridge wells became a populous and flourishing village, well inhabited, for whose convenience, and the company resorting thither, a chapel was likewise built, in 1684, by subscription, on some ground given by the lady viscountess Purbeck, which was, about twelve years afterwards, enlarged by an additional subscription, amounting together to near twenty-three hundred pounds.

  

About the year 1726, the building lease, which had been granted by the lord of the manor of Rusthall, in which this hamlet is situated, expiring, the tenants of the manor claimed a share in the buildings, as a compensation for the loss of the herbage, which was covered by his houses. This occasioned a long and very expensive law suit between them, which was at last determined in favour of the tenants, who were adjudged to have a right to a third part of the buildings then erected on the estate, in lieu of their right to the herbage; upon which all the shops and houses, which had been built on the manor waste, were divided into three lots, of which the tenants were to draw one, and the other two were to remain to the lord of the manor; the lot which the tenants drew was the middle one, which included the assembly room on the public walk, which has since turned out much the most advantageous of the three. After which long articles of agreement, in 1739, were entered into between Maurice Conyers, esq. then lord of the manor of Rusthall, and the above mentioned tenants of it, in which, among many other matters, he agreed to permit the public walks and wells, and divers other premises there, to be made use of for the public benefit of the nobility and gentry resorting thereto, and several regulations were made in them concerning the walks, wells, and wastes of the manor, and for the restraining buildings on the waste, between the lord and his tenants, according to a plan therein specified; all which were confirmed and established by an act of parliament, passed in 1740. Since which several of the royal family have honoured these wells with their presence, and numbers of the nobility and persons of rank and fashion yearly resortto them, so that this place is now in a most flourishing state, having great numbers of good houses built for lodgings, and every other necessary accommodation for the company. Its customs are settled; the employment of the dippers regulated; (fn. 2) its pleasures regulated; its markets well and plentifully supplied, at a reasonable rate, with sowl, fish, meat, every other kind of food, and every convenience added that can contribute to give health and pleasure.

 

The whole neighbourhood of Tunbridge-wells abounds with springs of mineral water, but as the properties of all are nearly the same, only those two, which at the first discovery of them were adjudged the best, are held in any particular estimation. These two wells are enclosed with a handsome triangular stone wall; over the springs are placed two convenient basons of Portland stone, with perforations at the bottom; one of them being given by queen Anne, and the other by the lord of the manor; through which they receive the water, which at the spring is extremely clear and bright. Its taste is steely, but not disagreeable; it has hardly any smell, though sometimes, in a dense air, its ferruginous exhalations are very distinguishable. In point of heat it is invariably temperate, the spring lying so deep in the earth, that neither the heat of summer, nor the cold of winter, affects it. When this water is first taken up in a large glass, its particles continue at rest till it is warmed to nearly the heat of the atmosphere, then a few airy globules begin to separate themselves, and adhere to the sides of the glass, and in a few hours a light copper coloured scum begins to float on the surface, after which an ochreous sediment settles at the bottom. Long continued rains sometimes give the water a milky appearance, but do not otherwise sensibly affect it. From the experiments of different physicians, it appears that the component parts of this water are, steely particles, marine salts, an oily matter, an ochreous substance, simple water, and a volatile vitriolic spirit, too subtile for any chemical analysis. In weight it is, in seven ounces and a quarter, four grains lighter than the German Spa (to which it is preferable on that account) and ten grains lighter than common water; with syrup of violets this water gives a deep green, as vitriols do. (fn. 3) It requires five drops of oleum sulphuris, or elixir of vitriol, to a quart of water, to preserve its virtues to a distance from the spring.

 

This water is said to be an impregnation of rain in some of the neighbouring eminences, which abound in iron mineral, where it is further enriched with the marine salts and all the valuable ingredients, which constitute it a light and pure chalybeate, which instantly searches the most remote recesses of the human frame, warms and invigorates the relaxed constitution, restores the weakened fibres to their due tone and elasticity, removes those obstructions to which the minuter vessels of the body are liable, and is consequently adapted to most cold chronical disorders, lowness of spirits, weak digestions, and nervous complaints. Dr. Lodowick Rowzee, of Ashford, in this county, wrote a Treatise of the Nature and Virtues of these Waters, printed in 12mo. 1671; and Dr. Patrick Madan wrote a Philosophical and Medical Essay on them, in 1687, in quarto.

 

THE MANOR OF SPELDHURST, in the reign of king Edward III. was in the possession of Sir John de Pulteneye, lord of the neighbouring manor of Penshurst, a man of great account at that time, as has been already noticed before, who, in the 19th year of that reign, on his perfecting the foundation he had begun of a college in the parish of St. Lawrence, Canon-street, London, afterwards called the College of St. Laurence Poultney, settled the manor with the church of Speldshurst on it.

 

¶It remained part of the possessions of the college till its suppression in the reign of king Edward VI. when it was granted among other premises, by the description of the manor of Speldhurst and Harwarton (then demised to Sir William Waller, at the rent of 16s. 8d. per annum) of the clear yearly value of 13l. 14s. 1d. together with the patronage of the church appendant to the manor, parcel of the late college of St. Laurence, Poultney, London, to Henry Polsted. (fn. 4) How the manor of Speldhurst passed afterwards I have not found, only that after several intermediate owners, it came into the name of Goodhugh, and in the latter end of the reign of king George I. was possessed by Richard Goodhugh, esq. from which name it passed by a female heir, Sarah, in marriage to Mr. Rich. Round, whose son, Mr. Richard Round, of Stonepit, in Seale, died possessed of it, and the trustees of his insant children are now in the possession of it.

  

SPELDHURST is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Rochester, and deanry of Malling.

 

The church, which was dedicated to St. Mary, was a neat building, having a spire steeple at the west end of it, in which hung four bells.

 

On Thursday, October 22, 1791, a dreadful storm of thunder and lightning happened in these parts, which set fire to this church, a ball of fire being observed to enter the center of the shingled part of the spire, and instantly a thick smoke, followed by slames issued from it, and there being no help at hand, every thing contributed to its destruction. The high wind, the rain and hail having ceased, drove the flames from the steeple on the church, and in about four hours this beautiful structure was totally reduced to a heap of ruins, The bells were melted by the intense heat, the monuments in it, and every thing else which could become a prey to the fiery element were reduced to ashes; the stone walls only were left, but in so ruinous a condition as not to be fit for future use, and what is extraordinary, the font, though left entire, was turned upside down; the tombs and head stones near the church were considerably damaged. A brief was obtained towards the re-building of it, but the work, though the size of it has been greatly reduced, the new church, consisting but of one isle and a very small chancel, has gone on but slowly, and at this time is not near finished, and neither steeple nor bells are yet agreed upon, the brief not producing so much as was expected.

 

In the old church, before it was burnt down, there were the following monuments and inscriptions:— In the chancel, on the south wall, an antient and beautiful monument,. with the arms of Waller, with the augmentation and several quarterings, for Sir Walter Waller; a brass plate for John Waller, esq. obt. 1517. In the nave, were several brass plates for the same family, one of them for William Waller, esq. of Groombridge, obt. 1555. The porch was very curious, over which was an antique shield, cut in stone, being the arms of France, with a file of three flambeaux, for Charles, duke of Orleans, mentioned before. He built this porch, and was a good benefactor to the repairs of the church itself. (fn. 19)

 

By a fine levied in the 39th year of king Henry III. before Gilbert de Preston, and others justices itinerant, Walter de la Dene, the possessor of this advowson, granted it to the Walter Fitzwalter in tail general, to hold of him and his heirs for ever, at the yearly rent of one penny, and performing all other services due from thence to the capital lords of the fee.

 

¶Roger de Padlesworth was patron of the church of Speldhurst in the 48th year of the same reign, and he then released his right to certain rent and service due for lands granted to the chapel of Gromenebregge, situated within his manor of Speldhurst. In the reign of king Edward III. the manor and church of Speldhurst were part of the possessions of Sir John de Pulteneye, who, in the 19th year of that reign, on his perfecting the foundation and endowment of his college in the parish of St. Lawrence, in Canon-street, London, afterwards called the College of St. Lawrence Poultney, settled both manor and advowson on it. (fn. 20) Three years after which, anno 1347, Hamo, bishop of Rochester, at the instance and petition of Sir John de Pulteneye, by his instrument appropriated this church to that college for ever, reserving out of it nevertheless a fit portion to the perpetual vicar serving in it, to be presented to the bishop and his successors, by the master or guardian and the chaplains of the college, by which he might be supported decently, and be enabled to discharge the episcopal dues and other burthens incumbent on him; and he decreed, that they should take possession of this church immediately on the death or cession of Sir Thomas, then rector of it (whom he by no means intended to prejudice by this appropriation) without any further licence or authority obtained for that purpose, saving, nevertheless, and reserving to himself and his successors canonical obedience from the master or guardian and chaplains or their successors, on account of their holding this church as aforesaid, and the visitation of it, and other rights due to the church and the bishop of Rochester, and to the archdeacon of the place, either of custom or of right, and all other rights and customs in every thing whatsoever; and saving and reserving in the church a perpetual vicarage, which he then decreed should take effect at the death or resignation of the rector of it. And he willed, that a sit and competent portion should be assigned out of the fruits, rents and produce of it to such vicar to serve in it, who should first be presented by the master, &c. to be instituted and admitted by the bishop, or his successor, into it, before his admission, according as circumstances required, to the use of him and his successors for ever. And he willed and decreed, that the portion above-mentioned should for ever consist of the tithes of filva cedua, pannage, apples, and fruits of other trees, hay, herbage, flax, hemp, wool, milk, butter and cheese, lambs, calves, pigs, swans, pidgeons, fowlings, huntings, mills, fisheries, merchandizing, and in all other small tithes and dues of the church, oblations and obventions whatsoever belonging to the altarage, together with competent buildings situate on the soil of the church, to be assigned for the habitation of the vicar, and in which the visitors of the ordinary might be commodiously received. And he willed and decreed, that the vicar for the time being, (after the books and vestments belonging by custom to the rector to provide, should have been sufficiently provided by the master, &c.) should cause the books to be bound, and the vestments to be washed, repaired and amended, as often as need should be; and should find and provide, at his own expence, bread, wine, and processional tapers, and other lights necessary in the chancel, and the accustomed attendants in the church; and should keep and maintain in a proper state, at his own costs, the buildings allotted to his vicarage, after they should have been once sufficiently repaired, and assigned as an habitation for him and his successors, and should wholly pay all episcopal dues, and archidiaconal procurations, and should undergo and acknowledge all other extraordinary burthens, which should be incumbent or laid on him, according to the taxation of his portion, which, so far as related to them, he estimated and taxed at sixty shillings sterling; but that the master, &c. should undergo and acknowledge, at his and their own costs for ever, all other ordinaries and extraordinaries, according to the taxation of their portion, which he estimated at six marcs and an half. Lastly, that his cathedral church of Rochester might not be in any manner hurt, or prejudiced by this appropriation, he, in recompence of such loss, as it might happen to receive from it, either in the not receiving the profits of it whilst it should become vacant, or otherwise, reserved a certain annual pension of seven shillings sterling from this church to him and his successors, to be yearly paid at the feast of the Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary, by the master, &c. as soon as they should have obtained effectual and full possession of it, &c. (fn. 21)

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol3/pp275-300

Business Leaders Minimum Wage Discussion at Linemark. by Jay Baker at Upper Marlboro, MD.

is the capital of Dohuk Governorate in Iraq and part of Iraqi Kurdistan, with a population reaching to 280,000 inhabitants, mostly consisting of Kurds, with a significant Assyrian population. The city is encircled by mountains along the Tigris river. Dohuk has a growing tourist industry, its population having increased rapidly since the 1990s as the rural population moved to the cities. The University of Dohuk, founded in 1992, is a renowned center for teaching and research in Dohuk.

 

History

Dohuk was originally an Assyrian town named Beth Nuhadra or Naarda, where it became an eparchy within the metropolitanate of Ḥadyab (Arbil).[3][4]

 

The city became prominent again in 1236, when Hasan Beg Saifadin joined the Kurdish Badinan principality. 1842, the principality was dissolved by the Ottomans and connected to the city of Mosul.[5]

 

In 1898 there were according to a report eleven small and private schools in the city, two Christian and two Jewish schools. 1920 there were in all of Iraq only five primary schools that were accessible for girls, and one of them was in Dohuk.

 

From 22 to 24 September 2005 Dohuk held a cultural festival that was for the first time in Dohuk to which Kurdish writers from all countries were invited. In 2014, the city was used to house many Yazidi and Assyrian refugees who were escaping the advance of the Islamic State.[6]

  

© Birawar Najm

www.facebook.com/birawar.najm

 

Birawar2000@gmail.com

Sometimes color increases distraction. As I was wandering through the images from Hyde, I thought I would present some in monochrome with some sepia toning.

 

Many thanks to Dan for taking the time to drive out and shoot this fantastic landmark.

03/19/2018

NEW ORLEANS – Beginning April 1, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is increasing physical inspection time offshore, while reducing taxpayer burden by nearly $20 million over 3.5 years, providing significant cost-savings to the American public. Exploring ways to make inspections more efficient and reduce helicopter operating expenses, a team of BSEE leaders in the Gulf of Mexico Region developed the new approach.

 

“We streamlined how inspectors do their job offshore, while achieving a significant cost-savings,” said Michael Saucier, Regional Supervisor for District Field Operations, Gulf of Mexico Region. “This new process will allow BSEE inspectors to increase physical inspection time on offshore oil and gas facilities.”

 

Taking advantage of technology allowing for access to electronic records onshore, BSEE’s inspectors will now have significantly more time to inspect operations offshore, ensuring safety at more than 2,200 facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. It will also reduce helicopter operating expenses 15 percent, without impacting safety and environmental protections.

 

“This approach greatly improves our inspectors’ efficiency, increasing safety oversight at OCS facilities,” said Director Scott A. Angelle. “Our team developed a smarter, safer strategy that provides more physical inspection time offshore and reduces government costs. This makes sense for the American taxpayer and increases our ability to ensure safe operations offshore.”

 

Oil production from the Outer Continental Shelf accounts for one of every six barrels produced in the United States. With 98 percent of all OCS energy produced from the Gulf of Mexico, it is critical that BSEE continues to maximize efficiency and ensure that

oil and gas operations are conducted safely and in an environmentally sustainable manner.

A women’s cooperative is forming in the township of Yoko, Cameroon. It’s called SOCCOMAD and has 42 members, including four men, who joined as allies.

 

Tukuri Marie Chantal, 52 years old, is an active member. “Because of the road project, we decided to start a cooperative and to empower women in our village,” she says.

Guindong Jaqueline, 60, explains further: “We realized that the road was going to bring workers and the population will increase. Through the cooperative we can grow enough food and we will have a ready market to sell to.”

 

A small section of the road near the farm is already paved. Once the road is completed, women farmers will have easier access to bigger markets to sell their produce.

 

“Personally, I decided to join the cooperative to be united with other women. When I have a problem, I now have sisters who can stand by me,” says Seto Satou.

 

“Before, we were producing food only for our families; now we can grow food and sell in the market,” adds Chantal. “Through the cooperative we can also get partners, access to finance, seeds, and we can commercialize our products. But we need access to many markets, where we can sell the cassava. The cassava crop cannot be left in the ground too long, because it rots.”

 

The cooperative is not just about income, it’s also about solidarity. In this impoverished area where social protection barely exists, the cooperative has given women a support system that they never had before.

 

“For me, firstly, [the cooperative] gives me the spirit of solidarity and the sense of belonging to a group,” says Yonah Virginie. “It encourages me to work hard when I see other women working to become independent.”

 

The cooperative members help each other with a range of issues—from helping each other farm their crops if someone is sick, to talking to couples when there’s a family dispute and helping each other save.

 

Their message to other women is unequivocally about solidarity: “United, we are stronger. We can do bigger things when we are together.”

 

Background:

A 200-kilometre road (124 miles) project stretches between the townships of Batschenga, Ntui and Yoko, in central Cameroon. The road crosses farms, forests, water bodies and pastoral areas that sustain the mostly agrarian economy of nearly 40 villages and three towns.

 

The road, a basic infrastructure that many countries take for granted, literally shapes the lives and livelihood of the people living along it. It decides whether a small entrepreneur will get her products transported on time, and at what cost, and whether more people will come to a restaurant that another has invested in. It determines what markets a woman farmer can access and how often a working mother can visit her daughter who is studying in the city. The red dirt road, waiting for asphalt, will determine if food, income, job, healthcare, livelihood will come, when, and to whom.

 

UN Women’s “Gender Road Project”, funded by The Development Bank of Central African States and the Government of Cameroon, is aiming to reach at least 20,000 women by 2020, living in rural communities along this road, to prepare them for a better future and access to bigger markets once the road is built. The project teaches them financial and entrepreneurial skills, improved farming techniques and facilitates their access to public services and land rights.

 

Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

 

Read More: www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/3/feature-story-came...

A pulled rickshaw (or ricksha) is a mode of human-powered transport by which a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two people.

 

In recent times the use of human-powered rickshaws has been discouraged or outlawed in many countries due to concern for the welfare of rickshaw workers.

Pulled rickshaws have been replaced mainly by cycle rickshaw and auto rickshaws.

 

OVERVIEW

Rickshaws are commonly believed to have been invented in Japan in the 1860s, at the beginning of a rapid period of technical advancement.

 

In the 19th century, rickshaw pulling became an inexpensive, popular mode of transportation across Asia.

 

Peasants who migrated to large Asian cities often worked first as a rickshaw runner.

 

It was "the deadliest occupation in the East, [and] the most degrading for human beings to pursue."The rickshaw's popularity in Japan declined by the 1930s with the advent of automated forms of transportation, like automobiles and trains. In China, the rickshaw's popularity began to decline in the 1920s. In Singapore, the rickshaw's popularity increased into the 20th century. There were approximately 50,000 rickshaws in 1920 and that number doubled by 1930.

 

DESCRIPTION

The initial rickshaws rode on iron-shod wooden wheels and the passenger sat on hard, flat seats. In the late 19th century and early 20th century. Rubber or pneumatic rubber tires, spring cushions, and backrests improved the passenger's comfort. Other features, such as lights were also added.

 

In the city of Shanghai, public rickshaws were painted yellow to differentiate from the private vehicles of the wealthy citizens, which were described as:

 

... always shiny, were carefully maintained, and sported 'a spotless white upholstered double seat, a clean plaid for one's lap, and a wide protective tarpaulin to protect the passenger (or passengers, since sometimes up to three people rode together) against the rain.'

 

The rickshaws were a convenient means of travel, able to traverse winding, narrow city streets. During monsoon season, passengers might be carried out of the carriage, above the flooded streets, to the door of their arrival. They offered door-to-door travel, unlike scheduled public bus and tram service.

 

COUNTRY OVERVIEW

AFRICA

EAST AFRIKA

In the 1920s, it was used in Bagamoyo, Tanga, Tanzania and other areas of East Africa for short distances.

 

MADAGASCAR

Rickshaws, known as pousse-pousse, were introduced by British missionaries. The intention was to eliminate the slavery-associated palanquin. Its name pousse-pousse, meaning push-push, is reportedly gained from the need to have a second person to push the back of the rickshaw on Madagascar's hilly roads. They are a common form of transport in a number of Malagasy cities, especially Antsirabe, but are not found in the towns or cities with very hilly roads. They are similar to Chinese rickshaws and are often brightly decorated.

 

NAIROBI

Rickshaws operated in Nairobi in the beginning of the 20th century; pullers went on strike there in 1908.

South Africa

Durban is famous for its iconic Zulu rickshaw pullers navigating throughout the city. These colorful characters are famous for their giant, vibrant hats and costumes. There were about 2,000 registered men who pulled rickshaws in Durban in 1904; Since displaced by motorised transport, there are approximately 25 rickshaws left whom mostly cater to tourists today.

 

ASIA

CHINA

In China, from the ancient times and until the 19th century, rich and important people, when traveling overland, were commonly transported in sedan chairs carried by bearers, rather than in wheeled vehicles. This was at least partly explained by road conditions. It is thought that it was from China (or East Asia in general) that sedan chair (a.k.a. "palanquin") designs were introduced into Western Europe in the 17th century. However, wheeled carts for one or two passengers, pushed (rather than pulled, like a proper rikshaw) by human servant, were attested as well.The proper rickshaw (pronounced renliche in Chinese) was first seen in China in 1886, and was used for public transportation in 1898. It was commonly called dongyangche for Japanese vehicle or "east- foreign-vehicle."

 

Rickshaw transportation was an important element in urban development in 20th century China, as a mode of transportation, source of employment and facilitation of migration for workers. According to author David Strand:

 

Sixty thousand men took as many as a half million fares a day in a city of slightly more than one million. Sociologist Li Jinghan estimated that one out of six males in the city between the ages of sixteen and fifty was a puller. Rickshaw men and their dependents made up almost 20 percent of Beijing's population.

 

Shanghai's rickshaw industry began in 1874 with 1,000 rickshaws imported from Japan. By 1914 there were 9,718 vehicles. The pullers were a large group of the city's working poor: 100,000 men pulled rickshaws by the early 1940s, up from 62,000 in the mid-1920s.Most manual rickshaws, a symbol of oppression of the working class, were eliminated in China after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

 

HOG KONG

Rickshaws were first imported to Hong Kong from Japan in 1880. They were a popular form of transport for many years, peaking at more than 3,000 in the 1920s. However, their popularity waned after World War II. No new licenses for rickshaws have been issued since 1975, and only a few old men—four as of 2009—still bear a license. It is reported that only one of them still offer rickshaw rides on The Peak, mainly for tourists.

 

INDIA

Around 1880, rickshaws appeared in India, first in Simla. At the turn of the century it was introduced in Kolkata (Calcutta), India and in 1914 was a conveyance for hire.

 

SERVICE AVAILIBILITY

Though most cities offer auto rickshaw service, hand-pulled rickshaws do exist in some areas, such as Kolkata, "the last bastion of human powered tana rickshaws". According to Trillin, most Kolkata rickshaws serve people "just a notch above poor" who tend to travel short distances. However, in a recent article by Hyrapiet and Greiner, the authors found that rickshaws also transport middle-class residents who use their services out of convenience and for short distance trips to the local marketplace. Rickshaws are used to transport goods, shoppers, and school children. It is also used as a "24 hour ambulance service."

 

Also according to Hyrapiet and Greiner, rickshaw pullers have acted as peer-educators for the Calcutta Samaritans prodving critical information on HIV/AIDS because of their access to marginalized groups within Kolkata's red light districts.

 

Rickshaws are the most effective means of transportation through the flooded streets of the monsoon season.

When Kolkata floods rickshaw business increases and prices rise.

 

The pullers live a life of poverty and many sleep under rickshaws.Rudrangshu Mukerjee, an academic, stated many people's ambivalent feelings about riding a rickshaw: he does not like about being carried in a rickshaw but does not like the idea of "taking away their livelihood."Motor vehicles are banned in the eco-sensitive zone area of Matheran, India, a tourist hill station near Mumbai so man-pulled rickshaws are still one of the major forms of transport there.

 

LEGISLATION

In August 2005, the Communist government of West Bengal announced plans to completely ban pulled rickshaws, resulting in protests and strikes of the pullers. In 2006, the chief minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, announced that pulled rickshaws would be banned and that rickshaw pullers would be rehabilitated.

 

JAPAN

There are several theories about the invention of the rickshaw. Japan historian Seidensticker wrote of the theories:

 

Though the origins of the rickshaw are not entirely clear, they seem to be Japanese, and of Tokyo specifically. The most widely accepted theory offers the name of three inventors, and gives 1869 as the date of invention.

 

Starting in 1870, the Tokyo government issued a permission for Izumi Yosuke, Takayama Kosuke, and Suzuki Tokujiro to build and sell rickshaws. By 1872, they became the main mode of transportation in Japan, with about 40,000 rickshaws in service. The rickshaw's popularity in Japan declined by the 1930s with the advent of automated forms of transportation, like automobiles and trains. After the World War II, when gasoline and automobiles were scarce, they made a temporary come-back. The rickshaw tradition has stayed alive in Kyoto and Tokyo's geisha districts only for tourists as well as in other tourist places. The tradition completely disappeared once, but a few people revived jinrikisha (human-powered rickshaws) for tourists in the 1970s-1980s and the rickshaws became popular as a tourism resource in the 2000s. The modern rickshaw men are a kind of tourist guide, who take their clients to some tourist spots and explain about them. Many of them are part-time working students and athletes who like running or exchanging cultures.

 

MALAYSIA

Rickshaws were a common mode of transport in urban areas of Malaysia in the 19th and early 20th centuries until gradually replaced by cycle rickshaws.

 

PAKISTAN

Pulled and Cycle rickshaw (qinqi) have been banned in Pakistan since November 1949. Prior to the introduction of auto rickshaws in cities, horse-drawn carriages (tongas) were a main source of public transportation.

 

SINGAPORE

Singapore had received its first rickshaws in 1880 and soon after they were prolific, making a "noticeable change in the traffic on Singapore's streets." Bullock carts and gharries were used prior to the introduction of rickshaws.Many of the poorest individuals in Singapore in the late nineteenth century were poor, unskilled people of Chinese ancestry. Sometimes called coolies, the hardworking men found pulling rickshaws was a new means of employment. Rickshaw pullers experienced "very poor" living conditions, poverty and long hours of hard work. Income remained unchanged from 1876 to 1926, about $.60 per day.Rickshaws popularity increased into the 20th century. There were approximately 50,000 rickshaws in 1920 and that number doubled by 1930. In or after the 1920s a union was formed, called the Rickshaw Association, protect the welfare of rickshaw workers.

 

NORTH AMERIKA

UNITED STATES OF AMERIKA

From A History of the Los Angeles City Market (1930-1950), pulled rickshaws were operated in Los Angeles by high school teenagers during that time period.

 

CANADA

Foot-driven rickshaws have enjoyed several decades of popularity in Halifax, Nova Scotia; in addition to providing tours of the historic Waterfront, rickshaws are also occasionally used for transportation by local residents. The city is home to the oldest rickshaw company in Canada.Rickshaws are a popular mode of transportation in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, providing tours of historical Byward Market, in the summer. Ottawa's rickshaws stay true to the traditional foot-driven rickshaw model, but feature modern sound-systems.

 

WIKIPEDIA

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

Due to increasing tensions in Europe which led to World War 2, AVRO Aircraft started developing combat aircraft, and as a subsidiary of Hawker, they had access to the Hurricane plans. At the time that the Hurricane was developed, RAF Fighter Command consisted of just 13 squadrons, each equipped with either the Hawker Fury, Hawker Demon, or the Bristol Bulldog – all of them biplanes with fixed-pitch wooden propellers and non-retractable undercarriages. After the Hurricane's first flight, Avro started working on a more refined and lighter aircraft, resulting in a similar if not higher top speed and improved maneuverability.

 

The result was Avro’s project 675, also known as the "Swallow". The aircraft’s profile resembled the Hawker Hurricane, but appeared more squatted and streamlined, almost like a race version. Compared with the Hurricane, overall dimensions were reduced and the structure lightened wherever possible. The wings were much thinner, too, and their shape reminded of the Supermarine Spitfire’s famous oval wings. The main landing gear was retractable and had a wide track. The tail wheel was semi-retractable on the prototype, but it was replaced by a simpler, fixed tail wheel on production models.

 

The Swallow made its first flight on 30th December 1937 and the Royal Air Force was so impressed by its performance against the Hurricane that they ordered production to start immediately, after a few minor tweaks to certain parts of the aircraft had been made.

 

On 25 July 1939, the RAF accepted their first delivery of Avro Swallow Mk. Is. The first machines were allocated to No.1 Squadron, at the time based in France, where they were used in parallel to the Hurricanes for evaluation. These early machines were powered by a 1.030 hp (770 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk II liquid-cooled V-12, driving a wooden two-bladed, fixed-pitch propeller. The light aircraft achieved an impressive top speed of 347 mph (301 kn, 558 km/h) in level flight – the bigger and heavier Hurricane achieved only 314 mph (506 km/h) with a similar engine. Like the Hurricane, the Swallow was armed with eight unsynchronized 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in the outer wings, outside of the propeller disc.

 

In spring 1940, Avro upgraded the serial production Swallow Mk.I's to Mk.IA standard: the original wooden propeller was replaced by a de Havilland or Rotol constant speed metal propeller with three blades, which considerably improved field performance. Many aircraft were retrofitted with this update in the field workshops in the summer of 1940.

 

In parallel, production switched to the Swallow Mk. II: This new version, which reached the front line units in July 1940, received an uprated engine, the improved Rolls-Royce Merlin III, which could deliver up to 1,310 hp (977 kW) with 100 octane fuel and +12 psi boost. With the standard 87 Octane fuel, engine performance did not improve much beyond the Merlin II's figures, though.

A redesigned, more streamlined radiator bath was mounted, too, and altogether these measures boosted the Swallow’s top speed to 371 mph (597 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,096 m). This was a considerable improvement, and the contemporary Hurricane II achieved only 340 mph (547 km/h).

 

However, several fundamental weak points of the Swallow remained unsolved: its limited range could not be boosted beyond 300 miles (500 km) and the light machine gun armament remained unchanged, because the Swallow’s thin wings hardly offered more space for heavier weapons or useful external stores like drop tanks. Despite these shortcomings, the pilots loved their agile fighter, who described the Swallow as an updated Hawker Fury biplane fighter and less as a direct competitor to the Hurricane.

 

Nevertheless, Avro kept on working to improve the Swallow, but with limited success. For instance, in early 1941, a Swallow Mk. II was modified to carry a pair of 20mm Hispano cannons instead of the inner pair of machine guns. Due to the aircraft’s thin wings, this update necessitated bulged fairings and a modified internal structure for the cannons' ammunition drums. The prototype was operationally tested at the home defense front and the additional firepower was warmly welcomed by the pilots who flew it, since the cannons allowed them to stay out of the German bombers’ machine gun range of and added more punch against German escort fighters in dogfights.

 

This innovation directly led to the Swallow Mk. III, introduced in August 1941, the fighter’s final production variant. Beyond the armament changes and the respective structural changes to the wings, the Mk. III was still powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin III from the swallow Mk. II, but the variant introduced clipped wing tips in order to compensate for the slightly higher weight of the airframe and to improve roll characteristics at low and medium altitude. Otherwise, the Mk. III was virtually identical to the earlier Mk. II.

 

Another Mk. II was experimentally converted with a lowered spine and a framed bubble canopy for a better all-around field of view (reminiscent of the Hawker Typhoon's design), but this experiment did not reach production status. The Swallow had already reached its limited development potential and was, by mid-1942, outdated.

 

Since the Supermarine Spitfire had in the meantime proven its worth and promised a much bigger development potential, production of the Avro Swallow already ceased in late 1942 after 435 aircraft had been built. Around the same time, the Swallows were quickly phased out from front-line service, too.

 

Several machines were retained as trainers, messenger aircraft or instructional airframes. 20 late production Mk. IIs were sold to the Irish Air Corps, and a further 50 aircraft were sent to Canada as advanced fighter trainers, where they served until the end of the hostilities in 1945.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 28 ft 1 in (8.57 m)

Wingspan: 33 ft 7 in (10.25 m)

Height: 8 ft 6 in (2.60 m)

Wing area: 153 ft² (16.40 m²)

Empty weight: 3,722 lb (1,720 kg)

Gross weight: 5,100 lb (2,315 kg)

 

Powerplant:

1× Rolls-Royce Merlin III liquid-cooled V-12, rated at 1,310 hp (977 kW) at 9,000 ft (2,700 m)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 366 mph (590 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,096 m)

Range: 320 miles (515 km)

Service ceiling: 36,000 ft (10,970 m)

Rate of climb: 2,780 ft/min (14.1 m/s)

Wing loading: 29.8 lb/ft² (121.9 kg/m²)

Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg)

 

Armament:

2× 0.787” (20mm) Hispano Mk II cannon with 60 RPG

4× 0.303” (7,7mm) Browning Mk. II machine guns with 350 RPG

  

The kit and its assembly:

This is actually a remake of a whif that I have built some time ago for the Battle of Britain Group Build at whatifmodelers.com. This fictional machine – or better: the model – is based on a profile drawing conceived by fellow forum member nighthunter: an Avia B.135, outfitted with a Merlin engine, a ventral radiator in the style of a Hawker Hurricane, and carrying RAF markings.

 

I had another B.35 kit at hand, as well as other ingredients, so I decided to re-create the same aircraft, just in a later variant that differs in some minor details from the first one. The basis is, once again, a vintage KP Models kit of the early B.35 fighter with a fixed landing gear. It’s a sleek and pretty aircraft, but the kit’s quality is rather so-so (the molds date back to 1974). Details are quite good, esp. on the exterior. You get a mix of engraved and raised surface details, but fit is mediocre, there is lots of flash and the interior is quite bleak. But, with some effort, things can be mended.

 

Many donation parts for the Swallow, including the Merlin engine, propeller, landing gear and radiator, were taken from an AZ Models Spitfire Mk. I/II/V, from a Joy Pack, which comes with three of these kits without decals.

 

New landing gear wells had to be carved out of the massive lower wing halves. Since the original Swallow profile did not indicate the landing gear design, I went for an inward-retracting solution, using parts from an early Spitfire. Due to the oil cooler in one of the wing roots, though, the stance ended up a little wide, but it’s still acceptable and I stuck to the same solution as on my first build of the Swallow. But now I know why the real world B.135 prototype had its landing gear retract outwards – it makes more sense.

 

The Merlin fitted very well onto the B.35 fuselage, diameter and shape match very well, even though the Spitfire Merlin and its respective fuselage intersection is a little too deep for the B.35. As a consequence, some light sculpting with putty was necessary under the fuselage – nothing dramatic, though.

 

Inside of the cockpit, this time I used more Spitfire material than during my first Swallow build, namely the floor, seat and rear bulkhead/headrest. Like before, I added a tank behind the seat in order to fill the OOB void there, and used the B.35’s OOB headrest struts, as well as the dashboard.

 

The blurry, single-piece canopy was cut into three pieces for optional open display on the ground, but this was not a smart move since the material turned out to be very thin and, even worse, brittle – cracks were the unfortunate result. L

 

Since one of the B.35’s wing tips was missing (there’s a deep edge at the tips, and one tip had been broken off and got lost), I reduced the span of both wings, resulting in a square shape that resembles a narrow Hawker Tempest wing.

Another change concerns the armament: trying to beef it up, I added a pair of Hispano cannon to the wings, with the barrels protruding from the wings’ leading edges, reminiscent of the Spitfire’s “B” wing – even though I kept the outer machine guns at the Swallow’s original position.

 

Finally, I installed my trademark propeller adapter: a styrene tube inside of the fuselage that holds a long metal axis with the propeller, so that it can spin freely.

  

Painting and markings:

Once again I went for a conservative route, this time I chose the new standard “Day Fighter” camouflage that the RAF introduced in summer 1941: Dark Green/Ocean Grey (using Humbrol 116 and 106, respectively) with Medium Sea Grey (Humbrol 64) undersides.

The typical fuselage ID band and the spinner became Sky (Revell 59) and yellow ID bands were added to the outer wings’ leading edges, created with yellow decal sheet material.

 

The roundels were chosen to match the 1941 era, with A.1 roundels on the fuselage, B roundels on top of the wings and Type A underneath, they actually belong to P-40s in RAF service and come, including the fin flash, from a Sky Models sheet. The code letters in Sky come from an Xtradecal sheet, the serial number actually belongs to a contemporary RAF P-40C – I was too lazy to create an individual serial number that actually fills a gap in the RAF’s inventory list.

 

Some light weathering and panel shading was done, as well as some light soot stains around the exhausts and the gun ports on the wings (grinded graphite). Finally, everything sealed under a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and wire antennae (stretched sprue material) added.

  

A simple project, realized in a couple of days – thanks to the experience gathered during the first build of this fictional aircraft. However, the Avro Swallow looked already promising in nighthunter's original profile, almost like a missing link between the sturdy Hurricane and the more glorious Spitfire. The result looks very convincing, and with the clipped wingtips, born as a makeshift solution, it looks even faster than the original build!

I am amazed how good this thing looks overall, with its elegant, slender wings and the sleek fuselage lines. At first glance, it looks like an early Spitfire, but then you notice the different wings, the low canopy and the shorter but deeper tail. Then you can think it was a travestied Yak-3 or LaGG aircraft, but again the details don’t match. It’s a quite subtle creation. Maybe, someday, a third one will join my RAF Swallow duo, but this time in Irish Air Corps colors.

There is increasing evidence to indicate that direct contact with natural environments has important positive health outcomes.1 Engagement with both wild and cultivated natural places improves self-esteem and mood,2–5 reduces stress and anxiety6 and fosters mental well-being.7,8 Furthermore, being physically active while exposed to nature (‘green exercise’) provides additive benefits for mental well-being above those received from contact with nature alone.4,9,10 These benefits are derived from all types of natural environments and from durations of exposure from 5 min upwards.9

 

Over half of the world's population and more than 70% of those in Europe reside in urban areas.11 Given the importance of nature for well-being, such changes in urbanization may be having a negative impact on health. Some urban living is associated with an increased prevalence of mental ill-health: one meta-analysis of 20 studies comparing mental illness in urban and rural areas found that urban dwellers were 38% more likely to develop a mental illness, 21% more likely to suffer from anxiety and 39% more likely to develop a mood disorder.12 The quantity and quality of available green space close to the home is also correlated with longevity and a decreased risk of mental ill health.13–16 People in urban areas with plentiful tree cover and green space have a lower prevalence of asthma, improved mental well-being, a reduction in stress, lower morbidity and cardiovascular disease risk, greater longevity of the elderly, improved cognitive function and healthier cortisol profiles.9,13–15,17–20 Less green space typical of deprived communities produces higher stress and flattened cortisol profiles21 and increased incidence of obesity.22

 

Gardening provides an opportunity for people residing in urban and rural areas to have regular contact with nature, be physically active and engage in green exercise. Home gardens and allotments have long been important for domestic food production and consumption; and in the mid-20th century, half of the nation's vegetable needs were produced via vegetable gardens.23 In addition, gardening can improve health; restoring physical, mental and spiritual health,24 improving mood,25,26 encouraging physical activity27 and increasing life satisfaction.28 Furthermore, Van den Berg and Custers5 found that gardening leads to greater reductions in stress following a stress test than reading indoors.

 

Many people in the UK do not have access to a private garden.29 There is also an increasing demand for allotment gardens. There are an estimated 3 million individual allotments gardens across Europe which are utilized by a variety of different populations and in the UK waiting lists for allotments are at a 40-year high having grown from 13 000 to 100 000 since the mid-1990s.30–32 Allotment gardening is different from traditional gardening as it is an activity in a public space separated from the home, requiring the renting of a plot and is focused on food production as well the relationships between people and the land.33–35 Recent studies have demonstrated that allotment gardening provides a number of environmental benefits including the support and regulation of ecosystem services.36–39 Allotment gardening also results in more sustainably produced food, promotes healthy eating and acts as an educational resource.30 Evidence also suggests that gardening on allotments improves general health, aids recovery from stress, increases life satisfaction, promotes social contact and provides opportunities for low to moderate–high intensity physical activity, all of which promote mental well-being.25,26,40–47 Simply ‘being’ on an allotment garden can improve health and well-being;48 with data from the European Quality of Life Survey indicating that people who grow their own food are happier than those who do not.49 Furthermore, compared with an indoor exercise class, allotment gardening results in significantly lower levels of stress.50 Allotment gardening might also play a key role in promoting health and well-being in the more vulnerable groups in society through the development of social support and cohesion.49,51 However, much evidence regarding the health benefits of allotment gardening is descriptive32 and little research has been conducted to assess the health benefits of allotment gardening specifically.

 

Additionally, there are few comparisons of the health of allotment gardeners with those who do not garden. A study by Van den Berg et al.32 found that allotment gardeners had a higher life satisfaction, reduced loneliness, fewer health complaints and better overall health and well-being than non-allotment gardeners. However, the response rate of allotment gardeners was low and it is conceivable that only those people who believed that they received benefits from allotment gardening responded. The non-gardener group was also small, not well-matched in relation to their allotment gardener counterparts and 64% had access to a garden at home and may therefore have been active gardeners. Furthermore, not all outcome measures were assessed using a validated scale. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of allotment gardening on self-esteem and mood as two key indicators of mental well-being and long-term disease risk9 and to compare the mental well-being of allotment gardeners with non-gardener controls.

 

Methodology

 

Participants

 

Two hundred and sixty-nine participants aged 55.6 ± 13.6 years volunteered to participate in the study, comprising 152 males (56%) and 117 females (44%). Participants consisted of both allotment gardeners (n = 136) and non-gardeners (n = 133) and were matched in terms of age and gender to within 10%. Participants were also closely matched in terms of main occupation, with the majority of participants in each group identifying themselves as employed.

 

Allotment gardeners were recruited from 10 allotment sites in North-Western England. All allotment gardeners were eligible for participation in the research; however, only one participant was permitted per allotment plot to prevent data duplication. The sites were predominantly situated within the Greater Manchester conurbation, in the South and West Manchester area. Two of the sites were in the towns of Glossop and Chapel-en-le-Frith, to the east of Manchester on the western edge of the Pennines, while one was also on the Southern edge of the Pennines. Non-gardeners were recruited from 10 local supermarkets and consisted of participants who did not partake in any gardening activities. These participants were identified by asking the question ‘do you garden’ and informing potential participants that the study required participants ‘that do not do anything in the garden’. Supermarkets were recruited based upon their distance from each of the allotment sites, with the closest supermarkets being approached initially. Of the 10 supermarkets recruited for the research, six were the nearest store to the allotment sites.52 The index of deprivation for the allotments and their surrounding areas ranged from 15.4 to 84.5%, indicating a large variation in participants in terms of income deprivation, employment deprivation, health and disability deprivation, education and skills training, barriers to housing, crime and living environment.53 All participants provided individual consent to take part in the study. Institutional ethical approval was granted

  

Procedure

 

In the spring–summer growing seasons of 2006–09, the allotment sites and supermarkets were visited. During the visits to the allotments, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing self-esteem, mood and general health at the start of their allotment session. At the end of the allotment session, participants completed a further questionnaire assessing self-esteem and mood. Participants were also asked to identify how long they had spent on the allotment in that particular session, in the previous 7 days and their length of tenure on the allotment. Allotment gardeners were also asked to identify what they liked about gardening on their allotment. This question was open-ended allowing gardeners to identify as many things as they wanted to. During visits to the supermarkets, non-gardeners were asked to complete a one-off questionnaire assessing self-esteem, mood and general health. Descriptive data were collected from all participants including sex, age, height and weight. Body mass index was calculated from height and weight by dividing weight in kilogram by height in metre square. Self-esteem, mood and general health were assessed using standardized and validated scales.

 

Instrumentation

 

Self-esteem is defined as a person's positive or negative attitude towards the self in totality54 and exhibits an inverse relationship with depression and anxiety55,56 in addition to being a risk factor for mental ill health.57,58 Self-esteem was assessed using the one-page 10-item Rosenberg self-esteem scale.59 The Rosenberg self-esteem scale is the mostly widely used and popular self-esteem measure. The instrument provides a self-report one-dimensional measure of self-esteem and consists of 10 statements each of which are scored on a four-point Likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. An overall self-esteem score ranging from 10 to 40 is calculated with a higher score representing a better self-esteem.

 

Mood is defined as a ‘host of transient and fluctuating affective states that reflect how an individual feels in general, globally or at a particular moment in time’.60 Moods can be positive or negative, persist for long periods of time without specific cause and influence feelings of happiness, quality of life and ability to cope with stress.61,62 Mood was assessed using the 30-item Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire.63 The POMS questionnaire assesses mood under six subscale mood states: tension–anxiety, depression–dejection, anger–hostility, vigour–activity, fatigue–inertia and confusion–bewilderment. Each subscale is represented by five phrases, each of which is scored on a five-point Likert scale from ‘not at all’, to ‘extremely’. Scores for each of the subscales are generated and converted into normative values. A total mood disturbance (TMD) score is also generated by summing the five negative subscales (tension, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion) and subtracting the positive subscale of vigour. A higher TMD score indicates a worsened mood.

 

The General health questionnaire (GHQ) is a screening instrument designed to identify individuals who have mental health problems and breaks in normal function.64,65 The GHQ-12 was used to assess general health and consists of 12 questions categorizing healthy and abnormal functioning.65 Participants respond to each question on a four-point Likert scale from ‘not at all’ to ‘much more than usual’. An overall score from 0 to 36 is generated, with a higher score representing a greater level of psychological distress and abnormal functioning.65.

 

Data analysis

 

To analyse the effects of an allotment gardening session on self-esteem and mood, one-way ANOVA was used to compare pre-self-esteem and TMD scores across the 10 different allotment sites, while one-way MANOVA was used to compare pre-subscale mood scores across the different sites. Paired samples t-tests compared self-esteem and TMD scores pre- and post- the allotment session. One-way MANOVA compared pre–post subscale mood scores. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between the time spent on the allotment in the last 7 days, during the allotment session and the length of tenure with the change in self-esteem and mood scores. Participant responses regarding what they liked most about their allotment were categorized. The occurrence of each category was summed to give the total number of allotment gardeners who identified that particular category as being what they liked about their allotment.

 

For the comparison of allotment gardeners and non-gardeners, independent t-tests were used to compare descriptive data, including height, weight and BMI; while a χ2 test was used to compare participants main occupation. Group differences in unadjusted mean scores for self-esteem, GHQ-12 and TMD were analysed using independent t-tests while group differences in unadjusted means for subscale mood were assessed using one-way MANOVA. The self-esteem, mood and GHQ-12 scores of allotment gardeners and non-gardeners were also compared using a covariate adjusted model (ANCOVA) controlling for participants' sex, age and occupation. Subscale mood scores were compared using one-way MANOVA with age, sex and occupation inserted as covariates. The pre-allotment session scores were used for allotment gardeners. IBM SPSS version 19.0 software was used for all statistical analysis66 and significance was accepted as P < 0.05 throughout. Missing data were labelled as missing within the database to allow all collected data to be included in the analysis. Data were only missing when a participant missed out a question on one of the scales within the questionnaire; preventing a score from being calculated. Of the 1079 data points collected in total for self-esteem, mood and general health, only 1.4% were missing; equating to 15 pieces of data. These 15 pieces of data were from eight different participants, the majority of which were gardeners (n = 7); and included self-esteem and mood measures.

 

One-way MANOVA revealed a significant difference between pre- and post-session subscale mood scores [F(6,128) = 7.893; P < 0.001], with a significant reduction in tension–anxiety (P < 0.001), depression–dejection (P < 0.0083), anger–hostility (P < 0.001) and confusion–bewilderment (P < 0.001) (Table 1). Paired samples t-test also revealed a significant difference between pre- and post-session TMD scores [t(133) = 4.42; P < 0.001]. The score decreased from the start to end of the allotment session, indicating an enhanced mood (Table 1).

 

Frequency and duration of allotment gardening

 

Allotment gardeners revealed that their average length of tenure on the allotment was 9.3 ± 11.9 years, ranging from <1 year to up to 60 years. In the last 7 days, participants had spent an average of 8.1 ± 6.2 h on their allotment plot (range from 0 to 40 h) and in the session monitored, spent 2.6 ± 1.7 h on their plot. The minimum time spent on the plot in the session of assessment was 0.33 h and the maximum was 8.1 h. Linear multiple regression revealed that neither the length of participants tenure (years) (SE: β = −0.054; P = 0.588; TMD: β = −0.008; P = 0.939), time spent on the allotment in the previous 7 days (SE: β = −0.035; P = 0.737; TMD: β = −0.016; P = 0.881) or time spent on the allotment in the current session (SE: β = −0.034; P = 0.735; TMD: β = −0.029; P = 0.770) significantly contributed to the variance in the change in self-esteem or TMD. Participants who had been gardening on their allotment over a long-term period experienced a similar magnitude of improvements in self-esteem and mood as participants who had been allotment gardening for a short time.

  

Enjoyment of allotment gardening

 

Participants identified six main themes related to what they enjoyed most about gardening on their allotment. The majority of participants (70%) reported that they enjoyed being outdoors and having contact with nature, followed by the sense of achievement derived from allotment gardening (50%) and the opportunity for restoration and stress relief (35%). Participants also reported enjoying the social interaction (31%), growing and eating the produce (19%) and the opportunities to be active (11%).

 

Comparison of allotment gardeners and non-gardeners

 

Table 2 contains descriptive data for allotment gardeners and non-gardeners. Independent t-tests revealed no significant differences between the allotment gardeners and non-gardeners in age or height (P > 0.05). However, the weight [t(267) = 2.14; P < 0.05] and BMI [t(259) = 2.80; P < 0.01] of non-gardeners were significantly greater than those of allotment gardeners (Table 2). A χ2 test also revealed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the main occupation of non-gardeners and gardeners. In the non-gardener group, 57.9% of participants were employed (including self-employed), 33.8% retired, 3.8% did housework and 2.3% were both seeking employment or identified their employment status as ‘other’. In the gardeners group, 55.1% were employed, 41.2% retired, 2.9% did housework and 0.7% were seeking work.

 

Main findings of this study

 

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of allotment gardening on self-esteem and mood and to compare the mental well-being of allotment gardeners with non-gardener controls.

 

The findings first indicate that one session of allotment gardening can result in significant improvements in self-esteem and mood via reductions in tension, depression, anger and confusion. These findings are supported by previous research demonstrating the health and well-being benefits of participating in green exercise activities.4,9,10 With an increasing number of people residing in urban areas, a decline in the number of homes with gardens,29 and the increased risk for mental ill health associated with urban living;11,12 these findings are particularly important and suggest that allotment gardening might play an important role in promoting mental well-being in people residing in urban areas.

 

In addition to the improvements in self-esteem and mood resulting from a single session of allotment gardening; the findings of this study highlighted that the length of time spent on the allotment during the session and in the previous 7 days; and the length of participants' tenure did not significantly contribute to changes in self-esteem or mood. Thus, participants who attend an allotment for a short period just once per week can experience a similar magnitude of improvements in self-esteem and mood as participants who attend more regularly for longer periods of time.

 

We found that <30 min of allotment gardening produces a measureable and beneficial health affect. This finding is encouraging as participants are more likely to be able to fit short, occasional allotment sessions into their daily routines. In addition, the findings of this study suggest that the health and well-being benefits of allotment gardening do not deteriorate over time. The length of time spent allotment gardening by participants in the current study ranged from <1 year up to 60 years, yet this did not impact upon the magnitude of changes in self-esteem and mood received from one allotment session. Thus, allotment gardening could be used as a long-term tool for promoting and improving mental well-being.

 

The findings of this study also indicate that allotment gardeners have better mental well-being than their non-gardener controls. Allotment gardeners reported significantly higher levels of self-esteem and mood, with reduced levels on the POMS subscales of fatigue and depression and greater feelings of vigour. In addition, allotment gardeners achieved better scores on the GHQ, indicating a reduced level of psychological distress and abnormal functioning. These differences remained statistically significant after adjustment for age, sex and occupation. Given the fact that ∼1 in 4 adults suffer from a mental illness each year,67 this finding is particularly important. Allotment gardening could play a key role in promoting mental well-being in the general population, regardless of circumstance; and could therefore be used as a preventive health measure. However, the lengthy waiting lists for allotment plots throughout the UK,30 and the reduction in the availability of green spaces in urban areas are limiting the ability of people to have access to nature close to their homes. Community allotment plots might provide a feasible solution to this problem as they allow all people to access an allotment and to take part in green exercise; in addition to promoting social interaction, community inclusion and opportunities for healthy eating; all of which promote well-being.33–35 Local public authorities should therefore seek to provide community allotment plots in order to improve the health and well-being of their residents.

 

While this study was primarily focused on mental well-being outcomes, descriptive analyses revealed that non-gardeners had a significantly higher BMI than allotment gardeners. The average BMI for non-gardeners was 27.0 kg m2, compared with 25.5 kg m2 in gardeners. While both of these scores fall into the overweight category (25.0–29.9 kg m2); ∼68% of participants in the non-gardening group were overweight or obese, compared with only 47% in the gardener group. Higher incidence of overweight and obesity is associated with coronary heart disease and increased risk of type II diabetes. Approximately 12% of people with a BMI of >27.0 kg m2 have diabetes while hypertension is associated with a BMI of >25.0 kg m2.68 Thus, allotment gardening could help to reduce BMI and associated disease risk; promoting improved well-being. However, further research comparing measures of physical health and the physical health of gardeners when they take on an allotment would be required to confirm this hypothesis.

 

In addition to the questionnaires assessing health and well-being, allotment gardeners were asked what they enjoyed most about gardening on their allotment. The key themes were being outdoors; the sense of achievement; opportunities for restoration; social interaction; growing and eating produce and opportunities to be active. These are largely linked to the proposed health benefits of allotment gardening which include healthy eating, being active, improvements in physical and mental well-being and social interaction.30,40–50 Thus, participants seem to enjoy the aspects of allotment gardening which contribute to their health. The opportunities for social interaction offered by allotment gardening might be particularly important as the development of relationships promotes social capital.69 Social capital increases life expectancy, while a lack of social capital embodied by loneliness has the equivalent risk to health as consuming 15 cigarettes daily and is twice as harmful as obesity.67,69 Allotment gardening could contribute to a greener and healthier economy focused on the prevention of ill-health. This preventive approach could result in substantial savings to the UK economy, particularly in the treatment of health conditions such as mental illness, obesity, cardiovascular disease and loneliness.

 

Conclusions

 

Overall, the findings of this study indicate that one single session of allotment gardening can improve both self-esteem and mood, irrespective of how long participants spend on the allotment, whether they have attended in the last 7 days and their overall length of tenure. Furthermore, allotment gardeners have a better level of self-esteem and mood and a reduced level of abnormal psychological functioning than non-gardeners. Thus, in order to improve health and well-being, people in the UK should be encouraged to take part in short bouts of allotment gardening. Health organizations and policy makers should consider the potential of allotment gardening as long-term tool for combatting the increasing prevalence of ill-health and local public authorities should seek to provide community allotment plots to allow residents to have regular opportunities to partake in gardening activities.

 

academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/38/3/e336/2239844

Added to group Thursday 12 May

If you are interested in photography life is getting complicated because the range of decisions to be made is increasing at an amazing rate.

 

This month has been amazing because so many new cameras have been launched and I am interested in many of them. I suspect that I will get the Fuji X-T3 but I would like to get the Fuji GFX-50R or the GFX-100S but I cannot really justify paying between Euro 6000 and Euro 13,000 to switch to medium format. The 50R body will cost about Euro 4,500 and the 100S will retail at about Euro 10,000 so it is definite that i will not be getting the 50R. The 50R with a suitable lens would cost about Euro 6,000 so the possibility of me getting one is not good.

 

Sony did not launch a new camera but they announced a 24mm GM lens but when I went to my local dealer for details I was asked if I was planning to trade-in my Zeiss Batis 25mm and then I realised I had nor used the Batis since I got the Sony A7RIII. Many were expecting Sony to announce the A7SIII but all indications are that it will not appear in the shops until sometime in 2019

 

As the Sony 24mm is expensive it does not make much sense for me to purchase one if I already have a prime 25mm Zeiss lens so I decided to take it out to Glasnevin Cemetery to see how good it is. I liked the results but chromatic aberration proved to be an issue but despite that I suspect that I will give the Sony 24mm GM a miss. At this stage I am considering three lenses for my Sony A7RIII and they are the 12-24mm G, the 16-35 GM and the Sigma 105mm. Note: Capture One corrected for chromatic aberration better than did Lightroom.

 

Ever since it was introduced I have used Adobe Lightroom and I am currently Using version 8 [yes 8 not 7] but recently someone mentioned to me that Capture One is better than Lightroom. I had a quick look today and the images imported by Capture One do appear to be better ... it will take me a few weeks to investigate this because switching would have a major impact on my workflow.

With the increasing popularity of social media, feminism as a discipline has evolved and expanded immensely. One of the most popular elements of the new internet feminism is the body positivity movement. This movement encourages women of all shapes, sizes, and skin colors to embrace their appearance. Today’s feminists have a positive outlook on things like make-up, plastic surgery, and–yes—Snapchat filters. Although feminists are against the patriarchal regulation of what a woman should look like, we believe that women should be able to express themselves through their appearance. Women should be able to be as altered or as natural as they would like. Whether we wear a full face of make-up or nothing but sunscreen, women should be respected for who we are on the inside not judged for how we look.

This concept is embraced by the bible. First Samuel 16:7 says “People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The Skorpion was the result of the dire need for powerfully armed medium tanks when it was clear in 1944 that the German army would be faced with increasing numbers of Allied tanks. The favored solution would have been an update of the Panzer IV with the powerful 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 cannon, but the hull could not carry a turret that was gig enough to house this weapon - it should take several years until an satisfatory update would appear with the Panzer IV K. The alternative were self-propelled weapon carriers and the turret-less Jagdpanzer IV, which could take the long L70 gun, but both were not the tanks the Wehrmacht was looking for.

 

As a stopgap measure and to fill the ranks of the new Panzer V Panther, Krupp proposed a radically different layout: mounting the KwK 42 cannon with the Panther turret on the chassis of the Geschützwagen III/IV, which took elements of both the Panzer III (driving and steering system) and Panzer IV chassis (suspension and engine). This chassis ahd originally been developed for self-propelled artillery project, with the engine moved from the back of the hull to a front position next to the driver, so that the rear offered space for a combat section. The same chassis was already used for the Nashorn tank destroyer (with an 8,8cm PaK) and the Hummel mobile artillery support (with a 15cm howitzer) for the tank force. Both had an open-topped superstructure, built up around the respective large guns to give the crew some protection, and armor was relatively light, too, as these verhicles were not intended for direct confrontation with tanks.

 

However, the Panzer III/IV chassis was proven and already in production, and the Panther turret was available, too. For the SdKfz. 168 the open compartment of the Nashorn and Hummel was replaced by a closed, armored deck, which was large enough to carry a ring bearing for the Panther turret and it's drive. Overall armor, esp. on the new tank's front, was beefed up with extra plating, reaching up to 90mm. The crew was reduced to four, since the engine now took the position of the former Panzer IV radio/MG operator next to the driver.

 

In order to improve the tanks agility and speed, a torsion bar suspension and larger, double-interleaved rubber-rimmed steel roadwheels was proposed, but production started with the spring leaf suspension from the Panzer IV.

 

The rear turret's rear position had already been proposed for some heavy tank designs (e.g. by Porsche for the Tiger I proposals, which eventually evolved into the Ferdinand/Elefant tank hunter) but had never been employed before. Due to the unusual layout of the tank, the SdKfz. 168 was quickly dubbed "Skorpion".

 

One of the benefits were a more even weight distribution and a more compact size of the tank, since the long gun barrel did not protrude much over the hull's front end. Another indirect benefit was additional protection for the turret crew through the engine. Loading of ammuntion was also made easier through a rear hatch in the turret as well as in the lower hull that allowed direct access to the shell bunkers under the turret.

 

Drawbacks were an impaired field of view for the commander, esp. when the vehicle was hidden behind corners, and the field of fire was also limited in such ambush situations. The high silhouette was a tactical weakness, too, but this was regarded as acceptable, as this was a little price to pay for being able to carry the KwK 42/L70.

 

The Rheinmetall-Borsig 7.5 cm KwK 42 (L/70) featured semi-automatic shell ejection and a supply of 72 rounds). It used three different types of ammunition: APCBC-HE (Pzgr. 39/42), HE (Sprgr. 42) and APCR (Pzgr. 40/42), the last of which was usually in short supply.

 

While it was of a calibre common on Allied tanks, the Panther's gun was one of the most powerful of World War II, due to the large propellant charge and the long barrel, which gave it a very high muzzle velocity and excellent armour-piercing qualities. This 75 mm gun had actually more penetrating power than the main gun of the Tiger I heavy tank, the 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56, although the larger 88 mm projectile might inflict more damage if it did penetrate.

Additionally, a MG 34 machine gun was located co-axially with the main gun on the gun mantlet, and another MG 34 was carried on board for close range and anti-aircraf defense.

 

A status report on 15 December 1944 already listed 41 Skorpion tanks assigned to the Western Front, with 36 operational (87 percent). This was one day before the start of the Battle of the Bulge. The Skorpion demonstrated its prowess in open country, where it could hit its targets at long range with near-impunity, but it also showed its vulnerability in the close-in fighting of the small towns of the Ardennes, where they suffered heavy losses. A status report on 15 January 1945 showed only 17 operational SdKfz. 168 left in the units involved in the operation, out of 82 still in their possession at that time.

 

In February 1945, all Skorpion tanks were transferred from the West to the Eastern Front, where they filled gaps in the ranks of the Panther battalions. None of the roundabout 180 built and converted SdKfz. 168 survived the hostitilities.

  

Specifications:

Crew: Four (commander, gunner, loader, driver)

Weight: 25.8 tonnes (28.4 short tons; 25.4 long tons)

Length: 6.48 metres (21 ft 2 3/4 in) (hull only)

7.81 metres (25 ft 7 in) with gun forward

Width: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)

Height: 2.84 metres (9 ft 4 in) w/o AA machine gun

Suspension: Leaf spring

Fuel capacity: 470 l (120 US gal)

 

Armor:

20 – 90 mm (0.78 – 3.54 in)

 

Performance:

Maximum road speed: 42 km/h (26.71 mph)

Sustained road speed: 38 km/h (24 mph)

Operational range: 235 km (146 mi)

Power/weight: 12 PS/t

 

Engine:

Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 petrol engine with 300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)

 

Transmission:

ZF Synchromesh SSG 77 gear with 6 forward and 1 reverse ratios

 

Armament:

1× 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 with 72 rounds

1× co-axial 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 with 3.000 rounds

Provision for a MG 34 as anti-aircraft gun on the commander's cupola with 2.000 rounds

  

The kit and its assembly:

The "Skorpion" was partly inspired by thoughts about alternative tank designs like the Merkava, and also by available donation parts in the kit pile, where I found a leftover Panther Ausf. D, earmarked for another conversion, esp. with a new turret.

 

The Panther turret is big (like the whole tank itself), and the problem to mount more powerful cannons on the Panzer IV chassis could have led to some unusual, if not improvised designs.

The Panzer III/IV chassis for self-propelled artillery was the perfect basis, so I dedided to combine both for an alternative late WWII tank, conceptionally between a classic battle tank and a self-propelled gun carrier. The Panther turret just fits on the wide back section of the Hummel, even though proportions looks odd and the armor with many vertical surfaces is not very good. But, after all, this is intended to be a second choice concept and not a clean sheet battle tank design.

 

The chassis comes from an ESCI "Hummel", while the Panther turret is from a Hasegawa kit. The Hummel was more or less built OOB, just the open rear section was "clipped" at driver roof level and faired over with styrene sheet. Then, an opening for the Panther turret was cut out, and finally, once the rotation radius was clear, some more details added.

 

Another deviation from the OOB kit is the vinyl track. This ESCI kit came with styrene segment tracks, and IIRC it originally came with a silver, very stiff vinyl track when I built the Hummel for the first time many years ago - not a pleasant experience. Anyway, I decided to go the the Pavla replacement vinyl tracks, because they are very delicate and soft, moulded in a matt dark grey rubber.

 

Painting and markings:

This one looks rather wild - and it's a design experiment. The camouflage is a typical Hinterhalt (Ambush) paint scheme in Dark Yellow, Olive Green and Red Brown, onto which spots in light gray and dark brown have been added, for an even more disruptive effect in urban environment - slightly inspired by the unique British Forces Berlin scheme.

Basic tones are Humbrol 63, 160 and 117, plus extra spots with Humbrol 28 and 173. Then the model was weathered with a light black ink wash and dry-brushing with mid-stone and light gray, some acrylic paint to simulate dust and rust, and finally some dry pigments around the suspension and on the hull that simulate mud.

 

Markings are minimal, just some German crosses on the hull and the tactical code in red on a dedicated beige background - otherwise, it would not have been recognizable at all on the disruptive scheme!

 

The tracks, made from black, soft vinyl, received a paint treatment in order to get rid of that shiny vinyl look: at first, with a mix of black, sienna and silver, which was immediately wiped off again, and later with a second, similar turn with silver and dark brown.

  

An odd concept, and the result looks rather weird - be it the tank concept and the parts used in it, but also the totally fragmented paint scheme which looks gaudy and almost clown-esques, but succesfully breaks up the lines of the boxy vehicle. So, why not?

Spinning is an ancient textile art in which plant, animal or synthetic fibers are drawn out and twisted together to form yarn. For thousands of years, fiber was spun by hand using simple tools, the spindle and distaff. Only in the High Middle Ages did the spinning wheel increase the output of individual spinners, and mass-production only arose in the 18th century with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. Hand-spinning remains a popular handicraft.

 

Characteristics of spun yarn vary according to the material used, fiber length and alignment, quantity of fiber used, and degree of twist.

 

HISTORY

HAND SPINNING

The origins of spinning fiber to make string or yarn are lost in time, but archaeological evidence in the form of representation of string skirts has been dated to the Upper Paleolithic era, some 20,000 years ago. In the most primitive type of spinning, tufts of animal hair or plant fiber are rolled down the thigh with the hand, and additional tufts are added as needed until the desired length of spun fiber is achieved. Later, the fiber is fastened to a stone which is twirled round until the yarn is sufficiently twisted, whereupon it is wound upon the stone and the process repeated over and over.

 

The next method of spinning yarn is with the spindle, a straight stick eight to twelve inches long on which the yarn is wound after twisting. At first the stick had a cleft or split in the top in which the thread was fixed. Later, a hook of bone was added to the upper end. The bunch of wool or plant fibers is held in the left hand. With the right hand the fibers are drawn out several inches and the end fastened securely in the slit or hook on the top of the spindle. A whirling motion is given to the spindle on the thigh or any convenient part of the body. The twisted yarn is then wound on to the upper part of the spindle. Another bunch of fibers is drawn out, the spindle is given another twirl, the yarn is wound on the spindle, and so on.

 

The distaff was used for holding the bunch of wool, flax, or other fibers. It was a short stick, on one end of which was loosely wound the raw material. The other end of the distaff was held in the hand, under the arm or thrust in the girdle of the spinner. When held thus, one hand was left free for drawing out the fibers.

 

A spindle containing a quantity of yarn rotates more easily, steadily, and continues longer than an empty one; hence, the next improvement was the addition of a weight called a spindle whorl at the bottom of the spindle. These whorls are discs of wood, stone, clay, or metal with a hole in the center for the spindle, which keep the spindle steady and promote its rotation. Spindle whorls appeared in the Neolithic era. They allowed the spinner to slowly lower, or drop, the spindle as it was spinning, thus allowing a greater quantity of yarn to be created before it had to be wound onto the spindle; hence the name "drop spindle," which is now most commonly used for the hand spindle with whorl attached.

 

In mediæval times, poor families had such a need for yarn to make their own cloth and clothes that practically all girls and unmarried women would keep busy spinning, and "spinster" became synonymous with an unmarried woman. Subsequent improvements with spinning wheels and then mechanical methods made hand-spinning increasingly uneconomic, but as late as the twentieth century hand-spinning remained widespread in poor countries: in conscious rejection of international industrialization, Gandhi was a notable practitioner. The hand spinning movement that he initiated as a part of the Indian freedom struggle has made the handwoven cloth known as "Khadi" made from handspun cotton yarn world famous. Women spinners of cotton yarn still continue to work to produce handspun yarn for the weaving of Khadi in Ponduru, a village in South India.

 

A great wheel (also called a wool wheel, high wheel or walking wheel) is advantageous when using the long-draw technique to spin wool or cotton because the high ratio between the large wheel and the whorl (sheave) enables the spinner to turn the bobbin faster, thus significantly speeding up production.

 

A Saxony wheel (also called a flax wheel) or an upright wheel (also called a castle wheel), can be used to spin wool or cotton, but are invaluable when spinning flax (linen). The ends of flax fibers tend to stick out from the thread unless wetted while being spun. The spinner typically keeps a bowl of water handy when spinning flax, and on these types of wheels, both hands are free (since the wheel is turned with a treadle, rather than by hand), so the spinner can use one hand to draft the fibers and the other to wet them.

 

INDUSTRIAL SPINNING

Modern powered spinning, originally done by water or steam power but now done by electricity, is vastly faster than hand-spinning.

 

The spinning jenny, a multi-spool spinning wheel invented c. 1764 by James Hargreaves, dramatically reduced the amount of work needed to produce yarn of high consistency, with a single worker able to work eight or more spools at once. At roughly the same time, Richard Arkwright and a team of craftsmen developed the spinning frame, which produced a stronger thread than the spinning jenny. Too large to be operated by hand, a spinning frame powered by a waterwheel became the water frame.

 

In 1779, Samuel Crompton combined elements of the spinning jenny and water frame to create the spinning mule. This produced a stronger thread, and was suitable for mechanisation on a grand scale. A later development, from 1828/29, was Ring spinning.

 

In the 20th century, new techniques including Open End spinning or rotor spinning were invented to produce yarns at rates in excess of 40 meters per second.

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF SPUN YARNS

MATERIALS

Yarn can be, and is, spun from a wide variety of materials, including natural fibers such as animal, plant, and mineral fibers, and synthetic fibers. It was probably first made from plant fibers, but animal fibers soon followed.

 

TWIST AND PLY

The direction in which the yarn is spun is called twist. Yarns are characterized as S-twist or Z-twist according to the direction of spinning (see diagram). Tightness of twist is measured in TPI (twists per inch or turns per inch).

 

Two or more spun yarns may be twisted together or plied to form a thicker yarn. Generally, handspun single plies are spun with a Z-twist, and plying is done with an S-twist. This is a cultural preference differing in some areas but surprisingly common.

 

PLYING METHODS

Yarns can be made of two, three, four, or more plies, or may be used as singles without plying. Two-ply yarn can also be plied from both ends of one long strand of singles using a center-pull ball, where one end feeds from within a ball of yarn while the other end feeds from the outside. So-called "Andean" plying, in which the single is first wound around one hand in a specific manner that allows unwinding both ends at once without tangling, is another way to ply smaller amounts of yarn. The name comes from a method used by Andean spinners to manage and splice unevenly matched singles being plied from multiple spindles. "Navajo" (aka "chain-") plying is another method of producing a three-ply yarn, in which one strand of singles is looped around itself in a manner similar to crochet and the resulting three parallel strands twisted together. This method is often used to keep colors together on singles dyed in sequential colors. Cabled yarns are usually four-ply yarns made by plying two strands of two-ply yarn together in the direction opposite to the plying direction for the two-ply yarns.

 

CONTEMPORARY HAND SPINNING

Hand-spinning is still an important skill in many traditional societies. Hobby or small scale artisan spinners spin their own yarn to control specific yarn qualities and produce yarn that is not widely available commercially. Sometimes these yarns are made available to non-spinners online and in local yarn stores. Handspinners also may spin for self-sufficiency, a sense of accomplishment, or a sense of connection to history and the land. In addition, they may take up spinning for its meditative qualities.

 

Within the recent past, many new spinners have joined into this ancient process, innovating the craft and creating new techniques. From using new dyeing methods before spinning, to mixing in novelty elements (Christmas Garland, eccentric beads, money, etc.) that would not normally be found in traditional yarns, to creating and employing new techniques like coiling, this craft is constantly evolving and shifting.

 

To make various yarns, besides adding novelty elements, spinners can vary all the same things as in a machined yarn, i.e., the fiber, the preparation, the color, the spinning technique, the direction of the twist, etc. A common misconception is yarn spun from rolags may not be as strong, but the strength of a yarn is actually based on the length of hair fiber and the degree of twist. When working with shorter hairs, such as llama or angora rabbit, the spinner may choose to integrate longer fibers, such as mohair, to prevent yarn breakage. Yarns made of shorter fibers are also given more twist than yarns of longer fibers, and are generally spun with the short draw technique.

 

The fiber can be dyed at any time, but is often dyed before carding or after the yarn has been spun.

 

Wool may be spun before or after washing, although excessive amounts of lanolin may make spinning difficult, especially when using a drop-spindle. Careless washing may cause felting. When done prior to spinning, this often leads to unusable wool fiber. In washing wool the key thing to avoid is too much agitation and fast temperature changes from hot to cold. Generally, washing is done lock by lock in warm water with dish-soap.

 

EDUCATION

There are number of guilds and educational institutions which offer certificate programs in handspinning. The Handweavers Guild of America (HGA) offers a Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning. Olds College in Alberta, Canada, offers a Master Spinner program both on campus and by distance education. The Ontario Handweavers & Spinners offer both a Spinning Certificate as well as a Master Spinning Certificate. These programs feature in-depth examinations of handspinning topics, as well as extensive assignments and skill evaluations.

 

TECHNIQUES

A tightly spun wool yarn made from fiber with a long staple length in it is called worsted. It is hand spun from combed top, and the fibers all lie in the same direction as the yarn. A woolen yarn, in contrast, is hand spun from a rolag or other carded fiber (roving, batts), where the fibers are not as strictly aligned to the yarn created. The woolen yarn, thus, captures much more air, and makes for a softer and generally bulkier yarn. There are two main techniques to create these different yarns: short draw creates worsted yarns, and long draw creates woolen yarns. Often a spinner will spin using a combination of both techniques and thus make a semi-worsted yarn.

 

Short draw spinning is used to create worsted yarns. It is spun from combed roving, sliver or wool top. The spinner keeps his/her hands very close to each other. The fibers are held, fanned out, in one hand, and the other hand pulls a small number from the mass. The twist is kept between the second hand and the wheel. There is never any twist between the two hands.

 

Long draw is spun from a carded rolag. The rolag is spun without much stretching of the fibers from the cylindrical configuration. This is done by allowing twist into a short section of the rolag, and then pulling back, without letting the rolag change position in one's hands, until the yarn is the desired thickness. The twist will concentrate in the thinnest part of the roving; thus, when the yarn is pulled, the thicker sections with less twist will tend to thin out. Once the yarn is the desired thickness, enough twist is added to make the yarn strong. Then the yarn is wound onto the bobbin, and the process starts again.

 

SPINNING IN THE GREASE

Handspinners are split, when spinning wool, as to whether it is better to spin it 'in the grease' (with lanolin still in) or after it has been washed. More traditional spinners are more willing to spin in the grease, as it is less work to wash the wool after it is in yarn form. Spinners who spin very fine yarn may also prefer to spin in the grease as it can allow them to spin finer yarns with more ease. Spinning in the grease covers the spinner's hands in lanolin and, thus, softens the spinner's hands.

 

Spinning in the grease works best if the fleece is newly sheared. After several months, the lanolin becomes sticky, which makes the wool harder to spin using the short-draw technique, and almost impossible to spin using the long-draw technique. In general, spinners who use the long-draw technique do not spin in the grease.

 

Such spinners generally buy their fibers pre-washed and carded, in the form of roving, sliver, or batts. This means less work for the spinners, as they do not have to wash out the lanolin. Spinners then have available predyed fiber, or blends of fibers, which are hard to create when the wool is still in the grease. As machine carders cannot card wool in the grease, pre-carded yarn generally is not spun in the grease. Some spinners use spray-on lanolin-like products to get the same feel of spinning in the grease with carded fiber.

 

WIKIPEDIA

With the increased trend of urbanisation, the SAF has moved forward to raise our competencies in Urban Operations. Recently, the 34/17 Infantry Professional Term Cadets embarked on a 3 days and 2 nights Urban Operations training in the Murai Urban Training Facility. The training equipped the cadets with Section Urban Operations tactics as well as competencies in specialised Urban fighting equipment.

 

Photos:Specialist Cadet School

WOMEN IN NUCLEAR

 

Despite increases in female enrolment in both secondary and higher education, women remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly referred to as “STEM” subjects.

 

We know that seeing role models in these fields can help counter stereotypes and unconscious biases about what a nuclear scientist looks like. This International Women’s Day, some IAEA colleagues with STEM backgrounds shared their stories, hoping to inspire young women to pursue STEM careers.

 

We asked them about how they got interested in their academic subjects, challenges or highlights in their careers, and what advice they would give to youth considering careers in STEM.

 

Captions: Shant Krikorian, IAEA Associate Communication Officer, Department of Nuclear Energy

 

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Ko Chang (เกาะช้าง) is an island in Trat Province, Eastern Thailand. Ko Chang is Thailand's second largest island, and the biggest in Eastern Thailand. With about 5,000 permanent residents the island is not heavily populated, but tourism (and development) has increased dramatically over the last few years.

 

Ko Chang is one of Thailand's most beautiful islands with long white sandy beaches. The island is also home to a wide range of wildlife, including a good selection of birds, snakes, deer and a number of elephants. The island and its vicinity are great places for snorkeling, diving and jungle hiking. The "discovery" of the island as a tourist destination since 2000 has brought on a large amount of rapid development, and while still far quieter than places like Phuket or Ko Samui, it is far from quiet in high season. Regarding services and activities specifically aimed at tourists prices have reached such a level that the islanders are pricing themselves out of the market when compared to the other islands.

 

HISTORY

Prior to World War II, Ko Chang was little known to Westerners and was lightly-populated. The few families there made a living growing coconuts and fruit on the mainland. In January 1941, during the Franco-Thai War, the Thai Navy fought against a French surprise attack in in the waters to the south of Ko Chang.

 

The first backpacking foreigners started arriving on local fishing boats in the mid-1970s. In 1982, Ko Chang, along with surrounding areas, became part of Mu Ko Chang National Marine Park. Only very recently, in less than ten years, Ko Chang has turned into a major tourist destination, both for foreigners and local Thais.

 

This sudden tourism boom however, has been fraught with controversy concerning land use, etc. The government is trying to "develop" it from a backpackers' paradise to a top-level destination, and construction work is going on throughout the island, with basic huts torn down to make way for fancy resorts.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Ko Chang is the largest island in the Ko Chang Archipelago. The name means Elephant Island, named for the elephant shape of its headland, although elephants are not indigenous to the island.

 

Ko Chang has an area of approximately 429 square kilometres. The topography contains high mountains and complex stone cliffs. The highest mount is Khao Salak Phet which is 744 metres high, rich in fertile evergreen forest which is the main water source. Therefore, there are many waterfalls, beaches and splendid reefs in the west of the island.

 

Most accommodation is located on the western side of the island, where the sandy beaches are. On the eastern side of the island there are few sandy beaches; as such, this side is far less touristy. There are some nice waterfalls though.

 

70 percent of this undisturbed island is rainforest, steep hills, cliffs, waterfalls, and wildlife, fine beaches, coral reefs and an abundance of marine life. The island also offers tall mountains and rock cliffs.

 

CLIMATE

Ko Chang has the same seasons as Bangkok. The best season to go is the (comparatively) cool season between November and February. March to May are roasting hot and between June and October it rains, and a lot at that: 4,000 mm in an average year. Many guest houses close during this season, so accommodation is limited.

 

GET IN

BY PLANE

Bangkok Airways flies 3 times a day from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (the "new" BKK) to Trat Airport. The flights depart at 08:30, 11:40 and 17:05, and take 1 hour exactly. Ticket prices are between 2,000B and 3,800B return trip depending on the time of year.

 

Direct door-to-door minibus transfers from Trat airport to Ko Chang resorts cost 500 Baht/person one way and 900 Baht/person return including the ferry crossing. The minibuses are air-conditioned.

 

From Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, take the free express shuttle bus from outside the arrivals concourse to the airport's own bus terminal, and from there the next available bus to either Trat or Chanthaburi, then proceed as described below.

 

BY BUS

From Bangkok the most economical way to get to Laem Ngop (where the Ko Chang ferry piers are) is to take a 1st class bus #999 from the Eastern (Ekamai) Bus Terminal direct to the Laem Ngop piers. The fare is 275 baht one-way (520 baht return) and takes just over five hours. Departures from Ekamai are at 07:45 & 09:45, and return at 14:00. Subject to seat availability, this bus can also be boarded at Chanthaburi and at Suvarnabhumi Airport. However, as of December 2009 there was a more comfortable way to travel from Bangkok Airport to Ko Chang: the new bus line # 392 starts from the airport bus terminus (make sure to take a free shuttle from main airport to airport bus terminus) at 07:30 and returns from Koh Chang at 12:30. Tickets can be bought online at the Suvarnabhumi Burapha Bus Company. As of 1 Nov. 2010 there are also express shared minibuses running from Suvarnabhumi airport non-stop to Lonely Beach on Ko Chang. Tickets are 308 baht for the big bus and 600 baht (800 baht round trip)for the Lonely Beach Express minibus which includes a ticket for the ferry. However, this service can be unreliable; jammed minivans with unsecure luggage and drivers breaking traffic rules. It is also not guaranteed that your return will be by minivan, but rather with a large bus carrying people for other destinations which requires lengthy stops along the way.

 

Alternatively, there are 1st class (approx. 5 hours, around 250 baht) and 2nd class services from both the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai) and Northern Bus Terminal (Moh Chit) direct to Trat, and frequent songthaew services from Trat to Laem Ngop (approx. 30 minutes, 50 baht/person). Departures from Ekamai are more frequent than from Moh Chit. If coming by bus from the south, the #511 air-con bus can be used to connect directly between Bangkok's Southern (Sai Tai Mai) and Eastern (Ekamai) bus terminals.

 

Departures from Ekamai on the Cherdchai Private Bus company second class bus are 255 Baht to Trat (March 2015), with departures approximately every 2 hours during the day and advertised travel time being 4 hours.

 

There is a new government bus line 999 that travels between Ekamai station and the ferry to Ao Thammachart Pier. It is properly airconditioned and each traveller receives a refreshment pack. Unfortunately the travel times for bus 999 are limited. There are only 2 departure times per day, both in the morning.

 

The Cherdchai Private Bus company night sells seats on a first class airconditioned night bus that leaves Ekamai at 11.30pm and arrives in Trat town around 5am the next morning but it cannot be recommended as the bus was crowded, the airconditioning was almost non-existent, the toilet stank of urine and the bus itself was filthy. Be careful too that if the Cherdchai ticket booth at Ekamai charges you for a ferry ticket to Koh Chang as the ferry ticket is overpriced and puts you on a ferry to Centrepoint Pier, which is a 45 minutes trip compared to 25 minutes if you take the ferry to Ao Thammachart Pier.

 

Connection in Trat can also be used if coming from Pattaya (2nd class bus, 4 hours, around 200 baht).

 

There are direct minibus services to Laem Ngop from Pattaya, Ban Phe (gateway to Ko Samet), and Bangkok's Khao San Road and Victory monument (in front of the Payathai hospital). They, however, are less comfortable and spacious than public buses, and you may be charged significantly more by travel agencies selling tickets to these, as often with any tourist-oriented transportation in Thailand.

 

It may also be possible to proceed directly to Laem Ngop by minibus or songthaew from the Hat Lek / Koh Kong border crossing with southern Cambodia, depending on the time of year, time of day, etc - enquire locally. Price around 120 baht (one way) from the border to Trat bus station.

 

BY BOAT

Most ferries operate from Laem Ngop, which has three piers . The Laem Ngop (Tha Khrom Luang or Tha Laern Ngop) pier is approximately 700 metres west of Laem Ngop. The Centrepoint (Tha Centre Point) pier is located about 3.5 km north-west of Laem Ngop. These piers serve both vehicle and passenger ferries.

 

Koh Chang vehicle ferry pier is located in Thammachat Bay (Ao Thammachat), around 15 km west of Laem Ngop.

 

All piers on Ko Chang are situated on the eastern side of the island. The major piers are the two Dan Kao piers, Tha Dan Kao and Tha Ferry Dan Kao, who handles most of the traffic. To take a boat from Laem Ngop to the Dan Kao piers take around 45 minutes. The car ferry from Laem Ngop take around 1 hour and arrives at the Tha Ferry Dan Kao pier, situated 400 metres southeast of the Tha Dan Kao pier. The car ferry from Thammachat Bay stops at the Ko Chang Ferry Pier (Tha Ferry Ko Chang) in the Sapparot Bay (Ao Sapparot), 3 kilometres northwest from the Dan Kao piers.

 

Light meals, fruit, fruits and beverages are available at all the piers and on the car ferries.

 

There are two operators that provide daily speedboat services from Ko Kood to Ko Chang. One is based in Bang Bao, the other on Kai Bae Beach [6] Rates are the same but departures times can vary, so make sure to book ahead.

 

GET AROUND

In the daytime, you can catch a songtheaw on its route around the main road for 50 or 150 baht/person, depending how far you go. The rates are generally much higher than in other places, but the vehicles are almost new and in excellent condition. Starting from 5.00pm, many of them start to ask "taxi" price, telling you that they operate as a public transport only until that time, and may quote prices as high as say 500 baht from Lonely Beach to the Dan Kao pier (bargain if you choose to hire, do not support silly prices!). However, if you have some time and patience, you still can try and have a "shared" ride with some drivers, maybe for a higher rate if they expect little or no other passengers.

 

These taxis are also waiting at the Dan Kao Pier (50 baht/person to White Sand beach, 100 baht to Lonely Beach). At the Dan Kao Ferry-Pier there may be no taxis available. If you arrive without a vehicle you may have to walk the 400 metres to Dan Kao Pier. The prices have become unofficially fixed and there is little room for bargaining; however, the price you pay to return should be the price you payed to come in the first place (50B White Sands, 100B Lonely, 150B Bang Bao). If they try to add 50B to that, decline (not politely). There will be another taxi and accepting the price increase condones the practice and causes price increases over time.

 

Small motorcycles can be rented for 150-300B per day. The main road is sealed and almost circles the island and there are plans to complete the circuit in the near future. Cars are also available for rental, most hotels can help with it. 4x4 car recommended, since some roads might be in bad condition, especially near Lonely Beach.

 

To rent a motorbike at the center point pier is a good option to save money, as you are avoiding the expensive taxi rides. It further gives you the freedom to drive to more remote beaches where you most of the time fine lower rates for accommodation. [Update April 2014: Center Point motorbike rentals charging 250 baht/day daily rentals, 200 baht/day for 5 days, and 150 baht/day for monthly rentals. Price is (apparently) non negotiable. They also only provide you with ~.7L of fuel, so it's on you to fill the rest of the way up.]

 

If there are 2 or more people going with you, hiring a songtheaw may cost the same price, or even be cheaper than paying per each person in a "shared" songtheaw (there is no difference, an empty songtheaw can easily be hired). Just do not forget to bargain if their price sounds quite silly when compared, say, to Bangkok taxi-meter (on Ko Chang it can be difficult if not impossible to get the same price, but at least it should not cost double or even more). Generally most people just stay on the beach of their choice and walk to wherever they want to go.

 

Hitching on Ko Chang is also an alternative if you choose not to pay the often exorbitant fees of the songtheaw. Many islanders are more than willing to pick up a hitchhiker who happens to be going the same way they are. A Coke or cold bottle of green tea for the driver are always appreciated at the end of your journey.

 

SEE

Elephants - There are three or four places offering elephant rides. We checked them out and none of them are 'elephant friendly'. Please think carefully about wanting to sit on a chair on the back of an elephant. All you can see from the is trees and a long drop to the ground. Elephants for riding are 'broken' when they are babies. They are guided by a mahout with an 'ice pick'. The ice pick is not for show. It is used on the elephant. Perhaps not when you are there... Elephants under stress rock from side to side and actually look distressed. If you see this behaviour, or see that the animals are being chained with little or no shade, or see that they do 'tricks', they are being misused. This becomes your choice. Do you perpetuate a cruel practice for a bit of fun, or do you look elsewhere?

 

- The Mu Ko Chang National Park - National Marine Park comprising parts of Ko Chang and 46 other islands

- War memorial monument - in the very south of the island

 

WATERFALLS

- Klong Plu - the most popular waterfall, and the only one on the west side of the island

- Klong Nonsi - waterfall on the east side of the island

- Klong Nueng - said to be the most breathtaking waterfall

- Khiri Petch - medium sized waterfall, about 3 kilometres from Salak Petch village

- Kongoi - 5 waterfalls near Bang Bao

- The Thanmayom - near Thanmayom pier

 

DO

Scuba diving and fishing are the most popular activities, because there are many beautiful corals and many kinds of fish for fishing. Additionally, a jungle trekking is a great idea. Jungle trekking is divided in 2 parts- north and south. Jungle trekking of north is a nature walk that contains many kinds of fruit, and several of plants. On the other hand, jungle trekking of south includes visiting fishing villagse and offers you to see a variety of animals (monkeys, snakes, birds, lizards) You can also learn how to cook Thai food. The cost for each courses starts form 1200 baht. They will teach popular Thai food such as spicy salad (som-tum), chicken curry (kang keaw wan), spicy soup (tom yum), fried rice noodles (Pad Thai), and so on. Moreover, the main activity in koh chang is the island sightseeing. You can see a famous Chinese temple that everybody should visit and pray.

 

WIKITRAVEL

Marker pens lie on a large "Friends of Al Aqsa" campaign flag which is covered in protesters' signatures and messages of support.

 

"Protest for Palestine" at Israeli embassy as violence increases in East Jerusalem: London 17/10/2015

 

Following weeks of escalating violence in Israel since the provocative invasion by armed Israeli jews and soldiers into the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem - a tactic used several times in the past by the right-wing Likud party around election time guaranteed to inflame tensions and spark violence - which has since resulted in many violent, tragic deaths and tit-for-tat revenge attacks, a large crowd of London-based pro-Palestinian campaigners protested outside the Israeli embassy calling for the Israeli government to stop their provocation

 

All photos © Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.

 

Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix. Standard industry rates apply.

 

Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion

If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.

 

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+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The Skorpion was the result of the dire need for powerfully armed medium tanks when it was clear in 1944 that the German army would be faced with increasing numbers of Allied tanks. The favored solution would have been an update of the Panzer IV with the powerful 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 cannon, but the hull could not carry a turret that was gig enough to house this weapon - it should take several years until an satisfatory update would appear with the Panzer IV K. The alternative were self-propelled weapon carriers and the turret-less Jagdpanzer IV, which could take the long L70 gun, but both were not the tanks the Wehrmacht was looking for.

 

As a stopgap measure and to fill the ranks of the new Panzer V Panther, Krupp proposed a radically different layout: mounting the KwK 42 cannon with the Panther turret on the chassis of the Geschützwagen III/IV, which took elements of both the Panzer III (driving and steering system) and Panzer IV chassis (suspension and engine). This chassis ahd originally been developed for self-propelled artillery project, with the engine moved from the back of the hull to a front position next to the driver, so that the rear offered space for a combat section. The same chassis was already used for the Nashorn tank destroyer (with an 8,8cm PaK) and the Hummel mobile artillery support (with a 15cm howitzer) for the tank force. Both had an open-topped superstructure, built up around the respective large guns to give the crew some protection, and armor was relatively light, too, as these verhicles were not intended for direct confrontation with tanks.

 

However, the Panzer III/IV chassis was proven and already in production, and the Panther turret was available, too. For the SdKfz. 168 the open compartment of the Nashorn and Hummel was replaced by a closed, armored deck, which was large enough to carry a ring bearing for the Panther turret and it's drive. Overall armor, esp. on the new tank's front, was beefed up with extra plating, reaching up to 90mm. The crew was reduced to four, since the engine now took the position of the former Panzer IV radio/MG operator next to the driver.

 

In order to improve the tanks agility and speed, a torsion bar suspension and larger, double-interleaved rubber-rimmed steel roadwheels was proposed, but production started with the spring leaf suspension from the Panzer IV.

 

The rear turret's rear position had already been proposed for some heavy tank designs (e.g. by Porsche for the Tiger I proposals, which eventually evolved into the Ferdinand/Elefant tank hunter) but had never been employed before. Due to the unusual layout of the tank, the SdKfz. 168 was quickly dubbed "Skorpion".

 

One of the benefits were a more even weight distribution and a more compact size of the tank, since the long gun barrel did not protrude much over the hull's front end. Another indirect benefit was additional protection for the turret crew through the engine. Loading of ammuntion was also made easier through a rear hatch in the turret as well as in the lower hull that allowed direct access to the shell bunkers under the turret.

 

Drawbacks were an impaired field of view for the commander, esp. when the vehicle was hidden behind corners, and the field of fire was also limited in such ambush situations. The high silhouette was a tactical weakness, too, but this was regarded as acceptable, as this was a little price to pay for being able to carry the KwK 42/L70.

 

The Rheinmetall-Borsig 7.5 cm KwK 42 (L/70) featured semi-automatic shell ejection and a supply of 72 rounds). It used three different types of ammunition: APCBC-HE (Pzgr. 39/42), HE (Sprgr. 42) and APCR (Pzgr. 40/42), the last of which was usually in short supply.

 

While it was of a calibre common on Allied tanks, the Panther's gun was one of the most powerful of World War II, due to the large propellant charge and the long barrel, which gave it a very high muzzle velocity and excellent armour-piercing qualities. This 75 mm gun had actually more penetrating power than the main gun of the Tiger I heavy tank, the 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56, although the larger 88 mm projectile might inflict more damage if it did penetrate.

Additionally, a MG 34 machine gun was located co-axially with the main gun on the gun mantlet, and another MG 34 was carried on board for close range and anti-aircraf defense.

 

A status report on 15 December 1944 already listed 41 Skorpion tanks assigned to the Western Front, with 36 operational (87 percent). This was one day before the start of the Battle of the Bulge. The Skorpion demonstrated its prowess in open country, where it could hit its targets at long range with near-impunity, but it also showed its vulnerability in the close-in fighting of the small towns of the Ardennes, where they suffered heavy losses. A status report on 15 January 1945 showed only 17 operational SdKfz. 168 left in the units involved in the operation, out of 82 still in their possession at that time.

 

In February 1945, all Skorpion tanks were transferred from the West to the Eastern Front, where they filled gaps in the ranks of the Panther battalions. None of the roundabout 180 built and converted SdKfz. 168 survived the hostitilities.

  

Specifications:

Crew: Four (commander, gunner, loader, driver)

Weight: 25.8 tonnes (28.4 short tons; 25.4 long tons)

Length: 6.48 metres (21 ft 2 3/4 in) (hull only)

7.81 metres (25 ft 7 in) with gun forward

Width: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)

Height: 2.84 metres (9 ft 4 in) w/o AA machine gun

Suspension: Leaf spring

Fuel capacity: 470 l (120 US gal)

 

Armor:

20 – 90 mm (0.78 – 3.54 in)

 

Performance:

Maximum road speed: 42 km/h (26.71 mph)

Sustained road speed: 38 km/h (24 mph)

Operational range: 235 km (146 mi)

Power/weight: 12 PS/t

 

Engine:

Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 petrol engine with 300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)

 

Transmission:

ZF Synchromesh SSG 77 gear with 6 forward and 1 reverse ratios

 

Armament:

1× 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 with 72 rounds

1× co-axial 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 with 3.000 rounds

Provision for a MG 34 as anti-aircraft gun on the commander's cupola with 2.000 rounds

  

The kit and its assembly:

The "Skorpion" was partly inspired by thoughts about alternative tank designs like the Merkava, and also by available donation parts in the kit pile, where I found a leftover Panther Ausf. D, earmarked for another conversion, esp. with a new turret.

 

The Panther turret is big (like the whole tank itself), and the problem to mount more powerful cannons on the Panzer IV chassis could have led to some unusual, if not improvised designs.

The Panzer III/IV chassis for self-propelled artillery was the perfect basis, so I dedided to combine both for an alternative late WWII tank, conceptionally between a classic battle tank and a self-propelled gun carrier. The Panther turret just fits on the wide back section of the Hummel, even though proportions looks odd and the armor with many vertical surfaces is not very good. But, after all, this is intended to be a second choice concept and not a clean sheet battle tank design.

 

The chassis comes from an ESCI "Hummel", while the Panther turret is from a Hasegawa kit. The Hummel was more or less built OOB, just the open rear section was "clipped" at driver roof level and faired over with styrene sheet. Then, an opening for the Panther turret was cut out, and finally, once the rotation radius was clear, some more details added.

 

Another deviation from the OOB kit is the vinyl track. This ESCI kit came with styrene segment tracks, and IIRC it originally came with a silver, very stiff vinyl track when I built the Hummel for the first time many years ago - not a pleasant experience. Anyway, I decided to go the the Pavla replacement vinyl tracks, because they are very delicate and soft, moulded in a matt dark grey rubber.

 

Painting and markings:

This one looks rather wild - and it's a design experiment. The camouflage is a typical Hinterhalt (Ambush) paint scheme in Dark Yellow, Olive Green and Red Brown, onto which spots in light gray and dark brown have been added, for an even more disruptive effect in urban environment - slightly inspired by the unique British Forces Berlin scheme.

Basic tones are Humbrol 63, 160 and 117, plus extra spots with Humbrol 28 and 173. Then the model was weathered with a light black ink wash and dry-brushing with mid-stone and light gray, some acrylic paint to simulate dust and rust, and finally some dry pigments around the suspension and on the hull that simulate mud.

 

Markings are minimal, just some German crosses on the hull and the tactical code in red on a dedicated beige background - otherwise, it would not have been recognizable at all on the disruptive scheme!

 

The tracks, made from black, soft vinyl, received a paint treatment in order to get rid of that shiny vinyl look: at first, with a mix of black, sienna and silver, which was immediately wiped off again, and later with a second, similar turn with silver and dark brown.

  

An odd concept, and the result looks rather weird - be it the tank concept and the parts used in it, but also the totally fragmented paint scheme which looks gaudy and almost clown-esques, but succesfully breaks up the lines of the boxy vehicle. So, why not?

A significant increase in drug-related overdoses and deaths has prompted provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall to declare a public health emergency.

 

Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016HLTH0026-000568

Despite a low trend to report the cases of child sexual abuse, recent data analysis shows that approximately three children in Pakistan were sexually abused every day in 2009, a 9.4 percent increase in such cases as compared to last year.

 

The recent study by Saahil, a non-governmental organisation, says that in 2009, 2,012 cases of child sexual abuse were recorded in the country.

 

Pakistan, where 1.2 million children live on the streets in major cities and urban centres, faces multiple problems ranging from food insecurity, health, illiteracy, disasters, the governance and child sexual abuse.

 

The study shows that 2,012 children wee reportedly abused in 2009 and most of them were abused by acquaintances.

 

The report says that 11 to 15 years old children were among the most vulnerable group followed by 6 to 10 years old children.

 

The study says to collect actual data on child sexual abuse is a difficult task as abusers threaten children not to share such things even with parents. If someone does so, there is no such forums where a perpetrator could be brought to the book without solid evidence. Ironically, in such cases the evidence is almost impossible to get. Due to lack of evidence and social stigma these incidents carry with, as the parents prefer to be silent, it added.

 

As for as the children on street are concerned, they hardly report it because of social and economic insecurity. It is hard for the street children to survive if they resist against the culprits.

 

The Punjab province topped the list by 62 percent, followed by Sindh 28 percent, Federal Capital Islamabad 7 percent, NWFP 1.5 percent, Balochistan 1 percent and Azad Jammu Kashmir 0.5 percent of the total reported cases.

 

The study observed that in Punjab media had greater access and channels of communication in comparison to the inaccessible remote areas of the other provinces. Other possible reasons for the less reporting of cases from NWFP, Balochistan and AJK could be scattered population, strict traditional system of jirga and non-reporting, the study concludes.

If you are interested in photography life is getting complicated because the range of decisions to be made is increasing at an amazing rate.

 

This month has been amazing because so many new cameras have been launched and I am interested in many of them. I suspect that I will get the Fuji X-T3 but I would like to get the Fuji GFX-50R or the GFX-100S but I cannot really justify paying between Euro 6000 and Euro 13,000 to switch to medium format. The 50R body will cost about Euro 4,500 and the 100S will retail at about Euro 10,000 so it is definite that i will not be getting the 50R. The 50R with a suitable lens would cost about Euro 6,000 so the possibility of me getting one is not good.

 

Sony did not launch a new camera but they announced a 24mm GM lens but when I went to my local dealer for details I was asked if I was planning to trade-in my Zeiss Batis 25mm and then I realised I had nor used the Batis since I got the Sony A7RIII. Many were expecting Sony to announce the A7SIII but all indications are that it will not appear in the shops until sometime in 2019

 

As the Sony 24mm is expensive it does not make much sense for me to purchase one if I already have a prime 25mm Zeiss lens so I decided to take it out to Glasnevin Cemetery to see how good it is. I liked the results but chromatic aberration proved to be an issue but despite that I suspect that I will give the Sony 24mm GM a miss. At this stage I am considering three lenses for my Sony A7RIII and they are the 12-24mm G, the 16-35 GM and the Sigma 105mm. Note: Capture One corrected for chromatic aberration better than did Lightroom.

 

Ever since it was introduced I have used Adobe Lightroom and I am currently Using version 8 [yes 8 not 7] but recently someone mentioned to me that Capture One is better than Lightroom. I had a quick look today and the images imported by Capture One do appear to be better ... it will take me a few weeks to investigate this because switching would have a major impact on my workflow.

Hello there. Many of you may already know this but I am a Chicago Teacher's Union delegate. I work with students who have special needs and disabilities and over the past 12 years at this job, I have seen my caseload steadily increase to over 60 students. In other school districts, Occupational and Physical Therapists have a caseload cap. of 32. That is what those school districts have decided is reasonable. I am willing to work extra time and in the evenings and on weekends but I am not able to see all of my students and meet their needs as only one person. The Board of Ed. still refuses to limit our caseloads and that is the major reason I am striking.

 

Many people have been only listening to the media and have been wondering why teachers are so "greedy" because they think all we want are raises. If you're going to parrot the media, I don't need your comments. However, if you're going to listen to what I have to say as someone who knows what it's like to work in Chicago Public Schools, please keep reading.

 

Some major reasons we are striking-NONE of which have to do with pay.

 

1. Chicago Public Schools wants to close another 100 schools and further corporatize America's children. This is sickening. Charter schools have not proven themselves to be overall any better than public schools and they have taken our most promising students from us. The Tea Partiers and corporations getting into education continue to try to get Illinois state legislature changes so that they get equal funding as public schools from YOUR tax dollars. However, did you know that not all teachers that work in charter schools have to be certified? This is eventually merely a way for corporations to get more of your tax dollars and pay teachers half as much so that they pocket the rest. Aren't you tired of that? I know I am.

 

2. The Chicago Public Schools want to put in the "contract" a clause called the "Management Clause" which basically states that at any time they can change their minds about anything in the contract for any reason. I'm pretty sure Brizard and Rahm Emanuel need to go back to their basic Language Arts classes and look up the word "Contract" as they would find this clause pretty much makes the whole idea of a promise or an agreement completely useless.

 

3. We want smaller classrooms. As someone who works with kids that have disabilities, I've seen the kid with Muscular Dystrophy who is depending on a wheelchair for transportation struggle because his regular education classroom does not have enough space for him. All of us Occupational and Physical Therapists have seen this. It's ILLEGAL. It goes against everything the Americans with Disabilities Act stand for and yet it is a reality.

 

4. We want to end the class warfare disparity. In Chicago right now, Rahm and the media completely ignore the fact that there is a huge amount of violence especially on the South side and our homicide rate has risen dramatically. One reason for this is that people are getting desperate in this economy and they don't have the skills to pursue other non violent measures. At this crucial time, Rahm has decided to cut technology classes. Schools on the North side also have way more access to Music and Art and even things like Foreign Languages whereas the South side kids literally (and I mean LITERALLY) have to bring their own soap and toilet paper to school.

 

5. At a time of rising violence as well as more premature babies being saved during delivery, there are more and more students in need of clinicians including: Occupational and Physical Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists, and Speech Therapists. The Chicago Public Schools Board of Ed. would like to forget these kids even exist. I've seen the mayor and administrators at schools. They go visit the gifted classrooms. They don't take a look into the classrooms for students with Severe/Profound disabilities, that's for sure.

 

Please support your local school and your local teacher. Give your local teacher a hug. Call your alderman and Brizard and tell them to support teachers.

 

***If you or your family members are in one of these photos and would like the high resolution version for free, please email me at kirstiecat@gmail.com with the subject "Union Rally Photo" and I will send this to you at no charge as soon as possible**

Increase Cab box to 7 wide with inspiration from the Emerald night.

Added magnet and stiffened up the front wheels.

Hidden PU Hub in the tall tender creating a hefty look to it.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The Spartan was born as a humanoid-type weapon from the United Nations Military ambulatory weapons program. The MBR-07 Spartan was the second-place participant, the winning design became the Main Battle Robot-Series 04 family of Destroids that included the Tomahawk and specialized variants like the Defender and the Phalanx. The Spartan and its unique chassis had been specifically designed for close hand-to-hand combat, and therefore produced a less prolific family of battle robots for the U.N. Spacy - even though it filled a vital, tactical niche that the 04 family simply could not fill.

 

Unlike the MBR-04 series, the MBR-07 Spartan series was developed jointly by Centinental and the Kransmann Group. Another significant divergence from the MBR-04 series was the absence of any auxiliary generator, due to the increased power of the main engine. The rugged silhouette had a wide range of motion in addition to the swivel capability of the waist and wrists, making the 07 chassis much more agile than the rather static 04 basis, and its structure could absorb a lot of physical punishment.

 

Development of the MBR-07 followed one year and two months after the first MBR-04 series Destroids began design in 2003. The Spartan then entered trial production in February 2005, and, by January 2008, the first serial production Mk. I units were rolled out and handed over to frontline units.

 

The Spartan Mk. I was, true to its original design and mission philosophy, fully dedicated to hand-to-hand combat. As such, the initial Mk. I variant relied - except for a pair of Bifors missile launcher clusters with 12 self-guided short/mid-range rockets per launcher in the shoulders - on direct enemy contact with hand strikes, blocks and kicks. Only a massive combat mace was available as an optional auxiliary weapon, the Destroid’s large hands precluded the use of other hand weapons like the GU-11 gun pod from the VF-1 Valkyrie fighter.

 

While this form of martial arts attacks delivered critical blows to Zentraedi and their mecha, this rather limited tactical configuration soon turned out to leave the initial Spartans vulnerable to air and mid-range attacks. In consequence, the armament suite was quickly augmented, leading to the Spartan Mk. II, which became the primary production and service variant. The Mk. II update included a pair of Mauler RQV-10 anti-aircraft laser guns, mounted in a remote-controlled barbette on top of the hull that covered the complete upper hemisphere, and a retractable Astra TZ-IV gun cluster featuring a laser gun, a 32 mm machine cannon, a 180 mm grenade launcher, a 12.7 mm Machine Gun and a flamethrower – the same installation that was also used in the MBR-04 Tomahawk. Since close combat was still the Spartan’s primary mission, the versatile weapon array was hidden and protected under a newly designed forward central hatch, which necessitated a reconstructed upper body section with a set-back cockpit. In this form, the Spartan Mk. II entered mass production, and all early Mk. I units produced until May 2008 were later, during normal overhauls or during repairs, upgraded to Mk. II units. However, these converted Mk. Is remained easy to recognize because they typically retained the original leg design with four horizontal ribs on the lower legs instead of just two oblique reinforcements on the Mk. II production models. However, there was no differentiating designation between the old and new Mk. II Spartans, since the Destroids were all the same “under the hood”.

 

From the start, the Spartan was popular among its pilots and maintenance crews, and it was easy for a VF pilot to handle because the VF Battroid mode cockpit was actually based upon the MBR-07’s design concept. Although the Spartan achieved high mobility performance, problems developing the engine and power transmission system delayed production and early models were prone to fail under harsh battle conditions that called for sustained high-power output. With the introduction of the Mk. II, however, these problems had been eradicated. Considerable numbers of Spartans were built and deployed to the front lines due to high acclaim for its operation, which combined heavy armor, high mobility and a good protection level for the pilot. The Spartan was also actively used in suppression of Zentraedi insurgencies (e. g. during the Highlander City airport incident in late 2011) and served with U.N. Spacy frontline units until 2012.

  

General characteristics:

Equipment Type: main battle robot, series 07

Government: U.N. Spacy

Manufacturer: Centinental/Kransmann

Introduction: June 2008

Accommodation: 1 pilot only

 

Dimensions:

Height: 11.31 meters (to shoulder), 11.27 meters (overall)

Length: 6.1 meters

Width: 8.3 meters

Mass: 28.2 metric tons

 

Power Plant:

Gigenheimer Roy DT2004 thermonuclear reactor, developing 3.200 shp

 

Propulsion:

1x quadruple rocket nozzle installed beneath the engine cover in the rear chassis,

for increased mobility, plus several vernier nozzles around the hull for Zero-G manoeuvers

 

Armament:

2x Norman Banks CH2-TYPED claw hand with 5-finger manipulators

2x Bifors close-in self-guided rocket launcher with 12 rockets per launcher

1x optional metallic club (for hand-to-hand combat)

  

The kit and its assembly:

This modified 1:100 Destroid Spartan was inspired by a line art drawing found in the source book “Macross Perfect Memory”, showing an early Mk. I variant of this unique and somewhat odd-looking mecha. I had this build on my agenda for a while (read: at least 10 years…) and already stashed away a vintage Arii kit from the 15th Macross anniversary edition released in the late Nineties.

 

Apparently, the Spartan Mk. I primarily differs from its better-known later sibling through a simplified central body section, giving it an even more hunchbacked silhouette, and upon closer inspection of the benchmark drawing I also found detail differences on the lower legs. Otherwise, the Mk. II kit could be used OOB, just with some general detail upgrades, since the vintage Arii kit is not without (a lot of) weaknesses.

 

For the different legs, the original oblique ribs in the calves were sanded away, the surfaces evened-out, and four more or less horizontal ribs per calf were added, made from styrene profile material. The same stuff was also used to add vertical ribs on front and back of the calves – a general Spartan detail that the 1:100 kit lacks.

 

Creating the new central body section was more demanding. In order to retain the original attachment points, I just cut away the central body’s front half, retaining the rounded, lower “floor” plate as a connection to the hips, which remained OOB. The new front end was fully scratched; at its core it consists of a (clear) protective cover for a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush head, with a slit cut out. A round insert, a piece from an aircraft model display, was glued into the opening from behind. In order to blend this core donor part into the rest of the body and to mimic the Mk. I’s outlines from the drawing, I added side fairings that were cut from 1.5mm styrene sheet, plus a chin fairing made of 0.5mm sheet. The rest was filled with putty and sculpted as good as possible after the only benchmark sketch of the Spartan Mk. I had at hand. While the result looks a little tweedy (the visor slit appears to be a little too large and the chin became quite wide and edgy), I think that the overall look is not too bad for such a scratch attempt?

 

The Spartan Mk. II’s laser barbette disappeared and more ribs, again made from styrene profiles, were added to the lower “cheeks”. The cockpit hatch came from the Mk. II kit and was blended into the upper hull through PSR – the benchmark drawing does not show it, but the perspective might hide it and I’d assume that the Mk. I Spartan would certainly have a similar cockpit to the Mk. II. The small sensor “head unit” behind the cockpit was fully scratched, too, from styrene profile material and some leftover bits.

 

So far, so good, but some general words of warning concerning the Arii Spartan kit: while the small model already features “modern” details like vinyl caps for many of its joints, this is neither an easy nor a pretty build. Fit is mediocre at best and you will have to PSR practically every seam. Furthermore, the model generally lacks some important surface details which apparently fell victim to an easy production – even the bigger 1:72 kit is missing them!

Furthermore, the green styrene of my specimen turned out to be quite brittle – this might the a sign of age, though, since my model was more than 20 years old. For instance, the bolts that hold the arms in their vinyl-capped joints immediately sheared off upon first dry-fitting! Critical damage… The same happened to the pen that holds the upper body to the hip section with a ball joint (actually not providing much mobility, though). Oh, and, by the way, the legs do notoriously not hold well (if at all) to their hip joints – they simply tend to fall off. Together with a rather concave/toed-in leg position from the hips downwards, this is another general flaw of the 1:100 kit – except for major modifications I have no other idea how to improve this. On this build I did not do anything about this problem, though.

 

In order to save the arms and keep the mobile I rigorously drilled up the original joints with the hidden vinyl caps and replaced them fully with 6mm styrene tubes. The bolts on the inner arms were also fully replaced with 4mm styrene tubes that fit snuggly into the new 6mm fairings. The broken hip ball joint was replaced by a prosthetic carved from more durable sprue material, glued to the central pen. Nerve-wrecking, but fortunately invisible problems.

 

While opening the shoulder rocket launchers is a general option for any Spartan kit (the interior would have to be fully scratched, though), I did not invest the work into this Mk. I conversion – primarily because I already did this stunt on an authentic/improved Mk. II model.

Concerning armament, builders should be warned that the 1:100 kit (also) completely lacks the retractable weapon cluster that is hidden under the openable “nose hood”. This has to be scratched if the builder wants to display the Spartan Mk. II with blazing internal guns. The 1:72 kit is better in this respect, the gun cluster is even retractable, but even this model has lots of space for improvement.

A further weak point is the interior of the missile launchers’ exhaust ports: a vertical seam runs through them, and there’s hardly a chance to avoid that visible flaw unless you replace the interior or, as I did, hide the weak spots under some plastic mesh.

Furthermore, all Imai/Arii Spartan kits lack the Destroid’s optional but very characteristic battle mace – and since the Mk. I only carries limited internal weaponry, I decided to scratch one for my model. It was created from styrene tubes and profiles, plus parts from a syringe needle protective cover. It was built in two parts, so that it can be put into the Spartan’s hands on demand.

  

Painting and markings:

The Destroid Spartan comes almost invariably in an overall dark green livery, with (very) light grey hands and missile launcher covers and a red “nose hood” for the hidden weapon cluster. However, in episode 15 of the Macross TV series, a blue Spartan Mk. II makes an appearance, and I used this alternative livery as an inspiration for my Mk. I conversion.

 

The paint scheme remained simple, though, and I went for an overall dark petrol blue (Humbrol 77 Navy Blue) as basic color. The light grey highlights were painted with RAL 7035 (Humbrol 196). Since the Mk.I lacks the Mk II’s characteristic red “nose hood”, I also painted the missile launcher exhausts in light grey for more overall contrast. The visor and the optic in the sensor turret were laid out with silver and painted with translucent green paint. Visible joint covers on the legs (hips and knees) were covered with paper tissue, drenched with thinned white glue, in order to add some volume and fill the wide gaps esp. in the knee openings, and painted black (Revell 06, RAL 7021 Tar Black) for good contrast to the dark blue hull.

 

The hull was thoroughly weathered with a heavier black ink wash and a total of three dry brushing turns: the first, generous treatment with Revell 79 (RAL 7031, a rather bluish blue-grey), followed by the second turn around the edges with Humbrol 79 (Blue Grey, quite similar to RAL 7031 but more greyish). Decals followed next, mostly taken from the OOB sheet, just with a few extra stencils, the red tactical code from a Destroid Tomahawk on the “nose”, and the "Martha Ann” nose art on the left calf (which belongs to a WWII A-26 Invader, taken from a PrintScale sheet). On top of that, a final dry-brushing turn, this time with Humbrol 157 (RAF Azure Blue), was added, before the model was sealed with acrylic matt varnish.

 

At this late stage I eventually added some fine red lines to the calves, cut from 1mm decal stripes. I found after dry-fitting the major components, that the model lacked some color contrast to the all-over blue (the lack of the red nose hood changes the Spartan’s look considerably), and I think these small red highlights help somewhat? These markings appear on the Spartan Mk. II (too), but they are not included in the OOB sheet, so that I had to improvise again.

Before final assembly, I additionally dry-brushed the lower leg and arm edges with aluminum and light grey, simulating wear from close combat. Dust on the lower hull areas was finally simulated with grey-brown mineral pigments, carefully dabbed onto the model with a dry, soft brush.

  

The result of this model conversion turned out to be a little ambiguous: creating a Mk. I Spartan is not too easy, and my built is certainly not perfect – but I think that the model conveys the general outlines well. After all, I only had limited reference material at hand, and the donor parts define to a certain degree what can be achieved. The blue livery suits the Spartan well, even though – due to the lack of the characteristic red nose hood – it looks a little dull and uniform? Nevertheless, a nice addition to my Macross mecha collection, also as a sister ship to my (authentic) Spartan Mk. II model. The Destroid family keeps growing. :D

The National History Museum (Malay: Muzium Sejarah Nasional) was the second national museum in Malaysia after the National Museum. It was located opposite Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. As of November 2007 it is closed and the entire collection has been moved to the National Museum.

 

National History Museum exhibited unique historical development of the homeland of the early days until now. There are almost a thousand gathered a collection based on its importance to the history of the country, and are classified into several categories such as: weapons, manuscripts, maps, money, seals and stone tools.

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Kuala Lumpur (/ˈkwɑːləˈlʊmpʊər/ or /-pər/; Malaysian pronunciation: [ˈkwalə ˈlumpʊr]) is the national capital and most populous global city in Malaysia. The city covers an area of 243 km2 and has an estimated population of 1.6 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, covering similar area as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.5 million people as of 2012. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in South-East Asia, in terms of population and economy.

 

Kuala Lumpur is the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia. The city was once home to the executive and judicial branches of the federal government, but they were moved to Putrajaya in early 1999. Some sections of the judiciary still remain in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The official residence of the Malaysian King, the Istana Negara, is also situated in Kuala Lumpur. Rated as an alpha world city, Kuala Lumpur is the cultural, financial and economic centre of Malaysia due to its position as the capital as well as being a key city. Kuala Lumpur was ranked 48th among global cities by Foreign Policy's 2010 Global Cities Index and was ranked 67th among global cities for economic and social innovation by the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Index in 2010.

 

Kuala Lumpur is defined within the borders of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and is one of three Malaysian Federal Territories. It is an enclave within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

 

Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Formula One Grand Prix. In addition, Kuala Lumpur is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysia's futuristic development.

 

In May 2015, Kuala Lumpur was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Vigan City, Doha, Durban, Havana, Beirut, and La Paz.

 

HISTORY

Kuala Lumpur means "muddy confluence", although it is also possible that the name is a corrupted form of an earlier but now unidentifiable forgotten name. It was originally a small settlement of just a few houses at the confluence of Sungai Gombak (previously known as Sungai Lumpur) and Sungai Klang (Klang River). The town of Kuala Lumpur was established circa 1857, when the Malay Chief of Klang, Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar, aided by his brother Raja Juma'at of Lukut, raised funds to hire some Chinese miners from Lukut to open new tin mines here. The miners landed at Kuala Lumpur and continued their journey on foot to Ampang where the first mine was opened. Kuala Lumpur was the furthest point up the Klang River to which supplies could conveniently be brought by boat; it therefore became a collection and dispersal point serving the tin mines. The identity of the founder of Kuala Lumpur has however not been confirmed: Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar and his role in founding the city do not appear in the earliest account of the history of Selangor. On the other hand, the Sumatrans Abdullah Hukum and Sutan Puasa, arrived in Kuala Lumpur at least in 1850. Raja Abdullah only came around 1857 and Yap Ah Loy, also regarded as the founding father of Kuala Lumpur, arrived in 1862. In addition, the Chinese men employed under Raja Abdullah worked in Ampang, 64 kilometres away from the main land. Meanwhile, efficient drainage and irrigation systems (bondar saba) were introduced in Kuala Lumpur by the technologically advanced Mandailing, improving the mining industry.

 

In the early history of Kuala Lumpur, the Minangkabaus of Sumatra were considered to be one of the most important groups of people who involved in trading. Utsman bin Abdullah and Haji Mohamed Taib were influenced tycoon in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding area. Haji Taib, one of the wealthiest figure at that time, was an important person in the early development centre of city: Kampung Baru. Beside as merchants, the Minangkabaus also overwhelmingly on socio-religious figures, such as Utsman bin Abdullah was the first kadi of Kuala Lumpur as well as Muhammad Nur bin Ismail.

 

Although the early miners suffered a high death toll due to the malarial conditions of the jungle, the Ampang mines were successful, and the first tin was exported in 1859. The tin-mining spurred the growth of the town, and miners later also settled in Pudu and Batu. The miners formed gangs among themselves; there were the Hakka-dominated Hai San in Kuala Lumpur, and the Cantonese-dominated Ghee Hin based in Kanching in Ulu Selangor. These two gangs frequently fought to gain control of best tin mines. The leaders of the Chinese community were conferred the title of Kapitan Cina (Chinese headman) by the Malay chief, and Hiu Siew, the owner of a mine in Lukut, was chosen as the first Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur. As one of the first traders to arrive in Ampang (along with Yap Ah Sze), he sold provisions to the miners in exchange for tin.

 

In 1868, Yap Ah Loy was appointed the third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur. Yap, together with Frank Swettenham, were the two most important figures in the development of Kuala Lumpur in the early days of Kuala Lumpur. In 1880, the state capital of Selangor was moved from Klang to the more strategically advantageous Kuala Lumpur by the colonial administration, and Swettenham was appointed the Resident in 1882. Kuala Lumpur was a small town with buildings made of wood and atap (thatching) that were prone to burn. It suffered from many problems, including the Selangor Civil War which devastated the town; it was also plagued by diseases and constant fires and floods. The war and other setbacks led to a slump which lasted until 1879, when a rise in the price of tin allowed the town to recover.

 

In 1881, a flood swept through the town, following a fire that had engulfed it earlier. As a response, Frank Swettenham, the British Resident of Selangor, required that buildings be constructed of brick and tile.[33] Hence, Kapitan Yap Ah Loy bought a sprawling piece of real estate to set up a brick industry, which spurred the rebuilding of Kuala Lumpur. This place is the eponymous Brickfields. Hence, destroyed atap buildings were replaced with brick and tiled ones. He restructured the building layout of the city. Many of the new brick buildings mirrored those of shop houses in southern China, characterised by "five foot ways" as well as skilled Chinese carpentry work. This resulted in a distinct eclectic shop house architecture typical to this region. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy expand road access in the city significantly, linking up tin mines with the city, these roads include the main arterial roads of the present Ampang Road, Pudu Road and Petaling Street. As Chinese Kapitan, he was vested with wide powers on par with Malay community leaders. He implemented law reforms and introduced new legal measures. He also presided over a small claims court. With a police force of six, he was able to uphold the rule of law. He built a prison that could accommodate 60 prisoners at any time. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy also built Kuala Lumpur's first school and a major tapioca mill in Petaling Street of which the Selangor's Sultan Abdul Samad had an interest.

 

A railway line between Kuala Lumpur and Klang, initiated by Swettenham and completed in 1886, increased accessibility which resulted in the rapid growth of the town. The population grew from 4,500 in 1884 to 20,000 in 1890. As development intensified in the 1880s, it also put pressure on sanitation, waste disposal and other health issues. A Sanitary Board was created on 14 May 1890 which was responsible for sanitation, upkeep of roads, lighting of street and other functions. This would eventually became the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council. Kuala Lumpur was only 0.65 km2 in 1895, but it expanded to 20 km2 in 1903, and by the time it became a municipality in 1948 it had expanded to 93 km2, and then to 243 km2 in 1974 as a Federal Territory. In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States. A mixture of different communities settled in various sections of Kuala Lumpur. The Chinese mainly settled around the commercial centre of Market Square, east of the Klang River, and towards Chinatown. The Malays, Indian Chettiars, and Indian Muslims resided along Java Street (now Jalan Tun Perak). The Padang, now known as Merdeka Square, was the centre of the British administrative offices.

 

During World War II, Kuala Lumpur was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army on 11 January 1942. They occupied the city until 15 August 1945, when the commander in chief of the Japanese Seventh Area Army in Singapore and Malaysia, Seishirō Itagaki, surrendered to the British administration following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kuala Lumpur grew through the war, the rubber and tin commodity crashes and the Malayan Emergency, during which Malaya was preoccupied with the communist insurgency. In 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained its independence from British rule. Kuala Lumpur remained the capital through the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.

 

On 13 May 1969, the worst race riots on record in Malaysia took place in Kuala Lumpur. The so-called 13 May Incident refers to the occurrence of violence between members of the Malay and the Chinese communities. The violence was the result of Malaysian Malays being dissatisfied with their socio-political status. The riots resulted in the deaths of 196 people, and led to major changes in the country's economic policy to promote and prioritise Malay economic development over that of the other ethnicities.

 

Kuala Lumpur later achieved city status in 1972, becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. Later, on 1 February 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a Federal Territory. Kuala Lumpur ceased to be the capital of Selangor in 1978 after the city of Shah Alam was declared the new state capital. On 14 May 1990, Kuala Lumpur celebrated 100 years of local council. The new federal territory Kuala Lumpur flag and anthem were introduced. On 1 February 2001, Putrajaya was declared a Federal Territory, as well as the seat of the federal government. The administrative and judicial functions of the government were shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya. Kuala Lumpur however still retained its legislative function, and remained the home of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Constitutional King).

 

GEOGRAPHY

The geography of Kuala Lumpur is characterised by the huge Klang Valley. The valley is bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east, several minor ranges in the north and the south and the Strait of Malacca in the west. Kuala Lumpur is a Malay term that translates to "muddy confluence" as it is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.

 

Located in the centre of Selangor state, Kuala Lumpur was previously under the rule of Selangor State Government. In 1974, Kuala Lumpur was separated from Selangor to form the first Federal Territory governed directly by the Malaysian Federal Government. Its location on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, which has wider flat land than the east coast, has contributed to its faster development relative to other cities in Malaysia. The municipality of the city covers an area of 243 km2, with an average elevation of 21.95 m.

 

CLOMATE AND WEATHER

Protected by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east and Indonesia's Sumatra Island in the west, Kuala Lumpur has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), which is warm and sunny, along with abundant rainfall, especially during the northeast monsoon season from October to March. Temperatures tend to remain constant. Maximums hover between 32 and 33 °C and have never exceeded 38.5 °C, while minimums hover between 23.4 and 24.6 °C and have never fallen below 14.4 °C. Kuala Lumpur typically receives minimum 2,600 mm of rain annually; June and July are relatively dry, but even then rainfall typically exceeds 131 millimetres per month.

 

Flooding is a frequent occurrence in Kuala Lumpur whenever there is a heavy downpour, especially in the city centre and downstream areas. Smoke from forest fires of nearby Sumatra sometimes cast a haze over the region. It is a major source of pollution in the city together with open burning, emission from motor vehicles and construction work.

 

POLITICS

Kuala Lumpur is home to the Parliament of Malaysia. The hierarchy of authority in Malaysia, in accordance with the Federal Constitution, has stipulated the three branches, of the Malaysian government as consisting of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislative branches. The Parliament consists of the Dewan Negara (Upper House / House of Senate) and Dewan Rakyat (Lower House / House of Representatives).

 

ECONOMY

Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding urban areas form the most industrialised and economically, the fastest growing region in Malaysia. Despite the relocation of federal government administration to Putrajaya, certain government institutions such as Bank Negara Malaysia (National Bank of Malaysia), Companies Commission of Malaysia and Securities Commission as well as most embassies and diplomatic missions have remained in the city.

 

The city remains as the economic and business centre of the country. Kuala Lumpur is a centre for finance, insurance, real estate, media and the arts of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is rated as an alpha world city, and is the only global city in Malaysia, according to the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC). The infrastructure development in the surrounding areas such as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Sepang, the creation of the Multimedia Super Corridor and the expansion of Port Klang further reinforce the economic significance of the city.

 

Bursa Malaysia or the Malaysia Exchange is based in the city and forms one of its core economic activities. As of 5 July 2013, the market capitalisation stood at US$505.67 billion.

 

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Kuala Lumpur is estimated at RM73,536 million in 2008 with an average annual growth rate of 5.9 percent.[66] The per capita GDP for Kuala Lumpur in 2013 is RM79,752 with an average annual growth rate of 5.6 percent. The total employment in Kuala Lumpur is estimated at around 838,400. The service sector comprising finance, insurance, real estate, business services, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotels, transport, storage and communication, utilities, personal services and government services form the largest component of employment representing about 83.0 percent of the total. The remaining 17 percent comes from manufacturing and construction.

 

The average monthly household income for Kuala Lumpur was RM4,105 (USD 1,324) in 1999, up from RM3,371 (USD 1,087) four years prior, making it 66% higher than the national average. In terms of household income distribution, 23.5% of households in the city earned more than RM5,000 (USD 1,613) per month compared to 9.8% for the entire country, while 8.1% earned less than RM1,000 (USD 323) a month.

 

The large service sector is evident in the number of local and foreign banks and insurance companies operating in the city. Kuala Lumpur is poised to become the global Islamic Financing hub with an increasing number of financial institutions providing Islamic Financing and the strong presence of Gulf's financial institutions such as the world's largest Islamic bank, Al-Rajhi Bank and Kuwait Finance House. Apart from that, the Dow Jones & Company is keen to work with Bursa Malaysia to set up Islamic Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs), which would help raise Malaysia's profile in the Gulf. The city has a large number of foreign corporations and is also host to many multi national companies' regional offices or support centres, particularly for finance and accounting, and information technology functions. Most of the countries' largest companies have their headquarters based here and as of December 2007 and excluding Petronas, there are 14 companies that are listed in Forbes 2000 based in Kuala Lumpur.

 

Other important economic activities in the city are education and health services. Kuala Lumpur also has advantages stemming from the high concentration of educational institutions that provide a wide-ranging of courses. Numerous public and private medical specialist centres and hospitals in the city offer general health services, and a wide range of specialist surgery and treatment that caters to locals and tourists.

 

There has been growing emphasis to expand the economic scope of the city into other service activities, such as research and development, which supports the rest of the economy of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has been home for years to important research centres such as the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia and the Institute of Medical Research and more research centres are expected to be established in the coming years.

 

DEMOGRAPHICS

Kuala Lumpur is the most populous city in Malaysia, with a population of 1.6 million in the city proper as of 2010. It has a population density of 6,696 inhabitants per square kilometre , and is the most densely populated administrative district in Malaysia. Residents of the city are colloquially known as KLites. Kuala Lumpur is also the centre of the wider Klang Valley conurbation (covering Petaling Jaya, Klang, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Gombak and others) which has an estimated metropolitan population of 7.2–7.5 million as of 2012.

 

Kuala Lumpur's heterogeneous populace includes the country's three major ethnic groups: the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians, although the city also has a mix of different cultures including Eurasians, as well as Kadazans, Ibans and other indigenous races from East Malaysia and Peninsula Malaysia.

 

Historically Kuala Lumpur was a predominantly Chinese, but recently the Bumiputra component of the city has increased substantially and they are now the dominant group. Most of Malays who considered as Bumiputra came from Sumatra and other parts of Indonesia archipelago. The majority of them Javanese, Minangkabaus and Buginese began arriving in Kuala Lumpur in the mid 19th century, in addition to Acehnese who arrived in the late 20th century. The population of Kuala Lumpur was estimated to be around three thousand in 1880 when it was made the capital of Selangor. In the following decade which saw the rebuilding of the town it showed considerable increase, due in large part to the construction of a railway line in 1886 connecting Kuala Lumpur and Klang.

 

A census in 1891 of uncertain accuracy gave a figure of 43,796 inhabitants, 79% of whom were Chinese (71% of the Chinese were Hakka), 14% Malay, and 6% Indian. Another estimate put the population of Kuala Lumpur in 1890 at 20,000. In 1931, 61% of Kuala Lumpur's 111,418 inhabitants were Chinese, and in 1947 63.5%. The Malays however began to settle in the Kuala Lumpur in significant numbers, in part due to government employment, as well as the expansion of the city that absorbed the surrounding rural areas where many Malays lived. between 1947 and 1957 the population of Bumiputras in Kuala Lumpur doubled, increasing from 12.5 to 15%, while the proportion of Chinese dropped. The process continued after Malayan independence with the growth of a largely Malay civil service, and later the implementation of the New Economic Policy which encouraged Malay participation in urban industries and business. In 1980 the population of Kuala Lumpur had reached over a million, with 52% Chinese, 33% Malay, and 15% Indian. From 1980 to 2000 the number of Bumiputras increased by 77%, but the Chinese still outnumbered the Bumiputras in Kuala Lumpur in the 2000 census at 43% compared to Bumiputras at 38%. By the 2010 census, according to the Department of Statistics and excluding non-citizens, the percentage of the Bumiputera population in Kuala Lumpur has reached around 45.9%, with the Chinese population at 43.2% and Indians 10.3%.A notable phenomenon in recent times has been the increase of foreign residents in Kuala Lumpur, which rose from 1% of the city's population in 1980 to about 8% in the 2000 census, and 9.4% in the 2010 census. These figures also do not include a significant number of illegal immigrants. Kuala Lumpur's rapid development has triggered a huge influx of low-skilled foreign workers from Indonesia, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and Vietnam into Malaysia, many of whom enter the country illegally or without proper permits.Birth rates in Kuala Lumpur have declined and resulted in the lower proportion of young people falling below 15 years old category from 33% in 1980 to slightly less than 27% in 2000.[69] On the other hand, the working age group of 15–59 increased from 63% in 1980 to 67% in 2000. The elderly age group, 60 years old and above has increased from 4% in 1980 and 1991 to 6% in 2000.

 

Kuala Lumpur is pluralistic and religiously diverse. The city has many places of worship catering to the multi-religious population. Islam is practised primarily by the Malays and the Indian Muslim communities. Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are practised mainly among the Chinese. Indians traditionally adhere to Hinduism. Some Chinese and Indians also subscribe to Christianity.

 

As of 2010 Census the population of Kuala Lumpur is 46.4% Muslim, 35.7% Buddhist, 8.5% Hindu, 5.8% Christian, 1.1% Taoist or Chinese religion adherent, 2.0% follower of other religions, and 0.5% non-religious.

 

Bahasa Malaysia is the principal language in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur residents are generally literate in English, with a large proportion adopting it as their first language. It has a strong presence, especially in business and is a compulsory language taught in schools. Cantonese and Mandarin are prominent as they are spoken by the local majority Chinese population. Another major dialect spoken is Hakka. While Tamil is dominant amongst the local Indian population, other Indian languages spoken include Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi and Hindi. Beside the Malay language, there are a variety of languages spoken by Indonesian descent, such as Minangkabau and Javanese.

 

EDUCATION

According to government statistics, Kuala Lumpur has a literacy rate of 97.5% in 2000, the highest rate in any state or territory in Malaysia. In Malaysia, Malay is the language of instruction for most subjects while English is a compulsory subject, but as of 2012, English is still the language of instruction for mathematics and the natural sciences for certain schools. Some schools provide Mandarin and Tamil as languages of instruction for certain subjects. Each level of education demands different skills of teaching and learning ability.Kuala Lumpur contains 13 tertiary education institutions, 79 high schools, 155 elementary schools and 136 kindergartens.

 

WIKIPEDIA

This statue by Henry Baerer (1837–1908) honors Brooklynite and Civil War hero Brigadier General Edward Fowler (1828–1896).

 

Fowler was born in Manhattan, and his family moved to Brooklyn when he was still an infant. He studied to be an accountant at Brooklyn Gaslight before a youthful military career; by 18 he was a first sergeant. In 1847, Fowler - then a lieutenant - began a long association with the 14th Regiment of the New York State National Guard. The regiment was largely comprised of Brooklyn tradesmen, businessmen or members of the Brooklyn Fifth Fire Brigade. In 1852, then-Lieutenant Colonel Fowler married Annie Cook at the Methodist church on Hanson Place, Fort Greene; they would have three children - Sara Emma (1853), Robert (1854) and William (1869).

 

At the outbreak of the Civil War, the 14th Regiment was under Fowler’s command and stationed in Fort Greene Park. Two months later, Fowler’s regiment was engaged in combat at the Bull Run in Virginia. Their ferocity in battle, coupled with their distinctive bright red breeches, earned them the name, the “Red-Legged Devils.” The regiment was well-regarded for its spirit and camaraderie, and was fiercely loyal to Fowler, affectionately known as “Ned.” They subsequently fought at the Battle of Manassas, also called Second Bull Run, on August 30, 1862, and there the regiment was nearly destroyed, losing 860 of its 960 members. Fowler survived, though he was hospitalized with “a lot of lead” in his thigh from skirmishes at Groveton. While convalescing at Alexandria, he was promoted to full Colonel and named commandant of the military hospital. Poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892), was sending dispatches from Washington to the Brooklyn Eagle at the time, and mentioned Fowler in the descriptions of his encounters with wounded Brooklyn men.

 

Fowler returned to the field in January 1863, and the Union forces were in disarray. In early July 1863, the Red-Legged Devils were involved in the horrific Battle of Gettysburg. Though suffering great losses, their participation with the First Army Corps helped the Union troops stand their ground against overwhelming odds on the first day of battle. Fowler’s regiment went on to distinguish itself at the Battle of Mine Run (November 1863), the Wilderness campaign, and at Spotsylvania (May 1864). A monument to the 14th Regiment was erected at Culp’s Hill at Gettysburg, and the inscription recounts 22 military engagements. When the regiment was mustered out of active duty, Fowler was brevetted a Brigadier General on June 6, 1864.

 

Returning to Brooklyn, Fowler resided first at 208 and then 178 Fort Greene Place (later razed for the Atlantic Terminal). Retaining an affiliation with the 14th Regiment for two more years, he worked as an officer of the Long Island Savings Bank, treasurer of Atlantic & Pacific Company, and auditor of Commercial Cable Company. Fowler also served as chief clerk of the Brooklyn Board of Audit, and was a member of the Kings County 11th Ward Board of Supervisors.

 

Fowler died at his 47 Brevoort Place home on January 16, 1896. His body lay in state at Brooklyn Borough Hall, and he was buried in full regalia at Greenwood Cemetery. On May 18, 1902, the City of Brooklyn dedicated the sculpture of Fowler in Fort Greene Park. Positioned on a cylindrical granite pedestal, the statue depicts the general in military garb, cap in his left hand and sword in his right.

 

Sculptor Henry Baerer was born in Kirscheim, Germany, and came to the United States in 1854. He was especially well-known as a portrait sculptor, and contributed six sculptures to the parks of New York City, including statues of composer Ludwig van Beethoven in Prospect and Central Parks, General Gouveneur Kemble Warren in Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, and a bust of industrialist Conrad Poppenhusen in College Point, Queens.

 

Over time, this monument suffered environmental corrosion and vandalism, and by the 1960s was stored for protection. In 1976, it was reinstalled at its present location at Fowler Gore (formerly Lafayette Square). Plans are underway to conserve the sculpture, and replicate missing decorative and dedicatory bronze elements through a City-funded capital project. The Fort Greene Association has raised additional funds for ongoing care of the statue. As an unidentified author commented in the Brooklyn Eagle in 1902, “Dear old ‘Ned,’ when in the flesh, would have been embarrassed could prophetic eyes have realized the imperishable bronze, but his heart would have been gladdened by a practical recognition of his services also.”

 

Fort Greene Historic District (Boundary Increase) National Register #84002451 (1984)

FAO is supporting the countries of the Dry Corridor in Central America to increase the resilience of households, communities and institutions to prevent and address disaster risks that affect agriculture and food and nutrition security in a timely and efficient manner.

 

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