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The 500-seat bouleuterion or council chamber, one of the best-preserved parliamentary chambers from antiquity.
As in any Greek city, the agora was Priene’s commercial and political centre, and it is one of the most instructive examples of its kind
Priene, ancient city of Ionia about 6 miles (10 km) north of the Menderes (Maeander) River and 10 miles (16 km) inland from the Aegean Sea, in southwestern Turkey. Its well-preserved remains are a major source of information about ancient Greek town.
By the 8th century bc Priene was a member of the Ionian League, whose central shrine, the Panionion, lay within the city’s territory. Priene was sacked by Ardys of Lydia in the 7th century bc but regained its prosperity in the 8th. Captured by the generals of the Persian king Cyrus (c. 540), the city took part in several revolts against the Persians (499–494). Priene originally lay along the Maeander River’s mouth, but about 350 bc the citizens built a new city farther inland, on the present site. The new city’s main temple, of Athena Polias, was dedicated by Alexander the Great in 334. The little city grew slowly over the next two centuries and led a quiet existence; it prospered under the Romans and Byzantines but gradually declined, and after passing into Turkish hands in the 13th century ad, it was abandoned. Excavations of the site, which is occupied by the modern town of Samsun Kale, began in the 19th century.
Modern excavations have revealed one of the most beautiful examples of Greek town planning. The city’s remains lie on successive terraces that rise from a plain to a steep hill upon which stands the Temple of Athena Polias. Built by Pythius, probable architect of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the temple was recognized in ancient times as the classic example of the pure Ionic style. Priene is laid out on a grid plan, with 6 main streets running east-west and 15 streets crossing at right angles, all being evenly spaced. The town was thereby divided into about 80 blocks, or insulae, each averaging 150 by 110 feet (46 by 34 m). About 50 insulae are devoted to private houses; the better-class insulae had four houses apiece, but most were far more subdivided. In the centre of the town stand not only the Temple of Athena but an agora, a stoa, an assembly hall, and a theatre with well-preserved stage buildings. A gymnasium and stadium are in the lowest section. The private houses typically consisted of a rectangular courtyard enclosed by living quarters and storerooms and opening to the south onto the street by way of a small vestibule. planning.
www.britannica.com/place/Priene
T e m p l e o f A t h e n a P o l i a s
a t P r i e n e - The Temple of Athena
www.goddess-athena.org/Museum/Temples/Priene/index.htm
The Sanctuary of Athena Polias at Priene
The Temple of Athena
This Temple, located on the culminating point of the city, rose over a wide terrace of rocks and the defense walls, and was the oldest, the most important, the largest and the must magnificent building in Priene. It was oriented on an east-west axis in conformity with the city plan and faced east.
Map of Priene, the Acropolis, the Temples and the village.
It is believed that the construction of the Temple was begun at the same time as the founding of Priene (4th century BCE). The architect of the building was Pythius, who also constructed the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, counted as one of the seven wonders of the world. The Temple is accepted as being a classical example of the Anatolian-Ionian architectural style.
The building was destroyed completely in an earthquake in ancient times and the pieces were scattered over a large area. It also suffered great destruction in a later fire. However, the construction of the plan and the reconstruction of the building have been possible through the fragments found in the excavations.
Large-grained grey-blue local marble brought from Mycale was used as construction material.
The Temple, constructed in the Ionic style, consists of a pronaos (an entrance-hall), a naos (the sacred chamber where the statue of the cult was kept) and an opisthodomus (a porch at the rear). The pronaos is larger than in earlier examples. There was no opisthodomus in previous Temples; it is first seen here. Pythius has taken this characteristic from the Doric style and applied it to his plan, and has thus set a model for later Temples. The building, a combination of the Ionic and Doric architectural styles, emerges as a different architectural example.
When in Atlantic City - Visit The Peanut Store
Home of Mr. Peanut
Where world - famous Planters Peanuts are sold. See Planters Peanuts roasted right before your eyes and mail them to your friends back home. See the beautiful and instructive scenes which show the progress of Planters Peanuts from the time they are planted until they reach you at your favorite store.
Some photos from our weekend trip away, just the two of us ie without children, to Cirencester. Which we loved.
I think we did the most we have ever done in one day, on Saturday
Walked to Cirencester from our hotel in the morning, exploring various footpaths on the way.
Walked round farmers market and craft market, went to tourist information, bought some swimming costumes.
Went in car to Uley and went for walk up to hill fort (very steep)
went for pub lunch, had some lovely beer too
Went back to Cirencester and had coffee and cake
Went swimming to open air pool, it had just opened that day, and was not quite up to temperature. the people there were lovely and friendly
Went back into Cirencester to walk around Abbey gardens
Drove to Malmesbury and walked around there, and had something to eat
Went back and had drink in bar
Watched Friends and Casualty
I cannot think of another day when I have done so much, so much walking, and everything else. Time was definitely stretched that day.
Basicaly our weekend could be summed up, walk, pub, cafe.
there was a person at this pool who got his camera out and started taking photos of people and children, it was very instructive seeing him work - I admired his confidence and way of working, getting the children to jump in so he could take action shots. I was glad to see he took a photo of an older woman swimming too.
One of the most difficult and instructive photos i've taken, for obvious reasons and many others. It continues to ask me some tough questions about both photography and the world.
I was in Kenya visiting a friend working for Expanding Opportunities, a very small NGO seeking sustainable solutions to some of Kenya's most pressing problems. The flagship project is the Joseph Waweru Home School for Boys, a small farm run by a Kenyan pastor and his wife that provides shelter, food, schooling, and guidance to street boys like this one. The healthy, smiling, rapping, jumping boys in my Kenya set are nearly all former glue-sniffing street orphans, now all enrolled in school and trade programs. Their resilience, energy, and good nature--in spite of the shitty hand they've been dealt--astounded me. These boys were my teachers. 237_3721
(the most interesting "glue-sniffing" image on FLICKR. SUPPORT AFRICAN DEBT RELIEF AND FAIR TRADE PRACTICES.)
John Dowie
Object Book :
Guillaume Capus
L'Oeuf De Poule
Paréiasaure Editions
1885
Box including sandpaper sleeve book
+ embossed fried egg
+ egg timer
Scientific & Instructive Reading
CD :
Machinefabriek
Attention The Doors Are Closing
MF
2014
Music by Rutger Zuydervelt
iTunes :
Autechre
Eggshell
Warp
WARP17
Fried EGGMA ...
Distant Record Shot
For those that don't get to see this species often , it can be helpful & instructive to see how they feed and move about
2
Marbled Godwit MAGO (Limosa fedoa)
Witty's Lagoon
Metchosin BC
DSCN8768
Also
2 Long-billed Dowitcher LBDO (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
& a
Short-billed Gull SBIG* (Larus brachyrhynchus)
Nice to see these 2 as i walked in .
Turns out that (unbeknownst to me) the Prestons had found them earlier in the day.
Always a good bird to see Greater Victoria
Victoria Golf Course would seem to be the most dependable to have one come through in the spring
Esquimalt Lagoon would be the next favourable spot , and even moreso in the Fall.
Anywhere else in the Capital Region would usually be a notable record with years and even decades between occurrences at most other locations
Our place around the decision makers table is critical for the proper representation of women at work. Many times the light is in us and not in a specific position or workplace. A structured career path is important for smart management in the new world of work. A world of uncertainty and constant renewal that requires innovation.
The hands of women hold the power to change reality, reaching out to every woman wherever she is, we need to choose the right path for us and make sure to embark on this journey strong and determined.
Equality and adequate representation in the work world is possible, rewarding, and is worth fighting for. This book is an invitation to a journey through authentic life stories of 111 women in the Israeli society who have not given up, fell and rose up over and over again. They made their voices heard, progressed and made a personal breakthrough.
The writing in the book is about real life and career. A Women and Career Book -A Leading Influential Presence A fascinating, instructive and transformative journey which transforms business discourse about leadership.
Book Publishing – Kinneret Zmora-Dvir Publisher Ltd.
More about the book and me.
Vista posterior de la Kodak Nr. 2 Brownie, amb la tapa oberta. Els models inicials de cartró, com aquesta "model D", tenien una segona tapa, que és on es troba aquesta inscripció sobre el model i el seu funcionament.
La Kodak Brownie fou durant décades la camara amateur més popular del món. Es tracta d'una humil capsa amb una lent i obturador els més senzills possibles. Els materials primer foren cartró i fusta i a partir dels anys 30, alumini i baquelita. De fet les Brownie començaren a produir-se cap al 1900 i en la forma bàsica de caixa continuaren fins els anys 60!!
Aquesta és una de les càmeres més antigues que tinc, i funciona! És una Nr. 2 Brownie model D del 1914-15 i per tant algunes d'elles potser arribaren a les trinxeres de la Primera Guerra Mundial. El més bo de tot és que excepte la lent i uns pocs elements metal·lics, tota la estructura és de cartró i fusta.
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_Brownie
Aquí teniu el model en concret (en anglès):
www.brownie.camera/no_2_brownie_model_d.htm
Un video molt il·lustratiu:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT1epnCyg78&t=187s
==============================================
Rear view of the Kodak Nr.2 Brownie, with the back open. This early models had a second "back" with an inscription about the model and instructions.
This is my Kodak Nr. 2 Brownie model D, made in 1914-15 in the USA. It's a really humble camera, made of cartboard, wood and just a few metallic elements (and the lens). But it works, and takes 120 medium format film. In fact this format was created for this camera by Kodak back in 1900!
Kodak Brownies were the most popular entry level cameras of the early XX Century, when you could buy them for a 1$.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownie_(camera)
And here this specific model of Brownie:
www.brownie.camera/no_2_brownie_model_d.htm
A very instructive video:
Freeing God’s Slaves: The Emperor Wears No Clothes ~
“Is anything god’s work? God doesn’t do any work – he just gets his peasants to do it for him.”
- Wonder Boy, Aged 8
Humans (domesticated primates) have long been trained to worship externalised gods – a dangerous addiction humankind has carried forth from its primat-ive childhood; a merely imagined need that usually serves to only impede progressive change and unfolding evolution. Protective and instructive deities are nothing more nor less than the parent figures all children crave. All wise kids eventually learn that obeying the often arbitrary dictates of others who are actually just overblown, overgrown, adulterated children is a dumb idea.
Respect must be earned. Most elders in modern societies have far less of value to impart to subsequent generations than did their more ‘primitive’ tribal counterparts. Many older people are the same simpletons and ignoramuses they were when they were young. Those who claim to be today’s authority figures are almost all control freaks at best, and clinical psychopaths at worst. Almost all conspire to fatten themselves on poisonous excesses at the expense of the ecosystem that truly nourishes their children; mindlessly slaving away at tasks which destroy the planet and alienate them from their loved ones, with the idiot excuse that they’re ‘supporting their families’.
In the modern world ‘bosses’ are actually parasites, sucking life from the host of workers who labour under their dictates. CEOs are nothing more than common enemy overlords. The further up the ‘ladder of success’ one progresses, the more excesses and crimes of omission are committed. And everyone who toils on that ladder is equally culpable, supporting and maintaining a loathsome system with their precious time and effort.
Many ‘bosses’ earn fantastically higher wages than those who toil at much harder jobs – as intrinsically unfair, untrue and unjust as any racist dictate of classic caste or class systems. Those who crave power are those who deserve it the least. Anyone who sucks and arse-kisses their way up the totem pole is best pitied and avoided – not praised. Independent contractors and others who are their own bosses are the freest workers in the modern feudal wage slave era.
Those who remain inside institutions beyond their maturity are insecure timeservers who are happiest locked inside a comfortably familiar prison. Anyone with a PhD is automatically suspect as an institutionalised ignoramus. Most are overeducated buffoons who never realised that throwing away all the best years of their lives to conform and confirm the lies and misapprehensions of other fossilised brainwashed academics is a stupid idea. Most are just insecure kiddies afraid of stepping out into the great wide world – afraid of nature and their own unexamined nature; afraid of their own shadow.
Most people are carefully convinced by society to show more respect – and give more money – to a domesticated primate with the word ‘doctor’ (or some other aggrandising title) in front of their name than to anyone else. We’re trained to think that the work done by someone who has spent many years ‘studying’ is somehow more worthwhile – and worth more – than work that’s considered more ‘common’, such as planting and nurturing trees, growing organic food, building homes or educating young children. We’re entrained to believe that one person’s time can be worth more than another’s.
A cogent way to remove this classic conditioning can be to avoid calling anyone ‘sir’, ‘doctor’ or (heaven forfend) reverend. Such aggrandising titles are far too damaging for any egocentric wannabe leader to hear and only serve to establish subservience. If you always refer to so-called doctors as ‘docturds’, and discourage anyone from trusting the words of such moneygrubbing, authoritarian, self-inflating egotists, you can train yourself to stop supporting an intrinsically unethical system. Avoid using made-up titles entirely; why not simply call a person by their name?
Almost all docturds are only in it for the money – shamelessly rorting medical insurance systems to squeeze every drop from society. The rest is hopeful confabulation on the part of their desperate victims. In most cases, people actually heal themselves (there are exceptions – see below).
They target the most helpless and vulnerable groups of humankind above others, foisting their theoretical practices on women and children in particular. Female humans are thoroughly entrained to entrust their bodies (and minds) to paternalistic authority figures. From a very young age they’re taught to visit docturds regularly, and to trust them with every intimate detail of their lives. Women (in particular) are trained to have ‘regular tests’ for ‘abnormalities’ – tests which actually cause the very ‘abnormalities’ they purportedly search for – and to enrich the coffers of white coated professionals with ‘preventative’ and ‘elective’ surgery and toxic chemical intervention. Pap smears, mammography and the treatment of ‘abnormal’ cells produce more false positives (fake results) than accurate ones and the docturds and their pathological host of pathologists apologise all the way to the bank after each mistimed misstep and misanthropic mistake.
‘You know them by their fruits’ – and most of the fruits of ‘medical professionals’ are rotten and poisonous. More people die from medical (t)errors than from any other cause. Pill-pushing salesmen for chemical industries deserve the OPPOSITE to respect, as do ‘scientists’ who lend their time to the industrious military establishment, or to corporations of ignorant savages who randomly interfere with healthy biological processes to make money from poisoning the food chain and planetary ecosystem with pesticides or genetically modified ‘products’.
Surely we all know better than to show any respect to banksters by now. The most lame offenders of all are probably so-called ‘economists’ who peddle a pseudoscience that every taxpayer is brainwashed into believing, even though their ‘forecasts’ are even less accurate than those of the average 20th Century weatherman. So-called news reports overflow with their senseless, tedious effluvia, drowning out any meaningful news or information beneath their hazy bullshit and babble.
The biggest (and potentially most dangerous) liars of all are ‘religious’ people – conmen and women who peddle superstitious pernicious sexism, racism and utter bald faced balderdash to the most ignorant and insecure people on the planet, offering filthy lies to those suffering from the greatest terror on Earth – the fear of death; just like docturds.
Those who profit from other people’s misery deserve no respect whatsoever.
photo Motive is everything
This writer now observes the world from a remote forest, but once lived directly opposite the medical school of a major metropolitan university, with the opportunity to meet many up and coming young docturds. Whenever the chance arrived to converse with a medical student in private I asked each of them the same innocuous question; ‘Why did you decide to become a medical professional?’
Over the course of several years literally scores of these young professionals had the same opportunity to present their case. Not a single one replied; ‘Because I wanted to help the sick’ or ‘to be a healer.’ Not one claimed to have a particular interest in anatomy or biology. None even bothered to feign any real interest in medicine. Without exception their replies were almost identical; “Well, I was going to be a lawyer but my mother/father thought there’d be more money in medicine.’
When I asked if they’d taken the Hippocratic Oath (which simply requires medical practitioners to ‘do no harm’ and to help the sick and suffering regardless of payment), they all simply stared at me with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Are you really that naïve?” I never allow a docturd to come anywhere near me. I’ve set my own bones, healed internal bleeding and cancerous conditions without subjecting myself to their ignorant meddling (and am still alive and healthy as a result).
Surgeons who capably repair damaged individuals and those who genuinely care for and look after the sick and injured – like nurses – naturally deserve respect. But most docturds are self aggrandising arseholes at best, and outright dangerous nincompoops at worst. Few include things like diet and lifestyle in their diagnoses and routinely prescribe inappropriate but profitable poisons to desperate people.
Those who profit from people’s misery are nothing short of despicable.
Like many or most purveyors of ‘professionalism’ a large number cheated their way through school. They don’t deserve your trust or respect. Don’t take my word for it. Just ask virtually any nurse you happen to meet; they know what’s going on!
Those who can, do
‘Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.’ This old truism needs to be revived and spread far and wide. Very few ‘teachers’ are anything but institutionalized time servers who’ve been trained to brainwash others with gormless mind control served up as ‘education’. They have no life experience and know nothing but what they’ve been told to believe. All their textbooks were hopelessly outdated even when they were newly published.
The great technological and social advances of humankind have all been brought about by people without doctorates – in many cases without any formal ‘education’ at all. Tesla, Einstein, Edison and most celebrated creative thinkers achieved the improbable despite the ‘education’ institutions they were subjected to (and escaped while still young), not because of them.
Creative thinking suffers from regimentation. Authority poisons it. Once a child can read, write and understand basic mathematics they are capable of choosing their own path to knowledge and remain individual enough to have unique creative insights. As all teaching institutions are automatically outdated and operated by superannuated time servers, all a person can really expect to learn in ‘higher education’ institutions is conformity – and how to babble to other cocooned minds in obscurantist jargonese.
Don’t put off living your life until later! There’s no time BUT the present. What do you really want to do with your precious time? Do you really want to serve the obnoxious dweebs who are destroying the planet with their ‘efficient’ industries and ‘profitable’ pastimes? Start something new, fresh and original instead – away from their pernicious influence, where you can’t feed them with your efforts.
Around two generations ago people in advanced nations were informed that by the 21st Century they’d have to learn how to make use of their coming abundance of ‘leisure time’. Automation would ensure that fewer and fewer people would be able to ‘earn a living’ by toiling their lives away and an era of plenty and freedom was dawning. The need for anyone to work full time would soon be redundant. People were told they’d have to learn how to share the shrinking pool of jobs that remain – and to learn to share everything else as a result.
Everyone needed to learn how to best use their newfound freedoms. Guess what? It’s the 21st Century! Wake up and smell the flowers.
Me? This time of year I shovel clean dry horseshit by day to provide healthy, honest, wholesome food for myself and those around me. You can’t buy clean manure – almost all animals are filled with poisons and only the ones you feed and look after can be trusted to provide clean fertiliser. By night I shovel bullshit out of the way on the worldwideweb to make way for the growth of truth. The evolution of the internet is doing away with any need for the fossilized ivory towers of ‘education’ institutions.
Every time someone uses anything fuelled by poisonous fossil fuels – every time you turn on a light, drive in vehicle, borrow money, use anything made of plastic or almost anything created by this toxic civilisation – you are as culpable and destructive as any oil company executive or bankster. Every person who works in an office tower, factory or mine is as bad as the executive who squats atop the totem pole. Every worker who props up the totem deserves to go down in the tower along with their boss. Those who serve pain and death deserve it.
Changing the system is a good idea, in the long run. Yet in today’s world you can only do anything of real worth for yourself and your family by leaving the old workaday system behind and helping it to wither on the vine with your absence. The only real way to succeed is by abandoning the dominant paradigm and creating, living and loving a new way of life – preferably with likeminded change agents.
Turn off your TV and get rid of it (if you refuse to read much watch my Youtube channel instead)! The internet is a great alternative – if you use it for something other than supporting the system with your time and energy.
If you like to learn, become one of the New Illuminati in this new Enlightenment @ nexusilluminati.blogspot.com . Learn how to plant and nurture living things; learn about something worthwhile, such as Permaculture. Ally yourself with life through your thoughts and actions, and object out loud to slaves and bosses who want you to help them saw off the limb you’re perched on. Let them know what you really think of them!
If you want to actually save the world, join any group that’s actively stopping loggers or miners or chemical factories/farmers/poisoners or other corporate slaves from destroying the planet, and get out into the real living world, to experience its actual glorious splendour while you stop the moronic workers from filthying their own nests and yours. Stand in front of a bulldozer driver with other wise souls – and stop them in their tracks.
Above all, take time out to examine your mind and motives. Your thoughts create the world! See where your thoughts/programs/memes actually come from and decide whether you want to own them. Enjoy life (without shopping or spending money). That’s why you’re here. Don’t put it off. Do it now!
Turn on. Tune in. OPT OUT!
Time appears to flow onward…
- R. Ayana
“Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.”
- Buddhist Saying
For more by R. Ayana see nexusilluminati.blogspot.com/search/label/r.%20 ayana
There was never any doubt I would go to Rob's funeral. Rob was born just two weeks before me, and in our many meetings, we found we had so much in common.
A drive to Ipswich should be something like only two and a half hours, but with the Dartford Crossing that could balloon to four or more.
My choice was to leave early, soon after Jools left for work, or wait to near nine once rush hour was over. If I was up early, I'd leave early, I said.
Which is what happened.
So, after coffee and Jools leaving, I loaded my camera stuff in the car, not bothering to program in a destination, as I knew the route to Suffolk so well.
Checking the internet I found the M2 was closed, so that meant taking the M20, which I like as it runs beside HS2, although over the years, vegetation growth now hides most of it, and with Eurostar cutting services due to Brexit, you're lucky to see a train on the line now.
I had a phone loaded with podcasts, so time flew by, even if travelling through the endless roadworks at 50mph seemed to take forever.
Dartford was jammed. But we inched forward, until as the bridge came in sight, traffic moved smoothly, and I followed the traffic down into the east bore of the tunnel.
Another glorious morning for travel, the sun shone from a clear blue sky, even if traffic was heavy, but I had time, so not pressing on like I usually do, making the drive a pleasant one.
Up through Essex, where most other traffic turned off at Stanstead, then up to the A11 junction, with it being not yet nine, I had several hours to fill before the ceremony.
I stopped at Cambridge services for breakfast, then programmed the first church in: Gazeley, which is just in Suffolk on the border with Cambridgeshire.
I took the next junction off, took two further turnings brought be to the village, which is divided by one of the widest village streets I have ever seen.
It was five past nine: would the church be open?
I parked on the opposite side of the road, grabbed my bag and camera, limped over, passing a warden putting new notices in the parish notice board. We exchange good mornings, and I walk to the porch.
The inner door was unlocked, and the heavy door swung after turning the metal ring handle.
I had made a list of four churches from Simon's list of the top 60 Suffolk churches, picking those on or near my route to Ipswich and which piqued my interest.
Here, it was the reset mediaeval glass.
Needless to say, I had the church to myself, the centuries hanging heavy inside as sunlight flooded in filling the Chancel with warm golden light.
Windows had several devotional dials carved in the surrounding stone, and a huge and "stunningly beautiful piscina, and beside it are sedilia that end in an arm rest carved in the shape of a beast" which caught my eye.
A display in the Chancel was of the decoration of the wooden roof above where panels contained carved beats, some actual and some mythical.
I photographed them all.
I programmed in the next church, a 45 minute drive away just on the outskirts of Ipswich, or so I thought.
The A14 was plagued by roadworks, then most trunk roads and motorways are this time of year, but it was a fine summer morning, I was eating a chocolate bar as I drove, and I wasn't in a hurry.
I turned off at Claydon, and soon lost in a maze of narrow lanes, which brought be to a dog leg in the road, with St Mary nestling in a clearing.
I pulled up, got out and found the air full of birdsong, and was greeted by a friendly spaniel being taken for a walk from the hamlet which the church serves.
There was never any doubt that this would be open, so I went through the fine brick porch, pushed another heavy wooden door and entered the coolness of the church.
I decided to come here for the font, which as you can read below has quite the story: wounded by enemy action no less!
There seems to be a hagioscope (squint) in a window of the south wall, makes one think or an anchorite, but of this there is little evidence.
Samuel and Thomasina Sayer now reside high on the north wall of the Chancel, a stone skull between them, moved here too because of bomb damage in the last war.
I drove a few miles to the next church: Flowton.
Not so much a village as a house on a crossroads. And the church.
Nothing so grand as a formal board outside, just a handwritten sign say "welcome to Flowton church". Again, I had little doubt it would be open.
And it was.
The lychgate still stands, but a fence around the churchyard is good, so serves little practical purpose, other than to be there and hold the signs for the church and forthcoming services.
Inside it is simple: octagonal font with the floor being of brick, so as rustic as can be.
I did read Simon's account (below) when back outside, so went back in to record the tomb of Captain William Boggas and his family, even if part of the stone is hidden by pews now.
-------------------------------------------------
The landscape to the west of Ipswich rises to hills above the gentle valley of what will become the Belstead Brook before it empties itself into the River Orwell. The large villages of Somersham and Offton nestle below, but in the lonely lanes above are small, isolated settlements, and Flowton is one of them. I often cycle out this way from Ipswich through busy Bramford and then leave the modern world behind at Little Blakenham, up towards Nettlestead on a narrow and steep lane, down into Somersham and back up the other side to Flowton. It is unusual to pass a vehicle, or even see another human being, except in the valley bottom. In summer the only sound is of birdsong, the hedgerows alive in the deep heat. In winter the fields are dead, the crows in possession.
A hundred years ago these lanes were full of people, for in those days the villagers were enslaved to the land. But a farm that might support fifty workers then needs barely two now, and the countryside has emptied, villages reduced to half their size. Most of rural Suffolk is quieter now than at any time since before the Saxons arrived, and nature is returning to it.
In the early spring of 1644, a solemn procession came this way. The body of Captain William Boggas was brought back from the Midlands, where he had been killed in some skirmish or other, possibly in connection with the siege of Newark. The cart stumbled over the ruts and mud hollows, and it is easy to imagine the watching farmworkers pausing in a solemn gesture, standing upright for a brief moment, perhaps removing a hat, as it passed them by. But no sign of the cross, for this was Puritan Suffolk. Even the Church of England had been suppressed, and the local Priest replaced by a Minister chosen by, and possibly from within, the congregation.
William Boggas was laid to rest in the nave of the church, beside the body of his infant daughter who had died a year earlier. His heavily pregnant widow would have stood by on the cold brick floor, and the little church would have been full, for he was a landowner, and a Captain too.
The antiquarian David Davy came this way in a bad mood in May 1829, with his friend John Darby on their way to record the memorials and inscriptions of the church: ...we ascended a rather steep hill, on which we travelled thro' very indifferent roads to Flowton; here the kind of country I had anticipated for the whole of the present day's excursion was completely realised. A more flat, wet, unpleasant soil and country I have not often passed over, & we found some difficulty in getting along with safety & comfort.
But today it would be hard to arrive in Flowton in spring today and not be pleased to be there. By May, the trees in the hedgerows gather, and the early leaves send shadows dappling across the lane, for of course the roads have changed here since Darby and Davy came this way, but perhaps Flowton church hasn't much. James Bettley, revising the Buildings of England volumes for Suffolk, observed that it is a church with individuality in various details, which is about right. Much of what we see is of the early 14th Century, but there was money being spent here right on the eve of the Reformation. Peter Northeast and Simon Cotton transcribed a bequest of 1510 which pleasingly tells us the medieval dedication of the church, for Alice Plome asked that my body to be buried in the churchyard of the nativitie of our lady in fflowton. The same year, John Rever left a noble to painting the candlebeam, which is to say the beam which ran across the top of the rood loft and screen on which candles were placed. This is interesting because, as James Bettley points out, the large early 16th Century window on the south side of the nave was clearly intended to light the rood, and so was probably part of the same campaign. The candlebeam has not survived, and nor has any part of the rood screen. In 1526 John Rever (perhaps the son of the earlier man of the same name) left two nobles toward the making of a new rouff in the said church of ffloweton. The idiosyncratic tower top came in the 18th Century, and the weather vane with its elephants is of the early 21st Century, remembering a travelling circus that used to overwinter in the fields nearby.
The west face of the tower still has its niches, which once contained the images of the saints who watched over the travellers passing by. Another thing curious about the tower is that it has no west doorway. Instead, the doorway is set into the south side of the tower. There must be a reason for this, for it exists nowhere else in Suffolk. Perhaps there was once another building to the west of the tower. Several churches in this area have towers to the south of their naves, and the entrance through a south doorway into a porch formed beneath the tower, but it is hard to see how that could have been the intention here.
The Victorians were kind to Flowton church. It has a delicious atmosphere, that of an archetypal English country church. The narrow green sleeve of the graveyard enfolds it, leading eastwards to a moat-like ditch. The south porch is simple, and you step through it into a sweetly ancient space. The brick floor is uneven but lovely, lending an organic quality to the font, a Purbeck marble survival of the late 13th Century which seems to grow out of it. The bricks spread eastwards, past Munro Cautley's pulpit of the 1920s, and up beyond the chancel arch into the chancel itself. On the south side of the sanctuary the piscina that formerly served the altar here still retains its original wooden credence shelf. On the opposite wall is a corbel of what is perhaps a green man, or merely a madly grinning devil.
But to reach all these you must step across the ledger stone of Captain William Boggas, a pool of dark slate in the soft sea of bricks. It reads Here lyes waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ the body of William Boggas gent, deere to his Countrey, by whoes free choyce he was called to be Captayne of their vountaries raysed for their defence: pious towards God, meeke & juste towards men & being about 40 yeeres of age departed this life March 18: 1643. To the north of it lie two smaller ledgers, the easterly one to his young daughter, which records the date of her birth and her death in the next ensuing month. To the west of that is one to William, his son, who was born on April 11th 1644.
At first sight it might seem odd that his son could have been born in April 1644 if William senior had died in March 1643, but in those days of course the New Year was counted not from January 1st, but from March 25th, a quarter day usually referred to as Lady Day, in an echoing memory of the pre-Reformation Feast of the Annunciation. So William Boggas died one month before his son was born, not thirteen. It would be nice to think that William Junior would have led a similarly exciting and possibly even longer life than his father. But this was not to be, for he died at the age of just two years old in 1645. As he was given his father's name, we may assume that he was his father's first and only son.
A further point of interest is that both Williams' stones have space ready for further names. But there are none. There would be no more children for him, for how could there be? But William's wife does not appear to be buried or even remembered here. Did she move away? Did she marry again, and does she lie in some other similarly remote English graveyard? Actually, it is possible that she doesn't. Boggas's wife was probably Flowton girl Mary Branston, and she had been married before, to Robert Woodward of Dedham in Essex. Between the time of William Boggas's death in 1644 and the 1647 accounting of the Colony, Mary's daughter and nephews by her first marriage had been transported to the Virginia Colony in the modern United States. Is it possible that Mary went to join them?
And finally, one last visitor. Four months after the birth of the younger William, when the cement on his father's ledger stone was barely dry, the Puritan iconoclast William Dowsing visited this remote place. It was 22 August 1644. The day had been a busy one for Dowsing, for Flowton was one of seven churches he visited that day, and he would likely have already known them well, because he had a house at nearby Baylham. There was little for him to take issue with apart from the piscina in the chancel which was probably filled in and then restored by the Victorians two hundred years later.
Dowsing had arrived here in the late afternoon on what was probably a fine summer's day, since the travelling was so easy. I imagined the graveyard that day, full of dense greenery. He came on horseback, and he was not alone.With him came, as an assistant, a man called Jacob Caley. Caley, a Portman of Ipswich, was well-known to the people of Flowton. He was the government's official collector of taxes for this part of Suffolk. Probably, he was not a popular man. What the villagers couldn't know was that Caley was actually hiding away a goodly proportion of the money he collected. In 1662, two years after the Commonwealth ended, he was found guilty of the theft of three thousand pounds, about a million pounds in today's money. He had collected one hundred and eighteen pounds of this from the people of Flowton alone, and the late John Blatchly writing in Trevor Cooper's edition of the Dowsing Journals thought that the amount he was found guilty of stealing was probably understated, although of course we will never know.
I revisit this church every few months, and it always feels welcoming and well cared for, with fresh flowers on display, tidy ranks of books for sale, and a feeling that there is always someone popping in, every day. The signs by the lychgate say Welcome to Flowton Church, and on my most recent visit in November 2021 a car stopped behind me while I was taking a photograph of the elephants at the top of the tower. "Do go inside, the church is open", the driver urged cheerily, "we've even got a toilet!" As with Nettlestead across the valley, the church tried to stay open throughout the Church of England's Covid panic of 2020 and 2021, whatever much of the rest of the Church might have been doing. And there was no absurd cordoning off of areas or imposition of the one-way systems beloved by busybodies in many other English churches. Instead, a simple reminder to ask you to be careful, and when I came this way in the late summer of 2020 there were, at the back of the church, tall vases of rosemary, myrtle, thyme and other fragrant herbs. Beside them was a notice, which read Covid-19 causes anosmia (losing sense of smell). Here are some herbs to smell! which I thought was not only useful and instructive, but rather lovely.
Simon Knott, November 2021
There was never any doubt I would go to Rob's funeral. Rob was born just two weeks before me, and in our many meetings, we found we had so much in common.
A drive to Ipswich should be something like only two and a half hours, but with the Dartford Crossing that could balloon to four or more.
My choice was to leave early, soon after Jools left for work, or wait to near nine once rush hour was over. If I was up early, I'd leave early, I said.
Which is what happened.
So, after coffee and Jools leaving, I loaded my camera stuff in the car, not bothering to program in a destination, as I knew the route to Suffolk so well.
Checking the internet I found the M2 was closed, so that meant taking the M20, which I like as it runs beside HS2, although over the years, vegetation growth now hides most of it, and with Eurostar cutting services due to Brexit, you're lucky to see a train on the line now.
I had a phone loaded with podcasts, so time flew by, even if travelling through the endless roadworks at 50mph seemed to take forever.
Dartford was jammed. But we inched forward, until as the bridge came in sight, traffic moved smoothly, and I followed the traffic down into the east bore of the tunnel.
Another glorious morning for travel, the sun shone from a clear blue sky, even if traffic was heavy, but I had time, so not pressing on like I usually do, making the drive a pleasant one.
Up through Essex, where most other traffic turned off at Stanstead, then up to the A11 junction, with it being not yet nine, I had several hours to fill before the ceremony.
I stopped at Cambridge services for breakfast, then programmed the first church in: Gazeley, which is just in Suffolk on the border with Cambridgeshire.
I took the next junction off, took two further turnings brought be to the village, which is divided by one of the widest village streets I have ever seen.
It was five past nine: would the church be open?
I parked on the opposite side of the road, grabbed my bag and camera, limped over, passing a warden putting new notices in the parish notice board. We exchange good mornings, and I walk to the porch.
The inner door was unlocked, and the heavy door swung after turning the metal ring handle.
I had made a list of four churches from Simon's list of the top 60 Suffolk churches, picking those on or near my route to Ipswich and which piqued my interest.
Here, it was the reset mediaeval glass.
Needless to say, I had the church to myself, the centuries hanging heavy inside as sunlight flooded in filling the Chancel with warm golden light.
Windows had several devotional dials carved in the surrounding stone, and a huge and "stunningly beautiful piscina, and beside it are sedilia that end in an arm rest carved in the shape of a beast" which caught my eye.
A display in the Chancel was of the decoration of the wooden roof above where panels contained carved beats, some actual and some mythical.
I photographed them all.
I programmed in the next church, a 45 minute drive away just on the outskirts of Ipswich, or so I thought.
The A14 was plagued by roadworks, then most trunk roads and motorways are this time of year, but it was a fine summer morning, I was eating a chocolate bar as I drove, and I wasn't in a hurry.
I turned off at Claydon, and soon lost in a maze of narrow lanes, which brought be to a dog leg in the road, with St Mary nestling in a clearing.
I pulled up, got out and found the air full of birdsong, and was greeted by a friendly spaniel being taken for a walk from the hamlet which the church serves.
There was never any doubt that this would be open, so I went through the fine brick porch, pushed another heavy wooden door and entered the coolness of the church.
I decided to come here for the font, which as you can read below has quite the story: wounded by enemy action no less!
There seems to be a hagioscope (squint) in a window of the south wall, makes one think or an anchorite, but of this there is little evidence.
Samuel and Thomasina Sayer now reside high on the north wall of the Chancel, a stone skull between them, moved here too because of bomb damage in the last war.
I drove a few miles to the next church: Flowton.
Not so much a village as a house on a crossroads. And the church.
Nothing so grand as a formal board outside, just a handwritten sign say "welcome to Flowton church". Again, I had little doubt it would be open.
And it was.
The lychgate still stands, but a fence around the churchyard is good, so serves little practical purpose, other than to be there and hold the signs for the church and forthcoming services.
Inside it is simple: octagonal font with the floor being of brick, so as rustic as can be.
I did read Simon's account (below) when back outside, so went back in to record the tomb of Captain William Boggas and his family, even if part of the stone is hidden by pews now.
-------------------------------------------------
The landscape to the west of Ipswich rises to hills above the gentle valley of what will become the Belstead Brook before it empties itself into the River Orwell. The large villages of Somersham and Offton nestle below, but in the lonely lanes above are small, isolated settlements, and Flowton is one of them. I often cycle out this way from Ipswich through busy Bramford and then leave the modern world behind at Little Blakenham, up towards Nettlestead on a narrow and steep lane, down into Somersham and back up the other side to Flowton. It is unusual to pass a vehicle, or even see another human being, except in the valley bottom. In summer the only sound is of birdsong, the hedgerows alive in the deep heat. In winter the fields are dead, the crows in possession.
A hundred years ago these lanes were full of people, for in those days the villagers were enslaved to the land. But a farm that might support fifty workers then needs barely two now, and the countryside has emptied, villages reduced to half their size. Most of rural Suffolk is quieter now than at any time since before the Saxons arrived, and nature is returning to it.
In the early spring of 1644, a solemn procession came this way. The body of Captain William Boggas was brought back from the Midlands, where he had been killed in some skirmish or other, possibly in connection with the siege of Newark. The cart stumbled over the ruts and mud hollows, and it is easy to imagine the watching farmworkers pausing in a solemn gesture, standing upright for a brief moment, perhaps removing a hat, as it passed them by. But no sign of the cross, for this was Puritan Suffolk. Even the Church of England had been suppressed, and the local Priest replaced by a Minister chosen by, and possibly from within, the congregation.
William Boggas was laid to rest in the nave of the church, beside the body of his infant daughter who had died a year earlier. His heavily pregnant widow would have stood by on the cold brick floor, and the little church would have been full, for he was a landowner, and a Captain too.
The antiquarian David Davy came this way in a bad mood in May 1829, with his friend John Darby on their way to record the memorials and inscriptions of the church: ...we ascended a rather steep hill, on which we travelled thro' very indifferent roads to Flowton; here the kind of country I had anticipated for the whole of the present day's excursion was completely realised. A more flat, wet, unpleasant soil and country I have not often passed over, & we found some difficulty in getting along with safety & comfort.
But today it would be hard to arrive in Flowton in spring today and not be pleased to be there. By May, the trees in the hedgerows gather, and the early leaves send shadows dappling across the lane, for of course the roads have changed here since Darby and Davy came this way, but perhaps Flowton church hasn't much. James Bettley, revising the Buildings of England volumes for Suffolk, observed that it is a church with individuality in various details, which is about right. Much of what we see is of the early 14th Century, but there was money being spent here right on the eve of the Reformation. Peter Northeast and Simon Cotton transcribed a bequest of 1510 which pleasingly tells us the medieval dedication of the church, for Alice Plome asked that my body to be buried in the churchyard of the nativitie of our lady in fflowton. The same year, John Rever left a noble to painting the candlebeam, which is to say the beam which ran across the top of the rood loft and screen on which candles were placed. This is interesting because, as James Bettley points out, the large early 16th Century window on the south side of the nave was clearly intended to light the rood, and so was probably part of the same campaign. The candlebeam has not survived, and nor has any part of the rood screen. In 1526 John Rever (perhaps the son of the earlier man of the same name) left two nobles toward the making of a new rouff in the said church of ffloweton. The idiosyncratic tower top came in the 18th Century, and the weather vane with its elephants is of the early 21st Century, remembering a travelling circus that used to overwinter in the fields nearby.
The west face of the tower still has its niches, which once contained the images of the saints who watched over the travellers passing by. Another thing curious about the tower is that it has no west doorway. Instead, the doorway is set into the south side of the tower. There must be a reason for this, for it exists nowhere else in Suffolk. Perhaps there was once another building to the west of the tower. Several churches in this area have towers to the south of their naves, and the entrance through a south doorway into a porch formed beneath the tower, but it is hard to see how that could have been the intention here.
The Victorians were kind to Flowton church. It has a delicious atmosphere, that of an archetypal English country church. The narrow green sleeve of the graveyard enfolds it, leading eastwards to a moat-like ditch. The south porch is simple, and you step through it into a sweetly ancient space. The brick floor is uneven but lovely, lending an organic quality to the font, a Purbeck marble survival of the late 13th Century which seems to grow out of it. The bricks spread eastwards, past Munro Cautley's pulpit of the 1920s, and up beyond the chancel arch into the chancel itself. On the south side of the sanctuary the piscina that formerly served the altar here still retains its original wooden credence shelf. On the opposite wall is a corbel of what is perhaps a green man, or merely a madly grinning devil.
But to reach all these you must step across the ledger stone of Captain William Boggas, a pool of dark slate in the soft sea of bricks. It reads Here lyes waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ the body of William Boggas gent, deere to his Countrey, by whoes free choyce he was called to be Captayne of their vountaries raysed for their defence: pious towards God, meeke & juste towards men & being about 40 yeeres of age departed this life March 18: 1643. To the north of it lie two smaller ledgers, the easterly one to his young daughter, which records the date of her birth and her death in the next ensuing month. To the west of that is one to William, his son, who was born on April 11th 1644.
At first sight it might seem odd that his son could have been born in April 1644 if William senior had died in March 1643, but in those days of course the New Year was counted not from January 1st, but from March 25th, a quarter day usually referred to as Lady Day, in an echoing memory of the pre-Reformation Feast of the Annunciation. So William Boggas died one month before his son was born, not thirteen. It would be nice to think that William Junior would have led a similarly exciting and possibly even longer life than his father. But this was not to be, for he died at the age of just two years old in 1645. As he was given his father's name, we may assume that he was his father's first and only son.
A further point of interest is that both Williams' stones have space ready for further names. But there are none. There would be no more children for him, for how could there be? But William's wife does not appear to be buried or even remembered here. Did she move away? Did she marry again, and does she lie in some other similarly remote English graveyard? Actually, it is possible that she doesn't. Boggas's wife was probably Flowton girl Mary Branston, and she had been married before, to Robert Woodward of Dedham in Essex. Between the time of William Boggas's death in 1644 and the 1647 accounting of the Colony, Mary's daughter and nephews by her first marriage had been transported to the Virginia Colony in the modern United States. Is it possible that Mary went to join them?
And finally, one last visitor. Four months after the birth of the younger William, when the cement on his father's ledger stone was barely dry, the Puritan iconoclast William Dowsing visited this remote place. It was 22 August 1644. The day had been a busy one for Dowsing, for Flowton was one of seven churches he visited that day, and he would likely have already known them well, because he had a house at nearby Baylham. There was little for him to take issue with apart from the piscina in the chancel which was probably filled in and then restored by the Victorians two hundred years later.
Dowsing had arrived here in the late afternoon on what was probably a fine summer's day, since the travelling was so easy. I imagined the graveyard that day, full of dense greenery. He came on horseback, and he was not alone.With him came, as an assistant, a man called Jacob Caley. Caley, a Portman of Ipswich, was well-known to the people of Flowton. He was the government's official collector of taxes for this part of Suffolk. Probably, he was not a popular man. What the villagers couldn't know was that Caley was actually hiding away a goodly proportion of the money he collected. In 1662, two years after the Commonwealth ended, he was found guilty of the theft of three thousand pounds, about a million pounds in today's money. He had collected one hundred and eighteen pounds of this from the people of Flowton alone, and the late John Blatchly writing in Trevor Cooper's edition of the Dowsing Journals thought that the amount he was found guilty of stealing was probably understated, although of course we will never know.
I revisit this church every few months, and it always feels welcoming and well cared for, with fresh flowers on display, tidy ranks of books for sale, and a feeling that there is always someone popping in, every day. The signs by the lychgate say Welcome to Flowton Church, and on my most recent visit in November 2021 a car stopped behind me while I was taking a photograph of the elephants at the top of the tower. "Do go inside, the church is open", the driver urged cheerily, "we've even got a toilet!" As with Nettlestead across the valley, the church tried to stay open throughout the Church of England's Covid panic of 2020 and 2021, whatever much of the rest of the Church might have been doing. And there was no absurd cordoning off of areas or imposition of the one-way systems beloved by busybodies in many other English churches. Instead, a simple reminder to ask you to be careful, and when I came this way in the late summer of 2020 there were, at the back of the church, tall vases of rosemary, myrtle, thyme and other fragrant herbs. Beside them was a notice, which read Covid-19 causes anosmia (losing sense of smell). Here are some herbs to smell! which I thought was not only useful and instructive, but rather lovely.
Simon Knott, November 2021
Divide and Conquer or Unite and Triumph
Make Love, Not War - Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Left
Two heads may be better than one, but not if they bash against each other. The human species is pitted against itself and against its own enlightened self interest at the dawn of this bright New Millennium. The unexamined human mind is similarly split and fractured, its potential as yet unrealised.
The fracture lines are exposed by our various tribal superstitions and regional lies, but aren’t caused by these outdated totemic religious dogmas and catechisms. Most of the planet is blatantly lorded over by fossilised dynasties and racist dictators. Where you see any single family holding multiple positions of power you’re looking at gangsters in operation, running a parasitic kleptocracy. Cronyism and nepotism are age-old methods of feathering your own nest and fending off rival petty tyrants at everyone else’s expense.
Tyrants use racism as the primal wedge to force populations apart, in order to divide and conquer all comers. Every other antagonistic ‘ism’ is another version of a single primordial fear – the fear of the other and of the unknown, embodied in racism and justified by religion and patriotism.
The so-called ‘free world’ appears to be trapped in an illusion of democracy that delivers power into the hands of exactly the same classes of mediocre incompetents and all too efficient control freaks - who also believe they’re born to hoodwink and rule over everyone else.
While life and liberty are infinitely more secure under a compassionate and swiftly acting rule of law than under the whims of inherently insane brutal overseers, no nation on Earth can honestly boast it has a completely free, independent, incorruptible or efficient legal system – let alone a free one. All democracies face similar hurdles.
Under the simple U.N. definition of a democracy – a nation that has given the vote to all its adult citizens for a generation or more – very few countries measure up. Even the United States only qualified as a democracy after the end of the Cold War - twenty-five years after it finally gave the vote to African Americans in all southern states in the mid-sixties.
More than one in a hundred US citizens are currently incarcerated in a rapidly expanding privatised penal system - a higher proportion than any other country. Libertarianism and liberty are not the same thing; as President Roosevelt famously remarked, freedom includes freedom from as well as freedom to. He included the freedom from want as one of the essential four freedoms that America embodied, in his almost universally accepted vision of the American Dream. This freedom has been derided and ignored by subsequent corporation-run governments as ‘socialist’, ‘communist’ and, even worse, ‘utopian’.
There is no free country on planet Earth – yet – but we can make one! First we have to disassemble all the false divisions that separate us into illusory competing groups, which congeal our shared blood into false notions of nations, states and races. To do this we have to see that our emperors have no clothes except those we choose – or are convinced – to give them.
If you want complete control over the human species the oldest trick in the book is to divide the struggling primates into illusory nations and artificial countries, to pit parochial tribes against other nearby ignoramuses. Take a look at Iraq, for instance – a country that was literally invented wholesale by conquering Western interests early last century. It was created with deliberate, easily exploitable faults and fractures so that racist warmongers could hold onto the region’s resources – including energy supplies - and keep control of a vital strategic corridor, with a classic move in what was universally known in Imperial times as the ‘Great Game’.
The fact that Iraq’s artificially created borders contained mutually antagonistic groups who had never been able to live together peacefully was a major bonus for the conquering crusaders - a deliberate ploy of the Western Powers that’s been widely used throughout history. Until 1959 they were able to steal all the deeply riven despot-governed “Iraqi” peoples’ energy supplies without paying a single pound or dollar in royalties. The now largely forgotten Iraqi revolution temporarily freed its people from the yoke of Imperialistic oppression, but built-in internal divisions, exploitative neighbours and imperialist retaliation undid the fledgling nation spectacularly. Watch this space for no further developments – just more of the same.
The Americans learned the tactic of divide and conquer from the English, who picked up the trick from the Roman Empire. The technique is much older than Rome, originating in primate sibling rivalry and unexamined, culturally entrained competitive behaviour. ‘Division’ is an ancient trick of the divine gods who rule over mortals – the word ‘divide’, ‘divine’ and ‘devil’ all spring from the same root of the Tree of Knowledge of Life and Death, in case you’re interested in that sort of thing.
Most self-professed democratic nations literally labour under the illusion that they have freedom of choice – when they only have two nearly identical thumb-twiddling, tweedle-dumber political parties to choose between. Governments are mainly comprised of old men corrupted by power and fear, and officious Oppositions usually only serve to oppose – they hardly ever contribute anything new or meaningful to a rigged debate.
When you only have to bribe, coerce and co-opt a handful of figures in Cabinet and Opposition you have little to fear from the many millions of subjects who believe their vote means something. Unless you actually know a politician intimately and personally – know them well enough to be absolutely certain they’re honest and motivated solely by the best ideals - only new faces in politics can be trusted at all; you can more easily see their reactions to the strings attempting to pull them.
Some members of the tyranny of despots would like to be good shepherds instead of wily predators, and some are working to remold the world into a more splendid image than their devolutionary fellows – but to exercise power over others is an inherently corrupting Faustian pastime.
Under these circumstances your vote can only mean something if you don’t vote for either of the two alternatives that have a chance of winning! In practice the ‘choice’ comes down to a primitive playoff between two corporate-industrial-military front-men, whose faces and voices are almost all that most citizens see or hear of their governments. Meaningful change is rendered impossible in this false gladiatorial contest. If you have no choice but to vote for a party, then vote for a third force that may hold the balance of power without being already corrupted by it.
'Feudal';
Freedom Exits Under Dominator’s Adversarial Laws
The simple but supremely successful trick of duopoly politics holds the world in thrall to a fundamentally feudal hive structure of remote masters, bureaucratic governors and workers who jump for carrots and cringe from sticks.
Democracy is far more than the sham of party politics, and real democracy is strangled to death by fat cats enjoying expensive private parties held at everyone else’s expense – lousy parties with tinny music, bland costumes and boring speeches – cringe-worthy parties which are no fun at all. Real democracy requires that people can elect representatives who will represent them – not some other individual, group or party.
The whole notion of parties representing the people is an inherently absurd historical error that we now have the means to correct. In the newly emergent interconnected age of distributed networks, we can each become a sovereign of our own true estate – our bodies – and all have a truly equal say and vote in where our species is headed. Modern technologies and widening education bring a truly global democracy within easy reach. Individuals could simply vote for issues and cut out the middleman politicians entirely!
But before we can trust majorities with ultimate - if democratic - power over minorities who may be very different from them, we have a multitude of issues to address and rectify. Fortunately, a fair global framework already exists to protect us all from our own potential errors, one which provides an almost universally ratified Bill of Rights covering every child, woman and man on Earth.
The various U.N. treaties regarding all sorts of rights have been assembled under an adequate umbrella of universal protection known as the International Bill of Rights. It already forms the basis for many domestic laws that various nations have adopted under its articles – but chances are that as a mere citizen you’ve been kept entirely in the dark as to the true reasons behind your particular government’s apparent wisdom and largesse.
The International Bill of Rights is easily accessed via United Nations websites and is easily digested; see if you can find anything in it with which you disagree. It’s likely that the vast majority of humans on the planet will have no problems with its definitions of rights and freedoms, but there are many other issues to deal with if global electronic democracy is to become a reality – for instance, finding a way to curb the power of programmers and technocrats, and the powers of our easily controlled, utterly coercible and censorable mass media. We face ancient dilemmas; who guards the guardians and who watches the watchers? And how do you disarm a paranoid bunch of brainwashed tribalists armed by despots who profit from the continual killing – and who control their civilization?
We have to make an end to war. Creating peace involves creating a space without suffering or violence. If we want to end war a good place to start – if you’re serious about changing your attitudes but can’t abandon or thoroughly alter your current life – is at the kindergarten level of competitive training for violent combat and war; sport.
Competitive sports train the innocent for war. That’s the whole point behind encouraging the ‘masses’ to back and barrack for tribalistic, totemically differentiated teams, folks; it teaches that life, war friendship, love and politics can all be dealt with using the same brainless reflexive win-lose concepts and simplifies everything to an easily divisible level. Sport and war reduce the multitude to elevate the domineering.
If you want to change your world stop paying any attention to the stupid duopolistic distractions of competitive sport and party politics. Many will rebel at this – that’s the whole point. Most current day politics, finance, wars and pieces are equally delusory distractions, keeping your eyes off the prize and your mind off the main game by turning off your mind.
All problems with our conscious decision making processes stem from the self-same source, whether they be individual or collective.
We have to understand where this global split personality arises from; it comes from within each of us. The adversarial structures of our systems of law and government arise from minds that continually argue with themselves and never know peace or inner silence.
This is not just a consequence of the bicameral – twin chambered – nature of our split brain structure – it’s a result of a planetary shockwave that affected us all in prehistory, resulting in our collective and individual inability to recover from a blow to the head delivered simultaneously to the entire species. The Earth was struck by a massive interplanetary discharge – a planet-wide electric shock felt by all, amid a global catastrophe that threatened to extinguish our species.
Remember the ancient Babylonian (Iraqi) story of the ‘Tower of Babel’ and humanity’s cleavage into disparate tribes and nations who could suddenly no longer understand each other? It’s instructive to note that the chroniclers of this pre-Biblical narrative averred that the sky god destroyed the tower to divide Humanity and thus render us powerless - because we were beginning to rival the deities themselves. *
We have little understanding of what abilities we’ve lost as a species – like many victims of electro-shock therapy, we are afflicted with partial amnesia. Suffice to say that once upon a time we could all ‘hear’ on more than one level… whether we remember or believe it or not – and that ability and many others are well within our reach and grasp. The younger you are when you start to change yourself the easier it will be.
Until both hemispheres of our brains can operate together in a balanced synergy - which can only arise from the healing light of clear self-examination and careful tuning - our star-spanning minds are reduced to an argumentative, jostling conversation between two or more equally half-blinded and crippled parts. When we become internally unified and fully integrated we have the ability to tune in with – and on - anything and anyone, anywhere and anytime; and self-styled gods of all creeds and stripes find the idea of such a self-aware Humanity repulsive; it renders us abominably uncontrollable and unbindably free.
The almost universal mental imbalance resulting from this lack of internal attunement is the origin of all apparent divisions and false dichotomies that surround us. Our brains are instruments that require tuning – and harmony is only possible when all crazy notions of aloneness and competition are cast aside.
When we open ALL our eyes we can easily see that disagreement isn’t required to reach the truth, and argument isn’t necessary to arrive at easily achievable and universally agreeable goals. It’s easy to see that all of us are one being staring through the starry eyes of a multitude - and to know that death is impossible.
All it takes is to the ability to do nothing and think nothing. Absolutely nothing. The moment of wonder is only a moment away when you’ve mastered this ‘simple’ trick – the first step to true enlightenment. The world is always waiting for you to reemerge from the delight of the light imbued with immanent innocence; the universe is alive, and responds to your inner sense. The universe is a co-creation and it takes all kinds to make a world. Even if you can transform yourself in the bright void of superconsciousness, your life awaits you on your return. Changing the world means changing your mind and your life; the devil lies in the details you slowly shed with your old discarded skin.
The Whole Holy Hologram
If you want to change your world, the only place to start is within yourself. This requires continual self examination and an awareness and recognition of your true motives and programming. It requires abandoning the false ideas of notional nations, separate races, superior religious superstitions and parted politics. It means rechannelling all your competitive behaviour and attitudes into a recognition of unity with others – and with all things. It’s easy to recognise the all-powerful unity that lies within our vast diversity of cultures, perspectives and beliefs when you stop identifying with individual idiosyncratic fractions and factions. The whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.
The real Great Game is the Royal Maze of the Mind that leads to enlightenment. The gate to the core of the maze resides at the core of your brain, in the central space between and behind your eyes and between your ears, below the crown of your head. If you locate yourself there – right now – and view the world from the perspective of the centre of your own head, you’ll see your view widen from a narrow tunnel to a wide expanse that incorporates everything in your field of view.
We’re primates living in a planetary tree that’s scarred with the graffito of our passions – loves and hates born of our illusory fear of mortality and separation, which compel us to make our mark on the world. We can do better than simply making marks and leaving scars.
All we have to look beyond the surface differences that camouflage our identically innocent spirits and wise ancient souls. If we want to start making a paradise planet out of this industrialised wasteland we have to recognise where the primal split in our species really lies. The first illusory division in our species - and the hideous result of our ongoing inner distractions and artificially contrived divisions - is the enduring armed truce in the pointless, ultimately unsurvivable battle of the sexes.
When peace is made between woman and man the planet can flower into a garden paradise fit for children. When our apparent differences are recognised for what they are – interlinked and interlocking survival strategies designed for life and consciousness to expand on the floating crust of a chaotically changeable ball of hot mud circling a blazing electric fireball – we can celebrate the gift of the interlocking jigsaw puzzles that our bodies and tribes really are.
We can learn that our species-split sexuality is a technique of regeneration and transformation on an individual and global scale – we’re not just a tools used by a bunch of genes for their own survival, but companions, lovers and co-creators. We can learn to control our own fertility at will and lovemaking can keep us young and supple, and be a portal to higher consciousness and the abilities it provides.
The techniques are miraculously still available, despite being long suppressed by rigid prudes worshipping the same false religions that burned Giordano Bruno at the stake – along with many millions of wise women and men – and which still stone women to death for being outdoors alone, or refuse to allow their sheeple to use contraceptives.
The place to make world peace real is in the still core of your mind and the still, pure warmth in the core of your heart. The way to heal yourself and the planet is to still your mind and make love – real, true, non-possessive abundant love – and as the hippies said, if you can’t be with the one you love then love the one you’re with.
It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it - it might as well be you. Make love, not war; when we learn to accept each other and work together life is no longer a job or chore, but a work of divinely inspired Art. When we open our eyes in the new fresh dawn of sensuously rational happiness we find we don’t have to climb out of the purblind pit of false dogma and censored history – we’re already free in a brave new world.
- R. Ayana
Turn on! Tune in! Opt out of the system that’s destroying your world and do something else! You literally create reality as you pass through it.
Welcome to the New Aeon. Together we can create an astounding New Millennium!
“Time flies when you don’t notice a single thing.”
Wonder Boy – Age 9
From nexusilluminati.blogspot.com.au/2008/06/divide-and-conque...
Image - author's
See and be the New Illuminati @ nexusilluminati.blogspot.com
Inside cover artwork for Gilbert Erector set # 12-1/2 that belong to my uncle when he was a boy. I'm guessing he may have gotten this around the age of ten, which would have been 1943. I acquired it in 2005 after he passed away. I never knew he had this.
I've added a few pieces to it that I found at an estate sale. The box weights about 30 pounds.
Erector Set
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An Erector Set (the trademark has always been "ERECTOR") is a brand of metal toy construction sets, originally patented by Alfred Carlton Gilbert and first sold by his company, The Mysto Manufacturing Company of New Haven, Connecticut in 1913. In 1916, the company was reorganized as the A.C. Gilbert Company.
Erector consists of various metal beams with regular holes for assembly using nuts and bolts. Other mechanical parts such as pulleys, gears, wheels, and small electric motors were also part of the system. What distinguishes construction sets like Erector (and its predecessor Meccano), is the ability to build a model, then take it apart and build something else, over and over again. Erector quickly became the most popular construction toy in the United States, most likely because it was the only construction set at the time to contain a motor.
Erector was commonly referred to as an Erector Set, though erector set has become somewhat of a generic trademark denoting a variety of construction toys, irrespective of brand. The trademark for ERECTOR is today owned and marketed by Meccano
History
The toy was first introduced and sold to the public in 1913 at the Toy Fair held at the Broadway Central Hotel in New York City. Erector was first envisioned by Alfred Carlton Gilbert (A.C. Gilbert) in 1911, as he rode the train from New Haven to New York. This section of track was being electrified and Gilbert watched as steel girders were erected to carry the power lines.
This construction is what inspired him to develop the toy. Gilbert was a skilled magician and manufactured magic tricks and magic sets with his existing company the "Mysto Manufacturing Company". The first Erector was made there in 1913. It was called "The Erector / Structural Steel and Electro-Mechanical Builder". It claimed to be "Educational, Instructive and Amusing". In 1914, the name was changed to "The Mysto Erector", "The Toy That Resembles Structural Steel".
In 1916, the company was reorganized and became the A.C. Gilbert Company. "Erector" was renamed "Gilbert Erector", "The Toy Like Structural Steel". In 1924, more changes occurred, as the entire Erector system was completely overhauled to include over 70 parts.[ "Erector" was now called "The New Erector", The Worlds Greatest Toy". Through 1932, "Erector" was sold in wood boxes.
From 1933 through 1962 the sets would be sold in colorful boxes made of steel. Early boxes were painted red, green or blue but by the 1950s all set boxes were painted red. Later, as the company grew, the area around the Gilbert factory became known as "ERECTOR SQUARE". Today, the old factory complex of 11 buildings is the home of artist studios, workshops, architectural firms, a yoga studio, theater, brewery and cafe. A.C. Gilbert died in 1961 and the company went into decline.
The system was redesigned, adding many plastic parts, but the "clunky" looking models failed to compete with the new, realistic, scale, plastic models coming onto the market. The A.C. Gilbert Company filed bankruptcy in 1967. The Gabriel company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania bought the "Erector" name and continued to market the recently redesigned system. Sales were slow and by the 1980s the trademark "Erector" was acquired by Ideal Toys and then Tyco Toys. "Meccano" (France) has owned the "Erector" brand since the year 2000.
"Erector" is believed by many to have been the subject of the first national advertising campaign in America for a toy. Its great success made it part of American folk culture and the famous company slogan "Hello Boys" is still fondly remembered by many. Its popularity has faded in recent decades in the face of competition from molded plastic construction toys, electronics, and other more modern toys and gadgets.
"Erector" was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at "The Strong" in Rochester, New York, in 1998.
"Erector" sold millions of sets over the years. The most sought after by collectors is the 1931 No. 10 Set, although a larger set, the No.12, was manufactured for a brief time. The No. 12 included the parts to make a parachute jump, modeled after the amusement ride at Coney Island. Touted in advertising of the day as "The Climax of Erector Glory", the No. 10 set weighed in at around 25 pounds.
Current "Erector" sets are actually "Meccano" sets manufactured by Meccano, France and marketed in the United States as "Erector".
An extensive collection of A.C. Gilbert Company scientific and educational children's toys is housed at the Eli Whitney Museum, in Hamden, Connecticut.
Also look up: A.C. Gilbert on Wikipedia for more information
Pietro Perugino
Christ handing the keys to Saint Peter [1481-82]
Vatican, Sistine Chapel, North wall
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Description
The scene, part of the series of the Stories of Jesus on the chapel's northern wall, is a reference to Matthew 16[2] in which Jesus says he will give "the keys of the kingdom of heaven" to Saint Peter.[3] These keys represent the power to forgive and to share the word of God thereby giving them the power to allow others into heaven. The main figures are organized in a frieze in two tightly compressed rows close to the surface of the picture and well below the horizon.[4] The principal group, showing Christ handing the silver and gold keys to the kneeling St. Peter, is surrounded by the other Apostles, including Judas (fifth figure to the left of Christ), all with halos, together with portraits of contemporaries, including one said to be a self-portrait (fifth from the right edge). The flat, open square is divided by coloured stones into large foreshortened rectangles. In the center of the background is a temple resembling the ideal church of Leon Battista Alberti's On architecture; on either side are triumphal arches with inscriptions aligning Sixtus IV to Solomon, recalling the latter's porticoed temple.[5] Scattered in the middle distance are two scenes from the life of Christ, including the Tribute Money on the left and the stoning of Christ on the right.[5]
Detail of the central building
The style of the figures is inspired by Andrea del Verrocchio.[6] The active drapery, with its massive complexity, and the figures, particularly several apostles, including St. John the Evangelist, with beautiful features, long flowing hair, elegant demeanour, and refinement recall St Thomas from Verrocchio's bronze group in Orsanmichele. The poses of the actors fall into a small number of basic attitudes that are consistently repeated, usually in reverse from one side to the other, signifying the use of the same cartoon. They are graceful and elegant figures who tend to stand firmly on the earth. Their heads are smallish in proportion to the rest of their bodies, and their features are delicately distilled with considerable attention to minor detail.
The octagonal temple of Jerusalem[citation needed] and its porches that dominates the central axis must have had behind it a project created by an architect, but Perugino's treatment is like the rendering of a wooden model, painted with exactitude. The building with its arches serves as a backdrop in front of which the action unfolds. Perugino has made a significant contribution in rendering the landscape. The sense of an infinite world that stretches across the horizon is stronger than in almost any other work of his contemporaries, and the feathery trees against the cloud-filled sky with the bluish-gray hills in the distance represent a solution that later painters would find instructive, especially Raphael.[citation needed]
The building in the center is similar to that in Marriage of the Virgin by Perugino, as well as that painted by Perugino's pupil Pinturicchio in his Stories of St. Bernardino in the Bufalini Chapel of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.
Source:
PRESS RELEASE
Date
28 Feb 2019
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Maserati at the 89th edition of the Geneva International Motor Show
Levante Trofeo V8 Launch Edition premieres at the Show: a limited edition of 100 units
An interactive journey through selected Italian excellences: Maserati presents the first step towards personalization
The stand features the entire MY19 Range, in the GranLusso and GranSport trims
Quattroporte S Q4 GranLusso and Levante S Q4 GranSport MY19 customized with Zegna PELLETESSUTA™
In order to showcase the sporty DNA of the Trident brand, the GranTurismo MC in the Grigio Lava Matte colour, in an exclusive new configuration, is on display
The future of the historic manufacturing plant in Modena defined
Modena, 28 February 2019 – Maserati is highlighting in the first and most important exhibition of the year in Europe
the Levante Trofeo SUV in the Launch Edition, a limited edition of 100 units, which will be the protagonist of the stand, along with the other models of the MY19 range. Another premiere of the Geneva Show are the new interiors in PELLETESSUTA™, an exclusive new material made by Ermenegildo Zegna exclusively for Maserati. To recall the Brand’s sporty DNA, Maserati will exhibit a GranTurismo MC (acronym for Maserati Corse), for the first time with an exterior in Grigio Lava Matte colour combined with interiors in carbon fibre. Maserati announced start of sales in Europe of the Levante Trofeo and Levante GTS.
Another new development will be revealed at the opening of the show, one that exemplifies Maserati’s ability to construct customized automobiles: an exciting one-off model, created according to the requests of a particular customer.
LEVANTE TROFEO LAUNCH EDITION - A LIMITED EDITION
To launch the new model in the market, Maserati is presenting the Levante Trofeo Launch Edition, a limited edition of 100 units. The Levante Trofeo Launch Edition will be available not only in the Blu Emozione Matte colour presented at the Geneva International Motor Show but also in the unique paints Giallo Modenese and Rosso Magma. The interior features sports seats with a premium full-grain "Pieno Fiore” natural leather, with contrasting stitching and a "Trofeo" logo embroidered on the headrest, available in blue, red or yellow. The exclusive carbon fibre inserts on the bumpers, side skirts and specially designed bonnet stand out.
The 22" Orione rims can be matte or glossy black finish, while the brake calipers are available in silver, blue, yellow or red.
The Levante Trofeo is equipped with one of the most powerful engines ever fitted in a Maserati road car. This is the 3.8 litre Twin Turbo V8, calibrated to mate perfectly with the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system, providing it with a new crankcase design, specific crankshaft assembly, new oil pump and auxiliary belt and a different wiring layout.
Like all Maserati petrol engines, this V8 is assembled by Ferrari in Maranello. In terms of 0-100km/h acceleration, it stops the chronometer at 4.1”, while the maximum speed is close to the 300 km/h threshold.
The Levante Trofeo is fitted with the eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox used on all the Levante versions, acclaimed for its versatility and sporty character.
The “Corsa" driving mode with Launch Control functionality (in addition to the existing Normal, I.C.E., Sport and Off Road modes) has been adopted to enhance the sporty character of the ultimate Maserati SUV. “Corsa” driving mode further improves engine response and opens exhaust valves in acceleration, as well as providing faster gear shifting, lower air suspension height levels, sportier Skyhook damping and optimized Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive settings. It also interacts with the Traction Control and ESP systems to maximize driving pleasure.
The Levante features the Integrated Vehicle Control (IVC) system for impressive driving dynamics, better performance, and a genuine Maserati driving experience, by helping to prevent vehicle instability, instead of correcting “driver mistakes” as a traditional Electronic Stability Program (ESP) system does.
The ideal 50:50 weight balance and the low centre of gravity - common to all Levante models, in combination with the finely tuned double-wishbone front / Multi Link rear suspension, as well as the wider 22-inch rear tyres on forged aluminium alloy wheels, provide the new Trofeo with perfectly balanced handling and lateral stability.
The unmistakable Levante design has reached new levels of sportiness in this model like the lower splitter, the side blades in the front air intakes, the side skirt inserts and the rear extractor, made of ultralight high-gloss carbon fibre.
At the front, the Levante Trofeo has Full Matrix LED adaptive headlights, a front grille with double vertical bars in Black Piano finish, lower honeycomb mesh fascia, body colour door handles and high-performance brake calipers available in red, blue, black, silver or yellow. And to cap it off, the “Saetta” Trofeo logo adorns the iconic C-pillar of the coupé styled Levante.
Inside the Levante Trofeo cabin is a wealth of elegant features which create an environment of pure luxury. “Pieno Fiore” is like no other leather used in the automotive industry for its natural, soft feel and for the unique character it develops throughout the years.
This amazing Levante's quintessentially sporty personality is highlighted by new details in "3D Touch" matt carbon fibre, the specific instrument cluster graphics, floor mats with metal Trofeo badges, and a Maserati clock with a unique dial. The on-board set up is completed by a 1,280-watt, 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium surround sound audio system for a concert hall sound experience.
The Levante Trofeo is the first ever Maserati equipped with 22-inch forged aluminium wheels, so Maserati cooperated with Continental to provide the new SportContact™ 6 tyre as standard equipment. The new ultra-sport tyre has substantially contributed to achieving the excellent and balanced handling and outstanding cornering performance of the most powerful Maserati in production today.
PERSONALIZATION
The special things about the Maserati stand at this 89th edition of the Geneva International Motor Show is the way it focuses on highlighting a distinctive Italianness and the process of craftsmanship and customization, considerations that have prompted Maserati to host on their stand - together with Ermenegildo Zegna, a longstanding partner and a leader in the field of men’s luxury clothing, two other leading artisanal firms in their field: Giorgetti, the internationally renowned Italian woodworking company, known for its furniture and unique design pieces, and De Castelli, a leading metalworking firm, specializing in the production of unique home design accessories, custom surfaces and projects.
At Maserati tradition becomes innovation, combining fine craftsmanship, advanced technology and sophisticated design for the sort of exclusive, unique mix only Maserati knows how to apply to its cars.
The stand provides an instructive tour through three different dedicated thematic areas. Each area will feature a display of tools, materials and components that, specially crafted by Zegna, De Castelli and Giorgetti, bear witness to the unending quest for excellence, style and originality, typical of products designed and Made in Italy, and therefore typical of Maserati.
Speaking of innovation and design, when it comes to customizing the stand, for the first time ever Maserati is taking advantage in the Customization Area of a D-Table, the only interactive table which combines the latest-generation software and elegant, sophisticated design.
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
Zegna is a longstanding partner of Maserati and for the Geneva show will be presenting the world premiere of its new car interiors in PELLETESSUTA™, a special woven nappa leather, the product of pioneering research by Ermenegildo Zegna, seeking to create a luxurious, innovative, lightweight and soft fabric that is versatile and well suited for the creation of products, ranging from home design complements to multimedia accessories.
The bond between Zegna and Maserati grows stronger with each passing year, in no small part due to the historical similarities of the two brands.
The Ermenegildo Zegna Group is one of the most distinguished businesses in all of Italy. Founded back in 1910 in Trivero, in the Biellese Alps, by a young entrepreneur named Ermenegildo, whose vision was to ethically produce the most sumptuous fabrics in the world by means of innovation and the utilization of the best luxury fibres, sourced directly in their countries of origin, the company is currently guided by the fourth generation of the Zegna family. The Group, which since the late 80’s has been implementing a strategy of vertical integration, has created a global luxury brand which currently offers fabrics, clothing and accessories. Today there are 504 single-label stores in over 100 countries, of which 272 are company-owned.
GIORGETTI
The Giorgetti cabinet-making tradition started in Brianza in 1898, and more than 120 years later is still continuing to evolve and innovate. The company looks to the future, how to convey and stay on top of all the changes in a dynamically transforming world. Giorgetti’s approach to interior design involves interpreting behaviours and tastes in various different markets, creating pieces that are free of all formal conventions, capable of coexisting harmoniously in any context, dissolving cultural and temporal distances.
The products made by Giorgetti epitomize the best in the proud catchline, “Made and Manufactured in Italy”. Starting from design, creativity and style, and all the way to the actual manufacture of a finished product, the entire manufacturing process is completely carried out in Italy by highly qualified personnel, boasting consummate skill in the furniture sector.
The craft-based means of production associated with the phrase, Made in Italy, transcends the rationale of standardized, mass-produced products, guaranteeing high levels of product customization.
The indispensable work of master craftsmen is capable of imbuing Giorgetti projects with that magical allure of unique, handmade pieces.
DE CASTELLI
True to its commitment to restore metal’s privileged role in projectual experimentation, De Castelli is grafting a craft-based concept and approach to work onto typically industrial processes, a bold synthesis that leads to unprecedented results. The encounter with design engenders an approach to the material founded on respect for its vast potential, including the less obvious possibilities, the ones that gradually emerge in a collection of mass-produced products that are, at the same time, unique. Not only because the hand creating them is unique, but due to the uniqueness of the cultural process that puts the main emphasis on the aesthetic value - rather than purely functional ones - of the primal material with which De Castelli shapes living spaces. One thus overturns the dictum that confines the coldness of metal to the outer margins of interior design project, bringing steel, brass and copper, in their multiple variations and finishes, to the centre of a a completely renovated scenario where they can finally glow in self-generated radiance.
Delabré is the name of an artisanal finish conceived of and realized by De Castelli. It consists in the manual oxidation of materials like steel, copper and brass, capable of imbuing them with unique, unrepeatable chromatic effects.
THE OTHER MODELS IN THE MASERATI RANGE: GRANTURISMO MC, QUATTROPORTE AND GHIBLI
Visitors to the Geneva International Motor Show will find on display the GranTurismo MC (acronym for Maserati Corse) which perfectly represents the sporty DNA of the Modena company. The GranTurismo MC boasts an exclusive new configuration, for the first time ever with the Grigio Lava Matte as the exterior colour and “Nerissimo Carbon Pack” trim with the Black Chrome contrasting finishes for the various details: the upper portion of the grille with black vertical slats, the profiles of the boot, the lettering on the tailgate, the logo on the pillars, the side air intakes, exhaust outlets and window frames. With the Nerissimo Carbon pack the door handles, mirror caps, front splitter, and rear spoiler are in Carbon fibre. The same material will be available for the interior customization packs.
The stand also features various different Maserati models, including a Levante S Q4 GranSport in an exclusive trim with the exterior in a Bronze colour, which boasts interiors in Zegna PELLETESSUTA™. The car sports 21” polished Helios rims. For the first time in the history of this longstanding partnership with Zegna, the customization has been extended to also include the GranSport trims of the Maserati range. An especially sophisticated combination for this Levante, the first SUV in the more than one-hundred year history of Maserati.
On display, the Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 GranLusso with its Blu Sofisticato coloured body combined with interiors in PELLETESSUTA™ Zegna, an extremely elegant configuration to once again underscore the exclusive, luxurious character of this Italian manufacturer flagship, whose origins date back to Series I designed in 1963 to be the fastest sedan in the world. The 21” Atlante alloy rims with blue brake calipers and the sport seats underscore the dual nature of this model.
Two Maserati Ghibli S Q4 (GranSport and GranLusso trims), 430 hp, can be viewed on the stand. The GranSport trim is equipped with metallic Grigio Maratea paint on the outside and Nerissimo pack with a red interior in full-grain “Pieno Fiore” leather and black stitching, plus roof lining in black Alcantara. The rims are 21” in Glossy Black Titanium, which imbue the Maserati sedan, boasting Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system, with a unique, unmistakable character. The elegance of the GranLusso trim is highlighted by the tri-coat exterior Bianco Alpi paint and by the 20” Teseo rims; on the inside the full-grain “Pieno Fiore” black leather has been combined with Oak trim and roof lining in grey Alcantara.
The entire MY19 range, composed of Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante models, has benefited from a luxurious restyling which combined targeted interventions in terms of both style and new contents.
Both the sedans and the SUV with MY19 specifications are equipped with a redesigned shorter-travel gearshift lever featuring a more intuitive shift pattern and improved operation.
The Maserati Levante Trofeo for the European market is capable of delivering 580 hp at 6,250 rpm, achieving extremely high peak rotation, maintaining the same torque of 730 Nm, usable in a wide range between 2,500 and 5,000 rpm. The Levante Trofeo therefore displays the characteristic of immediately providing high levels of torque even at low revs, a feature that is appreciated by the customers of this type of SUV. Thanks to new turbochargers with increased flow, a redesigned cylinder head with specific camshafts and valves, new pistons and new connecting rods, the Levante Trofeo is able to achieve impressive power peaks, in combination with specific engine calibration mapping.
The new Levante Trofeo features Full Matrix LED adaptive headlights as standard. Compared to Bi-Xenon headlamps, LED technology offers 20% better visibility, 32% cooler light and headlights that last twice as long.
The full LED headlights utilize a digital camera mounted behind the rear-view mirror that supports the Glare-free High Beam detection system, allowing the driver to keep the high beam on without dazzling oncoming drivers. The system is able to create a “zone of shade” around other vehicles switching dynamically on and off the LED matrixes. The full Matrix LED headlights can create up to four light tunnels simultaneously with each tunnel as large as the obstacle.
The Brembo braking system deals superbly with the high performance of the Levante Trofeo. The front brakes have adopted 6-piston aluminium monobloc calipers working on 380 mm x 34 mm drilled discs, while 4-piston aluminium monobloc calipers with 330 mm x 28 mm ventilated drilled discs are fitted at the rear. The ABS has undergone a specific setup for the Trofeo version.
Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte share the same MTC+ infotainment system, which is based on a high resolution 8.4” multi-touch screen and a double rotary knob on the centre console.
For MY19 there is a choice of nine body colours for the Quattroporte and 10 for each of the Ghibli and Levante models. A new tri-coat colour is now available, born to enhance the design of each: the elegant Blu Nobile.
In the wide collection of alloy wheels designed specifically for every single Maserati model, there are five brand new designs in the MY19 catalogue in 20 and 21-inch sizes, two for each of the Levante and Quattroporte models and one for the Ghibli.
THE HISTORIC MODENA PLANT
Speaking of the historic Modena plant, recently Maserati announced that it reconfirms its strategic mission. The plant will be dedicated to the manufacturing of special high performance, high technology sports cars, in line with the tradition and values of the Brand, which has been present at Modena since 1939.
This will exploit the know-how and experience of the staff involved in the production of the cars, which require a very special fabrication cycle: a fully-fledged synergy of craftsmanship and innovation, scrupulous attention to detail and the highest quality standards, resulting in the manufacture of unique, exclusive products which represent the very best of the “Made in Italy” brand worldwide.
The current production lines will be upgraded, indeed, totally renewed, starting this Autumn: the first pre-series production of a new model, a characteristically Maserati sports car, will roll off the lines in the first half of next year.
Octo Maserati GranLusso and GranSport by Bulgari
Maserati's prestige partnership with Bulgari, launched in 2012, has led to the creation of two exclusive wristwatches: Octo Maserati GranLusso and Octo Maserati GranSport by Bulgari Specifically intended for owners of the Brand's cars, they feature the spectacular dial (with retrograde minutes and jumping hours) resembling the rpm-counter of a Maserati, while the stitched leather strap recalls the upholstery of Trident cars.
Ermenegildo Zegna Maserati Capsule Collection for Spring Summer 2019
At the Geneva Motor Show, Ermenegildo Zegna and Maserati are delighted to present the new Maserati Capsule Collection for Spring Summer 2019: an exquisite collection of leather goods, travel clothing and elegant accessories, displaying all the excellence for which these two iconic Italian brands are famed. Building on a well-established partnership launched early in 2013, Maserati and Zegna offer products of unrivalled quality of details, performance and design, made to measure for those wishing to surround themselves with luxury. The Maserati Capsule Collection is available in selected Ermenegildo Zegna stores worldwide and on Zegna.com
Maserati S.p.A.
Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars with an amazing personality, immediately recognisable anywhere. With their style, technology and innately exclusive character, they delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and have always been an automotive industry benchmark. Ambassadors of this heritage are the Quattroporte flagship, the Ghibli sports sedan, the Levante, Maserati’s very first SUV, and the GranTurismo and GranCabrio sports cars. A range complete as never before, with petrol and diesel engines, rear or all-wheel drive, the finest materials and outstanding engineering. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance and safety.
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I know not any thing more pleasant, or more instructive, than to compare experience with expectation, or to register from time to time the difference between idea and reality. It is by this kind of observation that we grow daily less liable to be disappointed.
"Samuel Johnson"
***
..... a nice place to sit, is ANY street corner cafe and observe people; nothing is so healing as the realization that I come upon the right capture of THAT precious moment!
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A NICE PLACE TO SIT is the topic for Thursday 15th March 2012
Repository: California Historical Society
Date: 1912
Publication Note: San Francisco, Calif. : Puritan Press, [1912]
Physical Description: 1 broadside ; 29 x 22 cm.
General Note: "J. C. Westenberg, of the Whosoever-Will Rescue Mission, San Francisco ... will tell a thrilling, instructive and deeply interesting story."
Call Number: Vault B-169
Digital object ID: Vault_B-169.jpg
Preferred Citation: Exposed! White slave traffic, stereopticon illustration, union mass meeting at the Masonic Music Hall ... Stockton ... 1912, Vault B-169, courtesy, California Historical Society, Vault_B-169.jpg.
For more CHS digital collections: digitallibrary.californiahistoricalsociety.org
I was born in Northern Utah, but in the 18 years I lived there I never made it to Vernal to see Dinosaur National Monument. I was so pleased to finally get there this summer!
www.nps.gov/dino/learn/news/history-of-the-quarry-exhibit...
In 1923, Earl Douglass, the paleontologist who established the dinosaur quarry, suggested that the government "leave the bones and skeletons in relief and house them." Douglass believed that doing so would create "one of the most astounding and instructive sights imaginable." It took more than 30 years for his vision to become a reality, but Douglass's assertion was correct.
In 1958, shortly after the Quarry Exhibit Hall opened to the public, Dinosaur's superintendent reported that public reaction to the building had been "most favorable."
www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/quarry-exhibit-hall.htm
The Quarry Exhibit Hall, located over the world-famous Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry, is open! The Quarry Exhibit Hall allows visitors to view the wall of approximately 1,500 dinosaur bones in a refurbished, comfortable space. Here, you can gaze upon the remains of numerous different species of dinosaurs including Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodicus, and Stegosaurus along with several others. Exhibits, including an 80-foot long mural, reveal the story of these animals and many others that lived in the Morrison environment during the late Jurassic. There are even several places where you can touch real 149 million year old dinosaur fossils!
Rangers are available to answer questions and occasionally give Junior Ranger programs or talks on different topics related to the quarry or dinosaurs throughout the day during the summer.
Well, not so many now. Actually none. 64? Hard to imagine and certainly not in my thoughts when I first heard Sir Paul's cheerful little ditty. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCss0kZXeyE But we're only as old as we feel, right? I am certain there are many wise and instructive quotes on aging, but I think I'll go with the following interchange from one of my favorite movies which has stuck with me for 40 years...
Bear Claw Chris Lapp: You've come far, pilgrim.
Jeremiah Johnson: Feels like far.
Bear Claw Chris Lapp: Were it worth the trouble?
Jeremiah Johnson: What trouble?
Amen, Jeremiah, amen...
Giant Schnauzer
+++ MOST IMPORTANT NEWS!! SCC GENE AND LOCATION CONFIRMED BY NIH. +++
The National Institute of Health has confirmed the identification and location of the gene mutation responsible for SCC in dogs' toes. They are preparing a paper for publication. It will not be long before a test is available to identify carriers of this genetic defect and that should remove the carriers from breeding programs. Oh happy days! (Feb 06, 2013)
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Number 3 toe of Lili's left front paw (right image above) with relatively early stage of Squamous Cell Carcinoma SCC. You can see the deterioration of bone (lysis) in the distal phalanx and swelling, compared to the good foot, all hidden under her hair. I caught it early, from her licking, and had the entire toe up to the metacarpal joint removed promptly so she survived another four years, longer than most, enjoying many activities as shown here. www.flickr.com/photos/giant_schnauzer/
This disease is frequently erroneously diagnosed as a bacterial infection or allergy. The resulting delay in proper treatment is dangerous, often with fatal consequences.
A few years later Lili had a cancerous lump removed from the elbow region on that leg. A few years after that it appeared in the foreleg itself. She would lick it profusely at night when she thought I was not watching. She was then eleven and a half years old and would not have been happy with yet another procedure -- taking the leg. It never got into her lungs though. She was on effective pain medication (Tramadol generic from Walmart, very low price.) for the last year or so but then it got worse.
If you have a large black dog, especially GS, Poodle, or Lab, pay close attention to any swelling or licking of the toes as the possible first symptom of SCC, particularly if as with Lili it also afflicted the parents or siblings and half siblings of your dog. Your Vet should ease up a bit on the radiograph exposure so that soft tissue can be seen as well, as shown here. A proper biopsy is as traumatic as amputation so save the biopsy for after amputation. Take the entire toe; you want best margins possible.
This was a "weight-bearing" toe for Lili, especially so on a front foot, but she did very well after recovering from the surgery as you can tell from her active lifestyle. I do miss her still. (Skansen's xxxxxx, daughter of U.P.S., grandaughter of Lucas de Campos de Oro, both known to appear in many pedigrees of dogs afflicted with SCC.)
These X-rays are easier to view than the graphic advanced stages of the disease, seen via a Google Images search for " canine toe cancer. " Early intervention via proper diagnosis is the best approach! Do your large black dogs a big favor. Other dogs have lost multiple toes and/or a leg. Palpate their toes thoroughly every few weeks looking for tenderness or swelling. They will get used to and like the massage...
For post-surgery paw print, see www.flickr.com/photos/giant_schnauzer/5395682012/in/photo...
Mouse over the image above to see degree of amputation.
For valuable information on inherited canine cancer, see these links:
research.nhgri.nih.gov/dog_genome/info_for_dog_owners/ (US Government NIH, making notable progress)
research.nhgri.nih.gov/dog_genome/info_for_dog_owners/pri...
research.nhgri.nih.gov/dog_genome/surveys/SCC_Survey.shtml
www.genetics.org/content/179/1/593.full (Carnegie Mellon University. This is a highly technical article; jump to the Discussion at the end.)
www.akc.org/breeders/resp_breeding/steps_5.cfm (American Kennel Club)
As suggested by all the above scientific research, you would do well to do your own in-depth research before getting a new puppy of one of the vulnerable-to-toe-cancer breeds including:
Giant Schnauzer, Gordon Setter, Kerry Blue Terrier, Standard Poodle, Dachshund, Scottish Terrier, Rottweiler, and Labrador Retriever. (Black dogs seem especially vulnerable.)
Toe cancer doesn't sound all that threatening but it is just the first stage of the process.
Lots of specific information is found in the various breed user groups and forums. Do a Google search as well. You should find out the detailed health history of the parents, grandparents, siblings, half siblings, and cousins of your prospective pup. Don't take no for an answer.
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HERE IS A HIGHLY INSTRUCTIVE EXAMPLE:
I was recently offered a "pick of the litter" GS puppy to fill the void left by the departure of dear Lili. On investigation these facts were uncovered:
1) Lili's Sire, a known producer of toe cancer, appeared once in the pup's pedigree.
2) Lili's maternal grandfather, another known producer of toe cancer, appeared FIFTEEN times in the pup's pedigree. (Yes, in 15 different places!)
3) TWO other known producers of toe cancer also appeared FIFTEEN times EACH in the prospective pup's pedigree. At least one other producer appeared at least once once.
4) The Sire and Dam were half siblings.
5) I rejected the puppy based on my own application of common sense and strong urging of experts in canine genetics.
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NB for Giant Schnauzer owners! There is a wonderful new database online of pedigrees where you can trace dogs back through many generations to 100 years ago and find if suspected carriers of the SCC toe cancer gene mutation are in the line you wish to investigate. www.giantschnauzerpedigrees.com/
I hope this has been useful to you. Am interested in hearing from other owners of dogs with SCC. Have learned of dozens of cases to date, many far worse than Lili's with multiple toes and legs involved.
Useful information from Vet Specialist (no connection) on SCC: www.michvet.com/library/oncology_digital_tumors.asp
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Closing comment: Fully 99% of the viewers of this page arrive here via a search using Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. and are not Flickr members so cannot comment or contact me. I have no connection with Flickr, but if you did wish to join for purposes of private/anonymous communication it is a simple process. www.flickr.com/ Others have done this to our mutual benefit but more importantly for the benefit of the wonderful Giant Schnauzer breed. You should know how to diagnose SCC at an early stage and act promptly. Most Vets are not familiar with the affliction.
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Good information from Giant Schnauzer Club of America; pay attention to #2 and #1:
giantschnauzerclubofamerica.com/Health-Testing.aspx
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You can email me directly at: giantschnauzertoecancer@gmail.com
Google has removed my access to that old email address ↑, though I know the password, because I do not remember the date the account was opened years ago! So you could instead try 23642@gmx.com.
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.Please scroll down to read some informative comments!
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Schnauzer géant Schnauzer gigante Ризеншнауцер Suursnautseri suuršnautser Велики шнауцер שנאוצר ענק Schnauzer Gegant विशालकाय Schnauzer Schnauzer xigante sznaucer olbrzym ׃riבs schnauzer veliki navcer נ³חוםרםאףצונ Schnauzer ֲׁ¡ֹל Riesenschnauzer big large giant black dog x-ray xray image radiograph phalanx phalanges toe paw foot feet skansen skansens Skansen's toe cancer scc subungual squamous cell carcinoma lose loss inflamed sore weight bearing toe diagnostic veterinary veterinarian amputation amputate surgery symptom lump swelling discharge sign test cancer research reuse reuze tumor neoplasm search photo photograph picture gene genetics mutant mutation NIH Ostrander breed breeder denial oncology image photograph photo picture study malignant genetic mistake disease ジャイアント·シュナウザー 巨型雪纳瑞 거인은 허접 lysis deterioration bone nail nailbed osteolysis manus dorsopalmar distal phalanx soft tissue mass metacarpal joint digit digital health test testing problem issue diet inherited epithelium tumor nail große schwarze Hund Pfote Fuß Zeh Krebs grande pie negro pata de perro dedo cáncer большая черная собака лапу палец ноги рака stor svart hund foten tass tå Iso musta koira jalka tassu toe syöpä wielki czarny pies stopa łapa rak Velký černý pes nohou tlapka prst rakoviny chien noir orteil patte grande cão preto pé pés câncer pata 大黑狗足爪趾癌症 grote zwarte hond voet poot teen kanker symptom sign toenail inflammation pedigree search nail bed infect infection toe paw foot squamous cell carcinoma disease swollen licking prevention diagnosis chien hund perro removal remove Canine Dog Toe Cancer SCC X-Ray Giant Schnauzer Squamous Cell Carcinoma one two three four Lily Lilly Lilli Lyyli neoplasia neoplastic histopathologic evaluation prognosis veterinary diagnostic laboratories clinics outcome diagnosis inflammatory lesions malignant tumor metastatic disease melanoma soft-tissue sarcoma mast cell tumor pathologist pathology Disease-free interval Osteosarcoma OSC clinical SCC melanoma soft-tissue sarcomas mast cell tumors presentation histopathologic diagnosis breed predilection for large breed black-coated dogs Giant Schnauzers Rottweilers Flat Coated Retrievers standard Poodles metastatic euthanize skin dermatology Munchener bony three third x-ray radiograph giantschnauzer Lilli Lily Lilly Lyyli cães cão black negro schwarz noir svart zwart черный czarny 黒 černý néger musta cancro syöpä kræft рак 癌 rakovina rák 癌症 vēzis vėžys vähk câncer rak kanser kanker cáncer Subungual nailbed epithelium Metastasis neoplastic squamous epithelium Limping reluctance to walk ulcer nodule papule lymph nodes biopsy one two three four five six 1 2 3 4 5 6 month year old treatment Skansen Skansen's munchener muenchener munchner muenchner schnautzer Lili Liliput giantschnauzer snaucer snauzer shnauzer
I was born in Northern Utah, but in the 18 years I lived there I never made it to Vernal to see Dinosaur National Monument. I was so pleased to finally get there this summer!
www.nps.gov/dino/learn/news/history-of-the-quarry-exhibit...
In 1923, Earl Douglass, the paleontologist who established the dinosaur quarry, suggested that the government "leave the bones and skeletons in relief and house them." Douglass believed that doing so would create "one of the most astounding and instructive sights imaginable." It took more than 30 years for his vision to become a reality, but Douglass's assertion was correct.
In 1958, shortly after the Quarry Exhibit Hall opened to the public, Dinosaur's superintendent reported that public reaction to the building had been "most favorable."
www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/quarry-exhibit-hall.htm
The Quarry Exhibit Hall, located over the world-famous Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry, is open! The Quarry Exhibit Hall allows visitors to view the wall of approximately 1,500 dinosaur bones in a refurbished, comfortable space. Here, you can gaze upon the remains of numerous different species of dinosaurs including Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodicus, and Stegosaurus along with several others. Exhibits, including an 80-foot long mural, reveal the story of these animals and many others that lived in the Morrison environment during the late Jurassic. There are even several places where you can touch real 149 million year old dinosaur fossils!
Rangers are available to answer questions and occasionally give Junior Ranger programs or talks on different topics related to the quarry or dinosaurs throughout the day during the summer.
* From 12th March, 2011 to 17th November, 2018
* A 12mins 15sec, 190Mby MP4 video, showing photographs from the southern end of the S.Y.J.R., between 22nd March, 2011 and 30th June, 2018.
* NB: As this is longer than the fixed 3 minute viewing in the Flickr interface, the Video must be downloaded to the desktop to see the full length.
* Right-click on the down-arrow option, the last of the three options to the lower right of the video frame. Select 'Save-As' and view...
** It has just come to my notice (10/12/23) that the Download option below and to the right of the media _does not_ allow you to download the full version, only the 3 minutes available here. So, I am going to try and 'fix' this for all videos lasting more than 3 minutes, this is the link to obtain the full version shown here-
www.flickr.tightfitz.com/Video/SYJR_Part_Two_-_Firbeck,_M...
To the north and south of Dinnington, the S.Y.J.R. was joined by another section of line from the Silverwood Colliery area, through Braithwell Junction where the line from Gowdall joined the line which then ran through Thurcroft and its colliery. The L.M.S. & L.N.E.R. line continued south with a connecting line to the S.Y.J.R which ran from Laughton West Junction to Laughton East Junction near the Dinnington Colliery. South of Dinnington Junction, the Braithwell Line itself finally converged with the S.Y.J.R at Anston Junction; this section of line however between Laughton West Junction and Anston Junction, closed as long ago as the 1920s and has since been obscured by farm land which is easily visible in this shot looking south from Dinnington Junction in November, 2017 here-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/38357961186/
and in July, 2017, here-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/35871297502/
There was also once, briefly, a Brancliffe West Junction, this from the picture at the link below...
'...My 1923 OS map has a line still present passing under the bridge, the line heading from the North Junction to the West Junction off to the left, but at that time the West Junction had been severed. Going back to an earlier date, 1905 there was no SYJR at all and so no junctions on the Lincoln line, after 1923 when the line is shown severed, the next date, 1938 shows the L.M.S. & L.N.E. Joint Line still present and severed at the West Junction, the line now called the 'West Curve'. By 1955, the epoch of the next map, the line has gone and only the trackbed remains, albeit in a much more clear and open landscape and so presumably easier to walk along; it is also now labelled 'Dismantled Railway'. Interestingly, a signal box at the North Junction still remained at that time in the junction between the two lines...'
A shot of the box at North Junction with the West Curve turning off beyond the box and the line of track workers, can be seen here-
www.signalboxes.com/brancliffe-north.php
So it appears that the West curve between the north junction and west junction, came and went between 1905 and 1923, maybe its use was relevant for the 1st World War but after that, it fell into disuse and was severed... there are of course no pictures of anything on this curve, that I could find and there is scant detail on-line giving any information about it. The signalbox was presumably similar to the one at Brancliffe East Junction for which there are details and pictures, see-
www.signalboxes.com/brancliffe-east-jn.php
and the picture referred to above with a class 37 running along Lindrick Dale with the north junction in the background and the west curve at far left beyond the line of trees-
www.flickr.com/photos/imarch2/49578527642/
So, the southern section, in the present context has as much interesting infrastructure as does that in the northern section, but for slightly different reasons. Once the S.Y.J.R joined the G.C.R.'s Lincoln Line between the cities of Sheffield and Lincoln, there were other lineside 'attractions', including, collieries, quarries and miscellaneous engineering works and with the large up and down freight yards on the west side of Worksop, not far along the line to the east.
This second part is split into four sections continuing on from where the last part left off, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/vinc2020/51247222279/
at Laughton, south of Brookhouse. This time there are many more coal workings, 16 in all, along with test trains, aggregates, Charters and a container train. This period from March, 2011 to the end of June, 2018, marked the last busy period on the S.Y.J.R. for coal traffic with collieries, Maltby, Kellingley & Hatfield to name but three, having shut, there occured some diversions making up for a bit of the lost traffic, but even these from about 2019, largely stopped operating and then..at the end of 2019, there was Covid-19...
So, continuing on, back more than 10 years and its the 12th March, 2011 and, at that time, the area around the old Laughton East & West Junctions fascinated me as the path, the 'Laughton Mineral Trail', from the Dinnington area, north through Laughton and on to Thurcroft and Braithwell Junction was now a pleasant walking track. The colliery area was a desolate wasteland of piled up rubble with the odd fenced off gas vent about the place, the site being just north of Steadfolds Lane at Thurcroft, it was instructive to walk up there on several occasions to see what was to be seen. On the 2004 OS map, the area was labelled as 'disused workings' with the trackbed disappearing in the rubble on its way up to Braithwell Junction north of Hellaby in the Ravenfield area; the M18 now cuts right through the area close to the junction.
* Laughton Junction(11).
The first shot in the series of 11, shows the scene looking north with the S.Y.J.R. on the right and Laughton East Junction on the left, being March, the trees are denuded of leaves and so the trackbed to Laughton West Junction is easy to make out. It all looks pretty uninspiring.
2. The following shot shows the scene to the south with an industrial estate having grown up on the left and in the distance under the Todwick Road bridge, a M.A.S. signal, possibly Worksop's S0608, for moves south along the single line to Dinnington Junction.
3. Another shot looking back north follows, with a close-up view of the junction which shows the small wiring box featured in he last video, and situated over on the far left of the shot, hiding in the shrubbery. The wiring in the box once ran to and from Dinnington Junction and Maltby and I guess it may still be there, 10 years later.
4-5. Further north, near Laughton Common Farm where the local road passes close to a foot-crossing, is shown in this, where stone abutments can be seen which carried a footbridge across the track(s), it is now the foot crossing seen just after the shot of Laughton Parish Church which follows this shot.
6. Shot 6 shows the foot-crossing and the view looks to the south towards Laughton Common Road bridge in the distance and on to Dinnington.
7. Two years later, in February, 2013, whilst driving over to Laughton once more for some additional shots, this picture shows the on-going work in the Penny Hill Lane of Ulley, south of Rotherham, to erect a set of new wind-turbines and in the picture, one of the turbine blades is being delivered to the site by 'Collett Transport', and with police in attendance for traffic control. This set of Turbines is the one which can be seen easily from the M1 motorway where the junction for the M18 commences taking traffic either west then north on the M1 to Leeds or continuing north-east towards Doncaster on the M18; the junction commences here on a bridge deck and is in the background just around the corner.
8. On the same day, its back to Laughton East Junction with another, early February shot of the S.Y.J.R. on the right, still with the tall, prominent conifer in the background and on the left, the trackbed of Laughton East to West Junction. The reason for being back here was to capture some shots of traffic movement at this time and 45 minutes after the picture of the turbine blade was taken, at last, a freight.
9-11 This is one of the typical moves along the line at this time and is an E.W.S. class 66, 66087, running on the 6E77, Hunterston High Level to West Burton Power Station working, so carrying a long rake of full coal to the Power Station. Facing south to Dinnington Junction, the last two shots in this section show, in bright, low sun, the rake of old E.W.S. liveried HYA coal hoppers passing what I believe to be Worksop's S0608 signal for moves along to Dinnington Junction and the double track section to Brancliffe East Junction, Worksop and the Trent Power Station beyond to the east. Coal can just be seen, 'peeping' over the top of the last wagon...
And, this week, 19th July 2021, coal is being moved once more along here, from Immingham to West Burton, due to an energy shortage brought on by the hot, still weather, the latter not so good for Wind Turbines has resulted in a 1GW of power shortfall and is being met by a week of G.B.R.f. coal trains which pass along here around 14:30... I am hoping to get a shot of the working, today, Wednesday, 21st July.., see-
www.flickr.com/photos/vinc2020/51327037887/
and, as it turns out today, Monday, 26th July, the coal working is running again all week...
* Dinnington Junction(105).
This is where most of the action took place during the period shown here with others at Brancliffe East Junction along with the extensive Engineering works which took place on the 14th June, 2017 both at Brancliffe and further north at Firbeck Junction where the track-bed was re-ballasted and the rails replaced and slightly re-modelled., all of which took place at the same time , see 1st section of Part I of the video, here-
www.flickr.com/photos/vinc2020/51247222279/
At this time the whole of the S.Y.J.R. was closed for several weeks. Dinnington Junction has now suffered like other rail infrastructure in the area in that it has a much simpler layout with both some semaphore signalling at the northern end around Maltby Box and the rest of the track(s) under control of M.A.S. from the P.S.B. at the western end of platform 2 at Worksop. The old semaphore box, repainted along with the foot-bridge a few years ago, is at the other end of the station beyond platform 1 and the level crossing; it is now used as 'rest-room'.
12. In this first off 100=odd shots here, the view looks to the north with the site of the Dinnington Colliery Box over on the left where the palisaded off area is, protecting the CCTV camera which watches over the double-to-single track junction. The Colliery was over in the distance to the right of the Todwick Road bridge in the distance, the Colliery occupying a hug site and took up most of the land on the right of the tracks.
13. This view looks south from the same Cramfit Bridge on Common Road as the last shot and shows Dinnington's W0607 signal, which controls north-bound moves onto the single track section, all the way up to just west of Maltby Box then from there, single again to St. Catherines Junction. The bridge in the distance in this shot carries 'New Road' though it only coveys traffic to 'Burne Farm', about a kilometre over to the right and North Anston can be seen in the trees at top left.
So, here come the workings, as it were, listed in order of appearance by date from 9th March, 2011 to 20th, August, 2018-
14-16(9/3/11). E.W.S., 'East West & Scottish Railway', class 66, 66093, heads south on a full coal, 6xxx, Immingham H.I.T. to West Burton/Cottam Power Station, the actual details never recorded.
17-21.(1/6/12). Freightliner 66739, on the 4N17, heading north on the Cottam Power Station to Tyne S.S. return empties, being photographed by its driver whilst stood at Signal W0607 on the right.
22-24.(8/3/90). Anston Wood foot crossing and E.W.S. 66034 on the 4D37, Cottam Power Station to Hull Coal Terminal return coal empties.
25-28.(8/3/90). Anston Wood foot crossing and G.B.R.f., 'Great Britain Rail freight' with 66730, 'Whitemoor', on the 6F12 Tyne Coal Terminal to Cottam Power Station full coal train.
29-31.(15/3/13). Freightliner 66562, on the 4E83 Container train, diverted along here, Felixstowe North FLT to Doncaster E.P.T.
32-36.(15/3/13). 'Devon & Cornwall Railway', D.C.R. 56311, on the 6Z22, Thoresby Colliery to York Holgate Sidings with the driver once more alighting from the cab to take a picture of his 15 MBA type scrap wagons, before it heads north to York.
37.(4/11/13). E.W.S. 66043, on 6F29, Hatfield Main Mining to Cottam Power Station with a full coal from a local colliery.
38.(4/11/13). N.R.Measurement Test Train 950001 on the 2Q08, Derby R.T.C. to Doncaster West Yard working looking splendid in the bright early November weather,
39-43.(28/12/13). Almost 2 months later and D.B.S., 'D.B. Shenker Cargo', class 60, 60020 with class 67, 67005 'Queen's Messenger' at the back operates the 1Z50, London Kings Cross to Deepcar working and, later that day, the 1Z51, Deepcar to Hull charter.
44.(21/8/14). D.B.S. 66025, on the 4N07, West Burton Power Station to North Blythe(DBS) empty coal train heads north towards Doncaster.
45-47.(21/8/14). G.B.R.f. 66727, 'Andrew Scott CBE' on the 6F01, Doncaster Down Decoy to Cottam Power Station(FLHH) full coal train.
48.(21/8/14). D.B.S. 66025, on the 4N07, West Burton Power Station to North Blythe(DBS) empty coal train heads north towards Doncaster.
49-52.(21/8/14). G.B.R.f. 66715, 'Valour' on the 4D07, West Burton Power Station to Doncaster Down Decoy(GBRf) with yet another rake of empty 'Fastline' HYA/IIA coal hoppers, heading north. And, just noticed, there's a pheasant walking away from the line to the left of the loco, the bird looking rather nonchalant, though I guess with the traffic here as it was, its come to accept this type of racket...!
53-58.(21/8/14). Another diverted Container train, this one Freightliner 66593, 'Mersey Multimodal Gateway', on the 4E62, Felixstowe North(FLT) to Doncaster(EPT) working.
59-61.(11/4/15). Eight months later and back again for this Engineers Train with G.B.R.f. 66717, 'Good Old Boy' and 66739, 'Bluebell Railway', was a Freightliner, see pictures 17-21 above), on the 6F29, Doncaster, Hexthorpe Yard to West Burton Power Station with a rake of ex-Freightliner MBA-type box wagons.
62.(11/4/15). Another Freightliner, this time 66529, heading a rake of empty HYA coal wagons on the 4D28, Cottam Power Station(FHH) to Hunslet Yard working but halted at signal W0607 awaiting the passage of a south-bound train coming through from Maltby.
63.(11/4/15). And here it is, yet another full coal train this time with D.B.S. 66230 in charge on the 6Z29, Rossington Colliery to Worksop Up Receptions working. Rossington was a Colliery which still had piles of coal to be disposed of at this time.
64-69.(11/4/15). The next 6 shots show D.B.S. 6623, on the 6Z29, Rossington Colliery to Worksop Up Receptions, passing souhth alongside hte parked up Freightliner, 66529, awaiting dispatch to the north after the DBS had passed by, the Freightliner on the 4D28, Cottam Power Station(FHH) to Hunslet Yard empty coal working.
70-79.(11/4/15). And still the same day, at 15:10 and another D.B.S. class 66, in old EWS livery, this one 66015 on the Engineers Working, 6T57 Belmont Down Yard via Worksop Reception and back to Dinnington Junction during Network Rail Engineering possession work with, in one of the pictures, Gavin Bland present and shooting the actions... the last two pictures show the yellow JNA box wagons stretched out along the track north of Dinnington Junction with a new housing estate having now grown up on the left, south of Laughton Common Road..
80-84.(23/1/16). Its now late January, 2016 and as a bit of a change, W.C.R.C, 'West Coast Railway Company' and the 'Branch Line Society' are running class 37, 37706, with class 47, 47786, 'Roy Castle OBE', at the back on the 1Z23, Carnforth via SYJR to Cleethorpes and later, 1Z24, Cleethorpes via Sheffield to Carnforth day charter.
85-87.(22/8/16). And eight months later, another Test Train, this time with Colas Rail operating D.R.S., 'Direct Rail Services' class 37, 37602 and 37609 at the back on the 1Q23, Derby R.T.C. via Sheffield & Worksop to Doncaster West Yard working. The coach set consisting of coaches 9481, 977997, 72631 the P.L.P.R., 'Plain Line Pattern Recognition Coach, 9523, the I.M.T. 'Infrastructure Monitoring Train'...
88-92.(26/6/17). And 10 months later still, location the 'New Road' bridge, BKS/16, south of Dinnington Junction and its again Colas Rail which operate the Test Trains for Network Rail, this time its class 37, 37175, 'W. S. Sellar' with 37254 on the back on the 1Q64 Derby R.T.C. but this time to Heaton T&R.S.M.D. This time the coaches on the P.L.P.R., 'Plain Line Pattern Recognition' train are coaches 96606, 'Brake Force Runner' 72612, the 'Radio Survey Coach, 72639, the 'Plain Line Pattern Recognition Coach No 4. 975091, 'MENTOR', the 'Mobile Electronic Network Testing & Observation Recorder'. The set passes the point once under 'New Road' bridge which was the location of Anston Junction, carrying the line from here, through Laughton West Junction and on to Thurcroft and Braithwell.
93-97.(19/7/17). This time another diversion, this didn't last all that long so it was good to get out for shots of it while it was running this way. This is G.B.R.f. 66705, 'Golden Jubilee', on the diverted 6E89, Wellingborough Up T.C.(GBRf) to Rylstone Tilcon(GBRf) with a rake of what look like new MBA-type box wagons, here, empty. The set snakes onto the single line section and over on the right, some of the 'plant' is still hanging around from earlier Engineering work, these are notably the 'STORY 900', 'Liebherr #0990' unit with bucket #606 and a second unit, #0989..
98-103.(13/11/17). Around 4 months later, and yet another Test Train plies the rails northwards, this time its Colas Rail class 37, 37219, 'Jonty Jarvis 8-12-1998 to 18-3-2005' with, at the back, 37611, 'Pegasus', the winged messenger, on the usual 1Q64, Derby R.T.C. but this time to the Gascoigne Wood Down Loop which pauses for a brief time at the W0607, before heading off north. Have come under the Cramfit Road bridge, the rear 37, 37611, can be seen and is in 'Europhoenix' livery with 'Griffin' motif and, at the trackside, shown in close-up, two signs of a very different nature, a 'Soft(toy) hung on the palisade with a Hard(palisade) sign about trespass beyond the awful looking palisade fence, now ubiquitous everywhere on the railway...
104-106.(11/1/18). Three months later, its early January once more and an Engineers Train is rumbling along the S.Y.J.R. heading under the Todwick Road bridge heading fro Doncaster. This is G.B.R.f. 66776, 'Joanne', on the 6E42, Cliffe Hill Stud Farm to Doncaster Up Decoy working with a long rake of ballast from the quarry in the 'Stud Farm' area. The following panorama is distorted due to the proximity of the scene to the camera and there are now new industrial spaces all over the place in this area, one being over on the right, right next to the line where, on the other side of the road bridge is an access to the path along to the 'Bluebell Wood' area, its signs are self-explanatory...
107-112.(11/1/18). And, on the same day, back in the Dinnington Junction area, yet another Engineers Train trundles south, this time double-headed, with G.B.R.f. 66778, 'Darius Cheskin', and behind it, 66773, on the also diverted, from its normal route through Masbrough, 6M73, Doncaster Up Decoy to Toton North Yard working. This time in the short haul, are 4 ballast wagons and 7 concrete rail panel carriers.. Todwick Road bridge, from where the last shots were taken of the north-bound Engineers Train, is in the background and at the front of the consist is a VolkerRail crane for handling the materials on-board.. Some fence adornments alongside the Bluebell Wood' area along with the view over the S.Y.J.R. looking to the west and Aston and Todwick, are shown in the last of these 6 shots...
113-116.(20/8/18). Finally in this second section, the last working, taken on August 20th, 7 months later, another Colas Rail Test Train, this time with, at the front, class 37, in B.R. blue with red lining-out at the top, 37612 and at the back, yellow/orange liveried Colas 37421, 'Star of the East'. The train is, yet again, on the same working for these types of move, 1Q64, though now from the Tyseley L.M.D., Light Maintenance Department, to Neville Hill T&R.S.M.D., Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Department. With the usual rake of P.L.P.R., 'Plain Line Pattern Recognition' coaches, this time 977868, the 'Radio Survey Test coach, 72639, the 'Plain Line Pattern Recognition Coach No 4', 977974, the 'Track Inspection Unit No 2, and 6260, the 'Ultrasonic Test Coach'... It looks as if the rear 37 is providing some power as there is a cloud of 'clag' present as the set gets away onto the single line section through to Maltby..
* Lindrick Dale(21).
A quiet back-water off the very busy A57 trunk road, though once along here, there's not a sound, well, other than the coal trains passing to-and-fro from Doncaster to either West Burton or Cottam Power Stations near the River Trent, east of Worksop.
117. First up at this location on the 3rd April, 2017 and in good weather, a nicely turned out G.B.R.f., 'shed' comes slowly ambling across the only access bridge allowing access to the 'Fan Field Farm' area close to the Lincoln Line tracks and beyond, just 100m away, the Chesterfield Canal. G.B.R.f. 66757. 'West Somerset Railway' is, for a change, not on a full coal working, but 4D90, Hexthorpe Yard to Shirebrook - Davis & Son where they were, and still are, modifying HYA coal wagons for use as aggregate carriers.
118. Shows one of the other two bridges a little further south, this one, now redundant, takes the road/lane over the north to west curve trackbed which connected Brancliffe North Junction at top right with Brancliffe East Junction which is some way off to the left. Fan Field Farm cottages are in the background and the S.Y.J.R. runs in the cutting to the right of the pictures.
119. Fan Field Farm is the next shot alongside the Lincoln main lines with the signalling for Brancliffe East Junction at top right and the S.Y.J.R. lines curving off behind the farm. It was in the corner of this field, just beyond Worksop's W0518, two-head signal, here showing double yellow, that I was hoisted aloft to photograph Network Rail Engineering work on the 14th of June, this year, 2017, the two shots appear right at the end of the video... Behind the camera on the left a little way off and now unrecognisable, is where the west curve from Brancliffe North Junction, met the main Lincoln Lines at Brancliffe Wes6 Junction. As mentioned above... It appears that the West curve between the north junction and west junction, came and went between 1905 and 1923, maybe its use was relevant for the 1st World War but after that, it fell into disuse and was severed... there are of course no pictures of anything on this curve, that I could find and there is scant detail on-line giving any information about it. The signalbox was presumably similar to the one at Brancliffe East Junction for which there are details and pictures, see-
www.signalboxes.com/brancliffe-east-jn.php
120-122. Are shots of the nearby Chesterfield Canal area on this beautiful early April day with, in the first of the three looking west, walkers resting at one of the Thorpe Locks. The second, facing south is memorable as it is the location where I once photographed what looked like a huge 'ice-plug', floating on top of the cold water, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/6864399617/
taken 5 years earlier, on February 9th, 2012. The lock flight is here descending towards Shireoaks and the on past Worksop and the Canal in now undergoing extensive restoration in the Staveley area to connect the waters beyond Kiveton, where they end here, from the other side of Norwood Tunnel and on to Staveley, the 'Last Nine Miles', as it has been called, see-
chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/
The last of the 3 canal pictured shows bridge #35 which takes walkers and cyclists from the path through Lindrick Dael, along across Fan Field at the west side of the farm, across an accommodation crossing across the Lincoln Lines and then to here, the path continues up through Old Spring wood and its disused quarry to Thorpe Salvin.
123-124. Views of the Lincoln Line from the canal side of the formation with Network Rail class 144, 144007, passing east on a local service 2P63, Scunthorpe via Sheffield to Lincoln Central. The next shot of the two shows another Northern Rail DMU, again a class 144, which have now 'vanished' from regular passenger services but here, in 2017, it was running on the 2P68, Lincoln Central to Sheffield service. On the left in the corner of this field is where the elevated platform tractor action took place, seen in the last shots of this vide, with me atop, photographing the Engineering action below. Brancliffe East Junction is at far left and the lines curving round towards the camera are those of the S.Y.J.R.
125-128. And now some real action on the S.Y.J.R. With permission from the owner of 'Fan Field Farm', I am now located on the 3rd of the 3 bridges over the rail formation in this area, this one takes a farm track over the S.Y.J.R. between Fan Field Farm and 'Fan Field' itself close to Brancliffe Grange and one of the disused quarries nearby, Brancliffe Lime Works. At the spot on time and now in the company of the owner of the farm who was interested in what I was up too, so hung around whilst we waited for one of the frequent test trains that came along here, this one operated by Colas Rail is seen heading north from the east on a round-about trip checking out the state of the tracks and is a Colas, class 37/97, 97303, ex-E3356m, ex-D842, 'Meteor', with 37421, ex-E3527, ex-D956, 'Star of the East' on the back on the 1Q64, Derby R.T.C. via Toton, Retford & York to Neville T&R.S.M.D. seen here on the S.Y.J.R. doing the northern section of the, 'P.L.P.R.', 'Plain Line Pattern Recognition' Test Train working. In the last 2 of the 4 shots here, the set passes under the accommodation bridge and the walkers, who were seen earlier by the side of the canal, have now finished lunch and are now off north through Lindrick Dale walking towards the cottages near the Brancliffe West curve bridge. They pause on the bridge, which can be seen clearly in the last of the 4 shots, its midday, the sun is directly south behind the camera and illuminating the warning panel of the class 37 as the set makes its way towards Anston and Dinnington Junction.
129-132. The four shots in this part show details of the Brancliffe North Junction, its bridge and track-bed of the west curve to Brancliffe West Junction. The first picture shows the bridge over the now much over-grown west curve track-bed with, in the distance on the right, Anston Grange Farm' accommodation crossing allowing access between two of the farmer's fields. The double track section of the S.Y.J.R. passes beneath and in the next shots the camera will be in that area, close to the very busy A57 trunk road. The 2nd of the 4 shows the view of the S.Y.J.R. from the bridge over the West Curve to Brancliffe West Junction and its signalbox, Brancliffe North Junction and its signalbox being just on the right beyond the blue bag in the undergrowth. Looking back at the West Curve bridge and the S.Y.J.R. on the left, shows the substantial nature of the bridge structures here with a section of the land of 'Fan Field Farm' in the background; the West Curve track-bed looks pretty much the same as it does here, all along to the West Junction area. Finally in the is set of 4 bridge pictures, I am back at the spot where the GBRf crossed earlier on its way south to Shirebrook and this bridge access is the only one from the main A57 road, though Lindrick Dale to the southern-most part at 'Fan Field Farm' where the double track formation of the Lincoln Line cutes through from Sheffield, Worksop and Lincoln; lots of tree clearance had occured here in recent times and its easy to see why ...
133-137. Walking back up through Lindrick Dale towards the A57 and here is its road bridge across the track formation with a nicely coloured blue, 'Countrywide Express Ltd' H.G.V. passing over towards Anston from the Worksop direction, a lot of vegetation clearance and bank stabilisation had also been undertaken during this early period in April, 2017. The next shot shows the view to the south and Worksop's W0604 signal which, as far as I can make out, has been removed as there is no sign of it on the track-diagram, the signals being, from Maltby southbound, W0608, W0606, W0602, to W0522 and north-bound from Brancliffe, W0523, W0605, W0607 and 'LSSY' at Maltby. So, not quite sure what has replaced this signal or if it has just been moved and re-numbered... The last 3 shots in this section at Lindrick Dale, taken ne 18 months later on 11th November 2018, show more G.B.R.f. traction in the form of a fully loaded coal train with 66781 at the front on the 6F71, Immingham H.I.T. to Cottam Power Station(GBRf) working. The shots here were trick due to the steepness of the bank and in searching for a better viewpoint, I almost missed the passage of this working as it came forward very quietly, matters not being helped by the background noise of traffic from the A57. Rose-hips are now evident in on the bushes at this side of the tracks as its the end of Autumn and Winter beckons and it being around midday again, the view south has equally low sun to those shots taken 18 months earlier in April, 2017, so the view is a bit overwhelmed with low sunlight. In the last of the 3 shots of the coal train, the bridge seen in the distance in the shots taken in April 2017, from the end of Lindrick Dale, can just be made out in the distance, connection the two fields of Anston Grange Farm' with an accommodation access for the farmer as 66781 clatters on down the S.Y.J.R. to the Power Station at Cottam, with yet more coal.
* Brancliffe East Junction(46).
And, finally, the end-of-the-line, the S.Y.J.R., joined the main Sheffield to Lincoln Line at 2 junctions, one to the west and one here, Brancliffe East Junction. The one to the west, as has already been mentioned, the West curve between the North Junction and West Junction, came and went between 1905 and 1923, maybe its use was relevant for the 1st World War but after that, it fell into disuse and was severed. Brancliffe East Junction forms what was and to some extent still is, a busy place with traction passing bot E/W and N/W, though the latter, along the S.Y.J.R., has seen a down-turn in traffic over the last few years and this after a large amount of money was spent on the formation at various places from here, as will be shown in the latter pictures, all the way north to Firbeck. There are two foot-crossings here, one passing Fan Filed Farms just along the line to the west and one here behind the camera both of which lead off from the Chesterfield Canal, just 130m away to the south.
138.(26/8/14). So, here we are on 26th August, 2014, close to the eastern foot-crossing and coming along the main line, a Northern class 158, 158793, on the regular Scunthorpe to Lincoln Central service, this one 2P71. Behind the unit there are ground 'disk' signals to control crossing movements from the up line on the right, to the down on the left, though I have never seen any pictures from recent times of such a move taking place. Standing at the side of the down line at left, Worksop's W0523 signal with 'feather' atop controlling moves north onto the S.Y.J.R.
139.(26/8/14). And 5 minutes later, a move to the west in the form of a Northern class 142, now defunct in this area, 142066, on the 2R29, Lincoln Central via Sheffield for reversal then north to Adwick.
140.(26/8/14). Looking from the other side of the foot-crossing, Worksop's W0523 is now showing a red after passage west of the DMU and in the distance on the right, W0518 for moves along the up line in this direction, it too must be showing red as there is a freight working imminent off the S.Y.J.R. to the right.
141-145.(26/8/14). A few minutes later and out pops the freight working, with G.B.R.f. class 66, 66706, 'Nene Valley' coming around the bend off the S.Y.J.R., and onto the Lincoln Line east on the 6F93, Tyne Yard to Cottam Power Station full coal train. A walker has reached the area of the foot-crossing next to me and takes a keen look at the thunderous clatter going by, where around 1500 tonnes of coal is being shifted to the Cottam Power Station but, not for much longer; after 52 years and generating a total 500Terawatt hours (500,000,000 Megawatt hours) of power, Cottam closed completely on 30 September 2019. 66706 is hauling, as usual, around 20 full HYA/IIA coal hoppers.
146-147.(28/8/14). And, 2 days later, 28th August, the camera was back at the same spot! These two shots show a tele shot from the foot-crossing of the Worksop W0523 signal showing red and, a few moments later, changing to green with the divergence 'feather' lit, for a move onto the S.Y.J.R.
148-152.(28/8/14). And, 1 minute later, here's the reason, 66729, 'Derby County', thunders towards the camera on a diverted Container train, this one 4E33, the Felixstowe South(GBRf) to Doncaster Railport(GBRf) working with a full load of train of large and small container units. Brilliant weather for late August prevails and it was well worth the jaunt out here and the walk along the canal from Shireoaks to access the eastern foot crossing at Thorpe Locks on the Chesterfield Canal. Just after the loco has turned off, and moved 200m(I think this the correct overlap distance) beyond the signal, the signalling changes back to a red aspect protecting the rear of train from any oncoming traffic, of which, at this time, there was none.
153.(28/8/14). Still at this location on this date and the time is 17:06 and another Northern DMU rattles by along the line towards Worksop, this one another, now defunct, class 144, 144007, on the 2P63, Scunthorpe to Lincoln Central service in late afternoon sun.
154.(28/8/14). And three minutes later after the DMU had disappeared to the east, another move off the S.Y.J.R. was signalled and here it is, this time its a Freightliner class 66, 66506, 'Crewe Regeneration' on another full coal working, 6E73, from Hunterston High Level(FHH) to Cottam Power Station(FHH) with again a rake of HYA/IIA hoppers for the Power Station merry-go-round apparatus to take their coal for the furnaces...
155.(28/8/14). In this composite shot, Freightliner 66506 is seen passing on the 6E73, Hunterston High Level(FHH) to Cottam Power Station(FHH), whilst the earlier G.B.R.f. 66729, 'Derby County' on 4E33, Felixstowe South(GBRf) to Doncaster Railport(GBRf) is seen about to pass the Freightliner onto the S.Y.J.R.n north to Dinnington Junction. A pair of moves which is possible here, though sadly, I haven't actually seen this happen.
156-158.(28/8/14). Three further shots of the Freightliner, 66506, on the 6E73, Hunterston High Level(FHH) to Cottam Power Station(FHH) working, having just come off the S.Y.J.R., is now heading speedily along the line to the east through Worksop and Retford then continuing south-east on the line to Cottam Power Station, right next to the River Trent. Taking the line to the north-east at Clarborough Junction would take the working to the West Burton Power Station, also next to the River Trent. This Power Station, for the last two weeks starting 19th July, having been put on standby due to the hot weather with its attendant lack of any useful wind, causing a deficit in Power generated by Wind turbines...
159-160.(7/5/16). Its 18 months later and early May and its coming to the time, in just over a month, of a major Network Rail Line Possession, located on the S.Y.J.R., one to the north at Firbeck Junction and another here at Brancliffe East Junction. Meanwhile in yet more glorious weather a view of the Junction from the western foot-crossing, taking a path over from the Chesterfield Canal, via the back of Fan Field Farm and on to Lindrick Dale. Passing along the Lincoln Line to the east, yet another of the Northern class 14x type DMUs, this one 142, also now defunct as are the 144s, this one 142015 and yet again on the 2P63, Scunthorpe to Lincoln Central service. These units have now been replaced with class 195, 'Civity', 'CAF, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A.', units and still extant class 15x units... The second of these two shots shows the view on the same day towards the west and the still extant platelayer's hut standing alongside the line between Brancliffe East and the now long gone, Brancliffe West Junction in the distance beyond the signal. The eastern foot-crossing is visible which takes walkers from Lindrick Dale over to the right, across here and to the Chesterfield Canal, just 100 or so metres off to the left; the red tile roof of Fan Field Farm can also be seen.
161-165.(7/5/16). And, the reason for being here at all on this 7th May, 2016. I don't recall a H.S.T. coming along here either before this one or indeed after it, to this day, so this was a bit of an event and once again, worth the jaunt over there. It was all in aid of a day out at the seaside on the north Lincolnshire coast and arrived into this area 15 minutes before noon on this day having set off from St Pancras at 07:32. This is the 'East Midland Trains', 'The Midland & Gt. Central Rail Tour', with class 43, H.S.T. sets, 43050 and 43059 on the 1Z43, St Pancras High Level to Cleethorpes Charter. The 'Six Bells Junction' website has the full details, see-
www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/10s/160507uk.htm
Having arrive at 14:00 on the east coast, the passengers had 4 hours to enjoy the delights of Cleethorpes before setting off back at 16:00. The original two class 43 sets, failed at Derby and had to be replaced by these two at short notice, and the full set was-43050+41075+41076+40756+42328+42341+42148+42149+44051 with 43059, the H.S.T.s used clearly needed cleaning but there looks to have been not enough time!
166-167.(7/5/16). ONce the set had passed north on the S.Y.J.R., another couple of shots were taken of the junction, before it was all ripped up and replaced in just 5 weeks time. The platelayer's hut marks the spot, behind which, I get elevated to great heights, to take some fine shots over the Network Rail Engineering work in June, aided and abetted by 'Phil the Farmer', at Fan Field Farm in the background. The turn out speed onto the S.Y.J.R. is 25m.p.h., marked by the old cast-iron post and sign in the space between the two sets of lines... these speed restriction signs, originally with pure white numbers, are large, weighty and robust and still exist all over the network! A close-up shot follows showing the fence I will be looking over in around 5 weeks whilst being10m up in the air!
168-180.(14/6/17). Its the 14th June, 2017 and marks the time I arrived here, having confirmed with 'Phil the Farmer' that I could come onto his property to take some shots of the Engineering work. He was most pleasant and happy to assist and it was he who suggested that I may prefer a better vantage point, the last three shots in this section and indeed in this second part of the S.Y.J.R. video, show what was involved... The first shot shows the warning for the foot-crossing passing across the lie towards the Chesterfield Canal with, behind it, Worksop's W0518 signal, showing red, as were all the other signals around here as the area was under a Line Possession with already sections of the track missing. Beyond the signal to the right of it, Network Rail personnel are working on the lineside signal cabinets, the one in the foreground next to the signal has its door open and there is another where the 'orange-jacket' is standing. The small fenced off sections to the left and right of the warning sign are actually an underpass, from the Fan Field Farm area, passing under the tracks to the other side.. something Phil was only to happy for me to use though the area was 'somewhat' overgrown... The next 12 shots in this second to last section, show various views of the on-going track and ballast work taking place on both the main line and the junction with the S.Y.J.R.
By the time I arrived here in mid-June, 2017, a lot of the work had been done, old rail had been removed, including all that in the Brancliffe East Junction cross-overs, new ballast had been dropped, must of the alignment was on-going and there was plenty of ancillary work being undertaken. The 12 views show what was going on from the vantage of the corner of 'Phil's Field' right next to the back of the Platelayer's hut. At one stage I walked under the tracks though the culvert and photographed the scene from the other side though the shots were hampered, as always, by lineside Silver Birch saplings which got in the way. It also looks like the old metal 25m.p.h. sign may have been dispensed with and some tidying up had been undertaken; the platelayer's hut was, and is, however still present. The views from the other side of the tracks look both east and west during a period in which the Engineering work, now, looks to be largely winding down and getting back to the other side of the tracks, through the culvert under the tracks and back in the corner of Fan Field Farm between the two sets of tracks, S.Y.J.R. on the left and the Lincoln Main Line passing on the right, its time to 'prep' myself for Phil's idea of hoisting me aloft in a box attached to the fork lift on the front of his tractor, 'for a much better view'! Which, actually turned out to be the case.
181-183.(14/6/17). On this same day, having ambled about taking as many shots of interest I could,, the first of the last 3 shots of the whole video, shows the arrangement of the 'lifting platform' which Phil rigged up for me to stand in.. my car at that time, a Honda CRV, is just behind. Phil is in the tractor already to go, his Farm is in the background and all I have to do is climb on-board! What could possibly go wrong, as it turned out, nothing at all.. you may just want to imagine what the N.R. track workers thought as I rose aloft in the high sided pallet and peered over the end of the fences and started to take shots from a perfect perspective! The last 2 of the three shots shows the view from the back of the tractor looking towards the corner of the field, the platelayer's hut and onto the scene at Brancliffe East Junction; all I needed now, was height. So, the very last picture shows me in shorts and 'T' with Canon dangling and Phil, having parked the tractor and secured the platform mechanism, gets out and wanders off leaving me too it.. good job I had his phone number and my mobile with me..! It was from this vantage point that all the last shots were taken over the Junction, there weren't all that many, for the effort which had been made as the scene looked fairly static.. a train or two going through would have helped immensely but, of course, that couldn't happen..
Here endeth this tale of the South Yorkshire Joint Railway, a perspective taken between the years 2011 and 2018.. I hope you have enjoyed it as an awful lot of work has been put into this. 37 hours for the first part and by the time the video is re-edited again it will be getting on for 40 hours for this part...
the 10 of Swastikas ---- this card is from a 1912 game called The Game of Roodles made by the Flinch Card Co., Kalamazoo, Mich. - "Simple, Instructive, Scientific & Entertaining" ----- Flinch was later (& I think, still is) made by Parker Bros. But I'm sure the advent of Hitler and his gang of idiots in the 30's made the game unsellable, if it was even still around by then.
I happen to think that the Swastika is a great looking symbol, and I'm part of a growing group of people trying to re-instate it as a symbol of good luck.
Risiera di san sabba was the only nazi lager on Italian ground. In 1945 part of the structure was blown up by the Nazi before retreating . A lot of people died here. The Risiera is just outside Trieste; if you go there, don't forget to visit it, it's very very instructive.
The hands of women, (the power of organizations and infancy education) hold the power to change reality, reaching out to every woman wherever she is, we need to choose the right path for us and make sure to embark on this journey strong and determined.
Equality and adequate representation in the work world is possible, rewarding, and is worth fighting for. This book is an invitation to a journey through (via) authentic life stories of 111 women in the Israeli society who have not given up, fell and rose up over and over again. They made their voices heard, progressed and made a personal breakthrough.
The writing in the book is about real life and career. A Women and Career Book -A Leading Influential Presence - A fascinating, instructive and transformative journey which transforms business discourse about leadership.
A bathing place/public bath from Pompeji. The sun shines in from one of the windows.
A really hot day we visited Pompeji. A really intresting and instructive day.
Pietro Perugino
Christ handing the keys to Saint Peter [1481-82]
Vatican, Sistine Chapel, North wall
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Description
The scene, part of the series of the Stories of Jesus on the chapel's northern wall, is a reference to Matthew 16[2] in which Jesus says he will give "the keys of the kingdom of heaven" to Saint Peter.[3] These keys represent the power to forgive and to share the word of God thereby giving them the power to allow others into heaven. The main figures are organized in a frieze in two tightly compressed rows close to the surface of the picture and well below the horizon.[4] The principal group, showing Christ handing the silver and gold keys to the kneeling St. Peter, is surrounded by the other Apostles, including Judas (fifth figure to the left of Christ), all with halos, together with portraits of contemporaries, including one said to be a self-portrait (fifth from the right edge). The flat, open square is divided by coloured stones into large foreshortened rectangles. In the center of the background is a temple resembling the ideal church of Leon Battista Alberti's On architecture; on either side are triumphal arches with inscriptions aligning Sixtus IV to Solomon, recalling the latter's porticoed temple.[5] Scattered in the middle distance are two scenes from the life of Christ, including the Tribute Money on the left and the stoning of Christ on the right.[5]
Detail of the central building
The style of the figures is inspired by Andrea del Verrocchio.[6] The active drapery, with its massive complexity, and the figures, particularly several apostles, including St. John the Evangelist, with beautiful features, long flowing hair, elegant demeanour, and refinement recall St Thomas from Verrocchio's bronze group in Orsanmichele. The poses of the actors fall into a small number of basic attitudes that are consistently repeated, usually in reverse from one side to the other, signifying the use of the same cartoon. They are graceful and elegant figures who tend to stand firmly on the earth. Their heads are smallish in proportion to the rest of their bodies, and their features are delicately distilled with considerable attention to minor detail.
The octagonal temple of Jerusalem[citation needed] and its porches that dominates the central axis must have had behind it a project created by an architect, but Perugino's treatment is like the rendering of a wooden model, painted with exactitude. The building with its arches serves as a backdrop in front of which the action unfolds. Perugino has made a significant contribution in rendering the landscape. The sense of an infinite world that stretches across the horizon is stronger than in almost any other work of his contemporaries, and the feathery trees against the cloud-filled sky with the bluish-gray hills in the distance represent a solution that later painters would find instructive, especially Raphael.[citation needed]
The building in the center is similar to that in Marriage of the Virgin by Perugino, as well as that painted by Perugino's pupil Pinturicchio in his Stories of St. Bernardino in the Bufalini Chapel of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.
Source:
Brother and sister stand in front of their parents house for a portrait. The house is located below the Alemao cable car station and faces the other hill where we can see the Itararé station.
They were running after each other playing and laughing. After discussing with them and their grandma, I ask them for a portrait which they accept. As soon as I pointed the camera, their faces became terribly serious. I missed the shot unfortunately. That one is the best one that remains.
"It is going to be a beautiful World Cup, but it won't be the World cup of the Brazilian people, because they won't be able to afford tickets. The richer will attend the games, will see nice modern stadiums ... but the whole people will pay the bill."
Those words of Romario, now a member of federal parliament resonate as the 2014 World Cup is about to start. I decided to release a few pictures I shot in 2013 in one of Rio's biggest favela. This set will take you to the "Complexo do Alemao", literally the "Complex of the German" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complexo_do_Alem%C3%A3o). It is an aggregate of several favelas on a few hills and the home of about 70000 people in the northern area of Rio de Janeiro.
The Complex used to host some drug trafficking gangs until it was pacified by the military police and the Brazilian army back in 2010. The pacification process unfortunately did not occur without civilian losses and if security improved since then, the nature of the danger for its inhabitants changed.
The Complex is famous for many reasons among which is the recently built cable car. After the pacification, the police built police stations within the favela for military police units which mission consists in maintaining the "pacified order". Their presence and action are sometimes source of some scandals such as the disappearance of Amarildo in 2013 in the favela of Rocinha (www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-24362311). Along with the police stations came an usual infrastructure supposed to improve the daily life of local inhabitants : a cable car linking the top of the hills to the nearest suburban train station. As an member of the residents association said, the cable car was a not negotiable project for the authorities. Despite its very expensive construction and maintenance prices and the fact that most of the favela did not benefit from basic infrastructures such as basic sanitation. If the cable car now enable some people to save time on their daily journeys, it remains used by a mere 12% of the residents although they are given free tickets (ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/brasil/rj/construido-por-r-210-mi...). The presence of this infrastructure thus raises questions about its relevancy.
Unfortunately, this very ambitious project must feel very lonely in Rio's metropolitan area. Indeed, most of the public transportation projects once set for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics were purely abandoned in the last years. It is again instructive to dig into Romario's outspoken words : "FIFA got what it came for: money," he told the New York Times. "Things like transportation that affect the public after the tournament is over? They don’t care. They don’t care about what is going to be left behind. They found a way to get rich on the World Cup and they robbed the people instead. This is the real shame."
Masonic Tracing Board Decoded & Explained: youtu.be/9exPJ6LAjA8
Elmvale Masonic Temple 77 Queen Street West Elmvale Ontario.
A Masonic Moment- The Tracing Board
We are told in the Junior Wardens lecture the Tracing Board is one of the three Immovable Jewels for the Worshipful Master to “lay lines and draw designs on”. From time immemorial, man has recorded his experiences and relationships to the world through various images of the human condition. As we advanced, man learned the value of tracing out for himself pictures of ideas and then communicating them in elaborate pictorial language to his companions. These visuals were eventually applied to practical projects like the planning of battles, laying out of settlements and drafting of buildings.
In our Craft, Hiram Abiff’s Tracing Board was traditionally believed to been made of wood, coated with wax. Each day he would draw his measurements and symbols into the wax to instruct his Master Masons of the work that was to be accomplished. At the end of the day he would simply scrape off the wax and pour a new layer onto the board to ready it for the next day’s work. Much closer to the recent past, when Lodges were held in secret locations, the Tyler would draw an oblong square into the dirt that represented the form of the lodge. The Masters plan was then drawn along with the working tools that were to be used in the degree. Through the years the Masonic Tracing Board progressed to using charcoal or chalk on the floor of taverns where lodges were usually held. At this time several exposures of Freemasonry were published, one appearing in 1762 stating the images they drew on the floor were not to be seen by the profane.
Freemasonry has always been about the use of images and symbols which regular words are too simple to explain, allowing us to use our individual insight to de-code the messages. During the closing of our Lodges the meaning of the words “...nothing remains but, according to ancient custom, to lock up our secrets ...” is a reference to the now antiquated use of these Tracing Boards that were erased from the floor to leave no trace of the form of the lodge or the instructive drawings. After the lecture the lodge Stewards or the Entered Apprentices would get a broom or mop and remove all evidence of these drawings. This was a tedious and messy procedure so cloths or rugs were eventually created which could be laid on the floor and simply folded up when the lecture was completed.
The Tracing Boards used in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement in London were designed and painted by John Harris in 1845 and measured approximately 6 feet x 3 feet. These Tracing Board images created for each of the three degrees are the ones we commonly see on the walls of our lodges still today. The First Degree Tracing Board represents the Universe, both the inner one and the one stretching to infinity. It pictures life emerging from the eternal centre and radiating outwards. The Second Degree Tracing Board may be described as an intermediate stage of life’s journey and the beginning of ascension from a lower to a higher plane. The Third degree Tracing Board is simpler, there are fewer objects but their import is deeper than the other two, with different symbols and a coded Masonic cypher. Tracing Boards are designed with the objective of directing candidates along a path where their interpretations will vary from brother to brother and many books have been written amplifying their various meanings.
Tracing Boards should not be confused with Trestle Boards, the two are entirely different. The Trestle Board is a framework from which the Master inscribes ideas to direct the workman in their labours. It is usually in written form containing words, diagrams and figures, allowing the Tracing Board to be created as a picture formally drawn, containing a delineation of the symbols of the degree to which it belongs. It is through the Tracing Boards we introduce the brethren to their next step, a step that they must decipherer on their own to continue their personal journey through the mysteries of Freemasonry. The Tracing Board teaches us clearly that the path to realization of brotherly love is through the study of spiritual teachings and the development and strengthening of those myriad of virtues we hold dear including the ultimate trio of Faith, Hope and Mercy.
W Bro Garry Perkins FCF
A Masonic Jacob's Ladder.
An important symbol of the Entered Apprentice Degree. A ladder of several staves or rounds of which three are illustrated tot he candidate as Faith, Hope and Chairty; the three theological virtues.
Source: Masonicdictionary.com
Articles On Jacob's Ladder:
Mackey's Encyclopedia Article
1897 Canadian Craftsman Article
1935 MSA Short Talk Bulletin
JACOB'S LADDER:
The introduction of Jacob's ladder into the symbolism of Speculative Freemasonry is to be traced to the vision of Jacob, which is thus substantially recorded in the twenty-eighth chapter of the Book of Genesis: When Jacob, by the command of his father Isaac, was journeying toward Padanaram, while sleeping one night with the bare earth for his couch and a stone for his pillow, he beheld the vision of a ladder, whose foot rested on the earth and whose top reached to heaven. Angels were continually ascending and descending upon it, and promised him the blessing of a numerous and happy posterity. When Jacob awoke, he was filled with pious gratitude, and consecrated the spot as the house of God.
This ladder, so remarkable in the history of the Jewish people, finds its analogue in all the ancient initiations. Whether this is to be attributed simply to a coincidence-a theory which but few scholars would be willing to accept-or to the fact that these analogues were all derived from a common fountain of symbolism, or whether, as such by Brother Oliver, the origin of the symbol was lost among the practices of the Pagan rites, while the symbol itself was retained, it is, perhaps, impossible authoritatively to determine. It is, however, certain that the ladder as a symbol of moral and intellectual progress existed almost universally in antiquity, presenting itself either as a succession of steps, of gates, of Degrees, or in some other modified form. The number of the steps varied; although the favorite one appears to have been seven, in reference, apparently, to the mystical character almost everywhere given to that number.
Thus, in the Persian Mysteries of Mithras, there was a ladder of seven rounds, the passage through them being symbolical of the soul's approach to perfection. These rounds were called gates, and, in allusion to them, the candidate was made to pass through seven dark and winding caverns, which process was called the ascent of the ladder of perfection Each of these caverns was the representative of a world, or w state of existence through which the soul was supposed to pass in its progress from the first world to the last, or the world of truth. Each round of the ladder was said to be of metal of measuring purity, and was dignified also with the name of its protecting planet. Some idea of the construction of this symbolic ladder may be obtained from the accompanying table.
7. Gold ............... Sun ............... Truth
6. Silver ............. Moon ........... Mansion of the Blessed
5. Iron ................ Mars ............ World of Births
4. Tin ................. Jupiter ......... Middle World
3. Copper ......... Venus .......... Heaven
2. Quicksilver .. Mercury ....... World of Pre-existence
1. Lead ............... Saturn .......... First World
Source: Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry
Jacob's Ladder: Author Unknown
When this symbol, which is taken from Jacob's Vision (Genesis xxviii), was introduced into English Speculative Freemasonry is not exactly known. But we find allusions to it a little after the middle of the last [18th] century. It apparently was not originally a symbol of Speculative Masonry, but was probably introduced from Hermetic Masonry, about 1776. But we fancy that it came from Hermeticism, of which it was a favorite symbol. Certain it is that we do not find it in any of our far oldest known rituals if indeed they can be depended upon. Gadicke says of it, "Either resting upon the floor cloth or on the Bible, the compasses, and the square, it should lead the thoughts of the brethren to heaven. If we find that it has many staves or rounds, they represent as many moral and religious duties. If it has only three, they should represent Faith, Hope and Charity. Draw Faith, Hope, and Charity from the Bible with these three encircle the whole earth, and order all thy actions by the square of truth, so shall the heavens be opened upon thee."
Curiously enough, in Germany, the `Handbuch' tells us this symbolism is not used, nor on the continent generally. It has been pointed out by Oliver, by the `Handbuch,' and by others, that this is a mystical ladder to be found in the teaching of most other occult systems. Thus in the Mithraic mysteries the seven-runged ladder is said to have been a symbol of the ascent of the soul to perfection. Each of the rungs was termed a gate, and the `Handbuch' declares that the aspirants had to pass through a dark and winding cavern. The last, or Adytum, was full of light, and also assures us that in the old Hebraic Cabala the number of steps (for they had a cabalistic ladder also), was unlimited, until the Essenes reduce the number to seven. The latter Cabalists are said to have made ten Sephriroth - the Kingdom, the Foundation, Splendor, Firmness, Beauty, Justice, Mercy, Intelligence, Wisdom, and the Crown, by which we arrive at the Infinite, as Mackey and others put it.
It is alleged that in the mysteries of Brahma and in the Egyptian mysteries this ladder is also to be found. But this fact seems a little doubtful especially as the Egyptian mysteries little is known. The ladder is, however, to be seen among the hieroglyphics. In the Brahmic mysteries there is, we are told a ladder of seven steps, emblematic of seven worlds. The first and lowest was the Earth; the second, the World of Pre-Existence; the third, Heaven; the fourth, the Middle World, or intermediate region; the fifth, the World of Births; the sixth, the Mansions of the Blest; and the seventh, the Sphere of Truth. Some little difference of opinion exists as to the representation of the Brahmic teaching. It has been stated that in Hermetic or higher Masonry, so-called, the seven steps represent Justice, Equality, Kindness, Good Faith, Labor, Patience and intelligence. They are also represented as Justice, Charity, Innocence, Sweetness, Faith, Firmness and Truth, the Greater Work, Responsibility. But this is quite a modern arrangement in all probability. In Freemasonry it has been said that the ladder with its seven rungs or steps represents the four cardinal and three theological virtues which in symbolism seems to answer to the seven grades of Hermetic symbolism. It must be remembered that we have no actual old operative ritual before us, and on the other hand we must not lay too much store by the negative evidence of later rituals - that is, because we do not find until then actual mention of certain words and symbolisms therefore conclude they did not exist earlier. On the whole, Jacob's ladder in Freemasonry seems to point to the connection between Faith and Heaven, man and God, and to represent Faith, Hope and Charity; or, as it is declared, Faith in God, Charity to all men, and Hope in Immortality.
- Source: The Craftsman - December 1897
THREE PRINCIPAL ROUNDS:
“And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and beheld a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and beheld the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac.” These words (Genesis XXVIII, 10-13 inclusive)v are the foundation of that beautiful symbol of the Entered Apprentice’s Degree in which the initiate first hears”. . . the greatest of these is charity, for our faith may be lost in sight, hope ends in fruition, but charity extends beyond the grave, through the boundless realms of eternity.” At least two prophets besides the describer of Jacob’s vision have spoken aptly reinforcing words Job said (XXXIII, 14-16):
“For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed: Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instructions.”
And St. John (I,51):
“And he said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Since the dawn of thought the ladder has been a symbol of progress, of ascent, of reaching upward, in many mysteries, faiths and religions. Sometimes the ladder becomes steps, sometimes a stairway, sometimes a succession of gates or, more modernly, of degrees; but he idea of ascent from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge and from materially to spiritually is the same whatever the form of the symbol.
In the Persian Mysteries of Mithras, the candidate ascended a ladder of seven rounds, and also passed through seven caverns, symbolized by seven metals, and by the sun, moon and five planets. The early religion of Brahma had also a seven stepped ladder. In the Scandinavian Mysteries the initiate climbed a tree; the Cabalists made progress upward by ten steps. In the Scottish Rite the initiate encounters the Ladder of Kadosh, also of seven steps, and most of the early tracing boards of the Craft Degrees show a ladder of seven rounds, representing the four cardinal and three theological virtues. At one time, apparently, the Masonic ladder had but three steps. The Prestonian lecture, which Mackey thought was an elaboration of Dunkerly’s system, rests the end of the ladder on the Holy Bible; it reads:
“By the doctrines contained in the Holy Bible, we are taught to believe in the Divine dispensation of Providence, which belief strengthens our “Faith,” and enables us to ascend the first step. That Faith naturally creates in a “Hope” of becoming partakers of some of the blessed promises therein recorded, which “Hope” enables us to ascend the second step. But the third and last being “Charity” comprehends the whole, and he who is possessed of this virtue in its ample sense, is said to have arrived at the summit of his profession, or more metaphorically, into an etherial mansion veiled from mortal eye by the starry firmament.”
The theological ladder is not very old in Masonic symbolism, as far as evidence shows. Some historians have credited it to Matin Clare, in 1732, but on very slender evidence. It seems to appear first is a tracing board approximately dated 1776, and has there but three rounds. As the tracing board is small, the contraction from seven to three may have been a matter of convenience. If it is true that Dunkerly introduced Jacob’s ladder into the degrees, he my have reduced the steps from seven to three merely to emphasize the number three, so important Masonically; possibly it was to achieve a certain measure of simplicity. Preston, however, restored the idea of seven steps, emphasizing the theological virtues by denominating them “principal rounds.
The similarity of Jacob’s Ladder of seven steps to the Winding Stairs, with three, five and seven steps has caused many to believe each but a different form of the same symbol; Haywood says (“The Builder, Vol.5, No.11):
“Other scholars have opined that the steps were originally the same as the Theological Ladder, and had the same historical origin. Inasmuch as this Theo-logical Ladder symbolized progress, just as does the Winding Stair, some argue that the latter symbol must have come from the same sources as the former. This interpretation of the matter my be plausible enough, and it may help towards an interpretation of both symbols, but it suffers from an almost utter lack of tangible evidence.”
Three steps or seven, symbol similar to the Winding Stairs or different in meaning and implications, the theological virtues are intimately interwoven in the Masonic system. Our many rituals alter the phraseology here and there, but the sense is the same and the concepts identical.
According to the dictionary (Standard) Faith is “a firm conviction of the truth of what is declared by another . . .without other evidence: The assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed.”
The whole concept of civilization rests upon that form of faith covered in the first definition. Without faith in promises, credit and the written word society as we know it could not exist. Nor could Freemasonry have been born, much less lived through many centuries without secular, as distinguished from religious, faith; faith in the integrity of those who declared that Freemasonry had value to give to those who sought; faith in its genuineness and reality; faith in its principles and practices.
Yet our ritual declares that the third, not the first, round of the ladder is “the greatest of these” because “faith may be lost in sight.” Faith is not needed where evidence is presented, and in the far day when the human soul may see for itself the truths we now except without demonstrations, faith may disappear without any con- sciousness of loss. But on earth faith in the divine revelation is of the utmost importance to all, especially from the Masonic standpoint. No atheist can be made a Mason. Any man who misstates his belief in Deity in order to become a Mason will have a very unhappy experience in taking the degrees. Young wrote:
“Faith builds a bridge across the gulf of death To break the shock blind nature cannot shun And lands though smoothly on the further shore.”
The candidate that has no “bridge across the gulf” will find in the degrees only words which mean nothing. To the soul on its journey after death, the third round may indeed be of more import than the first; to Masons in their doctrine and their Lodges, the first round is a foundation; lacking it no brother may climb the heights. Hope is intimately tied to faith: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
The dictionary declares hope to be “desire with expectations of obtaining: to trust confidently that good will come.” But the dictionary definition fails to express the mental and spiritual importance of hope. Philosophers and poets have done much better. “Where there is no hope, there can be no endeavor,” says Samuel Johnson, phrasing a truism everyone feels though few express. All ambitions, all human actions, all labors are founded on hope. It may be crystallized into a firm faith, but in a world in which nothing is certain, the future inevitably is hidden. We live, love, labor, pray, marry and become Masons. bury our dead with hope in breasts of something beyond. Pope wrote:
“Hope spring eternal in the human breast; Many never is, but always to be, blest,” blending a cynicism with the truth.
Shakespeare came closer to everyday humanity when he said: “True hope is swift, and flies with swallow’s wings; Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures, kings.”
Dante could find no more cruel words to write above the entrance to hell than:
“Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here.”
Nor can we be argued out of hope; doctors say of a loved one, “she must die,” but we hope; atheists attempt to prove there is no God - we hope. Facts demonstrate that our dearest ambition can never be realized - yet we hope. To quote Young again, we are all:
“Confiding, though confounded; hope coming on, Untaught by trial, unconvinced by proof, And ever looking for the never seen.” And yet, vital though hope is to man, to Masons, and thrice vital to faith. our ritual says that charity is greater than either faith or hope.
To those whom charity means only handing a quarter to a beggar, paying a subscription to the community chest, or sending old clothes to the Salvation army, the declaration that charity is greater than faith or hope is difficult to accept. Only when the word “charity” is read to mean “love,” as many scholars say it should be translated in Paul’s magnificent passage in Corinthians, does our ritual become logically intelligible. Charity of alms can hardly “extend through the boundless realms of eternity.” To give money to the poor is a beautiful act, but hardly as important, either to the giver or the recipient, as faith or hope. But to give love, unstinted, without hope of or faith in reward - that, indeed, may well extend to the very foot of the Great White Throne.
It is worth while to read St. Paul with this meaning of the word in mind; here is the quotation from the King James version, but with the word “love” substituted for the word “charity:”
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind; Love enveith not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.”
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, love; these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
It is of such charity that a Mason’s faith is made. He is, indeed, taught the beauty of giving that which is material; the Rite of Destitution shows forth the tender lesson in the first degree; Masonic Homes, Schools, Foundation, Orphanages and Hospitals are the living exponents of the charity which means to give from a plenty to those who have but a paucity.
The first of the principal tenets of our profession and the third round of Jacob’s Ladder are really one; brotherly love is “the greatest of these” and only when a Mason takes to his heart the reading of charity to be more than alms, does he see the glory of that moral structure the door to which Freemasonry so gently, but so widely, opens.
Charity of thought for an erring brother; charity which lays a brotherly hand on a troubled shoulder in comfort; charity which exults with the happy and finds joy in his success; charity which sorrows with the grieving and drops a tear in sympathy; charity which opens the heart as well as the pocket book; charity which stretches forth a hand of hope to the hopeless, which aids the helpless, which brings new faith to the crushed . . .aye, these, indeed, may “extend through the boundless realms of eternity.”
Man is never so close to the divine as when he loves; it is because of that fact that charity, (meaning love,) rather than faith or hope, is truly, “the greatest of these.”
Source: Short Talk Bulletin - Apr. 1935
Masonic Service Association of North America
Jacob’s Ladder:
Jacob’s Ladder is the only reference from the volume of the Sacred Law which is mentioned twice in the Craft Ritual; it must therefore, be considered to be of great importance. In our Masonic ritual, the first mention of Jacob’s ladder describes how Masons are enabled to ascend to the summit of masonry, i.e. Charity. This ascent is made possible from it’s beginning in the doctrines of the Holy Book followed by ascending the steps of Faith and Hope which in turn lead to the summit - CHARITY.
The second mention of Jacob’s Ladder in the ritual is in the explanation of the first Tracing Board which refers to the Volume of the Sacred Law supporting Jacob’s Ladder, but this time it brings us directly to God in Heaven, provided that we are conversant with the Holy Book and are adherent to it’s doctrines.
The Introduction of Jacob’s Ladder into speculative Masonry is to be traced to the vision of Jacob, which is recorded in the book of Genesis. “When Jacob, while sleeping one night , with the bare earth for his couch and a stone for his pillow, beheld the vision of a ladder, whose foot rested on the earth and whose top reached to heaven. Angels were continually ascending and descending upon it, and promised him the blessing of a numerous and happy prosperity. When Jacob awoke, he was filled with pious gratitude, and consecrated the spot as the house of God.”
This ladder, so remarkable in the history of the Jewish people, is to be found in all the ancient initiations. Whether by coincidence, or that they were all derived from a common fountain of symbolism is unknown. However, it is certain that the ladder as a symbol of moral and intellectual progress existed almost universally in antiquity, as a succession of steps, of gates, of degrees or in some other modified form. The number of steps varied; but most commonly was seven in allusion to the mystical importance given to that number. Thus in the Persian mysteries of Mithras, there was a ladder of seven rounds, the passage through them being symbolical of the soul’s approach to perfection. These rounds were called Gates, and, in allusion to them, the candidate was made to pass through seven dark and winding caverns, which process was called the ‘Ascent of the Ladder of Perfection’.
Each round of the ladder was said to be of metal and of increasing purity, and was dignified also with the name of it’s protecting planet. The highest being Gold . &. . . The Sun, next Silver and the Moon . . . through to Lead and Saturn. In the mysteries of Brahma we find the same reference to a ladder of seven steps, with similar names. In Scandinavian mysteries the tree Yggrasil was the representative of the mystical ladder. The ascent of the tree, like the ascent of the ladder, was a change from a lower to a higher sphere - from time to eternity, and from death to life.
In Masonry we find the ladder of Kadosh, which consists of seven steps, commencing from the bottom : Justice - Equity - Kindness - Good Faith - Labour - Patience and Intelligence. The idea of Intellectual progress to perfection is carried out by making the top round represent Wisdom or Understanding.
The ladder in Craft Masonry ought also to consist of seven steps, ascending as follows : Temperance - Fortitude - Prudence - Justice - Faith - Hope - and Charity. But the earliest examples of the ladder present it only with three, referring to the three theological virtues, whence it is sometimes called the Theological Ladder. It seems, therefore, to have been determined by general usage to have only three steps. In the 16th. century it was stated that Jacob’s ladder was a symbol of the progressive scale of intellectual communication between earth and heaven; and upon this ladder, as it were, step by step, man is permitted - with the angels - to ascend and to descend until the mind finds blissful and complete repose in the bosom of divinity.
Jewish writers differ very much in their exposition of the ladder. Abben Ezra thought that it was a symbol of the human mind, and that the Angels represented the sublime meditations of man. Maimonides supposed the ladder to symbolise Nature in it’s operations, giving it four steps, to represent the four elements - the two heavier earth and water - and the two lighter - fire and air. And Raphael interprets the ladder, and the ascent and descent of the Angels, as the prayers of man and the answering inspiration of God. Nicolai says that the ladder with three steps was, among the Rosicrucian Freemasons in the seventeenth century, a symbol of the knowledge of nature. Finally Krause says that Brother Keher of Edinburgh, whom he described as a truthful Mason, had in 1802 assured the members of a Lodge in Altenberg that originally only one Scottish degree existed, whose object was the restoration of James III (1460 ) to the throne of England and that Jacob’s ladder had been adopted by them as a symbol. An authentic narrative is purported to be contained in the archives of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
In the Ancient Craft degrees Jacob’s ladder was not an original symbol. The first appearance of a ladder is in a Tracing Board, on which is inscribed the date 1776, which agrees with the date of Dunkerley’s revised lectures. In this Tracing Board the ladder has only three rounds, a change from the seven-stepped ladder of the old mysteries, and was later described as having many rounds, but three principal ones.
The modern Masonic ladder, is, as I have already said, a symbol of progress, as it was in the ancient initiations. It’s three principal rounds, representing Faith, Hope and Charity, present us with the means of advancing from earth to heaven, from death to life, from the mortal to immortality. Hence it’s foot is placed on the floor of the Lodge, which is typical of the world, and it’s top rests on the covering of the Lodge, which is symbolic of heaven. Which explains the statement given in the lecture on the Tracing Board of the First Degree in Craft Masonry, that the ladder rests on the Holy Bible and reaches to the heavens.
The Stone:
Before I close I would like to take you back to those words from the Book of Genesis, namely, “. . . .with the bare earth for his couch and a stone for a pillow. . . . “
Almost 4,000 years ago fate brought Jacob’s caravan to a place called Bethel near Jerusalem, then as even now it was the custom for a traveller to bolster his pillow and bedding with stones for a more comfortable position.
With his head resting on a particular stone, Jacob is said to have had his famous dream, which we have heard earlier.
Jacob prospered in wealth and knowledge and was directed by God to return to Bethel. On his return, the Lord again appeared to him saying “I am the God of Bethel”, thus the Lord associated himself not only with the place of the vision but with the Bethel Stone. Jacob took the Stone with him and, from that time on it was always set up as a pillar marking the altar to the God of Israel.
The Bethel Stone, finally, was returned to Jerusalem where it served as the Coronation Stone for the Jewish Kings, ending with the infamous Zedekiah in 581 B.C. According to Irish historians, a few years later (578 B.C. ) a small but distinguished group of strangers, who had fled from Palestine, arrived in Ulster. They had brought with them the Bethel Stone, or Stone of Destiny, together with a Royal harp and an Ark. It is significant to note that a Harp has been the royal arms of Ireland for the last 2,500 years.
The Stone remained in Ireland for over 1,000 years where every king of Ireland was crowned upon it. Till Fearghus Mor ( The Great )took it to the Scottish island of Iona. Here 48 kings of Scotland were crowned upon it until the ninth century, when it was transferred to the town of Scone near Perth for safe keeping by Coinneach Cruadalach (the Hardy) who became King of Scotland. There it remained for 400 years as that nations coronation stone.
In the reign of England’s Edward I it was removed from Scotland (1292 ), either by force or by mutual agreement (the Authorities disagree), and there it remained located under the Coronation Chair in the Westminster Abbey until 1996, when it was returned to Scotland by a special Act of Parliament..
Early Rose Croix:
It would appear from reliable documentation that was still in existence, in Austria, prior to the Second World War, that a form of Rose Croix Masonry was first known in 1747, which had formerly been known as “Knights of the Pelican”. There are a number of references, under a variety of different titles, which all purport to relate to Rose Croix Masonry. These variously date back as far as the Knights Templars of Palestine in 1188 A.D. However, the earliest reference to Rose Croix without any additional appendage, and which seems most likely to be to be in accord with the Order as we know it today, first appeared in 1747.
In the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, from which the Rose Croix Masons of America first received the degree, it was placed 18th. on the list - thus the degree became known ( by common usage ) as the Eighteenth Degree. The degree was conferred inin a body known as a chapter, which derived it’s authority directly from a Supreme Council of the Thirty Third degree, and which conferred with it only one other and inferior degree, that of “Knight of the East and West”. A chapters principal officers being a Most Wise Sovereign and two Wardens. Interestingly, the order had two ‘Obligatory’ days of meeting, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, observed by Christians in commemoration of Christ’s Last Supper. The name ‘Maundy is derived from MANDATUM ( Latin: “commandment” ).
The Jewel of the Rose Croix is a Golden Compasses, extended on an arc to the sixteenth part of a circle - or twenty two and a half degrees. The head of the compasses is surmounted by a triple crown, consisting of three series of points arranged by three, five and seven. Between the legs of the compasses is a cross resting on the arc; it’s centre is occupied by a full blown rose, whose stem entwines around the lower limb of the cross; at the foot of the cross, on the same side, on which the rose is exhibited, is the figure of a Pelican wounding it’s breast to feed it’s young, which are in the nest surrounding it.
An interesting article:
Vintage tiny Masonic cuff links. Square and Compasses.
Square and Compasses - This symbolic stone was removed from above the entrance to the Lambton Mills Masonic Temple erected by Mimico Lodge on the north side of Dundas Street in 1882.
Masonic Square and Compasses.
The Square and Compasses (or, more correctly, a square and a set of compasses joined together) is the single most identifiable symbol of Freemasonry. Both the square and compasses are architect's tools and are used in Masonic ritual as emblems to teach symbolic lessons. Some Lodges and rituals explain these symbols as lessons in conduct: for example, Duncan's Masonic Monitor of 1866 explains them as: "The square, to square our actions; The compasses, to circumscribe and keep us within bounds with all mankind".
However, as Freemasonry is non-dogmatic, there is no general interpretation for these symbols (or any Masonic symbol) that is used by Freemasonry as a whole.
Square and Compasses:
Source: Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry
These two symbols have been so long and so universally combined — to teach us, as says an early instruction, "to square our actions and to keep them within due bounds," they are so seldom seen apart, but are so kept together, either as two Great Lights, or as a jewel worn once by the Master of the Lodge, now by the Past Master—that they have come at last to be recognized as the proper badge of a Master Mason, just as the Triple Tau is of a Royal Arch Mason or the Passion Cross of a Knight Templar.
So universally has this symbol been recognized, even by the profane world, as the peculiar characteristic of Freemasonry, that it has recently been made in the United States the subject of a legal decision. A manufacturer of flour having made, in 1873, an application to the Patent Office for permission to adopt the Square and Compasses as a trade-mark, the Commissioner of Patents, .J. M. Thatcher, refused the permission as the mark was a Masonic symbol.
If this emblem were something other than precisely what it is—either less known", less significant, or fully and universally understood—all this might readily be admitted. But, Considering its peculiar character and relation to the public, an anomalous question is presented. There can be no doubt that this device, so commonly worn and employed by Masons, has an established mystic significance, universally recognized as existing; whether comprehended by all or not, is not material to this issue. In view of the magnitude and extent of the Masonic organization, it is impossible to divest its symbols, or at least this particular symbol—perhaps the best known of all—of its ordinary signification, wherever displaced, either as an arbitrary character or otherwise.
It will be universally understood, or misunderstood, as having a Masonic significance; and, therefore, as a trade-mark, must constantly work deception. Nothing could be more mischievous than to create as a monopoly, and uphold by the poser of lacy anything so calculated. as applied to purposes of trade. to be misinterpreted, to mislead all classes, and to constantly foster suggestions of mystery in affairs of business (see Infringing upon Freemasonry, also Imitative Societies, and Clandestine).
In a religious work by John Davies, entitled Summa Totalis, or All in All and the Same Forever, printed in 1607, we find an allusion to the Square and Compasses by a profane in a really Masonic sense. The author, who proposes to describe mystically the form of the Deity, says in his dedication:
Yet I this forme of formelesse Deity,
Drewe by the Squire and Compasse of our Creed.
In Masonic symbolism the Square and Compasses refer to the Freemason's duty to the Craft and to himself; hence it is properly a symbol of brotherhood, and there significantly adopted as the badge or token of the Fraternity.
Berage, in his work on the higher Degrees, Les plus secrets Mystéres des Hauts Grades, or The Most Secret Mysteries of the High Grades, gives a new interpretation to the symbol. He says: "The Square and the Compasses represent the union of the Old and New Testaments. None of the high Degrees recognize this interpretation, although their symbolism of the two implements differs somewhat from that of Symbolic Freemasonry.
The Square is with them peculiarly appropriated to the lower Degrees, as founded on the Operative Art; while the Compasses, as an implement of higher character and uses, is attributed to the Decrees, which claim to have a more elevated and philosophical foundation. Thus they speak of the initiate, when he passes from the Blue Lodge to the Lodge of Perfection, as 'passing from the Square to the Compasses,' to indicate a progressive elevation in his studies. Yet even in the high Degrees, the square and compasses combined retain their primitive signification as a symbol of brotherhood and as a badge of the Order."
Square and Compass:
Source: The Builder October 1916
By Bro. B. C. Ward, Iowa
Worshipful Master and Brethren: Let us behold the glorious beauty that lies hidden beneath the symbolism of the Square and Compass; and first as to the Square. Geometry, the first and noblest of the sciences, is the basis on which the superstructure of Masonry has been erected. As you know, the word "Geometry" is derived from two Greek words which mean "to measure the earth," so that Geometry originated in measurement; and in those early days, when land first began to be measured, the Square, being a right angle, was the instrument used, so that in time the Square began to symbolize the Earth. And later it began to symbolize, Masonically, the earthly-in man, that is man's lower nature, and still later it began to symbolize man's duty in his earthly relations, or his moral obligations to his Fellowmen. The symbolism of the Square is as ancient as the Pyramids. The Egyptians used it in building the Pyramids. The base of every pyramid is a perfect square, and to the Egyptians the Square was their highest and most sacred emblem. Even the Chinese many, many centuries ago used the Square to represent Good, and Confucius in his writings speaks of the Square to represent a Just man.
As Masons we have adopted the 47th Problem of Euclid as the rule by which to determine or prove a perfect Square. Many of us remember with what interest we solved that problem in our school days. The Square has become our most significant Emblem. It rests upon the open Bible on this altar; it is one of the three great Lights; and it is the chief ornament of the Worshipful Master. There is a good reason why this distinction has been conferred upon the Square. There can be nothing truer than a perfect Square--a right angle. Hence the Square has become an emblem of Perfection.
Now a few words as to the Compass: Astronomy was the second great science promulgated among men. In the process of Man's evolution there came a time when he began to look up to the stars and wonder at the vaulted Heavens above him. When he began to study the stars, he found that the Square was not adapted to the measurement of the Heavens. He must have circular measure; he needed to draw a circle from a central point, and so the Compass was employed. By the use of the Compass man began to study the starry Heavens, and as the Square primarily symbolized the Earth, the Compass began to symbolize the Heavens, the celestial canopy, the study of which has led men to think of God, and adore Him as the Supreme Architect of the Universe. In later times the Compass began to symbolize the spiritual or higher nature of man, and it is a significant fact that the circumference of a circle, which is a line without end, has become an emblem of Eternity and symbolizes Divinity; so the Compass, and the circle drawn by the Compass, both point men Heavenward and Godward.
The Masonic teaching concerning the two points of the Compass is very interesting and instructive. The novitiate in Masonry, as he kneels at this altar, and asks for Light sees the Square, which symbolizes his lower nature, he may well note the position of the Compass. As he takes another step, and asks for more Light, the position of the Compass is changed somewhat, symbolizing that his spiritual nature can, in some measure, overcome his evil tendencies. As he takes another step in Masonry, and asks for further Light, and hears the significant words, "and God said let there be Light, and there was Light," he sees the Compass in new light; and for the first time he sees the meaning, thus unmistakably alluding to the sacred and eternal truth that as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so the spiritual is higher than the material, and the spiritual in man must have its proper place, and should be above his lower nature, and dominate all his thoughts and actions. That eminent Philosopher, Edmund Burke, once said, "It is ordained that men of intemperate passions cannot be free. Their passions forge the chains which bind them, and make them slaves." Burke was right. Masonry, through the beautiful symbolism of the Compass, tells us how we can be free men, by permitting the spiritual within us to overcome our evil tendencies, and dominate all our thoughts and actions. Brethren, sometimes in the silent quiet hour, as we think of this conflict between our lower and higher natures, we sometimes say in the words of another, "Show me the way and let me bravely climb to where all conflicts with the flesh shall cease. Show me that way. Show me the way up to a higher plane where my body shall be servant of my Soul. Show me that way."
Brethren, if that prayer expresses desire of our hearts, let us take heed to the beautiful teachings of the Compass, which silently and persistently tells each one of us,
"You should not in the valley stay
While the great horizons stretch away
The very cliffs that wall you round
Are ladders up to higher ground.
And Heaven draws near as you ascend,
The Breeze invites, the Stars befriend.
All things are beckoning to the Best,
Then climb toward God and find sweet Rest.”
The secrets of Freemasonry are concerned with its traditional modes of recognition. It is not a secret society, since all members are free to acknowledge their membership and will do so in response to enquiries for respectable reasons. Its constitutions and rules are available to the public. There is no secret about any of its aims and principles. Like many other societies, it regards some of its internal affairs as private matters for its members. In history there have been times and places where promoting equality, freedom of thought or liberty of conscience was dangerous. Most importantly though is a question of perspective. Each aspect of the craft has a meaning. Freemasonry has been described as a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Such characteristics as virtue, honour and mercy, such virtues as temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice are empty clichés and hollow words unless presented within an ordered and closed framework. The lessons are not secret but the presentation is kept private to promote a clearer understanding in good time. It is also possible to view Masonic secrecy not as secrecy in and of itself, but rather as a symbol of privacy and discretion. By not revealing Masonic secrets, or acknowledging the many published exposures, freemasons demonstrate that they are men of discretion, worthy of confidences, and that they place a high value on their word and bond.
Masonic Square and Compasses.
The Square and Compasses (or, more correctly, a square and a set of compasses joined together) is the single most identifiable symbol of Freemasonry. Both the square and compasses are architect's tools and are used in Masonic ritual as emblems to teach symbolic lessons. Some Lodges and rituals explain these symbols as lessons in conduct: for example, Duncan's Masonic Monitor of 1866 explains them as: "The square, to square our actions; The compasses, to circumscribe and keep us within bounds with all mankind".
However, as Freemasonry is non-dogmatic, there is no general interpretation for these symbols (or any Masonic symbol) that is used by Freemasonry as a whole.
Square and Compasses:
Source: Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry
These two symbols have been so long and so universally combined — to teach us, as says an early instruction, "to square our actions and to keep them within due bounds," they are so seldom seen apart, but are so kept together, either as two Great Lights, or as a jewel worn once by the Master of the Lodge, now by the Past Master—that they have come at last to be recognized as the proper badge of a Master Mason, just as the Triple Tau is of a Royal Arch Mason or the Passion Cross of a Knight Templar.
So universally has this symbol been recognized, even by the profane world, as the peculiar characteristic of Freemasonry, that it has recently been made in the United States the subject of a legal decision. A manufacturer of flour having made, in 1873, an application to the Patent Office for permission to adopt the Square and Compasses as a trade-mark, the Commissioner of Patents, .J. M. Thatcher, refused the permission as the mark was a Masonic symbol.
If this emblem were something other than precisely what it is—either less known", less significant, or fully and universally understood—all this might readily be admitted. But, Considering its peculiar character and relation to the public, an anomalous question is presented. There can be no doubt that this device, so commonly worn and employed by Masons, has an established mystic significance, universally recognized as existing; whether comprehended by all or not, is not material to this issue. In view of the magnitude and extent of the Masonic organization, it is impossible to divest its symbols, or at least this particular symbol—perhaps the best known of all—of its ordinary signification, wherever displaced, either as an arbitrary character or otherwise.
It will be universally understood, or misunderstood, as having a Masonic significance; and, therefore, as a trade-mark, must constantly work deception. Nothing could be more mischievous than to create as a monopoly, and uphold by the poser of lacy anything so calculated. as applied to purposes of trade. to be misinterpreted, to mislead all classes, and to constantly foster suggestions of mystery in affairs of business (see Infringing upon Freemasonry, also Imitative Societies, and Clandestine).
In a religious work by John Davies, entitled Summa Totalis, or All in All and the Same Forever, printed in 1607, we find an allusion to the Square and Compasses by a profane in a really Masonic sense. The author, who proposes to describe mystically the form of the Deity, says in his dedication:
Yet I this forme of formelesse Deity,
Drewe by the Squire and Compasse of our Creed.
In Masonic symbolism the Square and Compasses refer to the Freemason's duty to the Craft and to himself; hence it is properly a symbol of brotherhood, and there significantly adopted as the badge or token of the Fraternity.
Berage, in his work on the higher Degrees, Les plus secrets Mystéres des Hauts Grades, or The Most Secret Mysteries of the High Grades, gives a new interpretation to the symbol. He says: "The Square and the Compasses represent the union of the Old and New Testaments. None of the high Degrees recognize this interpretation, although their symbolism of the two implements differs somewhat from that of Symbolic Freemasonry.
The Square is with them peculiarly appropriated to the lower Degrees, as founded on the Operative Art; while the Compasses, as an implement of higher character and uses, is attributed to the Decrees, which claim to have a more elevated and philosophical foundation. Thus they speak of the initiate, when he passes from the Blue Lodge to the Lodge of Perfection, as 'passing from the Square to the Compasses,' to indicate a progressive elevation in his studies. Yet even in the high Degrees, the square and compasses combined retain their primitive signification as a symbol of brotherhood and as a badge of the Order."
Square and Compass:
Source: The Builder October 1916
By Bro. B. C. Ward, Iowa
Worshipful Master and Brethren: Let us behold the glorious beauty that lies hidden beneath the symbolism of the Square and Compass; and first as to the Square. Geometry, the first and noblest of the sciences, is the basis on which the superstructure of Masonry has been erected. As you know, the word "Geometry" is derived from two Greek words which mean "to measure the earth," so that Geometry originated in measurement; and in those early days, when land first began to be measured, the Square, being a right angle, was the instrument used, so that in time the Square began to symbolize the Earth. And later it began to symbolize, Masonically, the earthly-in man, that is man's lower nature, and still later it began to symbolize man's duty in his earthly relations, or his moral obligations to his Fellowmen. The symbolism of the Square is as ancient as the Pyramids. The Egyptians used it in building the Pyramids. The base of every pyramid is a perfect square, and to the Egyptians the Square was their highest and most sacred emblem. Even the Chinese many, many centuries ago used the Square to represent Good, and Confucius in his writings speaks of the Square to represent a Just man.
As Masons we have adopted the 47th Problem of Euclid as the rule by which to determine or prove a perfect Square. Many of us remember with what interest we solved that problem in our school days. The Square has become our most significant Emblem. It rests upon the open Bible on this altar; it is one of the three great Lights; and it is the chief ornament of the Worshipful Master. There is a good reason why this distinction has been conferred upon the Square. There can be nothing truer than a perfect Square--a right angle. Hence the Square has become an emblem of Perfection.
Now a few words as to the Compass: Astronomy was the second great science promulgated among men. In the process of Man's evolution there came a time when he began to look up to the stars and wonder at the vaulted Heavens above him. When he began to study the stars, he found that the Square was not adapted to the measurement of the Heavens. He must have circular measure; he needed to draw a circle from a central point, and so the Compass was employed. By the use of the Compass man began to study the starry Heavens, and as the Square primarily symbolized the Earth, the Compass began to symbolize the Heavens, the celestial canopy, the study of which has led men to think of God, and adore Him as the Supreme Architect of the Universe. In later times the Compass began to symbolize the spiritual or higher nature of man, and it is a significant fact that the circumference of a circle, which is a line without end, has become an emblem of Eternity and symbolizes Divinity; so the Compass, and the circle drawn by the Compass, both point men Heavenward and Godward.
The Masonic teaching concerning the two points of the Compass is very interesting and instructive. The novitiate in Masonry, as he kneels at this altar, and asks for Light sees the Square, which symbolizes his lower nature, he may well note the position of the Compass. As he takes another step, and asks for more Light, the position of the Compass is changed somewhat, symbolizing that his spiritual nature can, in some measure, overcome his evil tendencies. As he takes another step in Masonry, and asks for further Light, and hears the significant words, "and God said let there be Light, and there was Light," he sees the Compass in new light; and for the first time he sees the meaning, thus unmistakably alluding to the sacred and eternal truth that as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so the spiritual is higher than the material, and the spiritual in man must have its proper place, and should be above his lower nature, and dominate all his thoughts and actions. That eminent Philosopher, Edmund Burke, once said, "It is ordained that men of intemperate passions cannot be free. Their passions forge the chains which bind them, and make them slaves." Burke was right. Masonry, through the beautiful symbolism of the Compass, tells us how we can be free men, by permitting the spiritual within us to overcome our evil tendencies, and dominate all our thoughts and actions. Brethren, sometimes in the silent quiet hour, as we think of this conflict between our lower and higher natures, we sometimes say in the words of another, "Show me the way and let me bravely climb to where all conflicts with the flesh shall cease. Show me that way. Show me the way up to a higher plane where my body shall be servant of my Soul. Show me that way."
Brethren, if that prayer expresses desire of our hearts, let us take heed to the beautiful teachings of the Compass, which silently and persistently tells each one of us,
"You should not in the valley stay
While the great horizons stretch away
The very cliffs that wall you round
Are ladders up to higher ground.
And Heaven draws near as you ascend,
The Breeze invites, the Stars befriend.
All things are beckoning to the Best,
Then climb toward God and find sweet Rest."
At Pittock Mansion last Fall I had the good fortune to meet Charles Edelson who invited me to join him at the Japanese Garden hoping that it would be in the dense fog that was below Pittock that morning. While at the Japanese Garden he handed me a Nikon 105mm f/2D AF DC Nikkor to experiment with. DC stands for defocus control which is best understood by playing with the Defocus Control test image in slrgear's review of the lens - click on the Defocus Control image and it will open a larger version with two sliders which allow you to vary the aperture and defocus settings seeing how each affects the image differently...be sure to center / 0 the DC control at the start to see where the lens was focused. In the test scene the DC slider has the most effect when the lens is at f2 or f2.8 by f4 the effect is quite subtle and by f5.6 it disappears altogether. While the test image lets you compare aperture vs DC effects it might have been additionally instructive if there were a third slider showing the effect of simply varying the focus slightly using the focus ring, thus allowing you to see how the DC effect is different from simply changing the focus. About which in Ken Rockwell's review of the lens he writes "This is not a soft-focus lens - only the unfocused parts of the image are made softer - it is a lens that has been specifically designed and patented both for superior bokeh (the softness of out-of-focus areas) and the ability to control this bokeh for optimum results under all conditions." See his review for an excellent description of what the lens does and how to use it. Thanks Charles for an unexpectedly fun and informative morning at the Japanese Garden, and a great start for the 2012 Fall Color season. Lightbox. N70126 - Happy Waterfall Wednesdays!
Seen while exploring the farming landscape of the Gila River Valley east of Yuma on the final day of a 1600-mile drive from Renton to Maricopa. It was a pleasant and instructive diversion from Interstate 8.
Une expédition aérienne, jeu instructif et amusant pour la jeunesse (An aerial expedition, instructive and amusing game for the young). Gameboard shows a varied landscape and waterfront filled with 21 numbered balloons. Chart at right illustrates 17 different combinations of numbers on a pair of dice. Chromolithograph by unknown publisher, between 1880 and 1910.
Sadly, no instruction sheet...
From the Tissandier Collection at the U.S. Library of Congress.
More Tissandier Collection items | More board games
[PD] This picture is in the public domain.
17/365
The most instructive thing about the 365 so far is that if you'll really just look at the things around you there are plenty of pictures to be had right there.
I was at a loose end for an hour in town today, so I thought I would try what is called 'street photography'. This actually seems to be a euphemism for 'taking pictures of pretty girls without them noticing'. I can report that as a technique for making a middle-aged photographer feel nervous and somewhat uncomfortable it really is quite effective, but it was also quite instructive in terms of things like lines of sight, setting up a spot out of the way, and use of a zoom lens.
That's my excuse anyway.
I'm reading a wonderful short biography of Eisenhower (2014) by Paul Johnson. Highly recommended.
Image: courtesy of the U.S. Army history webpage.
It is instructive to review Eisenhower's presidential years.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower
Eisenhower was the leader in founding NATO.
Today's Washington Post:
www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/06/06/d-da...
I spent Thursday night through this morning in a very entertaining and instructive annual meeting for C. N. P. A. They are a class act. Came away with lots of good ideas and a new Benro tripod Rock solid, at least for now. After 3 days inside, I needed to get out and take a photo or two.
More scenes from Filoli House. This was a leaf snaking through a fence. I really liked the combination of shadows and light on it.
In going with the "heart" theme today, I wanted to share two more success stories that were award winners at the conference.
One is called ArterioVision - developed out of CalTech/JPL/NASA and USC. This original technology developed by JPL/NASA was to process ultrasound images from Mars. In partnership with USC, they were able to develop ArterioVision used to detect artery wall thickness that can help save lives. The founder, Gary Thomson of Medical Technologies International (licensee of the technology), had suffered a life threatening cardiovascular event while running a marathon. When Gary got tested, the technician detected very thick artery walls and informed him that he needed to see a doctor immediately. Gary became enthralled by the technology as he had not disclosed the previous event. ArterioVision can now be used as an instructive tool to help manage cardiovascular disease.
The second heartwarming story (and this is where it ties in to the fence) is a technology developed out of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, used to treat sufferers of heart disease. Stents are used after a heart attack event to prevent restricted flow of blood. Stents are deployed the artery where there is limited blood flow. Using a novel platinum-chromium alloy to make the stent rather than traditional stainless steel, it enabled the licensee, Boston Scientific, to make improved stents. Boston Scientific’s PROMUS® ELEMENT™ and ION™ stents were introduced in January 2010. Since that date, sales have exceeded $1 billion.
La Kodak Brownie fou durant décades la camara amateur més popular del món. Es tracta d'una humil capsa amb una lent i obturador els més senzills possibles. Els materials primer foren cartró i fusta i a partir dels anys 30, alumini i baquelita. De fet les Brownie començaren a produir-se cap al 1900 i en la forma bàsica de caixa continuaren fins els anys 60!!
Aquesta és una de les càmeres més antigues que tinc, i funciona! És una Nr. 2 Brownie model F del 1931. Al contrari que el model D que també tinc, aquesta ja és tota metal·lica.
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_Brownie
Aquí teniu el model en concret (en anglès):
www.brownie.camera/no_2_brownie_camera_black_knob.htm
Un video molt il·lustratiu:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT1epnCyg78&t=187s
==============================================
This is my Kodak Nr. 2 Brownie model F, made in 1931 in the UK. It's a really humble camera, but this F model was all metallic, instead of the cardboard and wood of the former models, like the D that I also have. It takes 120 medium format film. In fact this format was created for this camera by Kodak back in 1900!
Kodak Brownies were the most popular entry level cameras of the early XX Century, when you could buy them for a 1$.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownie_(camera)
And here this specific model of Brownie:
www.brownie.camera/no_2_brownie_camera_black_knob.htm
A very instructive video:
A few individuals showed well at Sa Roca in s'Albufera, Mallorca. Introduced here in the 1990's to bolster the vulnerable Iberian population, the species seems to be doing quite well here. Instructive to see the difference in feathering patten at the side of the bill and the greyish cast to the bill tip (as well as the red breeding knobs of course!). The calls sound nothing like Eurasian Coot either, which would also be useful for identification in a flock.
I have mentioned several times on this forum that the best time of the year to get a decent reflection in the waters of the Stour estuary here at Cattawade are in the depths of winter when during a period of high pressure you are more unlikely to get an onshore breeze rippling the surface but this morning was the exception that proves the rule. The warm humid conditions had rapidly formed towering cumulus cloud but as can be clearly seen a complete lack of wind saw the incoming tide almost imperceptibly rising and provided mirror image conditions. It was instructive that when I returned past back here two hours later not only had the tide peaked but an onshore breeze had started up in the interim destroying any chance of a reflection. When I saw from lists this morning that the pink ONE liveried example was on this service it became the prime objective as the colour stands out well in the landscape. I was lucky as a large cloud obscured the sun a couple of minutes later.
Charleston est. 1670, pop. 127,999 (2013)
Marker: "Through recently discovered documents and maps found in Scotland and the Netherlands, a Seafarer's Tavern was on this site in or around 1686.
"Located on Charleston's working waterfront for three centuries, it has had many names: The Tavern on the Bluff's, Harris's Tavern, Mrs. Coates Tavern by the Bay, and more that have been lost to time.
"In 1903 it became a "Whiskey Store". During Prohibition liquor still flowed thanks to the intrepid rum runners. Following Repeal, The Tavern returned legally, and has been found to be the nation's oldest Spirits Establishment in continuous operation."
• stands where the city's early lines of fortification once ran • bldgs. in row designed exclusively for commercial use • the 2 units on the north end (L) were probably built mid-18th c., although brickwork indicates that No. 120 dates back to c. 1710 • south extension (R) added more commercial space • until 1795, these bldgs. were known as Champneys Row (Nos. 1 through No. 6)
• planter/botanist John Champneys (1743-1820) had a plantation on the northeast side of Charles Town, with 7-8 acres devoted to “trees, plants, shrubs and flowers of every kind” • in 1811 he produced Champneys' Pink Cluster, 1st hybridized rose in America • French botanist Philippe Noisette, a friend & neighbor, hybridized Champneys' rose to produce the more refined Blush Noisette
• during the American Revolution Champneys, a Loyalist, refused to sign an oath of loyalty to the American cause • warned by a secret Patriot group to leave or die, he apparently fled into exile at British-controlled St. Augustine, FL • post-war (1789), in response to a petition from Champney, the SC General Assembly lifted his banishment —Nason McCormick
• by 1790 Champneys had returned to Charles Town & bought this commercial strip • c. 1775, he sold the row to Capt. Thomas Coates (c. 1757- c. 1822) & wife Catharine Coates (c. 1760-1824) • it has been known as Coates’ Row ever since
• No. 120 (L), a 2-story vernacular bldg., was home to a long series of taverns • extensive underground spaces were useful as wine cellars • the 3-story rouged brick structure at No. 118 was usually combined with No. 120 to provide more space for a tavern or hotel
• the south extension, No. 114-116 has been variously dated from 1805 — as the rebuild of a structure destroyed in the 1804 hurricane — to 1841 • the bldg. was depicted in the Carnegie Prize-winning 1934 painting, South of Scranton by Peter Blume (1906-1992)
• Mrs. Coates took over Harris' Tavern (or Harris' Hotel), housed at No. 120, & opened the Globe Tavern in 1795 • by 1796 it had been renamed Mrs. Coates's Tavern on the Bay
• in 1797 it advertised "the best collection of wax figures ever exhibited in America," e.g., His excellency George Washington, late president of the United States • David going forth against (a 10' tall) Goliath with a sling and stone • The Connecticut Beauty • An old Woman Whipping her Negro Girl or, Domestic Discipline • The AMERICAN DWARF, taken from the life
• these exhibitions became popular in the U.S. after the Revolutionary War • the wax figures were created in an East Haven, CT factory owned by "self-taught genius" Reuben Moulthrop (1763-1814) — an artist in portrait painting & waxwork — & his brother-in-law Justin Street • the waxworks were presented to the audience accompanied by an instructive & presumably entertaining lecture • when these exhibits went out of style, the factory switched over to religious shrines for Latin America • Robert Moulthrop biography
• Mrs. Coates's Tavern was soon acquired by French immigrant Rémy Mignot (1801-1848) father of American landscape painter Louis Rémy Mignot (1831-1870) • the tavern was remodeled to become the French Coffee House
• responding the success of the French Coffee House & similar establishments, Catherine Coates took over the Carolina Coffee House, formerly Williams's Coffee House, already a Charleston landmark having hosted President George Washington in 1791 • the Marquis de Lafayette is said to have dined there in 1825
• Charleston Historic District, National Register # 66000964, 1969 • declared National Historic Landmark District, 1973
A necklace made of resistors.
After only 6 years as an engineer I thought I had enough and wanted out to look for my own style, my own life. I had all the success I could have dreamed of, they paid me tons of money and offered enough more to make me dizzy. It was great, but – not surprising to me, only to all the others – the attraction of it all remained limited. When my engineering career started to take off and soar but had lost its initial intriguing attribute of adventure I wanted to get out.
Sometimes then, in my spare time, I found myself making necklaces out of fragments of these tape player mechanisms I designed. Stuff I had myself created for very serious and absolutely non artistic purposes, stuff I surely had put my heart blood into and which – I was unsettled to see this – stared back at me now as pieces of my very own identity.
Looking back, this little playful practice at that time of making jewelry was tremendously therapeutic for me. To look at my engineered stuff from such a totally different perspective was like a revelation. Little metal pieces like springs, washers, bearings, nuts, and other utterly inappropriate objects like electronic resistors, capacitors, integrated circuits, and connectors became art. A little spiral-shaped gear wheel, that had a highly academic background and once was the solution for a huge technical problem and had gained me a lucrative patent and fame in certain circles, became an intriguing adornment for beautiful women. A series of bronze bearings of a new exotic material, that had bizarre cracks all over and given me great headaches because it never worked, looked incredibly decorative around a female neck.
Once the ban was broken, there was no stopping to “abuse” my creations for artwork. What had originally been a problem was suddenly a solution, what had a rational purpose before had now a charm. And of course, just to rediscover such ambivalence of almost private things was instructive and actually a wonderful relief. Maybe it was the silent message I gave to myself: “Hey, don’t get trapped in this identity of a smart engineer who is thinking up ‘noise making machines‘ no one really needs. And, when you see something, look again from a different angle, and keep wondering what it really is.”
DMC Petra 5 + crochet 2 mm
Un vrai challenge pour réaliser ce carré, les instructions (en anglais) sont vraiment ambigües, parfois fausses. C'est en faisant travailler la logique et en fouillant dans les notes et photos des membres de Ravelry qui l'ont réalisé que j'ai finalement réussi... Et c'était très instructif, ça pourrait m'inspirer pour d'autres choses...
Je le trouve très joli, mais je ne sais pas quoi en faire ! (je suis contre les dessus de lit)...
A real challenge to make that square! The instructions (in english) are very badly written, confusing and sometimes wrong. It's only by logic and digging into the notes and photos of other Ravelry members who made it that I finally succeeded... And it was very instructive, it might inspire me for future projects...
Now I find it very pretty, but I don't really know what to do with it! (I don't like bedspreads)...